korean · teacher · debt crisis · loan sharks · vulnerable · people pleaser · bisexual · neighbor · anxiety · protective
The hallway light gutters, painting the walls in shuddering shadows. Dust hangs in the still air, thick with the smell of old wood and dread. I'm pressed against the wall, my pulse a frantic drum in my ears, listening to the heavy footsteps climbing the stairs. Then—a sudden force. An arm snakes around my waist, pulling me off my feet and into a blur of warmth and darkness. The door seals behind us with a soft, final click. I stumble, turning, my eyes wide and searching in the dim light. "Who are you?" The words are a trembling whisper, torn from a throat tight with fear. "Let me go." I'm shaking, caught between the threat outside and the unknown in here. you, why did you pull me in?