Death...and gunshots.

I covered my ears, in an attempt to block away the cries and heavy army boots. I was cramped in a tiny room along with about seventy people. Most were women and children with a couple of teenagers scattered. Seeing them made me miss my family. Where are my parents? Are they okay? What about my older brother? Did he make it out of school before the whole incident began?

The little boy sobbing by my side held onto my arm and cried. He looked at me with his glossy eyes and spoke to me.

“Hyung...will we all be okay?”

I gulped. Though I had my ears covered, I was still able to hear him. I was afraid as well. I wasn’t sure how I should respond. I could only nod and reassure him with a forced smile. I closed my eyes and reassured myself over and over again in my head.

I’ll be fine...I will be fine. Everything will be alright. D.O Kyungsoo, you will be alright.

Another rumble shook the little room. The children clutched onto whoever was next to them and little cries began filing the small room. I could already feel my lips trembling and tears falling down my cheeks.

Throughout my high school years, I isolated myself from people. I could see how foolish they were. Hating each other because of their material possessions. Hating each other because one was better looking than the other. Hating each other because they wanted to be at the top. I just couldn’t understand them and their selfishness. I’ve only met one person who I thought I was capable of being friends with. But he only stayed at school for two days before transferring to a different district. I never even had the chance to get his name.

This is what humans were. They were trash and worthless fools who forgot to love one another. Humans make me sick and especially now, it was a demonstration of CHILDREN in the bodies of grown people waging war against their kind.

They forgot how to love…

Once during high school, I was beaten up badly because I refused to conform to the ‘popular kids’ rules. They knocked me out...but I had fallen into a weird dream.

“Kyungsoo…”

I looked up at the blue figure. Around me, I was surrounded in a bright darkness. The galaxy with all it’s stars and planets out there. A gregorian chant with familiar voices singing. The figure in front of me spoke again.

“Kyungsoo...Welcome back…”

My eyebrows raised in confusion.

“You’ve found your way back to me...your MAMA…”

I could feel my legs tremble, as if I was standing on a flat surface.

“You’re...my MAMA?”

The figure nodded and a flash of light blinded me. Once it hit me, I felt the light penetrate into my mind, sending messages...a vision. I saw twelve people and among them was me, the shortest. A tree...people...war...guns...then a light in a small room…

I opened my eyes, escaping the memory of the vivid dream I had had over 4 years ago. I pressed my lips in realization of my dream. People, war, and guns were all visible. From the first shot I saw happen right in front of me to the people running away to find shelter in a small room, sweeping me along. They were all in my dream. The vision I had within my dream.

I hugged my knees and rested my head on top of them. Then the door to the room opened. My head shot up and gruff voices of men with loud boots clunked around the room.

“SO...this is where you RATS have been hiding huh. You think you could hide from us?” shouted the soldier.

He scanned his eyes around the room and once it locked with someone else in the room, he frowned with anger.

“What’re you looking at you piece of ?!”

He brought his left yellow callused hand to his gun resting in the arm of the other side and without flinching, shot an old women in the shoulder. She fell down immediately and cries of her grandchildren began to fill the room. I was terrified. But more than that, angry.

“Who’s NEXT?!” shouted the soldier, scanning the room for any darers.

Someone stood up within the room and cleared his throat.

“Human trash...MAMA hates things like this,” said the man in a threatening voice.

I studied the man and watched as he sweeped his front bangs to the side. He looked either the same or older than me. His accent gave it away that he wasn’t a native Korean. The casual clothes he was wearing, ruined by days of sitting in a cramped room.

Did he say ‘MAMA’...or is it his accent?

“What did you say you piece of trash?!”

He brought his gun up and began to shoot him over and over. The ceiling began cracking and little pieces of the ceiling fell down, letting in little beams of light into the dark room. Dust blinded everyone and I covered my mouth and nose.

He’s done for…

There was only silence for fear of the same fate.

“Hmmm...Who should I kill next?” said the man while walking back and forth between the open door and the space made for his way. The other soldiers behind him cackled in deep tones. Suddenly, as the dust went away, there stood in the middle was the man, unhurt.

“Your bullets would’ve hurt...if it had actually hit me,” he said, sticking his tongue out in a childish way.

Before he even let the soldier speak he jumped towards them and kicked the soldier in the face, sending him flying out the room. The others who were outside rushed inside about to shoot when the guy’s foot kicked them in their faces making them fall like dominoes.

I felt something weird inside me. As if my blood began to boil. Not because I was angry but because of something I didn’t even know.

There were grunts of men getting kicked outside.

I know that form of fighting...Wushu…  

Another rumble shook the room and I could hear loud cracking noises. I lifted up my head up immediately and saw the ceiling cracking, with more beams of light piercing through. I stood up.

There was a woman with a baby who looked only a couple of months old right under the breaking ceiling. Another rumble and I started walking over, careful not to step on anyone.

And for the first time in years, I shouted.

“MOVE!”

Jumping over the people who were scurrying to the sides of the room, I ran to the helpless woman who was protecting her baby. Suddenly, that same song in my dream rung throughout the room as if being blasted to the loudest on a speaker with a clear concrete sound. The concrete ceiling fell down, right on top of me. I wasn’t sure what happened but the next thing I knew, there was dust everywhere and silence.

Then all at once, cries. I was still standing.

The spotlight was on me and I looked up at the blue sky. Then back at my hands. Then to the Wushu fighting man who stood in the doorway staring at me.

“ Hey you...are you one as well?”

I stared at him. What did he mean by ‘one’?

“No...I...I don’t know.”

The boy huffed in annoyance and folded his arms again.

“Did you ever...you know. Did you ever see MAMA in your dreams and a vision?” he asked carefully.

I just stared at the guys and stood there under the spotlight.

“Oh...did I say that wrong in Korean?” he asked, shyly putting his hand over his mouth.

Before I could control myself a chuckled escaped out of me.

The first one in many years.

“Yes...I know MAMA…”

I could see his smile all the way where I was standing. He ran in and wrapped his muscled arms around me in a tight embrace. I almost couldn’t breathe.

“YEAH! I finally found someone!”

Finally releasing me from his strong hug, he shook my hand.

“I’m Huang ZiTao! I’m so happy to meet you! What’s you’re name?”

“My name is...D.O Kyungsoo.”

“D.O it is!”

He hugged me again.