You gasped, eyes widening with abject fear as you suddenly awoke to find yourself crumpled in the darkness. A fetal position. Spine curved, legs tucked, arms crossed. Confused, you instinctively reached a hand out to navigate the stark void, but your fingers were instead met with a cold, unyielding wall mere inches away from your face. You pushed against it hopelessly, praying for some kind of release, but no such mercy came. You squirmed, turning on to your side and kicking your feet with the same pitiful desperation that something would happen.

Nothing.

Your breaths became quick and shallow, frantically gulping in the thick, stale air as you began to claw at the sides of your entrapment, feeling your nails strain and gradually bleed in protest. The ceiling, too, was suffocatingly close - so close it felt as though the weight of it could crush you at any moment. Panic surged, electric and raw, shocking the back of your throat. Jagged screams of terror, voice cracking. Your heart pounded against your ribs. Frantic and primal. A bellowing rhythm that seemed to drown out every other sound, including your own wailing vocalisations. Splinters bit into your fingertips, gnawing into your skin. But you couldn't stop the clawing.

You had to get out. You had to get out.

Hyperventilation set in, sealing your fate more and more as the air drastically felt thinner with every heaving breath. A muffled sound - your own cry, perhaps? - bounced back at you, warped and hollow, mocking your helplessness. No, this was something else. A different voice. Soft and youthful. Soothing you. A saviour?

Then, a shift happened - a sensation that was felt more than heard. The invisible walls of the oppressive darkness seemed to be inching inward, closer and closer. Squeezing, crushing, hugging. A metallic groan echoed through the tight space, the sound of something ancient and merciless moving. You thrashed, knees and elbows slamming against the intensifying enclosure. Your body twisted and contorted, fighting for a space that no longer existed.

And then-

A rush of cool air. Your eyes snapped open to a new darkness. Different, the kind that allowed shadows to stretch and dance. Your chest heaved with relief, trembling hands meeting the damp sheets on your bed covers.

A nightmare.

Yet, the lingering pressure - the weight of that phantom box - remained, somewhere, deep and impossible. The metallic groan echoed once more. You shuddered, as your eyes scanned the dim room. A crack of light peered through blinds, caressing the end of your bed as though to reassure you that everything was okay. You sat up, chugged the glass of water on your bedside table and then ran to the bathroom to throw up.

Maybe it was another fever dream. You hadn't been sleeping well these past couple of nights. Ever since the incident on the train, you had been far too paranoid to relax. Every time you felt the duvet touch your skin, it became the same hand that groped you. Every sound you heard at night became a vulgar chuckle against your ear. Every shadow you noticed became the silhouette of that awful man.

Shivering, you wiped away the vomit from the corners of your mouth and flushed, watching the mushy, semi-digested contents of last night's dinner dissipate into the water bowl.

"Eurgh." Even rinsing your mouth several times couldn't remove the sickly, burning taste from the back of your throat. You groaned, pressing your burning forehead against the cold bathroom tiles. The world around you seemed to tilt, the floor unsteady beneath your feet. Heat rose from your chest whilst a cold sweat gathered along your brow, trickling down your neck as you writhed in sickness.

Lacking any shame, you crawled across the floor, head down and legs dragging behind you like you were a grotesque enemy in a silent hill game. You couldn't even bring yourself to walk anymore. The room blurred, edges appeared to swim with distortion and the soundscape of the bumbling city outside seemed to tap and echo, losing semblance beneath the pounding of your own pulse. You clambered back into bed, shivering and crying.

One of the blaring negatives of adulthood was not having anyone to take care of you while you were sick. You yearned for your aunt's tender care. Her delicious meals, her homemade tea, even the gross medicine she forced you take when you were younger. How much you would appreciate all that now... You sighed and closed your eyes.

Pling!

Kitty had been surprisingly quiet over the weekend. He still checked in on you to make sure everything was okay, but he didn't push for a conversation like he often did. Either he was occupied with something or he was simply respecting your boundaries for once. Either way, it had been refreshing taking a step back from the online world. You lazily felt around for your phone on the bedside table, not having the energy to even look for it properly.

You read the message on your phone.

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Mimi [Y/n], are you feeling okay? You didn't show up for class so I got worried.│˶˙ᯅ˙˶)꜆

Yin Hi I'm okay don't worry! Well, I'm sick but I'll be fine soon. ( ꒦ິヮ꒦ິ)

Mimi Oh no!! Do you need anything? I can bring you food and medicine if you need it!

Yin Ah, there's no need for you to do that. I'm surviving!

Mimi Are you sure? Do you have someone to look after you? It really wouldn't be a bother for me.

Yin You're good. Thank you though! I'm on my own but I can handle it. It's just a common cold.

Mimi Okay, well if u change ur mind, lmk! I'll drop everything in instant and rush riiiight over lol Please take good care of yourself and get better soon! I'm sending you good health and wellness spells ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و ♡

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It felt incredibly strange receiving a text message from someone you knew in real life - especially someone like Mimiko who was pretty well-liked. She wasn't like those popular girls that clumped together and saw themselves as superior to everyone else. Much like Sana and Liam, she was content to just bumble around and chat to everyone with equal kindness and interest. However, you had never expected her to be worried about someone like you. It could just be politeness but you'd be lying if you said that receiving such messages from her didn't make you feel at least the tiniest bit good. Kitty was lovely, but he didn't know what you looked like or who you truly were. You were certain that Kitty would lose all interest in you if he ever discovered what a miserable loner you were.

As if on cue, another notification sound chimed from your phone. A message from Kitty. He seemed to be in a strangely good mood today.

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Kitty Goooood afternoon, you sleepyhead! ( ˆ𐃷ˆ) .ᐟ.ᐟ I hope you enjoyed your lovely looooong slumber last night ✨

Yin ??? How did u know I've been asleep!?

Kitty Hehehehe ( ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧ Wouldn't you like to know, weather boy? I can always tell lolol. No text from Yin = Yin is not awake yet. ( °ヮ° )

Yin Wow. Ur so observant. Well anyway, I'm sick so bad sleep. _('ཀ'」 ∠) _

Kitty Yin, you're sick!? ( °ㅁ°) !! Is that why you slept in? You poor poor thing! Let me come take care of you. Seriously, drop the address. We should make sure it's nothing serious. (･ω･)

Yin I'm not giving you my address, you whore

Kitty My poor poor Yin ( ˘•ω•˘ ) So stubborn. Don't you want me to come over and baby you? ( ∩'͈ ᐜ '͈∩) Being sick is unpleasant. You need someone to nurture you back to health. I'd be so gentle with you. And I could try cook you something...? I've been practicing! And then I could spoon-feed you like a little bird. (⸝⸝๑ ̫ ๑⸝⸝⸝) I hope you haven't caught anything too severe! (;'□｀)/ I gave myself really bad food poisoning once. It made my tummy hurt all week! .·°՞(¯□¯)՞°·.

Yin Offering to cook me something followed by "I gave myself food poisoning" isn't the move you think it is ( ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ )

Kitty I'd never poison YOU, Yin! (°ロ°) WTH!! I told you I've been practicing! Please please please

Yin I don't event want to eat anything right now. I'm gon throw up just thinking about it.

Kitty Oh dear. You must be really ill. ('• ω •') But you should eat something. It might make you feel better. Is there anything I could say or do that would convince you to let me come over? I wouldn't be weird or force you to talk to me or anything! (￣□￣;)!!

Yin Nuh uh. It's too dangerous and I also don't want you to see me in this gross state.

Kitty But you need someone to protect you while you're vulnerable! (;'□｀)/ And someone to rub your back and encourage you when you throw up. And someone to cuddle you when ur in pain!

Yin What the hell Are you trying to catch my sickness?

Kitty Well truthfully I wouldn't mind catching it. |ω・') Having your bugs inside of me would be...

Kitty But anyways, I don't actually get sick very often. Except when I give myself food poisoning, of course. But other than that, I'm a pretty healthy boy! (･ω･) I must have a super strong immune system. ( • ̀ω•́ )✧

Yin Ok stop flexing on me while I'm dying here

Kitty I'm sorry. ( ˘•ω•˘ ) Even if you won't let me come over, I still wanna help you. I could... buy and send you food and medicine? Or I could even just keep you company until you feel better! I would quite like hanging out with you... ( 〃．．)

Yin Imma be real honest rn. Looking at my phone screen is making my head hurt. I don't think I have the energy to even talk anymore. (×_×)

Kitty Awww, Yin ur so cute. That's okay! Because I'm gonna do the talking instead. ^^

Yin What?

Kitty Let me call you! ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧ I can be your personal asmr while you sleep. ('｡• ◡ •｡') I could sing u a lullaby or I could read u a bedtime story or I could list all the things I love about you or I could just talk about random things orrrr... I could... create rain sounds? I don't want you to be alone while you're suffering! (⋟﹏⋞) So let me take care of you

Yin Do I have to reply

Kitty No. I don't want you to reply. I want you to fall asleep ♡

Yin Okay

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