"Min hee! Min Hee!" 

A woman was calling her name desperately but there no one around. Not a single sound.

"MUM WHERE ARE YOU?" Min Hee screamed, her movements frantic.

Her wild screams echoed the unforgiving forest. Wisps of thick mist swirled and haunted the empty forest, the trees and plants choked by the sinister mist. Min Hee's mismatched breath came out in white clouds, her skin raised with goosebumps from the chill as she raced like a cheetah in the wild and thick undergrowth towards the faint call. 

"MOM!" She cried out again. 

Min Hee tripped and fell many times earning scrapes and bruises from sharp twigs nonetheless she kept going -- the pain was like a brush of feather compared to what she was feeling in her heart.

"Min Hee!" Her mother's voice was growing weaker.

"HELP!" 

Her voice mother's frantic pleas were coming from a cave. She charged towards the looming entrance, diving fearlessly into the uncontrollable manifestation of pure darkness.

"Where are you?" She desperately cried. Her heartbeat was erratic as she searched blindly in the blackness; her fear growing stronger. 

Suddenly Min Hee was plunging down into an abyss, the explosion of darkness enveloped her in its evil embrace.

"NOOOO!" She screamed, her cries muffled effortlessly.

Min Hee's hand was clutched tightly, a warm hand was yanking her up, her mother's hand. 

Her mother's face appeared before her distraught.

"Listen to me Min Hee! I don't have much time." She glanced desperately behind her. 

"Mum pull me up!" Min Hee squeezed her hand tightly. 

"Promise me you'll keep your promise!" She demanded. Their hands started to slip.

"Yes I will! Now can youu--"  " --swear to me Min Hee!" Her mother cut her off.

"I swear I'll keep the promise!" Min Hee cried. Her grip was loosening and she cringed as she looked down at the pit, its never ending darkness that would consume her if she fell. 

"I'm so sorry Min Hee." She shook her head, tears cascaded down her pale cheeks. "I can't save you..."

Min Hee's eyes widened as her mother released her hand. "I love you Min Hee!"

Her mother was already fading away like she was never there in the first place.

"NOOOOOO!" she screamed. 

---

Min Hee gasped, shaking from the vivd dream.

"Mom," she whispered. "I'll keep my promise."

She closed her eyes softly and let all the whirlwind of thoughts run in her mind until she sat up and took a deep breath to lock them back up. Min Hee's fingers slid up to touch her cross to soothe herself. It was the only reminder of her mother's that she owned. 

She checked the clock on the bedside table: 4:35 a.m.  

Min Hee knew she wasn't going to get anymore sleep so she decided to get up and take a cold shower. 

****

Gust of leaves swirled around the driveway like a mini tornado, the sky was thick with heavy grey clouds that wanted to sink down their heavy burden onto the earth. The breeze played with her hair – now short and styled in a pixie haircut that brought out Min Hee's angular cheek bones and oval face. She could feel the chilling breeze sneaking under her clothes, she shivered slightly and sped up her pace heading for the small shelter underneath the porch before it started to rain.

Min Hee strided towards the boarding house past the healthy green and trimmed hedges.