The satisfying sounds of locks shifting into place once again brought a smile to my face, despite the fact that I could barely feel my facial features due to the sharp, snapping winds. Pulling my hood over my head, attempting to block out the resentful cold, I turned away from the metal door. Nothing but the calming noises of the night as my lullaby as I walked away from the library's rear exit to the main road, the keys rattling in my pocket with each step.

A loud horn followed by the sound of screeching tires cried into the air. “What's the matter with you?! Do you have a death wish or somethin'?! Get outta ma way!” An aggravated cab driver shouted from the window.

“Hey! Can't ya see I'm walkin' here?!” The pedestrian who had abruptly crossed the street yelled; plucking the extinguished cigarette stub from his scowling lips and flicked it at the windshield of the yellow tinted car.

Welcome to New York.

The city that never slept, but who could when the streets reek of sewage and people were always shouting. Newbies arrive here thinking it's a dream come true, so blinded by the bright lights that they couldn't see the dark pit in front of them. Later realizing this is a place where dreams become nightmares, where spotlights burn out and leave you in the shadows.

Not everything in NYC was bad though; there were many lively clubs, amazing food joints, fashion week, and plenty of celebrities to fan over with the occasional movie sets. Speaking of which, there apparently seemed to be one blocking my usual route home.

“Great.” I muttered under my breath, just as my coat pocket started vibrating, spewing out muffled sounds.

Pushing aside my irritation, I grabbed the humming mobile, slipping my hand into my hood and pressing the receiver to my ear as I turned my body. Having no choice but to walk through the grimy alley I recently passed by.

“Yo what’s happenin'?” The voice sang into my ear.

“What? Why are you speaking like that?” I asked bewildered, but then it dawned on me. “Are you drunk?” I implied with tastelessness.

“I sip a lil.” His words started to slur before he began to shout. “Why you bein' OD?! What's buggin' ya?”

I winced at his loud screech, tilting the phone away from my ear. “Stop shouting.” I warned. “I swear I can smell the alcohol on your breath.” I fretted, already dreading the fact that I was going to clean up vomit later. “What do you need Chen?” I asked, my nose scrunching up at the foul odor coming from the dark alleyway I was now stationed in front of.

“Wonderin' when ya comin' back to the pad?” He sang.

“I should be there in a few.” I mumbled as I looked back at the movie set, watching as a man walked up behind a woman and pressed a gun to the back of her head before the director screeched a hysterical 'Cut!'.

“Do you–” His sentence was interrupted by a blasting crash, the familiar sound of glass shattering. “Oops.” He tittered, before it turned into a muffled giggle.

Squeezing my eyes shut in annoyance, I pinched the bridge of my nose while swallowing back impermissible words I wanted to scream at him. “What did you break?” I sighed.

“I'm out of drinks. Ain't got no more vodka.” He murmured. “Get me more.” He crowed.

“No I– Why are you even drinking Chen?” I asked, taking a step into the alley, no longer have the capability to stand the cold and not wanting anything else to break in my absents.

“Kyungsoo eying some upstate pansy in da club.” He wept before continuing his summary of his failed attempt at a relationship.

Periodically humming and reciting the occasional “oh” to assure him I was listening, I continued walking through crack between the two apartments, keys lightly clunked together. Trash, empty bottles, rats, probably feces, and a few other objects that I couldn't confirm in dark, littered the ground. Barf, alcohol, and urine burned my lungs as the wind blew the scents into my nose.

The pale sun of the night faintly illuminated the alley as I cautiously tried to step over anything in my path, taking gingerly glances behind me frequently. Small reminders blared in my head, a voiceless whisper to be mindful of my environment. Having one mugging under my idiotic moment list, by being too dim-witted to not be aware of my surroundings in the past; I did not plan on letting that happen again.

Sounds in front brought my attention back to the present. Squinting my eyes when I detected movement ahead in the quilted darkness. Muffled voices soon fluttered into my unoccupied ear; with each step forward the voices became clearer, until I could roughly identify two figures in the night.

One figure then grabbed the other, slamming it against the brick wall, causing me to freeze in my tracks. Thoughts chimed in my skull; I was not going to be in the middle of a drunk's fight, I already had to deal with one when I got home. Deciding it was safer to let the scrap blow over before continuing onward, I remained in my spot.

“You told me you could take care of it.” A male voice growled.

“I did. Stephan's in the hospital ain't he.” Another man spoke calmly, a heavy accent laced in his voice.

“But he's still breathing you nitwit. You think Johnny's going to see this as a job well done? If you don't finish this now, we'll both be sharing beds next to Stephan.”

“Okay, okay I get it. Now get off me and stop muffing up my shirt, I just bought this.”

“Carl, you keep playing these games and you won't have to worry about your shirt anymore, since you'll be six feet under.”

“Reggie baby, trust me.”

“I don't trust anybody, especially not a bottom feeding snake like you.”

“Aw you know just what to say to make a guy happy.”

“Just get the job done quickly and then you can go run back into whatever hole you came from, because word on the street, someone got a contract on you. And you may be good a slithering through cracks but I heard this guy breaks down walls.” He laughed. “He's a Familiar; so you better watch out Carl.”

A Familiar in New York?

“I ain't scared of no soulless freak.”

“Then why are you still running from him?” He hummed. “You know he lives here, you guys are bound to cross paths.”

“Then I'll take him clubbin'. Schmooze over a drink; stir it up with some broads, ba-da boom ba-da bang. Done deal.”

“What's going on in that head of yours? You think he's going to stop and chat for lunch? Why beat around the bush Carl, just get down on your knees and kiss his .” He snickered.

“Maybe if that's my only option.” He admitted. “Who's gonna be outing me anyway?”

“It's been speculated that he might be working for The Order, but cops call him King of Hearts.”

“Wow, really original.” He scoffed.

“That's what I heard. Apparently every body they find has a dagger–”

“What the hell is a dagger?”

Baffled, he began to try and formulate words before just abruptly stating. “It's a small knife.”

A short pause. “Like a pocket knife?” He asked confusedly.

“No, like a dagger dip-.” He huffed out. “How the hell don't you know what a dagger is?”

“Well excuse me for not brushing up on weapons from medieval times sir.” He retorted.

“You don't know what it is, but you know its origin? How does that brain work?”

“Good enough to get with ya sister.” He laughed before a pain filled hissed fluttered through the alley.

“Like I was saying, a dagger with a heart design plunged into the person's heart or sometimes just a bullet wound to the chest. The name of the target is usually carved into the side of the blade.” He explained. “Police also found a small hollowed out gap in the dagger's blade, for the blood to fill up the heart mold at the end of the handle. Seen some crime scene photos, that guy is ed up, but I expected no less from a Familiar.”

“Sounds like a soap opera.” He muttered. “How come I ain't heard of him?” He laughed before he began his next sentence. “And I didn't find you to be the fawning type Reg.”

“Funny,” He mocked. “But Johnny is obsessed with them, he's the one that told me everything, even wants to try and recruit the sonofa.” He grumbled. “And cops don't want to cause state-wide panic so it's on the DL, but everyone he's killed isn't exactly a "Good Samaritan". People on the web think he's an angel sent to clean up the world or some like that. Calling him Hermes, god of protection of thieves.” His tone grunted doubtfully.

“Well I'll tell him you said Hi.”

“I don't think you realize the sincerity of this situation. You have to silence Stephan without having some cursed freak try and kill you, and let me remind you, who works for The ing Order! No matter how bad I want to silence you my damn myself; there is no way you're going to make this out alive, you know The Order makes Johnny look like Jesus Christ. Even Henry from Red Heights won't with anyone from The Order, and that dude is demented as .” He ranted. “Henry is the one who tried to blow up that preschool in Double Rock, so if he's scared of them, you know there a good reason why you should be.”

“You can drop the act Reggie; I see how much you're worried about me. I think it's cute, but the whole thing will soon blow over like your uncle's hairpiece flew right off at Christmas.”

“Ya mother.”

“Gosh, have some respect for the dead.”

“Yeah whatever Carl, but–”

“Sehun are you listening?!” Chen's voice echoed off the brick walls of the alleyway, causing me to instantly disconnect the call.

My body went rigid, the night becoming motionless. The only noises were my heart throbbing in my chest from the lack of air entering my body and my brain evidently because I was still standing there. The silence was a blood curdling scream of anguish, set out to break my soul.

Wow, I'm spending way too much time in the library.

“Who's out there?”

The all too well-known sound of a gun being cocked back rang into my ears.

Crap.

I in a deep breath and took minced steps backwards, hoping that they would disregard Chen's voice for the wind, which happened to have conveniently stopped howling at this second.

Just my luck.

The night became still once again, amplifying even the softest of breathes into a coarse cry. How badly I wish I could melt into the shadows and slink away from this alley. Rewind my day; select a different scene, anywhere but this moment.

“Reggie relax, I know you ain't from around this area preppy boy, but it's probably just a cat chasing a mouse. Put your gun away, you ain't got no manners?”

“Carl, I have more manners than you and this dump-site of an area.” He vowed. “I'm surprise you're not jumping at every creak and whimper, since you got a target on your chest.” He added.

“I think it brings out my eyes.”

“Screw up one more time and Johnny will bring out your eyes.”

My breathing somehow returned back to normal, the wind staring its frantic cry again, releasing its pent up frustration on the city. My eyes slid shut in relief before they quickly shot open in horror. My hand instinctively threw my now ringing cellphone into the darkness before spinning on my heels and racing down the alleyway, not bothering to verify if they were aware of my presence, my keys ratting out my location.

I'm going to kill Chen if I make it home alive.

A thunderous gunshot sliced through the air, along with clunk and a brief flicker of light on the far right of me. Rapid moving footsteps followed, a shadow beast snapping at my ankles, voices yelling in pandemonium. Another roar of fire bounced off the filthy walls, echoing down the alleyway, pursuing me, an unwanted visitor banging against my eardrums. My feet shot me forward, the muscles in my legs starting to tense up, working harder than they normally did. Bursting out of the alley just as another blast sliced the air, my hood fluttering madly behind me.

in a deep breath, my throat becoming drier than any desert, my lungs kindling a heat which could rival that of a thousand suns, but I urged myself forward. Jetting up the street, the movie set crew in my sight, a sigh almost slipped from my lips. Slowing myself down to a jog, then to a gentle trot, until I blended into the crowd of people. I glanced behind to see the two men walking in my direction, hands shoved inside of their suits, likely concealing their guns.

Gel caked their dark hair back. Facial features of men that never learned to smile. Lightless eyes filled to the brim with death. A scar crawled its way from one man's ear to the corner of his lips, a silent tale of torment imbedded in his flesh. Their suits clean and crisp, dripping with savagely business. Shoes that appeared disgusted to be used on such an unworthy ground.

Their eyes scanned over the crowd, searching for anything seeming out of place, a weed trying to blend in with a patch of flowers. Tearing my gaze away, I began to merge deeper into the herd, my eyes now directed to the scene in front of me.

The same brunette haired woman from before was aimlessly walking down the street, cameras shadowing her every movement, a man holding a boom microphone above her head, attempting to stay out of the cameraman's angle. The director engrossed with the small screen in front of him, observing the act unfold, sat with a blank expression while clutching a script in his titled printed, fold-able chair.

Soon the mugger wearing the over-exploited black ski-mask, only his eyes and the dark bags beneath were visible, crept up behind the brunette while pressing the gun to the back her head, making her freeze. Soon the male snatched the purse from her shoulder and slowly began to walk backwards before a flash and an earsplitting gunshot screeched through the air, red spraying from her body.

“Cut!” The director shouted. “I hate the lighting, tilt the light reflector just a little to the left. I want the street light to shine down on her, not around her. Camera 1 clean the lens it's looking a bit fuzzy. Blake, try to find your inner criminal. Make me believe you'll do anything for her handbag. Tiffany you were stunning, but try to act less and be more fearful, he has a gun to your head! And speaking of that, Hector! I want the gunshot to sound more realistic, it was sort of lacking. Get some better squibs.” He explained. “Girl that does the makeup, add a little more shadow around Blake's eyes, he needs to look desperate and exhausted. Camera 2 I swear if I don't get that close up of her face next time you'll never work for another film studio again. Next take in 10.”

People scattered all around me, attempting to comply with the director's orders.

My heart began stuttering a rhythm as I took a direful glance behind me, only to witness the two men pushing people out of their course. My body quickly reacted, ripping my eyes away and pushing through the crowd.

Realizing I had reached the end of the small gathering, I hectically looked around for another place to hide. Nothing but a deserted street and another grimy alley to my right. I simply was not about to make the same mistake twice.

Screaming for help would not bring me any. What could I say? How could these people even help? No, I would not call for aid. Blood would be shed, lives could be lost. These people did not deserve to perish for my foolish actions. I had to handle this problem myself, yet I could not see a solution. Just as I arrived at the end of this crowd, I might have just reached the end of my existence, and Chen's horrendous taste in fashion will greet the sun every day.

I can't let–

The world was now spinning, and before I knew it, every nerve down my back was buzzing in pain, a loud clunk echoed in my ears, the back of my scalp throbbing as I met a hard surface. Panic flooded through my veins, terror's hand firmly grasped my heart. Black spots splattered across my vision, a bitter groan circulated in my throat, yet before I could attempt to release a wheeze, my lips were smothered.

What felt like hours, passed by in mere seconds. Slowlying all my senses were switched on again, permitting me to take notice of subtle things. Black strands crossed my view as I tried blinking my sight back to normal. Apples and 4^th July's air, an unusual mixture of aromas, caressed my nose. Thumps rippled through my chest with each drumming beat from within. The faint sound of shallow breathing fluttered around me, from lips not of my own. Heat emitted off in front of me, sinking into the fabric of my sweater.

What's going on?

My vision fairly clear, I noticed I was staring down into abundant molten metal pools, gleaming silver swirling around rings of black, shaded over by dark micro fibers of hair. I was rendered immobile by the mercury depths, a gaze harder than steel.

A Familiar.

“Sh.” An assuasive whisper nuzzled my ears; that one sound now frozen on repeat in my head.

My body regained control before my mind could, nodding to the stranger obediently. Slowly my brain managed to register the stranger's face, noting the black silk masking their nose, draping down over their chin, wrapping about the silver eyed stranger's head in a cowl, shielding much of their hair from my gaze. A hand securely clamped over my mouth, dismembering any sound that dared escaped my lips.

Where am I?

Like a crack in a dam, everything spilled through, scampering at me in an instant. Chen, the alleyway, the men searching for me, must hide. Anxiety surged in my blood as I attempted to push the silver eyed stranger away, only to feel the bricks bite harder into my back and to recognized the stranger as a male, my unsteady hands pressed against his firm, leveled chest.

I swallowed tensely, trying to ease my throat, it slowly becoming tighter with each intake of air. The stranger gave two brief shakes of his head in disapproval, virtually like he foreseen what I had intended to do. Though before I could split my lips ajar, he let out what sounded to be a discouraging sigh. The compression over my mouth disappeared momentarily, in exchange for something softer, something warmer. The faint pressure returning.

It took seconds for my brain to comprehend before the answer traveled through my body. Silk material rubbed along my chin, a barrier to the flesh of the stranger. The feel of supple flesh, his stormy orbs replaced with a blanket of milky skin, flecks of hair guarding the area. Soon I found my eyes were flickering closed, melting into the warm sensation against my lips.

It was at first almost as if he didn't want to kiss me. His mouth was hard on mine, unyielding, but then both his hands found purchase on my face, angling my head downwards. Gasping the fabric of his shirt or maybe it was his sweater; I unconsciously tugged him closer, his smaller frame pushing against me. Then his lips softened, allowing me to coaxes them apart before dipping into the calorific cavern.

I could feel the rapid beat of his heart, taste the sweetness of an apple that soaked into his lips, dowsing his mouth with the luscious flavor. My hand found its mark at his lower back, the other claimed his hip, my thumbs rubbing circles into the cloth of his shirt absentmindedly. My heart was hammering, and there was a rushing sound in my ears, like beating wings.

Air soon became more of a necessity than an expendable option. Lips soon left mine, trailing across my jaw, drizzling down the skin of my throat, the silk fabric grazing the exposed area. My lips parted as a breathless groan emitted from deep within, my hands tightening their hold, trying to gasp onto anything, needing to determine if this was just an illusion.

As if sensing my thoughts, soon a delicate hand covered mine on his hip; another grasped my chin firmly, angling it to the side while petal soft kisses rain down over my flesh. My uncertainty was evaporating with each light press of lips against my skin.

“Action!” A male shouted from some distant place, another planet almost.

I quickly in a breath, oxygen now swirled around in my lungs, slowly creeping its way into my brain, washing away the lulling high I was coated in. My eyes scanned over the gathering of people, soon landing on the very men that I was running from, watching as they combed through the small crowd, probing around for me.

Gotta get away.

Frantically shifting my gaze back to the silver eyed stranger, only to find dead space, my arms hanging limply at my sides. Disorienting thoughts flooded my head; when did he leave, was he even real, why did I kiss him, and who the hell was he? Shoving those unanswerable questions aside, I pushed myself off the wall. A numb feeling burned itself into my back, tattooing the texture of the bricks into my flesh.

Flitting my eyes around, the suited men crossed my line of sight, taking note of my rigid body language and the hesitated expression plastered on my face. A look of validation washed over theirs as they skulked towards me.

Heart kicking in fright, I faltered when I saw their eyes targeted on me. Slowly careening in reverse, I stumbled slightly over my feet. I made a gesture to swing around and run for my life, only I let out a weak yelp when I was yanked backwards by my hood into the curdled shadows of the alley, catching a blur of silver and black before my eyesight faded dark.

I'm going to die.

Although the thought arose, I found air still continuously reaching my lungs.

Time seemed to freeze, a never ending reel of darkness. The wind reduced to a voiceless whisper, the night almost like an empty pit, but I knew there was a shadow lurking in the darkness. A cobwebby sensation of eyes raking over my form, a phantom's breath creeping along my flesh, goosebumps rising to the surface with each second.

I stood in the center of the dark crevice, motionless. I was not bound nor held captive. I wasn't ordered to stay still or silenced. There was absolutely no reason for me to remain in the filthy alley, but there I stood waiting for something I couldn't specify, hoping for an unexplainable moment I could grasp.

In some cryptic way, I sensed I made the right judgment call. The heavy atmosphere seemed to dilute almost immediately, but the thick presence only grew stronger, making it appear as if it was everywhere and nowhere at all. My eyes scanned the murky dark alley wildly, wanting to pinpoint the shadow's location, to at least gain some sense of control, yet nothing but blackness crowded my vision.

My eyes peered in the shadows, widening with each small noise and every whisper. My ears perked up at a light noise to my far right, my head instantly following the sound. Two dimly glistening silver eyes stared back, two orbs that seemed to float in midair. My breath got tangled, my heart went wild, but no words were spoken.

The silence was then shattered by heavy footsteps coming from behind, but before I could whirl around, my shoulder scraped against the rough brick wall with a savage force, air gushing from my lungs in a strained gasp.

“Carl what the hell was–”

Light patters dotted around.

A muffled sound up ahead.

A loud crunch barked through the night following a heavy thud.

Then nothing.

“Reggie?” A voice called out.

My hands found the greasy ridged wall, pushing myself away from the unforgiving surface. A barely audible click splashed into the stillness of the air. My breath held captive in my throat, my body refusing to even permit my eyes movement.

The distinct sound of continuous footsteps crept towards me.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

The steady flow of stomps were soon shoved away as a loud clatter rocketed the atmosphere.

Shoes shuffled vigorously. Grunts and groans mixed together. Rapid breaths and several airless gasps.

A choking gargle.

“Reg!” A hoarse cry crawled towards me only to be dragged away by a heavy thump.

Air straggled out of my throat. My heart set on chiseling itself away from me, away from this alley. Coherent thoughts no longer filled my mind, only reminiscing memories of the past.

Maybe this is how dying feels.

An earthshaking gunshot in front washed away that assumption as my body slid down the brick wall, my knees growing too weak to withhold my weight. The brief spark across illuminated the alleyway just enough to see a silhouette.

“Cut! Hector that gunshot almost sounded like the real thing.” A disembody voice cheered in the distance. “Alright that's a wrap. Great take everybody, lets wrap it up for tonight.”

My hands shakily ran over my upper body, searching for a wound, yet found nothing but my trembling heart. Short pants clawed over my dry lips, my hands still clutching at my chest in shock. The knot that was recently known as my stomach slowly unwounded itself with each taste of the polluted air.

I'm alive.

Anxiously darting my eyes around, I found nothing but darkness again, yet there was a faint sense of a presence lingering, watching just like before.

Hesitantly, I pushed myself back upon my quivering legs, waiting for my body to loosen up. Though I could not command my limbs to move since they were rooted in shock; but my body jolted when my unbruised shoulder was shoved forward with a firm push. My feet clumsily shuffled ahead as my body tried to recover its balance.

“Go.” The alley whispered.

That was all the boost I needed, my legs attaining strength I didn't know they held as I ran.

The wind zipped by, the ground rolled beneath my feet. Air burned the lining of my lungs, my hair matted against my slick forehead. With each second, the outside world was coming further into my reach, but soon the energy deserted me when the entrance of the dark crevice was mere inches away. Hunched over and seeking to regain breath, my hands pressed against my knees, attempting to ground me.

Don't look back.

The enticing demand to look toyed with my mind, tattered with my brain. I could not begin to fantasize why I felt the need to relive the danger that blanketed the area, but my resolve was slowly starting to be lured by it.

Don't turn around.

Yet again my body defied my order, ignoring logical reasoning.

Slowly, I found my head veering until my gaze shifted back to the black crack between the buildings. Two dim orbs stood out against the dark background and in a blink, they were gone. The alley now just as dead as the bodies I knew were hidden within the shadows.

Author's Note: Tell me what you think, I haven't written in a while so I'm kind of rusty. Does it have that mystery feel or is it lacking something? Did I rush or does it seem choppy towards the end?