Closing the heavy wooden door--worn, chipped paint and all--the young mother laced her fingers with those of her little girl, aged just six years old.

They were on their way to Changgnodong's one and only community playground, a lively place they frequented almost every day. It was within walking distance of their small and cozy, although run-down, apartment, much like most of the rest of the small town.

Changgnodong was a calm, small town on the border of the Han River. It was a small fisherman's town where most lived in small apartments or homes. It was quiet and peaceful in the small neighborhood of Changgnodong, where little ever seemed to happen in the form of criminal activity or the like. No one went without knowing the other townsfolk, and people in the town store knew others by name and address. Changgnodong was a small town, populated with (on a good day, mind you) a maximum of 106 residents. A small community it was, Changgnodong, Seoul.

It was a somewhat cool autumn afternoon, just enough bite in the wind to bring a chill to your spine if one went jacket-less in the brisk day on the day Song Minduelle skipped alongside her young mother, rambling about kindergarten on the topic of what one was to wear their first day.

"Honey, slow down." Song Heamin spoke as she fought to keep pace with her daughter.

Mindeulle slowed to a walking pace as the pair passed the heavy rock wall that stamped the perimeter of the playground, walking to the gate and stepping through it.

"Mindeulle-yah, honey," her mother said as she let go of the little girl's hand. "Be good and play nicely with the other children, okay? Mommy's going to go sit on the bench."

Mindeulle nodded fervently, a bright smile plastered to her small face, excitement in her child eyes.

"Mommy! Mom!" Minduelle called as she swung back and forth on the swings. "Mom! Look how high I can go!"

She pushed herself forward with all the force in her tiny body, swinging higher than she had ever dared to before.

"Mom! You didn't see me!" she whined, slowing herself as she stood up from the swings and walked over to the bench where her mother was sitting, speaking quickly into a cell phone.

"Honey," her mother whispered, covering the receiver of the phone with her hand. "Go play in the tunnels, I'm just going to take this call. I'll be right back."

Her mother stood up and walked to the perimeter of the gate, leaving Mindeulle standing by herself. She pouted, then huffed, but wandered her way over to the tunneling tubes, crawling into one's mouth.

Mindeulle felt silly now, looking back on the small event that made her simple world so much more complicated.  Looking back on the last day she ever saw her mother.

"What are you thinking about?" his voice whispered into her ear as a pair of arms came to rest on her shoulders.  His lips touched the shell of her ear, causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand straight.  His voice was low, husky.  His breath was hot on her neck as he kissed her collarbone.

"Come to bed." He whispered, lightly nipping at the base of her neck.