𝑩𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒍 //𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝑲𝒊𝒅𝒔 𝑭𝑭//

~𝟲𝟬~

(First person, Ava's perspective)

I woke up in a cold sweat, the blankets wrapped around me so tightly, I couldn't breathe. I practically fought my way out of my confinements, breathing heavily when I finally sat up. I shivered, the sweat dripping down my spine. My throat was sore. Just then I heard the floor boards in front of my door creak, turning on the lamp on my nightstand to find Chan and Lee Know peeking past my doorframe.

"Can we come in?" Chan whisper-asked, to which I nodded.

I moved up in bed, making space for one of the two to sit next to me. Chan took that seat, Lee Know choosing to sit on the other end of the bed. I waited for either one of them to ask a question. When neither of them did, I asked a question of my own.

"Did I scream in my sleep?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

Chan nodded at me.

"Did I wake you guys?" I asked softly, looking at my hands fidgeting in my lap.

"Yeah, but I would have woken up on my own in any case."

Chan's words weren't making me feel any better, my head hanging lower and lower.

"And... did I wake the rest of the boys?"

"No. Or, not that we know of," Lee Know said, making me look up at him.

He gave me a soft, friendly smile, but I could see the hidden feelings underneath it. Worry. Fear for what was going on in my mind.

"You guys should go back to sleep. I don't want either of you getting hurt on a mission because I caused you to sleep less. I'd never be able to forgive myself."

"Hey," Chan said, taking my hand gently.

I winced at the touch, the bruises on my hands even more tender than before. He noticed my movement, bringing my hand to the light. I saw his eyes widen when he saw the blue and purple on and around my knuckles. I gently took my hand out of his grasp, looking at my lap.

"Our priority is keeping you safe, remember? Whether that be from Damian himself or your nightmares," he said after a while.

"There isn't really anything you can do about my nightmares," I mumbled.

I noticed Lee Know shifted closer to me after the statement. He reached his hand out towards mine, and instead of taking it in his like I suspected he would, he slid his hand in underneath mine, letting me take his hand in mine instead. The pain was significantly less, and a faint smile spread on my lips from his action.

"After you told us about Damian the first time, what happened to your nightmares? Did they become more or less frequent?"

I looked up at Lee Know at his question.

"Well, they disappeared. Or so I thought. Now, I guess they're back with a vengeance."

"That's not true. They just got stimulated again. But I'm sure we can think of a way to lessen the nightmares."

I saw his point, and it made me think, could there be a way for me to get rid of the nightmares once and for all? But I was sceptical. I had had the nightmares for so long, I couldn't think what it would be like to live without them.

"Distract me," I said suddenly, both the boys looking at me.

"During the day. Do as much with me as possible so I don't get time to think about ... Damian. That way, I might be able to stop the nightmares."

Chan and Lee Know shared a look.

"Sounds like it could work," Chan said, looking down at me.

"But right now, I think you need to get some sleep. I think it'll do you good to just rest a while, okay? We'll leave you now," Chan said, getting up off my bed. He waited for me to shift in underneath the covers before saying goodnight, then turning to leave.