LOVER

Chapter 1

His eyes were lifeless and cold as he stared at me.

"You have no idea who I am do you?" He asked. I wasnt sure what to make of his statement so I just shook my head. For some reason I wasnt scared. Maybe my lack of fear had something to do with the blood dripping down his arm. I figured maybe if he tried anything I could take him. He was already injured anyway so it shouldnt be hard.

"You're bleeding." I pointed out, holding the candle close for him to see the pool of blood on the floor. A gust of wind hit the window pulling our heads away from the crimson liquid. "Can I take a look at the wound?" I asked. He stared at me as if I had lost my mind. Maybe I had lost my mind. Who offers help to someone who just walked into their house, uninvited. But there I was, doing just that.

He nodded his head after a while. I pulled up the chair in the kitchen and he sat down, he took of his jacket and pulled his tshirt up. A gunshot wound. I thought his arm was injured hence the blood dripping from his hand. It wasnt his arm that was bleeding. I put the candle on the table and got the first aid kit and my fathers bottle of whiskey he keeps hidden away under the sink.

"You might need to drink this." I said handing him the bottle while I pulled on some gloves.

"You watch too many movies." He told me.

"Maybe. But I'm sure being drunk will help with the pain at this moment." I knelt down and pulled another chair, placing the candle on it.

"I dont drink." He said. Well, I guess he would have to endure the pain. I touched his wound and he flinched. I didnt have to tell him a second time about the alcohol. He grabbed the bottle and chugged half its contents in one go. All I could do was chuckle. So much for not drinking.

He flinched a few times as I stuck a finger in the hole trying to pull out the bullet. Luckily it hadn't gone too far. I pulled it out and placed it on the table before I started cleaning and stitching his wound. My time at med school was clearly paying off. I could actually do a decent stitch.

As soon as I was done I placed a plaster on the wound before wrapping a bandage around his abdomen. The gun tucked on the other side of his body was hard to miss. I pretended not to have felt it and continued with my work.

"Done." I said pulling myself up. I got some painkillers from the first aid kit and gave him a couple. He threw them in his mouth and followed up with a sip of the whiskey.

The wind outside had failed to stop the rain. Rain drops hit the windows and doors as if wanting entry into the house. The lights flickered back on for a moment and finally I could see his face clearer. He was a handsome man. Chiselled jawline, a connecting beard, eyebrows I could kill for, mocha skin and plump pink lips. No doubt he made an impression everywhere he went.

"Are you hungry? I can make you something to eat." I offered. He smiled, a dimple appearing on his cheek.

"You're calm for someone with a stranger in their house." He noted. I held out my hand for a handshake.

"My name is Choi Taegyeom. You are?" I asked. His smile widened as he shook my hand.

"Ghu He Zhou." He answered.

"Nice to meet you Zhou. I guess we are not strangers anymore. Food?" I asked again and he nodded his head. I grabbed a plate and dished up for him. Good thing i had cooked before the storm started and the electricity vanished. I popped the plate in the microwave and set the timer. I got a glass and poured some juice. I could feel his eyes on me as I moved around the kitchen. The microwave went off and I got the food and placed everything in front of him.

"Are you not eating?" He asked.

"No. I already ate. I'll clean up the blood in the meantime." I told him. I got a bucket and filled it with warm water and some soap. I got a brush and a cloth and made my way to the door. I got on my knees and started scrubbing away.

By the time I was done and the place was spotless the electricity had gone again and the wind was back in full force. It felt like there was a war between the rain and the wind and no one was winning. I pulled up a chair and sat down, watching him as he ate.

"So why are you here alone?" He asked after he was done. I shrugged. "This place is far from civilisation, if anything were to happen to you no one would even know." He added. Maybe that should have been my red flag. But I ignored it the same way i usually ignore the yellow light at the robots.

"Maybe. Plus i am not alone. God is with me." I proclaimed proudly. He looked up to the ceiling and chuckled.

"God is a myth." He said. "But if that makes you feel better then I am happy for you." He added. "Can I lay on your couch for a moment before I go? I just need to gather my strength."

"I have a spare bedroom." I offered.

"Even better." He smiled again as I led him down the passage to my room.

"This does not look like a spare bedroom." He noted, looking around. Even though it was fairly dark, traces of pink wall paint and posters of westlife and usher were visible.

"Its not. Its mine. I'll use the spare room." I said grabbing my stuffed animals from the bed and tossing them on the couch. I pulled up the covers and he got in. I covered him up and left the candle with him.

I made my way to the kitchen and searched around for another candle. I found it and lit it up. I sat on the couch and pulled the throw close to my body for warmth. There was no electricity, no network and the wifi was down so boredom was inevitable. I grabbed my biology test from the table and went through it. I'd got a B and not an A like I usually do. Going through it would give me an idea of where I went wrong. Except sleep wouldn't let me. I fell asleep on the couch with the test on my chest.

I woke up in the morning and the sun was bright as ever, the sky a clear shade of blue with no clouds in sight. If not for the wet ground and the broken tree branches all over the ground, no one would believe we'd had a storm that night.

I made my way to the kitchen and turned on the kettle before switching on the geyser. I was sure Zhou would want to take a shower before he leaves. I got out everything I would need for breakfast and set it on the table. I wasnt sure what he would like so I decided to ask him. He could be allergic to something and I didnt want his death to be on me.

I got to my bedroom and the bed was empty. So empty in fact even the sheets were gone. The duvet was sitting on the couch. I called out for him but I got no reply. He wasn't in the bedrooms and not the bathrooms either. I checked the laundry room and the washing machine was on. I could see my sheets rolling around in there. Where did he go? I wondered but no one was there to answer me. Not even him. There was zero trace he was ever there. Except for the laundry.

The front door swung open and my parents came rushing in with my baby brother behind them.

"Taegyeom, oh thank God you're okay?" Mum said pulling me into a tight embrace.

"We've been trying to call you but your phone has been off since yesterday." My dad explained. My brother was already sprawled out on the couch with his phone in hand. No care whatsoever in what is going on around him.

"I'm fine. The electricity went out and there was no network so the wifi was down. Sorry." I said. Mum pulled me into another hug before turning me around like a rotisserie chicken wanting to make sure I am really okay.

"I'm so happy you're okay. Apparently the serial killer was spotted around here." Mum told me.

"A serial killer?" I questioned. How is that possible? My dad pulled out a newspaper and handed it to me.

"Yes. Apparently he has been going around the country killing people. Man and women alike. Last night he tried to kill a woman but she shot him and managed to escape. But he also managed to escape so he is still on the run." He said. Hectic.

I opened the newspaper and right on the front page was a sketch of said serial killer. I felt my lungs slowly deflate as I sunk down onto the chair. I placed the paper on the table, closed my eyes, counted down from ten then opened them again. No. I was not dreaming. It was him. It was Zhou. Whoever did the sketch had captured him very well. Even his dimple was there. And his eyes were as cold and lifeless on the sketch as they were live.

"What's wrong? Do you know him?" My dad asked. I shook my head and turned the paper around. How could I possibly tell them I had a serial killer in the house, I fed him and stitched up his wound. I let him sleep in my bed and not once did I question how he got hurt or how he got there. There was naive and then there was Tae stupid. Unmatched.

The week had gone by pretty quickly but images of Zhou still lingered in my head. Even when the police had showed up asking questions, I couldn't tell them the truth. How could I? What if they thought I knew him and helping him meant I was aware of his crimes. My career would go up in flames and I could not afford that. Being a Dr was my dream and nothing would take that from me. Not even a serial killer.

The next sunday I decided to go to the mall while my parents and brother went to church. They couldn't convince me to go with them. I got to the mall and shopped around for some clothes and shoes before going to the grocery store. There wasnt much to buy except a few essentials we had run out of. My parents bought everything in bulk because we lived far from civilisation and going to town every week was not an option.

I packed everything in the boot before getting in the front seat. I started the car and drove out of the mall. The smell of some cologne filled the car. It was a male scent. My heart started racing as possibilities became endless. I looked around without making it obvious. I saw through the rearview mirror as if there was someone lumped over on the seat.

"Hi." I said. The lump moved. Again my flight or fight instincts deserted me. He pulled up his head and looked at me through the rearview mirror. There his eyes were, still as cold, still as lifeless. Had he come to finish me off? I didn't know.

I kept driving with him right behind me, not saying a word.

"Are you going to say something?" I asked after a long while. I was getting close to home and I knew by then my parents would be there. Showing up with him in my backseat would not be good.

"Thank you for not ratting me out." He said. If only he knew my silence was more about protecting me than him.

"You're welcome." I replied.

"You look like you have questions. Ask them." He ordered. I had way too many questions. The biggest one being why he didn't kill me.

"Is it true? Are you a serial killer?" I blurted out the question quickly trying to get it out before I chicken out.

"Not really."

"Its a yes or no question." I told him and he smiled.

"Drop me off at the next turn." He said. I guess I wont be getting any answers. I pulled up after I turned and he jumped out of the car. He knocked on my window and I opened it.

"Take care of yourself." He said before crossing the road and disappearing in the large shrubs of grass and trees.

I wasnt sure what this meant, maybe he was bidding his time before he came back and finished me off. Maybe this was part of his MO, playing mind games with his victims before he took them out. Day after day I lived with the fear of knowing he could return at anytime. The police were still on the hunt for him. A year later there was still no sign of him yet bodies were piling up. It was no longer random killings, these ones seemed to be specific and focused on certain people.

I woke up one morning to find a note under my pillow.

"You need to stop worrying yourself too much.

You're safe. You and your family are safe.

Nothing will happen to you.

Focus on your studies.

The world needs more kind doctors like you.

Be safe, I'll be watching."

Again fear deserted me. Maybe this said more about me than it did about him. How was I not afraid? How was it that his presence in my room, in the middle of the night did not affect me. How was it that deep down in my soul I did not want him to be caught. Maybe I was no different to him. Maybe I was just as capable of killing as he is. Maybe...