Believe

Her eyes never left the glowing screen in front of her ever since she had leaned on the bedpost and engulfed under her warm blanket. The comedy romantic kind of film was indeed her cup of tea. It was her reason for stocking a lot of it, clearing all of her schedule in attempt to watch those stored movies freely on the weekend. She reached for another handful of popcorn inside the bowl, but found nothing that welcome her gaping hand. Looking down in question, her vision had filled with the white color of her container—signaling that it was already empty.

The latter sighed, grabbing the remote near her and choosing to just halt this ongoing film. It would never be the same if she weren’t snacking while watching it. She recalled barely finding any food left inside her fridge, when she happened to rummage around in search of something edible aside of some vegetables.

So, that was why she considered heading out and buying some snacks in the small convenience store not so far from her place.

She glanced up and noticed the current time, weighing her choice. It was already late although her neighborhood was quite safe to say the least, she couldn’t shake the feeling of come across people with bad intention. But, she couldn’t just sleep without even had any chance to finish watching that film, getting cliff-hanger was never settle well with her.

In the end, she got up from her mattress and went to her closet, slipping into a simple long coat to cover her pajamas—she didn’t plan to stay longer than 15 minutes outside so why bother to change clothes.  

The woman took her pink purse along with her phone once laid on the small table beside her bed and immediately went outside her room. She twisted the knob and stepped out of her apartment after making sure to lock it first. She ain’t going to take any chance.

As soon as she heard a click sound, her feet instantly made its way to the lift, too lazy to take stairs although she merely lived in second floor. Well, Tiffany thought she deserved it after working her off in weekdays.

***

Tiffany managed to buy some snacks and cup noodles for her midnight meals. Glancing at the full bucket of her shopping stuff, she couldn’t help but smile widely at the sight—it had boosted her will to watch those desired movies in marathon as she sprinted towards the counter in light speed.

She just strode out of the store, pondering about the path she had to pick when she vaguely caught a glimpse of time on the wall through the glass door. She wanted to go home as soon as possible, but the nearest way to reach her destination was crossing over a small alley with barely light in there. A contrary of her earlier track that took a longer time because it basically circled the area though it was much safer than the short cut one she ought to try.

The latter bit her lower lip and scanned her surroundings. Her gut was telling her that it was okay to take the path. Thus, she wasted no time, and went for it, walking hastily towards the direction of that alley.

Tiffany patted quickly; eyes darted from side to side, feeling wary of anything around. She was halfway through it when out of nowhere she heard cater sound nearing from where she currently headed. Out of instinct, she stopped walking and tightened her grip around her plastic bag. When the woman was about to turn around as quietly as she could and make her way to her former route, she found herself stepping onto a broken can under her, indirectly revealing her presence to whoever was that across the lane.

The crack echoed and she swore at the rushing steps behind her, she didn’t want to look back and plan to scream for help if anyone tried to chase after her.

“Hey…”

Tiffany unconsciously came to stop when a faint girly voice called, spinning in her heels, she raised an eyebrow when she saw a girl, probably younger than her had stood there with pained look.

“Can you…” She could tell that she was hesitate when for a second, Tiffany thought their eyes met. “Please…help me?”

If she were in her rightest mind, such a plea in this kind of condition would never make her turn around and try to help this stranger. She could just ignore her, remembering she barely made an escape a while ago out of that place.

Moreover, this girl, for all she knew, could have something under her sleeves, because why out of nowhere she called for a help in this kind of place, and most importantly why towards her—of all time, why this encounter happened when she planned to cross this scary place in the middle of the night.  

“Please?”

However, Tiffany was not even in her right mind at that time. Therefore, instead of snubbing this strange request from a fairly stranger girl, she found herself retracing her path in cautious step towards her whereabouts.

“How can I help you?”  

She didn’t know whether her pupil had gotten bigger in search of some light or it was because she just asked her back in her softest voice. The girl before her looked so fragile, hair disheveled; some dirt peppered her face and body, clothes were torn in some part and what made her wince was the stance of those small cuts on her face. No, she just realized that her arms and down to her feet, had the same injury even bruises were there. It was hard to inspect in such a dim place though.

Looking at how many scratches on her skin, Tiffany could think she had had enough bad times, but upon glancing at the torn part of her clothes, she definitely saw some scars and thought maybe there were more of it laid beneath her dithering clothes. Stranger or not, she couldn’t careless, she was injured and Tiffany would not think twice in offering any help.

“You should get treated,” She whispered when their eyes met for second time. “To prevent it from getting infected even more.” Tiffany briefly shifted her eyes to her wounds and looked back to ask, “We can go to hospital and get your wound treated, do you want to?”

“No…” The girl squeaked, a look of disbelief was clear on her face.

“No…No …”

This time, it was a mixture of surprise and an increasing panic in both of her expression and tone. That girl began to take a step back, body was shaking as she tossed her head side to side, as if did not believing what was happened just right there. “Y-you aren’t supposed to help me… just go please go…”

Tiffany blinked and reached out her hand to stop her from furthering herself. “No. You asked for my help so I’m not going to back off before you get your deserved treatment.”

“Please just please, go…  I will tell him that you have already run away, I beg you. Please go…” The hand inside her grip trembled and Tiffany squeezed it to assure her, but when she caught her last words, her brows immediately creased in confusion. “What exactly do you mean?”

“For your own good, please leave this place before he-“

“Wow…great indeed. Thank you for keeping her here, Taeyeon.”

A man voice boomed inside the place and Tiffany loosened her earlier clutch on the girl as she watched him sluggishly walking towards them. She peered her eyes off him to her; and could feel anger rising inside the moment she clearly witnessed a sorry look painted on that face.

“You are tricking me?”

“I-I…”

Tiffany quickly slapped her face and howled with glaring eyes without the need to hear any bull coming from her. “You might consider being an actress.” She threw her plastic bag at her and stomped away, running from this place while shouting for help.

***

It was such a relief when she could already see some light coming from the nearby store. Her thought was preoccupied with the fact that she could escape from that narrow place, but minute later she found herself laying on the ground when one of her feet tripped over something. She couldn’t believe her luck.

First, for being tricked by that stranger’s appearance.

Second, for falling in such a wrong time.

Three, for not seeing any people around here who could help her.

Four, for not being able to stand quickly because she just heard some rustling sound behind her.

Five, for still not being able to stand because the cut on her knee was stinging like crazy. Or in other words, waiting for her death to come when he showed up and started to drag her back to where she met that petite girl.

The man slammed her square on the wall, pinning her against it so she didn’t have any space to confront. Tiffany felt her tears trickled and prayed for her life when he breathed down near her, the smell of alcohol came washing her nostril—making her cry even harder.

“I-I will give you my money but please let go of me…”

“Interesting,” He chimed and pulled back a bit to beckon his friend, that stranger girl to come closer. “Give your money to her.”

Tiffany sloppily took out her purse and was planned to pull all her of her money out only to get halted the second after, “Nah, all of it.” The man pointed her purse. “Including it…”

She sighed in defeat and tossed it towards the earlier girl who didn’t even look back at her. The girl stepped back as soon as she had collected the one they were looking for.

“Very well…” He commented while Tiffany only closed her eyes tightly, didn’t even wanting to see his sick smile and was hoping that this was only her nightmare. She would wake up soon and forget this even happened in her dream.

“I’m not going to hurt you… We will have fun though…”

He slurred his words and she cringed instantly when she realized that his hand had already grasped her own, locking it in place. She couldn’t do much, her hands were gripped by him above her head, preventing her from making any movement and the situation itself had made her already feeling helpless  

“No, KangIn… No…” The man’s clutch slackened as he turned to see, as well bringing Tiffany’s eyes to be filled with her again. “You said, you only want to take her money. She has given it to us, why would you do this to her?”

“I’ve changed my mind, Taeyeon. So, let me have fun for a bit. Just mind your own business.” The man in front of her shrugged his shoulder and Tiffany couldn’t help but struggle when his other hand started to trace her side.

Tiffany cried again, when she was slapped back on her right cheek in return. “Don’t you dare to move, .”

She choked on her tears, pleading for the girl to somehow help her through her gaze.

“Don’t please stop…” Her own voice trembled and she felt her knees wobbling as her energy drained in drenching tears. She didn’t believe she would end up here and get to suffer this situation in result of her thought to snack on, while watching films.

From her hazy peripheral vision, she could see her coming closer to stand behind him.

“Stop. It. Right. ing. Now.”

That stranger hissed and grabbed his shoulder to distract the attention out of her. Tiffany fell down almost immediately with back against the dirty wall as soon as he let go of her and walked a bit further. Tiffany’s hands tightly guarding her own body, desperate cries could be heard when she found her feet stay rooted. She couldn’t move, she tried to but could not. 

“Do you realize what are you ing doing to me right now?!”

His yell brought her face to look at these two figure, thus she realized that the girl had been pointing something at him, which made him shout in anger constantly.

“Just take her ing money and go away!” That girl screamed, still having her tightly gripped hand protruded across him. The glint light from outside shone through the object, it was when she knew that thing was none other than a pocketknife.

Tiffany’s eyes widened and she began to wail loudly, catching these two person off guard.

“What the heck!” He growled, quickly snatching the object out of the smaller person and glancing at Tiffany. “This is your fault for making such a fuss. We should shut her up. You keep that purse and wait for me in the corner. I will manage her,” He angled his head to the person near him, barking an order. “And we will settle your stupid rebel action later. Just you and me.”

He then trooped towards Tiffany’s direction with knife inside his hand as his eyes darkened. Tiffany could feel shiver running down and her whole body turned cold, she couldn’t move at all. Her screams had turned into a several squeak of broken pleas, throat was hardening but not a single sound could manage to get out above any whisper.    

Her face had pooled with tears as she could feel her heart paced in hampering speed, this time she was nearing the end of her life, and it felt surreal.

“What are you doing?!”

“Just shut up Taeyeon!” He snarled while pushing the figure who had already stood in front of his target in swift motion. “And move, now.”

“You are drunk. Just please… let her go. You don’t need to hurt her. We got the money and that’s all we need!” The girl blocked him as he kept approaching. “Shut the up or I will kill you.” He defied back in harsh tone.

“Oppa come on, don’t do this-ah…”

His eyes stared in horror when he realized the reason of her abrupt hiss. It was the fact that he had accidentally jabbed the knife on her stomach in amidst of shoving her aside that had made her hissing in pain. He let go of his bloody hands immediately—faltering on his steps as his eyes fixed on her clothes. That fabric had ruined in a dark crimson color and it was his entire fault.

Tiffany didn’t have any idea about what was going on, moreover when she heard the stranger in front of her chuckling, she felt lost almost immediately for not knowing what exactly they talked about. “You are so bent in killing me, huh oppa?”

She couldn’t see his expression from where she current at, but could predict that he was sorry of what he did. “I-I didn’t mean it… I-I‘m sorry…”

With that, she saw him hastily running away and couldn’t help but feel relief although it didn’t lessen her curiosity even a bit.

Tiffany was able to mutter a small thank you without hiccupping in process and when the figure suddenly turned, what welcomed her first was her red covered shirt with knife stuck onto it. She couldn’t hide her shock after seeing it. “W-What is exactly happening?!”

There wasn’t any sign of emotion on her face, as she stared down at her. “Go away…” Her voice creaked as she spoke towards her. “..or I will kill you too right now.”

“W-what did I do wrong?” Tiffany questioned and nearly cried another tears when she watched her pulling the knife out of her stomach in ease, bloods oozed out almost in second, before she aimed the said object right across her neck.

It felt so wrong when she did not feeling alarmed by her threat at all. It felt so wrong when she did not just run for her own safety, while she could, right at the moment. It felt so wrong when she did not cry after the knife had made a brief contact with her neck, leaving a thin red line in the process. 

Instead, it felt so wrong when she could feel her eyes b at the sight of those watery eyes.

And it felt so terribly wrong when the moment this stranger losing her balance, knife hitting the pavement as her grip onto it slacken off—all Tiffany wanted to do was catching her off her falling.

Because a tiny voice inside her was telling that, she should believe in this person regardless of everything that had happened earlier.

Another random story,

[A/N]: Inspired by Mariah Carey – When You Believe.

Enjoy reading everyone! ^^