The New RFA

Hide and Seek

"Areum. Come on now, sweetheart... You know you can't hide from me," Iseul said through the phone as she ran through the woods, pushing her way through branches as she makes her way back home. She was panting and her heart was pounding in her chest, as if it were trying to escape the fate Areum knew she'd inevitably meet.

"No! Leave me alone, Iseul. I don't want to play your game," Areum said, her voice falling into a whisper as her breathing took over, needing more air as she spoke. Iseul was following her and she knew he was close. Calling her and letting his unbearably calm voice reach her ears was almost torture as her heart began to feel like it'd jump out of her throat. Horror took over her entire being as her boyfriend spoke again.

"Oh? You don't? Hmm... That's an inconvenient. You see, my dear, you don't exactly have a choice. There can only be one real winner in this game and if I find you, you'll have to pay the conciquence. Now, be a good girl and hide while I give you some time. I'll make this fair and give myself only three guesses to where you hid. I'll leave you alone then and only then. Go on while I'm feeling generous... I can see you," Iseul said, piercing Areum's heart with a freezing chill as he said the last words. If he could see her, that meant he could find her. She sprinted into her house quickly, trying to make turns and blocking Iseul's own path as she ran.

She couldn't have him find her. He'll do something to her, she knows he will! He's become dangerous and even she could see that person is not her Iseul anymore. He's only a shell of his former self. A ghost that walks in a body suit. He's turned into a monster, if the injuries he had caused to her not too long ago wasn't enough to tell.

She ducked past trees, pushing any type of debris into the trail so he wouldn't be able to follow her as easily. "Areum, why are you being so bad? I'm being fair. Once we make it to your destination, I'll turn around and close my eyes. I won't watch as you look for your perfect hiding place,"

"Iseul, I told you! I don't want to play! Leave me alone!" She shouted through the phone as she ran even faster, her legs beginning to grow numb from the biting cold that's slapping against them. Her face growing warm ufrom the ungodly amount of excersize and her eyes growing heavy from fatigue along with it. How long had she been running, anyways?

"Don't make me angry. I love you but sometimes, you get on my nerves," He said, making it apparent he'd change the rules of the game if she continued to be defiant. Finally, Areum saw the light from her home, smiling as she opened the door and slammed it shut, locking it as she did. "Alright... I'm turning around. Hide now," Iseul said, his calm voice making her look at her phone in disgust.

Areum started to think of a hiding spot. She didn't have many places. She didn't have a basement or much furniture. She cursed st herself for choosing such s small home. She usually stayed with Jeaki whenever he picked her up from college. God, if Jeaki was here...

The attic seemed plausible but then again, it was cramped and she'd have no chance of escape if he found her. She needed to hide somewhere where she could easily run past him if he were to find her. She ran into her room, making sure not to turn on any lights as she entered rooms and surveyed the area. There was a bed, television stand and a closet.

The bed was an obvious choice and the television stand would not be able to hide her well at all. The closet was also obvious but... Did she have enough time to change from room to room? She shook her head, too scared to take any chances as she pulled herself in the closet and shut the door. After a few moments, Iseul's voice came through her phone. Did she even hang up?!

"Okay, love, I'm coming in," Areum hung up and powered off her phone, not wanting him to use it as a means to find her. She heard him open the front door of the house and began to concentrate on her breathing, trying her best to make it go quiet.

She was sweating from the fear and anxiety bubbling up inside her as she wished this would all be okay. Like when her father or mother used to pretend they were a monster trying to find her and, when they did, nothing happened and they were able to go on being a family when the game was finished.

Now, however, she knew that if Iseul found her, it would be game over. She couldn't imagine the stuff he'd do to her if she got found. All Areum could do now was cross her fingers and hope he used up his three guesses. Hope that she was faster than him when she ran.

"I'm coming in, Areum. There's no need to ask for permission, right?" Iseul said, throwing her words from the past right in her face. Areum had once said that to him but that was when she trusted him. That was when Iseul was her Iseul. That was when this boy was who she fell in love with. Now, he's a stranger, barging into her home and trying to figure out where she is to either kill her or do something worse.

Areum's breath hitched slightly when she heard the first creak of her own bedroom door opening. She quickly quieted herself before closing her eyes tightly, hoping that this was just a huge nightmare and she'd wake up to start an ordinary day. Her heart started pounding again, now from pure fear and adrenaline than from the pressure of running.

"Aw... You're not here..." He said as he knelt down and looked under the bed. He shook his head before he closed his eyes, obviously trying to think of another place. "Areum, you do know that I'm a selfish man, right? The love you gave me made me want it all for myself. I couldn't stand you dividing your love into sections of familial, friendship and romantic. All I want you to think about is me. You can hear me, right?"

Areum tried not to make any noise. She tried to keep her breathing quiet and her heart calm. She tried to not move one inch and keep a level head not to run at the first sight of him waking a little too closely to the closet.

"Think about it, Areum," Iseul started as he walked across the room, rummaging through her things. Areum knew he was looking for something specific, almost as if he's forgotten about the sick game he started. "All you'd have is me. All I'd have is you. Doesn't that sound nice? I think it does. I think it sounds really really good," Iseul said as he stopped going through her things and resumed the game.

Areum closed her eyes, knowing that he most likely knew she was in here. It was only a matter of time until he ran out of patience or got bored of toying with her. She was accepting it now, hoping and praying that her family and friends can find her before it's too late.

"Honey... Are you in the closet...?" Iseul asked, making Areum scream as he ripped open the doors to the closet, pulling her out by force and fighting as she thrashed and kicked around. "Stay still! If you keep fighting me, you'll be forced to go to sleep! We don't want that," Iseul said but Areum kept thrashing around, yelling and screaming as she did, only hoping that someone would hear her and call the police.

She knew that no matter what she did, Iseul would make her go to sleep. She knew that if she stopped, she'd have gone down without a fight and when has she ever done that? She bit him, punched him, kicked him, did anything she could to get away without causing too much damage to him but it was all in vain as he forced a bottle up to her lips. He made her drink it, causing her to feel tired almost automatically and calm down.

She laid on the floor, motionless as she looked up at him with heavy eyelids. He looked down at her, smiling a smile that she's never seen on him before. In that moment, she decided she hated that certain smile. A sickening smile that gave her the impression that he took pleasure in watching her suffer. That he took pleasure in sensing her horror.

My Iseul is dead... Isn't he...? Areum started to think as she closed her eyes, tears making its way out of her eyes as darkness began to swallow her whole.

A/N: Whew! That was a ride, wasn't it? Damn.