THE NIGHTMARE
The moon hung low over the Vance estate, casting long, skeletal shadows across the floor of Kei's bedroom. Inside, the air was thick with the suffocating weight of a nightmare.
"No… no… No!"
Kei's eyes snapped open, her scream dying in her throat as she bolted upright. Her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird. She pressed a trembling hand to her forehead, the remnants of the dream clinging to her mind like cobwebs. She saw the woman again that familiar, retreating back drifting further into a gray void. She hadn't seen a face, only heard a single, haunting phrase that echoed in the silence of the room: "I love you."
Drip. Drip.
Warm moisture splashed onto her knuckles. Kei touched her cheek, startled to find it wet. "Why am I crying?" she whispered to the empty room. Angered by her own vulnerability, she raised both hands and delivered a stinging slap to her own cheeks. The sharp pain cleared the fog, leaving her face burning a vivid, tomato-red.
"It was just a dream," she muttered, her voice raspy.
Seeking to wash away the lingering dread, she slipped out of bed and padded toward the kitchen. The grand house was silent, save for the hum of the refrigerator. But as she entered the kitchen, she wasn't alone. Sofia was there, rooting through the pantry with an expression of frantic hunger.
Kei watched her for a beat before asking, "Are you hungry?"
Sofia stiffened, shooting Kei a look of pure venom. "None of your business."
Kei sighed, opting for the path of least resistance. She walked to the sink, filled a glass with water, and drank it slowly, the cold liquid soothing her throat. As she finished washing the cup and turned to leave, a sharp grip clamped onto her arm.
Sofia stood there, her eyes narrowed. "I'm hungry. Make me something. Now."
"I don't want to," Kei replied flatly.
"What?!" Sofia's voice rose to a shrill pitch. "How dare you? You're just a se-"
Before the insult could land, Kei's hand shot out, muffling Sofia's mouth. Sofia's eyes nearly bulged out of her head, a chaotic mix of fury and disgust swirling in her gaze at the contact.
"Be quiet," Kei hissed, her eyes darting toward the hallway. "You'll wake Ma'am Elena."
Sofia thrashed, her muffled protests vibrating against Kei's palm.
"Fine! I'll cook," Kei relented, though she didn't pull her hand away yet. "Just promise to shut up."
Sofia went still, eventually nodding. Kei withdrew her hand slightly and held up her pinky finger, an absurd gesture in the middle of a midnight standoff. "Do you promise?"
Sofia gave her a look of utter disbelief as if questioning Kei's sanity before reluctantly hooking her own pinky around Kei's. The moment the pact was sealed, Kei released her.
Sofia gasped for air, her face flushed with humiliation. Suddenly, like a wild animal, she lunged forward and sank her teeth into Kei's arm.
"Ouch!" Kei stifled a yelp, gritting her teeth to keep from waking the household. It took a frantic minute of prying before she managed to shake the girl off. Kei stared at the angry, red bite mark on her skin, her patience snapping. "Forget it. I'm not cooking for you now."
Sofia smirked, a triumphant glint in her eyes. "But you promised. Are you really the type of person who breaks a promise?~"
Kei's vision tunneled with irritation. Without a word, she grabbed Sofia's arm and bit back.
"Ouch!" Sofia shrieked, but Kei was faster this time, clapping a hand over the girl's mouth to kill the noise.
Drip. Drip.
To Kei's horror, big fat tears began to roll down the spoiled girl's cheeks. Sofia began to wail behind Kei's palm a muffled, pathetic "Wahhhhh!"
"Shhhhh. Shut up, you crybaby" Kei whispered urgently. But the more she tried to hush her, the louder Sofia's muffled sobs became. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Kei leaned in close, her face inches from Sofia's. "If you don't stop right now… I'll kiss you."
The effect was instantaneous. Sofia's eyes went wide, and she froze. The threat of being "dirtied" by a lowly servant was apparently more terrifying than hunger or a bite mark.
Satisfied, Kei turned to the fridge. It was nearly empty, save for a few eggs and some leftover rice. She moved with practiced efficiency, the rhythmic clinking of the pan the only sound in the kitchen.
When she finished, she set a steaming plate of egg-fried rice in front of Sofia. The girl looked at the humble dish with deep hesitation, her nose wrinkling.
"If you don't want it, don't eat it," Kei said, reaching for the plate.
"I'll eat it!" Sofia snapped, snatching the plate back. She took a tentative bite. Suddenly, her entire face lit up. She began to eat with a ferocity that suggested she'd never tasted anything so delicious in her life.
Kei watched, puzzled. It was just basic rice and eggs. Feeling a pang of hunger herself, she grabbed a spoon and reached for a corner of the plate.
"Why are you eating?!" Sofia squawked, pulling the dish away.
"Because I'm the one who cooked it!"
They bickered over the plate like children until Kei, exhausted by the day's trauma and the night's drama, finally threw up her hands in defeat. "Fine. Eat it all. I'm going to bed."
She turned to leave, but Sofia's voice, uncharacteristically quiet, stopped her at the door.
"Here… just eat." Sofia shoved the plate toward the center of the table, not looking at her.
Kei stared at her for a moment. *What is this girl's problem?* She didn't stay to find out. She turned and vanished down the hall toward her room.
Left alone in the kitchen, Sofia glared at the empty doorway. "Did that idiot just ignore me? She is so dead tomorrow!"
She punctuated the threat by taking another blissful bite of the rice, the ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.