Staircase to YOU.

♥ChenDara♥

"Okay honey, you can go anywhere inside this house except that staircase." Mom pointed out as I sort my things. I trailed her hand pointed at a glamorous wide spiral staircase that lead somewhere inside this new house of ours. I frowned but agreed nonetheless. 

"Sure." I replied shortly and proceed moving my boxes into my bedroom which is beside the forbidden staircase. I wonder why Mom reprimand me from going upstairs. I should have asked her why but I'm just to tired to do that, I'll just ask her tomorrow morning. 

My eyes wandered inside my room, this is bigger than my previous room and has a lot of space to put my stuff toys. The wall were painted beautifully and the furnitures are in the right places. I'm going to love this new house of ours and I can't wait to tell this to my friends especially Xiumin hyung who likes adventures. He'll probably go ballistic when he learned about the forbidden staircase.

I yawned as sleep takes over my body. Ploppong my tired selfon the matress, I fell asleep without even noticing. I shuffled on my bed as I block the sunlight from hitting my eyes. I slowly sat up and a small smile crept on my face, hurriedly I went to my own bathroom and did my morning routine before dashing down to the kitchen where mom probably is.

"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!" I yelled and almost trip at the last stair making me lose my balance. I fell down on the floor with a soft thud as half of my body is visible to the kitchen door.

"What are you doing down there, Chen?" Mom asked curiously. She placed down the cookie tray on the marble counter and turn her back at me. I noticed how her shoulder shook mildly making me think she's laughing at me.

"I thought there's water here so I swam."I joked and she burst out laughing which made me laugh too. "Okay, that's not true mom. I just want to ask why does that fancy staircase is off limits?"

I saw my mom's body turn stiff makes me even more curious than I was yesterday. "It is plainly off limits to you young mister. If you don't obey me I will cut your monthly allowance." 

She threatened me. I sighed this will take a while before I get to see what's up there. Chen let go of the topic and ate his breakfast silently before going to school.

I met my friends there in class and started telling how pretty their our house is and about the fancy staircase I was not allowed to go.

Xiumin hyung's ears perked up as he heard the story and definitely pick his interest. "And you didn't bother peaking at night?" He asked me curiously.

"Why would I?" I replied.

"You're so good, try breaking rules for once." Chanyeol said backing up Xiumin hyung.

"Don't push Chen if he doesn't want to do it." Suho said saving me from Xiumin and Chanyeol who is clearly having fun at the moment.

"Based on his story, Chen clearly wants to know what's at the end of the staircase." Kris hyung's voice greeted us. He's standing behind Suho hyung and settled himself at his chair before speaking again. "Xiumin and Chanyeol's point is he won't be able to know what's in there if he won't go or take a look. He'll end thinking and probably stress himself."

Kris' statement successfully cleared my foggy thoughts. He's right, curiosity alone will take me no where. After our conversation and attenting my subjects I head home as fast as I can. I safely arrived home and quickly went inside the house only to find out my mom sitting at the couch watching television in the living room.

"You went home already."

I nodded my head and take off my shoes before wearing my inner slipper. "Yes. I'm home." After seeing mom and her gentle face, I suddenly chickened out and forget my plan knowing mom won't be very happy if she finds out. I pushed all my curiosity aside and start my normal life. I hang out with my friends, went to school and do my house chores for the whole week. Mom was pleased for the past few days as I completely ignored the staircase like it was a plague until a strange noise greeted my ears as I vaccumed the living room, Mom wasn't in the house that time, I trailed where the voice coming and its from the staircase suddenly an old book fell down from the stairs and ended up in my feet. 

"Jiwoo are you there? My book fell down.." A feminine voice said calmly. My heart beats faster as I picked up the book. The story of the golden fairy was the title of the book. Why would there be a person upstairs? Is that why mom doesn't allow me to go upstairs? Who is she by the way?

"Jiwoo, my book fell down, I can't go downstairs." The unknown girl said again. 

My hand started gripping the book tightly, contemplating to answer the girl back or not but my stupid mind choose the former. "Mom wasn't here, I picked up your book." I replied.

"Oh! You must be.." she paused. "Chen?" She said delightedly. I frowned, how did she now my name? "You must be! Great, can you please go up here and hand me back my book?" I frowned even deeper. How can I give her the book if I'm not allowed to go upstairs.

I heard her chuckle, "Don't worry, Jiwoo won't be mad. I can't go down there after all, besides I'm bored right now so accompany me." I feel a genuine smile crept accross her face. The sound of her voice is so gentle and alluring. I find myself walking up the stairs and found a beautiful garden at the end of the staircase. I gasped,  different flowers with different shades of colors greeted me. How the hell can a garden like this be inside our house?!

"Don't just stand there, come here. I'm at the gazebo!" A hint of excitement is in her voice. I trailed down the grassy trail and a grand gazebo materialized in front of my eyes, a beautiful blonde woman facing her back at me. "Come sit." I went near the gazebo slowly and rounded her to see the girl's face. I was stunned at how beautiful and enchanting her face was. It's like God  has taken his time to mold this beautiful creature in front of me, her beauty is ethereal but what caught my attention the most is the snowy white wing behind her. I didn't noticed it before but now, it was very pretty like an angel's wing.

"Can I have my book back please?" She said in a pleasing manner and tilted her head in a cute way. I snap back from my trance and nervously handed her the book. She smiled.

"Thank you." She said, "You must be wondering what's my name? I'm Dara."

"Dara.." I repeated and she nodded.

"Yup, that's me. Nice to meet you, finally. I thought I wouldn't see you again." Dara sighed sadly.

"I can't follow you." I said honestly.

"Oh! Right. Sorry." She smiled again beaming at me. Damn, I felt my heart melted like chocolate. "Don't mind that, I tend to be chatty when it comes to you, also I'm very bored right now." I chuckled at her silliness, again my eyes landed on her wing. She noticed it and her smile faltered faintly. 

"You're not gonna ask what happened to it?" I shrugged.

"If it only makes you uncomfortable I better not ask, though honestly I really want to know." She looked at me thoughtfully and bobbed her head in a graceful way making her blonde locks dance in the air.

"That's okay. It all happened 2 years ago." I'm 17 that time, "I'm a guardian angel as you can see but we have rules to follow and I broke half of it." Dara chuckled. "I fell in love with a boy, not just any boy but the one I'm guarding. He was a happy child, adventurous and easy going. One day, that boy fought with his mother, with a heavy heart he strode outside their house with an angry scowl. His mother tried to get him back inside the house because it's already late and the rain is pouring hard." I stiffened at her story, it somewhat familiar to me though I cannot recall correctly. She continued, "He ran as fast as he can and got hit by the car. He was in the venge of death, he was on the ground swimming in his own blood. I was there, I tried to stop him but I was as young as him that time, I'm not yet powerful enough to get him back the house." 

I nodded my head, "Then the mother came to her almost lifeless son, crying. My heart broke into million pieces as I watched the boy's mother cried and asked for God's help. That's when I thought of breaking the rules. I ripped away my other wing and cover the boy's body with it. The blood stops and his life starting to come back. His mother rushed him to the hospital and I hid to their house as I lost half of my power because of the wings." 

She smiled genuinely at me, like she's glad I'm in front of her. "I planned to hide until my powers came back but the mother found me in the attic, sleeping with blood all over my body. She helped me clean up and give me clothes to change, of course I told her what I did and she was very very grateful though it's not really necessary since I'm his son's guardian angel. We waited for my powers to get back but unfortunately it didn't happen that's why I'm still here." 

I frowned and memories started flooding my mind, it hurts but it's bearable. Tears started rolling down my cheeks as I realize that the boy Dara saved was none other than me. "It's me. The boy you saved. It's me..." I said sadly.

"Yes, I didn't regret any of my actions."

"Because of me, you cannot go back to heaven again." 

"Doesn't matter as long as you're here beside me." Dara smiled and wrap her arms around me, hushing me to calm down. I felt her warmth against my body. "That's how much I love you, Chen." 

I smiled hearing the words love. I broke the hug and looked at Dara straight in the eyes as I held both of her hands. "Why did mom doesn't allow me to get up here?"

Dara laughed, "Because I said so, I'm afraid you'll get scared of me because of this." She expand her wing and small glitters flew to the air. "This is not normal to human's eyes, I'm so afraid you won't be liking me that's why I asked Jiwoo not to let you see me." 

I raise my eyebrow at her, "You're scared because you thought I would be scared because of your wings?" I asked Dara in disbelief. "You're really is something. Who would be scared to this beautiful creature in front of me. I bet Xiumin hyung will beg to meet you if I told you to him but then I'm too selfish to let them know." 

Dara chuckled and patted my head. "Silly. No one could see me except you and Jiwoo since both of you has my wing feather." 

My mouth made an 'O' shape, "So others can't see you?" 

"Yes"

"Chen? Baby where are you?" I heard mom's voice downstairs and my eyes flew back to Dara's pretty face. "Oh! Mom's back, I have to go!" I said panicking.

"Sure." Dara replied and watched me stand up. She stood up too and trailed me from behind, I stopped looking at her curiously. "What are you doing?"

"I'll go downstairs too."

"Why? How? You said you can't go downstairs" I asked.

"Because there's no point of hiding since you already saw me." Her laugh is music to my ears. "I'll take the stairs just like you and I lied about that can't go downstair thing, you know I really want to see you so badly." She chuckled again. She reached for my hand and her fingers entertwined to mine as we go downstairs. "Hey Chen. I really do love you." She whispered.

"I know and I do too."

Dara smiled, "Love at first sight?"

"Definitely."