And now without Minwoo.  She continued running down the street, pushing through people ordering from street vendors whose wares enticed her sense of smell and made water.  But she could not stop.  She would run, get away from him.  Get away from the jittery feeling she got anytime he was near.  Get away from the goose bumps that rose on her skin when he just barely touched her; get away from the sound of his whispers as he softly called to her.

She let the cold distract her as it bit at her exposed skin, puffs of white smoke escaping her lips.  She ran faster.  Ran until she saw the signs of familiarity.  Ran until she collapsed, panting and sweating despite the cold temperature that surrounded her.

She knew he would be chasing her, swore she could hear his running feet slapping cracked pavement sidewalks in her own racing heartbeat.  She looked over her shoulder anxiously, expecting to see him not very far behind.  But there was no one.  No children, no parents, nobody walking on the streets just outside the barrier of rock wall, the wall that was now crumbling in some places and missing rocks in others.  She ran just passed the perimeter that marked her past from her present.

She met that familiar friend, one who she hadn't seen for a long while.  She slowed as she looked into it's mouth, that familiar sanctuary, looking past the crossed yellow plastic tape that read "CONDEMNED" in large, black letters.  She crossed the ground at a slow pace, realizing the change in the terrain.

What had once been protective rubber chips was now pale ground and sparse grass, deep cracks sunken into its great face.  She touched her friend, its once bright hide now a muted sunshine.  He was cold, his screws and bolts rough with rust.  His great mouth that once engulfed her seemed to frown, and she patted his icy flank--not as textured as she had remembered.

Finally, she separated the tape that closed restrained his mouth and crawled inside, welcoming the sigh he gave as he embraced her once again.

"Ya, Dongchul-ah, didn't you know the girl that lived in that playground?  Like, when you were really little?" A teen asked another. 

There was a small group walking past the rock wall, several eyes veering from the playground to the boy named Dongchul.

She easily recognized him as the boy from her childhood.  The first friend she had made in her life.  The first person she had in her life without her mother.  She was about to speak up to the small cluster from her place on the swings, to wave or make some action as to say "I'm that girl!  I'm right over here!", that is, until he laughed.

"Yeah, I did know her.  But I was really young.  I don't really remember her."

She noted that his voice was no longer high-pitched, for he was no longer a small child.  He must've been nearing the end of his high school days at this point, that is, if she was calculating correctly.  He had grow up to be quite attractive--shiny and well-styled hair, expensive-looking clothes, and a sharp jaw.  He no longer carried any excess weight as he had as a small child, in fact, he was quite muscled.  He clearly had admirers, based upon the number of girls clustered around him.

But he had forgotten her.  And that wasn't all.

"Now that I think about it, she must've been some kind of freak.  I mean, really, I heard she still hangs around here.  But that's just a rumor.  But really, what a freak."

swelled in an instant, her eyes stinging.  She looked up, tried to look away from the crowd, especially him, biting back tears.  She tried to clear of the balloon that expanded with his insults.  But she only succeeded in drawing attention to herself.  Just as they were coming to the summit of the hill that held the entrance gate to the playground, their eyes met.

Shock in his, hurt in hers.

"What a freak."

"What a freak."

"What a freak."

The phrase wouldn't stop repeating in her ears.