“So, honey, why don’t you sit down over here on the couch?  Make yourself comfortable!” the woman cooed, gesturing towards the living room couch.  Onew nodded and did as he was told, his brain feeling more and more uncertain about this situation.  However, his body refused to listen, and he slumped into the cushions as Mrs. Jung shuffled into the kitchen.   “Do you like green tea, sweetheart?” she called from the other room, pots clanging as she reached into the cabinet. 

“Umm sure!” Onew replied, gazing around the room.  There were a few picture frames hung on the walls, and there was one sitting on the coffee table at his feet.  Onew reached over and picked up the wooden frame carefully.  Mrs. Jung was standing with a gray-haired man, arm in arm, in front of a lush, green forested backdrop.  

The apartment looked fairly lived-in, but something seemed off.  How did she get in the building?  They hadn’t been able to find anyone else…

Onew was jerked from his thoughts by the wailing of a tea kettle.  Mrs. Jung clanked around in the kitchen for another minute before she appeared in the doorway, a steaming ceramic cup in each hand.  She set them down on a couple coasters on the coffee table, and Onew gave her a smile.

She grinned back and picked up her own cup, settling down into the armchair across the table from him.  “So dear, want to tell me what’s going on that has you so upset?” she inquired, her eyes genuine and kind. 

Onew cleared his throat and blew across the top of his cup, causing the steam to curl away from his face.  “Well, it’s nothing.  Actually, I have a question for you.”  

She smiled and nodded.  “Sure.  What is it?” 

“How did you manage to stay here?  Like, why are you still here?  Even though no one’s able to go in or out, and there doesn’t seem to be anyone else here?”  Onew stuttered, the words pouring out before he could stop them.

Her eyebrows furrowed.  “Well, honey, I can’t say I know what you mean.  I’m sure if I wanted to, I could just walk out the door downstairs.”

Onew frowned and grunted, taking a careful sip from his cup.  The tea was a little hot, and it felt a little funny on his tongue, but he swallowed anyway.   Immediately, he wanted another sip, and he took another drink.  “Oh…okay,” he muttered around a third mouthful of green tea. 

His brain protested vaguely, thinking, “Wait, Onew.  Something’s wrong with this lady. Wait…”

But his senses were somehow dulled, and he simply kept drinking. 

“So, dear, why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind?” Mrs. Jung prompted gently. 

Onew groaned, “It’s about my friends, Key and Jonghyun.  They’re acting all…lovey-dovey, and it makes me sick.  I just don’t know if I can stand it anymore.  They’re driving me insane!”

His brain protested again.  “Onew,” it said sternly, “Why are you telling this woman this?  You’ve just met her!”   

“Oh, I see.  Those boys have always been trouble.  I have an idea for you,” Mrs. Jung assured him.  Onew took another drink of green tea and waited for her to continue.  “You just leave it up to me, and I’ll make sure they don’t bother you anymore.”  Suddenly, her eyes glinted, but Onew didn’t really see it.

“Mhmm…” Onew murmured sleepily, nodding in reply. 

Then, those last few words registered with him, and Onew stuttered, “No!  No, stop!  I don’t want—need you to do anything!  Excuse me, I think I need to leave.” 

He tried to stand, but Mrs. Jung leapt up, grabbing ahold of his arm to stop him.  Before his eyes, her nails seemed to grow and sharpen into points, digging through his jacket and pricking his skin.  Onew cried out and jerked away as the old lady’s eyes flooded with black and her teeth grew pointed and yellow.  She hissed at him, lunging forward with arms outstretched.  

Onew screamed and ran for the door, flinging it open and dashing into the hall.  He slammed the door behind him, hearing a heavy thump as Mrs. Jung slammed into it. 

His heart rate skyrocketed, and Onew ran for his life down the hallway towards the stairs.  He yanked the heavy door open and took off, leaping up the stairs, two at a time.   He passed a frustrated-looking Taemin who was leaning against a wall, clenching and unclenching his fists.  When he saw Onew, his head jerked up. 

“Oh my gosh hyung, what’s wrong?” he gasped as Onew rushed past him.  

“No time.  Just follow me!” Onew breathed, grabbing Taemin’s arm and pulling him up the last set of stairs and out the door onto their floor.  They didn’t stop until they’d reached their apartment, collapsing against the closed door and sliding the bolt over. 

Key and Jonghyun were drawn out by the ruckus, and they appeared from the far room.  “Onew, what’s going on?” Jonghyun inquired hesitantly.   Key took in the scene of the tired boys and their bolted door with wide eyes and silence. 

Onew struggled to catch his breath, his chest heaving, managing to choke out, “There was this lady in the hallway, and I followed her back to her apartment, and she gave me tea, but it tasted weird, and then she said she would get rid of all of you, and then she changed into this monster, and I ran back here!”

“Woah!  Slow down,” Jonghyun cautioned, coming over to help his older friend onto the couch.  “Taemin, where were you?”

Taemin shook his head and shrugged.  “I was just sitting in the stairwell.  He came running up and pulled me along with him.” 

“So you didn’t see anything?” Jonghyun clarified. 

Taemin shook his head again and changed the subject.  “Where’s Minho?”

Key jerked his head towards the hallway.  “Bathroom.”

Turning back to Onew, Jonghyun asked, “Okay, so you’re saying you saw someone out there?” 

Onew nodded quickly and gasped, “Not just someone.  Some creepy lady who had sharp teeth and black eyes!  She tried to trap me!”

Key’s face went white, and he turned away quickly, the unwanted memories of the recent night pushing themselves into his brain.  He tried to calm his shaking hands and approached Taemin instead while Jonghyun continued his questioning. 

“Where did this…person take you?”

They heard the toilet flush, and seconds later, Minho joined them, his face creased into a serious frown.  “What the heck is going on out here?”

Taemin quickly explained the situation to the taller, and Key went to the kitchen to pour Onew a glass of water.  When he brought it out, everyone was now situated around their leader, listening expectantly.  Key handed him the water, and Onew drank gratefully. 

“So this strange lady brought you back to her apartment?  But we haven’t been able to find anyone else in the building, and all the apartments are bare.  No furniture or anything; just ours.  How did she manage to stay?” Minho broke in. 

Onew waved his hand.  “No, she’s not normal.  I’m telling you, it was like she was something…else. Something evil.” 

“Maybe we should go check out her apartment, see if she’s still there,” Jonghyun mused, looking over to shrug at Minho. 

“No!” Onew blurted out, “Did you guys not hear me?  She’s not normal!”

Jonghyun and Minho exchanged a speculative glance.  “Well, let’s go see altogether then.  Maybe her apartment will have some clues,” Jonghyun decided.  “Could you lead us there?”

Onew gulped, but he nodded.  “I guess,” he replied hesitantly.  

“Good,” Jonghyun said, standing.  He reached down to help Taemin up, and they looked towards the door expectantly.  Onew sighed and stood, walking to the door.  He took a deep breath and slid the bolt back, opening the door. 

He retraced his steps, down the stairs and through the halls, until the five of them ended up in front of her apartment.  Onew was suspicious.  It was quiet now, and there hadn’t been any signs of the creature that had tried to grab him in the apartment.  There also hadn’t been any trace of the old lady who’d lured him down here.   The door was still closed, and Jonghyun stepped up to knock lightly. 

When there was no immediate answer, he tried again, louder this time.  The door remained closed.

“Try and open it,” Minho suggested from the back, peering over Taemin’s head. 

Jonghyun shrugged and tried the handle.  To everyone’s surprise, the door swung inward easily. 

Onew’s jaw dropped.  “What the—?”

A/N: A nice and long update! :)  Another one coming soon, I promise!! <3  Comments/upvotes/subscriptions make me sooooo happy!!!   

And if any of you want another action story from me, check out Twisted ;)