A Look Back into the Past

August 1943, Korea

“Breathe. Yoona, please just breathe.”

“I can’t—Ugh! It hurts… It hurts so much!” Yoona screamed as a sharp stab of pain forced itself into her center, tearing her insides apart. She struggled on her bed sheets, crying in torment as several people kept her stationary on the mattress – two maids holding her feet down while her husband gripped her hands on either side of her head, whispering soothing words into her ear in an attempt to calm her and failing miserably. Whatever pain men complained about in the world could not possibly match with the blazing sting she was feeling at that moment.

The day had begun with dark clouds forming in the sky in the early morning. Instead of blue, all they saw was gray and smoky clouds running past before thunder shook and the heavy rain finally poured. People in their town were afraid of the on-going war, and the weather did nothing to dissipate that anxiety any further than it had already worsened it. They were the more fortunate ones really – their town had the least Japanese military occupants and none of them were really all that bad. Except… oh the war was death itself. So many loved ones lost… countless souls gone in an instant, and for what? Greed and power? Yoona could scarcely imagine being alone in this time and thanked the heavens that her husband had not been called to duty. How would she live if he was to go and something unspeakable happened to him? What about their unborn child? What about her? She hadn’t even told him yet – she hadn’t—

The contractions started at the same time as the thought settled in and the first rumble of thunder rolled by. Then another agonizing wave came crashing over her when lightning struck the land, knocking her off of her feet and onto her knees. It had taken her by surprise – she was not due for another month when her water broke and she fainted before anyone even knew what was going on. Changmin had found her minutes later lying in the middle of their bedroom, screaming as blood started to pool from between her legs and he’d immediately called for doctor and midwife to come. Hours had already passed and still there was no adequate change to deliver the baby. Yoona feared greatly for the life stirring within her and prayed as a stream of tears rolled down her cheeks as heavy as the rain pelted on her window sill.

She screamed again, her nails biting down on Changmin’s skin so deeply that he held back a shout of pain and turned to glare at the people surrounding them in the room. All of those who saw him took a step back in alarm and the maids watching from the door hurriedly scurried out. “Just how long are you going to make my wife suffer!” He yelled at the old midwife overseeing the whole ordeal. He didn’t damn well care if he was being rude at an elder – gentlemanly manners were not of importance at the moment – not when his wife and his unborn child’s lives were at stake! “What the hell are you doing standing over there?!”

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter