Trigger Warning: Mentions of blood and mild violence. Nothing too graphic or descriptive.

If you're okay with the above, please enjoy the fic.

~~~

Momo ripped the flesh from the fresh corpse and chewed hungrily, savoring the bloody taste of her meal on her tongue. It had been months since she last ate to the point she was on the brink of starvation. The woods she was in was located below a high cliff that was a popular spot for those who wanted to jump off and end their life. It was her best source of food but had been barren of bodies longer than Momo anticipated. If she had gone a week longer without eating, her primal instincts would have kicked in — the absolute worst-case scenario.

 

As a ghoul, Momo had no choice but to eat humans in order to survive. However, that didn't mean that she sought to devour any unsuspecting human she came across. There were too many risks involved, whether she attacked in broad daylight or in the cloak of night. The moment someone reported a ghoul attack, it would reach a Station of Ghoul Incapacitation (SGI) and a Ghoul Investigator would be dispatched to search for the ghoul culprit. Any ghoul targeted by a Ghoul Investigator were guaranteed to be killed. It was imperative Momo never let her primal instincts get the best of her or else she would certainly eat her last meal.

 

The sound of a large explosion startled Momo from her meal. Smoke seeped through the trees and the tops of the trees were slowly being burned. Momo took several more bites then wiped blood from her lips with the back of her hand before she stood up to investigate the source of the explosion. At the end of the path was a wrecked car burst into flames. Narrowing her eyes into thin slits, Momo was able to make out two bodies in the front seats of the car, their bodies too charred to make out any gender details.

 

Momo sighed. She was hoping for some body parts she could amputate and freeze as emergency rations.

 

Then the scent of blood waft into her nostrils.

 

Momo's head whipped to her right.

 

A few feet away were the bodies of two small girls.

 

 

 

And they were alive.

 

 

 

She felt start to salivate. The bodies in the car were probably their parents. These girls were unconscious and defenseless. Their parents were dead.

 

 

 

 

 

No one would miss them.

 

 

 

 

 

Momo should put them out of their misery.

 

 

 

 

A painful memory suddenly surfaced in her mind and she grasped her head.

 

 

 

 

She was a small girl, alone in the back of her closet hiding and covering to desperately muffle her cries while her parents and her older sister were being killed by Ghoul Investigators.

 

Their torture was prolonged, the sound of their screams rang in Momo's ears, and almost simultaneously, her family went silent.

 

She didn't leave the closet till she was sure those murderers were gone, and when they were, she didn't leave the closet until she was finally able to weep in anguish at the loss of her family.

 

 

 

 

Momo gasped for breath and stared down at the small, unconscious bodies for a long time.

 

In the end, she carried them away from the crash site and waited till nightfall to carry them back to her apartment.

 

~~~

 

While they were unconscious, Momo tended to their wounds. The scent of their blood woke the ghoulish instincts within her, but because she had just eaten, she was able to suppress those urges. The girls weren't badly injured as she thought they were, minor burns and scratches, but nothing life threatening. Momo guessed the girls somehow jumped out of the car before the car veered off the road and over the cliff. She didn't have the faintest idea what to do with them but ultimately decided she had no choice to wait till they wake up and have them decide for themselves. Momo carried them both into her bed and tucked them in while she slept on the couch for the night.

 

When she woke up the next morning, she found two pairs of eyes staring down at her.

 

Momo jerked upright in shock, causing the smaller of the two to hide behind the taller. "Oh… Hello. Um, I didn't mean to startle you."

 

"Hello…" the older girl bowed politely in a soft voice. "Who are you?"

 

"My name is Momo. What are your names?"

 

"I'm Sana. I'm eight years old. And this is Mina, my little sister. She's five." Sana moved behind Mina and gently pushed her towards Momo. "Come on, Mina. Don't be rude. Say hello."

 

Momo could feel the nervous aura around Mina but patiently waited with a smile. She was a stranger to them after all and for someone as young as Mina, she probably wasn't used to be around strangers without her parents around.

 

"Hello… I-I'm Mina…." Mina mumbled and dipped her head.

 

"Hello, Sana. Hello, Mina. It's nice to meet you," Momo smiled.

 

Sana gave Mina a proud grin and patted her sister's head before turning her attention back to Momo with a more solemn look. "Where are we?"

 

Momo gazed at her evenly, already anticipating where the line of questioning was going to go. "You're in my apartment."

 

"Mina and I have bandages on us."

 

"You do."

 

"Did you put them on us?"

 

"That's right."

 

"What happened to us?"

 

Momo took a deep breath. "What do you remember, Sana?" Momo watched as Sana’s brow furrowed while struggling to recall what had happened the night before and could only hope the truth won’t break the poor child.

 

Sana’s eyes widened as the memory resurfaced and began to violently shake. Mina began to sniffle with tears welling up in her eyes. But neither child really cried which perplexed Momo.

 

“What’s going to happen to us?” Sana whispered.

 

“Do you have any family you could call?” Momo suggested. When Sana shook her head, she asked, “What about family friends? Neighbors?” Again, Sana shook her head and this time she was on the verge of crying upon realizing there was no one else they could go to.

 

Momo could relate to that feeling.

 

Sana and Mina blinked back their tears when Momo placed a gentle hand atop of their heads with eyes that were filled with sympathy and kindness.

 

“You won’t have to worry. I’ll take care of you both.”

 

~~~

 

The words Momo said to the girls were easier said than done. Unlike ghoul bodies, human bodies needed food multiple times in one day, every day. She was lucky that the last body she partook in had a lot of cash on them so she could buy groceries. Cards were too risky to use. Momo knew from the unfortunate ends of other ghouls who tried to use debit cards that didn't belong to them were often on camera when going to the ATM and the bank would notice any odd spending or withdrawal habits. Then Ghoul Investigators would track them down and eliminate them.

 

Momo quickly made them some omelet rice for lunch and chopped some fruit for them to eat as their dessert. Mina was incredibly shy around her while Sana was surprisingly willing to open herself to Momo. She didn't have the slightest clue how parenting worked. She didn't even know if her cooking was good because she could not eat human food, however she was pleased with herself when they ate without any complaints.

 

When they were finished with lunch, Mina and Sana sat in front of her TV and watched cartoons. Momo sat on the couch, legs crossed, with her laptop on her lap as she worked. Her job enabled her to work from home, involving organizing data into an Excel spreadsheet, exchanging emails with her employer, and received pay through direct deposit. She never had to interact with her boss unless it was through a Skype call. An ideal job for a ghoul.

 

"Um…"

 

The meek-sounding voice made Momo lift her head from her computer screen. "What is it, Sana?" Momo asked.

 

"Do you have any toys? Or coloring books? Mina really likes those,” Sana asked. Mina shyly peeked from behind her sister.

 

Momo furrowed her brows, even though she was well aware she had nothing of the sort in her apartment. Still, she should have thought this out better. Of course they would want toys. They were children. TV would only occupy them for so long.

 

Momo stood up from the couch to go into her room, hearing soft tiny footsteps follow right behind her. She pulled out her wallet from her purse to look at how much cash she had available. Turning around, Momo noticed Sana and Mina indiscreetly peeking from around the door frame with expectant eyes.

 

After a moment of silence, Momo sighed and gave them a smile. "You girls want to go to the toy store?"

 

"YES PLEASE!" Sana cheered with both arms raised in the air while beside her, Mina beamed and nodded enthusiastically.

 

Momo lead the girls to a popular toy store that was a few blocks away from her apartment. They had everything from plush toys, action figures, board games, card games, and various types of sports balls. In reality, the place wasn't that big and had many shelves and rows cramped with toys, but for a child, it was a treasure trove of possibilities.

 

"You both can only get one toy each okay?" Momo instructed and her response was a swift 'okay!' from Sana and nothing from Mina as both dashed away into the jungle of toys. Both girls headed towards the plush toys section of the stores, prompting Momo to follow after them.

 

The toy store had a section for new toys and lightly used plush toys that were donated, many of which were teddy bears of all shapes and sizes. The bear that caught Momo's eye was a Duffy the Disney Bear doll that was worn down more than the others. The color of its fur was faded and it was missing a beaded eye, but Momo was drawn to it. She picked up the bear and held it close to her chest and felt her heart swell with painful nostalgia.

 

It reminded Momo of the teddy bear her parents gave to her as a child, and she had to fight the urge to cry.

 

Momo felt a tugging at her pants and looked down to find Mina looking up at her. She blinked back her tears and put on a smile. "What is it, Mina? Did you find something you like?"

 

Mina nodded and lifted up a spectacled penguin plush. "Pororo!"

 

Momo felt her heart melt. Mina said the name so cutely. "I had no idea you liked Pororo. Is this the toy you want?"

 

Mina nodded quickly and hugged her Pororo plush tightly with a toothy, gummy smile. Momo gently patted Mina on the head, happy to know that Mina was slowly opening up to her. "Have you seen your sister?" Mina pointed down the aisle and Momo noticed a giant round Shiba Inu plush walking towards them. "…Sana?"

 

Sana's head peaked over the plush and grinned. "Yes?"

 

"Is this what you want?" The toy was almost as big as Sana, which amused Momo.

 

"Yep! It's so soft and cute. Look how tiny the doggy's face is and how it puffs its cheeks." Sana demonstrated by puffing out her own cheeks.

 

Momo laughed and also patted Sana on the head. "It is really cute. Both of you chose adorable plushies."

 

"Are you going to get a toy too?" Sana asked when she noticed Momo holding the Duffy bear.

 

Momo blinked at the question and stared at the bear for a long time. She closed her eyes and shook her head, placing the bear back on the shelf. "No. I don't need it." Sana jutted out her bottom lip into a pout but Momo pretended to ignore her and smiled. "Alright, girls. Let's go to the —AH!"

 

Momo was surprised to find Mina suddenly wearing Pororo goggles and staring at her through them. "Mina… You can't get those too…"

 

Mina said nothing and continued to stare at Momo.

 

"I don't think Mina is going to take no for an answer," Sana said.

 

Momo sighed when Mina tugged at Momo's pants.

 

In the end, she bought Mina the Pororo plush along with the matching Pororo goggles and Sana's giant, round Shiba plush.

 

~~~

 

Two weeks have passed since Momo took in Sana and Mina.

 

The girls have settled in Momo's home. They were well-behaved girls that did what they were told and weren't picky with what food Momo made or bought them. Momo received her next pay check and went to a dollar store to buy a few coloring books and crayons to reward their good behavior. Seeing their excited and grateful faces was a reward in itself for Momo.

 

Sana and Mina were laying on their stomachs on the floor coloring while Momo was relaxing on the couch and watching the news on TV.

 

"In today's announcements, the SGI have released a statement to the public that they will be taking further measures in tracking down and eliminating ghouls due the rise of violent, ghoul-related incidents in the city. Representatives at SGI say that they will be taking extra precautions to protect the public-"

 

Momo turned off the TV and stood up to make herself some coffee. No ghoul knew why, but coffee held special properties for ghouls that helped repress their hunger, and while Momo drank coffee for those reasons, the aroma of a fresh batch of coffee calmed her nerves.

 

Just when she pulled out her favorite mug from the cabinet, Momo heard Mina cry out and rushed immediately to her side. "What's wrong?"

 

"I think Mina accidentally gave herself a paper cut while turning the page," Sana guessed while rubbing Mina's back.

 

Mina was sniffling and trying to hold back her sobs and lifted her finger.

 

Momo felt herself go pale at the sight of Mina's blood slowly seeping out from the cut and the sweet aroma of Mina's blood wafted into her nose, igniting her senses and awakening her ghoul side. She began to breath harder, chest heaving, and felt the blood in her ears pumping loudly.

 

 

 

Blood… Blood… Flesh… Flesh….

 

 

 

Momo could feel watering. She curled her hands into fists. It was becoming increasingly difficult to suppress the growl in the back of . It felt as if her vision narrowed to a small diameter that centered on Mina's injured finger, and she knew why. The voice inside her head screamed louder and louder, thirsting for blood.

 

 

 

DEVOUR HER… DEVOUR HER… DEVOUR HER…

 

 

 

D E V O U R  H E R.

 

 

 

"Momo…?" Sana whispered and tugged gently at Momo's shirt.

 

Momo snapped out of her trance, breaking out in a cold sweat. Shakily, she got to her feet and staggered across the apartment to bring back the first-aid kit to Mina and kneeled back down. She teared open a small alcohol pad. "M-Mina… may I see your finger?"

 

Mina whimpered and shook her head. "It’s gonna hurt…"

 

"I need to clean it so it won't get infected," Momo insisted weakly. She needed to clean up the cut and cover it up to stop herself from doing something she will deeply regret. "Please hold out your finger."

 

Mina whined again but did as she was told. Momo held Mina's hand still and gently dabbed the blood away. Mina whined louder and tried to retract her hand back, but Momo's grip prevented her from moving away. She tried to soothe the pain by blowing gently on the girl's finger and it seemed enough to calm Mina down. When Momo was finished, she wrapped a band-aid with cute animals on it around Mina's finger. "There. All done. You were so brave, Mina."

 

"R-Really?" Mina hiccupped.

 

Momo nodded. "Now, be careful when you color so you won't get any more cuts, alright?"

 

"I will," Mina said with a sniffle.

 

"Good. You can go back to playing now. I have to use the bathroom."

 

Momo Mina's hair and stood up to walk to the bathroom. Closing the door behind her, Momo the faucet and splashed water on her face until the voice was no longer screaming to eat. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and could still see signs of the ghoul ready to take over. If it wasn't for Sana…. Momo didn't want to finish the thought.

 

When Momo left the bathroom, she was surprised to see Sana standing on the other side of the door. "What is it, Sana?"

 

Sana fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "May I ask a question?"

 

Momo inhaled slowly. "Of course."

 

"Are you… a ghoul?" Sana added more meekly. "I saw the way you were looking at my sister's finger…"

 

Momo's eyes widened. That wasn't the question she was expecting. She thought of the possible ways to deflect this line of questioning. She's prepared herself for situations like these to convince humans she was one of them and that she wasn't a ghoul. But she also knew Sana was perceptive for her age. The way Sana asked the question wasn't accusatory. It was an earnest question. If it was anyone else, Momo would have continued the façade. But to the child she took in, it felt wrong to lie.

 

"Yes," Momo answered simply.

 

Sana blinked slowly. "Is that why you never eat with me or Mina? The news said ghouls can't eat human food."

 

"You watch the news? You should be watching cartoons," Momo laughed hollowly then exhaled wearily. "They're right though. I can't eat food like you and Mina. Human food makes ghouls sick."

 

"So it's true you eat people…?"

 

Momo looked away from Sana's gaze. "Yes…"

 

"But you haven't eaten me or Mina."

 

"No."

 

"Why?"

 

"I'm a ghoul but it doesn't mean I eat people because I can. I do it because it's necessary to me to survive." Momo hung her head and balled a fist out of frustration. "I didn't ask to be a ghoul. I didn't ask to be hated for the way I am. If I could become a regular human, I'd do it instantly… but the world doesn't work that way. Life isn't fair like that. And even if I'm a ghoul, I have morals. I don't eat children. I would never."

 

Sana continued to stare up at Momo with wide, innocent eyes. "I don't mind if you're a ghoul…" Momo looked at her in mild disbelief. "You've been taking care of me and Mina since our parents…" Sana paused and sniffled. "But you're a nice ghoul. You buy us nice things and feed us yummy food. You could have eaten us… but you didn't."

 

"… I almost did," Momo admitted, referring to minutes before.

 

Sana nodded slowly twiddled her fingers. "I know… Thank you for not eating my sister."

 

Momo could feel tighten. "Do you still want to stay with me even though I'm a ghoul?"

 

"Mhm," Sana said with a more certain nod. "I like living with you. I know Mina does too. Mina is shy and quiet around people but if she opens up to you, you know she likes you. And Mina does like you. I like you too!" Sana grabbed Momo by the hand. "Come on. Let's go back. Mina doesn't like to be alone. You have to come too."

 

Momo wiped the tears that were threatening to fall with her free hand and smiled at Sana, letting the little girl pull her back to the living room where Mina was still coloring in her coloring book.

 

~~~

 

Momo was vacuuming when Sana crawled on top of the couch and jumped onto Momo's back.

 

"PIGGYBACK RIDE!!!" Sana cheered happily, clinging tightly to Momo.

 

Momo almost gagged when Sana's arms circled around her neck. "S-Sana! I almost choked! Get down please. I'm in the middle of cleaning."

 

"No," Sana smiled and propped her chin on Momo's shoulder.

 

"Sana, really," Momo sighed exasperatedly and shut off the vacuum. "I can't clean with you on my back."

 

"But I want to plaaaaaay!"

 

"Not. Right. Now." Momo reached behind her and picked up Sana to set her back down on the floor, much to Sana's displeasure, noted by her pouty lips and puffed up cheeks. "We can play later after I'm finished cleaning. I promise." Momo noticed Mina standing at her feet. "Yes, Mina...?"

 

Mina raised her arms above her head at Momo. "Piggy!"

 

"Piggy?" Momo repeated with a puzzled look.

 

"She wants a piggyback ride too," Sana clarified.

 

"Piggy," Mina said again with a nod.

 

Momo stared down at Mina's childlike and expectant stare. The word "no" was on the tip of her tongue, but she knew Mina was going to cry if she did.

 

In the end, Momo vacuumed with Mina clinging to her back and the moment she was finished, she gave Sana a proper piggyback ride to avoid any further complaints.

 

~~~

 

"Happy birthday, Mina!" Momo and Sana cheered at the table, sprinkling confetti on Mina who sat atop of a high chair wearing a purple party hat.

 

Mina officially turned six. Sana brought it to her attention the day before, and Momo hastily put together a small party for the three of them (four including Mina's Pororo doll that she insisted to have join them at the table).

 

It wasn't much considering Momo still had to watch her funds, but she was able to spend a little more on a small vanilla cake and party decorations for the girls.

 

Momo and Sana clapped when Mina enthusiastically blew out her candles. "What did you wish for, Mina?" Sana asked excitedly.

 

"To be a penguin!" Mina grinned while raising her arms above her head.

 

"You like penguins too much," Sana sighed and puffed out her cheeks.

 

"Who knows? Maybe it will actually happen," Momo joked lightheartedly. She placed paper plates in front of the girls and cut small slices of cake to set on the paper plates. "Alright. Enjoy your cake, girls," she smiled, handing them small plastic forks.

 

Sana was quick to dig into her fluffy dessert, her lips smeared with frosting, while Mina began to delicately cut her cake into small pieces. When Mina's slice was completely cut apart, she picked up a piece with her fork and held it out to Momo.

 

Momo raised a hand and laughed. "No, no. The cake is all for you."

 

"You too. Eat yummy cake too," Mina insisted, poking the piece of cake to Momo's lips.

 

The smell of the cake was nauseating. She gently pushed away Mina’s hand. "It's alright, Mina. This is your special day. You and Sana can enjoy it together."

 

Mina pouted and genuinely looked sad. "But… I want you to enjoy cake with us too…"

 

"Mina…" Sana whispered, knowing fully well that as a ghoul, Momo wasn't able to eat human food. "You shouldn't force to Momo to eat if she doesn't want to."

 

"But it's my birthday…" Mina sniffed. "I want everyone to eat cake with me…"

 

Momo felt the guilt stab her conscious like a knife. She glanced at Mina's dejected expression then at the piece of cake that was pierced by the fork. She felt her stomach twist and turn at the sight, but she swallowed her hesitation and quickly took the piece of cake into . Immediately, Mina's expression brightened and the sad frown was replaced with pure happiness.

 

"Is it good? Is it good?" Mina prodded.

 

Momo had to try her hardest not to gag. The texture of the cake was like a dried-up sponge and the taste was as if she just had placed mold onto her tongue. If ghouls had to eat human food for some reason (that reason usually being to prove that they're "human"), the common technique was to swallow each bite whole and pretend to chew, then swallowing again. It was an act Momo had mastered but didn't mean she enjoyed it.

 

"Yeah… It was good," Momo managed to say weakly, forcing a smile and a thumbs up. Mina grinned broadly. "But the rest is for you and Sana, okay?"

 

"Okay," Mina nodded and finally began to eat her cake.

 

Sana walked over to Momo, looking worried. "Are you okay?"

 

Momo patted Sana on the head and stood up from her chair. "Just keep your sister company… I need to go to the bathroom." Sana silently obeyed and remained by her sister's side while Momo excused herself.

 

Momo closed the bathroom door behind her and staggered to the toilet. She fell to her knees and hung her head over the toilet bowl, forcing herself to vomit out the piece of cake. It was only a small piece, but to a ghoul's body, it was a piece of poison, and it was necessary to eject human food out from her body or else it'd damage her internally. It would also mean she would have to find proper food sooner to repair the damage she'd done to her body.

 

Voluntarily vomiting was painful, but to see the genuine happiness on Mina's face was worth it.

 

~~~

 

Momo glanced to the digital clock to her left as she laid on her bed. The display read "2:17am" and she was wide awake. There wasn't any particular reason why she was awake at this hour but she wished her body would allow her to fall back to sleep. With a somewhat exasperated sigh, she reached for her phone that was set beside the clock but then realized something was different about her bed. It was easy to realize that there were two small bodies pressed against either side of her. Her eyes focused in the darkness and could faintly make out Sana and Mina, both sleeping soundly against her. The tender, wholesome sight made Momo smile. Not wanting to disturb their peaceful slumber, Momo carefully maneuvered her arms to clasp her hands beneath her head.

 

It was nights like these that thoughts and worries began to flood Momo's mind, even more so with the children that invaded Momo's bed without her knowledge. She questioned herself if she was happy. "Happy" wasn't the right word to describe her life at this point in time, but rather "content". The days following when she took in Sana and Mina have been nothing but peaceful. Sure, Sana could get overly excited and Mina was needier than her sister, but Momo couldn't deny that their presence have made a difference in her life.

 

Since the murder of her family, Momo resented humans. She hated seeing happy human families when she was out — bitter, venomous growls rumbled in the back of every time. There were numerous times she wanted to take that happiness away from the humans the way they did to her, but something always stopped her. Her parents raised her and her sister to not be violent ghouls in hopes of one day proving that humans could understand ghouls better and that ghouls weren't monsters. With them and her sister gone, Momo was the only one left in her family to keep that wish alive. Looking at Sana and Mina, Momo could finally see what her parents meant. The sisters haven't been tainted by the world's negative and fearful view on ghouls. When they look at Momo, they don't see a ghoul; they see Momo for who she was.

 

When the digital clock flashed "3:00am", Momo finally felt herself falling back to sleep and the last thought to cross her mind was the feeling of Sana and Mina nuzzling into her and  how she hoped her days would always remain this peaceful.

 

~~~

 

When Momo opened the door, she wasn't expecting to find an old friend on the opposite side. She stared at the brunette with distinguished, bunny-like front teeth who immediately threw her arms around Momo.

 

"N-Nayeon!" Momo stammered as her arms circled around the other's waist.

 

"Hey, Momo," Nayeon greeted, giving Momo a gentle squeeze before pulling away. "It's been so long."

 

"It has. Months at least," Momo agreed. "Come on inside."

 

Nayeon dipped her head in appreciation and entered inside the apartment. Sana and Mina were quick to approach their guest, gazing up at Nayeon with curiosity. "These must be the girls you talked about in your last email. They're so cute," Nayeon grinned and bent her knees to be at an even eye level. "Hi there. My name is Nayeon. I'm a friend of Momo's. What are your names?"

 

"I'm Sana!"

 

"M-Mina…"

 

"Those are beautiful names," Nayeon remarked with a smile.

 

"If you're friends with Momo… does that mean you're a ghoul too?" Sana asked innocently without any hesitation, which shocked Nayeon. "We never have any guests over… so I made a guess."

 

"She knows?" Nayeon questioned, turning to Momo.

 

"She does," Momo confirmed. She turned to the children and gently both of their heads. "Nayeon is a friend of mine I haven't seen in awhile so we have a lot of catching up to do. Go ahead and go back to playing."

 

Sana gave Momo a toothy grin and took Mina by the hand. "Okay. Come on, Mina. Our show is going to start soon." Mina nodded without a word and followed her big sister.

 

While the girls the television and laid down on their stomachs, Momo prepped the coffee grounds and hot water for the French press, all the while Nayeon sat patiently at the kitchen table. Momo set down two coffee mugs on coasters and glanced at her friend.

 

"So why are you really here, Nayeon?" Momo inquired carefully. She grabbed the French press and began pouring coffee into the mugs. "I thought we'd agreed it'd be better to meet at places like a restaurant or the mall to lower any risk of being detected and traced back to our homes."

 

Nayeon gingerly grabbed the cup of coffee to her nose, inhaling its aroma and closing her eyes. She was silent for a long time, which made Momo feel uneasy. After taking a single sip of her coffee, Nayeon set down her cup.

 

"Seungyeon and her husband were killed," Nayeon muttered quietly. "They were killed by Ghoul Investigators."

 

Momo felt her knees almost give out. She shakily set down the press and stared at Nayeon with horror. When she was able to find her voice, she asked. "What… How? When? Jeongyeon--"

 

"Two nights ago. Jeongyeon is still grieving with her parents right now…" Nayeon paused to take another few sips of coffee then gazed into Momo's eyes with absolute seriousness. "Have you been watching the news? Apparently, there's a sector of the SGI that's gone rogue and have been taking illegal measures to hunting down ghouls. They want to "purify" this town of ghouls but from what I've heard, it seems like these Ghoul Investigators only want to kill for the sake of sport."

 

Momo pulled a chair out from under the table and slumped down on it while running a hand through her hair in distraught. "ing Christ… But how did they know Seungyeon and her husband were ghouls?"

 

"That's where the illegal measures come in. That specific sector have been doing things like haphazardly tapping phones in hopes of finding ghouls. Their phones were tapped while Seungyeon's husband was on call with another ghoul. Their phones got traced to back to the phone companies so their address was found by the Ghoul Investigators. The ghoul Seungyeon's husband was talking to was also killed." Nayeon let out a heavy, weary sigh, wiping her eyes with the back of finger. "Now you see why I had to meet you in person? I didn't want to take any risks."

 

"I can't believe they would go this far to eliminate us," Momo growled under her breath, resisting the urge to pound the table with her fist to not startle the girls. "Wait, you and Jeongyeon are not in any danger right? Or Jeongyeon and Seungyeon's parents?"

 

Nayeon shook her head. "No. They were careful enough not to leave any connections to their family at their apartment... But as of now, it's too dangerous to stay in this city while this massacre is happening. Luckily, Jeongyeon and I have already been arranging to move out to the country side for months now so it shouldn't be suspicious when we leave. But there's no way we were going to leave without warning you."

 

"I appreciate it… I really do…" Momo sighed, finally taking a shaky sip of her coffee. The news struck her deeply. Mixed emotions of sorrow and fear nestled in her heart. The fresh batch of her favorite roast tasted bitter even with milk and sugar. Momo slumped in her chair. "It'd be too risky for us to try and move out. There's no doubt it would look suspicious right after all these attacks on ghouls."

 

Nayeon nodded in agreement. "I think so too. Hopefully this whole ordeal blows over sooner than later so you can start planning to get out of this city. Maybe you can live in the same area where Jeongyeon and I will be staying at."

 

"I hope the SGI will be able to control that rogue sector of theirs. Otherwise, leaving is going to difficult," Momo conceded with a grim expression.

 

"We can hope but I don't have high expectations that they will," Nayeon muttered quietly into her mug.

 

 

They talked for several more hours, shifting to more cheerful topics like how life has been with the girls, and purposely avoiding the looming threat that existed outside the safety of Momo's apartment. Sana and Mina occasionally popped in, their curiosity for Nayeon large, and after awhile, Momo allowed them to come over and get to know her friend. It was an endearing sight watching Nayeon fuss over the girls. Nayeon was far more affectionate than she was and didn't hesitate to give hugs to Sana or allow Mina to sit on her lap while she finished another cup of coffee.

 

Eventually, it was time for Nayeon to go. She handed both Sana and Mina small boxes of sugar cookies from the convenience store (to which they both jumped for joy), and gave Momo a tight hug.

 

"I'm really glad I was able to see you today, Momo," Nayeon whispered, her voice thick with emotion. Momo held her tighter, only able to imagine how hard things have been for her.

 

"Me too. Please send my thoughts and condolences to Jeongyeon. You both take care of yourselves, okay?"

 

Nayeon pulled away from the embrace and nodded. She dug a small piece of paper from her pocket and handed it over to Momo. "You know where Jeongyeon and I live but here's the address to the home we'll be moving in two weeks from now. Maybe you can't move out yet but you can still look at homes around the area."

 

"Thank you. I'll do just that later," Momo said and placed the piece of paper into her own pocket.

 

Nayeon turned to Sana and Mina, and waved. "You girls be good, okay? Don't give Momo a hard time."

 

"We won't. We're good girls," Sana assured while puffing out her chest.

 

"Good girls!" Mina mimicked Sana and puffed out her chest as well.

 

"Don't let them fool you. They want to get on your good side so you'll spoil them with more cookies," Momo joked.

 

"Nuh uh! That's not true at all!" Sana insisted with puffer fish cheeks.

 

Nayeon laughed then gave Sana and Mina one last hug each. "When I'm able to visit again, I promise to bring more sweets, okay?"

 

The sisters cheered while Momo playfully rolled her eyes. Her expression reverted back to normal and stepped forward to bring Nayeon into an embrace. "Be careful out there, Nayeon."

 

Nayeon squeezed her tightly. Momo could feel her shaking in fear but said nothing.

 

"You too, Momo… You too."

 

~~~

 

Days continued to pass since Nayeon's visit and not one of them involved Momo lowering her guard in public. Every time she went out, she felt more compelled than usual to act like she was a normal human. She would buy more than just a cup of coffee at her favorite coffee shop, like muffins or bagels, in hopes of deterring any suspicious eyes her way. There was no way of knowing who was part of the SGI or not, and the possibility of an investigator lurking in a crowd on their time off also loomed over Momo. When she wasn't out or playing with the girls, Momo would be writing in a journal fake background stories, excuses, and anecdotes that were believable enough in the event someone would ask about her relationship with Sana and Mina. It stressed her immensely but it was necessary if it meant her survival and their protection.

 

After a quick stop at the convenience store for the girls, Momo headed back to the apartment with a bag of groceries in hand. She took her usual route back to the apartment through a backstreet leading to the complex’s back entrance, exclusively available only to its tenants.

 

But Momo realized there was something wrong.

 

Normally, there were other people taking this path at this time of day. Yet the street was void of people. Bicycles that would be parked and chained to poles were nowhere to be found. Birds that chirped and sang were eerily silent, and the air was still. All Momo could hear was the sound of her own blood pumping loudly in her ears.

 

Momo gripped the plastic bag tighter.

 

Something was definitely wrong.

 

She continued walking.

 

And walking.

 

And walking.

 

And walking.

 

And walk—

 

A presence emerged to her right and grabbed Momo by the collar.

 

Her bag of groceries dropped to the floor.

 

Momo’s fingers wrapped around the wrists of her assailant.

 

She was ready to fight…

 

… until she realized the person that grabbed her was a bloody and bruised man, sheer horror in his eyes.

 

And it wasn’t a normal man… this man was a ghoul.

 

Momo could smell the difference between blood from a human and blood from a ghoul.

 

Momo was stunned. “What—“

 

“HELP ME, PLEASE! HE’S GOING TO KILL ME,” the ghoul manically screamed at her, gripping her shirt even tighter. “YOU HAVE TO HELP ME. WE CAN DO IT. YOU AND I CAN TAKE DOWN A SINGLE HUMAN. WE CAN— “

 

Blood splattered on Momo’s face. The hands on the collar of her shirt went limp and his body slowly slid down to the floor, the last bit of life escaping. There was a bullet wound on the back of his head.

 

“Tsk. What a chatterbox, am I right?”

 

Momo wiped the blood from her face with her forearm and lifted her gaze to lay eyes on the source of the voice.

 

Momo felt the color drain from her face when she recognized the white trench coat that symbolized a Ghoul Investigator.

 

"He really screwed you over, huh?" the investigator said out loud with a nonchalant shrug. "Thanks to him… I know you're a ghoul too."

 

The investigator swiftly shoved his hands into his pockets and pulled out two guns. He aimed right where Momo stood, but in a flash, all there was left was the bag of groceries. His eyes scanned his surroundings and within seconds he found her hanging from a top of a lamp post.

 

"Huh… so you're a speed variant," he mused, spinning one of his guns on his index finger. "This is going to be annoying…"

 

Not even a second later, he began firing upwards. Momo swung from one lamp post to another to avoid his shots. She pivoted off the nearest building and pushed herself off the wall, jumping over him. Momo pushed herself into a sprint the second her feet touched the ground. She heard heavy footsteps clattering right behind her. She weaved left and right as gunshots shot passed her. Her ears were ringing loudly. Her heart was pounding. She didn't know where, but she had to get away as far as she could from her apartment.

 

Momo screamed when she felt a bullet enter the back of her left thigh and fell forward into a slide. She grasped her thigh, writhing in pain. It felt as if her leg was burning from the inside. She desperately wanted to move, she needed to move, but she was immobilized.

 

The investigator chuckled as he stepped closer. "Your movements became predictable. You should have used your speed to your advantage, little miss." Momo was too busy hissing in pain to answer back. "Normal bullets can't pierce ghoul skin but these were specifically made back at the SGI labs to counter you ghouls' anatomy and regeneration. Took years of studying ghoul cell structure. As long as that bullet is lodged in there, your wound won't be healing."

 

"That's how… you humans are able to kill us…?" Momo managed to croak out.

 

"Correct. Ghouls may be superior to humans in strength and speed, even having that annoying ability to regenerate faster than us, but we have science and technology on our side." He leaned slightly forward and stared at Momo. "Huh… You're pretty cute… For a ghoul, that is."

 

A twisted grin curled on his lips. He pinned down one of her arms with his foot and fired once into Momo’s stomach.

 

Momo widened in shock and screamed louder.

 

“Shame you’re nothing but a monster," the investigator spat in disgust.

 

Momo barely at the strength to scream again when another bullet was shot into her torso. She clawed against the pavement under her. She hated this. She felt helpless. Useless. She couldn't fight back and was easily incapacitated by the Ghoul Investigator. She coughed up blood and felt herself becoming light headed, gasping for breath.

 

"The fact you were coming this way… do you perhaps live in one of these complexes?" he asked, well aware she was in no condition to give him a proper answer. "Perhaps… you live in Building B, floor 6, room 4?" The look of utter shock that Momo gave him was all the answer he needed. "We just began our investigation on you. Heard how a single woman has been taking care of kids by herself when this city is infested with ghouls. A normal human, especially a human woman, who seek more security to protect her children… Unless they were a family of ghouls themselves."

 

"N-No… please… they're human… they're not ghouls… Kill me if you have to but please… please spare them…" Momo begged desperately.

 

When she looked up into his eyes, all she saw were cold eyes void of any compassion and empathy.

 

"If they allow themselves to be taken care of by a ghoul, they don't deserve to live," he answered with icy indifference.

 

"T-They're only children…!" Momo rasped.

 

"Society doesn't need humans who sympathize with monsters."

 

 

 

 

Momo gritted her teeth and felt tears stung her eyes.

 

Sana and Mina were going to die.

 

All because of her.

 

 

 

 

 

"What do you girls want to eat for dinner?" Momo asked.

 

Sana was on her knees bouncing on her big and round shiba plush, humming out loud while thinking. "Oh oh! I know! Omurice! Can we have omurice?!"

 

"Chicken!" Mina spoke up.

 

Sana nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Omurice with chicken!"

 

Momo chuckled at their odd excitement over omurice. "Alright. Looks like it's settled. I'll be right back. I have to go to the convenience store to buy some eggs and rice. Be good while I'm gone, okay?"

 

Sana and Mina smiled brightly at her.

 

"We will!"

 

 

 

 

The Ghoul Investigator reloaded his gun and pointed the barrel at Momo's head.

 

"I've let you live long enough. It's time to purge you from this world."

 

 

 

 

Momo closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

 

She wanted to listen to what her parents told her.

 

She didn't want to kill humans.

 

She wanted to prove to humans that ghouls also had emotions and feelings.

 

She didn't want to prove to humans that ghouls were monsters by killing humans.

 

 

 

 

But this man was going to kill Sana and Mina

 

He was going to extinguish what she loved most.

 

 And she wasn't going to let him do that.

 

 

 

 

 

"No." Her voice was a venomous growl, full of spite and defiance.

 

The investigator glared down at her. "What did you just say?"

 

Momo's eyes snapped open, revealing her blackened sclera and scarlet red irises.

 

 

"Y o u  w i l l  n o t  t o u c h  m y  c h i l d r e n ."

 

 

With newfound strength, Momo freed her arm by pulling it aggressively from under his foot and lunged upward, sinking her teeth into his throat. The investigator could only silently howl in pain as Momo sank her teeth in deeper and tore the flesh from his neck, blood spurting out from a torn artery, and fell to the ground, writhing in pain. His eyes were filled with pure anguish and fear, gagging on his own blood. Momo wordlessly watched the Ghoul Investigator suffer while chewing on his own flesh.

 

 

"H u m a n s  l i k e  y o u  a r e  t h e  r e a l  m o n s t e r s. "

 

 

Within minutes, he became still.

 

Momo sighed in relief but it was short-lived when the adrenaline faded and the pain from her wounds returned. She grunted and clutched her stomach. When she looked at her hand, it was wet with her blood. With a shaky breath, she knelt at the investigator's corpse and tore at his trench coat and dress shirt to make bandages to temporarily wrap as tightly around her stomach and thigh as possible.

 

She knew they wouldn't hold.

 

"I have to hurry…" Momo murmured to herself and wiped , leaving the bloody corpse of the investigator behind her.

 

~~~

 

The moment she stepped into the apartment, Momo grabbed a hooded jacket to put on, zipping it up to cover her wounds. She forced on a smile when Sana and Mina pattered towards her, each taking a leg to hug.

 

"Welcome home!" Sana greeted happily, her chin propped against Momo's thigh as she gazed upwards at her.

 

"Hello," Mina said and hugged Momo's leg tighter.

 

"Hey, girls. Sorry I was gone for so long…" Momo apologized softly.

 

Sana stared at her. "You look tired. Are you okay?"

 

"Sana. Mina. Listen to me. We have to go. Bad people are going to come after us."

 

"Bad people?" Mina echoed.

 

"Yes…" Momo affirmed. She winced in pain from her wounds but kept smiling.

 

"Did you fight them? You won, didn't you?!" Sana's eyes sparkled with endearing innocence.

 

"I won… but because I did, we can't stay here. More bad people will come after us. You girls understand right?" Sana and Mina wordlessly nodded their head. Momo gave each of them a brief hug. "Alright. We're leaving."

 

 

 

Momo lead the girls through deserted alleyways hidden away from the main streets. Sana and Mina obediently followed her every command, and remained quiet while they try to remain undetected. Much like Momo predicted, more Ghoul Investigators began showing up in the area. They had to take a safer but more inconvenient route in the underground waterways.

 

Momo lifted the manhole to one of the entrances to descend downward. It took patient coaxing to get the girls to overcome their fear but they managed to enter safely. It eased Momo's anxiety knowing they were safe… for the moment.

 

Sana glanced over to Mina when she noticed she was slowing down. "Are you okay, Mina? Does your feet hurt?" Sana asked worriedly.

 

Mina hung her head and twiddled her thumbs. "Mhm…"

 

"Can we rest for a little bit?" Sana asked, turning to Momo.

 

Momo hated seeing Mina so tired but they couldn't afford to stop, not until they were safe. She shook her head. "We have to keep going." She stood in front of Mina and turned her back to her, kneeling down. "I'll give you a piggy, Mina. That way you can rest."

 

Mina's eyes brightened and she immediately climbed onto Momo's back.

 

"What about you, Sana? Are you doing okay?" Momo asked.

 

"I'm okay! I can keep going!" Sana gave her a V-sign then reached out to hold Momo's hand. "Where are we going anyway?"

 

Momo squeezed Sana's hand gently. "We'll be going to Nayeon's place… We'll be safe there until the bad people are gone. You'll like it there… Nayeon's girlfriend makes really delicious treats."

 

"Girlfriend? But isn't Nayeon a girl too?" Sana questioned with a puzzled expression.

 

Momo wheezed out a laugh. She could feel the bandages becoming undone. "Yes… Girls can date girls… You can ask them all about it when we get there. I'm sure they'll gladly answer any other questions you have…"

 

"Mmm okay!" Sana was satisfied and skipped along. "Hey, Momo. I was thinking about my birthday party."

 

Momo felt a knife stab her heart. "What about your birthday…?"

 

"Is it okay if we invite Dahyun and Chaeyoung to my birthday party? Mina and I became friends with them after playing tag with them at the park. I think it'd be fun. They're really nice. And funny! Especially Dahyun."

 

Momo's bottom lip trembled as she fought hard to keep the tears at bay. She felt her body becoming weaker but she pressed on, using all her strength to keep herself on her feet and maintain the façade. The pain in her thigh burned like a wildfire but she refused to slow down.

 

"Of course, Sana... We'll make it the best birthday party ever," Momo croaked, her voice betraying her, thick with emotion. "There will be balloons and party streamers…"

 

"And two cakes!" Sana added excitedly.

 

"Two cakes!" Mina cheered with just as much excitement.

 

Momo nodded and smiled.

 

"If it will bring a smile to your face… then two cakes it is…" she said quietly to herself.

 

 

 

Nayeon and Jeongyeon lived in a small house on the outskirts of the city. They were a part of small neighborhood community that mostly consisted of elderly couples that kept to themselves, making it easy for Momo to lead Mina and Sana to their house without being noticed.

 

"Are we almost there?" Sana asked.

 

"We're very close… It's right around the corner. Second house on the right," Momo answered softly.

 

 

 

Her breathing was becoming shorter.

 

She felt cold.

 

 

 

When they stood at the doorstep, Momo struggled to focus on the doorbell but she managed to press the button. There was a three second silence that followed until she heard Jeongyeon's voice come from the intercom beside the doorbell.

 

"… Who is it?"

 

"Momo… It's Momo."

 

 

 

It was becoming harder to speak.

 

 

 

The door swung open to reveal a surprised Jeongyeon gazing at Momo and the two children she had with her. Immediately, Jeongyeon knew something was wrong.

 

"W-Why… Why do I smell blood, Momo?"

 

"Just let me in… and close the door behind us," Momo whispered weakly.

 

"Blood…?" Sana repeated in confusion, eyes darting from Jeongyeon to Momo.

 

But Momo ignored her and stepped past Jeongyeon, gently tugging Sana inside their house. The moment Momo heard the click of the door closing behind them, a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders and fell to her knees before falling completely face down. Mina let out a small scream when Momo fell but continued to hold onto Momo's shirt. When Momo wouldn't move, Mina gave her a gentle shake.

 

"W-What's wrong…?" Mina mumbled.

 

Jeongyeon rushed to Momo's side and picked up Mina off from Momo, setting her beside Sana. The sisters watched with worry when Jeongyeon shifted Momo onto her back. Jeongyeon ped Momo's hoodie, only to stare down in horror when her eyes landed on the blood-soaked clothes and bandages that hid beneath the jacket.

 

"Nayeon… NAYEON. NAYEON, BRING THE FIRST-AID," Jeongyeon cried out. "MOMO'S HURT. HURRY."

 

Momo reached her hand out and placed it on top of Jeongyeon's. "Jeong… it's okay." She exhaled shakily. "There are three... bullets inside of me… from a Ghoul Investigator…"

 

Jeongyeon was rendered speechless. The weight of Momo's words sank in. She sank to her knees, head hung low, and pounded a fist to the wooden floor

 

"Jeongyeon, I brought the first-aid--" Nayeon dropped the medical supplies when she saw Momo. "No.. Oh please… God, no..!"

 

Sana and Mina knelt down beside Momo. Both girls were still processing what they were seeing.

 

It hit Sana much faster. "M-Momo…?" Sana whispered.

 

Momo slowly opened her eyes to find Mina and Sana staring down at her. "Sana… Mina…"

 

Jeongyeon clenched a fist and moved out the children's way to hold Nayeon who was sobbing quietly into her hands. Sana's voice trembled, her eyes beginning to water. "I-I thought you said you won… I thought you said you won against the bad guys…"

 

"I did… the bad guy went down first…"

 

"You're hurt…"

 

"I am…"

 

Tears started falling. Sana was crying. "You're dying…!"

 

Momo's breathing was becoming shallower. "I am."

 

It finally dawned on Mina what was happened. She grasped Momo's hand. "N-No… You can't go. No going away!"

 

"You said… You said we were going to celebrate my birthday…" Sana's bottom lip quivered as she spoke. "You said we were going to have balloons and streamers and two cakes and my friends were going to come…"

 

"All of that will happen…" Momo murmured softly, almost inaudibly.

 

"BUT YOU HAVE TO BE THERE TOO!" Sana's heart was breaking, shattering into little pieces. She leaned forward and cried into Momo's shoulder. "I WANT YOU TO BE THERE… I want you to… stay… Please… Mommy… Don't go…"

 

"Mama… Mama… Mama!" Mina cried, hugging Momo's arm in desperation. "Don't go!"

 

Momo smiled hearing them call her their mother. She felt light. Relieved. Happy. Content. In that moment, she knew just how much Sana and Mina loved her.

 

"Nayeon and Jeongyeon will take care of you both… I know they well," she whispered to them.

 

Her vision was becoming hazy

 

"MOMMY!" Sana sobbed, clutching onto Momo's clothes.

 

Her breathing slowed.

 

"MAMA!" Mina cried beside her sister.

 

Momo smiled and closed her eyes.

 

"Sana… Mina… You are both proof that humans can exist peacefully with ghouls."

 

"Don't leave us…" Sana hiccupped between sobs.

 

"I'll always be with you… and I'll always love both of you..."

 

 

 

 

One final breath and Momo was gone.

 

 

 

 

Sana and Mina cried harder, clinging to Momo's body as tears fell onto her, their cries of sorrow filling the apartment. Jeongyeon and Nayeon each took a child to hold and console as all four of them mourned the loss of a friend and a mother.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Momo! It's time for dinner!"

 

Momo lifted her head as her older sister, Hana, opened the closet.

 

"What are you doing in here, silly?" Hana asked her little sister.

 

"I was playing house with my new friends," Momo answered with a grin, motioning to her new toys. A Pororo plush and a golden Shiba Inu plush sat on small plastic chairs.

 

"Well now it's time for us to be the ones sitting in chairs at the table. Mom and Dad are waiting for us," Hana laughed. "Come on."

 

"Okay! Let me tuck my friends in bed first."

 

Hana watched as Momo scooped her friends into her arms and waddled over to her bed. One by one, Momo placed her blanket over Pororo and the Shiba Inu, fluffing the pillow beneath them and kissing their foreheads. "Momo will be right back! Be good!"

 

Hana shook her head with a smile as Momo ran over to her.

 

Momo gave one last look at the plushies, her expression softening.

 

She flicked the light switch off.