The footsteps were getting louder.

My face tightens as I make a run for it. Scared out of my wits, I desperately look about the area, and I realise that there is not a soul in sight and that I am on my own.

" Wait! " a deep voice calls from behind me.

" , " I pant, attempting to run even faster.

But of course, me being me, I just have to trip over my own legs and fall onto the pavement.The adrenaline that I have desperately hoped for has never come – the type that would numb my pains and pull me on my feet again so that I can keep running.  You know, the type that you see in movies…Real fear.

But I guess I wasn't in enough danger for that to happen.

Unable to pull myself up, I groan in pain as my palms stung, my ankle in some sort of mess. Oh my god, I'm going to die.

" Are you okay? " the same voice calls to me, this time louder than before and I wince. 

The voice repeats the question. I turn around, ironically feeling brave yet afraid at the same time. I loosen up when I lock eyes with a tall boy, whose ears are a little too big for his face but look good on him anyways. There is something friendly about his dark eyes as they look over me in concern, making me feel less frightened. He bends down.

" I'm sorry. I must have scared you. I… I should have hid better, " he says to me sheepishly, " I'm really sorry. "

" Why were you hiding? " 

" Because... I've been waiting a long time for a day like this. "

" What? "

" Let's get you home, " he mutters, giving me a smile that was fractured with worry. " Uh, you can lean on me. "

I notice that he has a very nice voice. Nodding, I grab onto the hems of his shirt, thanking him softly as he lifts me up to my feet. He chuckles as he shakes his head, and I am completely mesmerized.

" Um, so my place is- " I pause, wondering if I should tell the stranger where I lived. I mean, it is dangerous to do so, and plus I lived alone. Perhaps I should direct him to my neighbour's or somethin-

" All the way to that traffic light, then turn left, right? The one with the yellow shoebox. "

I freeze. How did he know about the shoebox? My friends who come over often hardly ever noticed it at all. 

" How did you- "

" Come on, let's get going, " he insists, pulling me gently as he moves forward.

" No, " I say, shaking my head. Ironic, because I went along with him anyway. " How did you know about the box? "

" I just saw you put it there, okay? You placed it beside your doorstep because of that one time you went to the wrong house, and embarrassed yourself in front of your neighbours. " he tells me, " So now it's there for your reference. "

I stare at him, slightly taken aback. He eyes me cautiously before continuing. " You need more confidence or something. It wasn't even that of a big deal. And, you obviously know where you live but you always check that thing before you unlock the door. "

" Okay so who are you again? " I ask, my fear coming back to me as I take slight offence to his comment.

" Where did you get it anyway? Ah maybe later, we're almost there. "

" Who the hell are you? " I repeat, this time with more of the confidence that I seemed to be lacking of.

" Y-you don't remember me, " he whispers, and from his eyes I notice that he's hurt by my question.

My expression softens almost immediately and I take a good look at his face again, hoping that I'd find him familiar somehow so that he would stop feeling unhappy. 

And my reason for doing so? I am not entirely sure. 

He smiles at me, shaking his head. " We can always start again. "

" I think I've seen you before. Have we met? " I try.

" It's okay, " he chuckles. " We're here. "

I look for the box sitting beside my doorstep, afterwards eyeing the tall boy cautiously. He presses the passcode onto the keypad and the door unlocks.

" Wait, what- "

" Get in, " he pushes me pass the gate gently, bending down to assist me in removing my sneakers. 

" Thankfully, your ankle isn't swollen, " he says, a note of relief in his voice.

" Actually, it stopped hurting a while ago. I don't know why I was still depending on you, " I tell him, slightly confused, and I wonder if I should be afraid of him or not. Inhaling deeply, I try to calm down my