Guardian Angel (Revision)

Chapter Two

     Creeping slowly inside the house, I close the door, trying not to make a sound. We hung out at the hotel and then shot off some fireworks in the woods, the butterflies never leaving my body as I felt Jungkooks eyes on me. It's eleven at night, and I know Tim and Stephanie would ring my ass if they caught me not in my work uniform, knowing I lied to them. I lock the door behind me, taking off my shoes and tiptoeing past the open kitchen and dining room, heading into the living room. The large windows starting from the bottom reaching to the top shows the garden beyond, the lights showing the bright colors of various flowers, the bright pinks clashing with the dark reds and purples, the walkway dark, but I know the pathway by heart. The garden leads to a maze, Tim and Stephanie built it in their prime years, hunting each other, as they would say to the little ones who ask about it. The gleam in their eyes made me want to vomit, but I've come to find the maze and the garden a safe place. I've learned every in and out of the maze, every dead end, and ever turn, in case they decide to hunt me one day in that maze. 

    As I turn to go up the spiraling stairs case to the bedrooms upstairs, the sound of knocking makes me freeze in my tracks. I stop breathing, concentrating on the sounds, the quiet of the house making me feel uneasy. I try and settle my racing heart, taking deep breaths, about to move again when the knocking starts, from behind me. I spin around, staring into the windows, my heart beating wildly in my ears. I look at each window, trying to find the source of the knocking. The lights in the garden and maze are now turned off, not being able to see anything past the windows. I inch closer, my eyes darting around the large living room, the hairs on my neck standing up. I reach the window, not sure what I'm wanting to see or not see, but just as I feel my heart settle down, the lights of the garden and maze turn on, and I swallow a scream that tries to escape my lips. A tall dark figure stands on the other side of the window, a black mask covering his face and a black hoodie covering his head. I step back, crashing into the lamp on the table near the couch, the lamp crashing to the ground and splintering into pieces. 

   The fear that courses through me makes me stop as I cover my mouth, my eyes tearing up, unsure if I'm more afraid of the masked person, or what Tim and Stephanie will do that I've probably woken them up and broke something expensive. The masked person tilts their head to the side, as if he's inspecting me, his hands reaching out of his pockets and slamming them into the window, making me gasp and jump. I want to turn and run, but it's as if I'm glued to the floor, and stuck in a trance. I try to turn away but I can't, making me want to cry out and scream, but I stay silent. The hands are large, as if they're man hands. The masked figure takes his hands off the glass and places them in his hoodie pocket, pulling out a knife that glints in the light. As I open my mouth to scream, I blink and the masked man is gone. 

    My heart beats out of my chest, afraid I'm about to have a heartache from being so scared. As I look around frantically, dropping my shoes and stepping on a shard of glass, I hear loud footsteps above me, stomping towards the staircase, and my stomach drops to the floor. 

Fuck fuck fuck FUCK!

     I can't escape them now, as I watch Tim and Stephanie race down the stairs, Stephanie in a lavender silk robe and Tim in his boxers, anger written across their faces as they look at the broken lamp and my shaken state. 

    "You're drunk aren't you? I mean, that's the only reasonable explanation for why my lamp is shattered on the fucking ground, and why you're shaking like a druggie!"

   Stephanie spits her words in my face as she inches closer to me, nose to nose, but I turn my head to the side, not wanting to smell her vodka breath. A hand whips across my face, sending my head to the other side and a stinging against my cheek. I bite the inside of my cheek, tasting copper as I stare at them, not wanting to be beaten anymore after their last punishment still etched onto my skin.