shadow on the other side of the window

I blew the candle in my room. It's well passed midnight and I'm getting tired. I tried waiting for Yoon but I assumed he must've checked in on one of the nearby inn instead of walking back home.

Darkness enveloped my small room, I started to tuck myself when I noticed a shadow moving around on the other side of window. 

My heart leaped to my throat. It had been a very eventful evening afterall. Too much things happened.

My eyes squinted as I walked slowly towards the window, trying to make out what's out there. It was hard to tell with the trees swaying in the direction of the wind. It's been particularly windy tonight, the shadows shifting in and out creating horrifying silhouettes that looked like monsters and demons from a child's imagination.

Perhaps it was nothing and I'm just to rattled and freaked out about this evening.

I began to back away when a noise outside proved my suspicion. I peered in between the thin slit of my window and caught a glimpse of a hairy animal leaping from the second floor of our house.

Could it be the Fox spirit followed me home?

My first instinct is to grab a weapon. Good thing I have a bolo that I kept in my room in those days when stepfarther is alarmingly dangerous.

I reached for the blade in the closet, clutching it in my fingers. Slowly and carefully, I inched my way back towards the window, separating the panels into a crack when it was Yoon I saw outside.

He's stood in the yard near where our bedrooms are located. Yoon and I shared the second floor while mother and stepfarther shared a room downstairs.

"Yoon! Is that you?" I called out, he's dusting off the dirt and grass clinging on his garment.

He looked up. "Hana?"

I opened the window all the way and leaned in. I dropped the bolo to my side. "You're back! Thank goodness! I was so worried." I honestly thought he would have been eaten by now.

"Are you really worried?" He flashed me an excited grin.

"Yes, I thought the Fox spirit has gotten a hold of you."

He laughed out loud. His chuckle echoed especially loud late at night. "Do you still honestly believe in that childhood tale?"

I do. I just saw one tonight but I haven't told him that.

"Ever heard of a serial killer? They apprehended a murderer a few years back. That's why there's haven't been any killings in a while."

"Don't be so loud." I reprimanded. "Stepfather will hear you. He was waiting for you when I got back."

I sensed a shift in his cheerful mood. "I know." Was all he said and I realized stepfather was the reason why he left earlier. He must have seen his father waiting before I did.

"I wouldn't go through the front door." I warned.

A flicker of mischief flashed on his face and before I knew it, he was perched on my window. How did he climbed so fast? "W-what are you doing? This is my room."

"You told me not to go through the front door."

"Yeah, but not through my room."

He showed me a pouty face. "Aww, but my room is locked, how do you expect me to break in?"

Like he hasn't broke in in his own room numerous times before. Don't let me remind him of his teenage escapades. He snuck out of his room from time to time and I always heard when he did.

"I can ope..." Yoon hardly let me finish my sentence when he threw himself inside.

I skittered a few steps back. "What are you doing?"

He sighed and plopped his arms and legs wide. His back flat on the floor. "Going to sleep."

He has got to be kidding!

I crouched for his wrists and tried dragging him out but he pretended to be asleep letting me struggle with his dead weight.

"Ack... you're too heavy!"

"And you're too weak!" He mumbled.

"I'm serious you have to sleep in your own room. What if we wake up mother and stepfarther?"

With humor, Yoon's eyes snapped wide open. "Then they'll be in for a scandal of a lifetime."

I clicked my tongue. "Stop fooling around."

*****

It was unusually quiet at breakfast this morning. Stepfarther is unmistakably grouchy while Yoon sat with his head lowered on the opposite side. Mother is clueless as ever and I sat here wishing I was somewhere else.

"Don't you think it's time to find Hana a husband? She's been overdue for her age. I heard Jung's son was just hired as a herbalist at the governor's office." Stepfarther said breaking the silence. His cold eyes shifted over to Yoon searching for a reaction but Yoon had been careful not to give him any reason to prove his suspicion

Mother moaned. Not sure whether she's excited or upset.

"I'd like to be able to marry off my stepdaughter without anyone getting in the way."

Mother cried loudly faking her tears. "No one wants to marry my daughter!"

Last time I was matched by the matchmaker, my fiancee ghosted me. Xin up and left town never to be seen again. No words of goodbye or reason for leaving. He just disappeared. I've been the butt of jokes in this town ever since.

Yoon picked up the cup of hot tea and sipped slowly. He avoided stepfather's penetrating stare but couldn't help but look at me. He searched for an expression. I kept my reaction subtle, marriage is never a welcome subject and this isn't the first time they tried to get rid of me.

The tension in the room grew darker and it's undeniably coming from both men. "How about it? What do you think of Jung's son, Hana?"

Oh you mean balding Jungjae? He's been sporting that ugly comb over since I was a kid. Isn't he old as dirt? "He's a noble man, stepfather." I answered.