Multishots

Daycare? more like Nightcare. - yoonseok/sope

But there was a problem. One boy decided to finger-paint all over the wall and carpet instead of the paper on the table, and I had to clean it up.

"Hobi?"

I was in the middle of grabbing cleaning supplies, and I guess the little girl followed me into the supply closet.

"Jae Eun, you're not supposed to be in here, sweetie." I kneeled down to speak to her at her level. "You could get hurt."

She frowned. "But nobody is playing with me, Hobi!" I saw a tear fall out of her eye. "I w-wanna play dolls with someone!"

That isn't good.

"Oh no, sweetie, don't be sad! I'll play with you once I'm done cleaning up the mess, okay?"

I tried to comfort Jae Eun. We sat in the supply closet for ten minutes as she whined in my arms, complaining about everyone who ignored her and played with the blocks or ponies instead.

It saddened me. No kid should be ignored like she was.

All Jae Eun wanted was to be included, all she wanted was to play with some stupid dolls, but she couldn't!

When she seemed calm, I picked her up in one arm and the cleaning supplies in the other.

"How about you rest while I clean up, then we can play, okay?"

Jae Eun nodded sleepily. She yawned and closed her eyes as I walked to the playroom, placing her on the couch, and putting a blanket on her.

As I cleaned, Jae Eun stirred in her sleep. She still seemed distressed, even when unconscious.

I immediately stopped cleaning, and went over to her. She started to whimper.

Was she having a nightmare?

I tapped her shoulder a couple of times cautiously. She still seemed to be asleep.

"Jae, please wake up for me." I whispered.

Her eyes shot open.

"Hobi, I—"

"It was just a nightmare, sweetie. Do you want to tell me about it?"

At this time I was completely ignoring all four of the other children, who were also trying to fall asleep. I wanted to focus on Jae Eun, who I didn't lay an eye on all day.

Jae Eun proceeded to tell me about this huge purple monster that had huge, sharp teeth. In the dream, it crawled into her room and hid next to her bed, staring at her until she woke up.

At the exact moment I said her name, she woke up.

"You were like my hero! You woke me up before it ate me!" She laughed, with tears streaming down her face, from the stress from the nightmare.

"Well it's good that I saved you, right?"

She nodded, wiping the tears away from her face.

"Hobi?"

Jae Eun blinked tiredly, and held her arms out to me.