Taemin sighed at the sweet smell of coffee in the early morning. He looked out the small kitchen window above the sink.

The view of the clear blue sky painted with scattering white clouds gave him an unsettling feeling. He watched as small rays of sunlight showered the leaves of the trees and the ground below them.

The stillness and quietness of the forest made him wary. His eyes darted from tree to tree before his gaze settled on a spot in the middle of the dense mass of green, far away he could make out a shadow. A strange sensation crawled up his spin and he could feel pricking the back of his neck like a small pin.  

He panicked as he felt the small pin turn it a razor sharp blade ready to slice his neck at any second. He felt a cool swift wind brushing softly against his ear and it was at that moment that he felt himself consumed completely by raw fear.

He tried to put his cup of coffee down quietly on the countertop, but his trembling hands made it difficult. It made a clanging noise that echoed through the empty house as it slammed against the countertop. He rushed outside and the screen door banged shut behind him.  

Taemin’s heart pounded against his chest as he spun around in place looking frantically around the many trees surrounding him, preventing him of seeing whatever it was out there. He felt himself getting dizzy and stopped so suddenly that he fell back on the ground.  

He took deep breathe as he tried to calm himself.  

Calm down, there is nothing there. You are being paranoid!  

He his chapped lips and swallowed hard. Snap! Taemin’s head turned sharply at the sound and he could feel his heart rate increasing again.

Calm down, it’s probably a squirrel or something. No need to freak out.

He let out a long strained laugh before getting up patting his dirty jeans and plucking a small grass blade that stuck to the fabric.He felt the wave of fright slowly subdue and he looked around once more to make there was nothing there. Then he slowly made his way back inside.

He opened the screen door and irritated that he left the wooden house door open in the midst of his panicking. He made his way to the kitchen, he needed more coffee. He could already tell it was going to be one of those days and he was glad it was a saturday.

“ You look like you rolled around in the grass for a few hours.”

His heart stopped for few seconding before it restarted with full force. His initial panic was back for few moments, along with his frenzied hammering of his heart.  

He could feel cool beads of sweat sliding down his forehead as he took a deep breath, ““You scared me half to death.”  

The man sitting on his kitchen table smiled, rocking back and forth on the old wooden chair that taemin could see clearly was straining under his weight.

“ Sorry,” though he didn’t look sorry.

“ What are you doing here.” It wasn't a question because he knew he would get no answer from the man in front. He merely asked out of some strange curtesy or an established routine.  

“Could I stay here for a few minutes?” The man asked looking both anxious and tired.

“Of course”  Taemin said as he made his way toward the sink to get a glass of water. The coffee is probably cold now anyways.

After drinking two full cups of water and feeling that he calmed down from the excitement.

He turned around to face two watching dark eyes.  “Have you found them, yet?” He knew full well in order to get information out of him he had to ask questions indirectly and in a roundabout way.

“No” he replied curtly.

“Have they found you, then.”

No answer. That means yes.

“Would you like some coffee, then?” He asked to ease the tension in the air.

“That would be great. Thanks.”  Taemin bit his lips, he never liked the silence, it offered too many possibilities of what could be out there. It allowed him to think about things and taemin never wanted to think these things. He much rather have a half empty mind, worrying about everyday superficial things instead.

“You do realize this is the first place they will look if they're looking for you.”

“I know” Taemin felt his heart ache as he wished there is a way he could completely shield him from the world or at least offer a better shelter. Once again taemin realized his utter useless as his own arms, weaker and thinner than twigs, couldn’t wrap around him like the wings of a bird shielding him from the scorching sunlight.  

The man watched with squinting eyes as the rays of lights breaking through the glass and flooding the kitchen, covering taemin's entire body with shimmering light, making his disheveled hair look a shade lighter. The light scattering around the top of head gave the appearance of halo. The man turned his head away from the illusion. Taemin felt his energy draining just from talking to him. No longer having anything else to say he turned around and grabbed the plate near the sink.

“Here, take my chicken sandwich, God knows you need the energy more than I do.” He barely had time to finish his sentence before he found his kitchen empty. The man gone without a trace and the only sign of him being there is the wooden chair that was pushed back, and a cold cup of coffee.

He walked slowly to the wooden kitchen table and looked down at the cup of coffee, it looked like he only took a sip or two from it. He frowned he didn’t know why that this is what upset him most about his friend little ‘visit’ if one could call coming in unannounced, sitting in the kitchen  for few moments before leaving abruptly a visit. Then, yes taemin didn’t like his friend visit very much.

“He hasn’t even finished his coffee.” His tone bitter and annoyed.