Bloody Dream

"I will not give her up for whatever reason! Do you not understand my words!"

"Don't you dare break your promise now! "

It was all a cluster of words inside her mind. Nothing made sense. Her toes twitched in fear, breaths becoming frantic as she felt blood dripping down her stomach.

"I belong to no one but myself."

Suddenly a stinging pain awoke her from her deep sleep. "What the hell… " Darah whispered to herself, pulling her hand that was cupping her stomach till then. Why did I feel blood on it? It didn't even feel like a dream at all. It all felt so real, Darah thought. It was bothering her how it was happening more frequently these days. Looking at the time on her phone she frowned. It was a quarter past 10 in the morning. Her sleep schedule had been messed up for long ever since she left to live on her own after a never ending fight with her parents.

Darah Chen's parents were never really interested in her life up until they got her elder sister married to an insanely wealthy man. Soon after they rushed her in getting married too but at the tender age of 23 Darah Chen had better things to do… such as getting a job. The only thing that stopped her from doing the things she liked were these bloody dreams that spread anxiety on her life every now and then. A call shook her from her already frantic state. She hesitated to pick it up. It was her friend, probably calling for a girls shopping spree.

"May! Hey how have you been? Yeah I've been doing fine! Uhm… Today? " Darah felt her heart drop to her stomach. This was the nth time she was rejecting a day out with her friends. It made her feel miserable but then again, her mind wasn't steering straight. These dreams she thought, could be a bad omen. Or maybe she was just being silly.

"Yeah sure! I'll be there! " Darah sighed and thought to herself. I can't always be lying on my bed doing nothing. Some things need to change. I need to be more social.

Darah wasn't always like this. In fact she recalls being a bright girl with no fear. She talked loud and annoyed almost everyone around her. But things changed a whole lot just before her teen years. Everyone around her slowly turned into enemies.

She had reached on the side of the parking lot near the Starbucks in the city at around 3 pm that day. Her friend May and Anny were walking towards her as she looked closely. As they approached her, she saw how their faces beamed with bright smiles. It had been long since they last met.

"Ah, to get Darah Chen to come out with us once in a while is a huge task." May said teasingly, poking Darah's side with her elbow. Anny agreed, holding her hand.

"You're too busy these days. A boyfriend perhaps?" Darah knew Anny's excitement was going to end in disappointment.

"Anny! You know I don't… date." Darah sighed, crossing her hands. The other two also sighed, seeing her lack of energy. Darah didn't like hiding things but to tell her friends about her anxiety and mood swings along with the crazy dreams would only ruin the vibe.

"And why is it that you don't want to date!? If heartbreak is the case then I've only got time for that. You see, no man can take us down Darah! We've got to keep searching till we find the right one. " May winked, playing with the car keys in her hand.

"Exactly. So we, as your friends will be trying our best to hook you up with a man that will meet every expectations you have! To treat our Darah as the queen she is! " Anny exclaimed excitedly as she raised her fist to the air. Darah covered her face in embarrassment seeing the weird stares she got. As the friends walked along the side path, a small commotion was heard from a little afar but they paid no notice.

________

"I was supposed to have lunch at 1, Lyra. " The cold voice snapped through the phone but was muffled due to the mask. Lyra was panicking for some reason. She didn't know how to explain it to Ryu who was speeding on his bike with Zeke on the backseat with a gun. It all happened in a hurry when they reached the mansion. Lyra only told him to chase the man who had secretly escaped the warehouse. They usually kept their suspects tied up there but this one man had escaped leaving Lyra anxious. Ryu didn't even know she had kept a man there until she told him but now it was too late.

"Will you tell me the reason! " Ryu raised his voice just a pitch higher at Lyra, but enough to scare Zeke who was very much inexperienced with guns. His aim on the target was very much sloppy but he tried his best to look confident.

"I can't at the moment Ryu! Just get him! Now!"

"Tch..." Ryu felt irritated as the call cut off, accelerating a bit more. Zeke held his left hand dearly over Ryu's jacket, hoping to get an aim of the target who was just a bit further ahead of them.

"Do you have a clear view Zeke? " Ryu asked coldly.

"No Sir I don't. Not yet. " Zeke replied and gulped in fear.

"For how much longer!? I cannot keep this up for a whole day! " Ryu knew that the man was about to take a sharp left since the street on the right was partly under construction.

"Now Zeke! " Ryu ordered and the bullet fired right through his side. It was in a matter of seconds that Ryu's eyes went from mere calmness to a menacing glare. He was disappointed in Zeke, like always. He saw how the bullet flew right past a woman, her gaze freezing as his bike turned at the sharp end. Deep brown honey glazed eyes… It almost connected with him for a fraction of seconds before he steered his bike straight to the left of the road.

"I'm sorry-"

"Shut up. " Ryu cut him off, his heart racing. It was unusual for him to panic at all. In fact whatever hell broke out, he would be the only one to remain unbothered out of them all. But why now? Devin was right behind them, relaxed and in his car. He intercepted a call from Zeke whose voice was shaking.

"We missed the target… I almost hurt a girl Devin. " Right upon hearing it, Devin put a palm to his face. Zeke was the best among the men but he was still not doing it right. It was all in a hurry that they had no one else to go along with. Devin pushed back the stray lock of hair falling over his forehead and sighed.

"You'll be alright Zeke. Don't worry. " Just lies. He knew Ryu would rap the hell out of his eardrums. By then, Devin had neared the street and he witnessed a group of people with two women in the midst pulling close another, comforting her of some sorts. Behind, he saw a huge glass frame of a coffee shop down to pieces. So this was where they went wrong, he thought.

"Darah! Darah speak for God's sake! " May called out in fear and hugged her tight. Just a few seconds later she felt tears wet her shoulder. Anny was right behind May, facing Darah who seemed out of reality. There were just tears but nothing else. Her face was blank. Why does it keep happening to me? Every day I wish to be free. I'm asking forgiveness for the sins that I don't know if I committed… Finally she gathered the strength to speak.

"I-I want to go back home… "