Present

Her piercing eyes gazed out the window, scanning the heartless city in which her old soul resided. It was a city that was characterised by darkness and skyscrapers. Even humans lurked within the shadows of this unknown labyrinth. Her hand reached for the glass of bourbon on the rocks and she sipped the drink. The woman's throat clenched as she felt the burning sensation on the back of . All that remained was the ice 'Just like the world...' She thought.

* * *

SMACK!

Sooyoung cradled her inflamed cheek. "How dare you, Sooyoung!" A scream pierced her and her father's eardrums. It belonged to Sooyoung's mother. "You're a ing mistake!" Mrs Choi continued to scream at Sooyoung. Her eyes widened at the outburst and she slapped her a second time. Sooyoung dropped to her knees in pain and glanced at her father who witnessed every single moment.

"D-Dad..." Sooyoung groaned as her drunken mother swung her fist at Sooyoung's face again. Her father angrily stood up and walked closer to his daughter, his footsteps increasing in sound "You weakling. You'll get no where in life" He spat and picked up his wife. Mr Choi's back turned to Sooyoung. "Come on honey, you've had enough to drink" he said lovingly and kissed Mrs Choi on the lips. 

The girl gritted her teeth and clenched her fist at the sight of her heartless parents, as she sat silently on the floor. Sooyoung was left alone in the living room, surrounded by broken glasses and empty bottles. This innocent soul suffered daily but his abusive parents were all she had left. No uncles or aunties to plead for help. No cousins to connect with and no grandparents to give a damn. 

After many minutes of recollecting, Sooyoung dragged herself to her small bedroom. A dull room, far from her parents' room, it reflected her sad life of isolation and pessimism. " this" She clenched her jaw and mumbled in anger. The hand that held her bruised cheek slammed into the walls, creating a dent in the plasterboard. She quickly pulled out her bag and packed everything she could. Sooyoung couldn't take it anymore; she knew it was time to leave.

Everything was packed and her legs subconsciously took her to the door. Her eyes scanned the house to check if there was anyone watching. 'Heck, they won't care', she scoffed at the thought and with one swift movement, the door opened. She walked briskly down the screet in no particular direction. With no plans, she had no choice but to hitchhike her way into the heart of the city, where she hoped to find even the slightest act of kindness.

The sun shone and the light guided Sooyoung and her lonesome trek. She was alone, but all she needed was her camera and the nature that intrigued her. Each step shattered the dead leaves that lay on the ground. She aimed her camera in different directions. The guiding light started fading as trees surrounded her, creating new shadows. The wind wailed between the tree hollows and distorted trunks. A stench of wood rot crept upon her.

Sooyoung's footsteps quickened and a small shop appeared in the distance. Her journey came to a halt. Her stomach growled hungrily and she realised that she hadn't aten in at least a day. She rummaged in her pocked for whatever loose change was there and pulled out a meagre handful of coins. A sigh escaped her lips and her eyes fell shut. 50 cents. That was her bounty.

The runaway girl looked around the store, ca