~FIND ME A HAPPY PLACE?~
"Monsters"

My mind went upstairs. The sudden realization of what happened swept my mind. I hurriedly ran upstairs, to my bedroom. I opened the door with a wish in my heart that my instincts are wrong. But then again, I was right.

My eyes saw how my bedroom looked as if a hurricane blew inside of it; The drawers we’re open, my clothes were everywhere on the floor along with some newspapers that I read before to find myself a job, and my bed is thrashed. A sudden panic ran in my veins as I hurriedly tried to find the stash of money in my drawers. I looked but there was none!

MY MONEY! HE STOLE MY MONEY! 

Anger clouded my thoughts as I remembered all the hard work that I've gone through before just to save some money. The money I told Ji Eun this afternoon. The money that was supposed to be the way we could run away from all of these, gone! My mind remembered how the man from downstairs, drunk himself to death. 

"DAMN!" I screamed as I hit the drawer with my foot. It made a loud noise that I bet the thief downstairs would hear. Next thing I knew, I was running towards downstairs, filled with rage and anger towards my drunken father. I hated him more from now on. How could I think before how I would prefer having him than a father that is a thief? He's a drunk AND a thief. He's the worst father ever. 

"HEY YOU!" I shouted as I saw him lying now on the ground, sleeping. He fidgeted but he's still sleeping. That fueled my anger even more, knowing he doesn't even care if he stole money to his son. That bastard father! How I wish he was the one who got shot in the head rather than my mother. How I wish he could die this moment. 

I picked him up with his shirt, didn't even thought about the sick smell he gave to the air. I wanted revenge. I wanted to do this for a long time. This is the last straw of my patience towards him.

"WAKE UP! I SAID WAKE UP!" I shouted even more, "WHERE IS THE MONEY!". I punched his face with force so strong he woke up in an instant. He grabbed my hand and tried to get away but my grip on his shirt is too strong for the drunken bastard.

"TELL ME WHERE YOU PUT MY MONEY!" I punched his left eye.

He looked at me and said in a hoarse voice, "I used them all. Nothing left".

The answers I've got made me want to kill him. I wanted to kill him so much. 

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? HOW COULD YOU STEAL MONEY FROM YOUR SON?" I threw punches at his face. He groaned in pain. All the anger I felt taking over my body. All I could think this time is how this man stole something that I got through my sweat and blood. 

"I WORKED SO HARD!" I cried as I punched his face, "YOU BASTARD! I HATE YOU!"

"YOU GAVE UP AND LEFT ME ALL ALONE!"

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? I PRACTICALLY RAISED THE BOTH OF US SINCE MOM DIED!"

"ALL YOU DID WAS ING DRINK! DRINK! DRINK! YOU NEVER CAME BACK FROM YOUR SENSES!"

"AND NOW YOU STOLE THE ONLY THING THAT COULD GET ME OUT OF MY MISERABLE LIFE! FROM YOU!"

I could no longer count the punches I gave him. His face is turning red as he coughs blood. The swelling finally showed because of the punches that kept coming. I felt my knuckles turning numb as I threw my last punch to this bastard's face. I threw him back to the ground. I stood up and looked at my work. I could no longer recognize his face from all the swelling and blood.

He moaned as he tries to raise his hand as if he's going to touch me.

"I'm---I'm sorry" he said with a weak voice. He started to cry as he lay on the ground. He kept muttering the word sorry and son.

I wanted to forgive him but what he did was unforgivable. Everything that he did ever since Mom died, all of it are unforgivable. If I was still 15, I could have forgiven him but now, all the things I felt for him is hatred and resentment. The bitterness in me turned into hatred towards my father. Hatred that burned my soul making me beat the life out of him. 

"Sorry--" he groaned in pain, "I'm so sorry, son".

I looked at his pathetic body, trying to stand up but just kept stumbling on the ground again. 

"You're son died!" I spat, "He died because of you! You killed your son when you left him all alone. He hates you so much!" 

That was the last thing I said to him. I ran upstairs, to my bedroom again. I started to pack my things. Grabbing all the clothes, I could find. Once I was finished, I immediately went downstairs. I want to get the hell away from this place. I don't know where or how even if I don't have the money to leave. The only money, I could find in my room is not enough but who cares. I can't sleep or even stay at this place. 

I heard him cry in frustration. I didn't care if he cries blood. My eyes saw a picture. It is hanging itself by the wall. It's a picture taken way before all of these, a family portrait that shows how happy we were. It made me sick. I punched it with my hand and it cracked. I went back to my father and took all the bottle of liquor. I opened all of them and poured it on his body. He's still crying but I don't care.

The alcohol soaked his body and made a puddle that covered his body.

"THERE!" I screamed, "YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE ALCOHOL YOU WANT! I HOPE YOU WOULD DROWN YOURSELF! I HATE YOU! I ING HATE YOU!"

That was the last thing I said to him before I stormed myself out of the house. I heard him call my name inside but it didn't stop me from walking away from him. I kept on walking even though I don't know where I would go. I've had enough. The autumn wind sent chills in my body. I wanted to punch someone again. I want to break the walls of the apartment buildings I kept passing.

father for stealing my money.

destiny for make my life miserable.

this life for being so damn hard.

The next thing I knew, I was sitting at the streets. I hugged my legs as I rested my head on my knees. No cars or even people crossed the streets. I was all alone and it made me cry. I was tired of crying by myself but it can't be helped. I missed my mom. I missed the way she would hug me as I cried in her arms. She would tell me to stop crying and have faith that everything will be all right.

Then a single thought made me stop crying. If I ran away by now, Maybe Ji Eun could come with me. I stood up and started to go to the place where Ji Eun lived.

~FIND ME A HAPPY PLACE?~

By the time I got to the house where Ji Eun lived, it was already about ten in the evening. The cold wind became colder and colder as a minutes passed by. I took a deep breath, ready to face the family that pained the girl I love. 

I knocked at the door.

For a minute no one answered me. Until the door opened, a woman around my age answered my knocks. She wore a short denim skirt and a white top. She smiled widely as she saw my face. I never smiled back at her since I pretty knew her attitude. Ji Eun told how this girl in front of me made her clean a whole pack of clothes that was just been cleaned by Ji Eun. She also did many despicable things to Ji Eun but one thing made her share the anger I felt is when Ji Eun told me when they were kids, she locked Ji Eun at their basement for three days without food and light, that made Ji Eun have a phobia for dark places.

"My, my… Who is this handsome human being in front of me?" she winked.

I wanted to smash the bag I'm holding her ugly face. I never took the time to smile back at the compliment she told me. Instead I asked her where is Ji Eun.

She frowned and said, "Why do you need to see my step sister? Did she steal something from you? I'm Jiyeon by the way".

"It's none of your business. Just call Ji Eun. I wanted to talk to her" I told her in a strict voice.

Her smile towards me went away. Instead her true attitude showed up.

"You can't talk to her." she said, "She's talking to my parents, right now."

I'm starting to get irritated to this woman.

"Then let me in" I commanded.

"No" 

She was about to close the door but I stopped her by forcing myself inside the house. She tried to scream about an intruder.

"Where is she?!" 

Then I heard something coming downstairs. I heard a voice crying in pain, a scream that made my heart quicken with fear and anger at the same time. Fear for the things that they may have done to her and Anger for the monsters that pained her even more.

JI EUN!