Succinylcholine

Nam started drawing the dream, but it felt as if something was pressing down on his mind. The dream wouldn't leave his thoughts.

His mind became clearer, yet his body started to tense up. He gripped the pen tightly, as if he were at a turning point in his life. His fingers trembled. He couldn't draw anything.

His chest tightened, his heart felt heavy. He could no longer hold the pen, yet he didn't want to let go. He barely managed to draw the door.

But he dropped the pen, even though he didn't want to. He went to the kitchen to take a painkiller. He swallowed it immediately, but nothing changed. When he looked to his side, he saw the same necklace. He reached out to grab it.

"Why did Mom put this here?" he muttered.

As he extended his hand, he felt fear creeping over his body. He didn't know why, but he had started trembling. He couldn't move any part of his body—it was as if a wolf was hunting him down.

"N-Ngh… what's happening?" he stammered, his voice shaking. He tried to speak again but failed.

His heart was pounding like crazy, his breathing was becoming irregular. He had never felt this kind of fear before. He slowly sank to the floor, barely able to stretch out his hand. But the moment he reached out, the fear intensified.

He was sweating even more, and his heart was beating even faster. His vision started to fade. Once again, he stretched out his hand and managed to grasp the necklace, though with great difficulty. Yet, the moment he held it, a wave of unease washed over him.

The necklace had the symbol of a snake eating its own tail. He felt uncomfortable all the way back to his room and slammed it onto the desk. Thoughts raced through his mind:

"What exactly happened?"

"Why couldn't I move my body, and why did I start sweating?"

Nam looked at his hand. There was a wound. He didn't care much and wiped the blood off with a tissue. He got up and returned to his desk.

After thinking for a while, an idea crossed his mind:

"Did someone put a curse on me?"

"But no one hates me… right? Or do they?"

He took out a lollipop and started licking it.

He tried to stand up, but he couldn't. His body felt paralyzed. His limbs wouldn't obey him, as if they were rebelling against him. That's when he realized—he had been poisoned.

But how? The only thing that came to his mind was the wound on his hand. Could the necklace have been coated with powdered poison? Nothing else made sense.

He couldn't speak. There was fear in his eyes, but it wasn't the fear of death. Even he didn't know what it was. A warmth spread through his body, and his eyes widened.

What happened to his mother?

He could see his younger sibling's toy doll on the bed. A shadow appeared behind the door, slightly shifting. Someone was there. Then, a mocking giggle echoed from behind the door.

Nam didn't recognize the voice. He had never heard anything like it before. In fact… was it even human? He didn't know. Right now, his only wish was to move.

He wanted to see who was giggling.

"Who the hell is that? Why are they laughing? Is this thing even human?"

He was angry, but more than that, he was worried. Not for himself—for his mother.

Then, it struck him like lightning. The dream… this was just like the dream. But he was powerless to stop it. He tried to move. Again and again. But it was useless. His time had already run out.

February 10, 2020 – Nam died.

A few days later, the news reported:

"University student Nam Larod was found dead in his room. The cause of death was determined to be poisoning. The only suspicious item found at the scene was a necklace—because there was blood on it. On the same day, his mother was shot and killed in their home. The only family members left behind are the father and the young sibling. Authorities are investigating the connection between the incidents."

The end?

…

…

…

Or was it just the beginning of an even greater nightmare?

Author:NamLarod