Overcoming The Past

3

‘I’m dead, I’m dead, I’m dead, I’m going to die, I’m going to die, I’m-’

“Kid are you alright”

-Gasp-

“A-Ah”

He wasn’t able to focus on the person holding him. He was trying to gasp for air.

‘ROK SOO!’

He finally turns from behind and sees the black dripping hands reaching towards him.

“N-NO!”

Without a second thought, he hugs the person who is still beside him. Trying his best to hide from the hands; clenching his eyes shut. Hoping that it’ll leave him alone, hoping that it’ll disappear, hoping to be saved.

“What’s wrong, kid?”

He opened up his eyes and looked at the person he was hugging very tightly to. His face became very pale upon seeing this very old yet terrifying butler.

‘I’m dead, I’m going to die, I’m-’

“H-he’s going after m-me! He’s c-chasing me!”

The least thing he could do to survive from this person was to at least make an excuse as to why he wasn’t sleeping. To why he wasn’t in bed; to make them believe that he wasn’t actually trying to escape.

“There’s no one here but you and me.”

“HE’S RIGHT THERE! He-”

He throws one of his hands toward where the black hands was chasing him, only to find nothing there. His eyes widen. He began to tremble more while his other hand was clenching the butler’s clothing.

‘It’s not there. . .it’s gone. . .he won’t believe me. He’ll think I’m lying, he’ll, he’ll he’ll-’

“You’re safe here, kiddo. There’s no one going after you.”

‘Huh?’

He looks back at Ron in shock. He was expecting the butler to yell at him or maybe even hit him for lying and running away; but instead. . . he was looking at him with shape yet concerning eyes; something that he had never seen anyone looking at him before. It was the 6th time they had told him that.

‘No one is going to hurt you.’

‘No one is going to hurt you-’

‘Don’t worry, little human!’

‘He won’t hurt you!’

‘Don’t be afraid, eat as much as you want’

‘Can i. . .actually trust them?’

“There. . .there was a hand chasing me. . .”

“Can you show me where?”

Feeling a bit safe with the scary butler with him, he nodded. He sees Ron get up and waits for him to lead the way. But afraid of him disappearing; he grabbed Ron’s stiff yet warm hand and walked beside him. Slowly going back to the mirror room. Each step caused Kim Rok Soo to tremble, fearing that the hands would come out and grab him. But upon entering the room and turning on the lights. There were no hands, no uncle, and no black liquid on the floor. Eyes his moved to the mirror.

“A-ah. . .”

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s still there. . .t-the black mirror. . .”

“Hm?”

Ron looks at the mirror, only to see the cracks and the many Kim Rok Soo’s reflections. But other than the small pieces that were stained black, the mirror looked the same.