Apocalypse

[003] screams

chapter three; screams
[ season one, episode one ]

Mrs. Park now stood at the front of the class. "Hi there."

"Hello."

"Hi. Good morning. Time to turn in your phones"

Ae-Cha watched everyone walk up and then back to their desks.

"Who's in touch with Hyeon-ju? Nobody? So none of you have tried calling her today?"

"Uh, we cleaned the science lab together yesterday, but I haven't seen her since."

"Okay. If anyone hears from her sometime the next few days, let me know right away, okay?"

Okays were scattered across the room.

Mrs. Park took out her own phone and chimes were heard coming from the students.

"I heard that. One more time. Hand over your phones please. Dae-su seriously?"

Ae-Cha mentally face palmed at Dae-su for not putting his phone on silent, but honestly it was expected. Dae-su and I-sak sheepishly shuffled to put their phones away.

"Ae-cha, your phone?"

"My mother took it away this morning."

That's a lie. Her phone, unlike the others, was on silent, sitting in between her snacks, right next to her battery pack and airpods. Mrs. Park gave her a doubtful look but carried on to the next victim.

"On-jo. This is your phone from last year."

"Take it please."

The girl laughed at her friend's "mistake" as she sat there with an not so innocent smile.

—

"In fact, none of us are completely free from prejudice. We all have preconceived ideas about others. Here, 'free from' means the lacking in or unencumbered by. Anyone want to interpret this?"

Hee-su abruptly stood off of her seat. Her zip up hanging off her body loosely. She was drenched in sweat from her forehead to her neck. Her skin was more pale than before.

"Okay. Hee-su."

"I need to use the bathroom."

"Okay, go."

When Mrs. Park turned around to face the board, she grabbed her messenger bag. Ae-Cha quietly followed after her friend, not seeing that she caught the eyes of three boys in particular.

"Hey, Hee-su, what's wrong?"

The pregnant girl's body slacked, she used the wall as a last resort to hold her body up. She looked at her best friend, feeling a sudden strike in her lower abdomen sending a wave of pain throughout her whole body.