“And that’s why many people believed back then that Hades would come back and take over the world.” Their teacher spun on her heels and faced the class, some taking notes, some spacing out, and some, like Seungcheol, turned to their friends and mouthed, ‘What the ?’ across the classroom.
                Wonwoo shrugged back to Seungcheol. He looked just as clueless. Seungcheol sighed warily and looked back to the projection on the board. He figured at least if he were going to understand it, he might as well make an attempt to memorize it, and scribbled the words on his sheet of paper.
                Class let out after maybe an eternity and Seungcheol found his way over to his younger friend.
                “Dude, did you catch a word she was saying?” He slung his bag over his shoulder.
                Wonwoo inhaled deeply. “Yeah, I caught it all. It’s all in the question, did I understand it.” He turned to Seungcheol and nodded his head as if to speak. “Ask.”
                He smiled. “Did you understand it?”
                Wonwoo laughed. “ no.”

                Seungcheol spent most of his days in his classes and nights in his dorm with his roommate, Wonwoo. He was majoring in Biology, (Wonwoo in Botany) and though he was very smart and clearly had a hold on to what he wanted to do, there were some things that flew right into one ear and out the other. Like Roman Mythology. He didn’t need to take that class, necessarily, but he took it because he wanted to humor his friends, and because he was actually a bit interested.
                It was Friday night, Seungcheol was void of classes for the next day, so he and Wonwoo and a few others joined and decided to drink their stress away.
                Yeah, okay, sure they weren’t old enough but no one needed to know.
                For the next several hours, the five of them sat in a circle and chatted about all the things that borderline tipsy college kids have to talk about, like current issues, and by current issues know that I mean the real big problems. Like why the the cafeteria doesn’t make Hawaiian pizza anymore.
                Seungcheol blurted, “Come on, dude. It’s so gross. They took it away for a reason.”
                The boy across from him scoffed and made a face. “You think everything is gross if it isn’t topped off with whipped cream and .”
                “Hey, hey!” Seungcheol said loudly. Everyone stared. He broke into a smile. “Fat-free whipped cream.”
                They shouted and threw wrappers of whatever the hell they were eating towards Seungcheol who dogged the lightweight scraps. He shook them away and continued. “And Mingyu, why does this matter so much to you? You eat one slice every blue moon.”
                “Yeah,” Mingyu taunted back. “And when that blue moon comes around I thoroughly enjoy that slice, thanks.”
                The boy next to Seungcheol snorted. “He tries to cut down on the meat because he knows Wonwoo is vegan.” Wonwoo glared.
                Seungcheol opened his big mouth again. “If Wonwoo is vegan doesn’t that mean he can’t have meat at all?” He smiled cynically and threw the wrapper at Mingyu, landing perfectly on his crotch. The three boys who weren’t being ridiculed roared in drunken laughter, and Wonwoo and Mingyu couldn’t help but share a look and crack smiles as well.
                Most nights like these didn’t happen often, so when they did, none of the boys parted ways until it was close to 3AM. Wonwoo closed the door once the last of the group had gone home, announced that he knew he was going to be ‘royally ed tomorrow with a hangover’ (to which Seungcheol added in which person of royalty was going to do the ing) and promptly fell asleep as soon as his head hit the goddamn pillow.
                Their dorm was adequate, it had a living area and a mantle (surprisingly, but even Seungcheol and Wonwoo did not want to take their chances with lighting it) and a kitchen further back and one bedroom. Seungcheol initially thought that the one bedroom and bathroom was tacky, because you know, no homo, but got over it when it was Wonwoo who walked in with loads of the first day. No, he didn’t fall in love, it was just his longtime friend.
                Seungcheol collected the wrappers and headed to the kitchen to dispose of said trash and the empty bottles of liquor. The aura was very quiet, which for those two was rare, but relaxing. No lights were lit, the only illumination coming from the cracked slats in the blinds, white light pouring in from the bright streetlamp.
                Placing the trash under the sink, he headed back to the lounge area to collect the cans and bottles, he noticed a shift in the atmosphere. The temperature had decreased slightly, but it was fast enough that he noticed it. The hair on the back of his neck rose and he rolled his head around, trying to relieve the stressed muscles that appeared. He felt stiff.
                No noise was being emitted initially, but it’s as if all noise was halted, and it became so quiet he could hear his own blood rush through his ears. His heartrate increased. He thought he was having a heart attack, and went to place his hand over his heart but it would not obey. He could not move his limbs the way he wanted them to, like all signal had been cut from his brain to the rest of his body. He was rigid, and tried so hard to move, and then collapsed.
                Whatever paranormal hold was being maintained on his body, it all gave out at once, and he fell on top of the empty drink cans. He struggled to stand, his hands and legs shaking excessively. The room was still cold and it was eerily quiet but he needed to get rid of this trash so Wonwoo wouldn’t yell his eardrums out in the morning.
                Seungcheol’s chest felt heavy, like there was something weighing him down, preventing his from being able to breathe properly. He gasped, and panicked more as the weight became heavier and heavier, his windpipe was closing and he struggled to get air. He stretched his head around, hoping it would make the passage at least a bit easier, but it was no use, and he tried to stand slowly, still being suffocated by an invisible force.
                He could thankfully feel the weight lifting slowly, but once he thought he was in the clear he felt hands, fingers rather, grasping around his throat and choking him from behind. He was now wheezing, trying to get air into his lungs badly, and they burned with every passing second that this intruder was trying to kill him. He finally found use of his hands that were tingling at the fingertips and reached up to pry the fingers off his neck. Air. He was grabbing at air.
                The choking feeling did not dissipate and he grabbed his own throat trying to find leverage, but nothing, and almost convinced himself that he was choking himself. Again, all at once, the forces stopped, and he dropped to his knees and coughed, inhaling viciously the air that he never knew he would need so bad. After recovering for a full minute, praying to every god that this didn’t happen again, he wondered if he had alcohol poisoning. Is this what it was? If so, he might be ed.
                Legs shaking still, he lifted his body, again trying to pick up at least one can, and he turned to place it onto the bar, reminding himself he would throw it out later. What he saw made his heart stop.
                Seungcheol was never a guy who frightened easily, but when he was just stunned and choked by something that didn’t exist, the fact that he saw glowing green eyes in the dark vast space of the kitchen made him stop in his tracks.
                These eyes are neon green and the closer they came to him he could slowly start to see a human personify itself from the dark purple particles floating around the mysterious object. Or lack of, to put it in better words.
                He stared intently, in shock and terror, and though he willed himself to run, he was frozen. He was not being held in place, but more like he himself was so shocked that he couldn’t move. The figure drew closer. An arm reached out from the void and Seungcheol only saw sharp fingernails coming to touch him before he turned around and bolted, accidentally slamming the bedroom door behind him.
                Wonwoo stirred. “What the , man?” He said groggily.
                Seungcheol could still hear his heart rate and was afraid the longer he stayed pressed against the door, the creature would come and rip him right though the wood. He stuttered. “I-I’m drunk, man.” He hoped it would convince Wonwoo, because he knew he wasn’t drunk enough to be seeing things.

                Seungcheol stretched his back and squinted when the sun shined through the window. He sat up and paused for a moment, watching Wonwoo fix his hair in the mirror. Wonwoo made eye contact through said mirror and laughed at him. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you so drunk that you get scared by your own shadow.”
                Seungcheol’s stomach dropped. He had forgotten about the encounter last night. He decided to toy with it. “Do you believe in ghosts?”
                Wonwoo turned this time. “Depends.” Seungcheol raised an eyebrow. “On?” He asked.
                The younger boy shrugged. “Like, say if we were to be haunted, and the ghost came to me and said that I was in no danger and ghosts are people like us, then yeah, I believe it.” Seungcheol laughed.
                “So what you’re saying is, you only believe in ghosts when they are good spirited? Not the demons?” He smiled. Wonwoo smirked and thought for a moment.
                “Yeah. No demons allowed. Only hot chick ghosts, you know.” Seungcheol stared at him like Wonwoo had just said 2+2=5.
                “You’re gay.” Seungcheol threw at him. Wonwoo made an impressed face. “You’re right! Hot dude ghosts only.” Seungcheol sighed and gave up with this conversation.
                Seungcheol had insisted he would be nice company to Wonwoo to go grocery shopping and other errands, but really, Seungcheol did not want to be in the house alone. Even thought it was broad daylight, he didn’t want to risk it. Haunting has no time period.
                Thankfully, his mind was not set on the encounter and Wonwoo and him cracked jokes the entire time they prodded around the market, throwing random into the cart they both knew they really didn’t need but wasted the extra dollars on it anyway- just because it’s been a while (Seungcheol’s words).
                Coming home, Seungcheol was greeting with a swelling feeling in his chest, and felt like he was prohibited from entering the kitchen. He tried to will that thought away, and broke the boundary anyway, feeling like he had just trespassed into a danger zone.
                After the food was put away and Wonwoo and Seungcheol settled back into the couch, tired and worn out, Wonwoo lifted his head and Seungcheol could feel his gaze examining the side on his body. Wonwoo called his name, and Seungcheol turned, seeing Wonwoo’s furrowed eyebrows and confused expression. “Why are there bruises on your neck?”
                Seungcheol felt his stomach tighten, and he lifted a hand to his neck, feeling nothing, but knowing it all. Wonwoo laughed.
                “Either you were getting some and that girl left very faint hickeys or someone was choking you, though I can’t guarantee it wasn’t me because I do weird things when I’m drunk.” He turned, acting like it was nothing, but inside, Seungcheol was panicking. Whatever it was last night left physical marks on his body, and though he was not the one to be easily frightened, now he was scared.

                Night dawned and though this was usually the time that Seungcheol had to himself to think about whatever he wanted and not get yelled at by Wonwoo for popping a in the middle of the living room, he felt uneasy. Like more of what happened last night was to come.
                Wonwoo laid in his bed, and Seungcheol in his, both fixated on the TV. Wonwoo was paying attention, laughing every now and then, but Seungcheol could not focus one bit, he couldn’t get his mind of the fear that was coursing through his body.
                Fortunately, Wonwoo was not picking up on this attitude, and concluded that he must have been tired, or had a headache. He didn’t comment on his silence.
                Seungcheol had no choice but to fall asleep, he laid his head down and he felt instantly into sleep, and he knew he was not this tired a minute ago. Or maybe he was and he was just staring into space without blinking, letting his eyes become all dry. Eugh.
                When his head hit the pillow, it was like one of those scenes in the movies where the character was thrown into a spiral of black and white, becoming all dizzy and whatnot, because that it what happened here. His vision blurred and he felt like his body was being lifted off the mattress, but he grounded himself by reaching out and touching the wall, and he slowly fell asleep (with his hand still on the wall).
                He woke up. Everything was dark but he did not feel like any time went by at all. The room was dark and quiet. Wonwoo was snoring in bed and the TV had been shut. He felt a strange presence in his head, like someone had joined the bed with him, though he could feel both ends of it. He went to sit up to get water, to clear his dry throat. As he lifted his head, it was thrown back into the pillow by something. He felt some material join his forehead like he was being strapped down onto his own bed. The more he thrashed around, the more restraints were made on his body. He felt his hands being tied down, and also his ankles. He opened his mouth to scream to Wonwoo, who was sleeping through all of this, and found he made no noise. He could feel nothing clogging his throat or mouth, it was like he had no voice at all. He panicked, but gave up at making noise. Something covered his eyes.
                He thrashed around freely when he felt the restraints disappear, trying to pry whatever was on his eyes away. When he opened them he was met with a blue ceiling, and blurry vision. His elbow hit the metal table beneath him and he did not recall being moved onto this surface. No matter how much he blinked, his vision would not clear up, and he grew scared.
                He saw figured moving towards him, and around him were machines he had never seen in his life with tubed attached, ready to be inserted into him. There was beeping and chatter, all in a language he could not decipher.
                He watched as a figure towered over him, pressed a hand (with sharp nails) onto his chest, and shoved him to lay back down onto the cold table. He was forced down, and struggled against the pressure being applied. The figure leaned into him to examine his face, and he froze in shock at what he was witnessing. This creature had mostly features of a human, except the eyes, that were glowing a neon green. It opened its mouth to speak to another, whatever they are, and Seungcheol saw all of his teeth were canines. Its tongue was thin and pointed, like that of a snakes. It spoke with a hiss, and Seungcheol was breathing heavy at this point. Its ears came to a careful point and was tipped with blue scales, and the hair was bright red.
                Suddenly feeling cuffs over his wrists and ankles, he tried to pry loose. This creature put its hand back on Seungcheol’s forehead and shoved his head down, and he whimpered at the pain in the back and at the scales of the palm he could feel on his head.
                He looked into its eyes once again as he spoke in his native tongue, “This will only hurt a bit.” Seungcheol could only decipher the words with hisses following the ‘s’ sound when he was violently jerked to the right and was injected with something in his neck. He screamed out in pain, this time having a voice, and still tried to struggle against the cuffs. He looked around, desperate to regain his normal vision back, when he saw something else standing by the end of the table. It had long brown hair, and was watching Seungcheol thrash intently. Seungcheol stopped moving but was still panting, sweat coming down his head and body rapidly. He felt a warm, expanding feeling in the pit of his stomach like he recognized it. Like he had seen it the night before.
                The restraints were lifted instantly and he sat up in a hurry, ready to bolt out of the place. The creature standing by the end of the table moved back in fear Seungcheol would hurt it, but before he could even get up he was held onto again.
                He felt scaly hands grab his biceps, and he flexed trying to get them to release, but nothing worked. He groaned deep from his throat now as he felt needles at his back, replaced by suction cups, he turned, barely making out the tubes from the strange machines were now connected to him. He fought. They were stronger, he felt himself grow weaker.
                Seungcheol was a well-built boy. Being only 20, he had nice sized muscles and barely definable abs, making him one of the hits among females in the school, and though on a daily basis he could lift Wonwoo if he wanted to, he felt himself become so weak to where he could not hold up his own head.
                He felt his body being drained of energy, and he panted hard, falling backwards onto the table again, he was caught and roughly to his side. The creatures left.
                He laid there, fighting to stay alive (for all he knew he could die tonight), when the saw the creature from before stop in front of him. It was wearing all white, and it bent down to look Seungcheol in the eye. Its hair was long and brown, and fit its face perfectly. Seungcheol could see its blue tipped ears poking out from behind the strands of hair, and Seungcheol almost wanted to tell it to help him. He didn’t though, that probably would not have ended well.
                The creature raised a hand, Seungcheol quickly admired the sharp nails before it snapped and Seungcheol shut his eyes.
                It was dark.

                But then, it wasn’t.
                Seungcheol woke to the shouts of Wonwoo in his ear, and he sat upright, gasping for air. He looked at Wonwoo, asking him what was going on. Wonwoo looked scared.
                “Dude, what the . Did you take pills or something, its 3 in the afternoon? Why did you sleep so long?” Oh. So he just slept long. Nothing happened to Wonwoo, which is good. Seungcheol went to stand to go to the bathroom but instantly felt queasy, and Wonwoo caught him for support. He heard Wonwoo make a disgusted noise. “What the is on your neck?”
                Seungcheol abandoned the bathroom idea and made his way to the mirror- with Wonwoo’s help- and stared at his reflection. On the left side of his neck was an ugly purple mark, his blue veins protruding out from it in all directions and some surfacing to texture the skin. He was terrified.
                He turned to Wonwoo with the fearful look still painted on his face. “I was abd-” His voice faded, he could not find the strength to speak. Wonwoo looked confused.
                “What? You were what?” He gave Seungcheol a small shake.
                Seungcheol felt sick. “I was abducted. I was ing abducted... I was abducted by aliens, man. Holy . Holy .” Seungcheol was yelling now, which scared Wonwoo.
                “Abducted? Aliens? You’re ing insane.”
                “Look at this!” Seungcheol was getting aggressive. He pointed to his injection mark. “I saw it all! The injected me and then hooked me up to tubes! They had green eyes. It was aliens, !” Seungcheol was screaming and on his knees, not being able to bear the own weight of his body. Wonwoo stood there in utter shock, shaking his head, refusing to believe what his friend was saying.
                “No, no, you’re crazy. It’s not true.” Seungcheol did not retaliate. “Just… just stay here… I’m calling the campus nurse.” Wonwoo ran out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind him, afraid a rabid Seungcheol would come running out.
                But Seungcheol was in no position to run, in fact he felt incredibly weak again, clawing and scratching at his incision. He felt his skin cut underneath his nails, and blood was pooling in his palm.
                He was panting hard now, growling coming from deep in his system that he could not stop, he felt his insides working at an immense pace, feeling like he was going to overheat and die any second. He felt a hand on his shoulder. A scaly hand.
                He weakly turned, and saw the brown haired creature knelt down to his level, tilting his head to look at the suffering boy. Seungcheol swallowed hard, he was scared but relieved for some reason. His heart was racing and he was still panting, sweating now, crying now.
                “What’s happening…” Seungcheol asked, barely above a whisper. The creature shook its head, the locks swaying back and forth mesmerizingly.
                “Do not be afraid.” It said, the same hissy voice from last night in a soft tone. It put both hands on Seungcheol’s face and opened its mouth to reveal sharp canines and a tongue so thin. Its eyes glowed a bright blue as it Seungcheol’s soul from his body, and all Seungcheol could see was faded colors coming from his face, his arms, his chest. He jerked towards the alien and he was being into his body, feeling lighter with each second that past that he was being in.
                Seungcheol was in a trance, his mouth was open and his chest was floating towards this creature, his arms dangling by his sides. Then, as soon as it started it was over, and Seungcheol went limp. The creature admired the way Seungcheol looked for a moment, then. Seungcheol stared back as well.
                Wonwoo came back to an empty room.