*THUG*

 

“Mi Young! I told you to take good care of that tray!”

 

“I’m sorry eomma. It slipped through my hands.”

 

“It’s alright, better clean it up quick!”

 

                Those were the first words that you heard upon regaining your consciousness. Your eyes were so heavy, but you managed to get the strength to slowly open them.

 

               You saw the world at its blur at first, but as you flutter your eyes, the images starts to clear up. You saw a white background, and two people, whom you assume to be the ones who were talking a while ago, standing, and whispering something, but you didn’t seem to focus on them.

 

               You tried to pull yourself up from the not-so-hard bed you were lying in, for it seems to give you the worst back ache you have ever had, but you body seems to fail at you. With one try, your body slumped back to the bed.

 

               *THUG*

 

                The two people or two ladies rather, start to dash towards you, with worried looks on their faces. As they lean closer, their faces became more familiar.

 

                “Eomma….”

 

                “Mi Young, call the nurse!! Your sister’s already awake!!” She said, and the other girl rushed out of the room. She then caressed your hair, when you noticed that your head was also aching. Your hands followed her hands, and felt the soft, cottony fibers of some clothe wrapped around your forehead - a bandage.

 

                “Are you alright? My daughter, do you know how worried we were when we found out that you were rushed to the hospital? Tell me what happened?” She, your mother, asked you, her face was in pain, but with a sign on relief at the same time – relief because you are already awake, and out of danger.

 

                What happened? You attempted to remember.

 

 

                White plains…

               

                An unknown place…

               

                Disturbing sounds…

               

                …and…

 

                Warm hands enveloping your fearful body…

 

 

 

                “I...I can’t remember eomma…” You uttered. You don’t really know where these wounds came from. All you remember was the white nothingness, and the warm hands. Did it really happen?

 

                “It’s alright, what’s important is that, you are safe now. Maybe you’re just tired. You need to take a good rest. Your body was bruised all over, and the police were already investigating about the incident.”

 

                Police? What exactly did happen? What does police have to do with you?

 

                That’s when the images came back to you.

 

 

 

 

*Flashback*

 

 

                “Damn that boss!” You voiced to yourself, feeling so pissed and disappointed at the same time. Your boss made you work overtime without even informing you first. You had no choice, since you are a newbie and still on probation. You don’t want to get bad shot during your first weeks of work, especially since it’s your first work. Your employer let you off at 10:40PM, which is not really good. It takes 45 minutes for you to reach your home, and at least 30 minutes to reach the subway station, unless you take the other route – and it’s the least option. It’s too dark and dangerous to walk there alone. But you had no choice, thanks to your employer.

 

               Few minutes later, you found yourself walking in a secluded street, darkness engulfed the whole place. Not even a single store is still open. You had no choice but to travel this route. If you chose the common way, you won’t be able to make it to the subway station on time. The last ride is on 11:00 PM. You glanced at the small watch hugging your slim wrist. 10:50 PM. 10 minutes left. Your feet instantaneously moved at a hurried pace.

 

               Until someone grabbed your arms…

 

               “Hey, wanna play with us?” A man, who looks like 25-30 years old by judging from his appearance, came and grabbed you closer to him. You struggled to release yourself from his tight grip, but it was of no use. He was too strong.

 

                Just as he slightly released you reddening arm, someone unexpectedly jumped in front of you, plus two other man joining them. The first man just passed you to them.

 

                “You know, pretty girls shouldn’t walk alone here, especially in the middle of the night, and especially on this street. Coz once you step in here, it means that you are already ours!” You could almost feel his hot breath touching you cheeks, as he whispered directly on your ears. And the sensation irritates you.

 

                “Ha! Don’t make me laugh! Will you please take your filthy hands off of me?” It took you one big and deep breath to express such words. Your eyes were already cloudy, and the fear creeps to your inside, shaking your whole body, but you masked it off with your loud words.

 

                “Whoah, we got a strong one here, huh?” one of the four commented. His eyes were already burning with lust.

 

                The four of them starts to move closer towards you. Your knees seem to fail, as your whole body quivers with fear and disgust. “GET OFF OF ME!” You screamed as their hands started to travel around your body. “YAH! HELP!! HELP ME!!” You are helplessly begging for someone to pull you off from those evil, but it was of no use. This area is isolated, and no one in his sensible mind would ever loiter in this place at this time, only some society junks such as these bunch of incoherent people.

 

                “Shut up or else I’ll be the one to shut you off!” One of them said. You can barely recognize who it was, since your mind and even your senses were already in turmoil - until your body seems to hit a solid, yet rough surface, a wall, you presumed. One of them started to assault you, relishing your neck like a hungry beast.  “Stop... please… stop…” You pleaded, but they don’t seem to hear anything. Your strength was almost out of you, until you heard that voice.

 

 

                 “Let go of her!” his voice was stern, and yet, you felt the gentleness of it.

 

                “And who in the world are you??”

 

                “You better not know!”

 

                But an intense punch in your abdomen knocked you off your consciousness. All you remembered was there was someone who came to rescue you, and you even felt his hands, his warm hands, grabbing you from these perilous men.

 

 

                Yes. Someone saved you.