Dictionaries define the word strange as that which is not normal and out of the ordinary. But that definition assumes one would know what normalcy is. Clearly not something a five-year-old boy would understand given the fact that children tend to believe their experience is common to everyone else's.

Young Kim Taehyung making friends with a boy from the other side was thus anything but strange to him.

The other side of what, you wonder? The street? The town? Grown-ups did not bother to ask, deeming the information irrelevant and not worthy of their already very preoccupied minds. An imaginary friend, no doubt, is what they all assumed. After all, Taehyung did have a lot of imagination.

Had they paid attention, however, they would have noticed the details used to describe said friend were unusually elaborate, and numerous. Black hair. Bunny teeth. A scar on his left cheek. And big sparkly eyes.

"What is his name?" someone finally asked.

"I don't know. I cannot hear him. But I think he can hear me."

"Oh. So how do you communicate?"

"We sign."

Thumbs up for very good, when Taehyung showed him the uniform he wore on his first day of school.

Arms wrapped around his own self, be safe out there, when he left in the morning.

Fingers opening and closing to ask him to keep a light on at night.

And a hand pressed on his temple before pointing at the boy: you're always on my mind.

It never occurred to Taehyung to ask what he did during the day, when he was gone. Nor to question the fact that the boy grew older as he himself turned into an awkward teen.

"I have a date tonight. How do I look?"

Two thumbs up followed by a shrug. You look good but I don't know what you mean by 'date'.

"I'm going out to meet someone. We might go see a movie or something."

Fits up, shaking with excitement. Have fun!

"Thanks! I promise you'll be the first to know if ... anything else happens."

Like what?

"I don't know. Like a kiss."

A pause. Fading elation. Wait.

But Taehyung had turned around already. "Gotta hurry or I'll be late!" he shouted as he ran out the door.

Light! Light!

"Oh right. I almost forgot." Taehyung did not need night lights to sleep, but his friend still did. It did look very dark on the other side.

Thank you.

But Taehyung had left by then.

The teen grew busy. His life widened. His days swelled with activities, studies, and aches characteristic of youth. And his absences stretched.

One evening, the night lights stopped gleaming in the dark.

The coup de grâce came the day Taehyung left for college. "I've been called crazy because of you, you know? I was fourteen when I quit mentioning you because I did not like the doctor my parents took me to. Told me you're not real. Said it was normal for kids to have imaginary friends, but past 12 years old, it was an issue. What was I supposed to do? Bring them here? You always hide when there are people around. No one would have believed me."

Palms up, mouth slightly gaping, doe eyes pleading. What would you have me do?

"There's nothing you can do I guess. You're stuck in there. Wherever that is. My head perhaps?"

A violent head shake. No. Not in your head.

"Prove me you're real."

How?

"I have no idea. Free yourself?"

Both hands dropped by the boy's sides.

"So you're giving up, huh." He sighed deeply. "I'm leaving today by the way. Don't know when I'll be back. Maybe you can think of something while I'm gone."

Fingers lifted, pressing on the side of his forehead and then his heart before pointing at him. You're always on my mind, and in my heart.

"Whatever."

A week later, Taehyung got a call from his mother. "You remember that looking-glass you've had since you were a boy? The one you forbade me to ever throw away?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"I'm not sure what happened but I found it shattered on the floor today. Which is very strange because no one went into your room since you left."

Something jumped inside Taehyung's chest. "It's broken?"

"Into a thousand pieces," she specified. "I'm sorry. I know how much it meant to you."

"Can you keep them, please? The glass pieces I mean."

"What? Why? You can't possibly think of gluing them back together."

"Just keep them for me. And not in some dark corner of the house. He hates the shadow."

Taehyung was ready to argue with his mum who, he could tell, was not going to grant his request without some solid justification when he heard steady knocks on his door. But not the kind that indicate the presence of someone waiting outside to be let in.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Unending knocks. The likes of which Taehyung had never heard before. "Who is it?" he tried.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

His dorm room what three floors up. Jumping out of the window would likely not end well.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Perhaps he should call campus security.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Or he could just open the door and meet his fate. Whatever it was. Hopefully a prank. Halloween was just around the corner after all.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Kno-

"Alright, what is it?" he yelled, more to give himself courage than to sound exasperated.

Doe eyes. Toothy grin. And bloody scars of all over his face. A wounded hand, pressing on his chest.

It's me.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

This is the story I submitted to the fourth flash fiction competition hosted by Authors Unite last month. The prompt was simply: Halloween.

I share it here, in drabbles, in case someone wants to expand on it. Truth be told, I'm curious about JK's point of view. What about you?