Changmin clicked off his bedside lamp and sunk into his pillow, closing his eyes and welcoming sleep.

When he opened his eyes, he was in a very familiar place. 

He was in the castle, standing in one of the many long stone corridors that stretched on into the darkness. He began to pace forward slowly, the cold stone on his bare feet causing him to shiver. 

And then—just as suddenly—she was there, the beautiful, elusive wraith who trapped him here each night.  She reached out a dainty hand, the silky red fabric of her sleeves billowing out around her slim, pale fingers.  “Welcome back,” she breathed, and through her thin veil, Changmin could see her faint smile.

Those burning red eyes that had once frightened him now seemed alluring and magical, and Changmin found himself taking another jerky step forward, his body making the decision before his mind.   Her smile widened and she spun around.  In the blink of an eye, she was twenty feet down the hall, and his feet once again moved on their own accord. 

He stumbled after her fleeing form, his feet tripping over each other, both wanting to be the first one to reach her.  The first to win the ultimate prize.

As he followed obediently, Changmin reflected on his situation briefly.  He knew this was a dream, he always knew it was a dream.  Even so, he couldn’t bring himself to stop.  He wanted her.  These dreams had even started to affect his personal life.  School wasn’t as interesting, his friends weren’t as stimulating.  His bedroom light would find itself turned off earlier and earlier, as he was desperate to engage in this mad chase again. 

It was mad.  And insane.  But he couldn’t help himself anymore.  It bordered on obsession, his behavior regarding this woman. 

In reality, though, this “chase” had become his obsession.  So much so that he’d even caught himself thinking it was real.  That the castle and even the woman were real. 

He shook his head.  Since this was just a dream, he might as well play along, right?

“Changmin…” her velvety voice engulfed him, dulling his senses even more and making his eyes roll closed.    “Can you hear me?”

“Yes,” he slurred, his eyelids suddenly feeling heavy. 

“Then why aren’t you following me?”

“I—I am!” he stuttered, opening his eyes to look for her.  Her voice was making him so…sleepy.  A content smile on his face, he staggered onward, following the sound of her voice blindly. 

His hands reached out to feel his way, but they met a hard stone surface. 

“Huh?” he gasped, the unexpected contact making his conscious thought resurface momentarily.  Sure enough, a wall stood in front of him, effectively blocking his way.  He turned slowly, dread filling his heart. 

He was trapped.  Four thick walls closed him in.  How he’d entered he wasn’t sure, as there didn’t seem to be any door visible.  But at the same time, he wasn’t surprised.  This castle had a way of changing.  Not only itself, but the ones who entered.

He heard her bell-like laugh echoing throughout the enclosed space, and he turned his head, trying desperately to catch a glimpse of where it had come from.  “Where are you?” he called, spinning in a circle slowly, looking up at the shadows above him. 

Changmin felt light pressure on his shoulder, and he spun to face her.  She smiled, her red eyes gleaming, and she said softly, “I’m always here.”

He lifted his hand to touch her face, but before he could, she waved her arm, and Changmin found himself thrown back against the far wall.  He grunted from the impact, although he hardly felt any pain.  “What do you want from me?” he managed to gasp out, trying to free himself from her invisible grip. 

She stepped away, fading into the wall before she whispered.  His ears could barely pick it up.  “I want you to catch me.”

His head began to swim, and he fell from the wall suddenly, only to land on his hands on knees on a clear, glass floor.  “What the--?” he muttered, pushing himself up onto his feet.  He was in some sort of rectangular box.  The glass allowed him to see out, and he could make out her thin form amidst the darkness. 

“Are you going to give up, Changmin?”

Her melodic voice taunted him, making him snarl in frustration. He slammed his fist impatiently against the glass, surprised to hear it begin to crack a little from the force. 

“You can’t escape.”

He chuckled darkly in response.  “Watch me,” he growled through clenched teeth.  He brought his closed fist down sharply on the glass, feeling satisfaction as a few spidery cracks began to appear.  He smashed it again, and the cracks spread farther, spiraling out and growing.  “Ah!” he grunted as the glass gave way, allowing him to tumble through into the darkness.

“I’ve got you now,” she murmured again, her voice bouncing off the shadows. 

“Don’t be so sure,” Changmin mumbled in response, reaching out blindly for her.  A sudden, unseen force made his feet fly out from under him, and he was slammed back into a wall, his arms spread wide.  

She appeared in front of him, smirking from underneath her veil.  Her dark hair swirled around her face as she twisted her wrist.  Chains sprung from the stone, encasing his wrists. 

“What are you doing?” he almost shouted in exasperation.

The beautiful woman floated towards him, leaning in to place a delicate hand on his heaving chest.  “I’ve caught you, Changmin. I can feel it running through your veins.  You want me, don’t you?” she purred seductively, her cold fingers trailing a little farther down his chest.

“God, yes!  So just let me go!” he groaned, struggling desperately against the restraints. 

“Oh no.  That would ruin the game,” she chuckled sensually.  “But I’m under your skin now, so the real game is just beginning.”

“Can’t you just let me go?!” he grunted, feeling his body respond to her touch, the heat spreading across his chest.  His biceps twitched as he pulled against the chains, wanting nothing more than to reach out and rip that silken red dress from her body.  He’d never felt so…frustrated.

Her eyes twinkled and her lips curved upwards.  She removed her hand from his chest and leaned in.  Changmin closed his eyes, feeling the intimacy of their close proximity cause an uncomfortable tightening in his pants.  

He felt the warmth of her hot breath on the side of his face, and her lips brushed against the shell of his ear. “How much do you want me, Changmin?” she whispered.

“Ungh, so much,” he moaned. 

“Then choose a road.”

He heard her snap her fingers, and the chains fell away, leaving him to plummet towards the floor.  Except there was no floor, he just kept falling.

“Huh!”

Changmin awoke with a harsh gasp, sitting up straight in bed.  He was about to lay back down when something caught his eye.  The frigid temperatures outside contrasted with the heat of his bedroom had caused his window to fog up. 

Written on the clouded glass were five simple words, but they were words that made Changmin’s heart race.

He swung his legs over the side of his bed, standing and stepping slowly to the window, peering through the words and out into the woods just beyond his house.  There, hovering just inside the shadows of the tree line, stood a beautiful woman with long brown hair, whose flowing red dress barely brushed the snow. 

In an instant, she was gone, but the words remained, outlined on his window. 

“Catch me if you can.” 

A/N:  I hope you like it! :)  I really, really enjoyed writing it!  Comment with your thoughts! I tried to incorporate the lyrics into the storyline and stuff, so let me know how I did!

P.S. I requested a poster, so I will definitely be using that instead of my current picture once it comes in.