Jennie jolts up violently from her slumber.
She rubs her temples harshly to sooth them. There's some slight aching in the area, like a migraine and it hurts so much she has her eyes shut tight.
The sudden movement of the girl stirs her roommate up who also passed out on the couch with her.
Chaeng blinks the sleep away a couple of times until she spots her friend rubbing her temples frantically. "The dream again?" Her voice is still groggy from the sleep.
Jennie nods. "It's different this time. It's really vivid and.....intense."
"More vivid than it already is?" Chaeng asks. Jennie nods again. She notices her friend's discomfort and her tightly shut eyes. "Hey, you okay?" She begins stroking Jennie's back to offer her some comfort.
"My head suddenly hurts." The pain is evident in Jennie's voice.
"Did you have anything to drink before we fell asleep?"
The two friends had a movie night and they unintentionally fell asleep on the couch together. In fact, the TV is still on but with only statics playing on the screen.
"I'm pretty sure I didn't."
Chaeng stands up from her spot. "I'll get you some aspirin. Can you walk yourself to your room?"
"Yes, I can. Thanks, Chaeng." Jennie gives her friend a weak smile before walking herself to her room. She sits herself on the edge of her bed and thankfully, the headache's subsiding but it's still a little excruciating. Chaeng comes back soon and she gets handed a tablet of aspirin and a glass of water. "Thanks again."
Chaeng sits beside Jennie on the bed and watches as her friend drinks the medicine. "So what do you think is causing this head ache?"
Jennie shakes her head with a defeated sigh. "I don't know."
"I feel like ever since you started your thesis on this L.M. person, your dreams are getting more and more disturbing. Maybe you should find a new topic?"
The older girl looks at her friend with an incredulous look. "Are you saying that my thesis is affecting my dreams and is causing my headache right now?"
Chaeng shrugs. "I don't know? Maybe? But what I'm saying is, is this is stressing you out and maybe that's why your dreams are so intense. You know? Manifestations of your real life stress."
"Maybe, but maybe not. These dreams have been visiting me since I was sixteen and this is the first time it ever felt like this." Jennie stares intensely ahead of her. "It's like something significant happened."
"Tell me," Chaeng turns her body so she's facing her friend. "Is it the whole olden days theme again? And the girl you kept seeing?"
Jennie nods. "And I died."
Chaeng swallows thickly. "H-how did you die in your dreams?" She visibly sounds uncomfortable.
"I don't know. I just fell unconscious and then I was dead. But wait, are you okay? You sound weird, Chaeng."
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's probably sleep. I mean it is four at midnight so I'm not surprised if I sound weird right now."
Jennie chuckles. "You're right. We should go back to sleep now."
"Good idea. Good night, Ruby Jane." The name slips out of Chaeng's mouth before she knows it.
Jennie looks at her friend in amusement. "What did you just call me? Who's Ruby Jane?"
"Oh," the younger girl looks around uncomfortably for a second. "Sorry, it's this girl I'm talking to. I meant 'good night, Jennie'."
"You talk to so many girls, Chaeng. Maybe you ought to keep it at one."
