A Bite of the Apple

19 - The Choice

"Okay!" yelled Siyeon. "You win!"

My eyes sprung open. Siyeon was heaving for breath as if she'd just run a sprint. Her palms were bleeding from where her nails had dug into them.

"I'll give you the book," she said to the Nightmare with its finger to my throat. Then her eyes met mine. I can't, she mouthed.

"Siyeon..." I said.

"Then give it," said the Nightmare.

Siyeon held out her hand. The book materialized above it and came to rest in her palm. "Here. Now give the girl to me."

The Nightmare who had been threatening me walked over to Siyeon. After a moment of what looked like staring, it passed its hand over the book, which disappeared into the Nightmare.

The Nightmares holding me let me go. I ran towards Siyeon.

Siyeon held out her hand. "Stay back! This isn't over." Her eyes went back to the Nightmare before her.

I froze where I was. The Nightmares got what they wanted. What more did they want?

"On your knees, witch Siyeon," said the Nightmare.

Siyeon knelt, eyes empty.

"You have stolen from the House and abused the gifts it has bestowed. In accordance with section eight, subsection thirteen, paragraph four of the Laws of the House, you are to be punished hence."

"Wait, don't hurt her!" I screamed.

Of course, the Nightmare ignored me. It held its hand in front of Siyeon's face.

Then a strange, sparkling, white light flowed from Siyeon's eyes and into the Nightmare's palm.

And Siyeon screamed.

I ran forward. "Stop it, you're hurting her!"

A magical force threw me away from the spectacle. I landed roughly on the carpet, jarring my shoulder wound.

I raised my head, eyes on Siyeon. I could only watch Siyeon writhe in pain as the Nightmare wrenched whatever it was from her.

And then it was over. Siyeon slumped to the floor, unconscious.

"The punishment is passed. The witch Siyeon is no more," said the Nightmare.

I got up, ran to Siyeon, and cradled her in my arms. Her chest was rising and falling with her breath. Not dead. A sigh of relief.

"Now, begone." The Nightmare raised its hand, and in a flash of white light, we appeared in a filthy alley in the dead of night. The stench of rubbish from a nearby tip filled my nostrils. It had rained recently too. The ground was drenched with puddles of dirt and grime. I pulled her closer to me, trying to keep her wounds out of the water.

"Siyeon, wake up," I whispered, gazing at her soft face. She saved me. She came back and saved me. Despite what she said, she even gave up the chance to see her parents again. For me.

Her eyes fluttered. She groaned as she woke. "Where are we?" she said.

"I don't know," I said. But I was grinning. We were both alive and (mostly) fine. We were going to be okay.

Then I frowned as I noticed that Siyeon wasn't nearly as happy as I was.

She began to cry. Her body racked with silent sobs.

I hugged her to me so tightly and began to rock her. "Shh, shh, it's going to be okay. I've got you. I'm here."

Siyeon continued to cry, her tears drenching my pajama top.

"I'm so sorry for what you lost. I know how much seeing your parents meant to you."

"It's not just that," she blubbered into my non-bloodied shoulder. "They severed my link to the House. My magic - it's gone."

Oh.

Still, I continued to cradle her. "But I'm not. I'm right here. You're not alone okay?"

Siyeon nodded, her hair brushing my chin.

"Okay, we need to go to a hospital and get our wounds treated. A hospital is fine, right?"

Siyeon chuckled through her tears. "Yes. Now it is."

I smiled. At least there was that. "Can you stand?"

"Yes."

"Okay, then let's go."

We got to our feet and padded tentatively out of the alley. Luckily, this street was a busy one, where the night life was. I stopped a group of inebriated women who were walking by.

"Excuse me, can you please call the ambulance? My friend and I are injured." I gestured to my shoulder and Siyeon's flank.

The women were lovely. They complied without hesitation.

It wasn't long before an ambulance took us to the hospital. The doctors called my friends, the Dreamcatchers (I still love the name, don't judge me). They were so worried, but thankful to know that the gang Siyeon was a part of had officially kicked her out tonight. After that, they were far friendlier to her, much to my relief. I didn't want her to feel alone.

Our physical wounds recovered. Siyeon had no money or possessions, so when she moved in with me, herself was the only item to move. My friends and I helped her find a couple of part time jobs, and together, we paid the rent, paid the bills, bought the food, etc.

Siyeon was very much used to living wild and free, so this new life chafed her. But now she had the one thing in her life that she didn't have before.

Love.

She now had the love of friendship. Siyeon was officially dubbed by Minji as the Seventh Dreamcatcher and we all drunk ourselves stupid that night. I would say I would remember it forever, but I can't honestly remember half the night.

And she had my love. The love of her girlfriend.

Still, it wasn't all sunshine and roses after that. No, not even close.