Deal with Him | Lee Heeseung

11-Wake up or don't

Things returned to normality; Evelyn went to University, Heeseung followed, and so another week went by. With the help of some medicine and calmness, the migraines disappeared as January reached its middle.

The night is still long and the evening coffee still hot. Today, Heeseung was not with her at college and only the Devil knows what he has been doing, for she doesn’t. Crunching snow under her chunky boots, the old house begins to come in sight and, fixing her winter cap, her steps get louder and hurried.

She discovered, in the course of her alone day, that it is rather pleasant to have someone to walk with in the winter’s weather.

However, she can manage it herself just as efficient and even more, for she arrives far earlier than she would when she is with Heeseung. Two clicks and a turn of key open her house, warm but as inhospitable as ever.

The space is not completely unlit, some natural light still sneaks between the shutters—and in her benefit; she doesn’t yet bother to turn the switch on as she takes off her scarf and winter cap and furthers slowly into the lobby. Heeseung is still gone.

No loud greetings, no surprise hugs—peace for once. Peace, of course.

It is not late enough to not actually see, and if she can postpone turning the light on, she will. So, after freeing herself from the coat and the bag full of sheet music, she walks towards the living room, neglecting the blinding sparks a bit more.

The air feels cosy itself. And so does the couch which she falls into like it's a cloud, releasing a satisfied breath.
In front of her, the plain walls and the thrilling simplicity of her life welcome her. It has been so much time since she hasn’t actually relaxed inside the warmness of her home.

Oh.

The painting looks funny; it’s that landscape of an October wilted park she painted three years ago. She remembers the soft wind, the light sway of brown leaves and the whole chilly air that moved about, but she doesn’t remember it actually moving.

Evelyn narrows her eyes and carefully draws her head closer and closer to her piece of art. The shadowy space makes it almost impossible for her eyes to detect what is truly going on, so she moves her head even nearer.

Her picture becomes the sole attention of her eyes, so absorbed that when she blinks her eyes again she flinches back, like she’s broken from a dream—one silently scary dream. Her body recoils in fright at the sight of the leaves in the trees palpably moving. It must not be her brain now, it cannot be.

Sharply, a whimper and a half-shriek escape her mouth when she hears a faint, muffled voice calling her name from nowhere. Whatever called, it is not the voice she heard in the shower.

The blood freezes in her veins as she wails softly, terror stopping her in her tracks. One call was enough to make her run out, tripping on her feet as the panic wanted to numb her limbs.

Panting, running and almost sobbing, she feels like she is rather flying as her boots hit the floors, feet begging to get her at the front door. She gets so close to the exit as to almost grab the front door’s handle, but her upper arm is yanked back. She lets out an ear-bleeding scream of terror.

“Shhh, it’s me,” the voice sooths near her ear and with wide eyes and a shaky body, she turns her head around to see Heeseung with his always-composed face.

As she looks at him, trying to make out anything out of all that is happening, her upper lip wets with hot liquid. Evelyn lifts her hand unsurely while her gaze doesn’t lose the boy’s.

Her fingers stain red then ascend to feel her runny nose. The light that she neglected turns on, leaving them both to stare at the blood on her fingers.