Alive

The Stranger In The Dark

The way the air felt as you ran through it, the way the trees almost formed in a way there was a path for me. Everything felt as if it was meant to be this way. You were homeless, due to losing your parents and had nothing but a few dollars worth of savings. Not enough to get a place to stay nothing.

So you had resorted to stealing. Food. The one thing you couldn't live without.

'Keep running, don't slow down' I told myself as my feet felt like they couldn't do much more. They felt weak and tired, yet you knew if you stoped they would catch you. They would put uiu in a place that you didn't belong.

"There she is!" A male yelled from behind me, the same one who had been chasing you for a few miles as you just kept running.

Gripping tighter on the bag of chips you kept running, taking a left and then a right with no one in sight. Coming to a halt you looked around seeing nothingness but trees around you, knowing I was lost.

"Well I guess I'm staying out here for tonight" you spoke to yourself trying to calm your nerves.

Finding a spot against a tree you slowly sat down and opened the bag of chips setting them next to you before plopping one into your mouth, letting the taste of salt envelop my tongue. The taste enough to make my mouth water for more, one after another I ate until the bag was completely empty.

Looking into the bag you couldn't help but wish you stole more, or just a bigger bag; not that you had wanted to ever have to resort to that but what options did you have in the moment. Feeling the growling in your stomach you closed my eyes, even though it was less than before it still was enough to bother you .

The same thing kept replaying over and over in your mind, the faces that my parents made when you told them you didn't get into the collage in America, the one they wanted you to go to. Had been pressing on me since you were a little girl. Your thoughts interrupted when you could hear a voice coming from in front of you.

"What are you doing out so late" The male spoke.

Opening your eyes and looking up slightly, you were met with a pair of cold dark eyes. Almost as if they were gleaming into yours soul. Nice kept mid-length hair as well as a dark black hoodie, followed by loose fitting black jeans. Over all he looked like a thug, someone who would take my money, thats if you had anything so you figured you had nothing to loose.

"I lost my way." You spoke softly, not wanting to revile so many details.

He was quiet for a moment, glaring down at me before he finally spoke again. His voice deep and mysterious-like. "Do you have a place to sleep tonight?" He asked bluntly, with no concept of personal information.

Not daring to look him in the eyes, you couldn't help but feel my heart race for a moment. Afraid that this was one of the moments from a movie where the girl gets kidnapped and killed, yet at the same time. What did you have to loose?

Looking back towards the male once again, you could almost see something shift in his eyes as you shook my head in response.

"You can stay with me until you're back on your feet. I have to much room in my apartment anyways." His tone catching you off guard, he didn't sound like he was mocking you in anyway. He sounded genuine.

Standing up for a moment I you couldn't help but admire him as the moonlight shined off of his skin, revealing how truly attractive he was. "Why would you let a random, homeless, stranger into your home. For all you know I could be pretending and kill you in your sleep." You stated as you crossed your arms.

Seeing him take a step away, it almost looked like he was debating on leaving before; in one fell swoop you could see his jacket come off before feeling a warmth on your shoulders.

The scent of whisky and smoke, a scent you never knew you needed in your life. Taking a moment to envelope in the warmth radiating from the jacket you couldn't help but feel a rush of color come to your cheeks.

"Because, you are like a lost treasure that was waiting for me to find it. Or so thats what I believe." His voice finding a new tone as well as a new soft spot within my heart. "Now you can come with me or let some other random stranger find you, I don't think they will have as good intents as I do though."

Holding your breath for a moment you could see his body moving father away as his back was facing you, growing further away.

"Wait!" You yelled out without thinking, before seeing him halt as his eyes met yours once again. "I'll come, but I won't stay long enough to be a burden." You spoke quickly and could see a half smile come from his lips.

"Hurry up, it will be a longer walk if we wait" He replied and continued to walk.

He seamed to know his way through the forest as you arrived back on the street where you started within about a half hour, you still didn't know how you had managed to become so lost. Or how he found you with ease. Unless he was also wondering mindlessly, trying to get something out of his mind.

"I never asked. What is your name?" You spoke softly as your steps fell into line with one another's.

Once again silence fell between the two of us, leaving you to listen to other peoples conversations as we passed by.

"Lim Jaebeom" he spoke coldly, not bothering me even a slight glance. "What's your's?" He asked after letting a few more moments of silence pass.

"Lee Iseul." You spoke back, not daring to take even the slightest peak at what his expression was.

The conversation, which you hoped would have lasted longer; went quiet once again. Yet this time it felt as if it was a conferrable silence. After a few more minutes passed you could see him stop in his tracks, looking towards him you could see he was looking at a building in front of us.

Looking up the building was wide as well as tall, it must had gone up at least twenty stories for it felt like it never ended as your eyes glazed by. The countless big windows and the grey colored concrete. Everything about it felt expensive and yet he didn't seam to look the part.

"You live here?" You asked trying not to sound too judgmental based off of his looks. For all you knew he could be a millionaire, or yet he could be homeless just like you and trying to show off.

"I do" he spoke as he walked towards the front door opening it with ease as the two of you walked past the two guards that were standing in the inside of the building. Walking towards the elevator you entered before falling into a silence once again.

You could tell his social skills were questionable, for he didn't seam to want to keep a conversation for long or maybe he wasn't used to have to trying so hard with people. Maybe he wasn't the one who normally did the talking?

After a five minute ride on the elevator you got off and headed straight, to a single door with no others within the hall. As he opened the door with a key yet you couldn't help but feel nervous for the changes to your life that would be coming, hoping you made the right decision about following him as you hoped.

Following the male you could see a short hallway the seamed to enter into a larger room, as you entered you could see a piano next to some of the big windows and to the left a kitchen. Although it wasn't as big as you assumed it was, it was still much larger than anything you had seen before. The cabinets all black as the counters were white marble, with an island in the middle with a few stools that stood, waiting to be sat on.

"You hungry?" He asked as he saw you eyeing the kitchen.

Feeling how empty your stomach was from the unfuffiling chips you had eaten earlier, you quickly nodded your head. "Yes, I haven't eaten much today." You spoke as you saw him make his way towards the fridge.

"Have a seat, I'll make something quick that will fill you up" He spoke, opening the fridge and pulling out some ingredients the main one being a pack of noodles. "I hope ramen is to your liking" He added before continuing to grab the rest of the things he needed.

As he cooked, you couldn't help but watch. Seeing how gracefully he moved through the kitchen as if he had done it a thousand times over and over again. His every move calculated to a point.