"Aishi......"

It was an afternoon in the Dream world, tall trees stood by the side of the paths and from the ground surface, only the thick tree trunk could be seen. The canopy almost burst into the clouds and colourful bubbles emerged from the ground, drifting upwards.

If you look carefully, you would discover that each bubbles contained different images. As the bubbles drifted up slowly, the images changed rapidly and forming into a story.

Every captured Nightmare spirit would eventually become the colourful bubbles in the Dream world, drifting up slowly till they exploded due to the pressure in the skies and vanished without a trace.

Speaking of the Nightmare spirits,  it made me feel low spirited.

Today was the most unluckiest day in my life! Just a little bit more and the number of bubbles would increase by 2 but while I was about to vanquish the Nightmare spirit into the bubble,  I sneezed. And that Nightmare spirit made its escape.

Counting with my fingers, this was the 13th failures for this month. Naturally, I was kindof disappointed  with myself but Yesung hyung mocked at me in front of the others. He really embarassed me by saying," Are you stupid or what? To let such a miserable Nightmare spirit to escape!"

If I am stupid then Yesung hyung was no better being a weirdo since we had the same umma.

It was unintentional that it slipped away because how could anyone controlled their sneeze?! Of course not and did Yesung hyung had to behave like this?

Although he had to pick up the mess that I created but did he really feel good after criticizing me endlessly?

Those who knew us knew that I am his dongsaeng while those who did not know about our relationship would think that we were arch enemies.

Ya ya whatever, I am the genius, invincible and capable Dream Hunter- Yesung's dongsaeng, Eunhyuk. Althought we were Dream hunters but I am a hopeless case with dangerous failing marks.

So what is a Dream Hunter?

Er well..... Do you ever had nightmares?  Each nightmare was caused by the Nightmare spirit. And a Dream hunter's task was to destroy those Nightmare spirits and erase nightmares from the dreamers.

Though my results was not so good but I strongly believed that failure is the mother of success!  One day, I would be a great Dream Hunter and would shock everyone. Keke keke.

After consoling myself, I could not help but feel angry at what Yesung hyung had said earlier and I started swinging my foot to kick the pebble in my way.

It was probably true that one was down in luck, even drinking water would be choking. Well, I missed my target and due to the strong swing, I lost my balance and fell down a slope....

"Ah...."

"Pong...."

I landed in a very unsightly manner with my limbs sprawled out. I felt burning sensation on my knees and elbows. I was whining in pain while trying to get myself up.

When I looked in front, the red and juicy fruit captivated me and for a moment, I forgotten about my pain. I had no idea when I had ventured to the edge of the Dream world but who cares when a huge field of strawberries was in front of me. I love strawberries!

Yah I knew it. I wouldn't be so unlucky today because I found my favourite strawberries here. The sweetness infiltrated my nose and I took a deep breathe, filling my lungs up with the sweetness. I ran and plunged into the sea of strawberries and shoved them into my mouth. Oh my god! They were so sweet..... so juicy.... It was wicked to have such a heavenly fruit existing in this world. I chew on my mouthful of strawberries and the sweet juice spread out from the top of my tongue. I really went crazy and wanted to shout out loud that I am feeling so blissful at this moment! If only I could live in a place with full of strawberries. I kept chewing while dreaming of my future....

The next minute, I felt my body turning stiff and the whole place was spinning.  When I woke up, I found that I am in a weird place.

Where am I? What was this place? What happened?

While recovering from my dizziness, I peered through the glass and looked outside...

Huh? Since when the strawberries grew to such a gigantic size? And what was this glass? I looked up, following the curve and it became narrow till the small hole at the top.

Oh my god! I am inside a bottle?

But why was there such a big bottle?  It would at least 3 meters in height?

Wait! Something was not right. I was looking at the strawberries which seemed bigger than me....

It was not that the bottle was big, it was that my body had shrank!

"Ah ha! You little rascal. Finally I caught you. How dare you steal my strawberries!" A hoarse voice rang out from behind.

Through the glass and towards the source of the voice, I saw a hideous looking giant halmeoni. She was taking the bottle and was fuming at me. In the other hand, she was holding onto a cork.

Huh? Those strawberries were not growing by themselves in the wild?

"Halmeoni, I am so sorry. I did not know that the strawberries belong to you. I did not see anyone staying nearby and so I pluck some to eat...." I pleaded for mercy.

"Don't lie. I have seen many such sly little boys. Stay still and be quiet in the bottle!" Halmeoni was about to pop the cork in.

"Ah... don't seal me! Halmeoni, I learn my mistake and please let me off this time...."

No matter how I begged, halmeoni popped the cork. I was brought back to a run down cottage which I had no idea that it existed. If I had seen this cottage earlier and knew that someone was staying here, I would not have pluck the strawberries.

Once we entered into the cottage, Halmeoni put the bottle on a table. "Do some self reflection inside the bottle. " With that she left the cottage with a watering can.

"Halmeoni, I am so sorry. I won't not do it again.  Please let me out." I banged my fists on the glass.

What am I going to do? Would I be suffocated inside this bottle? I did not want to die yet!

Sob sob Yesung hyung, come and save me. I promised that I would be good in future.

Ah, right. An idea came to me. I took out the communicator from my pocket.  Aishi why it had no signal. Could it be due to the bottle? Nooooo, I had to do something before the oxygen in the bottle ran out.

I scrutinized my surrounding and discovered that the bottle was near to the edge. There were 2 chairs under the table. If I could roll the bottle down to the chair and thereafter to the carpet below, and rolled outside. Maybe I could seek for help. Thinking of my escape plan, my spirit boost up and I pushed my body hard against the bottle.....

Once, twice, thrice.....

I had slammed my body several times but the body remained still. I was perspiring and tired till I sank myself on the bottom of the bottle in despair. I doubt that with myself alone,  I could get the bottle to be pushed down.

"Meow..."

Hey, I think I heard meowing sound. I quickly scrambled up on my feet and peered out. Yes, I saw a large grey cat walking close.

Although for some unknown reason since young, I had bad experience with the felines kind. I would try to keep myself as far as possible should my path crossed with them. However, nothing beat now when I saw this fluffy cat. I believed I saw hope.

Though I did not like to be caressed by their clawed paws, I hoped that this time, it would punch at the bottle and sent it tumbling away.

"Yah! Look here.... come here...  here...." I plastered myself at the glass and tried to do all sort of actions so as to attract the kitty ' s attention.

The cat stopped at the bottle and was looking at me, as if it was trying to figure out something. After a while, it jumped away and it's tail brushed against the bottle, causing it to shake.

Instantly,  I felt that my heart had jumped into my throat. I clenched my fists and was chatting, "Drop. Drop. Drop...."

Alas I was disappointed because after shaking a bit, the bottle remained still.

The kitty returned and was using its paw to touch the bottle.  However, it's action was so light that the bottle at most tilted to and fro but it did not topple over.

I tilted my head and screamed at the top of my lungs at the kitty ' s face. The kitty retreated before it came charging at the bottle. It's strength was so great that the bottle was sent flying out of the window.

The surrounding past by in a flash and a horrifying thought came to me: Where would the bottle be landed up at? With this height and speed,  I might even fell to my death when it landed!

Ahhhhh.... help meeeeee. .....

I closed my eyes in fear but the crash that I was anticipating did not come. I peeped open an eye to see and saw that the bottle was rolling off a muddy path and down a slope.

I heaved a sign of relief.

Soon I sensed something was not right again.

Wait, this direction.... Where was it leading to? This was not the direction back to Dream world!

Stop!

"Help... Someone save me...."

No one heard my cries for help. I was tumbling inside the bottle as it rolled off at a faster speed. I was seeing stars inside the bottle.

"Help..."

I let out a last cry for help before I became dizzy. In my semi consciousness, I felt that the bottle hit something and stopped.

                          ******************************

A pair of feet came to my view and the bottle was picked up.

The face of a boy became clearer and bigger to my sight. His beautiful orbs was staring at me. His eye lashes were think and long while his amber coloured iris had the star like glow in them.

I was lost in his gaze despite I just recovered from my dizziness.

I saw him frowned and shook the bottle while muttering," Strange. ..what is a bottle doing here? I heard someone cry for help. Are my ears playing tricks on me?"  Slowly he extending his arm and attempting to throw the bottle away.

"Wait! Don't throw! " I called out.

If I was going to be thrown away one more time, I could not guarantee that I would still be alive.

"Huh?" He looked around and then averted his gaze on the bottle.  He saw me and he was shocked.

" Hi there, do you think I can trouble you to let me out?" I waved my hands frantically and yelled.

The pair of beautiful eyes became large as if he seen a ghost. Thereafter, the bottle shook again. I did not understand what was going on and I met with my 3rd dizziness of the day...

Lady luck definitely abandoned me because the bottle smashed. Some broken pieces scrapped my face aand my exposed skin. Beside being attacked by the pain,  I felt hotness enveloping me. Slowly I felt bloated but also a wave of fresh air and eventually,  my body started to grow...

The boy by the side had his eyes growing larger again and I was half afraid that his eyes would pop out. The items in my view resumed to its usual size which meant that I am back to normal. But....

Looking at the building around me, I realized that this was not Dream world! Suddenly, I recalled Yesung hyung ever told me that a weird halmeoni with strawberries field lived near to the human world.

Although I had been out of Dream world, each time I was accompanied by Yesung hyung and I had never left Dream world on my own.

I had no idea if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Who are you? How on earth you are inside a bottle?  Are you a human or a ghost?" I heard the scared voice questioning me and it broke my train of thought.

I looked over and my heart stopped beating. Earlier on in the bottle, I managed to catch a glimpse of his eyes but now I saw that...... Oh my god! How did such a handsome looking boy appeared next to me.

He was tall and his eyes seemed to have the whole galaxy into them. Currently, he was looking at me in a shocked state thus causing his brows to lift up slightly and below the sharp nose was a pair of thin pinkish lips which reminded me of cherry blossoms....

"Hi... I am Eunhyuk..." I smiled (probably like a dim wit fella) and stretched out my hand.

"...... Donghae." He was looking at my outstretch hand but he did not shake it.

Seeing him staring at my hand, I looked down and to my horror, saw that my arm was injuried with some bleeding. Soon, I felt pain. My arm felt pain and I think my head was feeling dizzy too...

"Hey, are you okay?" Donghae looked at worriedly.

I lifted up my head feebly and wanted to tell Donghae that I am alright. Unknowingly, the weird halmeoni was running down the slope.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I already said sorry. What did you want? Don't think I am weak to let you catch me into the bottle. Now, I ....."

Oh sh*t, what happened? How come I am not able to use my magic? Oh no, It must be that I was drained of my energy plus the injuries I sustained.

"Ahhhh. What am I going to do? I do not want to go back into the bottle again!"

In my panic state, I grabbed Donghae's hand and ran off.

"Hey, where are you dragging me off to?" Donghae shouting out behind me as he was surprised that I pulled him and ran off.

"Faster! Didn't you ask me why was I trapped inside the bottle? It was that weird halmeoni who did that!" I panted while replying and I felt that Donghae sped up.

"Follow me." Donghae ran in front of me and pulled over a corner, following the road by the seaside. We ran towards the main road and hopped onto a bus that was about to drive off. I was relieved when we were on the bus.

The bus was empty as it was going in the opposite direction of the town and so the driver was looking suspiciously at us because he was taking a few sneaky looks at us. Could it be that he saw through my real identity that I am a Dream hunter? Donghae merely dragged me to the back row and sat down. I was panting and plopped my head by the windows, seeing that I could no longer see that weird halmeoni. I pumped my fist in the air and shouted hooray. Finally, I got rid of the halmeoni!

Donghae looked at me in a queer manner before he whispered carefully," Why did that halmeoni trap you inside the bottle?"

"Because I ate her strawberries." I whispered back. I could not mention that I was stealing her strawberries because it sounded so bad.

Donghae probably did not expect such a reply from me and he looked at me in a extremely shocked expressions.

I felt hotness on my face and I started to explain everything to him," It was unintentional. Initially, I assumed that those were wild strawberries and so I pluck some to eat...."

"Put the strawberries aside, how can you be trap in a bottle? Who or what are you?" Donghae looked at me in an alert mode.

"Er..." How could I tell Donghae.

"Hey you, your boyfriend is injuried and you better bring him to a hospital. You just came from the cemetry there right? See he is badly injuried..." The driver spoke and scared the 2 of us.

"He is not my boyfriend!"

"I do not want to go to hospital!"

Our replies echoed in the bus.

Oh... So the driver was looking at my injuries when we boarded the bus.

"Thank you Ahjusshi. I am okay." Seeing that the driver was looking at me from the wind screen, I quickly thank him.

The driver shook his head and concentrated in his driving.

Donghae took my arm to inspect," Earlier on, I did not realize it and now your injuries look very serious. I am partly responsible for your injuries and I am going to bring you to hospital."

"I already said that I do not want to go to hospital!" I hissed.

You couldn't be serious. The hospital was a place full of negative emotions and usually we, the Dream hunters, tried to avoid going there. Moreover, I am in a weak state and if I was to go there, within half an hour, I would be devoured by the negative energy force.

"Why? Give me a reason." Donghae did not seem to be backing off without getting an answer from me.

"Ke ke, it is just a minor injuries. I am a special case and I just need my sleep will do...." I tried to humour Donghae and waved my arm. I almost yelled out in pain when I waved my arm and I felt my head spinning.

Donghae looked at me with a serious expression and he seemed to know that I am lying," Give me a reason."

"Fine! Earlier on, you ask me if I am a human..." I knew that I could not avoid this. " I am a Dream hunter."

Donghae's eyes shot out the 'I-do-believe-you' look and he scowled," Dream hunter? What is that?"

"Er... Have you had nightmare before?" I arranged my thoughts and asked.

Donghae had this strange look but nevertheless, he nodded.

"Human had nightmares and those are caused by the Nightmare spirits. Simply put, we the Dream hunters' job is to get rid of nightmares. When the Nightmare spirits are destroyed, the human will not have the same nightmare again. Do you understand?" I looked proud at what I said because I saw the admiration looks in Donghae's eyes. He started to stare hard at me as if he was trying to understand something.

"So, what does it have to do with you refusing to go to hospital?"

My head felt heavy and so were my eye lids.

I took a deep breathe and tried to keep awake," The Nightmare spirits feeds on the negative energy and pains to grow and all these feelings are strongest in a hospital. Although we can destroy the Nightmare spirits, they can also cause harm to us.... So to us, the hospitals are not a place for treatment but a place that will drained us of our energy and had impact on our health. Moreover, I am injuried and it will be dangerous for me to go to the hospital because I might landed up dead there."

"But your condition looks very bad. Are you sure that its okay not to go to hospital?" Donghae asked.

Huh why was Donghae so stubborn and long winded? Oh I am feeling so sleepy now and it must be that I talked too much.

"Hey, you okay?" Donghae's face seemed very close to me but his voice sounded so far away. With the last bit of my energy, I grasped Donghae's shirt," Please.... don't go.... to hospital..."

After speaking that, everything turned black and all sounds were gone.