Jinwoo stirred in his sleep. He rolled over onto his side and groaned.

 

The ceiling above him was white, it was made up of panels and a cold looking and sterile lamp was the only light source as the curtains were drawn.

 

Jinwoo tried to turn onto his side, but he didn’t have the strength.

 

He could hear his mother crying and his father talking. The sound seemed to be far away because he couldn’t hear what they were saying at all.

 

He looked to the side and saw the silhouette of a man against the curtains.

 

Suddenly scared Jinwoo screamed, but no sound came out of his mouth.

 

Suddenly everything was dark and he felt as if someone was leaning over him.

 

The silhouette man was leaning over him, Jinwoo stared up at him but he was foggy and unclear.

 

He felt a pressure on his skull….

 

Jinwoo sat bolt upright in bed.

 

He gasped for air and clasped his chest.

 

There was a sudden rustling to his right and he swung his head around abruptly to catch what looked like someone leaving through the open window.

 

He jumped out of bed and threw himself at the window.

 

But when he looked outside there was no one to be seen.

 

He touched his face, his finger pressing against his eyelid.

 

He sighed and took a step away from the window.

 

He sat down on the edge of his bed and covered his eyes with his hands.

 

He lay back down after a moment and stared at the ceiling.

 

He thought about the dream he’d had just before waking up.

 

It kind of looked like the ceiling of a hospital if anything. But if his mother was there it couldn’t have been recent.

 

Or was that just him predicting the outcome of his situation?

 

He mulled over this for a while until he fell back asleep.

 

The next morning Jinwoo got up and after having breakfast he headed out and towards the town centre and the bar.

 

On his way he greeted neighbors and stopped for an ice cream at the store.

 

He wandered along the street and once he reached the square he could see Seungyoon bustling around outside the shop and going in and out.

 

He was about to call out to him when he was interrupted by someone that came up behind him.

 

“Hey” Mino said in his usually dark voice.

 

Jinwoo flinched violently – almost dropping his ice cream.

 

“Christ! Don’t sneak up on me!” He hissed and turned around to face the other man.

 

Mino’s face was dark, even darker than it had been.

 

“Are you OK?” He asked his eyes not moving from Jinwoo.

 

“Yeah, I’m fine. No idea what happened, but I’m fine.” Jinwoo stared Mino up and down.

 

His dress was a little off.

 

His clothes were very old fashioned, but maybe he was into that vintage clothing style Jinwoo thought to himself.

 

“I’m glad. You had me worried” Mino said averting his eyes to stare towards the forest.

 

“But what happened to you?” Jinwoo took a step towards Mino who looked back at him, his face a question mark.

 

“You were gone when I woke up, and my friend said he hadn’t seen you!” Jinwoo took another step closer, squinting his eyes at the other man – trying to read him.

 

When Mino didn’t answer, and his face remained the same Jinwoo started to draw his own conclusions.

 

“Don’t tell me…” He began, eying the other suspiciously but doubting himself at the same time “that you are a ghost or something?!” He asked loudly.

 

However, Mino’s face remained unchanged.

 

“Yeah, that would be ridiculous.” Jinwoo said in a low voice and turned back around to face the bar.

 

“Hey” He said almost as an afterthought.

 

“Join me at the bar!” Jinwoo demanded, turning around bright eyed.

 

When he looked at the other for the first time during the conversation Mino’s face changed.

 

Jinwoo laughed at him.

 

“Come on!” He said loudly and quickly went to Mino and grabbed his arm.

 

But before Jinwoo could take another step Mino wrenched his arm violently form his grip.

 

“Don’t!” He said harshly “We can’t touch!” He continued, his eyes wide and his arm held up and away from the other.

 

“What the hell?” Jinwoo asked loudly at Mino’s odd behavior.

 

“We can’t touch” Mino said again, his voice strained.

 

“What the hell are you talking about? I’m not contagious or anything!” Jinwoo continued, but Mino’s face went sour.

 

He sighed.

 

“Well I can’t respect your wishes if you can’t tell me why” Jinwoo told him flat out and crossed his arms at him.

 

“Then so be it” Mino said darkly and turned.

 

“Hey, we’re still talking!” Jinwoo said and walked after him.

 

“You’ll only get hurt.” Mino said without looking at him as he continued to walk away.

 

“Hey, I’m not in the best shape of my life at the moment, it’s not something you did!” Jinwoo pressed on and ran a little so that he could pass Mino and stand in front of him.

 

Mino stopped dead in his tracks, but he didn’t look at the other man.

 

“I’m sorry.” Was all he said before he brushed on past Jinwoo.

 

Jinwoo turned to watch the other man disappear towards the forest.

 

He frowned, feeling a little angry and frustrated and thinking that the other was being weird.

 

“Jinwoo!” Seungyoon yelled, he stood in the door and waved at his friend.

 

Jinwoo looked back one last time before he walked over to the bar.

 

Seungyoon held the door for him and lead him to a table.

 

“What were you doing?” Seungyoon asked as he came with a cup of tea.

 

“What do you mean?” Jinwoo asked as he took the hot cup in his hands.

 

“You were just standing there” Seungyoon sat down opposite him.

 

“Huh? I was talking to Mino” Jinwoo frowned before he brought the tea to his mouth to take a sip.

 

“What? I didn’t see anyone…” Seungyoon seemed uncertain and also frowned.

 

“You think I’m crazy?” Jinwoo asked darkly, putting the tea down with a small thud.

 

“What? N-No!” Seungyoon said and waved his hands animatedly in denial.

 

“Liar.” Jinwoo squinted at him, annoyed.

 

“Well I couldn’t see anyone, and I don’t know anyone on this island named Mino.” Seungyoon protested.

 

“Not everyone comes by your bar.” Jinwoo snorted.

 

“Everyone has someone who comes by the bar” Seungyoon challenged.

 

They stared at each other for a second, shooting lasers at each other.

 

They both cracked up, and laughed heartily.

 

Seungyoon lay across the table and Jinwoo leaned back against the chairs backrest.

 

“I’ll be your friend even if you do go crazy.” Seungyoon said between laughs and gasps for air.

 

“Well…” Jinwoo also stuttered with laughter “You’re already crazy, and I’m still your friend.” He finished which made them both laugh even more.

 

The door opened and one of the regulars came in.

 

“Good morning” Seungyoon called and got to his feet.

 

He gave Jinwoo a meaningful glance and a pat on the shoulder as he went over to the other customer.

 

Jinwoo kept sniggering to himself as he drank the tea.

 

It was a quiet day at the bar so Seungyoon joined him frequently and could sit for long periods of time.

 

They chatted happily and laughed a lot.

 

Jinwoo felt really good. Better than he’d done in a long time.

 

After sitting at the bar until the late afternoon Jinwoo felt he needed to make his way home.

 

After two he’d taken a few beers that left him feeling a little tipsy.

 

He walked just fine and wandered along the path merrily, humming a tune.

 

He came to the crossroad where the road lead up towards the forest, he looked up; the forest was dark and he kept staring.

 

He squinted; he thought he saw movement up the road.

 

He remained perfectly still and watched as a figure came closer and closer to where he stood.

 

Jinwoo felt his heart starting to race, he held his breath feeling like he might have to run at any moment.

 

He swallowed, his eyes focused only on the movement in the darkness.

 

He took half a step back, the sole of his shoe digging into the gravel.

 

He blinked the tears out of his eyes and in the split moment he wasn’t watching the figure came into view.

 

Jinwoo was taken aback by the creature, it’s eyes had streaks of blood running from them, down it’s fur clad head and slowly dripping onto the ground.

 

The deer stumbled slightly, its big eyes blinking wildly.

 

“Oh my…” Jinwoo breathed.

 

The deer staggered again and Jinwoo took a step towards it.

 

“What happened to you?” Jinwoo asked, taking a step towards the wounded animal.

 

The deer made a frightened sound and clumsily turned and went back the way it had come.

 

Jinwoo followed, he dug out his phone and tried to decide who to call.

 

There were no hunters on the island, so the cops perhaps.

 

He followed the animal for a while and they were almost at the edge of the forest.

 

“Wait, if you go in there I’ll lose you!” Jinwoo said loudly and waved.

 

The deer suddenly seemed spooked and turned around.

 

It came at Jinwoo; its big eyes seemingly focused on him.

 

He threw himself to the left with a yell and avoided the animal’s attack.

 

It turned and came back at him, it raised a hoof at him and he moved again.

 

He threw his hands up “Stop!” He yelled but obviously a deer wouldn’t stop once it had set its eyes on him.

 

Jinwoo tripped over something on the road and fell to the ground.

 

He landed on his elbow as he fell and he got the wind knocked out of him.

 

He could faintly see the deer getting on its hind legs, getting ready to attack.

 

Jinwoo threw his arms up to protect himself, but next thing he knew he felt himself being lifted into the air by a pair of strong arms.

 

He felt the wind rustling against his cheek and he slowly opened his eyes.

 

Mino was the one carrying him.

 

Jinwoo looked up at him, he was being held like a bride to be carried over the threshold.

 

The wind was ruffling Mino’s hair as well, and the faint moon was taking great leaps through the sky.

 

 Jinwoo felt his heart skip, and he looked down and around.

 

They were flying between the trees and rooftops.

 

Mino looked down.

 

Their eyes met, but he said nothing.

 

Suddenly they stopped and Mino swooped down and in through a window – the one in Jinwoo’s room.

 

He put Jinwoo down and the man stumbled as his feet touched floor.

 

Jinwoo heaved for air as he looked around and at Mino.

 

“WH- What happened?!” Jinwoo asked shakily.

 

“I have to go” was all Mino said as he grabbed the top of the window frame.

 

“We flew” Jinwoo stuttered.

 

“You flew” he pointed at Mino.

 

“How?!” he asked loudly.

 

Mino grimaced.

 

“Shhhh! You’ll attract attention!” He hissed in a low voice.

 

“Jinwoo? Is that you?” His mother called from the living room.

 

Mino gave him a what-did-I-tell-you look.

 

“You flew!” Jinwoo said and looked at the ground, his hands outstretched in shock trying to make sense of things.

 

Mino came back and he placed his hand over Jinwoo’s eyes, his thumb and index finger pressed against Jinwoo’s temples.

 

When he removed his hand Jinwoo’s eyes were big, his pupils unnaturally dilated and he was in a trance like state.

 

“Bye.” Mino said and gripped the frame and swung out the window.

 

Jinwoo stumbled and came to.

 

“Wha…?” He touched his head, confused and he felt oddly dizzy.

 

Jinwoo fell back to his bed and sat down.

 

He stared wide eyed at the floor trying to fathom what’d just happened.

 

The door opened and his mother came in the door.

 

“Jinwoo” his mother said as she saw him sitting there.

 

“Darling? Are you alright? You look pale.” His mother came in and put a hand on his forehead.

 

“Yes, I’m fine. Sorry. I was just a little out of it.” He mumbled awkwardly.

 

His mother gave him a look, but since nothing seemed immediately wrong she believed him.

 

“I didn’t hear you come in.” She commented.

 

Jinwoo frowned, he couldn’t remember coming in either.

 

“Anyway, do you want some food?” She asked on her way to the door.

 

“No thank you, I’m good.” Jinwoo answered staring at the floor.

 

He couldn’t shake the weird feeling that was connected to him not remembering coming home and going into his room.

 

“What is happening?” He asked aloud in a low voice.

---

 

If you have a theory of what is going on or happened please put [Possible Spoiler] in front of your comment or send me a private message! ;)

 

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