𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗥 || o. sangwoo

2: Nightmare

❝You told me dreams can come true.

But you forgot to mention that nightmares are dreams too.❞

It has been a week since Ari was abducted. After taking a bath with Sangwoo, he gave her a skirt and a sweatshirt twice her size that went down her thighs.

That happened three days ago and Sangwoo even gave her the empty room on the second floor with a warm futon. Ari thought that the man was peculiar but he's beyond her comprehension by now.

"Ari! Get down here, breakfast is ready!" Sangwoo yelled from the kitchen as he took off his apron and sat on the chair after placing two plates of sunny side-up eggs and pancakes.

He heard the little thuds on the hallway upstairs as Ari walked aimlessly down the flight of stairs with his t-shirt.

"Looking good in that, aren't we?" Sangwoo said with a teasing tone as he looked at Ari downright checking her up.

Standing at five flat, she looks small and pixie-like, how cute.

"Good morning Sangwoo," Ari said, sitting on the chair in front of Sangwoo.

"Have you made up your mind about killing me later?"

She's been asking him that question every day now since he took her up from the basement.

"Finish your egg and pancakes. I need to leave early."

Of course, Sangwoo just ignored her question about when he's going to kill her. She's amusing him so why end the fun already?

"You're leaving?" Ari muttered as she ate her pancakes.

After making sure she was really hellbent into making Sangwoo kill her, he knew she wouldn't go anywhere even if he leaves her here in the house to fend for herself.

"Yeah, I have work."

Honestly, Sangwoo doesn't want to leave for work. He thought that what if she shows emotion while he's gone, he'd totally miss the chance.

"But it's Saturday."

"You almost sound like you don't want me to leave, princess." Sangwoo chuckled as he sipped his coffee.

"I don't want you to leave."

Sangwoo almost choke on his drink as she flat-out admitted that she doesn't want him to leave. He placed the mug down and coughed a few times.

Ari on the other hand, doesn't seem fazed at all as she shrugged her shoulders.

"I might get bored and end up cutting myself out of ennui," Ari said nonchalantly as she slices her pancake.

But before she could take a bite, Sangwoo gripped her wrist. His face darkens as his eyes narrowed. "If I get home later and you're passed out from blood loss, I will never kill you even if you beg me to."

That's an odd way to threaten someone. Normally, he would threaten someone to kill them. If it were any other normal person that is, but this is Ari. She'd be more delighted to hear him say it the other way around.

"Then what should I do to not get bored?"

Sangwoo sighed and released her wrist.

"I don't know. You can clean the house or cook some dinner before I get back."

Sangwoo stood up and took his jacket and car keys.

Ari took her time finishing her breakfast until she heard the front door closed and Sangwoo drove off. After taking the plates on the sink and washing them, Ari decided to do what Sangwoo told her.

Clean the whole house.

That's exactly what she did for a few hours. She ate some ramyeon she saw in the cupboard with kimchi in the refrigerator for lunch. After that she resumed to clean the second floor.

By the time the sun is almost about to set, Oh Sangwoo's whole house is spotless.

After nodding her head with her work, Ari decided to take a much needed bath. Filling the tub with water, Ari stripped down and soaked herself as she sighed.

She placed her head on the top of the tub and closed her eyes, relaxing as the water lulled her to slumber.

Her nightmare started like this.

The first thing she heard was the sound of a man shouting in Latin.

Her wrist and ankle are tied on each corner of the bed post as she cried.

No matter how much she told them she wasn't possessed, they never listened. The more she struggled, the painful the torture became. She even begged once to just kill her to end it all. But that made them believed more that she was indeed possessed.

She was stripped down as they hold her in place, she felt something sharp on her back and then warm liquid started to pool out. She realized he was cutting her back under the pretence of making her repent.

She's just being tortured.

Ari struggled as the nightmare continued; bringing in with it the memories she so desperately wanted to burn.

She struggled until she couldn't breathe.

Was this still a nightmare or was she drowning?

Does it matter? Either she dies drowning in the tub or she would never wake up again from that nightmare. Either way, it doesn't really matter since she'll die anyways.

In the middle of holding on to life and fading out to oblivion, she heard a voice.

"Ari!"

Oh Sangwoo, Ari thought. He really is peculiar.