Nichkhun was tossing and turning in his bed, a pearl of sweat slowly making its way down his face. He heard the window break and something slimy wrapped around him, lifting him in the air. No! He tried to scream but no sound came out. What was happening? The tentacle that held him captive went back out through the window, still holding him tight, taking him with it. It nearly banged his head on the window sill, he was upside down. Why couldn't he scream? He saw his life flash before his eyes. His beloved parents that had always supported him and pushed him to be the best he could. His baby sister. He loved her more than life itself, but boy could she annoy the hell out of him. She and she alone could get his blood boiling, making him completely lose his cool and snap at her. Then she would laugh in triumph, since winding him up had been her goal all along. That only made Nichkhun more mad. Nichkhun shook his head smiling at the thought of her smug little face, thinking she owned the world. She might not own the world, but she sure owned him. Even though she constantly got on his nerves, there was nothing he wouldn't do for her.

Then there was Hyorin, oh lovely Hyorin. In the last few years she had become his best friend and confidant. She reminded him of his sister, that's probably why he fell for her in the first place. She didn't annoy him though, his blood was always still around her. She made him feel comfortable, she had become his home. That was why he had proposed yesterday. They had been dating for going on 4 years now. The pressure from their parents and their friends had become unbearable. They had hit that critical limit, either get married or break up. Nichkhun couldn't imagine his life without her, so he proposed. He didn't do anything too extravagant, he had gathered both their families at their favorite restaurant and when the desert came, the ring was on top of her piece of the chocolate cake. He had gotten down on one knee and asked her to marry him in front of everyone they cherished, looking only into her eyes.

It had felt strange, nothing like he had imagined it. He hadn't expected fireworks or anything like that, he knew that such things only happened in the movies. But he had expected he would feel something, not just the emptiness that had filled him the moment she said yes. She was beaming at him, he knew she had wanted this for a while now. It had been him that had been holding them back, delaying the decisions, holding for dear life to the status quo. He didn't want his life to change, he liked it as it was. Now there would be all kinds of responsibilities involved, it was a binding contract, he was tying his life to hers forever. He had thought that was what he wanted, but the moment it went from being a thought in his head to actuality, everything changed. His throat had constricted, his heart began trying to escape his chest. He felt like it was telling him “You made this mess, you can lie in it, I'm out of here!”. He envied it, he wanted to get out of there as well. It was too late. There was clapping all around them, smiling approving faces met him in every direction. He realized he had been doing it for them, it was all for them, but it was his life. Without a word he had stormed out of there, he couldn't breathe. He had taken the car and driven. Far, far away.

He had heard about this cabin from a friend of his that had come here with his friends on a hunting trip. His bags were already packed and in the car, since he was planning on taking Hyorin for a weekend away to celebrate their engagement. He couldn't think about that now. If he had just done as he planned he would probably be safe in bed with Hyorin in their hotel room right now. To his surprise, he didn't really regret it though.

Nichkhun snapped out of it, the purple tentacle was squeezing him harder. Then he saw it. It was a giant squid with a veil on its head. How did that veil get on its head? It was going to eat him up whole and leave nothing left over. Nichkhun didn't want to die, but he didn't want his life anymore either, he was ready.

Nichkhun woke up with a start, drenched in sweat. It had been a nightmare. He was breathing hard, still disorientated. He reached for the clock on the nightstand – 2 am. His heart sank, the dream had brought out his real feelings, feelings he had been trying to avoid and suppress for a long time now. He hadn't really realized it until now though. Oh, it was all a big mess, a mess that he had made and he had no idea how to get out of it. If he called off the engagement now, the fallout would be insufferable. His dad would most definitely threaten to have a heart attack, he always did when something big happened against his will. His mother would cry, oh how he hated to see his mother cry. His sister would probably be okay with it, but he never knew with her. He was the one who knew her best in this world, but she was unpredictable. Sometimes not even she herself could predict what she was about to do next. He sighed. The last thing he wanted to do was to break Hyorin's heart, she had been nothing but good to him. She had stood by him through everything these last 4 years, she would make the perfect wife, there was no doubt in Nichkhun's mind about that. Then why didn't he want to get married? It made no sense. Should he just interpret this as early cold feet and go through with the marriage eyes closed? Hold his breath until it was done and then everything would settle and be like it used to be. Although Nichkhun knew it was impossible. After the marriage, they would be bombarded with questions of when they were going to start having babies, when Nichkhun was going to get a promotion at work, when they were going to buy a nice house to start a family in, the list was endless.

Nichkhun's head was pounding. He got out of bed to search for a painkiller. Then he heard it. “Meeeeeooww.”. Was he imagining things? It sounded like a little kitty cat, but what would a kitty cat be doing out here in the woods? There was scratching at the door, barely audible but definitely not imaginary. Nichkhun didn't think it was the best idea to open the door for a wild cat, but he also couldn't just leave the kitty out there all alone in the rain. He stood in front of the door weighing his options when the cat meowed again. That was the final blow to Nichkhun's already weak heart, he had to open the door no matter what it could entail. The kitty was strumming Nichkhun's heartstrings like it knew exactly what it was doing. He opened the door slowly, peeking out of the crack that was steadily growing wider. Suddenly he stopped breathing, his eyes widening. That was no cat! Those stripes didn't leave any room for interpretation, there was a baby tiger on his doorstep!