Author’s POV:

 

 

Krystal can't be scared enough. Her sister begun laughing like a creep ever since her call for help from her parents by telling them about Jessica had stored a gun at that place and her sister wanted to use the gun to kill herself. The glass window has a hole now. She managed to break it. Somehow, her cry for help was in vain. It only calls more scary laughter from her sister to the sudden freezing environment right there.

 

Jessica's laughter only ends when she went mute and did nothing. Krystal got goosebumps a couple of times from this. Her sister was acting crazy or not really being herself if she may call that. What amused her sister is making her totally scared. She doesn't know how to handle a situation like this. Should she talk to her sister? Like maybe telling Jessica that she still has her around? Or should she just be quiet if she doesn’t want to hear her sister starts to laugh again? She chose the first one since she wants to tell Jessica how much she cares about her. Her sister really looks like she needs mental support from her. Jessica's strange behaviour should not be taken lightly by her anymore.

 

"Unnie, do you know how much that I love you? You know that I love you more than I love myself, right?" Krystal made a question without a delay.

 

The other small box that her sister tries to go through one by one in a slow pace, she tried to push gently a little far from the area. She wanted to have a space in between them. She wants to talk with her sister from heart-to-heart without a distraction. Her sister who sat on the floor with legs crossed begins to laugh again. Each time when she says something, Jessica will laugh very amusingly. It's so scary to encounter something like this, yet she tries to tolerate it. She reasoned out, the person she tries to face and make a conversation is still her dearest sister no matter how she behaves.

 

Previously, when she had been locked in the same place as Jessica, she only has her pajamas on. It started to get chills at night due to no room heater was available at the place. Jessica had asked her to wear her long coat and sneakers before she passed out the second time. She complained about the place was so hot. The stocking was enough to cover her feet from dust. Her sister had dressed up properly when she returned to their house. With long coat, turtleneck sweatshirt, jeans, and sneaker. It's not like her who don't even wear a bra and barefooted. She knew her sister asked her to wear the coat and sneakers because her sister tries to take care of her. The air in the place was never hot to her at all. Right now, she plans to return back the coat after seeing her sister shivering.

 

"Unnie…" Krystal calls before sharing her feeling more. She wrapped the coat on her sister's body before she follows Jessica to sit down on the floor, mirroring Jessica’s posture. It was her attempt to get her sister’s attention by purposely sitting near and in front of her. "You may already know that you are my everything. Yet, I want to tell you about it again. In this life, I just want your happiness more than anything. When I was down, you always cheer me up. When I need you, you always be there for me. I depend on you so much ever since I was born. You are my elder sister that I know I can count on. I'm sorry when I can't offer you the same support during your bad days that I'm not aware of. The past cannot be changed even if I regret it now for not being able to help you with anything. But you know that the future still can, Jessi." Krystal stated emotionally, she is on the brink to cry right there to think the crazy things that ever happened to her sister’s life. Her outrage won’t be over if she wants to think how unfair life could be.

 

"From today onwards, I want to be with you always. To shine your way during the darkest episode of your life. You know that I care. I always care about you. Because you really meant the world to me. Talk to me. What you have on your mind? What is the voice in your head telling you? I want to know all of them. I'm a good listener too, Jessi. You can be opened to me like during your teenage years. I understand why you can’t share with me all of your secret these days, but I promise, I will try to understand you this time. My weakness is I cry easily and I’m being mad easily. But you know it’s normal to have those feelings. We are human who has emotion. When I pass that stage, I will eventually learn to understand your reason and situation better. Please share with me, unnie."

 

Jessica stops laughing just right after Krystal ends her long confession and pleading. Her madness was over as of now. She lays on her back and slowly closes her eyes. Instead of shedding tears when she feels mad, her laughter has taken over her. Strange that her body doesn’t feel worn-out as it should. She only feels everything she did must be done in a slow motion. She had vomited twice and hadn’t eaten anything since the morning. Her last meal was the pumpkin soup and she had intravenous fluid given by the doctor the day before. Maybe the IV she had still last until now. That’s could explain why she felt that way. Furthermore, it hasn't been 24 hours she was trapped in that place with Krystal. Her poor sister might feel sick to have her around. Krystal hasn't eaten or drank anything, all because of her. Her sister just wasted her energy to scream for help when she knows it's useless. That's what made her laugh. She got angry to witness the situation.

 

"I feel sick, Krystal." Jessica muttered just enough for Krystal to hear. It took her a little while before she could share something about herself. "I don't feel like I am being myself. One second I could be strong, the next damn thing all I know is I just want it's all over. I feel like I'm living in a loop. I’ve been into this kind of situation. Being hopeless, powerless, and whatnot? Same old, same old. I want to be brave. My mental state is refusing and confusing me. I wish we can leave from this place together. I do really want that. But it's a war what I have in my head right now. I can't stand it. I just want them to be quiet once and for all. That's all that I want. I don't need your help, Krystal. Don't waste any of your energy for me. You shouldn’t be in this place with me. It’s my fault why you were trapped in this place."

 

Jessica’s laughter could be heard gradually increasing taking its peak. From small laughter to the big one when Krystal starts to sob from hearing what she just shared. Because it's never good to hear her sister cries, especially if she was the reason for it. She closed her eyes and the voices in her head start to punish her mentally again.

 

"It’s never your fault! And I’m going to help you, Jessi." Krystal knew Jessica's last a few sentences were meant the opposite. Her sister just can't say it out loud that she needs a help from her. The beginning that what her sister shared to her was all matters. It told Jessica's situation better. "I will save you. I promise to save you! For the start, I will save you from this hateful place."

 

Krystal stood up from the floor immediately, feeling determined to search all the boxes right there. Her anger overpowered her right now, and so her tears stopped pouring down following her mood. She needs to find the gun before her sister does. She hopes she could shoot the lock outside and leave from the attic with Jessica by pointing the gun at anyone who tries to stop them. She will use it to shoot her crazy father's lower body if she needed. She will announce it as the act of self-defense. Because their father is a crackhead man. If he is not a crack, he won’t lock them like that, especially her sister who was obviously sick and need their help as a family. She doesn’t feel mad at all towards her mother because she knew her mother tried to stop her father and her mother tried to release them from the place. Her father might put their mother in a helpless situation by using ’the head of the family’ card to go against them. What her father did right now make her hate him almost the same as Donghae. His madness shows them who he really was today.

 

It’s not been a minute, but Krystal has to put a stop on her search. She almost screamed in surprise to see the two persons who suddenly appears from nowhere near her and Jessica. From where did they come from? She wondered so much about this. There’s no access to get into the attic other than climbing up the ladder. But that's impossible. They are still being locked as far as she concerned. She knew one of the two persons who just appeared like a magic. Because one of them might be the reason why they have to go through this ordeal. It's not that she was mad at that person. She was just shocked to encounter a supernatural thing like this and thought why they never come earlier than this if they really have this ability? Anyway, she felt like her prayer and call for help was not in vain, after all. Someone really came to help them right now. But is it what she sees, real? Real like not only her hallucination?

 

'It's a relief... I found you.'

 

Jessica quickly opens her eyes when she heard a familiar inner voice of someone she knows. She has to rub her eyes a couple of times to see the person above her. She has been lying on the floor ever since Krystal’s attempt trying to make her talk. The doctor who was spotted next to Taengoo has confirmed her that everything she sees is real. She knew Sunny can teleport like one of Taengoo's alter. She has witnessed the doctor's ability while they were at the beach last time.

 

Does Sunny teleport with...

 

"Taengoo Unnie??" Krystal asked to kill her curiosity if everything she sees is really real or not. She needs a confirmation.

 

What Jessica sees is not only a dream. Especially, when she finally hears one of them talking in urgency. Did she feel glad to see them? Because she suddenly feels different. Like her soul has been returned to her body that instant. Taengoo is like her biggest distraction. Seeing Taengoo right now managed to kill any crazy thought she has in her head earlier. They suddenly disappeared. Because all her focus has been given to Taengoo alone. Jessica wonders i