Invitation
Broken Flower: Lily
Bergen, Norway.
Summer has started and the traditional Graduation ceremony is upon her. A time to celebrate her achievements. The momentous occasion is held in the Grand Stadium in the University of Oslo. She wears her robes; a black gown with pointed sleeves gown and golden strips on the edge of the sleeve and around the neck. She carefully put her black cap, not wanting to run her bun and ends the look with black high heels.
"Ready, Doctor Myoui?" A voice chimed from behind.
Mina smiles and turns around. "I haven't yet started residency Jeongie" She laughed. Jeongyeon approaches her and shrugs it off. They drive to the University which is not so far from their stay. Mina is looking out the car window thinking how things were tougher than expected along her way and she'd experienced moments of self-doubt, but now when she'll graduate, she gets to look back on those tough five years she'd battle so hard for her medical degree she's dreamed off, and say to herself, I did it And that is certainly something she is proud of.
It doesn't take long for them to arrive, the place is crowded and fills with happy and cheerful vibes. "You should enter first, I'll follow later" Jeongyeon says as he parks the car. Mina nods and bids her goodbye before she joins her friends. Jeongyeon goes to the nearest flower shop and picked his order; an elegant Calla lilies bouquet, with a baby king penguin on top.
The commencement speaker presented his speech in which he praises the undergraduate and praise the lectures for their great efforts to teach their students and encourage them to innovate and help them to solve the problems they experienced, whether academic or social problems. He wishes the undergraduate more excellence and success. Mina sits restlessly on her seat, her heart pounding so hard against her ribcage as she waits for her name to be call and receive her degree; Bachelor in Medical Science.
Thankfully, everything goes well, she doesn't trip which she feared the most and she looks pretty in the photograph taken when she obtained her certificates. The ceremony ends, and she's greeted by Jeong handing her the bouquet of flower. They are colours to weave dreams from, as white and soft as any silk. Their petals are delicate works of art with it's glowing yellow nectar. Mina smiles but it doesn't linger for a long time when she recognized the leafless trumpet-shaped bract.
"Chaeyoungie, we haven't yet named the baby"
"Lily"
Jeongyeon who doesn't understand the passage of time, doesn't know how old and painful the memories are, panicky rush towards Mina and hug the brunette. Mina is crying. Hard. There's no sound coming out from her, none. It's just a silent tear of a broken faucet dripping from her eyes as her shoulder shakes slightly. The guy guesses that it is because of the graduation and brush it off since Mina refuses to talk about it afterwards. Once her emotion stable, she takes the flowers and hugs it tight but careful enough not to cause damage. Since then, the bouquet never freed from her grip.
They return home after Mina and her friends give each other a wish, hoping for success in the coming years. Then everyone went away, carrying a beautiful memory inside them. Jeongyeon doesn't say a word regarding Mina's outbursts, it happens a lot for the past years. Most of the time, she looks just fine, healthy and joyful but random things could trigger her and she would just cry and cry. Even when Jeongyeon wants to help or talk about it, Mina will shut herself.
The day goes, as usual, they have their lunch and dinner outside. Mina turns to her normal self, she laugh, she makes jokes, she played around. But whenever Jeongyeon asked whether she if fine or all right, her answer is only; a smile.
When the night that befallen them getting colder and darker, Jeongyeon decides to wrap it up and drives home after the exhausting day, then take some rest. He glances to the brunette sinking in the passenger seat with closed eyes, then brings his gaze to the bouquet engulfed in her arms. He sighs and continues driving.
Mina enters her bedroom, darkness greeted her. She roams her eyes around the room; minimalist, spacious, empty for some reason, she didn't want her family to come to her graduation and insisted on her decision. Reason? She wasn't sure herself. Maybe because of guilt or shame, or she's just no ready to meet everyone again after her sudden leaving five years ago and her less interaction with her family members this few months.
Mina arranged the Lilies in a vase and place it on her bedside table. She washes, changed into pyjama, and get ready for sleep. She inhales a sharp breath when she feels certain darkness come over her. Not a blanket that warms her but one that cold enough, making her shiver. But somehow it's making her eyes heavier and heavier. She finally sent into an unconsciousness.
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Not so long, Mina opens her eyes when she senses intense stare making a hole inside her brain. She slowly sits up and panicky roam her gaze around. Tension grows in her face and limbs whilst her breathing became more rapid. Mina breathes in slowly, trying to calm stop herself. She grabs her blanket and decides to lay down again but something caught her eyes. Her movement halted. Her eyes stared down at the mattress like the last view she seen is a silhouette of a person behind the door.
Don't move
That deep and low voice that has haunted her every night. Does he finally decide to shows himself and end Mina for once and for all? Mina gritted her teeth when he heard footstep approaching. Before Mina's brain could progress action, she finds herself tied to the bed. She could see nothing, nothing but darkness. Mina screams for help, hoping Jeong would hear her. She screams again and again. She strained her vocals but nothing came out, still, she screams, hoping someone would hear her as she tries to free her hands and legs from the rope. Even when the devil starts to ravish her body, she doesn't give up although the pain is killing her. At one point, her body wracked with raw sobs and she shakes like a leaf. Fright consumed every cell in her body, swelling them with terror. Mina begs.
Please.
Please stop.
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Gasp
Mina spring up from the bed. Her brain feeling shot through as she raises her hands and noticed it's not tied. She roams her eyes and there's no one in the place, her room is brightened by the peaking light coming from the window. The s
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