“So guys what do you want to ride next?” Chanyeol’s vibrant energy radiated from his cheerful deep voice. He stretched his long arms after that heart pumping ride from the roller coaster.

“Anything that doesn’t involve going 360,” Sun Mi massaged her temples, probably feeling a bit hazy from all those loops and the g-force. Who could blame her? Only an hour after lunch and Chanyeol’s large eyes were already drawn to the spinning terrors of the roller coaster as soon as we passed by it. I’m not that good with roller coasters as well but I was handling it better than my friend.

If there was something more surprising than the amount of sunshine a grown man like Chanyeol could emit it was the absence of words being exchanged between me and Kris. He asked me as soon as we got off the roller coaster if I was okay—I stumbled a bit on the stairs—but my nod ended the conversation.

Kris wasn’t talkative and so was I. We stood side by side watching the sweeter couple walk ahead us.

So that’s what we looked like when we were in love. Sun Mi occasionally laughed at Chanyeol’s cheesy lines and Chanyeol seemed glad at the sight of Sun Mi laughing. Their smiles that could’ve reached the heavens and their eyes were glued to one another like magnetic poles. I remember that feeling like it was yesterday; when all the people around you become a mere blur, extras to the love story you played in. But again, it was yesterday not today.

Sun Mi turned to us. “You want to go to the haunted house?” She asked.

Haunted house? A gulp got stuck in my throat making me cough. They were surprised while Kris pats my back with a panicked look.

I slammed my chest and took deep inhales until my throat was cleared. Sun Mi had rushed to my side and was my back in an attempt to stop my cough earlier.

“Do you really want to go to the haunted house?” My voice was trembling, I laughed with nervousness.

Chanyeol took no time in nodding but immediately shook his head when he noticed Sun Mi’s glare on him. “I..I m-mean if it’s okay with you,”

Would I ruin their fun just because of a childish fear? As a kid I wasn’t very fond of anything related to the word “horror”. The worst thing that ever happened to me was getting stuck with my middle school friends in a sleep over with a horror movie marathon. I went home, crying my eyes out after nightmare filled dreams that same night.

But this was the perfect time to face my fear. I nodded and Chanyeol’s smile returned to his face. I forced one on mine too but fear was pulling it back into a straight line. With each step closer to the haunted house, I felt like I had weights on my feet.  It was childish for a grown woman like me to be afraid of artificial blood and horrible scary face art.

When we got there I just stared blankly at the wooden door designed to look old and creepy—it was doing its job of creeping very well by the way.  The entrance was made to look like a real abandoned house, complete with broken windows, torn curtains and just ever bit of disturbing thing you could think of. My feet were glued to the ground, unable to follow my brain’s order to follow Chanyeol and Sun Mi heading to the entrance.

“Bo Mi. C’mon let’s go,” Kris spoke slowly.

If the outside was eerie then the inside was spine-chilling. Kudos to whoever designed the place since it did a very good job of making me shiver down to the very smallest bone I have. It was dark, there were horrible sound effects of the night and our path was dimly lit with red led lights. Dead trees—or at least I hope they were—lined up the sides of our paths and there was a thin layer of smoke surrounding our feet.

I looked around thinking that if I catch the ghost in its act then it wouldn’t scare me as much as it would. But too much anxiety made me jerky. A touch on my left shoulder made me jump and a high pitched squeal escaped my throat. I whipped my head around only to see Kris with a shocked face.

People could’ve seen how my face turned a bright red if it wasn’t so dark in here. Sun Mi and Chanyeol turned their heads around for a quick moment.

“S-sorry,” Get a hold of yourself Bo Mi. This is supposed to be child’s play at your age.

“Are you sure you’re okay. You look so uneasy,” Kris took a good look at my face before I turned the other way.

Doing so, my eyes came upon a lady behind a tree in a blood stained white dress. Her hair was damp and fell over her face, revealing through gaps her bloodshot eyes and a tormenting smile. What’s worse was she stared right at me.

I grabbed the nearest person near me, burying my face in its chest. Oh god what is this place why did I even agree to this? Her image had imprinted itself on my brain—that wicked smile under that curtain of jet black hair. Even shutting my eyes was not enough to rid her horrid face off my thoughts. I clutched tightly around the person’s waist, whimpering like a puppy.

“B-Bo Mi what’s wrong?” Kris’s muffled voice made me open my eyes. He had me around his arms but I think I flailed my arms around him first.

“Are you scared?” The amusement in Kris’s voice died down when I looked up at him, almost in tears.

Kris sighed deeply. “Why didn’t you just say so? We could’ve just waited outside,”

We? He’d stay outside with me if I didn’t want to enter the haunted house?

Sun Mi and Chanyeol were lost in the crowd—probably have walked far ahead. Going back was not an option because we were already almost halfway through. Screams echoed from ahead meaning that the scarier gigs were yet to come. I don’t think I can handle any more though.

He noticed the anxiety on my face as I stared at the road that was yet to come. Suddenly I felt his hand at the back of my head and I found my head against his chest. My sight was blocked by his hand and the only sight I had was of the path we walked. “Don’t worry. I’m here,” Kris’s voice was muffled as I listened to it from his chest. Obediently I nodded.

The frightening noises were hair raising, making me cringe at women’s surprised shrieks accompanied by the music that was anything but nice to the ears. But with Kris’s hand around me I felt protected. Occasionally Kris would slightly jump at probably a ghost jumping from behind the trees. I’d squeal too if they made a loud unsuspected sound but other than that, the haunted house was not as bad as it could’ve been if Kris wasn’t there. Also, Kris laughed whenever I screamed in his arms. In a way, it was comforting.

“It’s done,” Kris whispered. It’s not that I didn’t trust him but one can’t be too confident. I took his hand off my eyes bit by bit until I’ve confirmed that it really was the end. Two large doors were open and bright sunlight seeped in.

I made a run for the open door, pulling Kris behind me. Ah the feeling of knowing that nothing is hiding behind shadows, ready to scare your soul out. I wanted to marry the sun and wish it lights the world forever—ridding us of hideous creatures like ghosts and zombies.

“Bo Mi I totally forgot that you’re easily scared,” Sun Mi gave me an apologetic hug.

“It’s okay,” I smiled a bit, still regaining the drenched energy from all those screaming and imagining of happy thoughts.

“Well at least we finally got you two to look more than chaperones,” Chanyeol appeared from behind Sun Mi, resting his arm around her shoulder.  He smiled triumphantly and soon Sun Mi too had the same satisfied look as well.

What did they mean by that?

Something wrapped around my hand tightened. The feeling of one’s hand being held suddenly rushed into my like the afternoon tide. I looked at my hands, fingers entwined with Kris’s. Quicker than the speed of light I pulled my hand away. They retreated to the safety of my pockets, still feeling the heat that radiated from Kris’s wide palm.

It wasn’t the fact that I shouldn’t be holding hands with a guy friend that bothered me…

It was how our hands fit like they were made for one another…

It felt wrong and right at the same time.