“But hyunnnnggg~”

  “Aish, Yeol-ah, would it kill you to take out the trash?” He gestured to the overflowing trash bag near the couch he was slumped on, eyes never leaving his laptop.

  “Um, maybe.” I answered, sure that the guilt of lying was showing all over my face.

  Sunggyu turned away from his sitcom and stared hard at me, his bottomless dark eyes piercing my soul, and I gulped before grabbing the trash bag and fleeing.

  A cold gust of wind hit me as I stepped out of our cozy apartment and I shivered involuntarily. What does he think I am, his servant? Would you like me to fluff your pillow? How about a snack, sir, my neck is readily available.

  I stared up at the sky as I headed for the alley three blocks away.

   It was darker and colder than usual; thick dark clouds obscured the light of the moon and I felt like I was freezing to death. Yet, my lips curved upwards in memory. It was on a night like this that I had met Sunggyu, here, in Life, three years ago.

  I was on the way home from a late night study session when I heard soft footsteps behind me, and I jumped in fright. What if someone was stalking me and planned on pouncing on me?

  I began speed walking towards my apartment, cold sweat breaking out on my forehead. I was at my doorstep when I tripped over my own feet and went crashing. I squeezed my eyes tight shut and spun around.

  “P-please don’t rob me, kill me or me!” I cried, holding my palms in front of my face defensively.

  An unexpectedly boyish chuckle came from above my head. I hesitantly opened one eye, and the other, and I found myself staring deep into a pair of black, bottomless irises. Gasping, I scooted back until my back bumped against the front door of my apartment.

  My “stalker” looked no more than 20 years old, with his curly mess of thick, fiery red hair and his squishy cheeks. As I appraised his looks, I felt a strange tug in my chest. He chuckled softly at my reaction and for a moment I was held captive by that laugh of his; it was melodious, lovely, and utterly completely, charming. Which was why when that mesmerizing voice whispered his request in my ear, without thinking, I agreed.

  What did he ask of me?

  “Be mine.”

  Of course when Sunggyu said be mine, he meant be my best and only friend because vampires are antisocial, oh, and be my human servant. I sighed softly, watching my breath turn into mist and disappear into the night. Sunggyu wasn’t bad, but he could be bossy and naggy, not to mention a vampire.

  He had told me that Life was a hell house of the supernatural; it was just that I hadn’t seen them all yet.  Yes, yet. I sighed again.

I turned into the alley and dropped the bag of garbage into the dumpster, and for a second I glimpsed a dark shadow moving in the corner of the alley where no light could reach.

  Squeaking in surprise, I leapt back, ready to run screaming like a little girl if that thing moved again. Hey, don’t judge me, after Sunggyu, anything was possible, and it never anyone to be a slight bit paranoid.

  The shadow didn’t move an inch.

  “Hello?”

  I quietly stepped closer to the shadow. It was dark, and I couldn’t make out its shape. I gulped, and my dry lips, gathering my courage.

  Slowly, I approached it, only for the shadow to rise to my height and grow a pair of legs.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.” I whispered hoarsely. My blood ran cold and I legged it out of the alley as fast as I could.

  I looked back, and wished I hadn’t. It was coming, fast. My legs automatically increased in speed and I was practically flying down the street, but when I glanced back again, there it was again, gaining on me.

  Curse Sunggyu for making me go out on this night of all nights. Curse him to the pits of hell.

  Something pale reached out and yanked me abruptly to my left, causing me to go crashing on the ground. I heard the shadow monster hissing behind me and scrambled to my feet in fear, but to my utmost relief the shadow shied away from the light of the lamppost I had been pulled into.

  Apparently it was afraid of light.

  The creature spat and hissed incoherently -a mess of syllables and growls- and when it stuck its shadowy arm in the light, its arm caught fire and disintegrated, and its body was subjected to the same fate.

  Ouch.

  I looked on in semi-horror as the creature dissolved into a pile of ashes and blew away with the wind. May you rest in pieces.

  I sighed in relief and turned.

  I stared into a pair of violet irises, framed by thick lashes that pierced into my own eyes. The gaze that those eyes gave me was curious. I felt a strong tug in my chest and involuntarily I reached down and cupped her face in my palms.

  What am I doing?

  The girl didn’t flinch, or shy away.

  Instead, she kept staring deep into my eyes with that intense gaze of hers, and I was compelled to speak the four words that would change my life completely.

  “I’ll protect you. Forever.”

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Just for a second, warmth engulfed me and made me feel alive. That was six years ago, from when I had first felt that spark of life. Since then, I’ve been fighting.

  Fighting against myself; against the Darkness.

  For so long I’ve been trapped in the dark with only fleeting visions of the life on the planet my form had inhabited. For so long I had longed to be free, and today I would be.

  As I run, I hold on to that memory of warmth and light, but it’s so close. Following me. Trying to me in, to make itself complete again. Its voice, my voice, echoed in my head.

  You will never escape me. Shut up.

  I will chase you to the ends of this world. Shut. Up.

  We are one.

  “Shut! Up!” I let out a loud screech and then I was falling into the light, tumbling down and down, further away from it. I fell further in the air, clawing at nothing until I landed on hard, gravelly ground.

  It didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would, smacking the ground like that, but I still felt sore. Who wouldn’t?  I flipped until my back was pressed against the ground and stared at the sky, then promptly leapt up.

  It was dark and cold; thick dark clouds obscured the light of the moon and the wind brushed against my bare skin. I looked down curiously. Apparently now I was a human girl.

  The stars in the sky twinkled and the place where I had landed was silent. It felt so peaceful here, with nothing but the sky. I danced lightly on the granite floor, feet scraping against the rocks.

  In the distance, I spotted a young boy holding a bag of something in his hands and murmuring to himself, and quickly ducked, until he disappeared into an alley.

  I stepped into a circle of shimmering light, coming from a lamppost, -something I remembered from one of my visions- closed my eyes and sighed at the slight warmth on my shoulders and face.

  Abruptly, I sensed it. It. A part of the Darkness; my brothers and sisters. The Darkness dispatched it to find me and return me. A jolt of fear shook me and I was aware that someone was running in my direction, so fast he looked as if he was flying.

  A human. That young boy I saw talking to himself. Every instinct in my new body screamed for me to flee, but something in my heart told me to stay. I felt a strange pull towards this person that somehow radiated light, even in the darkness.

  My hand shot out without my permission and yanked him hard into the light. Maybe too hard. He fell and we both tumbled, but he shot up, eyes never leaving my sibling. He stared in horror and morbid fascination at the Shadow in front of us.

  You! I heard its voice echo in rage. It tried to put its arm into the light, but only ended up catching fire. I calmly stared on as it burnt.

  I’m sorry, my brother, but you must burn.

 We will find you and take you! This isn’t over! The voice faded into static as the Shadow was blown away by the wind. So cliché.

  The boy turned and gasped, as if I had shocked him. I stared unblinkingly into his large, light brown eyes, even though they were slightly obscured by his golden-brown bangs. His hand reached towards me, and when they contacted my face, I felt a pull towards him again, stronger this time.

  His pink lips parted and he spoke the words that caught me off guard, that made me trust him one hundred percent.

  “I’ll protect you. Forever.”

So... /awkward face/ How was it? I'm planning on putting chapter 2 up in about three minutes. Yay!!! Yeol and gyu are in this chapter and I am loving it. Spoiler alert: A spirit is in the next chapter, and idk, he's got the prettiest smile (in my opinion). 

Charismahamsterjjang OUT