I woke up to the downpour outside the dorm. My eyelid blinked to the light above my bed. Getting up, I rubbed my eyes which peered at the twilight through the bare window. The trickle from the raindrop stuck on its glass.I was unable to recall for how long I'd dozed off. Standing among other intelligentsia in the auditorium listening to the head of the academy's announcement was the last thing that prevailed in my remembrance.The headache struck me again. Kaiv's numb body sent a shiver down my spine. Struggling with shortness of breath, I fought against the anxiety. My heart refused the fact of Kaiv's suicide. "It can't be…, " I argued to myself.The sweat had gathered on my temple; it saturated my skin. In a panic, I couldn't bear the yell which threw out of me. The door was slammed open. "Are you ok, Miss?" Ms. Grayson barged inside with Brad slipping from her back. I twitched my head signaling that I wasn't in a bad state."But, you look pale. Are you sick?" Brad drew himself
"What about their bodies?" I asked while wallowing toward the parked car."They will gain their consciousness in less than an hour. They won't meet the grim reaper that easily. Don't stress out.""How can you say that? Even they have bruises and wounds all over their face and body." I debated on him."They have a strong physique." Lanzo started the engine. Our conversation halted even though a desire to protest still seized me. The car carried us out of the academy area through a different gate. It was the shortcut he once divulged.The tricky road and the blackness slowed the car. It took longer than usual to get to the dorm. Lanzo opened the door for me as soon as the fence of the dorm emerged out of the light; I climbed down the vehicle. Weirdly, that boy ascended back to his car. Where was he going to go? "I have to park the car," he exclaimed. The remorse hit me for my prejudgment toward him. Hurriedly, I ran inside. Ms. Greyson and Brad had waited; Brad stood by Ms.Greyson's s
With a pouty face, I towed my leg to mount the stairs while my hands towed the sack of unused stuff. Antony commanded me to put it in the storeroom as a punishment for my lateness. My wrist reddened; the pain started to blow me. This heavy sack weighed more than my body. The long rungs made my destination miles away to reach. My bangs were soaked with sweat that had trickled down from my forehead. This exhaustion almost knocked me down.I sighed and inhaled the breath as much as I could when I finally touched the ground, a few feet from the storeroom. The stuff rested on the floor. The less energy remained. So, taking a break for a while was important to recharge my power. In the middle of my break, someone's talk concerned me. Slowly, I walked to find who was in the talk. A tall man in an academic outfit was having a phone call in one of the alcoves near the storeroom. From his figure and voice, it was unmistakably the head of the academy. "I have instructed them to ditch all evid
We froze; only our eyes voiced our mind. Yura's incredulous look asserted her bewilderment with my existence. Like me, bumping into the one who looks like her twin was beyond her expectation. "Yura… Dylanesa," we both muttered in unison. The name tag on my cloak was too visible for her to peek at. That was why she mentioned my name. My brain guessed. In slow motion, the sound from our shoes thumped and echoed; our steps brought us closer. Shortly, we stood face to face."This is the first time I meet you in person. Lanzo is right. We look like twins." Listening to her confession, my forehead furrowed. Lanzo didn't even reveal anything about this girl. "Lanzo… What did he tell you about me?" I asked while walking to the nearest stool. Yura relaxingly sat on the one opposite me with one of her legs over the other. Her focus was a hundred percent on me. Catching a deep breath, she began her story.It was in the assembly they first met. Over time, they got closer. A joy rose implicitly
Morning came so rapidly as if yesterday lasted only like a minute. The committee had gathered in the exposition hall; their activities occupied them. The venue has been exquisitely decorated. This exhibition building had three floors with unique golden ornaments in each and art pieces on the walls; the first floor was the exposition hall in which Yura's painting exhibition would be held. Other floors functioned as collection rooms for other works of art such as photography and pottery. The staircases connected one floor to another. The crystal clear tiles reflected the physic of the people who stood against it.Among the crowds, Yura elegantly strutted in a modest white gown. Her long hair unraveled through her shoulders. Her smile grew wider welcoming me who sauntered toward her. A warm congratulations came out of my mouth as soon as only a small space separated us. The happiness radiated from her green eyes. She was one of the luckiest intelligentsia. The academy facilitated her s
Racing with the time, I scrambled inside the gateway of the academy along with the other last batch intelligentsia to have ID- checked before proceeding into the hall. The girls and boys in red marched toward the one-floor building in ordered lines like troops of soldiers. The head of the academy and academics welcomed us inside the room. Their faces tightened with no smile on their lips. None of the academics showed their enthusiasm or warming gaze at us even when the first day I set my feet in this Academy during the assembly. Their classes ran ordinarily; they just rigidly delivered instruction. In other words, it was as if they acted like robots, doing anything under control. I wondered if others felt the same way as I did."Good morning." A greeting echoed as the room was a soundproof area. The head of the academy, whom we never referred to by his name, stood with one hand clasping the microphone and the other falling beside his sturdy torso. His eagle eyes sharply shot straigh
The bench held me still after Yura vanished under the staircase. My mind caged me with terror. The last conversation with Yura fiddled in my head. Her last sentence of the intelligentsia's unknown fate frightened me. "Did they really kill those intelligentsias? Why?" My mouth instantly elicited that question in a weak tone. My head bowed with gaze falling on the floor due to the burden that barely wrecked my brain. What if Ron and Kaiv were just a few among dozens of hidden victims? What if I was one of the targets? Sudden nausea roiled and sent the stomach acid up; I tasted the bitterness in my saliva. "Overthinking only stresses you out." Lanzo's doctrine hypnotized me as if he whispered to my ears. He wasn't here; I stuck with my loneliness.I sighed in uneasiness. Letting his words affect me wouldn't generate any good things. Abruptly, a huge desire to discover what's going on in this Academy smoldered inside of me. I couldn't kill my curiosity just because of the obstacles I m
There was neither wail nor moan; only eeriness remained under the night sky. The death had claimed that poor driver. Viciously, those heinous hoodlums trudged his corpse to the edge of the road. His passing thumped my chest with agony. Inside the car, I sobbed softly amidst their laughter. The incident froze Yura in her seat. The rearview mirror reflected her snow-like pale face. The car's door was pulled open all of a sudden; a violent guy in a mask, all of them wearing masks, brutally hauled Yura out of the car. Her shrieking voice then filled the dark, mixed with the thugs' yell of triumph and In a minute, her outcry faded away along with the whoosh of the wind. And I could do nothing except wrap my hands around my body and crouch in great fear.Frosting where I was, I helplessly surrendered when they maliciously towed me and dumped me to the ground. Instead of woe, I let anger burn me inside. With my clenched hands, I managed to get up. My appearance changed. The soil stained a
It was winter. The white snow rolled down from the sky. Like a kid, I caught it with my hands, the habit I used to do with my mother when I was a little girl. Ten years passed upon graduation day. I will be 28 years old this year. And for the last ten years, not even once, I was able to forget his face, Lanzo. If he were alive, he would be 33. I rose at my feet while wiping the tears on my cheeks.The snow fell on my head and scarf. Despite freezing me, I didn't intend to shift from my spot. It was only through its cold temperature, I could stir my yearning for Lanzo away. I faced up the sky with my eyes closed. Giggles that came from a child drew my chin to my chest. He just threw a ball at me. That round object glid near my feet. He innocently pointed to the ball. Smiling at him, I bent, picked the ball and tossed it to him. He happily snatched it. "Thank you," he said in a cute tone. I just responded with a slight nod and a small smile. That kid joined his parents and played
The same bed welded my body. The ceiling above scrutinized me in a pity. However this time, Sue didn't puncture my skin with that injection of the substance which I had no knowledge of. To make sure I was unable to go anywhere, she buckled me on the bed with the knots roping my wrists and ankles. Undergoing this moment, I willed to turn back the time to my childhood period where I only lived a happy life with my mother. Her beautiful voice when singing a song for me resounded in my ears like it was real. It was merely my imagination on the verge of my yearning and loneliness. My mother would never appear before me. Locking my sights, I surrendered to whatever fate was destined for me even though the hope of being able to survive still thrived."Anthony is surely the one I can rely on. I am proud of him because of his dedication and loyalty to the academy." Sue talked to herself; from the level of her voice, she was near me. But, I didn't hear the sound of her shoes knocking the ti
"She just passed out," Brad whispered. "She will regain consciousness in an hour. Lanzo will take you out of here." There was a gleam of happiness in my eyes if only Brad could read that. "You didn't even react. Wait! I will inject the antidote serum so that your senses will work normally." He needled the syringe onto my arm. Unlike the pink poison, the antidote was clear liquid. "Done." It was like he just stung my skin with something hot that burned the whole me. Gratefully, it only lasted five minutes. The rest, chill bathed over me. "Unfortunately, it took one hour for you to be fully conscious. I'll ask someone to carry you away from this place." I couldn't even blink my eyes yet. But, at least I could breathe in relief.Two men in hoodies hesitated duckling inside. Ensuring that the area was clear, they took off their hoodie. I glanced at them in surprise; Lanzo and the head of the academy were the ones who managed to slip inside the room. "Lanzo, carry her." An instruction
Sue"So, they're married." Reading the article, the tips of my lips stretched a grudge smirk. "She is mine and will be forever mine. No one deserved to possess him but me." My right hand wringed the newspaper in my palm to crumple. That girl, Maurie, successfully planted the seed of hate in my heart. After one year, it grew a tree of resentment. Maurie had ignited the fire of war. She would never be able to predict what I could do to maintain mine. If I could not be with Shane, then no one would be on his side.Yanking the telephone receiver, I dialed someone's number. One sentence from my mouth was enough to annihilate a person. "It's the time." I elegantly plopped on my seat upon putting the receiver back to its place. "You can now enjoy the show, Maurie. Your turn will come soon."***I was watching TV when Mike arrived with the news I'd been looking forward to. Shane died in a terrible accident last night. On TV, the news anchor broadcasted the incident that occurred to the youn
SueHis face danced in my head. Shane made my days. His presence had brought another level of happiness to my life since our first meeting. I could not deny that I smiled more often these days. Mike finally noticed the change in me. That made him wonder what I'd been through that I acted differently. I thought of sharing with him about how I felt. However, considering that my father would find out, I decided to keep it for myself. As a stringent person who wanted me to dedicate my life to education only, he wouldn't agree that I had affairs with any men in the academy during my study even if it was just a friend. It was only Mike, the one he supported, to have a relationship with me as a companion. "You don't have any class today?" I was startled with Mike's abrupt coming. "Do you have free time?" The last few days, I was so busy with my study and photography class that I had no time for my friend."I have one more class but I am free now.""What about having lunch together?" Hone
SueThe door intimidated me through its silent stare. I was supposed to be in my class ten minutes ago but the trouble on the way to school impeded me from coming on time. The professor must have been inside, giving the lecture. I could sense the quietness in the room; no one had intrepidity to make a noise in his class. Lateness was the worst of all mistakes. I dropped my gaze to the floor in front of the door, hesitating whether to stay or leave. Compelling to bark into the classroom meant that I had to take the risk of being punished and scolded; the professor wouldn't easily let me free of the punishment. On the other hand, my father would label me as a loser if I missed this class. He was so strict that I couldn't even breathe under his surveillance. Doing anything as he required was compulsory. That weighed me down like putting piles of stones on my shoulders. However, as his daughter, obeying him was a must. There was no time for me to complain as the time was running. I had t
That psycho woman's sneer clouded her striking red lips which mumbled her name in a cold tone. "My name is Sue." It was as though even her name could summon the evil to confine me in the darkness. Completing her introduction, she didn't take her eyes off me. Her glare bewitched me. The horror reflected from her pupils shot me with a shiver that coursed through my spine. That lasted for a few minutes before she fished something out of her robe's pocket, a needle with pink liquid inside it. I could imagine the syringe flanked between her fingers needled my whole being, impeded the oxygen from my lungs, and left me lifeless. Even imagining it, I felt like throwing up with a severe headache. The effect of the substance she previously injected even still immersed my body into numbness. What prevailed was only my despair. Death flashed in front of me, hunting me like a shadow. The rhythm of my heart beat irregularly as a response to the hazard I might encounter in a second as now Sue
The megaphone no longer bombarded me with that woman's huge voice; I removed my palms from my ears and subconsciously flopped on the freezing floor. Who brought and detained me here actually? Who was that woman and what was her intention? If it was the head of the academy's idea to trap me in this remote place, why could he do this to me? Imagining how cruel he was, kidnapping and imprisoning me in this remote place churned my abdomen with terror and loathe at the same time. No matter what, I wouldn't let this situation suck all my hope; there had to be a door to flee as there was a way to take me into this room. Having this thought, my motivation to look for a clue of getting out of this room boosted. With my right hand propping my shivering body, I kneeled to stand on my feet. I did it in my third attempt. Feeling mentally exhausted, I wobbled close to the wall so that my hand could grope on it to help me keep stable. I carefully followed my feet ' lead with my palms sticking on
"Is it you, Mom?" With my palm on my mouth, I walked toward that woman whose body kept moving forward. "Mom…" I called her again but no response I heard from her. Nevertheless, her smile hadn't gone even until our distance was only one meter away."I am not your mother, darling." Her smirk frightened me even though she did nothing which could harm me. "You must be yearning to meet your mother so much that you hallucinated.""No, your face….""My face? Sometimes, someone's face can outwit people, darling. I may look like your mother. But, I am not her." I stuck where I was in silence, enchanted by her words. Then, her hand gradually groped jer face, peeling something from it. She wore a mask. In less than a minute, that mask unsealed and revealed her real face. A woman with purple orbs popped up. I moved backward. "Who are you?" "Does it matter for you to know who I am?" Her eyes dilated while her head leaned toward me. It was as if her mouth wanted to gulp me whole alive. This woma