It was around midnight. The sound of reckless teenagers loitering outside my apartment complex woke me up. I couldn't get back to sleep after that, so I decided to just drag myself out of bed and do something with the rest of my night. I went into my kitchen and decided I'd make myself a sandwich and watch a movie since these kids obviously wouldn't be going to their own homes anytime soon. 

After 10 minutes of clicking through selections on Netflix, I settled for watching a bit of the movie my older brother, Sanghyuk, was watching the last time he was here. It wasn't too interesting and the plot was pretty predictable. 

Girl is sad. Girl finds boy. They fall in love. Girl is never sad again. Blah blah blah...

I never understood why my brother liked movies like this. He always knew the endings, but managed to be surprised every time.

I swallowed the last piece of my sandwich and paused the movie to put my plate into my sink. Once I paused it, I sighed in relief.

Silence.

Those kids outside had finally stopped and I could finally get to sleep. I rushed to the kitchen and back to my room, sliding on my socks the whole time. I locked the door to my room and plopped myself onto my bed, grabbing one of my pillows in my arms. The movie was already putting me to sleep, so my eyes were heavy once I touched the sheets. I closed my eyes and settled comfortably into my pillow, wrapping myself in my freshly washed sheets and drifted off.

"Taekwoon! Taekwoon, please!!"

It hadn't even been five minutes since I fell asleep when I heard frantic knocking and panicked yelling at my door. It took me a while to register what was going on, but I quickly recognized the voice as my brother's. I threw the sheets off my body and ran out to let him in. When I opened the door, I wouldn't have believed I was looking at my own brother. His usually black, shining, well-kept hair was now knotty and dead looking. His dark brown eyes were bloodshot, like he had been crying all day. Tears were running down his cheeks which led me to see the deep cut on the side of his face. His lips were dry, cracked and bleeding and his outfit was a mess as well. He was wearing a plain blue T-shirt that was now ripped and splattered with what looked like blood. He was in his boxers as well, as if he had just gotten out of bed. I didn't notice this until he stepped in, but he was barefoot as well. 

"Sanghyuk? What happened to you?! Who did this?! Why are you barefoot in the middle of December?" He brushed right past me, ignoring my questions, and locked my door, hands shaking.

"He's coming," he whispered so quietly I barely heard it.

"He? What? Sanghyuk, answer me! Who's coming?" I was ignored once again. 

He ran into my apartment, slipping over his wet feet and began searching through my living room, creating a mess in a matter of seconds. 

"Um...you wouldn't happen to have holy water or anything, right?" He spoke fast although his voice was still shaking.

"Holy water? Why do you need that? Sanghyuk!"

"I just need it, okay! I need something! Anything! A crucifix! You have to have one of those around here."

He was on his way to my closet when I grabbed his arm and pulled him towards me. I held him by his face, catching blood on my thumb from the deep wound on his left cheek. His lip was quivering and it seemed like he couldn't even see me with the way his eyes were watering.

"Look at me, please. Who's coming? Did they do this to you?"

"I...I can't tell you." His voice broke at his last word and he buried his face in my shoulder and began sobbing loudly, knees wobbling before he fell and I had to hold him up. In all our years together, after everything we'd been through as kids, I'd never seen my older brother cry as much as he was doing now. I'd barely seen him cry at all. Sanghyuk was all I had and it absolutely broke me to see him like this. He was the one at my side when our mother left us almost 15 years ago. It's because of him that we were able to leave the orphanage one day and I was even able to start school. Everything I did, everything I'd accomplished, and everything I was, I owed it to him. He was everything to me, and no one in this world could ever imagine how much I loved him and what he meant to me. My thoughts were interrupted when he managed to stand up, using my arms for support.

"You can't help me, Taekwoon. It's too late. He's already coming and he knows I'm here."

He was still crying. I spoke softly, caressing his cheek and trying to wipe the blood away with my sleeve.

"I'm here for you, okay? I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." He almost smiled before he broke out into tears again. I had to do something. He had always been stronger and more mature for the both of us, and now it was my turn to do that for him. 

"He won't rest until he finds me," he pushed my hands away and made his way to my closet again. "You have to have an old crucifix in here somewhere."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh my ing God, Taekwoon!" He glared at me, the fear in his eyes boiling into anger as I tried reaching out to grab him again. "What don't you understand?! I've said it, like, 10 times already, you idiot!" 

I froze. In all our years, even when we fought sometimes as kids, he never yelled at me like that. He'd raised his voice at me a few times, but he never screamed the way he did just now. There was definitely something wrong with him.

"Please...just calm down, okay?" I leaned him up against the wall and reached into the box I kept on the top shelf of my closet. In it were old things I had taken from our home before we were sent to the orphanage. I pulled the small crucifix out and dusted it off. It was golden with a few, dull red and white shining stones around it. Attached to it was, of course, a small figurine of Jesus. Sanghyuk snatched it from my hands so fast, I barely had time to admire it. He smiled and embraced the little thing like a madman. My older brother was a pretty good looking guy, except for right now. 

"You okay now?" He was still just barely listening to me. He walked peacefully to my room, as if he were sleep-walking, and jumped into my bed, ruining my sheets with his dirty, blood-soiled clothes. I could see the bottom of his bare feet from where I was standing. They were wet, probably from the snow outside, and were cracked and bleeding a bit as well. When I got inside to lay the covers over him, he was already asleep, snoring lightly the way he always did, his wide nostrils flaring a bit with each breath. I wanted to clean him up, but I was afraid that any movement would wake him. He had enough time to clean himself up and explain to me what happened when he woke up later.

I walked out the room, careful not to disturb him, and headed to the kitchen to get myself some water. I didn't notice before, but my forehead was sweating, making my hair stick to the surface of my forehead. There were so many questions ringing through my head. I couldn't believe the last few minutes were even real. It's hard to believe that my brother, who lived pretty much on the other side of town, came all the way to my house. No shoes. No pants. In the middle of the night? I shook my head and took a sip of water from my glass. And what about the gash on his cheek and the blood all over his clothes? Who could've done that? Sanghyuk only had but a few friends, and I knew them all. None of them seemed like the violent type. He also mentioned someone. Someone was coming after him. Would they still be coming? What good would the crucifix do? 

Just shut up before you scare yourself, Taekwoon. 

I was about to splash some water on my face when I heard a knock at my door. I looked over and checked the time on my microwave. 1:59 pm. I turned the water off, trying to make it seem like no one was home, and crept toward the door. I stood frozen, waiting for another knock. The next one that came was a bit louder and followed by a few other knocks. 

I tried stepping back to head back to my room when the knocks began to get faster and more frantic. The person on the other side of my door was definitely growing impatient. My heart pounded with each knock. Obviously, whoever this was, they weren't going down without a fight. 

"He's coming for me"

Sanghyuk's words rang through my head suddenly. Was this the person he was running barefoot in the snow from? The one that left the mark on his face and the blood on his shirt? Suddenly the knocking ceased. I sighed, releasing a huge breath that made my chest basically concave into itself. I turned around and heard it again. Alright, this definitely wasn't a dream and I'm sure I'm not imagining this. This is happening. The knocks were loud and frantic like before, and they seemed angry too. Finally, clenching my fists, I walked right up to the door. I got to it and almost opened my mouth to yell when it stopped again.

Alright. I'm not doing this right now. Whoever the hell this is, they can wait until I get some sleep.

"I know you're in there," a male's smooth voice came from the other side of the door. "I can sense you...and your fear." His tone was obviously meant to come off as menacing and threatening, but his voice was so melodious it was hard to believe that. 

"Open the door," he whispered, making his voice even smoother as though he were trying to lure a child into his reach. 

"No." There was a single pound at the door when I gave my response. 

"Don't make this any harder, Jung Taekwoon." My eyes widened and I felt my hands begin to tremble as a chill swept through my spine. How did he know my name? How did he even know Sanghyuk and I would be here? Was he some sort of stalker? 

"I'm not letting you in." I took a step into my kitchen and scanned the counter. There was a small knife left there from when I was slicing tomatoes for my sandwich. If he was going to break in, I was going to fight back. I heard him sigh heavily and pound the door again.

"You humans are so dramatic." 

You humans? Was this guy not human?

"Just open the door. I promise I will not hurt you." His tone was sweeter now, but I still wasn't falling for his words.

"Go away! If you don't leave now, I'll call the police. I'm serious!" I heard him laugh on the other side.

"Go ahead and call," his voice was quiet, but it still went through the entire apartment, "but I'd catch you before you even make it to the phone." 

"Oh shut the up! There's no way you could get in. My door has three locks on it." Somehow, my words gave me a bit more confidence. Enough confidence to begin walking to the living room. 

"Do you really believe I can't get in, Taekwoon." His tone was cold, no longer sweet and smooth like before. It became huskier. I could see the phone on the coffee table from where I was standing. Just a bit longer and I could get it. I made the first step and he spoke again.

"Are your windows closed by any chance?"

I always had a bad habit of leaving my windows on my balcony open a bit all day. Sure it was dangerous, but I lived on the 8th floor. There's no way this guy could get to me. I relaxed a bit and made my way to the living room. When I ran in, I saw the phone. Just a few quick steps and I'd have it. I reached my hand out and suddenly something blocked my path and I tripped, falling onto my hip and letting out a scream. My ankle and hip began throbbing painfully and my eyes were shut tight in pain. I looked up and reached to the table for my phone before I caught something moving from the corner of my eye. I looked up and there was a dark, tall figure standing on my balcony. I watched in horror as he lifted his hand. I thought he would slide the door open fully but instead he just waved creepily at me. I blinked trying to clear my vision. Nothing worked. There was definitely someone standing there, and he didn't seem to be leaving. I looked at the phone again and saw him shake his head.

I wrapped my arms around myself and lay on the floor in a fetal position, hitting my head against the floor repeatedly. This had to be a dream. This can't be happening. Am I going to die? When I felt tears begin to well up in my eyes I opened them. From under the table I could see nothing on my balcony. I sat up and saw the same. Nothing. Where did he go? How did he leave without me knowing? I turned myself over on the floor, looking around my entire apartment to make sure there really was no one there. There was complete silence. It was so silent that, if I focused enough, I could hear Sanghyuk still snoring peacefully in my room. I rubbed my temples to try and clear my head before getting up and taking the phone.

Should I still call? What would I say? "Hey this man was outside my door and then he was on my balcony but he's gone now." They'll think I'm crazy.

I threw my phone onto the sofa and went into my room. I fixed up some of the mess my brother made and got into bed next to him. I looked down at him, the blood from his cheek soaking though one of my pale blue pillowcases. He still held the crucifix in his hands like a child holding his favorite teddy bear. The tears had dried on his eyes, leaving clean areas on his somewhat dirty face. I tried running my fingers in his hair to push the strands back a bit, but my fingers were tangled into his locks in a matter of seconds. I pulled them out carefully and pulled my covers over my body. I laced my arm around my brother's shoulder, pulling him close to me. When he woke up, I wanted him to know he was safe and that I was here for him. 

I whispered an "I love you" onto his hair before falling asleep, and I was glad I did. 

Because that was the last time I saw him.