The Devil Bear

Running. Running away from something. Something that was chasing him. He was not sure what it was that chased him, but he didn't want to find out. He did not even need to know, since the fear in him was enough to tell him that it would be meaningless to know.

The stone floor was cold against his bare feet. He could hear the echo of loud dragging footsteps that weren't his own. He needed to get away.

He ran even faster, ignoring the coldness on his feet when they touched the freezing floor. Running trough various corridors he suddenly came to a dead end where there was a door. A locked door.

He desperately tried to force the door open by kicking, but it didn't even budge. The dragging footsteps were getting nearer and nearer every passing moment.

His heart was beating rapidly against his chest as cold sweat broke from his skin. Panic took over him. The thing was just behind the corner and there was no way out. He heard murmuring, growling and blood-lusty snarls.

He backed against the door, terror shining on his face. Paralyzed by fear, he could do nothing but watch as black sharp nails that belonged to a bloody, skinless hand appeared on the corner of the wall. As the creature's body revealed itself more from the corner he could see that its hollow eyes glowed in the darkness. The thing started to slowly limp towards him, getting closer. He could smell rotten flesh reeking from its blood-drooling mouth. The thing roared at him and raised its claws ready to pierce them trough him.

He Screamed!

Hwoarang opened his eyes, he had screamed. That's what had woken him up; his own scream. Hesitantly he rose to sit up on his bed, cold sweat running down his whole body. It took a few minutes for the redhead to gather himself up, even though the dreams… well, more like a night terrors, had been bothering him for weeks; now he still wasn't used to it. The nightmares were always different, there was no way to get used to something that was so unknown to him.

After he had calmed down Hwoarang made his way to the bathroom, looking himself from the mirror. He wouldn't have believed his own eyes, if he hadn't seen his face every morning.

The bags under his eyes were getting bigger and bigger as were the black circles surrounding his now colorless, dull eyes. Even his hair was flat and lifeless, regardless of how much he tried to work on it.

Hwoarang looked and felt depressed, he could do nothing about it. Only sleep would cure his tiredness but the night terrors wouldn't let him even get a blink of restful sleep.

Tired as hell Rang's showered, got dressed and left for morning coffee.

Stepping in to the café and taking a seat at the counter he scared the poor waitress that came to ask for his order. Of course he didn't do it on purpose, it wasn't his fault he looked like a living dead.

After getting his morning coffee, gulping it in one go, Rang's left the café. Not really going anywhere, just walking around scaring people unintentionally.

Hwoarang was so deep in his miserable thoughts that he didn't see the traffic lights turn red and just kept walking. Even the sound of a car's horn didn't reach him, as the car drove nearer to him, not being able to stop.

Hwoarang startled out of his thoughts when strong arms wrapped around him and pulled him to the sidewalk, just a moment before the car would have hit him.

Hwoarang looked at the spot were he had been and would now be nothing more then a stain on the road if he hadn't been saved. He let out a heavy breath and felt the arms unwrapping themselves from him. He turned around and put his left hand on the guy's shoulder.

"Thanks, man, that was a really close call" he said, and in his state of mind didn't even recognize his savior.

The life saver shook his head a little as if not believing what he had just heard. The guy gently took a hold of Hwoarang's upper arm and guided the redhead away from the streets to a rounded resting area with a monumental fountain in the middle. He sat the redhead into one of the benches and told him to stay there.

Hwoarang didn't complain and was only happy to be out of the crowd. The man came back soon with a bottle of water in his hand and handed it to Hwoarang. The redhead accepted the water and took a few mouthfuls before giving it back to the stranger.

The mystery man sat next to Hwoarang and they fell in to a comfortable silence, both looking at the falling water from the fountain.

Hwoarang was tired, with each long exhale his eyelids grew heavier and his head was dozing.

Grayish, everything seemed colorless, like in an old black and white movie. The place was hazy and unknown to him, some kind of a hotel room. Someone was lying on the bed motionlessly. Hwoarang had something in his hand, he gripped on it a little tighter. He lifted his hand to see what he was holding… a knife, a bloody knife.

Startled, Hwoarang dropped the knife and backed himself against the wall close to the bed. His eyes moved around the room, trying to understand what was going on. He hadn't stabbed himself, had he? Had he? The redhead looked down at himself. No, there was no blood on him.

His eyes were suddenly cast on the bed. Red, the bed sheets were stained by crimson blood. Hwoarang took a step closer. Someone was under the covers, he had to know who it was. The redhead took hold of the cover and pulled.

Eyes widening, Rang's took a hasty step back, falling on the floor terrified by the scene that unfolded in front of him. A man lay on the bed with his stomach cut open from the sternum down to his pelvis. Hwoarang could see the man's bloody insides and it was making him sick. He wanted to vomit, but the sickness stayed in his throat.

Hwoarang was shaken, he couldn't have done it. The knife, it had to be a mistake. A sob escaped from his mouth as a breath got caught into his lungs. He was loosing control as he backed away from the scene. Gasping for breath between uncontrolled sobbing, it was hard to breath, despair was getting a hold of him.

Then everything stopped, silence and coldness washed away the sobs and sickness, a calm settle. Hwoarang felt warmth on his shoulder and as a gentle whisper flowed through the silence and everything started to slowly disappear.

"Wake up."

Still feeling tired Hwoarang slightly opened his eyes and noticed that the warmth on his shoulder hadn't disappeared. Too tired to think anything Hwoarang closed his eyes and leaned on the warmth, in his haze he thought he heard someone calling his name but the words were lost somewhere between abyss and awareness. The warmth surrounded him taking him into a comfortable place.

Softness surrounded Hwoarang as he opened his eyes, he was laying in a sea of light green, pink and peach colored cotton candy. Above him in the light brown sky, different kinds of tea cups were floating slowly forward. Hwoarang inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled feeling all last pieces of tension leaving his body. He laid in the relaxing softness enjoying the peace and quiet it brought.

A cold breeze began to blow, scooping away the tea cups and giving him a shiver that bit trough to his bones. The breeze brought with it a herd of dark stormy clouds that began to rain ice cold water that melted the sea of cotton candy.

Hwoarang quickly rose to stand on the muddy ground when the candy started to melt and burn his skin. Shivering under the cold rain and breeze he tried to look around for a shelter but saw none. Hwoarang walked aimlessly looking for anything helpful, when the wind began to grow stronger and was always blowing against him regardless of which way he was walking.

The ground shook under his feet and Rang's had to stop to keep his balance.

Then suddenly everything stopped.

The sky was dark and the land muddy and endless to every direction. A sudden coldness struck Hwoarang from his ankle and washed over him like a wave. Quickly he saw a bony hand seized to it. Hwoarang's eyes widened and he tried to kick his foot away from the hand, but the hands grip tightened and Hwoarang let out a frightened squeak as the hand began to pull him into the mud.

Hwoarang tried to pull his leg back but it was all in vain as he fell on his back on to the ground. And more cold deadly hands began to growl around his body pulling him into the depths of the mud.

Panicking Hwoarang screamed and struggled against the hands but as he got one away from him another appeared sinking him deeper into the earth. Tears were pouring down Hwoarang's face as his strength left him.

In his moment of despair he uttered a single voiceless word over and over again.

Sinking into the mud he could not breathe, hear nor see as the hands clawed at his skin with their broken nails.

Then suddenly everything faded away and Hwoarang felt a comforting feeling spreading from his forehead to all over his body.

Hwoarang didn't open his eyes when he awoke, because he didn't in fact know that he had awakened. He still had that comforting aura around him and it felt so good.

After enjoying the wonderful feeling for a good moment, Hwoarang started to notice a few things.

Everything was black, there was no sky, ground, candy, teacups or anything just blackness. The mattress he lied on was soft and comfortable, but on his waist it was tilted to the right a little and on his left shoulder it was slightly tilted to the left, he had a warm blanket over him but his hands were over it laying on his stomach and there was another person breathing in the room very close to him.

Hwoarang took deep breath through his nose, exhaled and slowly opened his eyes and took in the sight before him. A black haired guy sat in the bed next to him. He had few bangs long enough to fall a little over his eyes but not thick enough to cover them up. His facial appearance was very Asian with a strong jaw line and deep dark eyes. The man's body looked strong and masculine even though he was wearing a black dress shirt Hwoarang could tell there was muscle underneath.

This man looked very familiar to Hwoarang but for some reason he could not give a name to this black haired guy. They stared at each others for a moment neither saying a word, Hwoarang too dazed to speak and the guy just seemed like he had nothing to say.

"How are you feeling?" The dark haired man asked while putting his right hand on Hwoarang's forehead. Hwoarang closed his eyes as the warm hand was placed on him.

"Sleepy" He uttered wearily.

"You don't seem to have a fever." The man said as he took his hand away from Hwoarang's forehead. Rang's opened his eyes when the soothing hand left, leaving cold in its trail.

"I'll get you something to eat and drink" The stranger said and got up from the bed. Hwoarang quietly watched the man as he left, blinking a couple of times, then he sat up on the bed and leaned on the headboard that was against the wall. Looking around Rang's found himself in a simple bedroom with warm light brown colored wallpaper that had some kind of picturing in it. Against the other wall was a white middle size wardrobe with sliding doors.

Hwoarang yawned and rested his head against the bed headboard and without noticing closed his eyes.

He was in a house, he had never been in this house but he knew it. He knew where every room was. He knew that by walking to the end of the hall he was in there would be the living room and another hall. He walked to the other hall and saw that the front door was open. He saw the road, that was close to the door, and then heard a car and saw it driving along the road from where he stood. It was one of those old cars you saw in the old mafia films.

Hwoarang had a bad feeling, the people in the car were dressed like gangsters and they didn't look too happy. From out of no were the gangsters took out machine guns and started shooting at the house and Hwoarang.

Hwoarang could feel the bullets fly past him as he dived into the floor of the room next to him, out of the door way and out of sight. The bullets reaped through the walls like they were paper, shattered pieces of the wooden wall fell to the floor and on Hwoarang. He was terrified and almost hyperventilating.

"Hwoarang" Hwoarang turned to the voice calling him. A muscular man stood in the hall behind him.

"Wake up Hwoarang" The man said, a smile rising to his lips as he saw Hwoarang staring at him with a confused look on his face. Stepping closer to Rang's and kneeling down the man laid his hand on Hwoarang's shoulder.

"Does the sleeping beauty need a wake up kiss?" the man asked smoothly.

Hwoarang opened and closed his mouth a few times, not knowing what to answer to this man, he was awake, wasn't he?

The man chuckled "Hwoarang" he whispered leaning closer. Hwoarang closed his eyes in contentment as soft but strong lips gently pressed against his.

The man let his lips linger against Hwoarang's a few moments before he slowly broke the kiss. Their lips just barely touching the man whispered voicelessly to Hwoarang.

Hwoarang startled awake, blinked a few times before his eyes connected with a pair of dark ones. Hwoarang stared at the man standing beside the bed he was laying in with a tray of food in his hands.

"Why did you kiss me?" Hwoarang asked before a thought crossed his mind.

Both of the man's eyebrows rose at the same time, like Hwoarang's question had somehow surprised or upset him.

"I didn't" He answered simply. He laid the tray of food on the night stand beside the bed and turned to Hwoarang. He lifted the pillows behind Hwoarang's back so Rang's could sit a little more comfortably and have more support from the pillows as he leaned to them. Then the man kneeled to take another, more firm tray with legs from under the bed and put it on the bed before Hwoarang. He placed the food tray on it and sat on the edge of the bed.

On the tray was a bowl of rice gruel, a cup of tea and another bowl which had ice cream in it. Hwoarang's eyes light up as he saw the ice cream and was about to take it but someone else snatched it away. Hwoarang looked at the man with a look of complete helplessness like a dog that has just been smacked for no reason.

The man looked at Hwoarang with a soft smile on his face.

"Eat the kayu first, then you get the dessert" he said and nudged the bowl of gruel closer to Hwoarang. With a sigh he took the gruel and began eating. It tasted nice and with out really noticing he had eaten the whole bowl, he hadn't even realised that he had been hungry. He placed the bowl back on the tray and looked up at the man with hopeful eye that occasionally glanced at the bowl of ice cream in the man's hand. The man had a small smile on his face as he gave the bowl to Hwoarang. Happily Hwoarang took the bowl and began spooning the icy goodness in his mouth. He sighed with content as he placed the bowl back on the tray, took the tea and had small sips from it as he relaxed more on to the pillow.

"How did you know I wanted ice cream? Even I didn't know that until I saw it." Hwoarang asked, not really interested but just making small talk.
"You were repeating it while you were asleep, 'Ice cream', and since I had some in the freezer I though you might want some." the man said.

Comfortable silence followed as Hwoarang finished his tea and put it on the tray.
"Thank you." He thanked, feeling a little better.
"You're welcome... You can take a shower if you want. Your clothes are on the chair over there" the man offered.
"Thanks."
"I'll show you where the bathroom is." The man rose and took the tray and walked to the door and waited for Hwoarang to follow.

The whole apartment seemed nice. Beyond the bedroom was a spacious living room with an open kitchen that had a bar style counyer to make it a separate space from the living room. The man left the tray on the counter and led Hwoarang to the hall and the bathroom.

"Here is a towel for you." the man said giving Hwoarang a towel from the closet. "Call me if you need me." he said and left closing the door behind him.

Hwoarang sighed and looked at himself from the mirror that was above the sink. He didn't look as bad as he had that morning. He undressed and stepped into the stall and set the water temperature to lukewarm. Standing under the falling water Hwoarang relaxed and let his mind wonder over the day's events in a daze to the point when something snapped. Suddenly Hwoarang realised that he was in some strangers house! He had no idea who this guy was, were he was, what time it was or what the hell was going on.

He took a quick step back and slipped, his back hitting the wall as his arms reached for something to grab on to. He came down on his ass, not being able to get a hold on anything to break the fall. His back stung a little and Hwoarang murmured a few nasty words to ease the pain. A knock came from the door with a concerned voice "Are you all right? Did something happen?"
"I'm alright, just reeled a little, that's all" Hwoarang replied quickly, hoping the stranger would go away with that. To his luck he did. Judging from the fact that he didn't hear anything after that. Sighing in relief Hwoarang started to think of away out before anything bad happened, for all he knew the stranger could be a murderer or something.

He left the shower running as he quickly dried himself and got dressed. Looking around the bathroom he spotted a window, it was high up and quite small but Hwoarang was confident that he could fit trough it and escape this nightmare. He reached to open it and with some difficulty got it open.

Hwoarang took a strong leap for the window, got a good grip on the edges and pulled himself up. Hwoarang was halfway trough the window when he noticed that the wind was pretty strong, when he looked down he paled and with haste he began to back up and then hit his head on the window gap, lost his footing on the wall and fell to the bathroom floor bum first.

Hwoarang was standing in a familiar street, it was winter and cold. He was walking and somehow he knew that he was walking home. He was at a small hill when he had a sudden bad feeling and looked back. Fear rushed through him as the saw the devil flying towards him not too far off. His black wings spread wide and with strong strokes it picked up speed, his maniac laughter echoing through the streets. In haste, Hwoarang took off running. He needed to get home, he would be safe at home, he knew it. He could see his apartment building coming into the view, but the devil was gaining on him fast. The cold air hit his face as he ran. His lips felt numb and his throat screamed for warmth as the cold tingled in his lungs.

He pulled out his keys before reaching the door, but his hand were freezing and shaking with fear, the key wouldn't go into the keyhole. He glanced behind him; the devil was even closer. He steadied his hand with his other hand and got the key in, but as he turned the key the lock was jammed from the cold and wouldn't open. Alarmed, he kicked the door but it didn't help.

His heart was beating rapidly as devil was getting closer and closer and the door wouldn't open. Hwoarang knew that someone was in his apartment, he knew it, he only had to yell and they would open the door for him. He knew this but he was paralyzed, nothing came out of his mouth as he tried to yell for help. The devil was just a few steps away, he needed to yell now! "Jin!" his shout rang in his ears, suddenly he was in a bed and heard foot steps coming toward him, but then the devil was at his side, its eye gleamed with insanity as it came closer, its sharp teeth bared and it licked his cheek. The devil's lick was in an affectioned way and a warm embrace enveloped Hwoarang. Without thinking he returned the embrace and warped his arms around the warm devil sighing in contentment.

I hope you didn't like it because I have no idea what is going to happen next and even less idea on when it's going to continue...

and just btw if you didn't get it everything writen in italic was a dream...