Past 9pm

Byeol checked herself in the mirror for the third time. Satisfied with what she saw; a black turtle-neck on denim skirt and a dog print loafer, she smacked the lip gloss on her lips.

“Going out?” Hana, an African-American who was studying on a full-time scholarship and her roommate piped up from the book she was reading. The room had to be the smallest in the dorm, but Byeol couldn’t complain. She was admitted late from the waiting list and she was more than grateful to leave her place in South Korea for this opportunity.

“Not very far,” her accent was thick with a drawl, “I’m meeting someone outside.” Byeol replied, bent over by the mirror.

“A guy?”

“Yeah.”

“You know him?”

Byeol did not reply for a while until, “Well, we have been talking for a while now. Met him on TruChat.”

Hana sat up, her dark brows pulled down in confusion, “How long is a while?”

“A week or two? I can’t remember.”

Hana’s head tilted, “Just be very careful. I say turn on your location so I know where you are.”

Byeol seemed to contemplate the idea and then shrugged, giving her phone to Hana.

“How far outside?”

“The gate. We’ll just talk in his car.”
“Okay. Just be careful.” Hana passed back the phone and Byeol nodded absentmindedly, trying to fit the plus-sized iPhone into her clutch.

With a bye, she left and shut the door missing the tensed look on Hana’s face.

Henry sat on the single sofa chair right beside the security booth. There were still students loitering about the premises. The wall clock said it was 9pm. Henry sighed heavily; his mind occupied with the argument that happened earlier on in the day with his girlfriend that led to her ‘temporarily’ breaking it off with him. He scratched his head, a mop of curly and still wet hair from the shower.

The light breeze sent a shiver down his spine. Soon, the semester would be over and he can go back to his home in Texas. He missed the pig farm and his nephew. He silently wondered how his grandfather was doing. A shadow fell on him and just as quickly it left. A girl in turtle neck and a jean skirt appeared in front of him seconds later, walking ahead and looking around. He watched as headlights flashed. It was a Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe parked on the other side of the road close to the flower beds.

Henry looked at the clock again, it was twenty minutes passed 9pm.

“Well, I hope he doesn’t stay long enough to get a ticket.”

Henry took another look around before he reached for the comic he had been reading earlier before his girlfriend called. Time passed slowly and he lifted his eyes again. The number of students had reduced drastically but the car was still there. And it was…moving.

Henry rolled his eyes, “Fucking get a room.” He grumbled.

The sound of a bell and a short yelp had his attention before the book could take it away. Across the street, close to the car, a young girl had fallen off her bicycle. Henry jogged to help her and make sure she was fine. He started walking back to his station when he heard another yelp and what sounded like a ‘please’.

He paused and turned, it was just him and the car that was no longer moving. His eyes stayed fixed on the tinted glass for a while. He turned again to leave but a loud knock on the glass and a slap sound glued his feet to the ground. His heart rate picked up and he turned slowly to look at the car again. It was moving again and the knocks became more frequent. He moved before he could think, jerking the car door but it was locked.

“Hey” he knocked on the glass, “open the door.”

The movement stopped and it became silent. Until now, Henry had no idea that the road was now clear of people. This only made him more anxious.

“Open the door!” He yelled.

Hana sprinted from her dorm block bare feet. She had no time to think after the distress call that just came in from Byeol. She’d just picked up when she heard the unmistakable voice of her roommate asking someone to stop.

She quickly rushed into the security booth to find it empty. Frantic and unsure of what to do, she began dialing 911 when she saw a man struggling with a car door yelling for them to open the door. She dashed like a madwoman, pounding on the car door and shouting,

“Byeol! Are you in there? Let her go you monster!”

Almost immediately, the car door popped open sending Henry backwards. Hana rushed into the car, pulling. Her efforts were followed by sobs and Byeol who came out disheveled, her clothes and hair a mess. Like kittens, they immediately sort refuge behind Henry who had gathered his wits and wrestled the man out of the car.

Police sirens blared in the distance as Hana comforted her roommate.

All rights reserved || @deraaa, 6th March 2024

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