Sana x Nayeon
Nayeon's only complaint about her job at the Bountiful Bakery was that she had to start her day at an unreasonable hour. Now that it was late October, she was walking to work in complete darkness, only to arrive at five in the morning.
Nayeon's alarm clock started buzzing at exactly four-thirty-five a.m. Sana grumbled in protest, surprising Nayeon and reminding her of her presence. Nayeon then switched off the alarm and looked over at Sana, who was still getting used to having her stay the night, despite the fact that they'd just been dating for approximately three weeks and going steady for precisely ten days, not that Nayeon kept track.
So Nayeon emerged from their shared nest of blankets on the squeaky pullout bed that came with her simply furnished studio apartment.
She was blasted by cold air as she walked out, landing at the top of the steps. "Aren't I lucky?" Nayeon mumbled sarcastically.
She realized she'd been so busy daydreaming about getting back into bed with Sana that she'd forgotten her flashlight when she noticed she was forty feet or so in the wooded area and away from the main road. Nayeon told herself that she had memorized the route by heart, but she still wished she had the damned flashlight.
The dry leaves crunched under her feet, but what she found more unsettling was where the dead pine needles lay so thickly on the floor that they muffled her foot steps, making her all too aware that if something or someone was following her, she wouldn't notice. Nayeon kept going on the trail and kept her gaze straight, not wanting to look around since she'd definitely swear she saw something when it was just her and the trees.
Nayeon might seem to be an independent and self-assured woman but she may be too dramatic about spooky things, especially at this time of year.
As she moved, she heard the sound of crackling branches, which seemed to come from above. She quickened her pace a bit.
No one's out to get you.
That's what she told herself, and sometimes she believed it, but right now Nayeon didn't. She moved quickly, her legs tight with strain, her movements rigid because her body was on high alert, regardless of whether her brain was attempting to communicate with the rest of her. Nayeon noticed the lights of the street in the distance and knew she just had to cross the parking lot and continue down the alley to go to the bakery's loading dock, up a few steps into the door, and Jihyo would be waiting inside; she was always there before Nayeon.
No one's out to get you.
Nayeon repeated the phrases in her thoughts, but it didn't help. She looked behind her and couldn't resist checking into the shadows and up at the trees' brittle limbs that seemed to dissolve into the inky darkness of the sky. Something swooped down from above and hissed, the sound struck her like lightning, and cold air rush into her face.
Nayeon, on the other hand, bolted. She didn't stop running until she stumbled into the bakery through the backdoor. Jihyo, her companion, turned around with a shocked face, holding a cup of coffee. Nayeon remained silent. She just shut the back door and brought out her apron, tying it over her waist.
~
Sana marched up the stairs to Nayeon's apartment shortly after six o'clock in the evening, knocked on the door, waited, snatched a French fry from the bag of food she'd brought for their dinner, and knocked again. "Hello? Nayeonnie?"
Nayeon opened the door and stared at Sana, her typically heavy lidded eyes wide open, she looked past Sana and out into the trees.
"Hey, what's going on? Are you expecting someone?" Sana asked as she entered.
"No." Nayeon said quickly and shut the door as Sana walked in and looked around the apartment, surprised to see that Nayeon had all of the lamps turned on, including the light in the closet, the one inside the bathroom, the floor lamp, the wooden desk, and the one on top of the dresser.
Sana blinked to allow her eyes to adapt. She took a seat and spotted two books on the coffee table. That wasn't unusual; Nayeon never mentioned going to the library, but it looked like new borrowed books arrived every four days or so. Sana has never seen anything like them before. Martin Beck, PHD wrote two books: Myths, Magic and Animals: Their Messages and Meanings, both of which were stained from handling and a careless coffee cup.
"What are you reading?" Sana wondered, she had never asked about Nayeon's books before, but these were too strange not to.
"Books, you should try it sometime." Nayeon said, coming over and grabbing the bag of food that Sana had brought. "Thanks for the food, babe, you know I'm always hungry." She said with a grin.
Sana flipped through the book and came to a halt where Nayeon had stuffed an index card, "Owls." Sana murmured, staring at the chapter.
"Are you coming to eat or is this just for me?" Nayeon asked as she sat at the kitchen table.
"Just a second, babe." Sana said as she came over, dropping the book on the coffee table.
The two dug into their fries and burgers. Sana was halfway through her meal when she realized that the flimsy grey curtains Nayeon had hung over the windows had been moved aside and newspapers had been pasted over the windows.
"Babe." Sana said as she set her sandwich down, "What's with the newspapers?" She turned her chin toward the window closest to where they were seated.
"Neighbors are loud." Nayeon shrugged, as if it weren't such a strange thing to say.
"We're above a garage, and none of your neighbors have two story houses. So, what's going on, what's with the weird books, why are you reading about owls?" Sana stated in the end.
"Babe, it's nothing." Before Nayeon could further dismiss the topic, Sana spoke again.
"You looked freaked out when you opened the door and you're acting all spooked about something."
"Fine, but just so you know, I'm not crazy. I forgot my flashlight and I just had a bad feeling, you know? Like when it feels like someone's near you, or following you?" Nayeon took a seat. "Then this stupid owl attacked me, okay?bNow you know why I'm acting strange." She stated, embarrassed.
"Exactly what do you mean it attacked you?""
"It came at me like a kamikaze pilot and screamed at me for no damned reason, so after work I went to the library and decided to check out those books because that's some weird events," Nayeon stood up and walked over to the desk where she kept the flashlight. "Then, while I was reading, waiting for you to get here, one of them flew into the window." Nayeon held up her hands and slapped one against the other to demonstrate.
"Bang! Right into the window next to my desk where I was sitting." Nayeon exclaimed, shaking her head. "So I covered the windows." She sighed.
Sana tried her hardest not to laugh since, as her girlfriend emphasized, she's not joking around. So she brought her chair over and placed it beside Nayeon's.
"Babe, you're not crazy. Owls are weird, and they make these crazy calls, like awful screechy sounds. If that happened to me when I was walking through the trees in the dark? I'd be freaked out too, and I've lived here my whole life."
"Thank you, and please accept my apologies for my behavior. I bought you cookies to make peace." Nayeon smiled at her lover as Sana stared at her with delight.
"Sugar cookies?" Sana asked excitedly, seeing Nayeon nod and then planting a kiss on her cheek.
~
It was Halloween night, and of course, everyone in the town loved enjoying the celebration of Halloween. As a result, Sana convinced Nayeon to attend Jihyo's party that night.
It's not that Nayeon disliked Halloween; it's just that she was easily scared by certain noises, particularly violent life-threatening costumes that looked very real to her. Nonetheless, as long as she's with Sana, she'll do anything. Despite her stubbornness, the girl has an exceptional ability to persuade her.
While going on rummaging through her things, Sana tapped the green button to answer the phone. The majority of her clothing was on the bed, but she couldn't find that one detail.
Nayeon's voice came through the device. "Hey, I love seeing your left eye in close up, but I do prefer to see the entirety of your face." She said with a smile.
"Oh, really?" Sana moved her face further away, giving up on the lost hat, so she could give her full attention to her girlfriend.
"That's better, I can't wait to see you later."
Sana took a minute look at her lover, admiring the extent Nayeon had gone to with her vampire make up, despite her objections to the specific 'dress code.' Sana was sort of into it, having barely had time to apply her make up. She was supposed to dress up as a witch.
They had chosen each other's outfits. A witch and a vampire felt like an acceptable pairing. A delicate balance between creating and destroying. Sana may have traded roles, but it didn't matter.
"So, what made you call? Missed me already?" Sana asked, a grin on her lips.
"I missed you." Nayeon said honestly, bending forward as if wanting to kiss Sana through the screen.
"You couldn't wait another hour for me to pick you up?"
They were going trick or treating with Sana's roommate Momo before going to Jihyo's party.
"Of course I couldn't, you know me."
Sana did. She knew Nayeon got impatient when she was excited. It was flattering when Sana received calls early in the morning or late at night since it showed Nayeon wanted to be close to her. She'd questioned if she gave enough back, if she displayed enough joy and affection. But Nayeon was aware, she had to be aware.
"Want me to pick you up now? You can help me get ready." Sana said, but Nayeon only shook her head.
"No, it's fine. I can see you right now and I'll see you later."
Sana groaned. "Are you really going to make me wait?"
"You're the one always telling me to be patient. I just want to make you proud." Nayeon replied.
"You know you always make me proud, right?" Sana drew her knees up, resting the phone against her legs.
"I love you." Nayeon said quietly, since they had just recently begun expressing those words to each other.
It still felt strange, as if they were jumping the gun, going too quickly, which is why they often muttered the words late at night, cuddled up in one other's arms, where no one else could possibly hear them.
They had never said it on the phone before. They had never said it in broad daylight. Sana could feel her skin tingle. She wanted to touch her. She wanted to hold her.
The screen becomes distorted all of a sudden. Nayeon's face became disfigured, and then returned. It suddenly glitches, and Sana hasn't heard anything.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing." Nayeon responds quickly, a light blush on her cheeks.
"Are you sure?" Sana teased playfully.
"Very."
Behind Nayeon, Sana noticed something dark. Something that hadn't been there before. It seemed to be a piece of clothing or a blanket. The main issue was that it was in the air.
"Babe? What's that behind you?"
"Haha, very funny. On Halloween, you're trying to scare me. There's nothing behind me." Nayeon said meekly, although she's trying not to panic since she knows her girlfriend is only teasing her.
The coat grew limbs, legs, and a body. It developed a pale face, deep black eyes, and an obnoxious grin. It reminded Sana of all the scary movies they'd seen. She hated it when the villain smiled because it showed control and pleasure in whatever awful thing they were about to commit.
"I'm serious, Nayeon. There's someone behind you." Sana said, wanting to crawl through the screen and protect the other girl.
Hearing Sana's worried voice, Nayeon's own smile faded. "What?" She spun around. "What the heck is going on?!" Nayeon jumped up, and the phone fell. She towered over the camera in the device, just like the cloaked figure.
"Who the hell are you?" Nayeon's voice exclaimed.
Sana had no choice but to watch, hope, and scream. As she witnessed the hooded person pull out a knife and stab, stab, stab, she screamed. He stabbed Nayeon until her blood splattered over the phone, then covered the camera and yanked her out of sight.
The call was then disconnected. Sana only saw her lock screen. She just saw the photo of herself and Nayeon. Her girlfriend was standing behind her, arms over her shoulders, drawing her in close. They both had bright smiles on their cheeks. The sun was shining behind them.
Sana's eyes welled up as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her chest clenched as her heart tightened. It wasn't true. It couldn't possibly be true. It had to be some kind of twisted prank. Despite the fact that Sana knew Nayeon would never go this far. She would never do something like this to anyone.
Sana instantly remembered what Nayeon had told her about the owl and the woods the day before. Sana gets confused as to why Nayeon was so scared that day. Perhaps it wasn't just an owl, but something far worse.
Sana climbed out of bed. She had to go see what was going on with Nayeon. As she reached for the car keys, a sob surged through her body.
"Sana? Where are you going? You promised to go trick-"
"Nayeon...She...She was stabbed! There was a black figure behind her and..." Sana was babbling, her mind unable to understand what she had just witnessed.
"Okay, calm down. Did you just say she was stabbed?" Momo couldn't believe it as Sana described what happened.
"I think it's the owls. We should get some insect repellent sprays and weapons!" Momo rummaged through their kitchen cupboard, seeking for supplies to carry to Nayeon's apartment.
"Owls don't have arms, Momo! And they aren't even insects! Oh my god my girlfriend could be dead by now!"
"Woahhhhh, don't get mad at me, we're a team here, now let's catch that killer, I'm coming with you to make sure you're safe." Momo said as she followed Sana, who was already out the door.
The car sputtered to life as they drove off. Sana tried her hardest to see past her tears. She needed to go to Nayeon, and she needed to get there right away.
"Could it be that you're just hallucinating things? Nayeon Unnie could be chilling at her apartment." Momo reasoned, because such events only happen in movies.
"I'm not hallucinating, I saw what I saw, okay?" Sana replied, also convincing herself.
Sana hopped out of the car before turning off the engine and went to the front door as soon as they arrived. She pounded on the door with her hand on the doorbell. Her mind was already planning a strategy to get inside if no one was around to open the door.
"Nayeon?! Nayeon! It's me!"
"Sana, listen..." Momo tries to reassure her friend by pointing to the door as they lean in close and hear faint muttering from inside.
"Is...Is there someone there?" Sana asked warily. When everything went quiet, her skeptical tone quickly changed to one of concern.
She was almost in tears as the door swung open to show Nayeon dressed in slacks, a black and red dress shirt, and a black cloak. Her chin was painted with the same fake blood drop. She was alive and breathing.
"Sana? Are you okay? Is everything okay? Did something happen?" Nayeon reached out as Sana fell into her arms.
"I thought something happened to you. I watched something happen to you. On the phone. We were on the phone and I watched someone kill you." Sana continued to express her worry, but Nayeon thought it was sweet because she thought she was the one who was easily spooked.
"What? No, babe, I'm alright. I'm perfectly fine. I- I lost connection after, you know."
"I don't, when?"
"When I said I love you. My phone has been acting up lately, but I promise I'm fine. I'm perfectly alright and alive."
Sana clung to her girlfriend, afraid that if she let go, she would vanish. "I love you. Nayeon, I love you so much. I love you more than I ever could have dreamed. I can't let you go. I can't."
"You won't. I'm right here, and I'll always be right here." Nayeon said, pulling Sana into a hug.
Momo stood motionless behind them, watching the duo. She continued waving for Sana's attention. She couldn't put into words how she felt since, if Nayeon claimed she was disconnected by the nearly last sentence of the phone call, then who was Sana speaking to at the end?
HELLO my fellow onces, have a happy Halloween! I've missed writing so much! College has taken its toll, but take care!
⭐💛⭐