ANL - mark lee

6

across the house, aeri was tossing and turning in her sleep as images of her family flashed through her dreams. sometimes it would be old  happy memories like her first time riding a bike or when they went to the zoo, but when she would turn to look back at her family all she was met with were blood stained faces and lifeless eyes.

after one especially terrifying nightmare aeri sat straight up in her bed. it took her a few moments to recognize her surroundings, but when she did her heart sunk. they weren't just bad dreams. this was her reality now. no family, just herself.

once she decided that sleep was no longer an option she slowly walked to the door and opened it only to be met with him. mark. his dark hair swept over his eyes as he closed the door behind him. she froze in place as she looked at the boy in front of her. his tough demeanor seemed to have disappeared as if his guard was down, but the moment they locked eyes he instantly stiffened.

aeri stood there silently, eyes never leaving his face as the boy stared back at her.

after a few seconds, that felt like years, he rolled his eyes and scoffed, "didn't your parents ever teach you it's rude to stare,"

"didn't yours ever teach you manners?" the words left aeri's mouth before she even thought about it.

"yes as a matter of a fact they did, but I do not need to use them on you," mark replied, leaning back against his door.

"you could be nicer to me ya know,"

"and why would i do that?" he challenged, taking a step towards her. aeri stood, frozen in silence.

"that's what I thought," he scoffed and turned on his heel, walking down the hallway. aeri remained in her doorway, shocked. nobody had ever spoke that way to her. she looked in the direction that he had turned to, curiousity striking her. without thinking, she followed in the same direction that mark had gone.

after she could see him again, she maintained a steady distance, not wanting to seem like she was following him. although she quite obviously was.

however, mark was very well aware that the girl was following him. the floorboards would creak from behind him and occasionally her shadow would be visible on the walls. after he had walked in circles for long enough, without getting rid of her the boy decided to play a small trick on the girl. he slightly sped up his pace and rounded a corner, quickly concealing himself in a doorway.

he watched as the girl quickly walked by his hiding place before walking up behind her.

"boo."

he smirked with amusement as the girl turned around, face filled with shock. her fist was raised as if she was ready to fight whoever was behind her. mark rolled his eyes, reaching up and lowering her fist to her side.

"I wouldn't do that sweetheart" he whispered in her ear. aeri stiffened as he brushed past her, walking down the hallway.

"sweetheart?"  she scoffed to herself, looking back over her shoulder, watching as the boy walked out of sight.

why is he such an ass? she thought to herself. a loud crash from down the hall interrupted her thoughts and she curiously followed it.

she stood outside the door, that she remembered to be the entrance to the kitchen, pressing her ear against the door to listen inside.

"chenle if anyone heard that we are absolutely dead"

"chill out jisung, nobody would hear that, everyone is asleep,"

"yeah! like we should be. I don't know why I needed to get dragged along into your midnight snack," the second voice, who she assumed to be jisung, whined.