Suffering - Jess Lee (open in new window)

Narrator's POV

Step by step. Breath by breath. Ariel etched forward to Kyungsoo's bedroom door frame, trying her best to not make a sound. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears as its erratic beats nearly caused her to have a heart attack. When she regained composure, Ariel used the wall to support her balance as she continued to tiptoe. She came to an abrupt stop when she finally arrived at the front of Kyungsoo's room.

With a deep breathe in and out, Ariel slowly wrapped her fingers around the doorknob. Feeling extremely overwhelmed and conflicted, the young girl tightly shut her eyes closed as she gently pushed the door open. Okay. On the count of three, I'll open my eyes. one... two... thre— Her right hand quickly flew over to cover the gasp from escaping past her lips.

Her heartbeat soared to new speeds at the sight before her eyes. How... What...is... Why... Ariel was completely stunned and unable to form any coherent thoughts. Her breathing accelerated while her legs trembled and threatened to give way. "H-How could...he," she questioned silently to herself.

She painfully tore her gaze away from the horrid scene. Kyungsoo and Annabelle were cozily cuddling together on the same bed. He had his arms around her waist while she laid her head on his chest. Ariel didn't want to cry but this was just too much for her to handle. Call her naive and a hopeless romantic, but she still tried to hold optimistic thoughts that someway, somehow, she was going to have her happy ending with her prince.

But it was quite evident to her now that, that was not going to happen...that she was not going to get her happily ever after.

She placed a hand on her chest, and gripped the cloth right above her heart. What is this? Is this what love makes people feel? She felt as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest and torn into a million tiny pieces. Is this what people feel when their heart breaks? She couldn't help but laugh at this thought. Well, there's a first for everything, right?

Ariel clasped her hands together before stepping next to the bed. She quietly scanned Kyungsoo's sleeping figure with her eyes. He looked so serene and peaceful that she just couldn't look away. She was once again mesmerized by the prince in