We Were There

Chapter 9: Giggle

No. No. No. 

Kim opened her eyes, trying to focus on what was making that sound. She blinked and blinked and this voice... It's familiar.

No. Stop. I want to live. I WANT TO LIVE.

She woke up to the sound of Mau's moans. It's Mau. She's having a bad dream. All of a sudden, Mau flailed her arms helplessly. Reaching for the covers. For the pillow. For her throat. 

Her throat. 

She's having a nightmare, Kim thought to herself. She shook her friend's shoulders in order to wake her up but she kept flailing her arms. 

" Mau! Wake up! Mau!" 

Mau screamed. She tossed and turned. Tossed and turned. Her hands flailing helplessly for anything. For anyone! 

" Mau!"

" I want to live!" 

" MAU!" Kim grabbed a hold of her hands keeping it from moving and hurting herself. " Mau! Wake up! It's only a bad dream!"

Mau continued to flail her arms, scratching Kim's face in the process. " Aargh." Kim grunted. 

" MAU!" She saw her friend still flailing her arms. Helplessly reaching for her throat. Her throat.

" MAU!" Kim didn't realize she was starting to shout. " MAU!"

And Mau finally woke up. Her friend looked at her with a frightened face. She saw her friend shivering and soaking with sweat. Scared.

" A-Are you okay?" Kim stuttered. " I tried waking you up but you wouldn't budge."

Mau looked at her in silence. Afraid. Disoriented. Lost. 

" You were having a nightmare." She reached for her friend's arm. Her friend flinched. This had hurt her.

" D-Do you want to drink water?" was all she managed to ask to her friend. Her friend nodded with a blank look. 

They heard footsteps coming down the hallway and Alfred opened the door. 

" Everything okay? We heard screaming."

Kim was, also, hurt. Her friend scratched her. She knew that Mau didn't do it on purpose but this had hurt her. The mere thought that she wasn't able to do anything for her friend hurt her. And it all happened so fast. She got out from bed and walk past Alfred and Yhan. She, too, doesn't want to hear her own voice. 

Her own frightened voice. 

She too, was scared. 

The sound of the refrigerator calmed her down. She stared at the open fridge for a minute or two. She was afraid to go back up. After what had happened. She doesn't want to see anyone at all. She wants to be left alone.

She felt so helpless. 

Creak.

She turned to her left. The main door is open. Alfred must have forgotten to close and locked it. She closed the fridge. She was going to the main door when she heard a child's giggle.