Encounter the Fifth

I can’t believe I’m doing this. I must be asking to be murdered in my sleep, she thought in frustration. Surely, she was a madwoman, running after her would-be serial killer as though she truly cared what happened to his creepy, long-haired, aggravating, deep-voiced, grey-eyed, sexy… DAMNIT!

Nevertheless, Juri found herself standing in front of the dark, wooden door of an upperclass condo, rapping her knuckles against the barrier in order to call the attention of its secluded resident. Inside, she heard footsteps.

For three weeks now, he had cancelled class with no explanation but a ‘family illness’. Her classmates were curious, at the least; those who knew the grey-eyed teacher better were worried to the point of paranoia. After hearing three weeks worth of complaints, gossip, moaning, and nail-biting, Juri had become fed up and simply looked up his address, taking the bus through the city streets and arriving at the high-rise condo with the feeling of irritated surprise; why did it seem suiting that he lived in a place like this? She had climbed the stairs and lost her nerve with every step, until she was wondering what the hell was wrong with her upon reaching the closed doorway that read 302.

Wasn’t she the one being stalked by him? Wasn’t he the one taking the bus with her, following her through the city, teaching her history class? Wasn’t he the creepy man with the sword who smiled with such self-assurance while holding that gleaming blade? So why was she the one coming to see him?

Run, Run Now.

Unfortunately, it was at that moment the door opened before her.

“…Juri? What are you doing here?”

He looked disheveled, his black hair released from its normal ponytail and tangled as though he had been sleeping. His grey eyes were sunken with exhaustion, dark circles making him look stern and half-awake, and for once they looked dull in the light. His mouth was but a thin line, skin pale and cheeks gaunt.

She was shocked, her jaw working for a reply as she stared at him, “You… you’ve been out for so long, everyone was getting worried, so I… Are you alright?”

Without answering, he moved back from the doorway and motioned her in; she obeyed wordlessly, watching as he shut the door behind her. She found herself in a spacious living room with a small kitchen to her right and a hallway stretching out to her left with a handful of open doors.

“Would you like some hot chocolate? I was just boiling some water as it was.”

“I-I… Okay.” Wordlessly, he shuffled away from the door and into the kitchen, tending to a pot with steam whistling through the top. She realized, as she stood there, that he had yet to smile once.

He returned shortly with two mugs, handing her her own drink and motioning her to come sit on one of the two sofas that rested perpendicular to one another, facing the large windows on the western end of the room that, had it still been light out, would have allowed the daylight to stream in. Now, thick black curtains were drawn over most of the glass.

“I apologize if you came all the way down here just to check on my health. I assure you, I am fine,” he said quietly, taking a long sip of what she assumed was coffee. He looked like he needed the caffinated beverage at that moment.

“You don’t look all that fine,” she admonished, eyeing him skeptically.

“Ah, well, that’s…”

“Daddy?”

Both looked up at the same time, towards the hallway that had led to the other parts of the condo. A little girl stood there, one hand resting on the wall while the other grasped a blanket, thick brown hair tangled much like the man Juri sat beside. She looked far sicker than he, small eyes blood-shot and faded, cheeks sunken, skin ashen until it was almost gray. Just standing there, she looked like she might collapse. Almost instantly, he was on his feet.

“Mari, you should be in bed. You’re not well, little bird.” He reached her in three long strides, bending low to feel her forehead. A frown creased his forehead. ”Another fever… Alright, come on little girl, back to bed.” He picked her up gently, as though she were the most fragile object, holding the child to his chest soothingly and retreating down the hallway. When he returned several moments later, he looked even more worn down. “I’m sorry about this. She’s had pnuemonia, but she’s having a hard time fighting it. We’ve already been to the hospital more times than I can count; I have to break her fever before it gets worse, so I can’t sit and talk–”

“I’ll do it,” Juri heard herself blurt out. She was rewarded by the first expression of confusion and surprise she had ever seen on his face.

“That’s not–”

“You’re about to pass out, I can tell just from looking at you. You go lay down, I’ll take care of her fever. I grew up with three younger sisters, this will be nothing.” She rose as she spoke, taking him by the hand and pulling him down the hall towards what she assumed must have been his bedroom. When he moved to protest once again, she jabbed him sharply in the ribs with a finger. “How can you take care of a little girl if you can’t take care of yourself?” She left him standing there gawking after her and retreated into his daughters room. The child had already fallen back into an unsettling sleep, making Juri’s job that much easier.

An hour later, her hands cold with the feeling of ice water and Mari’s temperature obliterated, she smirked at the image of the dark-haired man fast asleep on his mattress. For once, she had won the battle against him.

~ by eeratka on November 11, 2007.