CHAPTER 19: UNITED

The Delta had just taken off. It would be another 15 more hours before they would touch down in Seoul. Suzanne was drained, physically, mentally and emotionally.



Just hours ago, she had lost someone dear to her; Hendricks. He had been like the grandfather she never knew. She had grown up under his tutelage and was a patron of his potions and talismans. The man was a genius talisman maker. As a child, she would spend hours playing with his ‘son’ while her grandmother and Hendricks discussed ways to better their craft. Suzanne couldn’t believe that he was gone.



*We didn’t even get to say goodbye. I’m so sorry Hendricks.*



She felt as if there was a gaping hole in her heart. It was the same feeling she had when her mother had left her many years ago. The loss that came so swiftly, she was not prepared for it.



Her eyebrows furrowed as she bit her lips. *I won’t let Hendricks die in vain.*



Outside, the clouds grew more sparse as the plane flew higher. The snow was gone and she could see the sun shining bright above the clouds. Up here, things seemed so at peace. It was so different from what was happening down on earth. Everything was so….so….uncertain. So chaotic. So scary.



She rubbed her palm, it was throbbing in pain. She hated the mark, she hated that it was growing. She did not understand what it was, but she would find out. She had sent a photo of the crumpled paper to Hans before boarding the plane. Hans had majored in linguistics and was an expert in languages. Hopefully, he would be able to decipher it for her by the time she landed in Korea.



Suzanne blinked and rubbed her eyes, they felt heavy. She hadn’t had a good night’s sleep for the past few weeks, the pain from her palm had kept her awake. And the nightmares, they scared her. She hadn’t told Tom what she had seen in her dreams. They were dark, cold, and not of this world. Just thinking about them made her skin crawl. She hoped that the nightmares would never become a reality.



As much as she tried to stay awake, Suzanne soon drifted off to sleep. Her head drooped a little and her tresses fell, covering her oval face. Tom who was sitting next to her smiled a little and gently rested her head on his shoulder. Suzanne stirred slightly but did not awaken.



Tom looked down at Suzanne's palm and quietly cupped her hand. Suzanne had not told him about her nightmares but Tom knew about them. For the past few weeks, he had seen her writhe about in bed, moaning incoherently in her sleep. Her fists would be clenched as her body became drenched in sweat. These were no sweet dreams. She was suffering from nightmares. But out of respect for Suzanne, he had chosen not to pry and remain silent about them. Perhaps he should talk to her about it. They seemed to be eating her alive.



The trip to the Maldives was supposed to be a breather for Suzanne. Plus Tom had wanted to propose to her there.



But now was not the time. She had just lost a family member, and they were racing against time to find her friend, Hans. Tom looked around at the other passengers, some were asleep like Suzanne but many were engrossed in the news that was being shown on the passenger screens.



A ‘plague’ was spreading across the globe. People were dying and turning into mummified corpses. A news correspondent from CNN was listing the number of countries affected. It had spread to more than 50 countries and WHO was projecting an exponential increase within the next few weeks. Country leaders were asking their citizens to stay at home until they could pinpoint the source fo the so-called plague. Tom could see a video footage of riots in Italy as panic began to spread.



*Plague my foot. It’s the damn mist*, he thought.



He looked back at Suzanne, her breathing was slower and more shallow now. He hoped she would get a good rest. Tom closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep himself.



From the first class, a figure parted the cabin curtain and took a long look at them before retreating back to his cabin.



***



Suzanne was dreaming, but she did not know this.



She was laying on her bed, her body covered by very lacy lingerie under the satin sheets. She was feeling extremely naughty. She could hear Tom in the shower, but strangely, the lights from the bathroom were not on.



“Tom? Come out here tiger. I’m waiting for you, “ she giggled.



There was no answer.



Suzanne frowned, was he playing a game with her?



“Tom?”



She rose from the bed, the satin sheets falling off her shoulder as she gingerly put one bare foot on the carpeted floor.



Except her foot did not touch the carpet. Instead, her foot touched a slimy black and sticky substance. For all her bravado when dealing with the souls of the departed, Suzanne was very squirmish when it came to slime.



She looked down and to her horror, she saw that the black substance was actually a sea of worms. There were worms everywhere, and a great number were crawling around her feet. Suzanne’s eyes widened in horror and she screamed, but she could not find her voice. She couldn’t move either. Her fear had paralysed her.



*Tom, help*! She tried to call out with her mind but no one came out of the bathroom.



The worms were starting to crawl up her ankle.



*No, no, no, go away*! she willed with her mind, still unable to speak.



Suzanne closed her eyes tightly and tried to lift her foot. It took a tremendous amount of willpower and effort and finally, she managed to move.



*C’mon, I can do this!*



Just as she was lifting her foot, a hand suddenly shot up from the sea of slimy worms and grabbed her foot. Its grip was strong.



What the ?



Suzanne struggled, kicking the strange hand with her other leg, not caring about the worms anymore. But another hand shot up to grab her other foot and began to drag Suzanne down.



*Noooooooooo*! she screamed a soundless scream.



She pulled at the sheets of the bed, desperate to grab hold of anything that could help her. As she struggled, she could feel herself being pulled further down.



She kicked and punched at the hands with all her might, flinging off worms in the process. Somehow, her movements felt sluggish, as if she was underwater. Every kick and punch required so much effort.



“Suzanne…” a voice called out from a distance.



No no no…get away from me!



“Suzanne! Wake up!”



As she fought, she looked down at her assailant’s hands. A face emerged from the sea of worms and Suzanne could finally see whom the hands belonged to.



“Suzanne!!!”



Suzanne’s eyes snapped wide open. Tom was shaking her shoulders. She blinked. It was a dream.



“Tom…, “ her voice quivered and she buried her face in his chest. He wrapped his arm around her and gently stroked her head.



“It’s alright, I’m here. It was just a dream,” he hushed.



Yes, it was a dream. But it was no ordinary dream. It was a nightmare. And in this particular nightmare, she saw who was pulling her. It was…..herself. She was her own worst nightmare.