Curly's POV
I found myself standing in front of a beach.
The cold night air wrapped around me as my body trembled uncontrollably. I slowly sank to the ground near the water, hugging my knees tightly while tears streamed freely down my cheeks.
The memory of what almost happened replayed endlessly in my mind, throwing my entire being into chaos.
I was still shaking when I suddenly felt something settle on my shoulders.
A jacket?
I frowned in confusion, lifting my head.
"What are you doing here when you're obviously cold?" a male voice asked.
I turned and saw a good-looking guy standing beside me. He sat down next to me, but I quickly shifted away, keeping my distance. I was wary.
"Hey, calm down," he said with a small smile. "I don't bite."
I remained silent, studying him carefully.
"I haven't seen you around before," he continued. "So where did you come from?"
I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," he said patiently, "you should introduce yourself."
"Don't you think you should do that first?" I asked, glancing at him.
He chuckled. "Are you scared?"
"W-why would I be scared?" I stammered. "I just thought… since you came to me, you should introduce yourself first."
"Fair enough," he said with a nod.
"I'm Michael," he said. "And you are?"
"Curly," I replied softly.
"See? I'm a friendly person," he said easily. "You don't have to be stiff around me."
He reached out and lightly touched my hair. I flinched slightly.
"So," he said gently, concern flickering in his eyes, "why were you crying? And why are your clothes torn?"
My fists tightened, and my knees trembled slightly.
"It's okay," he added quickly. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
Relief washed over me as he changed the topic.
"You see," he continued, gesturing toward the sea, "this beach has been here for a very long time…"
His voice slowly faded into the sound of the waves.
---
SLAVE HOUSE
The moment I stepped inside, Sara rushed toward me.
"Where have you been?" she asked anxiously. "I've been looking for you everywhere. You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"I'm fine," I replied calmly. "You don't have to worry."
She paused, her eyes dropping to my shoulders.
"Wait… isn't that Michael's jacket?" she muttered to herself, shaking her head in disbelief. I heard her clearly.
"Yes," I answered.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
"How?" she asked, staring at me.
"I was cold, so he helped," I replied simply. "I'll return it tomorrow."
She looked like she wanted to say something else but decided against it.
"Okay," she said finally.
"Come, let's get you changed," she added, handing me another set of clothes.
After changing, I noticed three other girls in the room.
"Hello, beautiful!" the girl in the middle greeted cheerfully.
I hesitated, unsure how to respond.
"Hello!" she snapped her fingers playfully in front of me.
"S-sorry," I said, embarrassed. "I was lost in thought."
"It's okay," she smiled brightly. "I'm Angela, and these two are Micka and Sony. I'm so happy to meet you!"
"Oh my goodness," she gasped, holding my face gently. "You're so beautiful. If I were a guy, I'd ask you out on a date immediately."
"Angela," Micka called warningly from her bed.
"What?" Angela asked innocently.
"Give her some space," Micka said. "Can't you see she's still standing? You'll suffocate her with all your talking."
"That's not true," Angela pouted.
"I'm sorry for making you stand for so long," Angela said quickly, pulling me to sit beside her. "Come sit."
"Sony, won't you say hi?" Angela asked.
Sony only hissed and turned to face the other side of the bed.
"Don't mind her," Angela said, rolling her eyes. "That's just how she is—grumpy."
"That's not true," Micka said calmly. "She's just in a bad mood. She won't talk until she sorts things out herself."
"Whatever," Angela shrugged. "By the way, what's your name?"
"Curly," I replied.
"Aww," she smiled warmly. "Your name is as beautiful as you are."
"Angela, let her rest," Micka said, yawning. "Tomorrow will be a long day, and it's already past bedtime."
"Good night, Curly," Angela said.
"Good night," I replied softly as I moved toward my bed.
Sara was already asleep.
I lay down slowly, exhaustion washing over me as my eyes finally closed.