3- Resisting (insanity and desire)

Her mind takes in everything at once. The pure white walls of the room comes first, ever as blinding as the first time she saw it. The next thing she notices is Nayoung’s face, uncomfortably close to her own, Nayoung leaning towards her, hands placed on the desk separating them.  Kyulkyung squeaks and jumps backwards. Her legs and back bump into something, and she loses her balance. She tumbles backwards, her hands flailing the whole time, and lands headfirst on the ground.

When she gathers her bearings, she finds herself in the same predicament as before. Nayoung’s face was far too close to her own, and she fights hard to contain the blood probably rushing to her face.

“I know this is stupid to ask since the floor is padded, but are you alright?” Nayoung asks, eyebrows knitted with concern.

She stares blankly at Nayoung, her brain opting to shut down all speech processes to take in all that she can of the other girl. This close, she’s able to see every detail on Nayoung’s face, note where her make-up smudged or when her nostrils expanded when she breathed. She’s not surprised she’s staring at her perfectly-shaped lips, lipstick glistening except in certain areas where it must have been removed when Nayoung it unconsciously as she often observed her doing. Her mind shuts down at the thought as she gulps. Nayoung shakes her by the shoulders, and she snaps out of her thoughts quickly.

“Are you listening to me? I asked if you were alright.” Nayoung says, voice tinged both with worry and irritation.

She nods, her eyes trained on Nayoung’s. The rational part of her brain reminds her that this was a fake Nayoung, as she begins to examine her one more time. Up close, she did fully resemble Nayoung, down to every last detail, as she remembered her. Her way of speaking would even manage to fool anyone to her being actually real, but Kyulkyung knew better than to trust appearances. She was in a dream after all, a vivid dream bordering a nightmare, where everything looks real to her, she thinks. She sets her mind to not fall for whatever fake Nayoung does.

Nayoung stands, and returns to where she was apparently seated before her whole accident transpired. She nods her head towards a chair, presumably the one Kyulkyung tripped over, and stares at her expectantly. Kyulkyung, vaguely understanding what she meant, picks up the chair and proceeds to seat herself.

“So, tell me about the….” Nayoung starts, but is interrupted quickly by Kyulkyung.

“Where are we? Why am I here?”

“If you do not remember, you are in my office, after asking to see me.”

“Your office? Where? Why did I ask to see you?”

“I should be asking you that last question. Also, I believe we have went over the ‘where’ aspect of this conversation too many times. You should start beginning to accept what’s real, Kyulkyung, for your own good.” Nayoung starts harshly but ends softly, her voice the picture of a mother encouraging her child.

Kyulkyung feels that familiar emotion bubbling in the pit of her stomach climb into . She swallows it back down, reminding herself this was all a dream.

“What was I telling you?” she asks, hoping to take the conversation in a different direction.

“You said you had a weird dream. I was cu