The girl’s eyes looks tired, seems like it’s been days since she had a sleep. Her lips were chapped, trembling, and colorless because of the cold. Her arms are on either side of her body, hugging and brushing herself to keep warm.

Her hair is a bit messy and there’s some hair strand on her pale and soft face, looking innocent and fragile. Her eyes were fixed into her, waiting for her next move after she had discovered this girl’s hiding place.

She’s curled up there on the corner of the garage, unarmed, weak and defenseless. If it weren’t her that found her, anyone could harm this girl so easily.

Soojung is a bit hesitant when she take a two steps closer to her. The girl’s pupils grew bigger and her body stiff, a proof that a panic is growing inside her.

“Don’t worry.” Soojung whisper, her voice gentle “I won’t hurt you.”

She squatted close to the ground to be level head with the girl. Watching her closely. Making eye contact with her, hoping she’ll get the signal that she meant no harm.

After her body relax, Soojung finally outburst the question that’s been running on her head. “Are you all alone here?”

This girl could be with somebody that might be just outside, looking for foods. But the girl, shakes her head as an answer. Too weak to speak.

So, she was all alone. And looks like, she haven’t got anything with her. Not a single trace of leftovers around, things or anything. Then that’s when Soojung realized that the girl is only wearing a t-shirt, jeans and rubber shoes. Not enough to protect her from the cold.

Even her that fully clothed is still freezing, then how about this poor girl that only wearing thin garments?

Suddenly, she wanted to wrap her arms around this girl, wanting to make her warm and protect her from this deadly winter but to stop herself from doing so, (because she might scare the girl if she did) she ask her instead, “Where’s your stuffs?”

The girl shakes her head again, and open to speak, “I-I don’t h-have anything w-with me.” Her voice is soft, weak and crack.

She huff right after, it seems like speaking is too hard for her.

Soojung didn’t ask another question, she can’t watch someone suffering. Without  any hesitation, she put down her backpack and open its zipper. She grabs a fluffy pink sweater.

“Here, wear this. You look freezing.” She help her wear the thick fabric. Then she pull out a bonnet, scarf and put them on her.

“Do you feel better?”

The girl nod.

Then she stood up. “Wait for me here. I’ll go get something.”

Soojung run fast outside the garage to the small book stand. She pull it with her, making a trace of footprints and parallel line behind her.

When finally she’s inside again, she pick up a book and tore its pages one by one, grouping it into piles. She set them on fire.

She watch them over growing bigger. She added some ripped boxes to the fire so it won’t die down fast. The temperature inside the garage started to turn warm and smoke builds around them.

She then grab a cigarette on the back pocket of her jeans then lit it with the fire. She walk to the girl then offer it with her.

“Try this-“

The girl shakes her head, “I-I don’t smoke.”

“It’ll help to make you warm.”

And the girl’s long slender fingers touch the cigarette and taste it in then she try to blew a smoke. She cough.

“How is it?” Soojung sat down beside her. Holding a cigarette too, between her two fingers. She sip and blew.

“It’s o-okay.”

Soojung gazed at the girl’s face. The fire illuminating her face. She started to examine her, expressive eyes with dark shadows under them, small perfectly shaped nose and round kissable lips. She’s so white as snow. She describe the sentence, ‘a beautiful flower in the middle of a winter’ , perfectly.

“So what’s your name?” she ask her, looking at the fire this time.

“I’m Sulli.” Her voice still weak but there’s improvement.

“Just call me, Soojung then.”

She nodded.

The warmth of the fire finally started to crawl into their skin. The cold is subsiding and the heat felt so nice.

Soojung lay the back of her head on the wall, sipping her piece of cigarette and continue to blow smoke.

“Can I ask you how do you ended up in here?”

Another cough comes out from Sulli’s mouth before answering. “I-I run unto a group of zombies in a warehouse. I slept there for one night then I woke up hearing zombies noises trying to come o-out from the door s-so I runaway and I forgot my stuffs, then-“ she cough again “I was w-walking all alone the entire day until I found this garage.”

“A group of zombies? Where’s that warehouse exactly?”

“I-I forgot.” Sulli throw away her cigarette to the fire. “Maybe four to five hours away from here. I-I wasn’t really paying any attention, all’s in my mind was to stay away from them.”

Soojung watch Sulli’s cigarette burn into the fire and turn into ashes.

“How will you survive without foods then?”

“I d-don’t know.” Sulli curled up more and hide her face in her arms. “I don’t wanna go out there anymore…I’m scared.” She whimpers.

Soojung suddenly wanted to comfort her. To rub her back and tell her that everything will be alright even though it’s impossible. Seeing this girl look so scared makes her want her to kill all the zombies that will try to come into her way.

For seems like a minute, she open her backpack again and get two tuna cans. She opened it with her swiss army knife.

“I think you just needed some snack.”

The girl raise her head and look at the tuna can in her left hand.

“Here. Don’t be shy, Sulli. I’m sure you’re hungry.”

Sulli’s still uncertain to accept it.

“You need to eat.”

She have taken it with a shyness on her voice. “T-thanks, Soojung.”

“No problem.” She smile, and she mean it.

Yes, Sulli was still a stranger that turns up unexpectedly but there’s this drawn sensation inside her that she’s feeling towards her. Maybe because it’s been so long since she last saw a human being and she’s been so deprived from talking with somebody. And now that she can do it again makes her react like this.

After they eat in silence, Soojung decided to stay inside the garage with Sulli for the night. She needs to keep warm until there’s fire. Plus, she have someone to talk to through the night.

Besides, she think it’s her duty to keep an eye to Sulli until she feel a lot better. She can’t just go and leave this girl, sick and weak.

When it’s started to get dark outside, Soojung closes the garage. She ripped the huge boxes and flatten it so they have something to sleep into.

“You sleep on the side, Sulli.” She help her lay down on the flatten box.

Then Soojung lay down beside her. That’s when she just realized all her body ache and she’s been so tired. She let out a small groan.

She closes her eyes and feeling the hard ground and smooth box on her back.

“A-are you alright?” Sulli ask her. Her voice is so near because she’s just an inch away from her.

“Oh, yeah. I am. Just feel tired, that’s all.” She whisper, with still an eye closed.

They kept the fire beside them. It’s now small to make sure it’s won’t spread inside the garage while they’re sleeping.

Silence.

Soojung thought, Sulli is falling asleep when she said out of the blue, “Thank you again, Soojung.” In a very low whisper.

She smile.

For the first time in a very long time, Soojung fell asleep peacefully beside a beautiful stranger.