THE LIST

chapter 2

“who are you?” he asked, bringing me to realise he wasn’t from Qatar. His accent gave him away even before i examined his face, he was Korean. My eyes drove from the door to him. Chocolate brown eyes, a little bigger than most koreans, a perfect nose between his cheeks and his lips pale rosy.
Without saying a word i moved over to the windows and started closing the blinds.
“miss who are you?” he asked again. “please leave my house.”
My eyes examined the place once more. I couldn’t see what i was looking for, not on any part of the walls.
“where are they?” i asked him.
“who, what are you talking about?” he was in a clear state of confusion.
“the switches ?” i said as i looked up to the bulbs.
“huh...” he realised.
He pulled out a small remote and handed it to me. Without thought i took it and pressed the power button. Again i was surrounded by the same darkness as outside. Getting a lighter from the island of the kitchen that stood open to the living room i lit a lamp.
“i don’t who you are or what you want from me.” He said again. I moved over to the blinds.
“you don’t need to know who i am, i just need you to protect me.” I told him, “at least until they leave.”
“they who?” he sure had alot of questions but that was a given, the situation called for it.
“do you have a place to hide in here?” i asked as i examined the place one more time.
“you don’t expect me to hide a stranger from whatever or whoever is out there in my house.” He spoke. “ call the authorities, they can protect you.”
“they are the authorities.” I unconsciously said as i looked through the blinds. Darkness was all my eyes found.
“if you are a fugitive of the law then i suggest..”
“i cant leave.” I cut him short, i was sure he will ask me to go.
Then i will have to turn you in.” He simply said. Turn me in? Like he had an idea what i even did, or the hell i have been through.
“look i..”
The sudden knock on the door startled the both of us. This couldn’t be happening. Not to me. I could feel my stomach melt, it was possible they had surrounded the whole house. My gaze met his, the man before me. I saw him take a step and gripped him by the wrist again.
“if they find me, you are as good as dead.” I whispered.
“its you they want.” He whispered back.
“if they know you as much as know of my existence, or my death, you are gone. Its your decision to make.”
My eyes were fixed on his, hoping he could see my desperation, wanting him to understand that i needed to live no matter what.
He pulled his hand from mine and i felt all hope slip out of my fingers. It was over, the end of me was here.
Suddenly he took my wrist in his hands and pulled me to the hallway that had three doors and a shelf of books at the end of it. I followed him without question, my eyes growing wide as curiosity made its way in. At the shelf, we stopped, its not like we had anywhere to go, that was the end of the cottage, at least that was what i thought until i saw him pull the shelf open in the middle, it was a door.
Shocked, i was so surprised he could have an emergency room. It wasn’t elegant, it was just a small hallow box in a wall but it still worked for me. Without waiting for him to run me through the instructions i threw myself in.
“hold on!” he shouted when the knock came again then he shut the shelf closed.
I heard him walk away then it was silent. Heavy footsteps were what came next. Probably Enoch’s, Chief Commander Enoch as we always called him. A huge, white man with broad scary features. Everytime i stood infront of him, i was an ant, invisible.
“can i help you?” i heard the man ask, the voices where faint but i still could get them. I looked at my fingers, i was a reck, they were shivering so hard i thought they would knock against each other.
“We are looking for a young lady, twenty years of age, black in race, brown eyes, 1. 52 in height, 56 kilograms in weight. Curly neck length hair. She was last seen in green cargo pants and a black t-shirt.” He described me perfectly. He had to tell that i was black.
“what would a young lady be doing out here?” he young Korean asked.
“running away from us.” Enoch said.
“why? Who are you?” if only he could keep the conversation short, i thought.
“we are with the CIA. That girl is a criminal. Here, give me a call when you see her this way.”
What did he give him, my photo? His card?
“i will cooperate.” The Korean said.
The heavy footsteps loomed out of reach, for my eyes that is. But other footsteps where headed my way.
“stop.” I quickly said. Hoping Enoch and his gang had already gone.
“they are gone” i heard him say.
“not yet. You can open up after five minutes.”
I hoped he would listen and he did, he waited five minutes before allowing me out again.