When I was a kid, I thought there were monsters lurking in the dark.

Of course, like any other kid, I made my parents check under my bed, inside the closet, and behind the curtains. To my avail, there was nothing, and while that may have reassured any other child that was my age, it only made me more afraid. My wild imagination conjured up theories that these monsters were more dangerous than I had ever imagined.

But, like any other kid, I grew up, and the monsters under my bed became high schoolers.

"Come on, Jieun," my best friend complains. My heels digging into the dirt is the only thing stopping the boy from dragging me into the large house. "You did not put on those heels to wait in the car."

"Alright, I'm going, I'm going," I say, dodging a drunk couple that stagger down the long-stretched driveway. "But are you sure? Last time we went to a party, your mom found you passed out naked in the kitchen."

"Eh. I'll get over it eventually, after a lot of therapy."

I take a peek at my companion. His black hair is curled in celebration of the party, and his monotone but fashionable black outfit is pristine against his golden skin, highlighting his dark doe eyes - a combination intended to pick up girls, I'm sure. Not that he has to try hard.

Jungkook and I have been friends for as long as I can remember. Since elementary school, we have been by each other's side, joined at the hip. It's not like we never branched out—we have our own groups to go to when we're sick of each other—but in the end, we find comfort in each other's presence.

However, high school changed the both of us. Jungkook entered his rebellious phase, which his parents never say a word about, but I just know he sneaks out of the house at night and gets into all sorts of trouble. I can see it in the way he wears more clothes when he's hurt, covers up his limp by walking faster, and winces when I playfully nudge him.

My transformation was more of an eye-opener to the world of boys. I convinced myself back in my first year of high school that I was in love with a certain man, but it wasn't love, it was more of an amplified crush.

Yet, it still stings when I think about him sometimes.

The large house the party is held at looms proudly on the top of a cliff, flanked by dozens of oak trees. The music is so loud that I can feel the ground vibrating underneath my feet as I step into the jungle of teenagers moving about. The clipped, manicured lawn is cluttered with red solo cups and toilet paper; the windows are reflecting the various colors from the strobe lights inside; and dozens of drunk teenagers are stumbling about, their drinks sploshing everytime they lurch forward. The bass syncs with my heartbeat and they're at the same tempo until I see a certain boy meet my eyes and my heart drops.

Kim Taehyung.

God, the one person I don't want to see.

The silver of his hair glows in the strobe lights, as if someone's dumped a pail of metallic paint over his head. As per usual, he's stunning in an interesting combo of a loose floral-patterned shirt and tight jeans. Even the chaotic light flashes seem to caress the outline of his form lovingly as he looks at me.

He excuses himself from his current conversation at the kitchen counter and strides over to where I am with Jungkook. I tug at Jungkook's arm, trying to escape the situation, but Taehyung has me trapped. Deep, passionate eyes peer into mine, and although I don't see his boxy lips moving, I can hear his voice ringing in my ears.

His deep, smooth, buttery voice.

"What are you doing here?"

It comes out accusatory, like I'm some intruder. His eyes narrow in the slightest and it sends a shudder down my spine. Ever since I asked him out and got rejected, he doesn't exactly appreciate my presence anymore.

Kim Taehyung is a breathtakingly beautiful man, but the Devil himself hid behind white-feathered wings until he fell from grace.

To think that we were friends a summer ago.

We weren't exactly close, but falling in love with Kim Taehyung was just as easy as taking a breath. Well, I guess him rejecting me was just as easy, too.

I'm over it.

"Lay off, Taehyung," Jungkook warns. "It's a class party."

I tug Jungkook's arm, trying to pull him away from the tension. "Come on, Kook, let's just go."

Taehyung looks down at me, dark eyes calculating my actions. "I'm hoping you're not here because I am. I don't want you to have any false hope."

Excuse me?

My stomach roils and my face feels hot from all the blood rushing to my cheeks. My mind has to replay those words because I can't believe that they even came from him. God, is he always this self-centered? Does he think that I'll hold onto a silly little crush?

Jungkook's biceps flex from under the short sleeves of his white shirt, and I grab his arm to keep him from lunging at Taehyung.

"You're pathetic." I shake my head at Taehyung and anyone can tell I'm seething with anger. "Hurry up and realize that not everything is about you."

Taehyung pauses, fire in his eyes. His eyes darken and instead of talking back, his jaw tightens and he just storms away, heading for the back door.

"What's his problem?" Jungkook huffs. "My mom's chiller than him, and that's saying a lot."

I can't shake the anger off, but I don't want to ruin Jungkook's night. "You know what," I say. "I'm gonna get some fresh air. I'll be right back."

"You sure you don't want me to come with you?"

"It's nothing. I'll be back in five minutes."

Before he can say anything else, I turn on my heel and head out the door. There are still drunk teenagers screaming the words to the pounding music, but I ignore them and circle around the side of the house. There's a cluster of trees in the back and it looks like the perfect place to clear my head.

Secluded. Quiet.

Away from the suffocating ruckus and warring teenage hormones.

It's surprisingly tranquil. Among the whispers of the trees and the crashing of the waves below the cliff's edge, there's a calming ambiance. I always wondered why anyone would want to live on a cliff because it seems so dangerous, but the beauty of nature prevails over that. And with the spiraling staircase leading down to the ocean, it's like a safe haven.

A voice comes from the clearing near the cliff's edge, "We were fine until you ruined everything!"

Oh god, it's probably a drunk couple.

"You're weak," comes another voice. "If I push you right now, you couldn't even save yourself."

Oh.

I wander toward the voices, listening to the uneasiness in me warning that those words are dangerous.

When the two arguing figures come into view, just black blurs in the dim light, my mouth runs dry.

They're so close to the cliff edge—far too close for that to be an unrealistic threat.

On a normal basis I wouldn't interfere with what seems to be a personal problem between the two, but their distance from the scary drop makes my nerves fringe at the seams.

I push myself forward, heading toward the clearing. These people are not in the right state of mind and I am not about to witness a homicide without taking any effort to prevent it.

"Hey, stop!" I yell, running up to the two.

Red eyes.

It's the first thing I see.

It's dark, but I can see their features glowing under the moonlight. The two figures are facing me and their red eyes are like cutting through me like a knife to cloth. Every part of my brain is telling me to start running, but those red eyes have me immobilized. And are those... claws?

One of them holds a hand out, trying to keep the other one at bay. "Run—"

The other lunges so fast that I don't even have time to blink. I feel a tearing in my abdomen and I'm met with the calm before the storm. A high-frequency sound rings in my ears, paired with the drumming of my own heartbeat as I process what just happened. The shortest of gasps escapes my lips before it's replaced with a blood-curdling scream.

I don't realize I'm on the ground until I can taste the dirt. The beast on top of me is snarling at my ear, its claws buried in my stomach. The pain is so unbearable that I can't even scream. It's like something in my head is plucking a nerve, letting my head cloud over in excruciating pain.

"Stop!" the other one cries. "She's a human!"

I'm going to die, I think, and frankly, that would be a better fate than suffering through this.

The monster looks into my eyes, and I'm consumed by red. I can't see anything else. It's like my blood, seeping out of my body and onto the dirt. He finally releases his grip on me and my head spins when his claws retract.

I try to open my mouth to curse out but all that comes out is a gurgle and a cough of blood and splatters into my palm.

"I'll be back," the monster growls to the other person and I can hear him running away.

It feels like the world is disappearing. I see the other person stand over me, and I just want to hurry up and die before he tries to kill me next. Then, I'm fading like a broken light, flickering over the line between life and death.

As I lay limp, helplessly gasping for breaths that would never come, I can only think about the monsters from my childhood.

Mom, Dad, the monsters are real.

They're not the dopey-looking cartoon characters. They're clawing through me, eviscerating my body from the inside out. They're far more dangerous than I had ever imagined.

One second I'm in pain, still, unmoving. The next second the pain is gone and I'm at complete ease, still, unmoving.

And the lights go out.

[A/N]
Heyo, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Surprisingly, it didn't take very long for me to write it, but that could also be because I was procrastinating on everything else that's going on in my life. Love y'all! - Alice