FALLING SLOWLY ||Complete||

Paranoia

Fingertips on her skin, rough and calloused, drag themselves down her cheek as a voice breathes in her ear. A leer that curls into disgust around her spine.

“So soft -” it hums. “Pity, I’d have to cut you up.” The fingers that curl around her chin pulls her face to light - in the streams of dusty sunlight she recognizes the eyes that burn with blackest of flames. Tae - back from the shadows to torment her.

“Let me go!” Pleads her own voice, out of place and context, the ghost of her past laughs at her.

“Pathetic,” he spits, back handing her as he speaks. A blade sears against her skin tearing its way through the soft fabric of her summer dress, and she gasps as the blood trickles along her arm.

“Please - it hurts, please…what are you trying to do?”

He shadows her, overpowers her struggle - in this twisted reality, her arms and legs feel like lead, she screams when he touches her, when his breath - reeking of booze, burns against her throat.

“Don’t act naive,” his voice rasps, his teeth scraps along her throat. “You’ve done a lot more than this with So -” His fingers fist and tug her hair, exposing her throat, fingers brushing against her collarbone. “And when I’m done with you - your little lover would flinch before touching you again -”

She knees him in the loin and he doubles back with pain, groaning, cursing, swinging his knife. Then he turns into Wook, with ice in his glare, softer hands cupping her face.

“Oh sweetheart -” he coos, “You’re all bloody. It doesn’t have to be this way. Don’t make me hurt you.” Each hurt he causes, each jab of pain is followed by an apology, he hums in her ear, breathing her worst fears. “He loves you no more. Look what you’ve done…”

He takes her by elbow, and pushes her to the light. In a cluster of glass, Tae lies dying. “You killed his brother - put blame on him.”

“No!” She mutters to herself, hands clamped against her ears. “No!”

“It’s okay darling -” he stands in front of her, gently prying her hands away, eyes gleaming with malice. “I understand. You’ve been so good to me - I’m here for you. Don’t get any silly ideas now -”

His hands smudge the blood against her skin, looking at her like a predator, too close, too dangerous.

“Red is becoming on you,” he whispers. “And you look best when you are at my mercy...”

“No - don’t touch me. No!”

“Ha Jin - ah?” His voice is as gentle as his lips pressing against her brow, her eyes flutter between sleepy haze and the warmth that beckons her gradually to reality. “It’s a dream - love, wake up now. Wake up.” His nose nudges against the line of her jaw, up her cheek as he speaks softly.

The dusk has deepened to night and in the distance waves crash against the shore. Sheets rustle when So moves to pull her against him, skin to skin, so that she could feel his heart thumping underneath her with a steady supply of life and hope. It’s not Tae - she tells herself, eyes closed and borrowing into his warmth, inhaling the earthy spice that she associates with no one but So. It is not Wook, the hands that run along her spine are not as smooth as a surgeon’s. This is not that house, where her uncle keeps her locked, nor the Hae manor. They had avoided them to come here, partly to keep away from people who would come trying to drag her back when they realize she is gone and partly because Yo had wanted to meet in a less conspicuous place. She recalls So’s words from the evening at the beach, “this is where Aboji meets his acquaintances, no spies, no cameras - you know the drill.” There is no one apart from them.