From the moment she knew she could see the future. Annabelle Carter knew she was different. It came to her one day. Annabelle thought she was dreaming when she saw him. Anderson. Her family was moving to Japan. She was only six when it happened. She remembered his face. The way he smiled at her. He’d introduced himself in Japanese while he stood beside his parents. She hadn’t thought to much of it until she and her parents moved to Japan and there it was that she met Anderson Lee.

 

Annabelle was afraid. But as fate would have it when she had her second premonition it was the death of Anderson’s mother. She woke up crying when she saw the woman whither away. Her mother had been in the room with her when she awoke from that horrible premonition and tried to soothe her.

“You should have said something to me sweetheart.” Her mother whispered. Annabelle had cried. She was afraid for Anderson. What would she tell him? How could she stop that future from happening?

“We have to help him.” Annabelle recalls telling her mother, but when her mother looked at her she only smiled at her kindly and sadly.

“Destiny is something we mustn’t intervene with. We can try to change it but. The outcome hardly ever changes if fate has destined for something else to happen.” Her mother explained.

 

Annabelle recalls telling her husband the then young Anderson Lee after his mother passed.

“You could have said something! You could have helped her!”
“I hate you!”

Annabelle remembers the biggest heartbreak in her life. It was the first time and not the last that she would be heartbroken by a boy. Anderson refused to speak to her for the next year. His father remarried soon after and they left Japan to Korea where Anderson’s new stepmother was from.

“They’ll have a baby.” Annabelle foresaw one day. She could see Anderson doting on the small baby girl and then just like that the vision was gone.

 

Time would go on and while people always knew about her family and some shunned her. Annabelle learned to ignore her gift. She didn’t want to have something that hurt people. She’d always seen bad things and when she would tell her friends about a breakup or a boyfriend cheating it always blew up in her face.

“You’re cursed Annabelle. You only deliver bad news.”
There were times when she hated her gift. The times that she would fall in love only to have a boy destroy her heart once he knew who she really was. One particular moment in life when she was fifteen had been the worst.

 

Annabelle had been asked out on a date by the most popular boy in school. If only then she’d seen it coming. Her gift wasn’t as strong or rather… she had not wanted to see it. She hadn’t planned to spend her night dragged around school blindfolded and egged by her classmates. She’d gone home crying and then she vowed that she would never let another boy ever hurt her. It came as a sort of flash. There was someone, a man, who’s face she could not see. The sun was out and she could only see his smile. Her face looked older, her eyes soft, a smile that she had never worn. True happiness. Annabelle wore a light blue dress with white polka dots. Her chestnut colored hair was in soft waves while she blushed.

“I love you. Annabelle.”
“You hold my heart. My soul.”

“You’ve become my everything.”
“Marry me.”

With a gasp and a racing heart Annabelle had seen her destiny.

 

After that Annabelle thought of seeking for her love. She wanted to find a man whose face she had not seen. From time to time she would receive snippets of time with him. First kiss, a soft touch, first time. It was all so beautiful to her. Annabelle had been too afraid to ask her mother for help on how to control this part of her so she went to her Grandmother. The woman was eccentric she taught Annabelle potions how to read cards.
“If you’re going to embrace this gift you will embrace it fully” Her grandmother had said to her.

 

Annabelle recalls learning everything she now knows from her grandmother. She’s in the middle of placing a small jar of lion’s teeth back in it’s place for a remedy when she gets another premonition.

“I love you Anderson Lee.”

With a gasp at the name and the jar falling to pieces she feels scared. She recalls the child Anderson whom she had briefly met. How cruel his words to her had been. Does she blame him? Of course not. But the thought of falling in love with him makes her frightened.

 

Annabelle wonders if Anderson will comeback to Japan and plans to avoid him should that happen. Instead, her father is sent to Korea and with no way of refusing to go with her parents Annabelle is thrown into a new world. Her mother is quick to enroll her into public school and Annabelle hates it. People stare at her, more so when they learn she is a freakish witch that works in a small shop a few blocks away from the school. Her mother calls is Remedies, Tarot, and Purity. She hates working in the shop.

 

She spends her time in Korea filled with loneliness. When she enters high school in Korea things don't change either. While she enjoys reading tarot, and helping people with remedies the kids at school stand outside the window with signs. She would leave but her mother allows her to keep her tarot money and she needs it for school. Still, she hates working there and she hates her classmates. No matter how much time passes people don't change. Even if they’re not in Japan a bully is still a bully. The signs are the worst. Most of them are unoriginal with Salem hangings and Annabelle wishes that she truly were a witch so she could put a hex on everyone who picks on her. She gets her chance one afternoon when a group of her classmates throw tomatoes at their glass windows. Having had enough Annabelle runs out of the shop and speaks in English a language they don't understand but they scream at the way she waves her hands around and says curse in Korean. A tomato is thrown at her and she screams wanting to go after them.

"Are you alright?"

 

Annabelle wants to ignore this person but she turns anyways to see him. He's tall, his eyes a rich dark brow; show concern for her. His hair is neatly combed and he's wearing a wool gray turtle neck sweater, a pair of dress pants and a soft smile on his lips. Besides him a young girl in a white dress, pearls on her neck and her short hair is styled in soft waves.

"Anderson."

The name is out of before she can push it back into and she fears what he'll say. She's seen so much of him in her visions but never their meeting. Her mind races as he looks at her and she wants to run. She recalls their last time together and she wonders if he still hates her.

"Annabelle?"

"Annabelle Carter?"

 

They stare at one another for what feels like an eternity and Annabelle wonders what is going through his mind as he looks at her. Does he hate me? Does he care about me? Does he like me at all?

"Oppa."

The girl beside him decides to speak and she offers a smile to Annabelle before turning back to Anderson.

"I'm going to look for some love charms you can catch up with your friend."

With a bright smile the girl heads inside her mother's shop and Annabelle and Anderson are both left standing right in front of it.

 

She's unsure of what to say and finds herself looking down at her fingers as she bites her lip. A hand suddenly reaches out to her and she cringes away.

"Sorry," Anderson speaks softly though his hand still reaches out to wipe away the tomato juice that is running down her face.

"People are so immature these days."

His gesture confuses her and Annabelle looks up at him curiously while he in turn cleans her up using his sweater sleeve.

"I suppose no matter how much you age some people just don't mature do they?" Another smile. He finally finishes taking off the tomato from her hair as best he can and casually shakes his sweater sleeve to remove anything on it though there is now a bright red stain there.

"So? How have you been?"

"What brings you to Korea?"

 

She can't find her voice and for an unknown reason her eyes begin to water.

"This isn't going to work." She thinks unaware that she's spoken out loud. She doesn't wait for him to say more to her and instead walks away and heads home. She cries all night because fear has clouded her judgment. She pushes all her visions out of the way and lets fear cling to her body like a leech away at the hope she had once held inside. She goes missing from the shop for the next two days trying to collect herself and praying that things change. She tries to forget Anderson and a month goes by and she almost does forget pushing away visions of love she'd seen since she was fifteen. That is until he sends her flowers and a letter.

 

The box arrives with dozens of red roses and a letter addressed to her.

 

My dearest Annabelle,

I want to start this letter with an I'm sorry. I wish that I could take my cruel words to you back. That day when you spoke of your visions and what you could do I was angry. I never thought that I could ever be angry at you but in that moment in time I had just lost my mother and I needed to be angry at someone. My actions were immature and the fact that I was a child doesn't justify what I did to you then. I wanted to talk to you from the moment I saw you here.

 

I would be lying if I were to say that last month had been the first time in almost 20 years that I saw you. But it isn't. I found myself walking past here almost three months ago and I saw you. You were placing blue curtains around the large display windows and it was only when you smiled as your mother spoke to you that I remember the girl from so many years ago who had first made my heart realize it could jump. That day three months ago. My heart jumped again.

 

I found myself coming each day with the intent to speak to you but it was only when I saw them with the signs and how much they picked on you that I realized you saw me as one of them. Would you remember me? Would you care that I was there? Could you forgive me? These were the things that clouded my mind each and every single time I wanted to approach you. And each time I was stopped by what I now know to be true. You both hate and fear me. For all of this I am sorry.

 

I am sorry for hurting you even though I loved you. I'm sorry for trying to pretend like nothing ever happened between us and believing we could start anew without patching up the old. I'm sorry for not having the courage to apologize first instead of acting the way I did last month. I'm sorry. But Annabelle....

 

I have changed. I know that your world has become different as has mine but I hope that you can somehow make room for me in your heart. I don't expect anything more than your friendship because I know it's more than I deserve if you find it in your heart to forgive me please accept my invitation for dinner. I will wait for you in front of Shinwa mall until 8:00 pm. If you accept I will be happy. If you refuse I will understand.

Sincerely,

Anderson Lee

Just like that. Annabelle was swept away… Looking at the clock in front of her it read 7:30 pm.

Grabbing her coat she heads out of the shop her mother calling after her before she steps out.
“Where are you going?” With a smile Annabelle looks at her mother.

“To meet my destiny…”
 

 

“I’m never going back! You can’t make me!” The sound of her child’s screams cause Mrs. Lee to snap out of her thoughts while she see’s her child run inside covered in flower and run towards her room. Sighing Annabelle follows her child to her room. The sign keep out is clear but she walks inside anyways to find her daughter on her bed and crying while she hides her face in her hands as she lays on her stomach and cries.

“What happened?” Annabelle questions her daughter who sits up and glares through her tears.

“You know what happened. What always happens. I hate Japan. I’m not going back to a school where everyone hates me and humiliates me.” She cried.

“It will get better. I promise. It did for me remember.” Annabelle spoke trying to comfort her daughter who simply looked up at her with tears in her eyes.

“That’s never going to happen. Who would ever love me?”

It was at that moment that moment that Annabelle saw her daughter. She could see her smiling happily holding the hand of the man she would marry. His name was Yoon Ji Hoo. Ariel was smiling any trace of sadness in her eyes had long gone and the boy beside her looked at her with only love in his eyes.

“Things will get better.” Annabelle spoke with a smile.

(Thank you for reading. Next chapter will be Goo Jun Pyo)