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Two weeks had passed.

Soojung had lost any hope of her family returning home. After all, it had been fourteen days since she last heard from anybody. She hadn’t even seen any of her neighbors, either.

It all felt like a sick dream. One sick dream that she couldn’t wake up from. No matter how many times she pinched herself, nothing would happen.

Maybe she was in a coma, and that’s why she couldn’t wake up. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her; all she needed to do was wake up from her comatose state.

Unfortunately, reality sets in. It all feels too real to be one sick dream.

But she wishes it was.

Soojung wants to wake up from this terrible nightmare. She wants to wake up, drenched in sweat, from under her covers, and she wants to be able to turn the lights on and check the time on her phone and text Jieun about the crazy nightmare she had, and text Taeyong about it too –

But this was her reality now.

For the past week, she had been living off of rationed potato chips, ramen, and bottles of water. A couple pieces of fruit here and there, but she was running out of food.

And now here she was, sitting at her dining room table in silence.

Soojung had been sitting there, quietly, for about three hours now. Waiting for something, anything, to appear. For a sign. A sign telling her that everything will be okay, and that her family is doing fine, and her friends are safe. That everyone is safe.

Soojung realizes that sitting there and doing nothing was not helping her, but she did not want to leave in case her family came home.

She quickly grabs a pen and a sheet of notebook paper, scribbling out a few words and leaving it on the table, for a chance that someone could come across it if they were to come inside her house.

After all, she did get the idea of writing and leaving a note from Jieun when she went to go visit her house the day after the earthquake.

 

 

 

 

 

She woke up early in the morning, and surprisingly didn’t feel as sore as she did yesterday. She felt a sad, lingering feeling as she didn’t smell the breakfast her mom usually made in the kitchen, or the TV playing loudly as a result of her dad.

She came to her senses, and checked to see if the power was on.

Nothing.

 

 

 

Soojung tied her shoelaces before leaving her house, making her way towards Jieun’s house. She hoped Jieun was still here, and was safe and sound.

Before she knew it, she made it to her house. She rang the doorbell just in case, but there was no answer.

“It’s probably from the power outage.” Soojung reassured herself.

So she knocked.

No answer again.

She wanted to cry out of frustration. No one was on the streets, no one was out walking their dog, or getting the newspaper. No one was here.

As a last attempt, she wiggled the doorknob. To her surprise, the door opened.

She didn’t want to walk in at first. Was this an invasion of privacy? What if they got robbed, and that’s why the door is opened?

Soojung didn’t feel safe standing outside the door, despite being alone, so she went inside.

She knew her best friend’s home like the back of her hand, but it felt so foreign now that there was no sign of life anywhere.

“Something must have happened when I was in the woods.” Soojung muttered, as she made her way to Jieun’s room as a last hope.

Her heart stopped when she saw a note laying on Jieun’s bed.

She stumbled trying to grab for the note, landing on her bed ungracefully.

 

 

Dear Soojung,

I truly hope you’re reading this.

I don’t know what’s happening, but they’re making us evacuate. I couldn’t find you at your house, or your parents. I hope you aren’t dead. Please, be reading this.

I don’t know where I’m going, but it’s the military who is evacuating us. Something really bad is happening, Soojung. They said that we’re going to a military base about forty miles away; I don’t know what it’s called, but I need you to go to it and find me. I’ll try and find your parents there. Please be safe. There are dangerous people out here, Soojung.

Also, there’s a safe in my parent’s closet. They don’t know that I know, but there are weapons in there. Take them. The guns are fully loaded.

Remember that I love you, and you better be ing alive when I see you.

-Jieun.

 

 

Soojung didn’t know whether to cry in happiness or sadness. Jieun is alive, and took the time to write a note.

But was she serious about the weapons? She shuddered at the thought of firing… a gun. She’d never even held a real gun before. The only time she interacted with a gun was when she was playing laser tag; and she was only moderately okay in laser tag.

She walked towards Jieun’s parent’s bedroom, and walked into their closet. It took quite a bit of time, but she found the safe; the door on the safe just barely cracked open.

She slowly opened the door, and reached her hand inside. She felt cold, metallic metal, and picked it up, her heart stopping.

The gun was real.

She gulped in fear.

What the was happening?!

She carefully placed the gun on top of the safe, feeling a bit sick from just looking at the gun, and reached into the safe again.

She pulled out a couple of things; small handheld pepper spray, a large swiss army knife, and a case of bullets.

She couldn’t believe what was happening.

She grabbed all of the stuff, the gun included, and raced back towards Jieun’s bedroom, searching her desk for pen and paper.

Dear Jieun,

I found your letter. If you happen to find this letter, it means that I’m on my way towards the military base. You better explain to me what the is going on. Stay safe.

From Soojung.

 

She placed the note where Jieun left hers, and took Jieun’s note, folding it up and putting it in her pocket. She then grabbed the gun, and after inspecting it about ten times to make sure the safety was on, placed it in the back waistband of her jeans. She then grabbed the rest of the stuff she found in the safe, before walking out of Jieun’s house forever.

 

 

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