Kibum

 

I'm walking down by the pier to find a boat that I can borrow. I'm planning on taking a mini trip down the river or whatever this is. I want to see what's down there. But it looks like people are tying up their boats instead of starting them up.

 

"You'd better get inside," an old lady says to me. "it's gonna be pouring rain soon."

 

"Rain?" I look up at the totally clear sky. "There're no clouds, how could it rain?"

 

"You feel that wind?" she asks. "That wind'll blow the clouds in, and then it'll be storm weather."

 

"You can't be serious," I say, looking around. "there aren't even clouds near us! You're going crazy." Now that I said it, I probably sounded like an .

 

But I've already said it, so I can't take it back.

 

"You won't be sayin' that when you're drowning in the river." She walks away, grumbling and huffing, and I feel bad.

 

After walking around, I see an old man trying to tie his boat up. But his hands are shaking too much, so I walk over and ask him if he'd like some help.

 

"W-well thank you, young man!" he says in a shaky old voice.

 

"No problem, sir." I take the rope and tie it tight and secure, so this wont be going anywhere.

 

"Thank you so much, young man." The old man bows to me and holds out a little cloth bag.

 

"You're welcome..." I take it, wondering what's inside it. The old man leaves and I open the bag, seeing a little gold shiny something. I pull it out and it's a tiny gold anchor, no bigger than my thumb. I wonder what it's for while I walk the pier a little longer. Soon, the wind has really picked up and I can see storm clouds. Oh crap, now I really feel bad about calling that old lady crazy... I decide to head back and turn around, watching the clouds roll in faster. I have a really bad feeling about this... Then, as it starts to drizzle, I slip on some water on the pier, and fall into the water. It's colder than ice cold, and I try to swim back up- only to have a huge wave splash me in the face, pulling me under again. I try swimming up again, and actually surface this time- ONLY TO FIND MYSELF THIRTY FEET AWAY FROM THE PIER. I couldn't even feel the water push me out! I'm not the best swimmer, and it's freaking me out. I try to swim, but the water obviously wants me to die a watery death, because I get under again. The next time I surface, I remember to scream. I scream as loud as I can, wanting anyone to hear me. I open my eyes and see I'm being pulled down the river, and what the old woman said comes to my mind. Why? I don't know...

 

"You won't be sayin' that when you're drowning in the river."

 

Those were her exact words. And she was right. I'm drowning, and I'm not calling her crazy now. Jeez, I'm an . I would feel bad if I weren't preocupied with my life on the line, and the fact that I'm swallowing tons of water, and probably getting it in my lungs.

I go under again, and this time I make no effort to swim back up. I'm done. I can't do this. My arms are burning, my legs are on fire, and it's as cold as hell. I'm just- done. I'm about to totally give up and inhail the water, when I hear a boat above all the rushing water. Something grabs my arm and pulls me up, up, up, untill I break the surface. I realize after a while, that I had inhailed water, because someone is trying to get me to breathe again. Pounding on my chest, and forcing air down my throat.

 

Soon my ears start to reacognize sounds beyond the white noise of the water and the storm, and I can hear someone saying my name. I can't tell who it is because my hearing is all fuzzy, moreso in one ear, and that makes me think my hearing aid shorted out. They force air down my throat again and push on my stomach. My eyes pop open and I roll over, coughing up all the water I swallowed, also throwing up a little bit. I lay back, panting, and I feel strong arms wrap around me. I also feel warm water stream down the side of my neck. I can hear Jonghyun's voice now, whispering in my ear. The ear I can't hear out of. It's not too long after that that I pass out.

 

 

                                                  **********************************

 

 

When I wake up again, I'm in my bed. I can still hear the storm raging outside, so it's either the same day, or it's a huge storm. I look at my clock and see it's 5:00 am. I look at my door and wish I could get up. My damaged ear is ringing from it's lack of hearing-aid-ness. I sit up, and automatically feel sick. I lean over the side of my bed and throw up all over the floor.

 

Jonghyun must have heard me, because he comes rushing in with a bucket. He puts the bucket down on the other side of the bed and grabs a new bucket, but this one has soapy water and a scrub brush in it. He starts scrubbing my vomit out of the floor, and it takes me a while to realize he's talking to me.

 

"...so I tried to clean it before you woke up again, but it looks like I was too late- again..." Is all I get.

 

"Wh-" I start to say, but my throat stops up and I start coughing violently.

 

"Shh!" Jonghyun drops the scrub brush and rubs my back. "Please don't strain your throat."

 

I nod.

 

"Thank you. Are you still tired, or are you awake?"

 

I tilt my head, not knowing how to say I'm awake.

 

"Oh- uh-... Sleepy?"

 

I shake my head.

 

"Awake, then?"

 

I nod.

 

"Wide awake?"

 

I nod.

 

"Great..." He stands up and takes the bucket out, leaving my door open. He comes back and hands me a mug of tea. I drink it slowly and think about how many questions I have to ask. And how many questions I am not able to ask. Which is all of them. I look out the door into the dark room. The sun will be rising soon, so it'll get bright. Too bright, I bet.

 

I kick the bucket over to get Jonghyun's attention, and he comes rushing in.

 

"What's wrong!?" he says, worried. "Are you okay!?"

 

I nod.

 

"Okay... What's up?" He sits on the side of the bed and looks at me.

 

I point to my damaged ear, showing that I have no hearing aid anymore.

 

"Oh-" He reaches into his pocket and pulls out little broken pieces. "This is all that's left."

 

After that, I kind of just sit there, gaping at my destroyed hearing aid. How will I hear out of that ear now? Will the doctor give us a new one free, like he did with the first one? Will he have to squirt that blue goo in my ear again? Will I have to take another hearing test? And fail? AGAIN!?

 

"I'm sorry." Jonghyun says, breaking through my thoughts. "I'll take you to the ear doctor tomorrow. I promise." He takes my hand and looks down, like he feels it's his fault. I close my eyes and try not to swallow, because it hurts my throat. I really want to get up and do something, but I feel tired all of the sudden.

 

My thoughts start to fog up and it takes me a while to realize I fell back onto my pillows, spilling my tea everywhere and breaking the mug. I can't move. I'm too tired. Jonghyun is trying to get me to answer him, but I really just don't want to. I want to sleep... I just want to sleep...