THREE, Totally weird

November 8th, 1983

Hana forgot just how much she missed Rosemary's colorful room. It was completely different from hers— she didn't have that decorative touch like her friend. The walls were painted a warm burgundy, while posters of rock bands and old movie stars were plastered in no particular order. Her vanity was covered in makeup products and jewelry, all competing for space with half-burned candles that filled the room with the scent of vanilla and sandalwood.

Hana sat crossed-legged on the bed, picking at the sleeve of her leather jacket, while Carmen sat comfortably on a huge bean bag at the corner of the room, skimming through a magazine, looking mildly amused as Rosemary agonized over which shirt to wear.

It was later on in the day. And Hana still felt weird. What she saw in the school bathroom had been replaying in her mind, driving her insane, more than she already thought she was. It was tormenting. Hearing its voice again after she thought she was finally free. It almost seemed like she brought it into this world like somehow it slipped through because of her. If that were true then a part of her would feel guilty about Will Byers disappearance, but it wasn't. It couldn't be.

"I mean," Rosemary's voice broke through her thoughts, holding up two tops and examining her reflection in the mirror, "does it scream 'trying too hard' if I wore the red one? Or is the black one too boring?" She turned to face her audience, eyes darting between Carmen and Hana.

"It's a small get-together, Rose. Just wear whatever makes you feel good," Carmen said, her tone calm but not entirely invested in the fashion dilemma.

Rosemary sighed dramatically, dropping both shirts onto the bed and picking up a hairbrush. "It's Steve's get-together. And he's gonna be there. Obviously."

Hana smiled a little, half-amused by her friend's theatrics. "You know he's not exactly single, right?"

"Unfortunately," Rosemary frowned as if being reminded by the fact wounded her but quickly recovered. "That doesn't mean a girl can't gawk. He's just so gorgeous and his hair is practically an event all on its own."

Hana exchanged a look with Carmen, who rolled her eyes affectionately. They'd seen Rosemary in this kind of pre-party panic before. It was all part of her charm. As much as she could be dramatic, there was something endearing about how she cared about these small details.

"He uses more product than all of us combined." Carmen snorted.

"It's art. He's gorgeous, and you can't convince me otherwise." Rosemary said, shooting her a playful glare.

"Wear the red one, it suits you," Carmen pushed herself off the bean bag, placing the magazine down on it. "It's just Steve. You're overthinking it."

"Fine," Rosemary grabbed the red shirt and held it up to herself again, her eyes scanning her reflection one last time. "You're right. I'll go with the red— red says 'fun, carefree, and totally not obsessing over Steve Harrington."

"You keep telling yourself that," Hana teased.

"You both are going to regret mocking me when I become Mrs. Harrington."

Just as Rosemary turned back to the mirror, Carmen cleared her throat, her tone shifting. "I'm not coming with you guys to the party tonight."

Both Hana and Rosemary looked up at her, surprised.

"What? Why not?" Rosemary asked, her brush pausing mid-stroke through her hair.

"I'm going to help Jonathan with something," Carmen told them, her voice was casual, though Hana could sense there was more behind the decision. "He's been, you know, dealing with a lot, with Will missing and everything. I figured he could use the company."

There was a moment of silence in the room as Carmen's words settled. The whole town was unsettled by the little boy's disappearance, and Hana could only imagine what Jonathan was going through, it must have been unbearable.

Rosemary sighed, placing the brush down. "I get it. You've been spending a lot of time with him lately."

Carmen nodded. "He's a good guy. And... I just want to help. You two have fun, though. I'll catch up with you later."

"You're a good friend," Hana said softly, her voice carrying more meaning than just about Jonathan.

Carmen offered a smile in response, then turned toward the door. "Leave the window open, Rose. I'll be back a little after nine. Tell me if anything interesting happens. Or if you finally admit your undying love to Steve."

Rosemary huffed, half-joking, half-serious. "Yeah, right."

Hana quietly watched Carmen slip out of the room. After a few beats of silence, she felt the familiar tension of the day settle over her again. She should've been excited about this stupid party, about spending time with her friends, but there was a gnawing feeling in her gut. It wasn't just the party. It was everything. She couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't fully back yet.

"Hey," Rosemary spoke softly. "You okay?"

Hana blinked, looking up at her friend's concerned face. "Yeah... just thinking about everything."

Rosemary sat on the edge of the bed now, her expression softening. "I know it's weird. Being back— all of it, really."

Hana nodded slowly. "Yeah. Really weird."

"Just try to forget about it for tonight, okay?" Rosemary said, reaching over to give Hana's hand a squeeze. "Let's have fun. You deserve that."

Hana tried to smile. "Yeah, okay. Sure. I'll try."

Rosemary let the silence hang for a moment before she spoke again, her voice cautious but curious. "So... what happened at school earlier? You know with Nancy. I saw her chase after you when you went to the bathroom. Everything okay?"

Hana stiffened slightly, unprepared for the topic of Nancy. She hadn't told anyone what had happened— not the strange, cold feeling of being transported back there, or the flood of emotions that followed when Nancy came in. She didn't even understand it herself. How she could explain it to Rosemary without sounding completely unhinged?

"It's nothing," Hana lied, suddenly feeling hot. She felt like she needed to take off her jacket.

"Doesn't look like nothing," Rosemary pressed, unsure as to why her friend was keeping things from her. "You've been off ever since you got back. I mean, as your friend, I get it— you've been through hell, but..."

Hana felt guilty for keeping secrets. But it was for the best. As soon as these feelings blow over, everything would be fine. Her friends, and her dad, wouldn't need to worry about her anymore. She'd be back to normal in no time. She had to be.

"I just needed a minute," Hana finally said, it wasn't completely false. "Everything's been overwhelming. And I think I freaked Nancy out."

Rosemary raised an eyebrow, not buying the excuse. "Freak her out how?"

Hana hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "I don't know. I don't think I'm the same person as before. I think she noticed, that's all."

"Well, if you say so," Rosemary gave her a skeptical look but didn't push further. She could sense there was something more Hana wasn't saying, but she knew not to pry too hard.

There was a pause, and Hana glanced out the window, watching the last bits of daylight fade into dusk. It was getting late, and soon they'd be heading to Steve's party, where Nancy would be with him and his friends— Carol and Tommy. She dreaded it, the thought alone made her stomach churn, but then she remembered Nancy's hopeful doe eyes and decided it wouldn't be that bad.

Rosemary studied Hana for a moment longer, then gave a small sigh. "Look I'm not going to make you talk about it if you're not ready. But if you ever want to—"

"—I know," Hana softly cut in. "Thanks, Rose."

"Just be careful, okay?" Rosemary stood up, changing into the red shirt Carmen chose. "With everything going on— Will missing and I don't know... it feels like something's off."

"Yeah, I've felt that too." Hana agreed.

"Like the weird power outage that happened the night before my mama told me you were at the hospital?" Rosemary turned to Hana. "My lights started flickerin' while I was painting my nails before completely going out and coming back a few seconds later. It was... well, weird."

Hana was silent. Not really have anything else to add. She did agree, though. A power outage? In Hawkins of all places?

"Hey, is your dad really okay with you being out?" Rosemary, meanwhile, returned to her vanity for what felt like the hundredth time, adjusting her eyeliner with meticulous care.

"He's... not not okay with it," Hana uncrossed her legs and standing up to join her friend by the vanity. "He's worried, sure, but I know he doesn't want to push me so he just let me be. Besides he trusts your mom— my doctor— and you. Told him I'd be spending the night here."

"I won't let anything happen to you, I promise," Rosemary set down the eyeliner, and turned to Hana, holding out her pinky, and Hana wanted to laugh but she knew it was serious to her so she just obliged.

"I know," Hana looped her pinky around hers.

Rosemary grinned and turned back to the mirror again, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Okay, but seriously, do I look alright? It's Steve's party and I don't want to look like a—"

"You look horrible," Hana deadpanned, cutting her off.

Rosemary gasped. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. It's tragic," Hana said, grabbing Rosemary's arm and tugging her toward the door.

"Wait, wait!" Rosemary protested, stumbling slightly in her heeled boots. "I need to—"

"You need to leave before you change your outfit for the fiftieth time," Hana teased, dragging her out into the hallway.

"But the eyeliner—"

"It's fine!"

"The lipgloss!"

"You're fine!"

Rosemary pouted but eventually relented, letting Hana pull her down the stairs. "You are lucky I love you, Hana Park."

"I know," Hana replied with a smirk, "and you are lucky I'm too tired to let you keep obsessing over Steve Harrington."

They both burst into laughter as they reached the front door, the tension from earlier forgotten.

Nancy Wheeler was out of her comfort zone. She was so used to predictable and safe. She'd never been to a party before— like a real one with booze and music. Granted this wasn't as exciting but, still, it was new territory. The extent of her experiences ended at her own tame birthday parties she spent with Barb and some of her younger brother's friends, maybe even a handful of awkward social events. That's it. This was all new to her: being with Steve, hanging with him and his friends, which she didn't favor much because they always seemed to teeter on the edge of cruelty. Despite that, she was living that dream, right?

This is what she wanted. To move on from the guilt and sadness that had swallowed her up this past year. She wanted to be happy.

She knew that Steve could feel her disconnect from him at times— completely dissociate from their conversations like she was uninterested in him and their entire relationship. But he never bothered to ask why— to figure out what was making her so distant and a part of Nancy was grateful for his lack of concern. Because she wasn't sure how to explain it to him without hurting him in the same sentence.

There were moments, fleeting but undeniable, where the weight of something else— something more— settled in her chest. It made her feel guilt like no other because, in those moments spent with Steve, her mind was somewhere else. Thinking of someone who wasn't her boyfriend. It was Hana, all those nights she spent crying, worrying, waiting for the day she returned home. To Nancy.

And Hana had returned.

However, for some reason, Nancy couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with her like she wasn't really here in the present. Something was wrong with her best friend— it must be why Hana felt so far away, almost out of reach, so distant, so cold toward her. And that bothered Nancy much more than she was ready to admit. Because that year she spent mourning Hana, it was unbearable, not just because they were friends, but because somewhere in that grief, Nancy had realized something more.

She missed Hana in a way she wasn't supposed to, in a way people wouldn't expect. Hana coming back was supposed to set everything back to normal— not make it more difficult, more complicated.

"Hey, Nance," Steve's voice pulled her out of her thoughts, and his hand rubbed comforting circles on her thigh. "You okay?"

Nancy wasn't soothed, but she still smiled at him. "Yeah, just... a bit out of my element."

"Ah, I see, you just need a bit of liquid courage." He said, oblivious to her distraction.

He got up, walking toward the cooler with his casual swagger that she used to find charming. She watched him pull out a can of cheap beer, but her eyes immediately wandered to Barb, sitting on a lawn chair a few inches away. Barb's face was tight with worry, her brows drawn together, almost pleasing silently to Nancy to stick to her usual self.

Nancy blinked, dragging her attention back to Steve just in time to see him hold out the can to her. She hesitated, her fingers not moving to take it.

"Oh, is Miss Goody two shoes too good for a cheap beer?" Carol stood next to Tommy, her head tilting at Nancy in such a condescending way.

Steve shot his friend a glare before quickly brushing it off and making a small cut in the can. He put it to his lips and chugged it down in seconds. Some of the liquid spilled as he tilted his head back. When he was done, he tossed the can onto the ground as his hands went up in triumph causing Nancy to laugh at his clear attempt to show off.

"Is that supposed to impress me?" Nancy said, raising an eyebrow, more so out of habit rather than genuine playfulness.

"You're not?"

"You are a cliché, you do realize that?"

"You are a clithé," Steve argued back, taking a seat in a lawn chair next to her, fumbling as he put a cigarette in between his lips. "What with your... your grades and your band practice."

Nancy scoffed. "I'm so not in band."

"Okay, party girl. Why don't you just, uh, show us how it's done, then?" He replied passing her the knife.

Just as Nancy took the knife from his hand, the sound of the back door sliding open caught everyone's attention. Hana and Rosemary had made it. Hana was here and Nancy couldn't believe it. She had little to no hope that her friend would actually show up.

Hana's eyes immediately flickered toward Nancy, who was sitting on one of the lawn chairs, holding what looked like a knife. It confused her, but then her gaze drifted to the floor and the empty crushed cans that littered it, and it all made sense. Well, it made sense that Steve and his friends were participating. Though, she couldn't understand why Nancy was— or was about to do the same. It wasn't like her. Then again, things have changed and maybe Nancy had too. Maybe this was her normal now and Hana wasn't sure how to feel about it.

"What's with all the beer cans on the ground?" Rosemary asked, a bit disgusted, as she stepped over some while holding on to Hana.

Nancy caught herself frowning at the sight.

"What do you think, Red?" Steve said as if it wasn't obvious enough, getting up immediately to welcome them in. "It's a party. And you're just in time for the real show. Nancy's about to show us how it's done."

Suddenly, with all the attention on her, Nancy didn't feel so confident anymore. Especially, when Hana was looking at her with this confused, almost judgmental expression like this was so out of the normal for Nancy. The grip of the knife grew tighter, a bit awkward, as though she was reconsidering this whole performance. For a second, she hesitated, before getting up and grabbing a beer can— she made a small cut like Steve did and chugged it.

She didn't stop until the can was empty. The liquid was cold and bitter as it rushed down her throat, faster than she expected.

Hana knitted her eyebrows together, mildly impressed and also concerned.

"Wow, Nancy! Didn't think you had it in you." Rosemary clapped enthusiastically, her laughter filling up the awkward silence.

"Yeah, me either," Hana muttered lowly to herself. She didn't think anyone heard her but someone did. Nancy did.

"Here, you try now," Nancy looked at Hana, smiling, and wiping off her mouth as she offered her a can and the knife. 

Hana frowned, hating the way Nancy put her on the spot. "No, I'm good."

"It's just beer. It won't kill you—" Carol butted in, groaning dramatically.

"—If she doesn't want to, then she doesn't have to do it, okay?" Rosemary cut her off, now glaring at the girl.

"Han, c'mon..." Nancy softly pleaded, wanting her to join in on the fun.

Hana stared back at Nancy, her face softening slightly, appreciating her effort to make Hana feel better— to make her feel included. It was a nice gesture and Hana was grateful for it, but it just wasn't how she imagined she would revert back to normalcy. She was only here to make up for dismissing Nancy so causually at the hospital because if she was being honest, it had been eating her up ever since it happened. That wasn't how she wanted her first time seeing Nancy in so long to play out.

Maybe this could be her way of making it up. If she just took the beer, pretended to enjoy herself, and just played along so that Nancy could think she was having fun. She owed her that much, didn't she?

With a sigh, Hana forced a smile. It wasn't easy, but she made it look effortless for Nancy's sake. "Fine, hand it over."

Rosemary frowned, unsure if she should stop her friend before she did something she might regret.

Nancy's face, on the other hand, lit up.

Hana took the beer from her hand, fingers brushing against Nancy's for a second longer than necessary. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, waiting for her to go through with it. She made a slit with the small knife and raised it to her lips. The cold liquid hit her tongue. The taste was bitter, not unfamiliar though, as she chugged it down, making sure to swallow every last drop of it. When she pulled the can away, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Her expression remained composed.

"You totally beat my time," Nancy said, grinning, genuinely impressed.

"Sorry to embarrass you like that then," Hana teased her.

"Oh, please," Nancy laughed, playfully rolling her eyes. "I let you win."

"So you're saying I didn't just beat you fair and square?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

Before Hana could respond back, Steve sauntered over, his arm slinging around Nancy's shoulders. "Alright, who's next? What about you, Red? Wanna join the party?"

He gave Rosemary a cocky grin, to which she blinked and gave him a deadpan stare. "That's so not a cute nickname."

Steve feigned offense. "Oh, I'm sorry. Would 'Carrot top' suit you better?"

Rosemary wrinkled her nose. "That's worse! First of all, I'm not even ginger, you idiot. Second of all, that's, like, wildly insulting,"

Steve opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, Carol chimed in, her hands on her hips. "Hey! What's wrong with gingers?"

Rosemary didn't miss a beat. "You, for starters."

There was a beat of stunned silence before Tommy let out a loud snort, trying and failing to suppress his laughter. Carol narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "Real funny, Red."

Rosemary threw her hands up. "What is it with you people calling me 'Red' I have brown hair! Are you all colorblind or somethin'?

"I'm starting to think so," Hana muttered under her breath, trying to hide her grin.

Steve, ever oblivious, shrugged. "Okay, fine, 'Brunette with attitude', happy now?"

Rosemary sighed, shaking her head. "You know what, just— just stick with 'Red'. It's not worth the effort."

Hana chuckled at their conversation. For a second, she felt her past self shine through— the uncertain, unnerved part of her had faded temporarily. She was sure it wouldn't last long but she decided to indulge in it for the time being. To allow herself to feel sane.

Everyone had forgotten about Barb's presence until Nancy turned to her friend. "Barb, you wanna try?"

"What? No." Barb declined, looking at Nancy incredulously when she put the beer can in her face. "No, I don't want to. Thanks."

"Come on," Nancy urged.

"Nance, I don't want to."

"It's fun! Just give it a—"

"Nance..."

"Just... just give it a shot." Nancy encouraged again, not taking no or the fact that Barb was uncomfortable as an answer.

"Okay," Barb relented, getting up from her seat.

With everyone's eyes on her, Hana could tell she was nervous— that this wasn't what she was used to. Barb was like Nancy; straight A's, never broke any rules, and curfew at eight. She was a good girl but unlike Nancy, Barb wasn't ready for change.

Barb struggled with the knife, her hands shaking as she tried to make a slit in the can like everyone already had done. Hana wanted to offer her help, to make it easier for her, but once Barb's hand slipped and the knife cut her palm, Hana knew she was too late.

"Gnarley," Tommy said, chuckling.

"Are you okay?" Nancy's eyes widen.

"Yeah..." Barb lied.

"Barb, you're bleeding."

"I'm fine," Barb told her, shifting her eyes toward Steve. "Where's your bathroom?"

"Oh, it's... it's, uh, down past the kitchen, to the left." He directed.

Hana watched Barb enter the house. She felt bad for her. It was clear she didn't want to participate and Nancy still forced her, which Hana thought wasn't okay. At all.

"Is she gone?" Rosemary whispered.

Hana turned to look at her, noticing the girl's eyes were tightly shut. "Yeah, you can open your eyes now."

Rosemary exhaled. "You know I get squeamish around blood. It's gross."

It was quiet for what felt like forever, Hana's eyes didn't leave the sliding door. She had hoped that Nancy would chase after her and apologize or do something at least, but that never happened.

Hana glanced at Nancy, unsure of what to think of her at the moment.

The sound of someone falling into the water caught Hana's attention, ripping her gaze from Nancy. She turned to see Carol flailing in the pool. Tommy stood at the edge, smirking like an idiot, before tossing his cigarette to the ground and jumping in. It didn't take long for Steve to push Nancy in and then himself.

"Great. Now it's become a couple-only party," Rosemary grumbled, plopping down onto a lawn chair seat as she cracked open a beer. She took a long swig and glanced at Hana, eyebrows raised. "You know what this means, right? Either we're next, or we become the designated audience for their dumb water show."

Hana sighed. "I vote for audience."

Rosemary chuckled softly. "Good call because I'm definitely not getting in there and I'm not ruining my hair. I spent hours on it."

Hana watched the couples in the pool for a moment, more specifically, her eyes lingered on Nancy as she playfully splashed Steve. Nancy's laughter felt contagious, it drew Hana in. But then she quickly looked away, the knot in her stomach tightening again. She's happy without me, Hana thought, but she pushed the feeling down, forcing herself to stay in the moment.

Hana crossed her arms, feeling like an outsider like she wasn't supposed to be here.

It was half an hour later and Hana was on her third beer. She was growing annoyed and the only thing that was helping her was alcohol. She knew coming here was a mistake— that she would hate it— that Nancy was just going to be caught up in her own world with Steve and not bother actually hanging out with Hana. It was fine. It had to be. Because she should've known how this night was going to play out. How stupid could she be? She just wanted to go home. She'd rather let her mind torment her with nightmares than deal with seeing Nancy and Steve together. The sight was doing something to her heart. It was crushing it slowly, painfully. And all she could do was watch from a distance.

She had to deal with it like she was used to.

"Hey, you okay?" Rosemary's soft voice asked.

Hana blinked, finishing her third can of beer, her gaze never leaving Nancy. "I'm... I don't know."

"We can go if you want. We really don't have to stay. I know I made it seem like gawking at Steve was important, but, like, it's not." Rosemary reassured, turning her body to face Hana.

Hana should've taken the offer and just left, but there was a part of her— the bitter, jealous part— that didn't want to leave.

Rosemary followed Hana's gaze. She was looking at Nancy with this almost pained expression and that made her confused. Yeah, Nancy wasn't spending as much time with Hana as she used to, but Hana would never complain about it or even let it show that it bothered her. Now, however, it was clear that something was wrong with the idea of Nancy being with Steve.

There was more to it— something deeper. She'd seen Hana look lost, frustrated even, but not like this. This was different. It would explain the awkward encounter between Hana and Nancy at the hospital, how Hana completely shut down after Rosemary mentioned Steve and Nancy being a couple.

The realization began to sink in for Rosemary, though she didn't say it out loud. Instead, she gently placed a hand on Hana's arm, a silent offer of support. "You sure you won't want to leave? We don't have to stay here. This party is totally lame, anyway."

Hana's hand clenched harder around the empty can, crumbling it, and she glanced at Rosemary who wore a concerned face. "No. I want to stay."

Hana sounded firm in her choice so Rosemary nodded, leaning back into the lawn chair, not wanting to fight her on it.

It wasn't long before the couples got out of the pool, soaking wet, and giggling with each other about something Hana couldn't quite hear. All she knew was that Nancy was laughing while looking at Steve and that made her swallow hard like she was trying to keep herself composed— keep herself from crying in front of everyone and embarrass herself.

They had gone inside, leaving Hana and Rosemary outside in the cold. Hana's eyes trailed Nancy, watched her follow Steve and they were heading toward the stairs to, what Hana assumed to be his bedroom. It didn't take a genius to put the pieces together. Something in Hana couldn't let it happen— call it jealousy or whatever— but she just couldn't.

Immediately, she got up from her seat and headed toward the back door. She opened it, letting the warm air cool her down. It could've been the alcohol giving her this courage or else she would've remained outside. Hana spotted Nancy about to go up the stairs.

"Nance?" Her voice wavered a bit, taking a step closer.

"Oh, Han," Nancy seemed surprised, turning around to face her. "I was, uh, going upstairs to change. Steve pushed me into the pool." Her laugh was nervous, and it felt forced.

"To change?" Hana was unconvinced.

"Yeah, it won't take long, I promise," Nancy tried to reassure her. It sounded like she was trying to smooth things over too quickly.

"You're lying," Hana's jaw tightened, her words coming out sharper than intended. "We both know it."

Nancy furrowed her eyebrows, holding the towel around her tighter. "I'm not lying. Steve pushed me in— what do you want me to do?"

"I want you not to regret going up those stairs," Hana's voice softened.

"What? I'm— I'm fine. You're overreacting." Nancy scoffed, rolling her eyes.

Hana ran a hand through her hair out of frustration. "Okay, if you say so. But you invited me here, Nance. You said it could be fun and all you've done is hang out with Steve the whole night. Do you expect me to wait for you?"

"It was supposed to be fun! It's not my fault you're miserable." Nancy's features turned into a frown, her words hitting harder than intended, and Hana could see a flicker of regret in her eyes. "You don't have to stay."

Hana could feel her heart shattering by the second. "So you want me to leave? After inviting me here?"

"Yeah," Nancy broke eye contact. "If you're clearly not having fun, then why stay? Maybe... It was a mistake to invite you here. Go home. I'll see you tomorrow."

It was a mistake.

Those were the exact words Hana used at the hospital.

Hana couldn't help the tears building in the corners of her eyes— couldn't help the way her heart was beating at an irregular rhythm. Her nose twitched as her lips began to quiver. Maybe this was how Nancy had felt that day at the hospital. Hana thought by creating distance between them, and forgetting her feelings for Nancy, she was doing right by her. But now, Nancy was throwing it back in her face, like it was payback.

"Fine." Hana's voice came out cold, laced with anger she didn't really feel. Without another word, she took a step back from the edge of the stairs, away from Nancy, and headed toward the front door. On her way, she passed Barb. They didn't exchange words, Hana only received a concerned look from the redhead before brushing past her like she didn't exist.

Hana reached the door, opened it, and began walking toward Rosemary's house alone.

The tears were cold against her cheeks as the air licked her skin and suddenly, everything felt familiar like she was having deja vu. She had barely made it far before the creeping sensation as if someone was watching her from a distance made the hairs on her neck stand up. She looked to her left nervously, where the forest was, narrowing her eyes slightly attempting to catch a glimpse of something. But nothing could be seen, only darkness and the sound of tree branches dancing against each other in the wind.

That was before a low screeching— almost animalistic sound whistled through the trees. Instantly, Hana felt her body go numb. That noise was terrifyingly distinctive. No normal animal made that sound. Only the ones from that place did. And for a moment, she thought that somehow she had been dragged back to hell.

Her breathing became shaky, her chest heaving, as she stared at the forest with tears still pouring down. She was paralyzed by the instilled fear that flooded her body. What if it was coming for her again?

"Hana?"

The voice pulled her back in, and she blinked, struggling to catch her breath. Rosemary's worried face came into focus as she hurried toward her, her footsteps urgent. She must have followed Hana out here.

"Hana, what's wrong?"

Hana's lips parted, but the words wouldn't come out. She looked back toward the forest, her heart still racing. "Did— did you hear that?"

Rosemary frowned, following her gaze. "What? Hear what?" She took a step closer, her concern growing. "Hana, what's going on? You're shaking."

Rosemary gently placed a hand on Hana's arm, grounding her in the present.

"I..." Hana swallowed hard, blinking rapidly as if trying to dispel the fear still clutching her. "It's nothing... it's just..." Her voice trailed. She couldn't explain it. How could she? No one would understand.

But Rosemary wasn't convinced, scanning Hana's face with worry. She could sense something was wrong— deeply off. "You're not okay. Look, we don't have to talk about it right now, but... Let's just get out of here. Back to my place, okay? You're still sleeping over, right?"

Hana's gaze lingered on the forest one last time, her breath hitching as the shadows seemed to ripple, as though something was moving beyond the treeline. She shuddered, but finally tore her eyes away, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, of course."

But as they turned away to leave, Hana couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching her, waiting.