Safe & Sound
You know when everything’s in fast forward, but you’re in slo-motion?
“Eunsook…” Junghee had no feeling in that moment. Or, she did, but impossibly. It was all funny, this taste in her mouth. How could you describe it, something as nondescript as water? There was only what it was. Clear? Normal? Basic? Liquidy? There was no sufficient way to express the hot cold claustrophobic chasm her body became when Junghee walked in on Eunsook crying in the bed room, with blood crusted nails and inflamed red striped skin.
They were on her arms and encircling her legs. A few streaked down her cheeks and bright ones formed around her stomach, contrasting her white undergarments as she curled in on herself at the foot of the bed. Those nails still dug at her sides, starching in her fret, shivering under freshly showered hair.
“Junghee,” Her name sprouted from those cracked lips loud and shaky, with no sense of control or understanding. The way her bloodshot eyes strained to find her through blurry vision made Junghee freeze. The way those lips quaked when she forced a shuddered inhale between her sobs made Junghee move.
“Eunsook, dear god, Eunsook what happened? Are you alright? Do you need an ambulance?” The words were rushed and pushed and suspended before Eunsook brushed them away with a shaky hand tangling into Junghee’s shirt and hair. “I’m fine, I’m alright.” She breathed. “Hold me, please.”
There was no question, Junghee’s arms gripped violently around the girls heaving shoulders. “What happened? You have to tell me what happened.”
“No-nothing,” Eunsook choked. “I just did it once. I-I was looking at myself and I thought, if I could just scrape a little off, I’d feel better. I won't do it again, I promise. I'm so sorry.” She sobbed.
It made no sense, but Junghee nodded and rocked her, allowing her fingers to slide over the swelling hills of Eunsook's back, follwoing the rise and fall of her breaths. Each valley seared cold, but each scratch hissed heat. “Shhhh,” She rocked her. “Shhhh, it’s alright.”
“Eunsook…” Junghee had no feeling in that moment. Or, she did, but impossibly. It was all funny, this taste in her mouth. How could you describe it, something as nondescript as water? There was only what it was. Clear? Normal? Basic? Liquidy? There was no sufficient way to express the hot cold claustrophobic chasm her body became when Junghee walked in on Eunsook crying in the bed room, with blood crusted nails and inflamed red striped skin.
They were on her arms and encircling her legs. A few streaked down her cheeks and bright ones formed around her stomach, contrasting her white undergarments as she curled in on herself at the foot of the bed. Those nails still dug at her sides, starching in her fret, shivering under freshly showered hair.
“Junghee,” Her name sprouted from those cracked lips loud and shaky, with no sense of control or understanding. The way her bloodshot eyes strained to find her through blurry vision made Junghee freeze. The way those lips quaked when she forced a shuddered inhale between her sobs made Junghee move.
“Eunsook, dear god, Eunsook what happened? Are you alright? Do you need an ambulance?” The words were rushed and pushed and suspended before Eunsook brushed them away with a shaky hand tangling into Junghee’s shirt and hair. “I’m fine, I’m alright.” She breathed. “Hold me, please.”
There was no question, Junghee’s arms gripped violently around the girls heaving shoulders. “What happened? You have to tell me what happened.”
“No-nothing,” Eunsook choked. “I just did it once. I-I was looking at myself and I thought, if I could just scrape a little off, I’d feel better. I won't do it again, I promise. I'm so sorry.” She sobbed.
It made no sense, but Junghee nodded and rocked her, allowing her fingers to slide over the swelling hills of Eunsook's back, follwoing the rise and fall of her breaths. Each valley seared cold, but each scratch hissed heat. “Shhhh,” She rocked her. “Shhhh, it’s alright.”