Up in the Sky

Worth It

Minjung lay defeated and unmoving. The seconds on the time ticked by at an impossibly slow pace. 3:24am it read. The demon on her chest had woken her up a few hours ago. What was she? A vampire? Sleeping during the day and awake at night.

Her heart beat too fast still after these hours. Minjung's eyelids yelling to stay open, eager to see the brilliant night sky. Her eyes were not in control though, her brain was. The brain screamed at the eyes to close and retire for the night.

This must be a sick joke. It has to be. Her brain commands the close her eyes. And once she does, she's greeted with the same red teeth and red eyes. The swirl of darkness configuring into a seven foot tall man.
The snarling teeth and the babadok grin.

Minjung's eyes burst open. Her heart races and she swallows the lump in her throat. The lights dangle from the ceiling, illuminating the underground studio apartment.

She blinks away her sleep throwing her sleep schedule out the window. Minjung searched for a distraction. Anything. They landed on a bookshelf filled with poems and books. Pillow Thoughts by Courtney Peppernell. The girl peeled the book away from its siblings.

Minjung sat at the dining table where her jajangmyeon bowl lay. She peered into the book. Pink and warm swirls escaped the pages and shielded Minjung from the red devil.

The girl flipped through the pages. Smiles appear her face. She stubbled upon a page that read:

It's midnight and I thought about
Boarding a plane and meeting you in the city
I thought about stitching you into my skin
So you'd be with me as I slept
I wish you were here
Or I were there
Because my heart caved in when I look at you
And it feels like your hands twist around
My rib cage
And take the air from my lungs
My head starts pounding
And I just want to kiss you
It's midnight
And I just want you.

Minjung reached her fingers over the black ink etched in the paper. She pulled the soft cover bindings of the collection of the moon and the stars to her chest. She hugged that poem close to her heart.

A long and relaxed breath released through her nose. She closed her eyes and longer saw the red teeth and red eyes. She no longer saw the swirl of darkness configuring into a seven foot tall man. She no longer saw the snarling teeth, the babadok grin or the demonic lower register.

Instead, Minjung saw a light. The swirl of light configuring into a familiar figure. One that didn't tower over her, but one that she fit perfectly with. Big brown beautiful eyes and matching big round ears replaced the evil red pupils and pointed ears. No longer was she haunted by the dangers of the night, but she was welcomed by sweet voice calling to her.

Though, light can't exist without darkness. The dark swirls engulfed Minjung again. A fog slipping in through the sun. Arms snaked around the light. Her heart clenched, she reached out for Sakura and the girl presented a smile.

A hand caressed Minjung's cheek. The younger shot her hand up to hold the soft and slender ones already on her face. She felt safe. The light in Sakura flowed through Minjung's skin. Her own heart glowed as a result.

She stared darkness and despair in the eye. Well, not really in the eye, she towered over it. The devil that once towered over her cowered in fear.

Her hands were out pushing on the orange heat. This time, when she turned her head back, Sakura came running. The older threw her hands onto the ball of fire. Together, they pushed the explosion away.