With both hands, I clutch on to the skirt of my Alice in the Wonderland costume as I stand in front of the haunted house, which seem to be the darkness rather than the one inducing darkness. It’s located at the outskirts of town, where trees with deep hollows and without leaves grow, and where the mist always stays. I swallow, trying fight the fear. To show vulnerability means I lose in this fight, and to lose means I will be forever guilty of a crime I didn’t even do.

The house is owned and guided by 5 monsters or as we call them, Big Bang, based on the myth that goes around the town ever since I can remember. The myth was told to me when I was just 5, when my optimism dangers me rather than protect me. I was trying to get in the house out of curiosity until my mother saw me in the act. We weren't still allowed to know at that age, but mother wanted me away of the house and she had no choice. At a young age, I know more than I should.

Every October 31st, our town chooses a VIP to enter the house in his or her liking or not. Sometimes, the guards would push them forcibly into the house even amidst the cries of the person. No matter how hard we value each’s life, he or she must enter the house, because if not, our town will be wrecked by the monsters living inside. All of us will be eaten alive as the elders say. It's a sacrifice of one for all or a sacrifice of all for one.

I was 10 when I first saw a VIP enter this house, and when he got out, blood was dripping out of his mouth and nose, and his right abdominal side has a big deep wound, hollowed with his flesh almost seen. No one rushed to his aid, because we were too afraid we’ll be the next offering, as to how the town’s rules are. I just stood on my spot, frozen as the VIP crawled towards me, one hand clutching the wound as he groans, “Help me.”, but I didn’t move, my eyes still wide from the bewilderment, and the next thing I knew, he was dead in front of me.

Ironically, after 15 years, even with my knowledge since I was little of what goes around the house, I am the VIP. For the first time, a girl will be offered to the monsters.

Our town has not chosen ever since a girl VIP because of what they believe they're the most important in the community. Reducing the number of girls is not a good idea because they are in charge of reproduction, maintenance of both private and public places, and entertainment. The VIPs chosen are mostly male criminals. They rank them up from who has the biggest crime, and let him have his last wish before he’s transported to the house.

Despite the fact that I'm a girl, they chose me because I did something that had made the mayor mad. It started when I insulted the mayor's daughter—because she insulted me first, I’m just taking revenge—and she paid back by telling everyone I was the one who killed the Mayor's favorite dog. Though truthfully, she was the one who killed the dog, because I don't have a golden knife, which was the tool used in killing the dog, to begin with. I will gladly buy food rather than a golden knife. The mayor’s daughter hid the knife inside my locker at school, complete with the dog's collar, before tipping me off by telling to her father. The mayor loved the dog so much that my punishment is to be the VIP for the annual offering, regardless of my gender.

"Get in!" I hear the mayor's daughter exclaim, which has become the start of other shouts from the townsmen, their voices ablaze. I gulp, a lump forms in my throat and take a shaky step forward, as the door of the haunted house opens up in a slow motion.

"Dara! Dara! I'll be the black knight. You don't have to do it!" I hear Wooyoung shout from the crowd, making sure his voice stands out, and that had made the mayor's daughter angrier. He shouldn’t have done that, because the gist of everything happening right now and why I'm here is no other than him. The mayor's daughter loves Wooyoung so much that when she found out that Wooyoung confessed to me he loves me, she classified me as a love rival, without even giving me time to explain my feelings. That's the reason why I'm here, standing in front of a twin oak door and a haunted house covered in dust with the crime of killing the mayor’s dog.

I turn my head back at Wooyoung, the mayor's daughter clasping at his right arm with a pout and I try my best not to cry, giving him a sorrowful smile. "Good bye, Wooyoung, Bom, Minzy, Sanghyun, Mom and Dad. I love you...all…until the moment I die."

Bom cried and was about to run to me, to hug me—to comfort me—but was stopped by the guards and their horribly long spears. I wave my hand to her, and then turn back to the house, holding the amulet my mother gave me. If ever I die inside this house, I want it to be less painful than the previous ones. Less gore, less tears. If it's my time, why won't let it? Why prevail my destiny?

I clutch onto my chest, trying to stable my heavy breathing and walk slowly towards the house, the whimpers of the people close to me makes my knees numb—makes my chest constrict. As soon as I reached the inside of the house, the doors automatically close behind me, and the creaks everywhere were the only ones that ring in my ears.

As my death nears, I remember what the dressmaker told me when she was finding my measurements. Just because I was the first girl VIP, she went overboard with the dress and had made a dress that depicts my circumstance. An Alice in the Wonderland costume, specially made for young girls who're going to die like me, painfully. The difference is that as I enter this hole, I am not going back like Alice.

"Who's in the presence of a new chosen one?" A low hoarse voice rings around the house and I clench my fists, nervously answering, "San...dara Park."

"What a beautiful name for a delicious prey." He comments, hungrily his lips, and I feel shivers running down my spine, almost making me fall down onto my knees. Suddenly, I hear footsteps coming from upstairs, creating unintentional creaks. I press my lips together before walking forward slowly, looking at my surroundings with caution, and from the middle of the room, I have a great look on everything around me.

"Why does the mayor have finally decided to choose a girl?" The voice asks, and a shadow passes by from the ceiling, then beside me. I try to act as if I wasn't bothered, even though inside, I am shaking madly. Almost instantly, I feel my back turn cold, as if someone poured ice cold water on it. It was more than a shivers-sent-through-your-spine. It felt more like an I-was-being-watched-from-afar type because I am sure someone is watching every move I make.

I look cautiously around first and put a hand on my nape to make it warm before I answer, "I was accused...of doing something immoral."
 

"What kind?"

"I killed the mayor's favorite dog." I reply, and continue on walking, finding another twin oak door beside me. Its golden knob have slightly turn into bronze because of the dust it had accumulated but what made the door striking is the ruby red stone on the golden Escutcheon plate. It almost covers the whole plate and its color somehow stirs something inside me—something deep.

"Such an ill-mannered mayor he is ever since we...met."

I jerk from the shock of the voice suddenly speaking, and curiously raise a brow, putting my hands on my hips as I ask, "You and the mayor are friends?"

"Somehow." He admits and even though I can’t see him, I can imagine him smiling crookedly.

"I see." I say, looking up at the ceiling. The cold feeling strikes again as cold air blows against my nape, making my legs shake.

"I doubt that you'll die, sweetheart. I really doubt." The voice suddenly says, getting my attention once again.

"Why?" I ask, raising a brow. Why am I here if I don’t deserve to die? If I don’t die now, when will my problems stop? When will I finally be able to be at peace?

"The innocents are spared, and the criminals are slaughtered."

My heart momentarily stops beating, as trickles of sweat appears on my forehead, and I wipe sheen of my sweat as I notice a mirror, covered with dust, beside me. My legs automatically walk me there, making me see my reflection on the dusty broken mirror. There is a beautiful and candid person in front of me, and her features makes me want to kneel down in front of her. Her hair is curled courageously, making her face stand out amidst the beautiful veil, and the costume she's wearing, is the most beautiful dress she has worn all of her life. A tear sneakily escapes from my eye, and I rub it away, my stomach clenching.

"I've got to be brave." I tell myself, trying to sound strong, and I rub the mirror in front of me with my fingertips. "For myself."

Some of the dust was placed on the tip of my fingers as soon as it contacted with the mirror, and I rub it away using my skirt, making it slightly dirty.

"We can't prevail destiny and fate. Even if we're born to see the future." The voice suddenly says, making me jerk back and look up at the ceiling, the creaking sounds perfectly heard around the mansion. Then, I hold the necklace my mother gave me, containing the paper with my future husband's name written on it in her own handwriting. She said something before she gave it to me, "When I knew who'll be your husband, I panicked, but then, I can't prevail your destiny. If he'll be yours and you're his, let it be. I know that he'll be a nice husband for you."

Remember, you should meet him even if it costs your life.

And the name written on the paper is no other than Kwon Jiyong, my future husband like what my mother told me. Up until now, I haven't met him, and because he is my destiny, I try myself not to date other guys because of my own belief of him as my future. Well, I don't seem to get the idea of finding him myself, since we're destined, but as soon as I reached 25, I literally thought I should cross seas or something just to meet him. Though his name doesn't sound foreign to me, so he should just be somewhere in the crowd gathered a while ago or if unfortunate, he already died. But then, even with the possibilities, finding him now is at the end of the list. Because if I die right now, I'll never have a chance to marry him.

"Modern Belle of Beauty and the Beast. It is a nice name for you."

"Huh?" I say, my voice croaking, and I look up at the ceiling as I still clasp on the necklace. "Pardon?"

"Your mother is a fortune teller. Your father is a guard of the town hall. You already graduated college, but from the day you graduated, you haven't had a job so you just stuck to being the housekeeper for the mayor. But Wooyoung, the mayor's daughter crush, fell in love with you, and she knew it, that's why you're here. You're really perfect to be the modern Belle of Beauty and the Beast."

I press my lips together and look around, as if finding him. "I-I...How'd y-you k-know?"

"Your mother, I've known her since I can remember."

"And?"

"And she's one of the persons who visits me at night. She's with a mission—a mission for you."

"What mission?" I ask, sounding hysterical. "Can I know it?"

"You'll know it my dear, in the right time."

I sigh in frustration, and bite my nails, the only thing I do when I'm frustrated. My mother goes here every night? For what and for whom? For that voice? For me? What's the connection of this to me? I don't see the reason why or how, but there's one thing I only think of: My mother lying to me.

I sigh, pushing the twin oak door in front of me, peering inside with only my head and when I saw no one, I enter. I almost jump from my spot when the door suddenly closed behind me, creating a loud sound that rang around the room. The room was filled with musical instruments: a black grand piano, a drum set, guitars and a microphone. Everything in the room is filled with dust and dirt, giving me a hint that it hasn’t been cleaned for a few years already.

I freaked out when a voice suddenly spoke. "Welcome to our house, the first girl VIP."

I look around, finding no one inside the room besides myself, but even though I find it ridiculous, I still answer, "Thanks for letting me in, and for subsiding some of my worries."

I walk towards the piano and run the tips of my fingers through the keys, playing a horrible sound before the voice answers, "You're welcome, milady. We're, by the way, are the monsters of this house."

I close my eyes after their last word, fearing of dying today and drowning myself into a pool of worry. But I just stand here, perfectly immobile and play a simple tune on the piano while singing the lyrics.

Oraen-maniya mot bon sa-i geudaen eol-ku-ri chowa boyeo

Yeppeojyeot-da neon hangsang nae nunen wonrae kowah boyeo

Keunde oneul-ttara jo-geum talla boyeo yunanhi mwonka deo cha-gawo boyeo

Nareul boneun nunbichi dongjeonge kadeuk cha-isseo ne apeseo nan ja-ga boyeo

Kwaehn-chanheun cheogaesseo daehwah-jujereul bakkwobeoryeo

Mudko shipeun ma-reun manheunde neon ttag jallabeoryeo

Ne gin meorin challanggeoryeo nae bo-reul ttaerigon seuchyeojina

Dwiido-raseon godjang kabeoryeo yeo-giseo neol jabeumyeon useuwojina

Amu maldo tteo-oreuji anh-jyo tteolmyeonseo neon handu balchag dwiiro
Ijen nae-ga museopdan geu mal nal michike haneun neoran tal

I love you baby I’m not a monster
Neon al-janha yejeon nae moseubeul shi-gani chinamyeon sarajyeo beoril tende keu ttaen al tende baby

I need you baby I’m not a monster
Nal al-janha ireohke kajima neo majeo beorimyeon nan jugeobeoril tende I’m not a monster

"So, you know the song too?" I hear the voice again say, and when I look up, I see someone emerging from the shadows, his coat being blown by the non-existent wind, and he seems not bothered by it. Then, I had the urge to look at my sides where I see another one emerging from the shadows, his Mohawk hair sending glints of light to my eyes, making me squint and my hand instinctively covers the top of my eyes. On the other side, I also found another one but his cap was the only thing I can see, and at my back is the last one, his blonde hair showing in the midst of the shadows. My hands tremble in slight fear, fearing for my safety, for my life and in seeing their faces. In all of my life, I hate zombies, monsters, ghosts and many other creatures that fall in that category. They're, after all, the source of my fears.

When I close my eyes and open it again, I look around, seeing no one besides myself in the room. I quickly turn conscious of the presence of the monsters. They are very mysterious to begin with after I saw them in the shadows. Even so, there's a  strange feeling inside of me that tells me this is the safest place for me—the place that can comfort me, that can make me grateful in the midst of the sappy life I'm living.

"Physical appearances are the one to blame for a life of never-ending insults and the one to blame for never-ending...wrong impression." I hear a whisper in the wind, but I am too tired to put my attention to it.

I find myself yawning, and I use my hands to cover it, but fail halfway. My eyes trailed around, and I saw another twin oak door across the room. Without batting my eyelashes, I walk towards the door and open it, peering only my head inside. Joy fills my heart when I saw 5 beds inside, all king size and clean—dust free, even. I walk inside, closing the door behind me and walk towards one bed, running my fingers against the cushion.

"Please, let me sleep." I mumble and lay my body slowly on the bed, rolling to my side before closing my eyes, going into a peaceful slumber.