2nd - Day
"Vivian's Room"
9:17

Vivian's whole body was covered in night sweat. She was so tired that she couldn't imagine having possibly slept.

The sheets were covered in moisture, clinging to her skin and making her horribly uncomfortable. Her heart was pounding fast.

She'd had a nightmare, she remembered that much. But she could only recall fragments of what had happened in it. She felt like she was struggling in a dim, cold, creepy place.

That was right. In that place, strong, inhuman hands had grabbed at her. She had hung on desperately. If she slowed even a little, she would plummet headlong downwards - she remembered the fear of it.

The terror was vibrant and intense. Vivian was in a kind of delusion where the dream world seemed to be connected to reality.

Vivian looked all around her. She saw the ceiling, the paper peeling off it. She saw a bare fluorescent light, a cabinet packed with CDs, a stereo and pamphlets, and countless memos stuck to the wall.

The morning light spilled through the blind, illuminating a plastic basket filled with dirty laundry.

Nothing is out of the ordinary. It's just my one-room apartment, same as always, Vivian thought as she was going to get out of bed, but for some reason she couldn't.

Her right arm resisted. Something warm was wrapped around it. Sitting up and looking over, she saw a blonde boy sleeping beside her. The blanket slipped off as Vivian moved, exposing his skin. It was amazingly smooth. He was even wearing underwear.

"No way..."

The blonde boy held onto Vivian's right arm with both of his slender arms. He looked about twenty-something years old, and his shapely eyebrows were scrunched up.

Who is he...? Wait, is he that boy...? Vivian thought as images flashed through her head. The night before, after Jonni and Tobi had left, Vivian stayed behind and drank by herself...

It was approaching midnight, and few patrons remained.

That was when he appeared. Completely normally, he sat down in the seat opposite. Just like Vivian, it looked like he'd already had a lot to drink.

"...Marriage is just a 'tradition', right? I mean, seriously, who wants to be tied down?" He said, resting his chin on them as he spoke. His voice had a hint of youth.

Vivian watched him vacantly with her drunken eyes as he continued, "As long as two people are together, it's okay. Freedom is the most important thing for people, isn't it?"

"Didn't expect that..." Vivian replied, "I just mean that, you know how it is with most boys. As soon as they grow up, they just naturally start thinking about getting married. I'm kinda shocked that there are actually boys like you out there."

"It's not that weird, is it? Girls aren't the only ones who feel suffocated."

Vivian was glad to hear it. It definitely wasn't the kind of thing Kameron would ever say to her.

"Right? You don't want to get mixed up in that kind of hassle."

Glancing up, she saw that the boy who had been sitting with her had disappeared.

Maybe he got fed up of being in the company of a middle-aged woman and went home, she thought.

But then, caught the whiff of a sweet scent from right beside her. He had moved to the seat directly next to her, "Great. We agree on that."

"Uh, yeah..."

The bewitching smile he showed her caused the words to stick in her throat. He tipped back his cocktail glass, drinking it down in one go. Sound came from her white throat as it moved faintly.

He let out what sounded like a sigh, putting the glass back on the table. His white cheeks were flushed, his eyes were half closed.

Vivian swallowed. Noticing her stare, he gave a soft smile.

"What is it?"

"Uh, nothing..."

Vivian's head wasn't working properly. She couldn't think things through calmly. His smile deepened, and she rested her elbows on the table.

Leaning on them, he began to move closer to Vivian, but his elbow slipped. Losing his balance, he collapsed on top of Vivian.

Reflexively, Vivian wrapped her arms around him. She felt his perfect weight, and the warmth and softness of his skin.

"A-are you okay?" Vivian's voice was high-pitched.

"Yeah. Thanks," he said, giggling again in her arms.

"No, I, uh... sorry."

Flustered, Vivian tried to push him off, but he put his hand against her, gripping and covering it.

"Oh, um... I have work tomorrow."

He's so hot, she thought. But she had a boyfriend, and things would get really messy if things carried on this way.

"I'd better leave soon. I had fun today." Vivian said as she tried to stand, but he wouldn't let her. He strengthened his grip on her hand, entwining his fingers with her.

"What're you looking at? You like what you see...?"

She gazed up at him, "I-I'm not staring."

"You're so lying..."

...Yes, she could even remember that. But she couldn't recall what came next.

Had she been drunk even more? Maybe she'd gotten carried away and got herself drunk.

Maybe that was why she'd passed out...

The images were so vivid. Vivian couldn't just see it; she could feel, smell, and even taste it...

It played back so realistically, telling her of the previous night's events.

"Oh crap, this is bad..."

It would've been fine if she were single, but now she had Kameron McBride. If her memories of the previous night - that was the only way to put it - were real, she would clearly have been cheating.

"Hmmm?" The boy beside her murmured sweetly, half-opening his eyes. "What is?"

Vivian obviously couldn't tell him that her cheating was what was wrong. She couldn't remember telling him that she had a boyfriend last night. If she had, this surely would never have happened.

She desperately tried to think up a good excuse, "For a guy and a girl who just met to, um..."

"Is there a problem?"

"No... Huh!?"

Seeming to sit up swiftly, he flipped over and sat astride Vivian's stomach.

Vivian reflexively tried to squeeze her eyes shut, but couldn't. Light filtering through the blind illuminated his manly chest. He was in his underwear but managed to look even hotter than if he weren't completely naked.

"Umm... It's embarrassing to be stared at like that, you know," He said teasingly, his cheeks reddening faintly.

"S-sorry." Vivian hurriedly averted his gaze.

"For your information..." He began to spoke. That alone caused goosebumps to spring up across Vivian whole body. "I came here because I liked you. It's not like I would do this with just any girl."

"Oh, no, that's not what I was..."

The whole thing was unbelievable: there was an incredibly hot man, probably more than a decade younger than her, telling Vivian that he "liked" her.

His cool fingers traced Vivian's neck, then touched her cheek.

Vivian began to say, "I can't... My head's spinning, I just can't think."

"Hmm..." He heard her chuckle from above. "Is this what they call love at first sight?"

His eyes flew open at the unexpected words. Then, suddenly, he stood.

"What's wrong? ...S-sorry!" Vivian said in apology, without knowing what she was apologizing for.

He almost leapt from the bed, gathering up his clothes that lay scattered across the floor as he asked, "You said you have work today, right?"

"Work? Y-yeah, I guess so..."

It was a weekday, so naturally he had work - but what was it to him?

In a moment he slipped on his coat, smoothing out his clothes, "Sorry, got to go! Have to go to the dentist!"

"The dentist?"

"The dentist will be mad if I'm late, right? I did want to stay with you a bit longer, though." He laughed embarrassingly. "Rude of me after intruding on you like that, I know. Bye now!"

"Wait a sec. I have a boy..."

Vivian thought about being honest with him. She could see Kameron flying into a blind fear if he found out, and she wanted to tell that hot blonde guy straight away rather than continue lying and disappoint him later.

Does this mean I want to see him again...? Vivian wondered, hearing the door slam as she pondered.

"Aw damn..." When she had a good think about it, Vivian realized that she hadn't even asked his name.

Holy shit! My life is a romance story and a horror movie! It's so scary! I'm so pissed, Vivian thought.

NOW do you see why I was so scare-arr-red? I was suffering from a fear of cheating with someone who is NOT my Kameron. So, I thought Kappa Heaven would help making me feel better. Not totally, but, you know, it's getting there.

2nd - Day
"Kappa Heaven"
12:30

That night, Vivian went out as usual. This time, with her colleague, Orlanda Haddick.

Orlanda was a childhood friend of Vivian and Jonni's. They had all known each other for more than twenty years.

The Kappa Heaven was the same as it always was at the Stray Sheep bar. It was warm, filled with a fair amount of chatter, and comfortable.

"Well, well. You know, it just hit me," Orlanda, sitting next to Vivian, took a large gulp from her beer and let out a burp. She was an easygoing and excitable woman, contrasting with the perpetually calm Jonni. "You know how they say every girl has, like, three hot streaks with a man in her life? This is your third."

"Was I ever THAT popular...?" Vivian asked, but then her eyes were widened, "Wait a minute, hot streaks? When the hell were the other two?"

"When we were kids, you were like the most popular with boys," Orlanda replied to Vivian, pointing it out.

"I don't recall that," Vivian pondered.

"The second time you were in the zone was at our class reunion five years back," Orlanda said, wiping away the froth from around her mouth. "That was what led to you started dating Kameron, remember?"

"Now you mention it... If he finds out, he'll probably kill me."

"It's not like he has to find out, though, is it? Not if you act like it never happened," Orlanda said lightheartedly, and Vivian shot her with a glare.

"I can't be as carefree about this whole thing as you are," Vivian said to Orlanda, "I highly doubt that, you know."

"How about moving on instead, then? From Kameron to that boy from yesterday. You don't want to be nagged into getting married, right? Two people staying together forever is just an illusion. Marriage will dig your grave. I'm proof of that."

Orlanda had been divorced in the past. It was apparently due to her husband having an affair, but she wouldn't talk too much about it, though they didn't appear to have had any children.

Vivian tried considering options. The prospect of breaking up with her current boyfriend and getting with the blonde boy from the night before was tempting, there was no denying that.

If she did, she wouldn't live each day of her life being scolded. Vivian wouldn't have to feel like she was being told all the time. But what about her as a person?

If she had a relationship with another man, despite having a boyfriend and just stayed on the fence, she would be considered a cheater...

"It's a tough spot, huh?" Vivian let out a sigh. Her sighs had definitely increased in number over the past two days, "Maybe the whole reason I'm thinking this way is because I'm tied down by Kameron..."

Perhaps if she had broken up with her boyfriend before meeting him, there wouldn't have been an issue - but she had already met him. Vivian couldn't change the past. Now all she had left with was guilt towards Kameron.

2nd - Day
"Stray Sheep"
20:06

"What was the boy like?" Jonni asked, tipping back her sake bottle.

Orlanda also leaned forward, "Yeah, make sure you introduce me to him. I bet he's super sexy hot. Got a photo or something?"

"No, and he's not your type anyway." Vivian answered.

"You know, I got to say...," Tobi said, munching on some peanuts on the platter. "Because of you guys, I never get a chance to date anyone."

Orlanda and Jonni exchanged glances and shrugged as Tobi continued, "I want a hot man who's mature, stern, and has a nice pair of sneakers..."

"Whoa, whoa there," Jonni halted Tobi, "Don't be like that creepy girl in horror movies who tries too hard to be noticed."

Vivian nodded in agreement with Jonni as Tobi cried, "WHAT?! Shut up, I'm so not like that! What's wrong with having some adult fun with someone older than me?"

"You're totally screwed, aren't you?" Orlanda asked Tobi.

"Who's screwed?" A voice appeared, "And did I hear someone call for me?"

"Oh...! Hey, Eric...!" Tobi was smitten as her cheeks were blushing when she sees Eric the waiter.

Eric, the waiter, came to a stop beside their table. He held an empty tray in one hand. It looked like he'd just taken someone their drink.

Eric and Vivian were from the same area and had known each other for more than twenty years. It was actually because he worked there that the bar had become their gathering place.

"I've got a nice pair of Air Jordan sneakers I know how to use," Eric said to Tobi, seductively.

"Whoa, Eric...," Vivian and Jonni cried in unison.

"Anyway, have you girls heard about the 'Man's Wrath'?" Eric asked in a normal voice, "They say it targets cheating women and kills them. Or not."

"Which is it...?" Orlanda replied suspiciously.

"W-Wait, what?" The words "kills cheating women" sent a shiver down Vivian's spine. "What exactly is this 'Man's Wrath'?"

"What does it have to do with you? You don't need to worry about it. I mean, you only care about your man," Eric replied.

"What are you talking about? She totally needs to know," Orlanda said to Eric.

"Cheating is pathetic," Tobi replied.

"I agreed with Tobi. Pathetic," Jonni nodded.

"Yeah, ha-ha, total pathetic," Vivian chuckled as she, Orlanda, Tobi and Jonni were all laughed in unison, then stopped.

Noticing this, Erica blinked repeatedly. "Wait, what? Have you been cheating, Vivian?" He put both hands on the table, leaning towards the girls. "You're kidding, right? Weren't you talking about marriage?"

"Be quiet!" Vivian said in a panic, looking around the bar. "Don't shout about cheating! We don't know who's listening!"

"That's low, girl." Eric looked down at Vivian with a gaze, "Lowest of the low..."

"Don't say that! I get it, alright? Just leave it."

"Well? Come on, tell me about this guy!" Eric was waited for answers.

"Apparently, he's destiny-level hot," Orlanda added with a grin.

"Are you kidding?" Tobi cried, "Finding your soulmate is so romantic and awesome! I'm so totally jelly! That means jealous."

What Vivian said was true, but she didn't know what would happen if Kameron heard that she was saying that she'd met the boy of her dreams.

"You girls better not mention this to anyone outside the bar, okay? I am serious!"

"Yeah, sure."

Vivian sighed, sinking deeply into her seat. "Anyway... that's seriously freaky. The curse, the falling dream..."

"Why?" Orlanda asked.

"I had one of those just last night. Maybe it was this morning? Either way, it was spooky as hell."

Vivian couldn't remember the exact details but seemed to recall the sensation of falling - or perhaps it was the feeling of being afraid of falling. So, naturally, when she heard about dying from falling in the dreams, she was concerned.

"You're overthinking things." Jonni grinned sarcastically. "Look at you, freaked out by a dream. How old are you, anyway?"

"Oh yeah, speaking of cheating - did you know?" Eric said, jerking his chin in the direction of the counter.

The elderly owner stood behind it, silently polishing glasses. "Long ago, the owner apparently screwed around too much and ended up incurring the wrath of loads of men. Look, you see those sunglasses she's wearing? They're apparently to hide her face."

"You're in a tough spot too, right? How about you try wearing some sunglasses?" Orlanda laughed, poking Vivian in the side.

"I don't need any! It was an accident. It's over now."

"I hope so..." Jonni muttered to herself.

For some reason, the words stayed in her head.