The dark trees looked ominous as Wooyoung walked home from the ice cream shop. He ate his ice cream in happy silence, enjoying the breeze. The trees swung lightly and Wooyoung watched the small squirrel climb the tree. He saw a little break in the trees and he went to it curiously. It was a little trail leading into the woods. Wooyoung looked around him and decided to follow it. He was feeling adventurous.

He walked along it, finishing his ice cream, looking at his surroundings. For some reason he felt very comfortable. Up ahead of him was a bench and he decided to sit for a little bit, to enjoy the cool weather. He closed his eyes and put his face towards the sky. He heard leaves crunching and opened his eyes. Nobody was there. He swallowed a little nervously. He closed them again a few minutes later, not worried anymore. A few minutes after he closed them, though, he heard the leaves again. He opened them and this time he saw a girl standing on another path he hadn't seen. Wooyoung's heart beat quickly in surprise.

"Hello." He said softly. "What are you doing in here?" She looked up at him and her dark eyes surprised him. Her complexion was very light and her hair cascaded down her back in thick, black curls. Her white dress went to her knees. She didn't answer. She just stared.

Wooyoung got up and walked towards her. "I'm Wooyoung." She smiled a little and then turned, walking into the path slowly.

"Hey, wait, where are you going?" He asked, only taking a few steps.

"Come on," she whispered. The wind rustled the leaves and made her fall around her face. "I need company."

"Company? Do you live here?" She nodded.

"Come on." She repeated. She continued walking and Wooyoung followed, his feet moving on its own.

"I don't know your name." Wooyoung stated.

"It's okay. I know yours." She looked back and smiled at him and Wooyoung smiled back, following her deeper into the woods.

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

Wooyoung started going into the woods everyday and everyday he would find her near the bench like she was on the first day they met. She would smile and start walking and he would follow. They always ended up at a running creek. They would both sit on a rock underneath the tree, their feet hanging loosely, their toes touching the water. He sighed and decided to ask her the questions he was curious about.

"Why are you in here?"

"They won't let me go." She said sadly.

"Who's they?"

She didn't say anything. Wooyoung's eyebrows furrowed. Who wasn't letting her go?

"So why won't they let you out?"

"They want to keep me for themselves. They think I can help them."

"Help them with what?"

"Help them not be beasts."

"Beasts?" She stopped talking and starred at the water.

"Are you ever going to tell me your name?" She sat silently, seemingly contemplating whether or not she was going to. She opened to speak but the wind suddenly picked up and there was a rumble underneath them. Wooyoung noticed how her eyes widened and she looked around in fear.

"You must go."

"Why?" A loud howling sounded in the woods.

"Go, go!" She jumped and pushed him to his feet, running in front of him to help him out of the woods. He ran quickly, keeping pace with her. He could hear heavy paws and breathing besides theirs and he somehow knew they were wolves.

"Keep running, don't let them catch you." She said, breathing heavily. They had reached the bench Wooyoung had sat on.

"That's the way you came from. Now go." She was suddenly very serious.

"Come with me." Wooyoung said breathlessly, catching her off guard. "Come on, we'll keep running until we get to my house." Wooyoung paused. "I know we haven't known each other for that long, but come on, I'll help you." He looked at her with desperation.

"I can't. They'll find me and then they'll hurt you. If you leave now, they won't." She looked around her. "Go Wooyoung." Her eyes filled with tears as she pushed him.

"Go!" She screamed. He ran, listening to her as his eyes filled with water. "Faster Wooyoung!" She looked back to see her being pushed to the ground by a wolf and another was coming after him. His heart and his mind told him to turn around and help her but his body kept moving forward. He looked at her face contorted in pain and her eyes spilling countless of tears. She was crying for him and Wooyoung's own tears started down his face. Wooyoung fell face first onto the street and then moved farther from the woods, the wolf growling at him from the security of the trees. It was an obvious warning to never come back.

Wooyoung sat crying, looking at the opening, hearing the wolves howls and barks. It started raining and Wooyoung looked up, sobs running through his small frame. He couldn't stop crying. He knew that that was the last time he would ever see her. He didn't get to tell her goodbye.

He didn't get to tell her he was in love with her.