Stigma | Haechan

47

𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙..

"Mom! Dad!"
Aera let go off Jisung's hand, hurriedly running towards the building- every sound draining out, her ears ringing and all she could hear was her own heart that throbbed in her chest- mumbling out something incoherent under her breath as she searched for her parents.

"Stay away kid! You aren't allowed in here" The nurse pulled Aera back, holding onto her from walking any further into the collapsed building that stood in front.

"No! My m-mom, my dad, save t-them. Please save them!" Aera cried out, tugging onto the women's dress, desperately.

"Your parents were inside?" She asked and Aera frantically nodded.
"What's your name?"
"Park Aera"
"Come along" The elder held onto her small hand and Aera followed the women, hoping her parents would show up safe and sound.

"Do you see your parents in this room?" She asked and Aera wide eyed stared at everyone in the room through the huge window- numerous people lying on the white hospital beds as each of them were being shifted to the ambulance, wounds, cuts and blood filling all their bodies.

My parents survived out right?

In the first go her parents were no where to be seen and she shook her head, rubbing her blurry eyes before taking a double take and when she realized that her parents were absent in the room she gasped in disbelief.

Did they not..?

Just then a few people holding two bodies on the stretchers, approached in their direction earning their attention.

"Shift these two to the other room, they didn't make it.."
One of them instructed and nodding, the nurse placed a hand on the stretcher, ready to make a move but Aera tugged onto her dress, stopping her.

"What is it?" The women asked and upon getting no reply she looked at where exactly Aera had her eyes glued onto and it was the finger ring that was situated on the dead perosn's finger.

"M-my mom..." Aera let out- wide eyes staring at the hand that was blown from the accident, the blood dripping down her mother's fingers and her breaths got unsteady- every passing second felt sinfully painful to her.

Aera extended her trembling hands to touch her mother's and the second she placed her gentle hand onto hers- the blood smeared onto her hand and her small hands held the lifeless ones making her feel utterly nauseated just at the sight.

"W-why are they not moving??" Aera uttered out, shaking her head as she shrugged all the detrimental thoughts off her mind.

"Unnie tell me they are alive right? My mom and dad are safe right..??" Aera almost yelled out, holding onto the elder women's hand.

"Here," Aera uttered out as she placed the women's hand over her mother's chest.
"Check their heart beat unnie. You can feel it...right? Please unnie, speak! Tell me they're alive! Tell me mom and dad are alive! Unnie p-please!"
The nurse looked down at the girl, blinking away the tears that welled up in her own eyes upon seeing the seven year old cry over her dead parents.

"U-nnie.. are they d-dead..?" Aera asked almost like she was desperate to know what she was thinking was wrong and that her parents were alive.

The nurse crouched down, wiping the tears that uncontrollably rolled down Aera's face before speaking up.

"Dear, listen—"
"Unnie.. tell me the truth"
Aera interjected and upon getting silence as her response, she gasped in disbelief- her parents state gradually dawning on her.

Aera stepped forward with wobbling legs as she reached out onto her mother's hands- her trembling ones holding onto the big ones.

"You p-promised we will be together forever.... you can't- you left me a-alone"
Words struck in her gut wrenching throat and she choked on her cries, lungs getting knocked off any air and she couldn't get herself to believe the sight-

The lifeless bodies of her parents lying right in front of her.

Aera sat up straight with wide eyes- panting hard, fine sheen of sweat covering her face, ears ringing while her head pounded with immense torment.

Wiping away her sweat with the back of her hand, she grabbed the bottle placed on the bedside stand- chugging down some content as she exhaled out loudly, trying to calm herself down.

Huffing out air, she placed the bottle back in place before pulling the duvet over her body as she laid on her bed.

And the moment she closed her eyes, the scene of her parent's lifeless bodies replayed itself in her mind and she snapped her eyes open, petrified to fall back asleep.

"I hate you Aera" She muttered under her breath as she exited her room, her feet subconsciously making it's way towards the other room.
Realizing the door was open, she twisted the door knob letting herself in before closing the door shut behind her.

Donghyuck groaned at the sound, shuffling on his bed before he gradually opened his eyes only to see Aera and his eyes flung open, perplexed to see her in his room.

"Aera? You're still awake?"
"Can I?" Aera asked pointing at his bed and he simply nodded, moving to one side providing her with enough space to sleep on his bed.

Aera walked towards him, crawling onto the bed closer to him before she threw a hand over his waist, hugging him from his side catching him off guard at her actions.

"Hyuck.. I can't sleep" She said with her voice coaxed with drowse and he looked to his side, catching sight of her enervated figure and he simply let her stay in that position.

"Nightmares again?" He asked in a soft voice, placing a hand on hers that was looped around him and she gave a nod in response, shuffling closer to him in feeble attempts to fall back asleep.

Donghyuck turned to fully face her- his hazel eyes ranking over her face as his gentle fingers pushed the strands of her hair out of her face, tucking them behind her ear.

"Good night" He muttered out as the corner of his lips pulled up into a smile, contently watching his soulmate drift off to sleep in his arms.

Aww 🥺

Is Aera's past clearly understood though..?
Cause her past is revealed out as her nightmares..
So, is it clear or do you want me to make Aera narrate it all out in one single chapter??