Sooyoung’s POV

Even as I reached to the house I knew that it was too late. I need to act fast, if she did not come off before the time, the caller could take away my lover’s life.

*flashback*

A place between you and my sister, Jessica, were met long time ago, with an oath that both you said that you will never be apart, whether in life and death. Can you show me that you still stick to the oath? Can you proof to me? Come here, right to the house, or I will kill this girl right next to me
.
Bang! The shot sound can be heard followed by wicked laugh.

*end of flashback*

I stopped in the station to park my car, and watched cars passed by the station. Feet moved by me and did not pause; people glanced at me and glanced away. I was only another stranger coming off the evening at Jeju Island.

Scar at my back that was nine years old – or ten – I moved; straight foot over straight foot, down to the station road, and into the village that I had not seen for – yes, nine years! Nine years ago.

I knew this village, every street in it, every house in it, but the village would have forgotten me – for the time, only for the time. Nine years is a long time, as times sometimes creeps, but a spurred memory can take it in malice and tomorrow memory would stir again and again.

Keep in calm Sooyoung! Bitterness is the destroyer of life, and bitterness you have left behind you in the place where you were hidden. Life you have to face and it might be a long life too. You are only twenty-one. Keep in calm. Life is precious and of great value.

The main street straight as a rush had changed scarcely at all. There were a few more plate-glass windows, but the flat facades were still distempered in colours that did not tone too well: greens, blues, yellows, pinks and slated roof lines. And behind the town, and a mile away, the long easy sweep of hill made a background of softly-hazed greens and browns.

There were not many people about on the street, and scarcely any through traffic. A few cars were parked here and there. Most of the shops were closed before four, two hours of sunlight still ahead and then long hours of cold, dark night.

I was moving more easily now, for no one looked at me with any interest. But then I was not expected. There was one certain place where I was definitely expected, and on this evening too. I looked at my watch. Eight. The day is getting late.


Jessica’s POV

I raised my bowed head, trying to reduce my killing pain in my head. I turned my head back; both my hands were tied up on a wooden chair. Wait! Where am I? Who bring me here?

“At last you’re finally wake up, Jessica?” a single soul appeared – woman – I closed my eyes several times for better vision but it does not help at all. Why the voice sounds decipherable?

Thunder rumbled through the walls of the house – I gasped as the light flickered and went out. Lightning flashed brightly for a moment, casting the living room in an eerie glow. When it disappeared, the house was completely dark, except for the few glimmering candles.

The shadow stepped closer and closer as she played the knife? Krystal?

“Krystal? I mean what are you doing here? Run Krystal, run. Call for help…”

Krystal laughed – she laughed ironically – “Run? No way unnie, this is what I’m waiting for. This is it; I’ve been patient for a long time, unnie. Do you know who is exactly is Sooyoung? She’s a murderer – and evil murderer, who had killed my one and only sister, Jessica, unnie. Surprisingly my late sister had the same name as yours, unnie.”
Her eyes started to tear up and she wiped it with her long sleeves first before continued, “Jessica. Anyone who got that name is the best person on earth; they are marvellously beautiful and caring, full of humour and compassionate. The only partner in my life, the only companion in my life, my life are full of happiness and laugh – until that Sooyoung left my sister alone in the burning house. My life turned upside down, unnie.”

At the moment, rushing footsteps could be heard from outside. Harsh smash can be heard coming from upstairs. Then, shrill shout – calling for my name – coming up next – is it Sooyoung?

Krystal’s mischievous smile formed on her lips as she walked closer and took out handkerchief from her pocket, cork it in my mouth. “Whoever are you come out now! Jessica, where are you!” Sooyoung’s shout from downstairs entertained Krystal – she kissed my forehead before walked and stood at the wall near to the door, “the show is about to start, unnie. Sorry for using you but this time for the sake of my late sister, I will do anything for her. I love you, Jessica unnie.”

Krystal! Listen to me first! I’m your sister, Krystal. I’m your unnie, Krystal. There’s nothing to do with Sooyoung. Let me go, Krystal.


Sooyoung’s POV

Now I stood and looked over into the way into Jessica’s house. There was hardly any movement. I raised my eyes and stared thought the night. Quickly my eyes scanned every single of the room.

Unmoving, breathing very slowly, trying to catch any sound, from anybody, anything…but there was none. Transfixed, confused and wondering. It was coming home to a deserted place. An unexpected chill slithered down my spine.

“Jessica!” I screamed out her name. “Whoever are you come out now! Jessica, where are you!” I shouted her name.

Not a single soul appeared.

With the flashing thunder from outside, I started up the stairs – towards Jessica’s room – but with every step I climbed, I grew more and more nervous. It was so dark and quiet there – I heard only the raindrops beating on the roof, mimicking the rhythm of my heart.

I paused at the top of the stairs, scanning and remembering Jessica’s room. There it was.

I slowly reached for the door handle, twisted the doorknob – it’s unlocked, I realised –pushed on the door and peered into the dark room. I looked into the room… Jessica! She was sat with a rope tied around her legs and hands, was gagged with piece of fabric and her temple was bleeding.

“Jessica!” I entered the room but then great impact hit my back, causing me to trip over the floor. As I trying to stand up, more and more kick my chest and abdomen. “I have been waiting for this for such a long time, you murderer!” she kept repeating those words as another kick was flung and smack right to my stomach, causing me to cough gasping for air.

“Get up!” she shouted. Oh boy, I thought, “Krystal?” but then Krystal grabbed my collar and punched right to my cheek, causing me to loss my balance and knocked on the floor.

“My first and only sister in our family – a beautiful yet cold girl – had died, and the doctor told my mother that she would never conceive again. My parents had loved unnie and so do I; her death lowered a curtain of our house. Unwisely, they seldom spoke of her, but my sister’s pictures was everywhere; a memorial of what might have been and of where lives ceased to hope.”Once again, she pulled my collar and punched my stomach, pushing me to the floor.

Krystal pulled out her necklace with a love locket. She opened the locket and I could see the pictures even though my vision is getting blur – the first love-shaped picture is her parents and the other side is not other than Jessica. Her hit my head physically powerful, it very hard for me even to speak, telling her the truth.

Krystal, the woman that you tied on the chair is your sister, Jessica. Please stop all this Krystal. This is not the best way of reunion.



Jessica’s POV

The tears checked, colour streamed back into Krystal’s cheeks. Sooyoung came towards her, but she waved her away causing Sooyoung to lose her balance and fall on the floor. Her tirade stopped as suddenly as it began; the clenched hands opened and her shoulders sagged.

I struggled on the chair, trying to lose the tie of the rope. Faster, Jessica, I encouraged myself. I need to act fast to speak the truth – Krystal is too young to act this way, she was encouraged by her emotion – or I had to eye Sooyoung been suffered from pain.

“I don’t need sympathy, I need something more, and neither you nor anyone else can give it to me.” Krystal checked abruptly and her voice was pitched high. I had never seemed her like that before.

Now her face becomes alive. Her eyebrows stood out in a furrow, set off by an angry glow. Her hands slipped easily into the side-pocket of her jacket, and her face set, flame in fire – she was ready enough to take her next action.

She aimed the gun, targeting lying Sooyoung as her victim, “send my regards to my unnie, Sooyoung. You should deserve more than this.” As Sooyoung tried to stand, one shot was released, hit right on her abdomen.

Sooyoung! The shot caused Sooyoung to bow and wrapped her arms around her stomach. Her back sliding against the wall; leaving a blood print on the wall, as she sat there breathing very slowly – a cold sweat broke out around her forehead.

The knob on my hands loosed as I struggled harder and harder to release myself. Immediately I untied the bind around my legs and pulled out the handkerchief from my mouth – speeding up towards the weakening Sooyoung.

“Oh my dear!” I cried, rushing towards the girl.

I took out Sooyoung’s cell phone from her pocket and called the ambulance. The situation was getting worse as more and more thunders hitting the night. “I say, you people, Sooyoung is doing a faint. She’s been shot,” but then the line was off. 

Sooyoung was sitting in a crumpled way on the floor and certainly looked white-faced. She gave a little cry of pain and then tried to laugh.

“Oh my love! I think the bullet strike me very well. I can feel the blood rushing out from the hole. Sorry to make an exhibition of myself but it hurts like a deuce.”

I went across the space and bent down over Sooyoung and put her in more comfortable position before her shirt.

“Oh my!” I shocked by the blood flowing through after examining the cut. I pulled my long sleeves and tear it, placing it on the impression but still the blood flowing more like a river. I looked at Sooyoung; her chin trembled and her lips are getting whitish.

“Oh Jessica!” moaned Sooyoung, half laughing and half crying, “it hurts like the devil.”

“Please Sooyoung. Just hold on. Ambulance will arrive in any soon.”

I tear off another sleeves on the other, patch it on the cut, hoping that the blood will stop flowing but it getting useless. More and more blood escaped from the cut – unstoppable.

“Jessica,” Sooyoung whispered, “I’m getting cold.”

No! No! Sooyoung! You got to be kidding me!

“It’s because of the night wind, Sooyoung.” I took off my jacket and placed it on her shoulders, trying to be calm. Please, Sooyoung, you got to be strong.

“My vision are getting blur, Jessica,” Sooyoung whispered, and now it getting hard to hear her voice.

“No Sooyoung! Please hold on!” I rose up her chin, staring at her eyes. She placed her palms – bloody palms – on my teary cheeks.

“I’m…so…sorry…… Sica,” her arms fall down. Her head bowed and her body fall on the floor.

“No Sooyoung! Get up Sooyoung!” I patted her shoulders, hardly. I shook her shoulders and slapped her cheeks.

Sooyoung! Open your eyes! Please don’t treat me like this! Please don’t leave me Sooyoung! Sooyoung!