The night was foggy, white coldness lingering in the air as the dark shadow of the leaving bus disappeared from your field of vision, taking the last piece of artificial light away from you and your trembling body. Looking at your fake watch, that you’d bought on the Chinese market from your first salary as an English teacher, you had to admit that tying up all the loose ends on the very same night, a whole week before the actual school trip, wasn’t the wisest idea on your side. Yet, a tiny part of you were proud of your enthusiasm since most people wouldn’t have cared so much and you smiled even if this pleasant feeling couldn’t warm you up entirely. Or gave you at least a sheer shelter from the cold.

Taking your first steps towards the worn pedestrian crossing, you tried to find some positivity in the fact that you lived in a small town, far away from the capital city, but your brain went blank and all you could concentrate on was the upcoming storm and the wind that bit into your flesh. Honestly, you wouldn’t have been surprised, if your lips had already been dressed in different shades of blue. Your faddist flatmate had been right, after all, you should have thrown an extra sweater or two into your bag in the morning when she had warned you about the freezy weather. Damn! What had gotten into Mother Nature these days, stealing the warmth from your favourite season full of colourful leaves?

Walking down the street, you kicked into a stone to keep your mind busy although you managed to lose your toy after the third round. You watched  it disappear in the grass of an empty building’s open garden. With its shiny walls and two floors, this supermarket was the gem of your community, thirty freaking minutes away from your home on foot. You looked down at your black boots, feeling sorry for your toes then sighed, desperately.

You had been born early January which meant that you should have borne with the cold or at least that was what people had told you whenever you had pulled your coat tighter on chilly afternoons. You might have been overdramatic but you hated the unforgiving frostiness of the autumn air, you hated when your limbs became numb because of it and damn everyone, you hated that there was still a long way waiting ahead of you. You didn’t think that you could even survive another five minutes not that half an hour.

your bottom lip, you regretted it right away. Although, your whining thoughts didn’t last long as your gaze found the hidden path on the other side of the supermarket. Mind circulating around nothing but your misery, you almost forgot about the shortcut that every children knew about after a certain age. How could have they not? It was the perfect spot for the haunted version of hide-and-seek since it was desolated, lacking any street light and full of enormous trees. Not to mention the rail that split the area into two.

When you had been eight, you had had a recurring nightmare because of this place about a black haired man with eyes as blue as the Mediterranean Sea. Now, you were twenty-six and had already lost the childish wildness of your imagination. You had learned that the real monsters didn’t hide behind bushes nor under your bed. They were all human, stealing your heart, your money and the only reason you had left to live. They made a mockery out of the most sensitive topics, humiliating you in front of everyone you had ever cared about. They  kicked into you when you had been already on the ground.

Shaking your head, you tried to shut out your depressive memories about heartbreaks and failures so that you could step onto the pavement without your heavy heart. You didn’t want to think of all those cliche situations in which people had misled you because you had been too blind to see the ulterior motives behind their smiles. You refused to since it caused you nothing but headache.

Although you were unable to run, you sped up your pace, panting after the first five metres. The further you got from the main road, the more cracks appeared on the path and the less light covered the Moon shining brightly up above the clouds. It was both beautiful and terrifying, sending chills down your spine. Not that you could have said for sure that you weren’t shaking from the cold.

When you finally passed the building, the pavement turned into a dirt road and you were glad that it hadn’t been raining for days now because the slope in front of you, leading to the rail, seemed slippery without the fake comfort of grass underneath your feet. Taking a deep breath, you nodded in an encouragement for yourself then lifted both of your hands so that you could keep your balance all the way down. Truth to tell, it wasn’t easy but there was no way you would turn back when you’d already come this far.

You crashed into the iron fence that separated the abandoned parking lot from the forest but you were still standing, coat dirtless, so you were more than satisfied. Until a faint echo reached your ear and fear washed away your satisfaction.

You stopped dead, scanning the area with your heart beating in your throat, mouth dry and lips slightly open. A part of you, the one who hated horror movies yet craved for warm hugs after the scariest scenes, was begging you, screaming at you to run but your veins were full of ice and you were unable to make the smallest movements. Deep in your mind, you hoped that it was something little like a bunny hidden in the bush but then your eyes caught glance of a dark figure and your lungs refused to let the cold air inside. You forgot to breathe, you forgot to blink. In the daze of your own murderous thoughts, you even forgot your mother’s name for a moment. So the sharp sound of a crack right behind your back was the last drop in the glass.

You screamed. Loudly. But your voice cracked somewhere between the third or fourth seconds, at the exact moment, your eyes met the most beautiful pair of blue irises, black pupils your soul out of your body. It took you a whole minute to force your mouth open.

‘What the... damn man, you scared the out of me!’ you cursed under your nose, loud enough for the stranger’s ears to hear your awakening anger. It wasn’t exactly his fault though, you were simply frustrated and exhausted as your life seemed more like a chain of busy programmes these days then an empty agenda. You tended to bring your work home, skipping important sleeping hours just to finish correcting the promised tests for your students until your own, personal deadlines. You had never given in to your inexistent laziness.

You looked at the man from under your dark lashes, hands crossed in front of your chest as one of your brows slid in the middle of your forehead, challengingly.

‘Who are you?’ you asked and your voice had edges no matter how hard you tried to hide your annoyance. It was creepy of him to stare at you with obvious hunger in his eyes, although you couldn’t deny the fact that he looked absolutely handsome with that lustful smirk in the corner of his mouth. He had mellow lips that had been surely made for passionate kisses, messy hair as dark as the night and pale skin, brighter than the snow that had never been bothered by careless, living creatures.

You waited for him to speak up while a faint voice in your head tried to convince you to turn your back on the stranger. All in vain. You were curious, way too curious for your own sake. How could you not, when the mesmerizing sight right in front of you were so intense that you magically forgot about the temperature sinking a few degrees above zero. Your world circulating around his presence, warming you up from the inside.

‘It doesn’t matter, truly, but if it eases your mind, you can call me Kihyun. Not that anyone calls me like that anyway,’ the man told you and it honestly surprised you how deep his voice sounded as if it had come from under heavy layers of water or another dimension. It was ethereal especially when the faint light of the moon reflected in his eyes, giving off a dreadful vibe, creeping under your skin.

Acting like a grown-up woman and not as the lonely soul you truly were, you decided to follow your mind, lifting your left arm up for an awkward wave. The only thing you wanted was to run away but you didn’t have to be necessarily rude to do so. Even if the boy was totally nuts.

‘Okay. Have a nice evening, Kihyun or whatever your real name is,’ you said and turned your back on the stranger as the voice in your head had asked a few enchanted seconds ago.

You felt relieved as the distance between your bodies grew bigger and you let out a frustrated sigh as your boots touched the cold iron of the rail. You were halfway home, you had nothing to fear of.

Keeping your balance with your spreaded arms, you couldn’t fight the urge to look behind your back, searching for Kihyun although he didn’t follow you. You were uncharacteristically disappointed yet you knew that you had made the right decision. After all, talking with strangers in the middle of the night wasn’t a good idea, no matter how handsome they looked or how small your hometown was. Crazy people could grow in every corner, they didn’t belong strictly to crowded cities.

Before you could have pulled your attention back on the dirt road ahead, your shoulder crashed into something thick and you bit your tongue accidentally as your gaze fixed on the manly chest right in front of your eyes. Somehow, you bumped into Kihyun despite knowing  it wasn’t possible. He couldn’t have passed you by unnoticed.

‘Lovely,’ he murmured and for a mere moment, you couldn’t decide whether he was talking to you or himself. Not that it really mattered since your heart started to bounce like nuts anyway. His hoarse voice had such an impact on you. ‘What a shame that I didn’t give you the permission to leave.’

The cheeky smirk on his face made you raise one of your brows in the middle of your forehead but, this time, your hands remained close your sides. You took an insecure step backwards, keeping the illusion of a safe distance between your bodies. It almost melted your growing anxiety.

‘Excuse me! What do you think you’re doing?’ you asked, the ironish taste of your own blood spreading in your mouth. You didn’t even noticed that your teeth dug into the rosy flesh of your lips until your stomach had made a flip due to the unpleasant flavour.

Kihyun took a step forwards, his saliva coated lips shining in the dark, eyes waiting for the satisfying sight of your diamond-like tears. He found your weakness quite amusing, watching you fall apart merely an arm’s length away from his itching palms. He wanted to touch you so badly, it caused him physical pain but he held himself back in order to prolong the pleasure of his sinful desire. He knew that it was too late for you to escape.

‘Killing you,’ he whispered, leaning annoyingly close so that his hot breath could play with your ear. Your horrified facial expression was priceless, warm sweat forming on your heated skin. Funny, but you suddenly missed the cold you had been whining about not so long ago.

You gulped, searching for the words that burnt on your throat, searching for a racional thought you could hold onto or something as cliche as hope. You wanted to wake up, scream, run away.

In the end, you did neither.

‘What? Why?’ you asked even though you weren’t sure that you truly wanted to hear the answer.

Soft fingertips caressing your cheeks, you gasped as Kihyun’s warm palm fondled your skin, arms dressing into goosebumps because of the overwhelming sensation. As if your body hadn’t been yours anymore, you tilted your head on instinct, jaw fitting close to his hand. You were the easiest prey he had ever met and freaking hell, he laughed at your vulnerability.

‘Oh darling, I have no reasons, really. But you know, there was this guy who said love can overcome any hardships therefore people stopped believing in us. Our existence faded into nothingness, our great deeds slowly became superstitions and damn you! It bugs me,’ he said, holding you dangerously close. You could literally feel his anger as his long fingers dug into your arm.

You were shocked if not speechless and you couldn’t decide whether you were dreaming or reality simply went mad from one moment to another. Nothing made sense anymore as if the world had literally turned upside down, the ground slipping from under your feet.

‘Who is us?’ you asked even though you truly doubted that Kihyun’s answer would be able to satisfy you. After all, every time he had opened his mouth, his words had confused you even more, highlighting new blind spots in your mind. Now that you thought about it, this whole conversation between you two seemed as if you had been speaking different languages. ‘What… what are you?’

You couldn’t believe that the odd question really fell from your lips, your voice sounded unfamiliar as well. Every word you said tasted bitter, sour, unpleasant. Everything felt utterly surreal.

Kihyun pushed you away, sweeping a mop of hair behind your ear then tilted his head to right, mimicking your movement. His smile was more frightening than any knives or loaded guns aiming at your heart. It was cold and wide without emotions.

‘A mere demon, looking for trouble,’ he admitted and you laughed out of frustration. Your whole body was a shaking mess and if you had been still unsure of what was real or a part of a well-calculated prank, now you knew that Kihyun was dancing on your nerves on purpose. As if demons were truly exist! Hah! Whoever paid for him to put up this crazy act could your left toe! Freaking morons!

You took a step backwards, chest moving up and down like a goddamn roller-coaster as you clenched both your fists. Just then, when his ocean-like eyes became darker than the universe itself, your anger melted into nothingness. You stumbled and fell onto the ground.

‘It can’t be true, I must have fallen asleep on the bus. It’s not real, you’re not real,’ you stammered, pitching your arms, your sides and even your legs in vain. What more you could possibly do? One couldn’t wake up from reality.

Back crashing into a tree, you tried to stand up but failed, eyes avoiding any kind of contact with the stranger’s even though he sat on his heels right by your side as if your closeness could make him feel more alive. In some ways, it really did.

‘I’m very much real, sweetie,’ he said and proved you wrong with a rough kiss on the lips, long fingers capturing your jaw, pressing your cheeks together for a better access. You hated how much your swollen lips craved for more, a sharp intake of breath escaping your throat as he pulled away.

‘Why me?’ you whined and he laughed as he stood up, stretching his spine as if he had been asleep for centuries before you had set him free. He looked down at your miserable figure, vulnerable and weak, then turned his back on you, walking towards the rail you had bumped into his chest. He looked at you from above his shoulder.

‘I’ve already told you, silly, it’s nothing special,’ he scolded you playfully. ‘You stepped onto a crack on the pavement. I came here to thank you.’

You wrapped your arms around your legs, head falling onto your knees, crying as the overwhelming mixture of your diverse feelings pushed you underwater. You were drowning on land, salty tears running through your crimson cheeks. It was too much, you couldn’t bear with the situation anymore. Was that silly superstition, your grandmother had told you, indeed true? Had you truly released a demon from hell when you accidentally stepped onto one of those cracks you had seen on the hidden path near the supermarket? Had you already dug your own grave?

You looked at the man dressed in black straight in the eye then rubbed your swollen ones as if you had swept this nightmare off your lashes, making you blind for the truth. A part of you still hold onto hope. That’s how stubborn your human heart was.

‘Like this?’ you asked, spreading your arms like a bird that couldn’t fly. Now you could finally see the reason behind Kihyun’s beautiful smile. In his eyes, you might have been seen utterly ridiculous. You felt ashamed and pathetic all of a sudden.

Kihyun his bottom lip before he tilted his head to right, observing every inch of your body from your head to your toes. He rolled his eyes before he became one with the dark shadow of the sleeping forest and reappeared next to your side at the very same time. He was fast, too fast to your liking.

‘True. You’re less troublesome than I thought, though you’re not the sharpest knife in the shelf either. Anyway, I might give you a chance to live. Do you wanna hear the details?’ he asked mockingly, fingers dancing on your jawline although you were too afraid to get offended by his words. You wanted to live, it wasn’t a question.

‘Yes!’

Your answer was followed by dead silence and you couldn’t quite pinpoint what was happening. Were you too fast? Did you upset him with something? Why was he giving you a helping hand, a hand you could hold onto when you legs were too weak to stand up, to carry your weight?

Kihyun led you to the rail, holding your hand as if he had actually cared even though you both knew that it was nothing but an act. He held you still when the midnight train came within a dangerous proximity and laughed when the wind created by its closeness and speed played with your hair.

‘You’re eager and I like the fire in your eyes,’ he admitted, caressing your palm with his thumb to ease your soul. He wanted you to be calm when you made your decision. ‘So, here’s the deal. You can prove me wrong with a simple phone call. If the guy on the other side is truly willing to save you, you can go. If not, then you’re mine,’ he explained, sinking his hand into your jeans’ pocket as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world. You let him be.

‘What do you mean by willing to save me? Who will be on the other side of the call?’ you asked as your gaze glided from your unlocked screen to Kihyun’s face. At that moment, as you watched his tongue coating his mellow lips with saliva absentmindedly,  you understood why so many beautiful poems were inspired by the devil throughout history. He was painfully beautiful, much more beautiful than any other angel could be. Looking at him concentrating, well, it was almost peaceful.

‘It’s all up to you. You can choose between the one you love the most and the one who loves you the most,’ he said handing over your phone. You looked down on the screen, confused, while a part of you paid careful attention to his further instructions. ‘Beware your decision. It can be your last time to talk with that special someone.’

You stayed still for a minute or so, sinking into the depth of your mind, thinking. It wasn’t an easy task, not at all, you could literally hear the explosions in your head as your mind declared war against your heart. Because what if it had been the last time you could talk to your best friend slash secret crush of five years? And what if he didn’t love you? If you couldn’t say goodbye? Did your last words worth the trouble? What if your heart truly broke because of his rejection? Could Kihyun be that powerful? Turning your worst nightmare into reality?

You chewed on your lips until you felt the familiar, ironish taste in your mouth. Then, you made your final decision.

‘Fine. I choose the one I love the most,’ you said and slid the green button to the right side of your screen, waiting for the annoying, beeping sound to turn into your favourite kind of sin. Thinking of your best friend’s raspy voice, you felt utterly excited, happiness blooming in your chest.

‘Predictable,’ Kihyun whispered but you couldn’t care less. You followed your heart as your mother had always taught you and that was what really mattered. You knew that Jooheon would never betray you since he had loved you too much to do so. He loved you, he cared for you, he wouldn’t reject your feelings. After all, love could overcome any hardships, right?

With every passing moment, your heart beated faster and your palms became more sweaty then it had been a second before yet you didn’t give up. How could you when your feelings were true and love could overcome any hardships? It did. Love was this powerful and you were in love. Or was it disappointment that tugged your stomach?

‘Come on! Come on!’ you begged, rocking yourself back and forth, walking a few steps in a random direction then turning your back on the chosen path. As the phone call died, diamond-like tears painted your cheeks with glittering lines. Your whole body was shaking as your hand fell back to your side.

‘I suppose, you lost the deal,’ Kihyun said, touching your clenched fist ever so gently. He took the phone out of your hand and sunk it back to your pocket.

You fell onto your knees.

‘Let me try one more time. He might be busy,’ you cried and this time your whining voice did make the demon upset. He grabbed you by your neck, choking you as your feet lifted from the ground. ‘Please, I’m begging you,’ you tried as your nails dug into Kihyun’s flesh.

‘I don’t believe in second chances,’ was all he said before he broke your neck, throwing your dead body onto the ground.

He looked at you for an ephemeral moment, face lacking emotions, before he turned his back on you, stretching his hands. It had been a while since he moved this much, putting so much energy into anything but he couldn’t wait to do more, kill more, watch other hearts break. Because there was nothing that could make him feel more satisfied than the faint shade of hopelessness reflecting in a human’s eyes.

He almost melted into the darkness when an irritating sound reached his ears, pulling his attention back at your body. It was your phone, screaming for the spotlight like crazy. So, he sat on his heels right by your side and fished it out of your coat.

It was a call from a guy called Jooheon and his cruel laughter filled the air as the realization hit him right in the face.

‘Hah! She was right, after all,’ he murmured shifting his gaze from the phone to your unmoving body, tears shining on your swollen cheeks. You looked like a sleeping princess waiting for her prince. He smiled at you mockingly, lifting the infernal device right in front of your closed eyes. ‘You happy? He called you back.’

What a shame that he was too late. He might have been happy to hear your voice one last time.

 

the end.