“Leeteuk? Taeyeon?” the old man questioned.

Both Leeteuk and Taeyeon looked at him with curiosity and caution. The old man just smiled as if he were very cheerful.

“I’m the monk next door, Changmin’s uncle,” he introduced himself. “You can call me uncle.”

Leeteuk and Taeyeon nodded as if dumbfounded while the others helped the sick Siwon, Seungho, and the strange Yoona sit down.

“Thank you for coming by. Is there anything we can help you with?” Leeteuk’s manners had suddenly come out in front of the Changmin that he’d been so cold around.

The monk smiled, “The question should be reversed.”

Leeteuk immediately frowned and Taeyeon couldn’t help but glance at Changmin for an answer.

The monk laughed a little with his smile, “It was a joke.”

“What do you mean?” Leeteuk asked confused.

The monk glanced from Leeteuk to Taeyeon as if he suspected her of something. Taeyeon felt like taking a step back as if to cower from him but could not move. However, the monk didn’t seem suspicious. He seemed kind and Taeyeon was sure that there was a reason why he was there. Maybe she could trust him after all.

“I know you’ve all come here to relax and have a good summer,” the monk explained, “and I sincerely hope that you enjoy your stay.”

Taeyeon nodded, but she didn’t understand any of it.

“However,” he started, “I must also warn you not to go out of boundaries. If once you step out of those boundaries you might not be able to tell reality apart from hallucinations.”

Everyone’s faces stiffened from fear.

“What boundaries?” Gyuri asked.

“If you offend anyone or anything.” the monk explained.

“What do you mean anything?” Gyuri tried again.

“Spirits, ghosts, gods.”

“Spirits?” Seungho repeated.

“Of course. Every area is protected by a sort of spirit or deity, but it is also basic that there are also other spirits lurking around because they are unable to leave that place,” the monk went on.

Junsu bit the inside of his mouth.

“I don’t want to scare you,” the monk informed, “I just wanted to inform you that this area is a highly dense spiritual area.”

Everybody immediately sat up in their places watching him in silence.

“I’ve been informed that the last few days have been uneventful,” the monk continued. “However, as I am nearby I will try to maintain the calm that you’ve come here for. Please trust me and come to me if there are any problems. I’m aware that there was a flood last night that has cleared up this morning, and that some uninvited things have occurred this morning.”

“What?” asked Siwon with eyes open. “What things happened this morning?”

The rest of the group turned their attention toward Taeyeon. She glanced back at them and eventually turned away from their gaze. What did they want her to say? That she drowned in the pool?

“I only came here to introduce myself,” the monk told. “I’m very pleased to know you all, but I must get going now.”

The monk nodded, bowed, and turned to leave.

“Uncle, you go first.” Changmin told.

Leeteuk immediately walked out of the room to walk the monk out of the door.

When they finally left Junsu commented, “Well, that was freaking confusing. Anyone want to explain what he was talking about?”

Gyuri turned to glare at him, “I don’t know if you’re playing dumb, or what, but this area is simply haunted. End of story, ok?” Gyuri turned away and tilted her head toward the ceiling, “So hurry up and kick his you ghost.”

“Whoa! You better be careful,” Zhoumi warned.

Gyuri instantly glared at him this time.

“It’s not a joke,” Zhoumi started, “that there’s more than one. But there is something lurking in this house alone, whether you guys believe it or not.”

“Oh, shut up,” Junsu exclaimed.

Zhoumi took a sigh and decided not to say anymore while Changmin walked over to Taeyeon and glanced at Yoona.

“You ok?” he asked in a whisper.

Taeyeon nodded slowly feeling almost embarrassed.

“I feel my uncle wasn’t being quite honest with you all,” he whispered. “I’m sure there was another reason why he made the sudden visit, be careful, ok? Come to us if you feel you need to.”

Taeyeon suddenly stopped feeling flustered and turned serious. After he placed his hand on her shoulder as a comforting gesture he turned around to walk away.

;;;;;

“Thank you,” the monk said when he reached the door. “There was really no need for you to walk me all the way.”

Leeteuk just smiled as if he understood the monk’s intentions while opening the front door for him.

“You don’t remember me, do you?”

Leeteuk slightly turned his head so he could face the monk from a better angle.

“It’s ok,” the monk said patting him on the shoulder as if he were still a young boy.

Leeteuk felt a familiar feeling rise up in him. The monk was about half a head taller than him. But looking at his face…Leeteuk could not remember him anywhere deep in his memories.

“I hope you enjoy your stay and try not to let these other things bother you during your stay,” the monk said. “Be safe.”

With that the monk walked down the stairs and down the drive pass the van Leeteuk had driven there. Why…was it that everyone seemed to remember him and he couldn’t remember any of them…but only Changmin?

When he closed the door and turned around he found Changmin standing behind him.

Changmin simply smiled, “I’ll see you later.”

Walking out the door Leeteuk stared at his back recalling the memory of wrestling Changmin on the ground until Changmin had broken his teeth. Everything from after that boating accident he was able to remember so well. But the feeling of bitter hate had remained so strong within him. How had their relationship been before that accident? And why did only those words exist in his mind?

When he walked back toward the living room he heard Junsu suggest something about heading outside for some air or something.

“Ah…Leeteuk, do you want to go outside with us for a stroll or something?” Jang Hyuk asked getting up.

“Where are you guys going?” asked Leeteuk.

“Just to your backyard where the geyser is!” Jang Hyuk seemed excited.

“What about those who are sick?” Leeteuk continued to question.

“Ah…well…they can go outside too…”

“Some air might do me some good,” Seungho suggested stretching.

“Yea, Siwon and Yoona can sit at the tables.”

With no complaint from anyone else they helped Siwon and Yoona up from where they were. Even as Gyuri helped the weak Yoona up Leeteuk continued to stare at her curiously. Not a word from her and her eyes…how could he explain the look in her deep brown eyes? Scared? Her lips quivered to some extent and her hands hung down loosely as if she had no life.

Leeteuk followed them out to the glass door leading to the deck.

“It’s kind of chilly out here, don’t you think?” Gyuri asked putting her hand out as if to catch any possible raindrops.

Leeteuk glanced at her and finally noticed Taeyeon standing away from the pool. Wasn’t she still sick?

“Taeyeon, can you go get a blanket from inside?”

“What?” Taeyeon turned around from looking up at the tall tree.

“Yoona’s shivering,” Gyuri told. “Can you go inside to get the blanket we left inside?”

“Oh…ok.” Taeyeon seemed to mumble before stepping pass Leeteuk and into the kitchen.

“Leeteuk! Over here! Guess what we found!” someone called.

Leeteuk nodded and slightly turned to glance into the mansion before walking toward Jang Hyuk. And as he walked farther away the door slid close behind him.

;;;;;

Taeyeon walked out of the kitchen and into the hallway toward the living room. In the silence something bothered her but she didn’t want to think of anything. Her only goal was to get the blanket and head back out. Things seemed perfectly find with the silence buzzing within itself as she reached the living room. However, something stopped her before she was able to take a step into the room. A rush of footsteps running somewhere on the second floor of the house. Taeyeon felt her eyes grow a bit wider in fear and she held her breath for a long moment. Silence followed then she jumped when a door slammed upstairs. Not able to utter a word she felt her teeth chatter.

A small breeze of wind came out of nowhere and Taeyeon began to slowly look around. She was standing in the middle of the hallway in front of the living room and next to the hallway leading toward the front door. No one…nothing. Putting her hand against her trembling lips she gulped in some air. Her heart was pounding tremendously and she didn’t know if she’d have the time to run out of the mansion before something happened. The nervous air tension surrounding her only deepened in the still silence she stood in. An unexplained heavy burden filled her deeply and she couldn’t help but wonder why this was happening to her when it’d never happened before. What…what…did it want from her?

A loud crash made her let out an unprepared shout and her hands flew up to cover her ears. Closing her eyes because she didn’t want to see something she shouldn’t see Taeyeon felt the ground beneath her shake. Someone ran across the floor upstairs again and silence flew in again. Trying to bite her bottom lip Taeyeon slowly opened her eyes to see the items in the house shaking and flying around crashing into the walls loudly. Everything was moving by itself as if the items were in rage because of something. It suddenly felt so angry within the rooms. The lights started to blink on and off endlessly. A lamp, a picture, a desk flew in the air at her causing her to drop onto her knees with hands still over her ears. Her heart was beating so loud she wasn’t quite sure if she were in a dream again or not. Shutting her eyes again she gave out a loud scream.

;;;;;

“This frog is so ugly!” Junsu exclaimed with hands on his knees.

Leeteuk glanced at them and turned back to the mansion. Taeyeon hadn’t come out yet. Where had she gone to find the blanket Gyuri had asked for? Moving his eyes from the closed door he found Yoona sitting so still in her chair staring into the pool as if trying to spot a shark or something. Closed door…Leeteuk quickly swung his attention back to the door. Why was it closed? Walking away from the group silently Leeteuk paused before the door glancing inside to see if he’d spot Taeyeon anywhere in the kitchen. No one was there. Reaching his hand toward the door handle he pulled it open easily and immediately heard her screaming. Without thinking he rushed in and almost slid in the hallways with his socks on. Turning around the wooden corner he found Taeyeon in the middle of the hallway with hands covering her ears, eyes shut.

“Taeyeon!” he shouted as loudly as he could but found that his voice was defeated by her screaming.

Half getting onto his knees he hesitated to put his hands on her shoulder. When he finally did, he shook her but she only screamed some more, and backed up into the corner created by the two walls while pushing him away.

“Taeyeon! Kim Taeyeon! Taeyeon! Taeyeon!” Leeteuk continued to shake her. “It’s Leeteuk! It’s me!”

Taeyeon suddenly became deathly silent and it was only half a minute later that she opened her eyes to look up at him. She glanced around to find it silent and everything calm as usual. Tears seeped from her eyes as she removed her hands from her ears and suddenly threw her arms around his neck hugging him as tightly as she could just to assure herself that it was safe and she was still alive.

Leeteuk could feel his shoulder become soaked within seconds and could only wonder what could have happened. Why had he found her screaming twice that morning? Leeteuk swallowed his saliva down suddenly coming back to reality. Should he comfort her?

“It’s…it’s ok…” he said patting her back. “It’s ok.”

***What was the real reason to why the monk made his visit? And what words only exist in Leeteuk's mind?

***I seriously had the creeps writing that scene with Taeyeon & that last part with Taeyeon hugging Leeteuk is one that slowly breaks the cold ice between the two ^^

***A/N: So sorry for the lack of updates! I've been hooked on Iljimae! OMG! It seriously is awesome and made me cry to bits, Lee Junki is so awesome ^^ xD It's one of the best historical dramas I've watched! Oh yes, and anyway I'll be going on a family vacation Thursday night and won't be coming back until the 9th. So this will probably be my only update if I don't update tomorrow either.