•Y/N: Your Name
•E/C: Eye Color
•S/C: Skin Color
Your POV:
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Constantly fading in and out of consciousness, I stood in the bathroom a long time trying to clean and bandage the bite wound on my neck. Now that my panic attack had worn off a bit, I can feel the full force of the burning pain coursing through my entire upper body. With each movement, let alone touch, I felt like I might die. I found myself having to sit on the sink due to my legs' desire to give out from under me. I think it might need stitches, or perhaps not. I don't even know. My mind feels so blurred, I can't think straight.
'Where the hell is Phil when I need him? Why did he leave me to do this by myself?' In the end, all I could do was wash off the blood and disinfect it as best I could before clumsily wrapping bandages around it. I've never had to deal with such a big injury before, so I did a poor job dressing it up. Oh well, it's the best I could do under the current circumstances.
I pop a pain pill in hopes it'll help ease this unbearable pain before stumbling back into my room using the wall as a crutch, I felt I might faint then and there, but Phil told me to stay up, so I'll do my best to obey him. I walk up to the window and have a look outside after opening the it a bit with the arm on my uninjured side as to not irritate the wound, thinking the fresh air would help. Looking out at the horizon, I find the sun just starting to peek into the darkness, meaning I must've spent a few hours in that bathroom, though, I didn't exactly catch the time I woke up at, so for all I know, it was only a few minutes ago. I bring a hand to my throbbing head and feel an intense heat.
'Damn, a fever too. What's next? Are the aliens coming to abduct me?' Groaning, I stumble back, over to the bed and sit. I focus on breathing and staying awake. As I sat there, I began to feel weary, since Phil hasn't come back yet. He said he would return soon, didn't he? I felt the need to cry. I didn't want to be alone, not when I'm this out of it. I think I might puke.
'What if something happened? What if he never returns? What if he just leaves me here?' A soft sob escapes my lips. I know these are some pretty drastic thoughts, but honestly, can you blame me? Everything wrong happens in my life. I never am able to catch a break, so him disappearing on me might just be next on the list of things that might kill me. Aside from the fact that I've grown rather fond of the mysterious creature, I know that he must've figured out what's happened to me, or perhaps he's just known the whole time. I need answers.
I understand he likes his privacy, but things like this aren't okay to hide from me. I'm getting involved in something I know nothing about. I'm terrified, not only for my life, but for my sanity as well. These dreams, these nightmares, I can't help but feel a connection between them, like a secret message of some sort, but I'm just too stupid to decode it myself. This is too much for me.
There are just too many pieces of the puzzle that refuse to fit, like: who is Phil? What is he? Why is it that these dreams appeared when he did? Why is he so damn secretive? Why can't he just tell me what's going on? All these questions are just making my condition worse. I just want to lie back down and sleep, but how could I? I don't want to risk going back to that castle. I'm so scared and just want to be comforted, but the only person who can calm me down is nowhere to be found. I'm alone...
'Why am I always left alone?' I bring my knees to my chest and curl into a ball while silent tears leave my reddened, puffy eyes. I wipe them only to wince every time I moved. I sat there for a little longer until the sun came fully up and sighed. I had managed to calm myself at least a bit.
'I think I should get dressed and make something to eat. Maybe Barbra's up and can distract me for a little while?' I cautiously stand up and find that I have a bit better control of my legs than before as I make my way over to the dresser. I take out something that'll hide these bandages: a black turtleneck with dark grey pants and a black belt that has a large, silver buckle. The sweater isn't too tight, so it shouldn't be too restricting on the bandages.
The last thing I need right now is for Barbra to start worrying about me when she's getting ready to leave this place, so I'll try to leave her in the dark about this incident. I feel a sudden pang in my heart upon remembering that she's leaving me.... alone...
'Goddamnit, why am I always left alone at the worst possible times?' I slam my drawer shut in frustration only to yelp and bring a hand to my neck while sucking in air through my teeth. Whimpering softly, I follow the wall out of the room and to the kitchen, where I can hear the sound of someone moving around. Barb always was a morning person. I never really understood the appeal of waking up at ungodly hours myself, but to each her own. My stomach growls as the scent of delicious food invades my nostrils, making me want to levitate towards it like in cartoons. Pancakes and bacon: heaven. The woman treats me with a smile upon seeing me enter the kitchen, looking surprised that I was up so early.
"Mornin'!" Her grin then falls to a look of concern as she looks me over, confusing me a bit. "Christ, Y/N! Did you get sick or something? You look like s***. Jeez, you literally have the worst luck than anyone I've ever met," she claims before flipping the pancake in the pan she's in front of. With a slight smile, I shake my head.
"What loving words from my adoring roommate," I say sarcastically before noticing a dark figure sitting at the small, kitchen table. It's only got two chairs and is in the shape of an oval, though, we rarely ever use it, honestly. Most often, I'd be rushing out the door in the morning or eating on the couch in the evening. You can imagine my surprise, however, when I made eye contact with the familiar, blue eyes of my companion, Phil. He greets me with a slight smile, though, I only return it with a secretive glare to make sure Barb didn't see.
'Has he been sitting here this whole time while I waited and worried about him? Where the heck did he run off to!? Why didn't he come back to the room?' I clench my fists, on the brink of tears again, causing the man to frown a bit with an apologetic look in his eyes. My attention shifts when two plates are set on the table before Barb takes the unoccupied seat. I'd get to the bottom of this later. Right now, I can't, not while she's still here. Barbra sends me a questioning stare, noticing that I'm still standing in the doorway.
"Why are you still standing? Gotta eat while the food's still good," she jokes, though, my expression remains unchanged as my E/C orbs dart between her and the dark-haired creature occupying my chair. Phil stifles a laugh while blocking his mouth with a gloved hand after realizing the predicament, which made me want to frown as I slowly approach the table. The entire walk over, I stare Phil down with a glare, silently telling him to move, but the male only smirks in amusement while draping an arm over the back of the chair to get more comfortable. I could feel my cheeks heat up as he pats his lap with his other hand, ushering me to sit.
"Come on, I won't bite~" His comment almost made me choke, but I realized I had no choice. If I stalled any longer, it would make Barb suspicious, and she's already looking at me like I'm crazy. Swallowing my pride, I look away from Phil's eyes and sit on his thighs, remaining tense as he chuckles. I could feel his chest vibrate with the sound as his right arm slips around my waist, and his chin lowers to rest on my uninjured shoulder. I imagine my face is redder than a fresh bouquet of roses by now as his fingers softly tap at my side, tickling me just slightly. I do my best to ignore him and start shoveling my breaking into my mouth, feeling starved, but it was a little difficult. With every breath he took, the warm air brushed against the shell of my ear and made my insides quiver. He's doing this on purpose, I'm sure of it.
"So, what time are you leaving?" I ask Barbra, wanting to bring my thoughts elsewhere, but this topic was honestly no better. I really don't want her to go, but it's not my choice to make.
"Later today," she answers while stuffing her cheeks full of pancakes, a bit of strawberry syrup dribbling down her chin as she speaks. "Prolly 'round lunch time." I laugh at the ill-mannered girl, amazed that she came from a wealthy background with her personality, though, not a moment later, my smile fell as I poke at a strip of bacon on my plate.
"Okay, then," I mutter, unable to meet my roommate's gaze as she looks at me with worry.
"Hey, are you gonna be okay without me? I could always tell my dad that I can't come."
"No, no, it's all right. Don't let me get in the way. I'll be fine by myself." I sigh, trying to think of a decent excuse before forcing a smile. "I'm just thinking of all the work I'm going to have to do to find another roommate." She laughs at my light tone, probably not seeing past the mask I put up.
"You know, you could always move to someplace you can actually afford on your own." I shake my head at her, frowning slightly.
"With what money? I can't afford a new place, and I can barely afford to stay here. I think the universe just wants to declare my doom." I sip at the coffee Barbra had made for me. It was made just how I like, but that's because we've been living together for so long that we've come to learn a lot about each other's likes and dislikes. A solemn smile graces Barbra's lips as silence befell the table for a few moments.
"I'm sorry I'm leaving so suddenly like this. I hate knowing that you're gonna be on your own for awhile, especially since you haven't been feeling well lately, and you had that episode-"
"Hey, don't worry about me. You should go to your family." I force a smile onto my lips and feel Phil's arm tighten around my waist to comfort me. Though it wasn't visible, my body is shaking a bit due to holding back tears. "I've been through tough times before and always made it through. I should be fine without you here, and, if something does happen, I can always call." Barb believed every lie that came out of my mouth, while my chest constricted.
"Good." She laughs, feeling a bit relieved. "I bet you won't even miss me." After shoving the last bite of bacon on her plate into her mouth, she stands up with her dishes in hand. "Well, I still have some stuff to shove into boxes. I'll see you around, okay?" I can only manage a nod as she places the plate and mug in the sink before walking off to her room. I slump my shoulders and lean back, completely forgetting about the man behind me. I nearly jumped when I bumped into his firm chest, but relaxed immediately after as I lift a hand to rub my neck. I hiss when coming into contact with the wound and immediately pull away. The pills seemed to have eased the pain, but it still hurts.
"Does it hurt badly?" Phil questions worriedly in a low voice as the arm he had draped over the back of the chair pets back my hair.
"It's fine," I spit back with sarcasm in my tone, still upset, before sighing and looking up at him. "Phil?" The man hums softly and meets my eyes. He seemed concerned for me, and it was enough to make me want to burst into tears, so I force myself to look elsewhere: my plate. I poke at the remaining food with a fork, seeming to have lost my appetite. I felt that if I were to take one more bite, I'd vomit.
"Please, tell me what's going on. You know, don't you," I ask in a wavering voice, referring to the mysterious bite on my neck. There was a moment of hesitance before he answers, making my stomach sink. His hand covers mine and glides over the trembling flesh as he reaches for the fork to set it back down on the table. The arm around my waist moves to my hip before he lightly pushes me to get off of him. After I stand, he turns his head to look me up and down before his eyes focus on my injured neck.
"I do."
"Tell me, what was that thing? Why is this happening to me? Please, I need to know," I beg with tears clouding my vision, but, to my surprise, he sat up straight and said,
"I won't tell you." His voice was firm, telling me the subject is nonnegotiable. While my mouth hung open in disbelief, he reached for my mug before giving it a light sniff and taking a sip of the coffee inside. Anger caused my fists to clench as I shout,
"What do you mean you won't tell me?! Th— That thing bit me! I deserve to know what's going on! Can't you see I'm terrified?!" I grab the front of his coat with trembling hands, hot tears spilling from my eyes as I stare into his. Calmly, he grabs ahold of my hands after putting my cup down and leans in closer to my face, not even the slightest bit fazed by my outburst.
"Hush now, Barbra will hear you." I narrow my eyes at him.
'That's what he's worried about, not that I got badly hurt from some freaky creature in my dream? What the f***?!'
"I don't care! Tell me what's happening now!" I demand, but to no avail. He stayed silent, and an amused smirk tugged at his lips as though this was funny!
'I can't believe this! How could he be so stubborn at a time like this?!' My hands are pried from his coat before he stands up, keeping a hold on my shaking fists.
"Let's take a walk," he suggests as I rip my hands from his grip. The sudden change in topic made my head spin.
'What is he playing at?' I go to yell at him again only to be tugged towards the door by the hand. "Phil, knock it off! Let go!" Thankfully, he obeys when we get to the door, but he seemed intent on going outside judging by the stern look he gave me. With a defeated sigh, I slip on shoes, wondering if he has some kind of plan in mind, before shoving past him out the door.
'Why must he be so frustrating?' Phil caught up to my side and easily matched my pace even though it was fast. Eventually, I started slowing down the farther we got to the apartment, feeling tired from moving so quick. It seemed the fresh air had helped to calm me, even if it was a little chilly, but I'm still mad. I'd glance over to Phil, waiting for him to start talking, but he never once looked my way as he guided me to a park full of joggers running on the winding, cement path. In the very center stands a playground, but it was currently empty due to kids being at school at this time of the morning. We walk along the path, and finally, I decided to end the torturous silence.
"So are you just not gonna say anything or what? Why are we here?"
"I have known you for a few years now, and I've noticed something," he starts, finally meeting my gaze. "I have rarely seen you take time off, even when you clearly needed it. You never stop working."
"What does that have to do with- Oh, s***, work!" I panic, having completely forgotten about it.
'It's about opening time. If I hurry, maybe I can-' before I could slip away, my shoulder was caught by his large hand. I stop upon seeing a sad look in his eyes.
"Working yourself to death is not a good distraction, Y/N. It is important to take time off. You can make an exception for today. You are injured, and you'll only make it worse if you go to work."
"I don't use it as a distraction. I need to work so that I can have the money to live, and with Barbra leaving, I need to make as much as I can until I find a roommate to help me with the bills." I step back so that he'd release me, but I don't run away regardless of my desire to. Phil sighs.
"Just for today, please. You've already been through enough pain as it is. Don't make it harder on yourself, and besides, all this stress can't be good for your health. You forget how fragile you've been lately. How many episodes have you had this month alone, Y/N?" I look down, anger fading almost immediately. He really is just worried. I thought he didn't care for a moment there.
"I'm fine, really."
"Don't lie to me, Y/N. You don't have to. It's okay to admit you need a break." I stay silent, knowing he's right. This argument is useless. I'm in no condition to go to work today. I need to stop.
"Just for today, but I'm still mad at you." I walk past him, heading for the playground to sit on the swings, causing the tall man to shake his head with a faint smile on his lips. He stands beside me as I absentmindedly kick my legs back and forth to make the swing move.
"Did you clean the wound when I left?"
"Yeah, but I don't think I did a good job of it."
"Would you like me to have a look when he get back to the apartment?"
"Yeah." I sigh and crane my neck to look up at the sky, wincing a bit when a sting came from the action. "You know, if you're so concerned about it, why won't you tell me what's happening? You never tell me anything. I don't even know your real name. Don't you know how frustrating that is?" My hands clench the chains of the swing tighter as my movements slow, gradually stopping the swaying swing.
"I know." A soft chuckle sounds from the mysterious creature as I turn my head to look at him with a brow raised.
'What's so funny?'
"But, I'm not entitled to tell you anything, Y/N. I do care about you, but there are things you don't have to know just yet. You act as though you have authority over me, demanding that I tell you these things at a time which is not right. I actually find it quite cute," he says with a light laugh that infuriates me.
'A time that is not right? I don't get it. What's that supposed to mean?'
"Not everything has to be a secret, you know? I barely know anything about you, and how long have we known each other? Can't you tell me anything?" Cracking a smile, he steps forward until he's in front of me. His hands grab the chains of the swings, just above my own, before he bends down to plant a kiss on my forehead.
"You'll get your answers in due time. Be patient, pet." I was stunned, my face bright red as I gaze up at his smug face. I was so surprised by the kiss that I didn't even notice the nickname.
"What the hell was that for?!"
"Excuse me?" I jump and peer behind me after hearing an unknown voice and find myself looking at a woman in her forties dressed in pink, jogging attire. She seemed concerned. "Are you okay?" My blush instantly darkened when I realized I've been loudly talking to "the air" for a good fifteen minutes now.
"Oh, y-yeah, sorry! I'm... I'm just gonna go." Embarrassed, I hop off the swing, maneuvering around Phil, who laughs before following after me. I shoot him a glare. "I hate you."
"Come now, Y/N. What did I say about lying? You can't fool me, I know you love me," he claims with a grin, making my face even hotter, if possible. Chuckling, he ruffles my hair and claims it was only a joke. The air between us seemed to clear. No longer was I upset with him, though, I do wish he had spilled one of his secrets to me, but my mood instantly darkened when I got back home and found a moving truck in front of the apartment. Barbra gives a wave to me, calling me over, so I approach with a fake smile on my face.
"I'm about to head out, okay? Don't miss me too much!" I'm suddenly trapped between her arms and am squeezed tightly, but thankfully, she was nowhere near the bite mark, otherwise that would've been painful.
"I'll try. Bye, Barb." I sigh and hug her back before we part ways. She jumps in the truck as I hurry inside, already feeling tears pricking my eyes. I close myself in my room and plop down on the bed, face in the pillows, as I let out a long groan. I feel a dip in the mattress before a hand rubs my shoulder in a comforting manner. I sigh and peer up at Phil, who bears a gentle smile.
"Don't cry. I'm still here." I send a small smile back to him and sniffle while sitting up. I rub my eyes before remembering I wanted him to look at the wound. He seemed surprised when I suddenly lifted my turtleneck to reveal the bandages and my white tank top before understanding what I wanted. He clicks his tongue at my poorly done work and smiles softly as he lowers one of my bra and tank top straps to unwrap the blood-covered gauze. I watched him closely, a little embarrassed as he performs the action, unable to help the dirty thoughts that entered my mind. With a hum and knitted brows, he takes off his gloves before inspecting the wound with his cold fingers. I yelp when he pulls at the skin a bit, as if to reopen it, and he quickly apologizes. Whimpering, I bite at my lower lip as he continues to feel around the skin.
"Oh dear," he mutters.
"What? What is it?" I ask nervously, not liking how worried he sounded. He sighs and looks into my eyes seriously.
"There's a tooth deep in the wound. I'll have to get it out."
"A what?!" My eyes grow wide as I begin to hyperventilate. I must've been too dazed to see it earlier. I was very loopy when I cleaned it.
"Don't worry. Just wait here, while I grab tweezers. I'll have it out quickly." Phil gets up and hurries to the bathroom, while I wait anxiously for his return, tempted to poke at the wound with my own fingers to get it out myself as soon as possible, but that'd only make it worse. Soon enough, he comes back with tweezers in hand and sits beside me.
"Hold still. This will hurt," he warns upon seeing me tremble and holds my good shoulder to keep my steady. I trust him, but I wish this didn't have to be done. I close my eyes, unable to watch as he prods at the wound with the tweezers and jolt in pain while reaching out to grab his coat. He pulls back for a moment and sighs before adjusting me to sit on his lap so that I can hold him better. I cry out in pain as he tries again, and I feel an object being tugged slowly from within my skin.
"S***," he mutters silently to himself, which made me nervous, as he hurriedly pulls out the tooth. I scream at the quick dislodge and shake as he hugs me with one arm and rubs my back. "Shh, it's all right. I got it, see?" Pulling back slightly, I find him presenting me with two halves of a hollow, pointed tooth with serrated edges. It was small, but covered in blood. It was enough to make my stomach flip.
'I'm gonna pass out.' I pale as he sets it on the bed before moving my head to look at my neck again. I shriek as his mouth latches onto the bite and push him to get off as he sucks on it. I'd feel his tongue gliding against the flesh as he drew in the spewing blood.
'Is he some kind of vampire,' I wonder while wincing.
'God, I hope not. How cringy would that be?' Thankfully, he lets go after a few moments before spitting out a stream of blood onto the floor.
"Sorry," he says while wiping his lips with the back of his hand, missing a spot in the corner of his lips, where blood dribbles down his chin, "but when I was taking it out, the tooth snapped in half. There was venom in it, that's why it's hollow. You're lucky it was still whole beforehand."
"V-Venom? That thing had venom?" Knowing that made me sick. I could've been paralyzed or killed for all I know. Whimpering, I stare down at the tooth dirtying my grey sheets. I'd have to clean up later.
"Yes, but you should be fine now. I sucked out as much as I could. It shouldn't be anything deadly. If anything, you might get sleepy," he assures before planting a kiss on my cheek, leaving a bloody mark on the S/C flesh. I had little time to comprehend the action before he stood up after carefully removing me from his lap.
He left the room, likely to grab bandages, as I bring a shaky hand to the red fluid left by the kiss. When he comes back, he dabs the wound with a wet rag and disinfects it before wrapping it up properly. The rest of the day, I had a stomachache, which Phil told me could be a side effect from the venom, so I spent most of the day in bed or on the couch, recovering. In the night, I felt a little better and made myself dinner before going back to the couch. I felt exhausted, though I did nothing all day, but I didn't want to go to sleep. I was scared I'd wake up in that nightmare kingdom again. I stare blankly at the anchorwoman on the television as she talks about some puff piece about a baby panda coming to the zoo near here, but was hardly invested in the story.
"Thank you, Diane. We'd like you to stay tuned for more about the new edition to the Catolina Zoo. In recent a development, a pyromaniac has escaped from the Dergon Insane Asylum earlier today. Stay on the alert for Kelvin Davison." A picture of a blonde man with a somewhat handsome face and sunken features pops up on screen. There was a deadness in his dark brown eyes that sent a chill down my spine, however, as I stared into them.
'I guess this place has been getting a lot more dangerous lately. I wonder what's going on?' This place used to be relatively safe, though, there has definitely been an increase in crime as of late. Hopefully, I don't end up having an encounter with one of these people.
"If you have any information about the whereabouts of this man, please contact the authorities immediately." I turn towards Phil, who sits beside me.
"I hope that guy isn't anywhere around here."
"Yes, that would be unfortunate." He mutters before looking at the time on the clock. It was almost eleven now. "You should get some sleep. It's starting to get late." I shake my head.
"I can't. I'm..." I trail off, not wanting to admit that I'm too scared to sleep, and look down. He was able to piece together my reasoning regardless.
"I won't ever let what happened last night to happen again. You have nothing to worry about," he assures, making me feel a little better. I trust him. I don't know why, but I do after everything that's happened,
even though I know almost nothing about him.