Territory

Safety

"You're going to class tomorrow right? You said you would." Yana asked.

"Yeah I am. I have to. I have so much work to make up it's ridiculous." I said, getting my bed ready to sleep in.

"Well maybe I should stay here in case you still don't feel well. I don't have to go I could say I'm sick or pregnant."

"Yana no I'm fine. Besides your mom would kill you if you didn't show up to the wedding."

"Ok fine but I am one phone call away from ordering a plane ticket back just remember." She said picking up her suitcase.

"I. Am. Fine. Now go. Go go go. You're gonna miss your flight." I pushed her out the door and rolled my eyes. Then went to sleep.

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I woke and went to the bathroom to take a shower. The hot water fogged up the room as it fell down my body. Once I wiped the soap from my eyes I noticed something sitting on the shower floor. I focused a bit closer and realized it was a small stuffed wolf. 'How did that get in here?' I turned around; facing the wall. "It's not real it's not real." I gulped. "It's just a dream. It's not real. I'm not afraid." I exhaled and quickly turned around and screeched. Ira was standing in front of me. "Are you afraid now?" He growled.
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"AAAAHHHHH!" I screamed. It was a dream. A nightmare. I sat up in my bed and wiped the sweat from my forehead. I saw a small bump on top of my blanket. I reached over to turn my lamp on and realized it was one of my stuffed animals. "Oh my god." I whispered as I looked at it. Yes it was a stuffed animal but, it's head was ripped off. I had an erge to look at my floor, even though I really didn't want to. Every stuffed animal Yana and I owned was on the floor; all their heads gone; severed from their bodies. I climbed out of bed and grabbed the trash can. I picked up all of them a threw them away; my hands shaking and tears flooding from my eyes. I looked under the beds and the desks but I couldn't find the heads; just the bodies. I stood up and took a deep breath. I shoved the trash bag into my closet and slammed it shut. "Leave me alone." I murmured.

A few hours later it was time for class. I covered my tear stained face with counselor and put some new clothes Yana bought for me on.

As I walked to class I saw Changkyun. He waved but I didn't. I tried ignoring him but he run up to me.

"Hey uh are you ok after, you know, everything I told you?" He asked worriedly. I nodded. "If there's something wrong you can tell me. I mean I think I owe you that much."

"I'm ok." I said a went to class.

I didn't speak to him in English. He tried talking to me a few times but I ignored him. I didn't want to though. I wanted to tell him about my nightmares; about my sanity. I wanted to hug him, hold his hand, and laugh with him so badly but, I couldn't.

"Miss may I get something to drink?" I asked, raising my hand.

"Yes of course Claire." I could tell she was concerned for me. I mean if one of your students suddenly went missing for 2 weeks with no emails, phone calls, or a heads up then just randomly showed up back to class with a terrified expression on her face wouldn't you be concerned?

As I stopped at the water fountain I noticed I was the only one in the hallway. I shrugged it off and took a drink. My eyes wondered to the drain of the fountain; there was a piece of cotton stuck. I stopped drinking and examined it. Then, another piece of cotton fell onto my hand. I gulped and slowly looked up. The heads to all of my stuffed animals were squired to the ceiling with pencils. I screamed as loud as my lungs would let me. Changkyun ran out of the class over to me.

"What's wrong?! Claire what's wrong?!" I pointed to the ceiling. He looked up and saw all of it. "Cmon, cmon! Let's get away from here." He pulled me to my feet and we left before everyone came out because of my scream.

Changkyun brought me to his house; it was small but organized. He couldn't live in a dorm, well because, he's a werewolf with a bit of a temper issue.

"Tell me what's going on Claire." He said.

"Ira, I- I saw him." My eyes glossy.

"Wait he was with you?! When?! Where?!" Changkyun panicked.

"In my dream." I replied. He calmed down.

"What happened in your dream?" He asked gently. I looked up at him and took a breath.

"I'll show you." I brought him back to my dorm and showed him the bag of stuffed animal bodies. I told about my dream and how I woke up to them scattered across the floor with no heads. He stood back and pondered.

"All of your nightmares seem to revolve around water. Have you noticed that?" He asked. "Like the fog on the mirror, the wolf in the shower, and just today you went to the water fountain and saw something."

"I-I can't swim." I murmured.

"What?"

"When I was little, my mom threw me into a lake and told me if I wanted to live I would have to swim. But I couldn't. My body hit the lakes floor and she just stood watching."

"Oh my god I'm so- I'm so sorry."

"Luckily my brother dove in a saved me before I drowned. I've never been able to even be near a pool or lake or even walk along the ocean since then."

"Are you afraid you're going to drown again? Is that why there's always water in your dreams?" He asked.

"Not just drown. I feel like I'm going to die. And no one will be there to rescue me." I before I knew it I began to cry. "And I feel that exact way in those nightmares; like I'm going to die."

Changkyun leaned over and hugged me tightly. It was the best feeling in the world; his hugs.

"I won't let anything happen to you."

Changkyun later left and I stood by my bed; listening to the clash of thunder echoe and the sound of rain trickle down every crevice of the dorm hall. I glanced over at my bathroom and remembered the first nightmare I had. I forgot Yana wasn't here. She made me feel a bit more safe when I woke up screaming. "I can't do this. Not alone." I whispered and walked out of my dorm.

*knock knock*

"Who is it?" Changkyun called.

*knock knock*

"Ugh I said who-" he opened the door and saw it was me; drenched from the rain. "Claire."

"Can I stay with you? I don't want to be alone. Please?" I asked.

"Of course." He said opening the door wider so I could come in. "H-here I'll get you some dry clothes." He said nervously and ran to his dresser. He pulled out a long sleeve shirt and a pair of boxers. "Don't worry, they're clean." He joked.

I couldn't help but smile slightly. It was cute how much he wanted to help. Once in the clothes he picked out for me, I walked out and found he passing back in fourth.

"I um you can take the bed it might smell a little I mean I didn't know you were coming so I didn't wash them and uh I'll sleep on the floor." He rambled. I nodded and climbed into his bed. It did smell but not the bad kind of smell; it smelt like him.

"Changkyun." I whispered. He turned his head over to me and looked up from his pillow on the floor. "Can you sleep next to me?" I asked nervously. He looked a little surprised but then smiled.

"Sure." He got up and crawled over to the other side of me. He really didn't know what to do with his hands so he laid them awkwardly on my shoulder.

I chuckled under my breath and grabbed his wrist; pulling his arm around my waist. "What if I have another nightmare and I wake up to something bad again?" I murmured.

"Then I'll be right here to comfort you." He said; pulling me closer to his warm body.

I loved being held by him. He made me feel safe despite the fact that he's a werewolf. I knew he wouldn't ever hurt me and I trusted him for that.

A few moments later I fell sound asleep in his arms. But the best part was, I didn't have a nightmare that night. In fact, I dreamt about Changkyun and how we met.