From the beginning you and I were divided

The red flower that blooms from an opposing energy

We were pricked by it

The Mystery of beginning uality

- uality - 

Anna moved her spoon on the rice and raised her eyes to her aunt and uncle that were eating peacefully.

“Did any of you try to visit me in my room last night?” she asked making both look at her.

Her aunt moved her head negatively “I didn’t.”

“Me neither!” Her uncle answered folding the newspaper, he was reading, in half. “Why?”

“I think I heard someone at the door, trying to open it.” Anna said realizing how silly it sounded now that she said it out loud.

“I slept really well!” her uncle said “I didn’t hear anything.”

“I close everything before going to bed. Do you think someone was inside the house?” Her aunt seemed scared now and Anna shook her head.

She was being ridiculous.

“No. I probably had a bad dream.” She stood up, giving up on the food since she was losing her appetite day by day. It was as if her strength was being out of her ever since she arrived to that house.

“I’m going for a walk with the dogs.” She announced leaving the dining room. She was going to walk to the main door but hesitated, waiting for a while in silence in the corridor. She didn’t know why she did it but soon she heard her uncle and aunt talking with each other in a low voice.

“She is becoming more and more like her mother.” Her aunt said. It didn’t seem like a good thing at all.

“She killed herself right?”

“Yes. She used to say that she saw things, shadows that spoke with her, dead people, spirits. She would freak me out when she started speaking about those things.”

“Why did she kill herself?”

“She said she couldn’t hear their screams anymore, the screams of the bad spirits, so she took a high dose of sleeping pills. Anna was only five at the time. Poor kid had to be raised by her father who end up dying with cancer. Life wasn’t good for her.”

“Well she has us now!”

“Yes. I hope she doesn’t end up like her mother though. She is making some weird questions lately…”

Anna sighed and walked outside trying to forget the conversation she just heard.

It was true that her mother was eccentric that she killed herself but she didn’t do it because she wanted to. She was tired, fighting a depression and as her father always told her, her mother was an angel. She wasn’t meant to be in a dirty world like the one they were in, so he believed that God took her, saving her from all the suffering. Sadly that same God took her father 13 years later making her an orphan.

Anna wasn’t insane. Maybe she had the same sixth sense that her mother had but she wasn’t insane.

Since she was in a daze, lost in her thoughts, Anna completely forgot about the dogs and crossed the woods alone. This time she was ready, with denim blue shorts and a white t-shirt.

However she forgot to bring her sunglasses and had to cover her eyes from the sun to walk outside the woods and near the cliff.

She stopped when she saw someone a few steps away from her.  He had his back turned to her but Anna knew that it was the same man from the previous day.

He moved turning around and the sun blinded Anna for a second, enough to cover his features in darkness.

It was him!

The shadow! She was almost sure of it.

“It’s you!” She screamed making him turn fully to her, blocking the sun letting her see his features.

“Who?” He asked seeming confused.

“Your voice….” Anna touched her chest, wondering if that was real or a product of her imagination “It’s you!”

“What am I?” He asked raising an eyebrow pretending to not understand what she was saying. She knew he was faking it since she could see a small smile dancing on his lips.

“The shadow that visits me every night, Taemin!”

He swallowed moving a hand on his hair “I don’t know what you mean!”

She needed to be sure, so Anna walked closer to him and touched his hand, her fingers caressing his skin. It wasn’t burning like on the previous night but it was warm, too warm. It felt the same and she raised her eyes to him, his gaze on her making her heart beat fast.

“Taemin?”

“I don’t know what you mean!” He took his arm away abruptly “Crazy woman!”

Anna speechless saw him walk away in the direction of the house and she didn’t move to follow him.

She didn’t have to. She was sure he was Taemin. She wasn’t sure who or what Taemin was though.

That afternoon Anna decided to visit the village. She managed to call a taxi and decided to go shopping on the village for groceries. At least that was what she told her aunt, however her main objective was to find more about Taemin.

After buying the groceries needed she went to the local Real Estate Agent hoping to learn more about the cliff house.

They only had one employee and he was really nice to her, clearly not used to see such a young lady interested in such an old house. Anna pretended to want to buy the house and asked about it. As her uncle told her the house was for sale for years now.

“Lee- Gun decided to put it on sale and moved to Seoul with his two sons.”

“I see. So he is the owner.”

“No. Lee died a few years ago; his older son is for now the owner of the house.”

“Didn’t you say he had two sons?”

“Yes I did.” The man said grabbing his cup of coffee.

Anna leaned forward, placing her elbows on the desk. “So why isn’t both sons the inherits of the house?”

“That’s an interesting question. “

“I’m a very curious person, you know.” Anna said with a smile. “I always want to know the full story of on a house before buying it. And clearly this house is for sale for such a long time so it’s a shame to lose a buyer like this.”

“What do you want me to do?” The man asked playing Anna’s game.

“Who is the older son name?”

She was hoping to hear Taemin name however the answer disappointed her

“Lee Jinki.”

“I see.” It actually made sense not to be Taemin since he seemed her age so he probably left the house really young. “Can you find out the name of the younger son and where he is right now? Actually both sons.”

“I can try.”

“I would be very grateful since I could contact them and know more about the house from someone that actually lived there. It’s such a cute house.”

“It has a beautiful view.”

“It sure does!” Anna agreed grabbing her bag “Thank you. I’ll be back later then!”

She walked outside with the plastic bag with groceries in her hand.  Lee Jinki. It wasn’t a usual name and it felt familiar somehow as if she heard it before. She couldn’t remember where though.

It was starting to rain, a weak spring rain but still it made Anna run away to look for shelter.

The taxi left Anna outside the house and she entered it to leave the groceries at the kitchen.

Then she bid goodbye to her aunt and pretended to go up to her bedroom, instead she walked outside, even though the sun almost set, and she ran all the way to the cliff.

Anna didn’t lose any time in the woods; she ignored all the scary shadows the trees made and the weird strange noises coming from the darkness that fell over the land.

When she reached the cliff house it was night but she didn’t hesitate and walked to the front door, climbed the three steps and knocked at the door.

She didn’t know what to expect but she didn’t want to lose her courage.

Anna took that decision inside the taxi on her way back to the house. She was going to confront Taemin and get her answers.

He opened the door and she gasped, her eyes moving on his chest down to his underwear.

Taemin was almost completely and he didn’t seem to mind at all.

“What do you want?” he asked noticing her pink cheeks and eyes still on his black boxers.

“Nothing….” Anna stepped back because that was very surprising to her. The only man she ever saw in her whole life was her best friend and boyfriend. Taemin was hot and she couldn’t stop looking at his chest.

She was going to apologize and turn around to run the hell away from that when she noticed his expression. That was what he wanted! Taemin wanted to scare her away but she wasn’t going to give him that pleasure.

Instead of turning around Anna took a deep breath and placed her hand on the skin of his chest. He widened his eyes surprised with her determination and the hotness of his skin didn’t surprise her this time. Actually it felt good under her fingers that lately were always so cold and she pushed him inside walking with him into the house.

She walked to the middle of the living room and skimmed the room while he closed the door.

It looked very comfortable and clean, the light coming from the ceiling lamp illuminated the whole room giving it a pleasant ambience.

Apparently Taemin took care of the house and the Real Estate Agent in charge of selling it didn’t know about it yet.

“I want a cup of coffee please!” Anna asked turning to Taemin that didn’t say anything but walked behind a huge folding screen disappearing in what was probably the kitchen.

Anna held her breath with the beauty of the screen and admired the beautiful drawings on it. It was like an enchanted forest with several types of colorful birds and animals like bunnies and foxes hidden behind the trees.

“So pretty!”

He came a few minutes after and placed the mug with coffee over a small round table near the window.

He sat there waiting for her, crossing his arms in front of his chest but she noticed how he was wearing pants now.

What a shame! She thought to herself feeling her cheeks warm.

Anna sat in front of him and sipped her coffee, reciprocating the look he gave her.

“It’s the best coffee I drink in a while!” She said honestly. “Are you curious about why I am here?”

“I know why.”

She widened her eyes “Really? You do?”

“You think I’m attractive!”

His comment made her frown and he smiled cockily.

“It’s not that at all. You are attractive yes but…” She bit her lip scolding herself for saying nonsense “I want to know if you are Taemin. If you are the one who visit me every night in my dreams.”

He didn’t seem surprised with her reasons.

“Ask what you want to know!” He said leaning forward on his seat, his deadly gaze on her.

“I know it’s you. I will prove that it’s you and then you can tell me who wants to hurt me back at the house. What is wrong with it!”

Taemin tilted his head and Anna saw him move his hand on the table reaching for her hand.

She shivered when he touched her, even though his touch was warm. It felt good against her skin since she was always freezing lately, ever since she started living in that old scary house.

“I know who wants to hurt you.”

He said clearly admitting that he was the shadow and Anna heart started to beat faster, a mix of being scared and excited with his touch at the same time.

His fingers moved on her bare arm and she blinked her eyes nervously, her gaze on his face.

“I do.” He said enigmatically, his touch making the opposite of what his voice clearly wanted to make her feel. He was whispering dark things to her; however his touch was making her feel healthier than ever.

“A beautiful woman with black hair and blue eyes.” He said describing her, his fingers moving to her hair, the lack of his touch making her feel weak again. “You look like a doll with big innocent eyes. That makes men want to do things to you….”  His eyes moved to her lips and Anna thought that he might kiss her. The idea didn’t scare her but his eyes quickly raised to hers again his voice changing dangerously “I want to break you…”