I had already unpacked my belongings and set them up where I deemed proper. The room was spacious and decent; a golden hue hitting the crown of the ceiling while the carpet complimented it with a warm beige. The service was nice as well, matching with the calm atmosphere. The doorman or whatever they were called here helped bring up my things but I insisted after a while, that I could complete the rest of the trip to my room on my own. And now…now I stared out the window, watching the skyline that my room met.

It was beautiful, the sky, cloudless and set. The sun went from its bright, usual self to a calming dark orange as it fell down from the sky to invite the moon to shine when it was ready. I looked down towards the ground and saw how people busied themselves, some running while others talked happily towards the other person on their arm. I saw that, and something clicked in me. A feeling a loneliness and regret; a feeling of being empty.

I clasped my hand over my heart and scrunched my fingers into my shirt. So I turned back towards the sky and immediately my heart became calm once again.

“It’s so much louder here compared to the beach,” I told myself aloud.

Apart of me felt as though it eased the awkward feeling that gathered in the air around me. And suddenly, just like that, there was a loud sound of thunder. It made me jump, if only for a moment, clasping my heart harder than I had before. The sky slowly transformed into the color of a dark mist and welcomed the rain.

I looked down and saw how people scrambled about, running for their lives. They covered their heads with their hands and scampered about the streets. The rain hit my window like hard bricks forcefully coming at me for revenge. Instead of reverting my eyes away, I stood and watched, dazed at how fast the world could change.

It was once beautiful and now it looked just as my soul felt. It changed, so dramatically…like Key.

The remembrance of the man only made my mind travel back on yesterday before I was dropped off. The terror I forced into Onew’s eyes, I deeply regretted. I could see his heart stop when he found me, broken out of my mind.

****

Everything was pale around me and she clamped her hand over my shoulder, that frosty ivory hand where peels of dead skin became like spikes on a rose: haunting to see and know that they are there. Softly, her voice settled and whispered into my ear. A pure but deadly tone.

“Taemin.”

And I held my breath, held it to the point in which I thought our skins would match indefinitely. My eyes squinted and my nails dug into the deepness of my palms as I squeezed my hands into a frightened fist. The chills of the wind burst against my body and sent goose bumps through my body.

“It’s not real,” I whispered to myself. “It’s not real.”

“Taemin.” She whispered again. “Are you alright.”

I shook my head in unison with my speech.

“It’s not real,” I repeated.

“Taemin.” The hand clamped my shoulder even harder.

“Taemin-“

“Taemin!” Came a man’s voice. “Taemin are you alright?”

The chills had stopped and I opened my eyes to find that the sun was still out but a bit dim, for the day was going by. There was no woman’s body from which I stood and the dead leaves were nowhere to be seen. There was, however, a hand clamped on my shoulder but it was warm, tan, and built like a man’s.

“Taemin.” He said again.

I turned around to find Onew standing there, worry set in his eyes like a painting, and though I could not physically see it, I knew his heart was pounding to death with worry. When my eyes reached over his shoulder, the little amount of people who were on the streets watched me in such an odd fashion, as if I had disturbed their wonderful day they’d been having.

“Well?” He went on. “Are you?”

I let go of the breath I’d forgot I was holding and slowly, but weakly, nodded my head.

“I-I thought I saw something…is all.”

“Are you sure you’re alright?” He asked again. “There’s nothing there, see.”

He ushered his hand towards the tree but I shook my head.

“I believe you.” I immediately answered.

He sighed and looked at me meekly while I tried to stare at the ground, ignore his judgmental look. He didn’t want to say it, but I knew what he was thinking it. Why wouldn’t he be? After all, he found me lying on the roots of this tree. But instead, he lessened his grip on my shoulder and moved it down to my arm, gently rubbing the side.

“Are you sure you want to leave? If you need more rest, you can always just stay with us, you know that right? You’re not a burden. We could even help you with your dyslexia. Key’s a great teacher.”

I shook my head.

“I’ll be fine,” I assured him.

“I’ll be fine,” I assured myself.

****

But was I? I stepped away from the windows and closed the curtains. Key had left me their number in the many things he packed to send me away and I faintly had the urge to call them with the hotel phone, just to hear one of their voices and keep me calm. Though I barely knew them, right now, they were the only people that I felt could bring any sort of comfort.

My legs turned towards the phone, but I took no steps. I couldn’t even put my hand up, so instead I walked over to the bed and laid down on my back. My eyes stared at the ceiling above me.

I’m not sure how long I laid there, but by the time I snapped out of my trance, it had stopped raining. The sky was clear and though it was still somewhat dark and murky outside, I thought it a good time for walking, so I grabbed some money that Key had given me and left. Something to fill my head with activity instead of brooding over my thoughts in that silent room of mines.

When I walked outside, the crowded noise hit me just as it did when I was dropped off here yesterday. Though it had just stopped raining, that stopped none of the people of the city. They walked in busy motions, rushing to wherever or whomever they had to go to. Their feet, constantly in a state of motion, almost as if to beat time itself. The streets were dim and the car lights danced across the city like the stars Onew had shown me at the beach.

I began to wander around. Not the smartest idea.

I stopped at the light but there were so many crossings. Which one was I to take and how far had I gone after wandering? When I turned behind me, I no longer saw the hotel or anything familiar. I was lost. I cast a huge sigh out of my lungs. There were so many cars, so many people, and so much noise. Every couple of minutes I tried to stop someone and get help but no one answered my questions. If anything, it seemed as though I annoyed many people in general.

I could hear Key’s voice in the back of my head. What would he be saying right now?

“Taemin, you could’ve just stayed with us,” I muttered aloud.

The more I looked around, the more I missed that little town. What was I doing here?

“Something was calling you, Taemin,” I responded, rolling my eyes at the sound of my own voice.

After all, I had seen a pale woman’s body right before coming here. How crazier could I get?

I stopped at another light, looking both ways while at the same time confused by all the signs. I saw something turn green and decided to take that chance and walk. Before I knew it, there was a loud honk from a car and lights heading towards my way. They honked continuously, but it was too late for me to move. I was too slow. I covered my arms over my face and wished myself the best of luck at surviving this mess. But then, there was a pressure. A pressure that pushed my body off the street and onto the sidewalk. My head hit the concrete hard, the water leftover from the rain, splashing in my face as my body went to the ground.

“Hey, you should watch where you’re going better.” Came a soothing voice.

Instead of answering, I pushed myself up as whoever was on me did the same.

“Are you alright?” He asked again.

I sighed and wiped off my pants, though now they were a little soaked from the puddle we’d just fell in.

“Seems like everyone needs to save me lately,” I remarked with a laugh while wiping off my shirt.

I fiddled with the fabric until the guy bent his head down and over to see my face. He was smiling at me when he did with big doe eyes to match.  I straightened myself back up to get a proper look at him and saw that he was an inch or two taller than me. His body was well fit with a face that looked just as charming and sweet as he seemed. He wore a white hoodie and long light blue jeans that seemed to be torn at the knee. His shoes didn’t seem to match the weather, though, for they were dark brown slip-ons, definitely too careless for rain weather. But his hair was dry so maybe he’d missed the rain.

“Sorry!” I exclaimed, realizing the situation that I had just put him in. “And thank you.”

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Aye, no problem. These damn drivers over here don’t know signs when they see them. Or lights for that matter.” He placed his arm out towards me. “Minho.”

“E-Excuse me?” I stammered.

He chuckled again, placing his arm back down to his side and I realized just how dark his voice was.

“My name. It’s Minho.”

“O-Oh, sorry.” I awkwardly smiled. “I’m T-Taemin.”

I had almost forgotten.

“So Taemin,” he smiled, “where're ya headed? You need help?”

“I…um..” I looked around at the busy streets and people once again. “Uh…”

“You’re not from around here, are you?”

“How could you tell?” Another awkward laugh. “I was…just walking I guess. But now I’m lost. Trying to go back I guess.”

“Back? Where are you staying? I could help.”

“I stay at a hotel. Um…” I scratched the back of my head. “It’s really tall and black with a lot of windows. Has a big gold sign when you first come up to it. Oh, I think they said it’s the only building with fifty floors. Sorry, I’m bad at remembering names.”

“No problem Taemin. I know exactly what hotel you’re staying at.”

“You do?!”

“Yeah. Cause I’m staying there too.” He smiled.

As we walked, there weren’t many words shared between us. He tried to start a conversation but every time I only answered in short simple ways. I didn’t know what to say and really there wasn’t much in my memory to speak of.

“I-I don’t know you, do I?” I finally asked after looking at his face for the thousandth time.

“No, I don’t think so.” He chuckled. “Think I’d remember someone as handsome as you. Why?”

“Nothing. It’s just I been having a hard time thinking things through I guess you can say. I just thought-“ But then I stopped.

I turned my body in front of a decent sized bakery. It had a pink embroidery with a black door and other black accents. Their sign hung above us but when I stepped back to try and read it, all the letters began to mix back up. I squeezed my eyes closer together but it didn’t seem to help.

“Taemin?” Minho called. “Taemin, something wrong?”

I pointed up towards the sign.

“What does that say?”

“The sign?”

“Yeah.”

He stepped back with me and tilted his head upwards.

“Luna’s Night Treats.”

The name echoed in my head until I repeated them on my lips.

“Luna’s…”

****

There he was again. The black silhouette of the man. He stood at the door of Luna’s Night Treats and held his hand out towards me.

“My favorite place.” He chuckled.

Then it flashed to where we were sitting down together at one of the booths. I was smiling at him. He reached his hand over to mines and intertwined his black silhouetted fingers with my soft pale skin and with his other free hand, he gently patted me on the back.

“Whenever you need me. You know where to find me.”

****

Without thinking, I left Minho on the sidewalk and ran into the bakery. My heart was racing, adrenaline coursing through my vines. My chest heaved up and down, in and out.

“K-Kai!” I yelled.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at me in surprise. Some looked at me in a crazy fashion, others turned up their noses. Even the employees stopped what they were doing to see what all the commotion was about.

I wanted to yell his name out again, but my lips wouldn’t move. I simply looked about the bakery. But what was I searching for? I didn’t remember what the man looked like or who he was. Why had I burst out, calling his name like I needed him? The moment had come and gone and was now a stranger to me. For just a second, I felt so passionate about seeing him as if it was going to mean the world to me, but just like that, the feeling had disappeared.

I heard Minho run into the bakery and he walked in front of me, taking my view off and everyone else and likewise for them on me. He touched my shoulder in a panic and tilted his head to see my face as I looked towards the floor.

“H-Hey, what’s wrong? Are you in trouble or something?” He asked in such a rushed tone.

I heard the crackling of the sky and immediately a large bombing sound of thunder hit followed along with it. For a second, the sky lit up forming a streak of lightening. And just like that, the rain had returned.

“Hey, are you okay?” He repeated. “Did you see something?”

I turned around towards a window where a booth sat and just like a habit, I dug into my pocket and pulled out the chain. Laying it on my palm, I tilted my head upwards and looked across to the booth and could once again see the black silhouette of the man as he put his hand up to the window and watched the rain. I could feel the sting of my eye from the tear that was beginning to form.

“Taemin? Did you see something?”

I balled my fist into the chain and stuffed it back into my pocket. Like a remote, the silhouette slowly faded away as well.

“Nothing that makes sense.”

“Well, are you okay?” He asked.

I closed my eyes to slow down my pounding heart.

“I’ll be fine.” I lied.

“I’ll be fine.”

Would you like me to keep posting long chapters like this? Or Shorter?