I was calmly walking home even though I know I am being followed. Who is following me?  I wonder.

I stop in front of my house, giving whoever is following me an opportunity to ‘do’ something. I was standing still in front of my house for two minutes but nothing happen.

The door swung open with my mother coming out of the house. ‘What are you doing just standing out there?’ She asks pulling me inside.

I took my shoes off at the door and change to slippers. I stood still when something unseen to me growl. I looked down and there was this tiny mutt bearing its small teeth against me. It was so small and it thinks it can win against me. I sat in front of it, looking straight into its eyes. Then it jumped me as if it wanting to take a bite of my neck. I caught it by its throat… it made squeak sound as if it was hurt somehow. But I didn’t let go, it was struggling with its little paw.

‘What are you doing?’ my mother came out of the kitchen, looking shocked. I let the mutt go, and it whimpers straight behind my mother’s legs.

‘This is your dog’ my mother sighed as if understanding that I am suffering some amnesia. Mother re-introduces me to the mutt that tried to attack me a moment ago. I just nod and walk straight to my room.

When I first woke up, I remember the doctor asking me if I own a dog and I answered confidently that I don’t. At that time, I am sure that I don’t own a dog; in fact I think I hate pets. I wonder… have I been living a lie before I was comatose?

I walk to my closet to change.

I stood frozen in front of the open closet seeing orange, pink, purple, and yellow… all brightly color clothes. I think if I know what fear is, this will be it. I think my eyes got spoil just looking at them.

I rummage through the entire closet and finally found something I can wear, a plain white shirt at the bottom of the piles of clothes and a camouflage pedal pants.

Then, Mother walked in my room and shoves the mutt inside as if wanting me to care for it.

‘What its name?’ I ask her without looking at the mutt who was cowering at the door still growling.  I can just pretend to like the mutt for mother.

‘You name her Boss’ she said smiling widely, she might be thinking that I am making progress.

When mother said the mutt’s name, I suddenly remember something. It was playing in my head I have to protect boss. The vague memory felt like I would do anything to keep boss from harm’s way. I looked at the mutt who was struggling at the door when mother left.

So, I actually care for something like that.

I walked towards the door… ‘Boss’ I called its name. The mutt just kept growling.

When I sat up in front of it, it lay on the floor quietly… eyeing me. When I tried to pat its head, it bit my hand. I pull my hand away, but the mutt didn’t not let go. It was hanging on the air with its little teeth nailed in my skin, blood started gushing out. I tried to sway my hand, but the mutt just sway back and forth in midair too, refusing to remove its bite on my hand.

I rest my chin on my available hand; I wonder why I care for a mutt that bites me as if it hates me.

When mother walk in the room she screamed while rushing to get the mutt off my hand. She gave the mutt a smack on the behind, ‘Bad dog’ she said.

Mother immediately drags me to the nearby clinic to get shot for anti-rabies. Mother was making such a ruckus I am not sure what for. She was nagging while we were walking home, but they all sound gibberish to me. I walk slowly behind her. I can feel the presence of ‘someone’. Is it just me?

She was still talking when she opened the door while looking back at me, she didn’t notice the mutt squishing itself in between the slightly open doors crack.

The mutt ran passed me, I just stood still while keeping my eyes on it. It seems really happy being out. That’s when mother notices him out, ‘Boss…’ mother shouted calling to him.

‘Catch boss!’ mother shouted to me worriedly as if she is already too tired for this.

I turned around to do just what Mother said. I ran after boos but boss run faster that I thought it could with its tiny little feet. It’s adorable! I thought while running after it.

I hear some honking … boss was running and was about to run across the street. There was a big truck coming fast. I need to protect boss. I can hear myself kept saying those in my memory, like I can give my own life just to make sure boss is safe. I care for the mutt that much huh?! I kept thinking while running fast to catch boss but the track is faster than my two feet… I felt like I can do more, I can run faster… but this body, my body, is not keeping up.

The truck passed me, it will hit boss. My eyes widened… I won’t make it!

Something jumped from the bushes in front of me, it was fast. The shadow ran across the street.

The truck driver honks incessantly, and then yelled on someone on the other side of the street. ‘Stupid A’hole. Do you want to die!’ the driver shouted without stopping.

I kept running… to where the man who save boss was.

When I reach the other side of the street, I started walking cautiously.

I walked towards the man who hold boss by its arm. For some reason, boss was not growling at the suspicious guy wearing a beanie and a mask on. Boss notices me walking towards them and the mutt started growling. Why am I the bad guy?

He stood there in alert when I was two steps away. Who is this guy? There was no opening.  If we get into a fight, I doubt I can even land a hit.

The wind blew… and I realize this presence… my foot lift by itself trying to kick him in the face, it’s the same presence that has been following from school.

************************

Taeyang saw the sly girl that has blackmailed him running after something.

He was trying to keep his distance. The blackmailer seems to be on alert. The way she walks … the way she pause… it is as if she was inviting him to do something. But her stance does not afford an opening for any surprise attack.

She was a brat that he can kill any time he wants. Then, why does her existence make him feel the need to be cautious.

Taeyang ran after her. He manages to overrun her but he saw a puppy running across the highway. There was a truck that is coming fast, the pup will be hit or smash by it big tires.

In an instant Taeyang jumped from where he was hiding and run as fast as his feet can take him, he hold his arms out and grab the pup happily running without a care in the world. He felt the truck an inch away from his back as he jumped on the other side of the street. It was a moment breath but he manages to save the little pup.

The pup his face as if thanking him. Taeyang wonder who the owner of the pup  is. It was too late when he remembered what he was there for. The that has blackmailed him is already running across the street towards him.

The puppy growl at his blackmailer, with that Taeyang formed an invisible bond with the puppy. They have common enemy, and she shall be called , Taeyang thought.

She stood in front of him, her face as blank as darkness… her expression, undeterred.                                

And he too stood still, staring back at her. There was that nostalgic feeling that Taeyang is not sure how to explain.

The wind blew and suddenly, she lifts her right leg to give him a high kick in the face. Taeyang manages to ward her kick off.

It seems the knows how to fight, Taeyang thought. It might be where her unfounded fearlessness is coming from. But she has no idea who she is messing with.

Then, she jumped toward him with her arms arching back. As she was landing down, she her fist downward towards targeting his chest. It was as if she was trying to hit him where his heart is… and the jump was to give her punch momentum.

A punch to the chest with the right amount of pressure can stop the heart and put the body in paralysis for a second. A second is enough for a kill. Taeyang jumped back just before her punch landed on him. He felt the air pressure passes across his chest, it could have been bad.

The puppy was still growling at her. Taeyang don’t want to injure the puppy… but if he put the pup down it might run away and might get into another accident.

***********************

I felt my heart beating faster when I looked into those eyes staring back at me. *Bang* I can hear gun shot in my memories, there was blood. There was this darkness…

And before I can even think, my body was already in the air. My arm arching back with the intention to my fist to his chest, it is as if my body instinctively tries to thwart a threat that is standing before me by preempting an attack.

The guy manages to move back.

Somehow, I felt disappointed. I felt like my movement could have been faster but my body is not in sync with my action.

I tried to swing my fist sideways… kicking left and right, high kick, mid kick, low kick. I also tried a roundhouse kick… he manages to ward them all off. My body seems to easily tire, as if it is not use to this kind of exploit. Is it because I was in a comma for months?

*****************

Taeyang was evading all her assault.

Aside from her first attack, the succeeding ones do not have any depth to it. It was like she keeps moving only to test her own body.

Is she using me to test her own ability? Taeyang thought angrily, she must think I am a pushover for just taking her hits like that. Am I such a wimp in your eyes? Taeyang was shouting at her in his head. He is not even sure why he does not want to look weak in front of this sly that has blackmailed him.

The pup in his arms growling at her brought him back from wandering in his own thoughts.

She was breathing heavily… she has exhausted herself from trying to bring him down.

Taeyang without a moment’s hesitation ran away with boss in his arms. He does not even know why… he intended to capture her today and make her spill where she hid the copies of his photo. He even thought of the most excruciating torture to put her under. But, why the hell is he running away now? It is easy to take her, she seems incapable of putting much of a fight and there are no witnesses around. So, why?

Taeyang was busy in his own thoughts when he felt a murderous aura behind him. He looked back and he saw her running after him. Her face is still void of expression but there was this darkness that surrounds her being as if he will be devoured if she catches him.

********************

Protect boss, protect boss, protect boss the sound of my own voice coming from a fuzzy memory echoes in my ears. If anything happen to boss…

I was already running after him, there was this feeling inside me… surging… about boss… wanting to protect something important; wanting to guard someone’s life even if it cost me my own. This feeling is for a mutt? Have I been so lonely that I invest my emotion to some stinki’n mutt? I kept thinking while still running after them.

It seems my body is giving up. I feel like if I push any further, this body will shatter to pieces. But there must be a reason why boss is so important to me. My resolve to protect boss will not waver, even if it cost me my life.

He looked back, and he suddenly stopped running away… he was shouting something.

I can see boss in his arms, just a little bit and I can take him home.

But then…

My body went flying sideways… I felt an impact on my right arm.

That’s when I notice it.

The bus that hit me…