Michael came to with a jolt of surprise, bringing his body into a sitting position on the mattress. He was breathing fast, feeling like he had run a marathon just now. His eyes roamed the dark room, feeling himself getting confused before he forced himself to breathe properly.
In and out. In and out.
Finally getting his heart to beat at a normal pace, Michael looked at his best friend asleep soundlessly. He shuddered, chanting the same five sentences again and again. It was part of his therapy, for when he ended up with a panic attack. He had to constantly remind himself that he was safe.
I'm in Samjin, South Korea. I'm at the head villager's house. His name is Kirai.
I am safe.
No one's hurting me.
Relieved, he started getting up. He brushed his teeth and washed his face, all the while fighting against a massive headache making its way to his head. It felt as if he had been drinking shots the night before; which he knew was untrue. So it only meant one thing.
He must have cried himself to sleep out of fear last night.
He hadn't cried in months, not since the first time he'd dreamed of the mysterious girl. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, he began moving towards the bedroom door, being careful not to step on his sleeping friend.
On his way to the kitchen, Michael got lost a few times before finally locating it. It was a small house, but he was new here and he didn't know where was where. He could smell food in the air, though he wasn't sure what they were. The scent was unfamiliar to him.
He found Namjoon, Kirai's only grandchild standing by the counter, brewing what he guessed was coffee. It was Summer, and the air was scorching hot in the small wooden house, but he accepted the cup of coffee with a small nod of thanks despite knowing he would only drink little. At least he had caffeine. That always helped him get through the day.
He took a sip of the black coffee, feeling a hot trail down his throat, warming his tummy. He felt cozy somehow, the familiar scent and taste keeping him grounded as he struggled to comprehend the events of last night. He was now in a foreign country, living with strangers in a completely different environment than what he was used to; he thought, staring out of the windows. Paddy fields stretched for miles with mountains and blue skies as the background. Every house here was wooden, with trees and flowers surrounding each one.
Despite being a small village, they still had service, though bad, for phones. The internet however, Michael wasn't sure. He'd have to ask Namjoon.
Michael rubbed his hands around the cup, watching as Namjoon began eating unfamiliar Korean dishes for breakfast; the only thing he recognized was the rice cakes. Daniel was in the bathroom, he could tell by the sounds of water splashing about. His mind started planning the schedules for today, just like it always did in the morning - which included visiting Kirai and Min at the doctor's house. He didn't know where that was. He'd have to ask Namjoon that, too. Then, he and Daniel had to do some research on the spirit by interviewing the witnesses of the case. Which also meant he had to charge their phones and cameras that they'd need to record the proofs.
God, he had so much work to do, and it was only day one.
"Hey, Namjoon," He addressed the teenage boy, watching in horror amusement as Namjoon looked up in surprise, accidentally chocking on a big piece of whatever he had been eating, causing him to cough violently. Michael started moving, giving the boy a pat in the back and a bottle of water. Slowly but surely Namjoon recovered, and Michael went back to his seat.
"Y-yes?" He stuttered, and cleared his throat once before trying again, "Yes, Michael?"
Still slightly amused, Michael forced himself to be serious and asked, "Have you heard any news regarding your grandmother? Is she doing well?"
"Oh, Grandma?" Namjoon said, "Grandpa called in a while ago, she's healthy, but unfortunately still unconscious."
Michael's stomach dropped at those words; Min was still unwell, then. "Um, what did the doctor say? She's not hurt or sick, is she?"
"Don't worry, hyung." Namjoon was quick to calm him, his Korean mixing a little into his English without realizing, "The doctor assured Grandpa that she was fine. She had a bit of a shock last night; from what, we don't know. But she should be awake soon." Seeing Michael's worried gaze, Namjoon smiled. "Perhaps you were too handsome for women to handle, hyung."
Michael felt a slight blush rising at the teasing; kids nowadays, he swore, were sweet-talkers. He chose to ignore it, "Are you sure? 'Cause I still feel guilty over what happened. It was my fault."
"Of course, I'm positive. It was none of your fault, Grandma just isn't as healthy anymore. So don't worry, OK?"
"Yes, OK. You're right." Michael forced the words out, still unsure.
"Look, if it makes you feel any better, I can show you the way to the doctor's house. We can go there at say, afternoon? Grandma should be awake by then."
"Yeah, that - that sounds good. More than good." Michael replied, smiling. Suddenly remembering, he asked, "Oh, do you also happen to know if the internet service is available here?"
"Um, yeah. The internet is only provided at our local library. There are computers there that you can use, if you'd like."
"No wireless?"
The teenager shook his head, "It's a small village after all."
"Right." Michael said, feeling awkward. "Well, thank you for your help, kid."
"You're welcome, and I'm not a kid."
Michael snorted, teasing, "That's what every kid says."
Namjoon didn't reply, instead going for a rice cake and rolling his eyes as he mouthed, 'old man'.
Michael liked him already.
-
After Michael showered and changed into a pair of khaki pants and a tank top, he and Daniel headed out to the library at the other side of the village. They left behind their laptops since they wouldn't be able to use them anyway, and brought pens and notebooks, along with their phones.
Upon arriving, Daniel stopped at the first step, mouth wide in surprise, "Wow. Not sure what's with this village and its weird obsession with haunted houses and spirits." Michael slapped his friend's arm, trying to warn him to watch his mouth. He looked around, noting with relief that no one was close enough to have heard them. "What? It's true, and don't you dare deny it."
He himself looked at the old, wooden building, worn by time. The sign that stated "Library of Samjin" was losing some of its words. The signboard was also barely hanging on, looking like it might crash down anytime soon. There were spider webs at the roof, too, which freaked him out a little. The library looked more like a haunted house than anything.
"Well, OK you're right." Michael surrendered. "But we still need to do some research so it's not like we have a choice."
"I guess." Daniel said, before he began stepping into the building. The both of them signed up to use the computers. It was 10:30 a.m and they had an hour and a half to kill before Michael planned to visit Min.
Sitting at their assigned seats, Michael tried to make himself as comfortable as he could, then went on Google on the computer provided. He then turned to his friend, saying, "I think it's better if we split our jobs first. You look for the witnesses' phone numbers or emails, anything really, and arrange a meeting with them. I'll do some research on spirits in this area; there might be cases from the past decades that can help us with this case. They might relate, as well."
"Yeah, OK. Where'd you like to hold the meeting?"
"I don't mind. But make sure it's somewhere private. Too many people getting involved will be a pain."
"I think we should do the interview here. There's not many people, and it's peaceful as well."
"Great idea. Have them meet us here." Michael said. Daniel nodded his head, muttering a quite 'okay' under his breath.
Daniel and him then work on their assigned duties, Michael typing fast and reading just as fast, trying to get as much information as he could in the next hour. He clicked on a random site which discussed supernatural beings, and he was led to a blog with haunting pictures of angels and demons battling each other on the wallpaper. His eyes scanned the headlines of each article quickly, until one caught his eyes.
THE SAMJIN LEGEND
I am sure many have heard of this legend; most say it's a myth, a tale told by old folks to scare those of the young into obeying their every word. But if you haven't got any idea what the legend's about, well, you will know now. The events leading to this legend are said to have happened in the 1960's.
Back in the days, it was frowned upon for a man and a woman of different races, religions or countries to get married. The elderly believed that the reproduction of the human species should be among the same group of society or people, as it will guarantee a better future for said race, religion and country. And of course, this also meant they could somehow prevent extinction of the race.
As many other cliche love stories start, two teenagers fell in love. This wouldn't have been an issue, of course, if it wasn't for the fact that the boy was American and the girl was Korean. Their parents didn't approve of their love, and they worked to set them apart by hiring women to seduce the boy.
Nothing ever worked; their parents offered everything; money, jewels, maidens and men, power. But their love was strong enough for them to not care about anything else in the world.
Unfortunately, no one knew the exact story afterwards, but there were stories of how the couple eloped, and started a new life. But the parents hunted them down with help from soldiers, and they died. The both of them.
It was said that their spirit still roam the earth, the place where they died. Witnesses have claimed of seeing a young woman in Samjin, looking dead and lifeless. It was said that she was the spirit of Shei, the young girl that died with her lover, whose name remains unknown.
Is the legend real or false? Decide for yourself.
Michael re-read the article over and over again, his mind spinning. Was this the same spirit as the one he was hunting? Was the spirit a lonely soul, trying to find her other half? But it had been half a century ago... was it possible for a spirit to be on earth that long without finding its resting place?
He didn't know, but this was a lead. It was a start.
"Have you gotten anything?" Daniel asked all of a sudden, causing Michael to jump in his seat. "Dude, calm down. It's just me."
He took a deep breath, "Yeah, yeah, sorry. I-I found a site... I don't know if it has anything to do with our spirit but it's something."
"Let me see." Daniel said, standing up and bending his body close next to Michael's, trying to look at the screen. He read the article quickly, eyes scanning over the words. "Holy shit. Do you know what this means?"
"Huh?" Michael asked, confused.
"If this is our spirit, then we've got a vengeful spirit, Michael."
"What do you mean?"
"Can't you see? She's seeking revenge for her and her lover's death, that's why she hasn't left earth yet. Her mission isn't completed yet, and she won't be in peace until she finally kills someone responsible for their deaths. That's why she warned those teens; she was going to kill them, all of them."
He couldn't hide the shudder of fear that went through his spine. No, it couldn't be. Slightly spooked, he tried to change the subject instead, "Um, so, have you found any information about our witnesses?"
Noticing Michael's sudden change of attitude, Daniel sighed, "Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. I already arranged a meet-up for an interview session with them at 3, here. Is that OK, or should I change the time?"
"No, no, three's fine. That way we can take a few hours' nap after twilight before going to the lake tonight."
"Yeah, I thought so." Daniel replied. "Are you OK though? You look pale."
"I-I'm fine." Michael answered, "It's just that..." that what? That the legend seems familiar; no, feels familiar. He knew he had heard of it, seen the events unfold with his own eyes even, but that was impossible. He wasn't even alive in the 1960's. But he knew the legend from somewhere, he just couldn't pinpoint where exactly. "I'm tired and a little nervous, is all. Haven't caught a vengeful spirit for a while now, so I'm scared I might be rusty."
He could hear his friend sigh in relief at his answer before chuckling lightly, "Don't worry." Daniel assured. "You'll do just fine. It's only been a few years, but we'll be fine, I'm sure of it. You're one of the best hunter slash journalist out there."
Michael smiled. Faking one was as easy as breathing nowadays, "Thanks, I appreciate that."
"I meant every word. Look, it's 11:35 A.M already. We should head out to the doctor's."
"I promised Namjoon I'd wait for him here first before going."
"Sure. He won't take long, will he?"
"He should be here soon." Michael replied, then, the Devil himself appeared with a huge smile showing both his dimples.
"Hi. I hope I'm not late." Namjoon greeted, bowing his head. After assuring him that no, you're not late, we've just finished anyway, they then started towards their destination.
It took them less than ten minutes, and they arrived at a small cottage surrounded by trees. It reminded Michael of the cottage in Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, in a way.
Namjoon knocked on the door, and it was immediately answered by a man, tall and well-built, probably in his late 30's. Namjoon began talking to him in Korean as Michael and Daniel listened on awkwardly. Namjoon then turned to face them, smiling.
"Grandma's already conscious and she's inside with Grandpa. We can visit her now if you'd like."
"Yeah, that sounds good. I'm glad she's well." Michael said, "Thank you doctor." He then showed his gratitude by bowing 90 degrees. He learned that it was a way of showing respect to the elders, seniors. People that were important.
"Oh, Dr. Park doesn't speak English, so I'll do most of the translation." Namjoon explained when Dr. Park didn't reply to Michael, seemingly confused but still bowing back in return.
"Ah, I see." He replied, nodding his head. "Well, Daniel and I have plans at three so.."
"Yes, yes, do come in." Dr. Park invited, with Namjoon straight away translating every word as best as he could. They walked into a living room, neat and arranged, before turning left into a bedroom. There were a few beds but only one was occupied. Kirai sat by said bed, holding the hands of his beloved wife.
"Kirai. Min." Daniel greeted.
"Ah, hello Daniel. And you as well, Michael. Good morning."
"Good morning." They replied in unison. "Is Min doing well?" Michael immediately asked.
"Yes, but my wife's still tired." Kirai answered, worry thick in his voice.
"I'm sorry." He said. "I should've been more careful -"
"It's OK, Michael." He heard the woman's voice spoke, cutting him off, "I'm sorry for frightening you, especially so early in your trip here. It must have caused you trouble."
"It didn't." Michael denied, "I'm just happy you're fine now."
"Yes." She said. Her eyes then glazed over, looking like she might cry.
"What exactly happened last night?" Michael couldn't stop himself from asking. He felt Daniel nudged his elbow but he ignored his friend.
"I-Well I thought I knew you. You looked so familiar, your eyes especially." Min replied, laughing silently. "I thought I knew those warm blue eyes from somewhere. One of my friends had them, those blue eyes; exactly the same shape and shade of yours. But he's long gone." Michael could hear the sadness in her voice. "I missed him dearly. He was a great friend."
"He might be my father." Michael offered, trying to make the old lady feel better. "My birth father, that is. He died when I was young, and I was adopted by my parents now."
"My friend didn't have any children, only got married once but it ended badly." Min said, sighing in thought. "You just look similar to him. Is all."
"I'm sure he's looking down at us from heaven right now." Michael said.
"I bet." Min hummed. "It happened too long ago. Almost 50 years. Got us all in a shock when he died. He was so young and healthy."
"How did he die, if you don't mind me asking?"
"He was killed, brutally, mercilessly. By whom? No one knew. Even until now." Michael felt goosebumps at her answer, immediately remembering the legend he read about at the website.
"Did he leave anyone behind? Families, or maybe his wife?" He asked, curious if this friend was somehow related to the legend.
Min took a sharp breath, taking a long time to think before answering, "He didn't have anyone aside from his wife and me. But his wife, no one knew what happened to her afterwards. Some say she went crazy and was sent to the mental hospital in Busan, some say she killed herself. Some even say she got married again to a rich businessman, but there was no proof. I haven't seen her in years now."
Michael compared Min's story to the one he read online; it sounded almost the same but something wasn't right. "Was his wife Korean?"
"Yes, and he was from the West."
He felt his heart hammer in his chest. Could they be the same lovers as the ones in the legend? Could this friend be the one Shei was seeking vengeance for? Was their spirit even Shei?
He resisted the urge to ask her their names. Curiosity killed the cat, he heard a voice said, no, threatened him in his head. He wasn't sure whom it belong to, or where it came from. He felt chills down his spine. He'd figure it out later. Right now, he had to focus on Min.
"Do you, um, do you happen to still own a picture or two of your late friend and his wife?" Michael braced himself to be dissappointed with a no, of course not. It's been decades, Michael. He felt overwhelmed instead when Min answered;
"Well, I'm not sure. But I do have an old box that I used to keep all my pictures and notes in the house's store -try looking into it. There might be a couple pictures, if I'm not mistaken."
Michael looked at Daniel just as his friend looked at him. The moment they made eye contact; they knew exactly what to do.
-
"How would we know which one is him, though?"
Daniel asked, as both Michael and him began rummaging through the old store, sneezing once in a while due to the dusts collecting in every corner. He sneezed again, and as he opened his eyes, Michael spotted a box about the size of his palm, wooden as everything around it. The box was carved beautifully, with the words The Box of Memories painted on it in white.
"I've found it." Michael informed Daniel, who rushed to his side. "And to answer your question, if you find someone that resembles me in any way, then that's probably our guy."
Daniel didn't reply.
He brought the box outside, being careful to wipe off the dust on it. He opened it, and just as Min had said, there were black and white pictures and notes and letters, and junks like paperclips and a rose, or what was left of it -but he knew they meant so much more than just junk to Min. This was her memories, her story growing up; everything that she loved and cherished was in here, someway, somehow.
Daniel took out a stack of pictures, staring at the first picture -it was of a young girl from behind, whom Michael assumed was Min, sitting on a swing and looking out onto the sunset. "Beautiful." Michael heard the word came out of Daniel's mouth, and he nodded, agreeing with his friend.
They started looking through pictures; of a family of four, of people at carnivals, of the same girl -Min, he thought- wearing dresses and kimonos. Everyone looked happy, and it made him smile.
"I don't think she has a picture of him." Daniel said, as they finished looking at the last picture.
Michael sighed, "Yeah. And I haven't seen the wife as well. Let's try searching, in the box. I'm sure there'll be something."
His friend didn't say a word, already working. They brought out everything in there, read letters, smiled at notes, but nothing indicated Min's friend was there. Once they reached the bottom of the box, they realized their efforts might have gone to waste.
Just as they were about to give up, Michael paused. He looked at the wooden bottom, his hands pressing down on it.
"Something isn't right." He commented, then he realized that the wood wasn't even. One end of it was higher than the others. Michael brought his thumb and forefinger to the higher end, being careful not to hurt himself, then pulled it up.
He found a small opening; hidden from view of whoever might open the box without the owner's permission. It was a secret stash, Michael thought. He pulled the edge even higher until it was lifted entirely, finding himself with half a dozen pictures of the same man, a few with another young lady, gazing into each other's eyes lovingly.
"Sweet Jesus." Daniel breathed next to him, "Are you sure that's not you?"
Michael himself struggled to understand, to process the picture he's seeing. "Fuck." He breathed out. "Fuck, no wonder..."
There, on his palms, was a picture of a boy; no older than twenty or twenty-one. He wore a suspender, smiling real big for the camera. His arms were wrapped around a girl's waist, but the girl was looking at him, her hair shadowing her face.
"He looks just like you." Daniel said at the same time Michael thought he looks just like me. He had the same short hair, the same eyes, the same smile, the same everything; except he was younger and still had baby fat. "He might be your birth father, man."
"That's impossible. Min said-"
"He didn't have children, I know. But I mean; look at him. You're not just similar, you're an exact clone of him, or him of you. I don't know. Maybe she-" Daniel pointed at the girl, whom they both assumed was the wife, "was pregnant. But she didn't get to tell him or even Min, and then he died. She ran away to find someplace to give birth, to raise the child. Who knows?"
"There's no proof that he's even related to me."
"Yes, and there's no proof he isn't." Daniel argued. "We have to figure this out, man. It's creeping me out."
Michael agreed to that. He shuffled through the pictures, all of them showing the man/boy's face, but never the girl's. She was always either looking at him or around her, like she was scared of being caught, like she was paranoid, like she knew something was coming for them.
"Have you heard of doppelgangers?" Daniel suddenly broke the silence.
"Yeah." He said, "Why? Do you think he's mine?"
"He might be."
"I don't believe in doppelgangers, though."
"Yeah, and you didn't believe in ghosts too, but look where you are now." Daniel replied. "Maybe that was why Kirai called us and not some exorcists. Maybe it was all meant to be, Michael. Maybe this man is trying to tell you something, that's why you're here."
"Stop. Stop." Michael pleaded. His ears started to ring and it hurt. He was thinking too much into things. This might just be a coincidence. But it might not be one as well. What if Daniel was right after all?
Most importantly; why had Min hide those pictures but not the others?
Damn, he thought. Too many questions, yet so little answers.
It drove him mad.