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Nightmare.
You'll never know when it'll come crawling in; the whispers, the memories, the fears, and most especially, the number.- Quote by Me.
Years ago, Rebecca wouldn't have believed or expected the attention on her. With her presence in Shangmi Restaurant, the restaurant rating went higher with her culinary skills on display.
Instead of opting for acidic ingredients just her grandma calls it, Rebecca introduced the use of natural plants for cooking and the health benefits attached to them.
Also, her relationship with Jisoo had moved to sisterhood in the span of years they spent together. She got more acquainted with Jisoo's boyfriend, Raymond, who is a doctor.
Her life has been interesting and exciting, and that scares her. The thought of losing Jisoo always crossed her mind, and Rebecca had found herself burying herself in the kitchen, exploring different plants to make more recipes and cleaning and re-cleaning everywhere repeatedly.
It was a trait she didn't quite appreciate, but after intense research on the internet and going for check-ups, it was obvious she had an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
Accepting her fate, Rebecca continued living life with the people around her, and she even got more acquainted with the two new waitresses at the restaurant, Sharon and Tina.
While Sharon was filled with talks, Tina was more reserved, and they reminded her of parts of her.
”Welcome in, Chef! I hope you had a good night's rest. How's today going to be? What's the new recipe in town?” Sharon had asked, walking close to her.
”Nothing new.” Rebecca had replied, walking toward the kitchen when she met Tina.
”Good morning, Chef.” Tina had greeted with a smile before leaving.
The day went as usual, with Rebecca busy supervising the kitchen while also cooking.
After the day's work, Rebecca got ready to go home. However, a text from Mr. Ben caught her attention.
Meet me at my office tomorrow. You can come whenever you are free. The message read.
”Hey girlie! Miss me?” Jisoo said, walking toward Rebecca.
”I hope you didn't forget movie night.” Jisoo added with her hands crossed on her chest.
”Of course, I didn't. Why would I dare forget our weekly movie date night?” Rebecca replied with a half smile.
”Are you okay?” Jisoo asked, staring at Rebecca.
”Nothing gets past you, right?” Rebecca replied with a smile. ”I got a text from Mr. Ben and I hope it isn't what I am thinking.” Rebecca added.
”Hmm, you mean your leave, right?” Jisoo questioned.
”Yeah…” Rebecca replied before urging Jisoo toward her car.
”What? No, are you trying to chase me out of my kitchen?” Rebecca questioned with eyes almost blazing at Mr. Ben.
”No one is chasing you out, Rebecca. We've had this conversation before. You've been working endlessly and with that, the company would like you to go on a leave. Travel anywhere, we will cover your expenses. Besides, it is just for a month, okay?” Mr. Ben replied.
”I don't like taking leave.” Rebecca replied, standing her ground.
”You'll have to take one this time around. You've been working yourself too much. Try to breathe, relax, and travel more. Ever since you were a waitress, you never took a day off, and I am deeply concerned. I need you to go on a vacation, and it is my policy to always give a month's vacation to my workers and that you are part of, young lady.” Mr. Ben added.
Letting out a huge defeated sigh, Rebecca had left Mr. Ben’s office.
”Taking a leave isn't the end of life. Why are you making it feel like he gave you a death sentence?” Jisoo questioned, sitting close to Rebecca on her bed.
”It is a week already, and I am suffocated.” Rebecca replied.
”No, it has just been a day and a half , Rebecca. Why not just do some cooking, and let's share at the Charity home. You can also pick up a hobby.” Jisoo recommended.
”I can't believe I still have excruciating days to go.” Rebecca replied. ”Alright, let's do some cooking.” Rebecca added.
For a few days, Jisoo stayed with Rebecca, keeping her company. But after a few days more, she had to spend more time with her work and her boyfriend too.
With nothing more to do than gardening, farming, and taking care of the chickens around, Rebecca had nothing more to do at home other than cooking that takes most of her time.
At night, she's left all alone with her hands aching to do something, and that's when the thought came in.
Though she was scared, Rebecca decided to awaken her writing skills with a keyboard instead of the familiar book and pen.
At first, things were going well. She was able to make a sentence, and that brought a smile to her face. But the moment she dived deeper into her story, the more she became haunted by her memories, making the once happy story thought she had taken another route toward death.
Scared, Rebecca found it hard to sleep, and when she finally did, the whispers began. The characters in her story got darker and filled her mind with darker thoughts, and Rebecca, unable to sleep, found herself typing out the thoughts in her mind, bringing each character to life. Her night became unbearable, and her morning stressful.
Day by day, Rebecca found herself becoming a shell of her past life. The ghastly death of her parents, the platters of rain, the rumbling sound of thunder, the coffin where her parents laid and mostly, especially, the number.
Rebecca became scared of what may become of Jisoo nine years later, and that thought gave her nightmares.
I'd appreciate feedback from anyone who comes across this. I'll be tagging a few friends 
Image was generated with Meta AI, hive divider free to use, and video from #YouTube
Still yours truly,
Balikis.
Thanks for reading and listening.
Peace be unto those who crave it and more to those who chase it away.