You and I | Dreamcatcher

Chapter 7

Once Dami finished translating the two pages, she gulped and looked down.

"You okay?" JiU asked, concern ripping her heart. "Is it...?"

Dami handed the sheet over to her with pleading eyes. "Please leave the room now. It's coming for me."

"Hey, Dami, no. Please, you can fight it, can't you?"

"I've been fighting it for too long, JiU." Dami's smile trembled. "I don't want you to see me like this."

"Dami." JiU blinked back her tears and pulled a brave face for her. "I'll leave, don't worry. And I'll save Yoohyeon of the spider spirit and free everyone of these spirits, I promise you."

"Don't promise that." She replied and sat stock-still as JiU hugged her with a tight embrace.

"I promise what I want. Because I know that I keep my promises." JiU pulled her head to look at her face with glimmering eyes. "It's going to be okay."

"I swear you were the more mature leader than SuA." Dami chuckled regretfully into her shoulder and then retched, pushing JiU urgently away from her. "Leave now!"

Silently following her screamed orders, JiU opened the door and looked back as she left with sad eyes, remembering her promise to free them all.

"If it's the last thing I do." She clutched her hands together to her heart and clenched her eyes tight.

***

JiU returned to the big room, interested if Yoohyeon was still unconscious. On entering, she was surprised to see Handong and Gahyeon in the corner by the staircase. Gahyeon was sobbing and Handong seemed to be comforting her with low words.

"Gahyeon?"

Handong looked up at her, mouthing that Gahyeon was upset; which was clearly obvious. No one cried that way in happiness.

"Well, have you two seen Yoohyeon then?" She frowned.

"Er, she fainted. No idea why, but I moved her to the sofa in front of the camera since I reckoned that was a better place to rest. She's got a nasty bump on her head from falling."

"Right. That's good of you, Handong." JiU thought as she spoke. "I'll go and see how she is now."

She headed over to the small room and stepped up the single step into it. It was decorated with wallpaper fashionable to the time, which in her opinion looked a little ugly in the light pea green colour and darker green fat crosses in a repeating pattern.

Her feet stopped at the sofa, where Yoohyeon was lain out, her feet hanging peacefully off the end. One of her heeled shoes had fallen off in what must have been the struggle to move her to the sofa.

"Your dress is pretty today." JiU smiled brightly as she talked, hoping Yoohyeon would hear her voice and start to come around. She needed to project the smile into her voice and that false smile of hers was the best way to do it. "I think I want one like that as well." She knelt next to the sofa at the part where Yoohyeon's head lay.

Would Yoohyeon be completely taken over by the spider's spirit? JiU had no knowledge on these subjects. Her mind turned to Dami, but she knew she could no longer confidently turn to her for advice if the spirit had returned.

"Hey, Handong, Gahyeon." A low voice greeted far behind her and out of the corner of her eye, JiU saw Dami waltz into the room.

"Speak of the devil." She muttered to herself.

Yoohyeon's peaceful face contorted in fear then anger as her eyes snapped open.

"Yoohyeon!" JiU stood and grinned.

Yoohyeon's neck snapped to look at JiU, fixing her with the most hating of eyes. "You--" Her lip curled and she pushed herself up, her hands flying for JiU's throat.

JiU screamed and stumbled back, but the girl had already caught her slender neck in her cold, bony hands. They squeezed hard immediately, not giving JiU a chance to recover from the shock.

Her legs gave out as her body and brain focused on trying to get Yoohyeon' hands off her throat and to save herself.

Footsteps pounded to her left. The others must have seen it.

"I hate you! You imprisoned me in that. Cold, glass container and left me to die!"

JiU spluttered and grabbed at her hands, unable to reply. Her mind raced with conflicting thoughts, two-thirds of them dedicated in saving herself and the other third in figuring out the meaning behind her angry words.

It didn't take long for the meaning to hit.

That spider she found in the mansion gardens. The one that was burnt to crisp by one of the other girls.

Oh no.

"Get off her, Yoohyeon!" Handong yelled in fear and attempted to pull the girl off her to no success.

"Let me." Dami summoned her striped cane with ease and swung it at Yoohyeon's head with intent behind.

Yoohyeon keeled to the side as her body relaxed, and for the second time that day she ended up on the floor with a thump.