"P-please..." Emma could hardly speak, unable to move, for the strings were locking her in.
"Want to know how Mother left me?" Dina's voice was no longer hers. It was a fusion of a deep and
high pitch.
"Would you like me to replay the scene for you…? "
Emma's sweat slowly slid down her forehead as she shook in terror.
"But this time…" It quickly formed its claws creating sharp metal sounds.
"You're the main character!" Nightmare launched its claws on Emma, aiming at her neck.
"NO! PLEASE! NO!"
"UGH!" She froze in place, with her eyes opened wide almost bursting out of their sockets, shaking intensely.
"Hu–huh…" She heavily breathed.
Slowly, she brought them down.
"Hu–huh… w–wha–?"
Unexpectedly, the attack was blocked. A chair flew in the air and chieled her from the slicing claw. It went through the wood and got blocked on the way.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!" The teacher screamed.
Nightmare slowly brought its hand back, observed it for a moment, then shook it around, trying to get the chair out.
"I CAN'T MOVE!! I'M CHAINED!" She pointed at her leg with her voice shaking.
He looked at the strings of smoke holding her calf then thought quickly.
"HEY! BIG GUY! OVER HERE!" Rain threw another chair, but this time aiming at Dina. Nightmare
fumed as it saw it flying towards her.
In a flash, the flying thing was chattered in the air, and its wooden parts splattered on the floor.
"YOU DARE…!" Standing tall, Nightmare stared at the man with a pure urge for murder, then
switched its attention to him, freeing Emma from her chains.
"Huh!" She gasped then quickly grabbed her backpack and ran away screaming in fear.
Nightmare stared at the teacher for a moment, then filled the room with smoke, darkening the
place. Sneakingly, smoky strings rolled around Rain's wrists.
"Hu–huh! Ugh!" He flinched as he was quickly hung up to the whiteboard.
"Whatever threatens you must be eliminated…" It reminded, as its claws were shaping into
pointy daggers.
"That's how I work!"
Creepingly, it crawled towards Rain fast, jumped up high, and raised its claws in the air, then came
back down aiming for the man's neck.
The poor one tried his best to escape from the strings but failed to do so.
"AAAH!!" He screamed his lungs out as his life flashed before his eyes.
Suddenly.
"Stop." With one word, Nightmare stopped.
"H-huh…" As he barely caught his breath, Rain fixed his eyes on the daggers frozen before his
Adam's apple.
"Oh my God…" He whispered with a shaking voice.
The whole place went silent. Only heavy breathing and deep soft growling roamed around.
"Please, Nightmare. Stop." Her voice softened.
Nightmare glanced at Rain as he was sweating and shaking,
"Put him down, Nightmare. Please."
"WHY?" His growling voice was filled with rage.
"He's done nothing to deserve this, Nightmare."
"HE PROTECTED THE ONE WHO HAS CAUSED YOU HARM!"
Dina looked at the teacher as he froze in horror.
"That's expected, Nightmare. Because to him, she's the harmed one, while I'm the cause of harm."
Nightmare couldn't go against Dina's commands, yet, it remained hesitant. Its protective nature
rose high, and the desire for killing emerged as well. However, Dina's self-control helped save the
situation.
In terror, Rain fixed his eyes on the claws as they slowly backed away from him, then gently, he was
put down and released from his chains.
"Thank you, Nightmare." Dina wiped her tears and turned towards the teacher.
"Are you alright, teacher?"
From the shock, Rain remained silent.
"Ugh!" She sighed heavily then sat down on the floor. After a few seconds of thinking, she called.
"Nightmare."
"Yes, Dina."
"Can you please do that 'thing' again?"
"What 'thing'?"
"You know... that 'thing' from last time. My heart feels tight from all the darkness around us."
"Oh, of course." Nightmare stood tall and lit up its smoke.
Dina watched as the place went from gloomy and dead to joyful and alive, shining like fireworks, easing her heart, and bringing a smile back to her face.
"Is that pleasing enough for you, Dina?" It warmly asked.
"Thank you, Nightmare. This helps a lot." The young one crossed her legs together and enjoyed the view.
Meanwhile, Rain glanced with widely opened eyes. Fear had consumed him whole. However, a feeling of amazement was awakened as well.
"What on God's earth did I just witness?" In his mind, the man had plenty of questions, yet he
couldn't ask anything. He remained quiet for the sake of his safety. After a moment of relaxation,
Dina stood up and dusted her clothes off.
"Alright. It's time to go."
"Shall I accompany you to your house?"
Dina looked Nightmare up and down, then chuckled.
"Is that a 'yes'?" The beast leaned down and got closer to Dina's face.
"I fear we'd reach home with your stomach full."
"I don't have a stomach." It confusingly wondered.
Dina chuckled more then teasingly asked, "Didn't you say that when you're purpose is fulfilled you disappear?"
"Yes... Uhm... About that..." Nightmare crawled backward, awkwardly looking away.
"Is there something else you haven't informed me about?"
"I... I disappeared before because I knew my presence would bring back your anxiety. So I had to leave after calming you down. But now..."
"But now you sense that I'm at ease with your presence so you decided to stay."
The beast remained silent.
"Thank you, Nightmare. I'll walk home alone. People won't be as pleasant as I am with your presence."
"Are you certain?"
"Yes, don't worry."
"Whatever pleases you, Dina. I'll be here if you're in need."
"You sure are, Nightmare. You sure are."
Nightmare vanished, taking away all the smoke and clearing the view.
After everything was back to normal, Dina, with her wet eyes, observed Rain for a moment, looked down, then fell on her knees.
"Oh! God!" He screamed with worry as he ran to her.
"Teacher, don't!" She screamed.
Rain stopped then slowly took a step back.
"My body is very sensitive for the moment…" She hardly spoke.
"Touching me will cause serious pain, and… believe me… Nightmare won't be hesitant to slice your neck this time. So please, just stay where you are." She quietly warned.
He froze in place not knowing what to do, and all he could think of was obeying her orders. As she breathed heavily, trying to bring back her stamina, Rain stood in complete awe, with his fist held tight. After safety was brought back to the place, he had time to process everything. Every time a scenario from earlier appeared in his mind, his eyes glittered.
"I thought this day would never come..." His face surely didn't show anything but confusion, but deep down in his heart, excitement was shining bright.
"After all these years!" The young man was fighting the thoughts and questions that were eager to come out, but only one thing escaped his will.
"I have finally found you!"