Woohyun and Amber came home late that night after they had finished at school.

‘’Wait, I’ll get it from my room right now,’’ Amber said when she and Woohyun reached her front door. She started looking for her keys from her backpack.  When she didn’t find them, she started to panic if she had dropped them somewhere. She searched her pockets too, without success. Woohyun by her side was looking at her dumbfounded.

‘’What’s wrong,’’ Woohyun asked. Amber stopped searching to think. ‘’Ahh…’’ she remembered and hit her forehead against the wall.

‘’What?’’ 

Amber cursed to herself and answered to Woohyun, ‘’I think I left my keys inside when I left for school this morning…’’

She tried calling her parents but they didn’t answer. Instead she got a text message from her aunt.

‘Your parents upped and left to south. They’ll be back in few days. I’ll come tomorrow and watch you and your brother for that time.’

‘’Are you kidding me?!’’ Amber exclaimed.

‘’What?’’ Woohyun asked and grabbed the phone from her. After reading the message he just stared at her.

‘’Just a minute, I’ll call my brother.’’

‘’But didn’t he leave somewhere for the weekend with his friends?’’

‘’Yes, but it doesn’t hurt to try,’’ Amber said and called Niel. Unfortunately he didn’t answer.

Woohyun stared at her pity in his eyes. ‘’Not your night at all…’’

‘’Mhm… Keys inside, door locked, parents and brother away, aunt can only come tomorrow morning. Where am I going to spend my night now?’’ Amber sighed and leaned against the door.

Woohyun glanced around and tried to say something many times but every time closed his mouth. ‘’You could…’’ Ahh… what to  do... Woohyun ruffled his hair. He couldn’t let Amber sleep outside either. ‘’Don’t you have any relatives you could spend the night at?’’ he suggested.  ‘’They all live far away…’’ Amber mumbled and kicked the ground.

Woohyun took a deep breath and finally said it. ‘’You could… umm… stay at my place for the night…?’’

The look in Amber’s eyes lighted up but soon faded away. Woohyun was obviously uncomfortable. He never asked anyone to their house. But why?

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After Woohyun explained the situation to his mother, she let Amber stay for the night – not really willingly though. Why don’t they like anyone being in their house? There was no problem before and their house seems okay, just like it always had.

Woohyun’s mother directed Amber to the guest room. ‘’Thank you,’’ Amber thanked with a small bow. She always tried to be as polite as possible around Woohyun’s mother, and talk Korean to her.

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Amber kept turning around in the bed. She couldn’t sleep. Maybe it was because she was sleeping in unfamiliar bed or because everything that happened today was making her think. And the atmosphere in the house was somehow pressuring. Amber had a horrible feeling something bad was about to happen. Her mind started twisting the shadows and suddenly the dark started scaring her.

Someone’s going to attack me right now, I’m sure of it, her mind thought and she glanced around tightening her grip of the blanket.

From the darkness, Amber heard a small noise and was about to scream. She threw her hands in front of right before the sound could escape her lips. At the same time she had jumped up to sit and now her heart was pounding loudly in her chest.

Right then, someone opened the room door and made Amber almost had another heart attack. Fortunately it was just Woohyun who sneaked into the room. Did I really made a noise when I was about to scream? Then why would he be here, if I didn’t…, Amber thought and opened to say something. But Woohyun hurried her to keep quiet while coming next to her.  Amber didn’t know what was going on but she listened to Woohyun.  

Woohyun motioned and gently pressed Amber back to lie down. She didn’t resist but stared with questioning eyes. Why isn’t he talking? Why can’t I talk? Why did he come here?

Somewhere downstairs someone was stumbling. When they heard the noise, Woohyun quickly lay down next to Amber and held her hands. Another weird sound was heard – weird for Amber but normal for Woohyun – and it made Woohyun shift closer to Amber.

Amber’s heart started thudding loudly again – after it had just calmed down. Woohyun was so close to her, she could feel his body temperature, chest movements, heartbeat, tension and… fear? Woohyun never felt fear, or so it seemed. It made Amber even more worried. Even still, she couldn’t say anything – only stare at Woohyun with wide eyes.

It seemed Woohyun had hard time breathing and he was very nervous.

More sounds were heard from downstairs – Amber couldn’t make out what it was but she was pretty sure Woohyun did. They both got scared of the sound, Woohyun more. He grabbed Amber’s shoulder to pull her closer if it was even possible. Amber glanced first at her shoulder where Woohyun had grabbed and then back at Woohyun’s eyes.

Someone was stumbling up the stairs - that Amber could comprehend. Woohyun wrapped his arm around Amber’s back to keep her tightly against himself while his other hand squeezed Amber’s hand.

More stumbling. Who can it even be? His mother wouldn’t be making that kind of noise and there were no others inside the house… WAIT! Someone came in earlier, before Woohyun entered this room. Could it be… Woohyun’s uncle? Drunk?

When Amber came back from her thoughts she saw that Woohyun had closed his eyes. Amber pouted and looked at him before her attention was back in those noises they kept hearing. Now that person was raging something in the room next to them.

So this is what I sensed, Amber recalled her bad hunch earlier.

Suddenly Woohyun pressed Amber’s head against his chest, to hide it.

Someone grabbed the door’s handle and twisted it.

 Amber closed her eyes too and wished the person went away. She could feel her heart trying to jump out of her chest and her body tensing up – same happened with Woohyun who tightened his grip of Amber.

No, no, no, go away! Amber pleaded in her mind.

Someone opened the door a bit.

Amber held her breath and started shaking. She was sure this was her end. She grabbed Woohyun’s hand and squeezed it so hard she was sure it had to hurt but right now she didn’t care about it.

Please, please, please, GO AWAY!

The door opened more and light from the corridor lightened up the room. Angry presence was now in the room.

.