Soojung knew she had to find the military base; but she was too afraid.

She was only a girl – an eighteen year old girl. She only just graduated high school! She hadn’t even started university yet!

How was she supposed to protect herself with a gun she’s never fired before from an enemy she doesn’t even know about?

You don’t take AP classes like this in high school.

Right now was survival 101, and everything in her body was telling her that the only way to survive was to stay home, where she knew it was safe.

But Soojung knew she couldn’t. She was dangerously low on food; her candle supply was diminishing, and she needed to find her parents.

So she did what she thought was best.

Therefore, she started writing her note to her parents and Eunwoo, in case they stopped by.

Dear Mom, Dad, and Eunwoo.

Hello. This is Soojung. I don’t know why everyone is gone; and I’m afraid.

But I need to find you guys. It’s been exactly two weeks since the earthquake. There is no sign of life anywhere; I tried all of the neighbor’s houses. I have ran out of food.

So, I’m going to leave and find you guys. Jieun left me a note before she left; she said that the military was evacuating everyone to a nearby military facility that is forty miles away. That is where I am headed.

I promise to be safe. Please be safe too. Even if you will never read this, I hope you know that I love you all. Especially you, Eunwoo. (Even though you’re annoying sometimes.)

From Soojung.

Soojung felt like crying. It felt like she was writing a goodbye letter. She didn’t want to leave, but she knew she had to.

She left the note on the dining room table, making it very visible to whoever comes in.

Soojung ran upstairs, grabbing the largest backpack she could find, and stuffed as much clothes as she could. She grabbed a large city map that she knew her dad kept in his bedside table, and walked out the front door of her house, saying her last goodbyes.

She didn’t know it then, but that was the last time she ever visited her house.