“Do not dwell on the past; do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment”

                                -Buddha

Suzy stumbled through the heavy shroud of smoke. Each heaving breath she took filled her lungs with the deadly toxin. Though she was far from the blazing fire, her skin burned. The smoldering heat peeled away her pale, ashy skin.

She fell to the floor as a room behind her combusted. The roars of the mob outside the Perimeter tore at her eardrums. Panic quickened her heart, hastening her breath. Soot coated as she choked for air.

In her disorientation, Suzy failed to notice the flames that their way up the stairs. The orange glow closed in on her weak frame. Her heavy lids slid over her glassy orbs as she collapsed.

Do you trust me?

Yes.

Are you ready?

Of course, will it hurt?

Just a bit. Hold my hand.

Jaejoong…

Her eyes shot open to see the hungry flames advance towards her. She scrambled to her feet and bolted for the closest door. Her slim fingers fumbled with the stubborn knob. Finally prying the door from its frame, she rushed inside.

The room remained untouched by the greedy fire. The air pulled her through in its cool embrace, healing her blistering skin. Through the window, she could see masses of burning torches kissing the walls of every manor within the Perimeter.

Never had she seen such a fearful scene. Never had she heard such cries for blood. Her eyes scanned the room for something to cloak her identity. She scoffed at the irony of it all. The night no longer provided the comfort and safety as it once did. It threatened betrayal; it threatened a war.

She reached out her hand and tore the crimson curtain from its frame. Her meticulous fingers swiftly fashioned a cloak and draped the heavy fabric around her shoulders. Lifting the velvet material over her head, she concealed her chestnut brown curls.

Her breath hitched as she slid through the French doors. She climbed over the balcony and gripped the ivy covered wall firmly, praying that no one had seen her. It was not until her feet had safely reached the ground with no attention that she let out a sigh of relief. Checking her surroundings, she hastily snuck through the shadows.

Fear and uncertainty closed in on her as she ran through the streets, ducking into alleys as protesting screams approached her. Panic clenched her heart in its vice-like grip as she leaned into the darkness, away from the chaos that raged before her.

Her silent footsteps brought her to the Perimeter. She stared at the brick wall that separated her from the rest of the world. Stepping out of the Perimeter was something that she had never done before, for she was told never to do so.

Stories of vicious creatures entered her mind. Too many times had her family warned her of the dangers that lurked beyond the barrier, and too many times had she heard accounts of those who never returned.

Her life had been shielded by the wall that now caged her with Death. She could hear the distant cries of her friends. Painful shrieks could be heard as explosions of fire erupted in the square. Suzy turned back to the wall with hard eyes.

She quietly clambered her way onto the roof of a nearby cottage and crawled to its peak. Balancing on the slick tiles, she held herself up with caution. With a deep breath, she leaped for the ledge of the Perimeter.