It was eight years ago, at Sunny's 13th birthday. Her parents waved her goodbye when she hopped on the school bus.
"When you come home from your field trip, we're going to have a wonderful birthday party," her mom said.
"Okay and you promised the cake, right?" Sunny crossed her arms.
"Of course," her mom smiled, "now go have fun."
Being born in a wealthy family, Sunny had everything every girl wanted. Most of all things her parents gave her, freedom was something she treasured
very much.
The school bus reached the beach. Sunny's school was going to do a research at the beach. Although it called a research, the students just play all day
and the teachers just leave it at that.
When the sky turned dark, the school bus took the students home. Sunny jumped down the bus and waved goodbye to her friends.
"Happy birthday!" they shouted.
It was the happiest day ever.
Sunny walked to her door house with anticipation. Her parents didn't go out to greet her but that was fine, Sunny hoped that they were busy preparing
the party. And when she opened the door, she was right. The living room was decorated with pink ribbons and balloons. She threw her bag to the
nearest sofa and went to find her family. Her brother promised her to play harmonica too so she was really waiting for this day.
As she reached the junction to the kitchen, she found a broken vase and a banner saying Happy Birthday Sunny on the floor. They were in a hurry.
She pushed the kitchen door softly. It was heavy. She pushed it harder and made a small opening. She could see the kitchen was dark and in disarray
from it. Sunny began to wonder.
She pushed the door harder, the kitchen cabinet was blocking it. Sunny slid entered the kitchen. Everything was in chaos. Dining chairs were broken and
all over the place, the dish cabinet shattered to pieces.
Something fell to her shoulder, something warm. It was red and sticky. She looked up and found blood from the ceiling, dripping. Sunny took a step
backward. There was hair sticking on the blood, and nails, human nails.
Sunny's pupil dilated and when she used to the darkness, she found the kitchen was filled with blood. There was a hand, her brother's hand on the
dining table. On the corner of the kitchen, a human figure was on the wall. Black curly hair, broad back and brown shirt and it was missing its legs. It was her dad. His body was vertically cut in half and on the wall like he was pressed by something huge.
Sunny fell on her knees, almost fainting when a voice laughed. It was from the other side of the kitchen. A girl, holding her birthday cake, smiled at her.
"Welcome home," she said.
Sunny's eyes widen. Behind the girl, her mom was floating in the air like she was hanging on a thread by her wrists.
"This is your 13th birthday, right? I really enjoyed the cake," she smiled and took another bite at the cake, "you're a lucky girl, Soongyu. Your name is
Soongyu, right?"
Sunny was too scared, she only looked to her mother. Her mother was not breathing.
"I already had my fun and I am full so I'm going to let you go," the girl stood up and walked toward her.
Sunny flinched and crawled backward, away from the girl.
"A little souvenir," the girl smiled and suddenly a strong wind blew, shook the kitchen, destroying what was still in one piece. Sunny shrieked and closed
her eyes.
Sunny covered her head with her arms and when everything became quiet, she peeked. The girl was gone but she left something on Sunny's lap, warm
and heavy. She saw brownish eyes looking straight back at her. The girl threw Sunny her mother's head.
**
Hyoyeon stopped the story and looked to Sooyoung. She was still munching.
"Okay, I don't know what could make you stop eating," Hyoyeon tilted her head.
Sooyoung grinned, "that is a horrible story indeed but still, another warning for me to keep living to eat."
Hyoyeon sighed. Sunny was walking back from the hill.
"Don't mention the story to her though. She's a bit sensitive about that."
"Who wouldn't?" Sooyoung finished her sandwich and walked to Sunny.
Sooyoung waved at the small girl, she waved back. Now she understood why Sunny despises the Gifted and Potentials so much.
"Thanks for coming with me," Sunny smiled.
"No problem. So, do you want to grab breakfast?" Sooyoung burped.
**
Jessica fell on the hard marble floor, dizzy and confused. She quickly stood up. Yuri was in front of her, standing with her arms crossed. She was inside
a gazebo, in a garden full of flowers. Where the hell am I?
"Where are you?" asked Yuri.
Jessica saw a pale girl walked to the gazebo, Taeyeon.
"Almost home, you?" she said.
"Not far from the house."
Taeyeon noticed the scared Jessica. Taeyeon smiled at her, "oh, hey. Nice to meet you, I'm Taeyeon."
Jessica said nothing.
"She's a bit shocked, you see. This is her first time experiencing your Reach," Yuri explained.
Reach?
"Oh, well. We're going to meet officially at the house then."
Jessica's head stung by a sharp pain, her visions blurred and she fell on the ground. She was back at the pavement of Seoul busy street.
"What--what happened?" she stuttered.
Yuri helped her up, "Taeyeon just Reached us. Don't worry, it happens a lot."
[i]Reach?
"So I was inside my head?" Jessica tried to catch her breath.
"Yeah, it's one way we communicate without people knowing it."
"Why couldn't she just call?" Jessica wiped off the dust on her jeans.
"It's better that way," Yuri smiled.
They walked again through the suburban. They left the crowded street and started to hike a small hill.
"Yuri-ssi? how did you find me?" Jessica asked.
Yuri touched her chin with her finger, "we have a? some kind of police scanner? we use it to listen in on the organization radio. That's why we know if
there's any Gifted out there."
Jessica nodded, "wow, so you guys are one step ahead of them."
"Umm?," Yuri tilted her head, "not really? you see, the organization knows we're monitoring them."
"They know? So why didn't they do anything about it?"
Yuri thought hard again, "Eeteuk-oppa said?."
"Who!?"
"Eeteuk-oppa. You looked scared. What's wrong?" Yuri pulled her eyebrows together.
"No, nothing," Jessica frowned. Was it the Eeteuk she saw in her dreams?
"The scanner is a one way we know their moves and it's one way for them to know our moves?," Yuri explained, "it's complicated. Eeteuk-oppa can
explain it better."
Jessica was quite. She was scared.
Behind the hill was a small path leading to a house. It was huge, larger than the orphanage. Jessica suddenly pulled on Yuri's shirt.
Yuri turned around.
Jessica laughed awkwardly, "just a little nervous."
Yuri smiled, "don't worry, everybody in there are nice."
Still, Jessica held on Yuri's shirt. The closer they get to the house, the more worried Jessica becomes.
Up close, the house was even bigger. It was two storied and made of wood.
Yuri and Jessica stepped on the foyer.
"This is my house," Yuri smiled.
The door slowly opening and a guy with brown hair came out. He was smiling, his face was soft and warm. But Jessica was scared, she intertwined her fingers with Yuri's and pulled her closer.
"Hey, you're back!" the guy cheerfully chirped.
"Hi, Oppa," Yuri smiled and looked to Jessica.
"Hi, I'm Eeteuk, welcome to our house," he smiled and spread his arms.
Jessica was not happy to see him. She felt that there was some angst behind Eeteuk happy appearance. His sharp eyes and his smile, everything about
him scared Jessica. The theatre, the piano, the song and now the guy that she saw in her vision, everything was in place. Will he really be her death?
She asked herself.