6. she was told that her prayer turned foul; she mistook the fallen snowflakes as the shooting stars

Life was nothing but a cruel oppressor. It should have at least showed some kindness towards a defenseless soul; in a form of Nam Woohyun. The temporary high it delivered did allure us, the meager humans to succumb; in which we traded our souls to demon without discerned the blood terms and conditions that came with it. In this case, the foul contract Nam Woohyun already signed was obliterating every chance of him to feel something called completeness. I always thought as a child, the most terrifying thing in this world would be those monsters that hide under my bed or inside my cupboard but as I grow up, now I realized, human are more terrifying. I found Nam Woohyun is terrifying, me alike.

            My legs almost give away when I stop to lean against a wall. Despite the cold weather, I could feel the sweat trickling under my muffler.  Someone, or maybe something  was telling tales to the air, or sky, clouds even, or those things that whispered to me that Woohyun is waiting, somewhere. And, he was waiting for me, or at least that what I want to believe. I realized while plodding up the road, I felt that my feet already sore because of the run, and perhaps already blistered of the fractions. Few steps more I told myself. Just few more steps before I could catch Nam Woohyun before he’d fly away. Groaning, I took a step, and then a step more, and one more till I feel the trees and building beside me marching together again, a little bit faster than what I remembered to chase after Nam Woohyun.

            The park was empty with no soul in sight, but I can just make out that he was definitely there. Scanning around the familiar place, with hope of meeting him, my heart sank a little when I found nothing resembles his physique nearby although few minutes had lapsed with my heavy breathing. I found it bizarre to longingly stare at the bench where Nam Woohyun and I always become the faithful occupants these past few weeks.

            And I let my eyes linger a bit longer to the wooden table where we spend most of the times hurting each other with comforting words. It was almost sinister-like to actually becoming dependable to what you thought threatening your conscience with vicious and selfish intentions to gain pleasure from someone else’s pain. We were mutual in that sense; we were that kind of fiend.

            I stumbled upon a stone just when I decided to return to the place I came before I heard shuffling of feet nearby. In a reflex, I shot my sight around with a rekindled wish of seeing him. And so, I saw him, Nam Woohyun was standing there, under the Tuliptree with his lonely back facing me. I’m about to break into a smile and call his name with cheerful voice (because I was pleased), but, as I walk toward him, I just couldn’t move anymore as if I was paralysed, too shock to say anything, because out of things I had imagined, this was definitely the least of them. This scenario was not what I would have imagined at all. 

            “Nam Woohyun!” he jumped at the sudden blast of my loud voice, dropping the silver blade onto the ground. My eyes fixated on the sharp metal, entreat in my head to try not to find any traces of raw red. Perhaps, it’s a wishful thinking for my part.  

            “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” save me. Saving you --

            “What are you doing?” you’re not falling for that fool. My eyes trailed to his right hand. It was holding his left arm too tightly with his jaw clenched hard. He had the sleeve of his duffel coat pulled up to the elbow and the patch of skin he couldn’t covered, showed the obvious green and purple veins.  His eyes, those orbs that have been always burst with pleasing cosmos looked pretty much disoriented, hidden Nam Woohyun was appearing.

            “I-I can explain it weed, I..” someone –save me! I’m not saving you --

            “No, its fine, everything’s okay, it’s okay,” so I lied, and I feel my stomach gone hollow but I still spew them out some more. Of course it’s not fine you fool, Nam Woohyun you ing moron I hate you it’s me who should have been apologizing because I’m late. I was late. I almost lose you. I’ll save you --

            “I know it’s not okay, don’t lie. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please. Weed, I’m so sorry, please --weed, I’m sorry..” the lingered smell of copper blood in the air distracted me as the thick liquid dripped generously from his arm, through his fingers to the pure white ice under our feet. I saw the repetitive straight lines on his arm, uncovered some fresh flesh under.