Mature content/TW: Alcohol and drug use, violence

Jisoo' summer classes were just over and she had invited her friends Lisa and Chaeyoung to a summer vacation to her parents' summer house near seaside in a pretty village.

They had spent ten days visiting bays near, going clubbing, or just making a mess in Jisoo's place.

As they did, couple days before the vacation was over.

''Okay Jisoo, now you spin the bottle.''

Chaeyoung said, after Lisa succesfully stole one of the potted plants on the neighbours' garden.

''No, no. You guys bring back the pot. ''

''I can't find the way back, I'm too drunk.'' Lisa replied while lying on the floor staring at the ceiling.

''Okay, no.You are going to take these Marigolds back ,they can't see me,they know who I am.'

''Are those Marigolds'' Chaeyoung interrupted. ''I don't think they are...''

''What- I'm not getting myself into trouble. Now one of you, come on!''

Jisoo grabbed Lisa by her wrists and pulled her up.

''Come on, Lisa, these are Ms. Choi's, do you see this garden over here?'' She pointed out from the window,
Lisa squinted her eyes to see, '' Fine I'll be back, don't get back to the play without me,'' She said while trying to find the knob, ''I want to hear everyting!''

''You are forgetting the pot.''

''Whops, right. Lemme just-''

''I think those are Calen... dolan... dilons.'' Chaeyoung said behind Lisa's back.

''No they are not,'' Jisoo replied, '' Because thats not a breed. Do you mean Chalendulam?''

''No, that wansn't it, that wasn't it.''

''Chrysent- torum?''

''No...''

''Those are Marigolds!''

Their argument got interrupted by Lisa knocking on window.

''Lisa the door is open right next.''

Jisoo helped Lisa get in.

''You could just tell truths but no, you wanted to drink.''

''Shhhh! Listen, Jisoo, I need to tell you something,'' she was giving all her weight to the tiny girl,

''What!'' Chaeyoung joined the conversation, yelling, ''What is it?''

''There is two moons out there!''

''No there is not, you are drunk. That's what there is.'' Jisoo said, trying not to crash under her.

Lisa bursted into giggles, Chaeyoung's head had already dropped.

''Okay, well, that's the time we go to bed. ''

Jisoo wasn't surprised that she was the one who's going to tidy them up.So she did.

''Get up Lisa, I'm taking the cushions,

Lisa rolled herself down from the couch. The sleep was taking her over, she could even just crawl on the ground if no one had interrupted her. So she didn't even remember Jisoo dragging her to the bed she made out of cushions, until she woke up to another sleep pralysis.

When it had been a month since Jennie disappeared,the first one had striked.She had gone home,had finally got used to her bed, after not using it since last winter.Though her peace ended with a night of terror.

She had saw a glow under her nose,when her body was compeletely rigid. She soon realized that was the one thats glowing.She saw a movement under her nose, then something appeared out of . It seemed like a tiny sized person. Just when she realized, another one came out frome . And then another appeared, as soon as the second got out.

Lisa counted six of them.Altough it was hard to tell,they were doing something on her chest, They were wiggling constantly, with a rush She then spotted some things floats in the air.

They seemed like pieces of yarns, that have a weak glow. The little things were collecting and doing something with them.They were talking between each other, sometimes Lisa could hear one of them saying 'yes,yes,'.

Soon a ball of yarn appeared, Lisa had supposed to wake up by now, but her body was feeling like It was going to stay like that forever.

The people had gone bigger,almost ten inches, Lisa thought ,they then stepped one another and carried the ball to the ceiling.

That ball was as big as basketball. It was glowig and a bit of see trough.But Lisa couldn't quite tell what was inside. The most she could tell that there was something had crawled in it.

Just then her body beacame free.She jumped up to see what was in the ball.That little things were gone,so she could safely look at it.

At first look, she tought another one of those things were in the ball. But that thing had looked different than them, it had long straight hair 'almost like it had drawn with a ruler, one by one.' Just like Jennie's.

Lisa thought about this thing being a smaller Jennie, but its face wasn't showing in any possible angle.

She startled by a mumble. That things were coming back, she thought, and rushed to the bathroom.She waited there for a couple of minutes and finally found the coureage to look trough the door.

They were gone.

Things were gone, ball was gone, floating ropes were gone, everything was gone.

They had left Lisa behind, to make her lose her mind.She had no idea what to do with al of these screwed up things that are were shown to her, for the last couple of months. Now that Jennie was gone, there were no one that she could ask whats happening, or why do these things happening, or even, where she was.
Was she in the 'Town of Cats' ? Did Jennie bring her here that night, and left without her?

For the last three weeks of school Lisa had gone to Jennie's house,every couple of days,but none of them she found Jennie. She wished she knew where Jennie's teacher lived, how come she had never asked about it. How would she be able to find a person on a whole big city?

Maybe she could have found out what commune that Jennie had lived when she was a child. But even if she did, that wouldn't help at all. It was't like they were going to hand over the girl to her, right away.

''They can't do anything to 'Little People' ''

Jennie had said, when Lisa asked if they had ever gone to Police.

Lisa also could not go to police without knowing if Jennie was kidnapped.Lisa then tought about going to Jennie's school to know if she still was attending classes and exams. But expecting them to give Jennie's personal information to a random person like Lisa would be ridiculous.

Jennie would have called, or texted her if she was okay.Maybe she wasn't able to text her because of safety reasons?

Lisa wished she could do something until the time dorms closed.She was the last one to leave the dorm, Jisoo and Chaeyoung had already got back home. Jisoo was staying in the same city. And Chaeyoung was not living very far away. Unlike them, Lisa was living six hours away. So that was it for her to search for Jennie when the dorms closed.

And now, the second paralysis was striking, it was becoming a monthly pattern. Which Lisa thought was ridiculous.

But it didn't seem ridiculous when she was stone hard on the cushions, a cocoon thats as big as a pilates ball was hanging on top of her.

'So now you are here,' Lisa had thought.

The chrysalis glowed weakly, almost like a response, showing the thing that as sleeping in it.

It seemed no more than a shiluette, altough Lisa could swear she had never seen that hair before, other than Jennie.

Lisa would have jump if she could, when the thing in it put her hand on the bottom and stretched the ball. Small sparkles appeared where she put her hand, Lisa recognized the yarns that was on the air loosening and couple of fingers appearing between them,

Altough this time Lisa didn't feel attacked by the thing inside It wasn't coming for her, Lisa could feel, that thing was just trying to find its way.

She wasn't sure if that thing made her a spell, but she finally could feel her limbs again.So she got up and took a closer look to the thing's hand. Her own hand moved without her consent and reached those fingers,

Not a single roughness, Lisa doubted if there were fingerprints on this hand. Altough that hand was as cold as marble. That reminded Lisa o Jennie's hands. They were not that warm even when the girl was running.

Lisa held her breath when the fingers curled to hold her hand. She felt goosebumps head to toe.

When she woke up, she was still on pins and needles.

'Thats not how its supposed to work, I was having a sleep paralysis, I was awake!' she thought while rubbing her head.

The hangover headache was awful. Aggressive sunshine that was coming trough the window was not helping either.

The trinity completed when Jisoo enetered the room yelling from the speakerphone, at least that was how it felt to Lisa.

''Good, you are awake, I tought I was going to winch you up ,''

''Lower your voice, you merciless...Why do you even need me?''

''Relax, I'm just kidding. Altough we need to tidy the mess by the end of the day. There are still dirts from the pot of flowers on the floor.''

''What pot of flowers?''

''You were waisted, weren't you,'' Jisoo said with her palm on her face, ''Just like the dead person lying next to you,''

Lisa turned her back to see Chaeyoung burried six feet under the sheets.

''How can she not be hot, its August,' Lisa mumbled.

''I told you she was dead.''

''I also wonder why did she drink that much, well, like me.''

''Because! You guys were so chaught up in the game! Altough, maybe she has her reasons, too.'' Jisoo added while Lisa was so busy to give attention.

''Jisoo,today, I'm just going to go downtown and come back right after.Won' take more than a couple hours.''

''You are going on a date? Really? You are leaving in one or two days? I tought you would want to spend your time with us,''

''No, its not something like that, '' she paused for a second, remember Jennie?''

''Yeah, the girl you should be over hundred years ago, how about her? Did she came back into your life after ghosting you?''

Lisa looked away, ''Maybe.''

''Lisa, you concern me but I'm too tired to intervent, ''

''It won't take more than couple hours!''

''It will take that much to get to the city from here!''

''Ow! Don't yell ever! And yeah, I'm taking that into account, ''

''Okay, Lisa, you do you.''

It was not on the plan to ruin ther vacation with her friends, with going after a ghost ex date, but after that overly realistic dream, Lisa decided she should never skip the chance of Jennie being back.

Altough everytime she came here there were no one answered the door.

Altough she havent heard her for three months.

Altough she knew Jennie won't be there this time, too.

'Wow, almost like I'm trying to go back in time.' She tought when she came near Jennie's window, looking up to a tightly closed curtains. Lisa could swear that those curtains haven't moved an inch for three months. Frozen in time.

Until they did.

Until they had been pulled, suddenly, and that Jennie girl's face appeared between the crack of the curtains, just for a second and then dissappeared.

Lisa couldn't calculate what to do. She didn't want to look away, not even a moment, so that she woudn't miss a chance to seeing Jennie, again, also she clearly didn't recognize Lisa, so it would be better to stay here and wait.

She was trying her best not to rush to the doorbell. Jenie probably wouldn't asnwer, she wouldn't risk that.

She waited for Jennie to show up to the window for about fifteen minutes, but the curtians didn't move again.

She was not home, Lisa didn't need to ring his doorbell to learn that. The moons were messing with her mind. Trying to make her lose her mind, one way or another. They were not letting her rest in her dreams, they were not letting her rest when she's awake, either.

She rolled down the seaside with a cloud in her head, there could be a fire on the streets but she wouldn't notice. She was not seeing anything.She was fastening her steps to avoid the clustering thoughts, as much as she could.

She found herself in an expensive Irish bar that she had wanted to visit whenever she goes downtown.

She ordered an Irish coffe, more whiskey was not allowed, since she had promised Jisoo to get back safe and sound.

'' Coffe? At seven? You are cearly not plannig to sleep this night.''

Lifted her gaze from her coffe to face the bartender girl that randomly started to talk to her.

''Huh, oh, no, sleep is not on the plan. Altough I would love a straight whiskey.''

''What keeps you away from the liquid sunshine?''

''Yeah, well, lets say, I'm already messed up, and had been proved that being reckless to cope with it won't help it.''

''Fair enough, 'seven coffee'. Am I going to call you that?''

''That's a terrible nickname. I'd rather go by Lisa.''

Bartender smirked, ''Kumi Adachi. It hasn't been long since I started to work here, actually. Do you come here often ?''

''No, I live pretty far away. I came here to look for a friend.''

''Not to visit, but to look for?''

''Yeah.'' Lisa responded with a short breath. ''We... haven't seen each other for a while.''

Adachi warped her lower lip, ''

''Are you two, not in a good position?''

'No, not that, she actually disappeared out of nowhere, I'm concerned that she might be kidnapped.' Lisa thought, she was obviously not going to say that.

''Maybe.''

''Did she ghosted you, as to say?''

''Ghosted, you can say that.'' she paused, then added, ''Also,how did you know that it was a she?''

''Oh, well, It was just a shallow guess.''

Lisa hummed.

''Is it not?''

''It is.''

''Is she a special one?''

Lisa looked at Adachi's face more carefully, the question had chaught her attention;

''For me, she is. Can't tell what she thinks.''

''Should that be important,since she is long gone?''

''You are probably right, It doesn't matter. ''

''Everyone had their ways to cope their feelings. I usually smoke them away.''

''You mean cigarettes?''

Adachi smirked, she got closer to Lisa.

''No, I mean weed.''

Lisa's eyes widened.

''A friend of mine brought them abroad, as a gift.''

''Good thing she didn't got chaught.''

''Yeah, to be honest, It reduces my anxiety very much.I feel like I'm leaving my body and floating in the air. Its soothing.''

''It sounds a bit scary.''

''It's most certainly not. Believe me, It's like I'm swaddled by the air.''

This didn't sound new to Lisa.

''Swaddled?''

''Exactly.'' Adachi responded, looking away, as if she was imagining what it was like. She suddenly turned her head to Lisa.

''You know what, my shift is almost over, want to come to my place and try some?''

''I need to get back early.''

''Do your parents waiting for you?''

''No, It's Lisa furrowed her eyebrows. She had promised. But this girl was dercribing her what she had dreamt of last night, and inviting her to do something illegal.
She could be one of those, who Jennie mentioed. They probably got Jennie and now they were trying to capture her.

But how could she ever reach out to Jennie, other than that?

'I'm sorry Jisoo, Chaeng, please forgive me.' she thought.

''Actually, yeah, I'd love that.''

''Okay! We can head out in ten minutes.''

She was almost going to think she was going to bring her to Jennie's apartment. But they got into a one that as couple of blocks away.

It was bigger than Jennie's. It had a room and a kitchen. Altough it did seem smaller. Probably because there were more stuff and it didn't have the ''big window''.

Adachi grinded some seeds, then filled it in a small pot and lit up. Adachi inhaled a breath. Held it in a while and released slowly.Then Lisa repeated what she did.
They exchanged the pot couple of time without talking, for about five minutes.

Just when Lisa thought it wasn't hitting, her brain started shaking. Unlike her body, which became rock hard when she heard Adachi saying;

''I have born again''

''You what?''

''I died once, after all.''

''Why?''

''To come back to life, again, just like this.''

Lisa's brain started shaking again. She felt her body is being released from that stone prison. She was weightless, she tried to look down, but couldn't manuever. Then she saw the glowy strings that were pulling her up.

The strings became thicker and surrounded her. Altough they were almost see trough. She could spot the ceiling fan upon her.

Thats when she could turn down to see herself down there, looking up to the air, but not moving single inch.

It was thrilling seeing herseself looking back at her. It was different from what happened in the mirror. Maybe not,maybe it was just like when you come across a window and mistaking our reflection with another person. But the feeling you had keeps remaining.

She tried to puncture trough the strings and reach to herself.

Couple of her fingers, and then her hands broke trough the strings. She noticed her 'refection' was also reaching up to her.

Just then her brain started to swash up, so violently that her vision blocked, she lost the sense of rotation, she was seeing patches of light and dark and nothing else.

When Lisa regain her counciousness, the two were laying on the bed, she was laying on her back, facing to the ceiling fan, and Adachi was snuggling her, she seemed asleep, It was also dark in there bacause the curtains were closed. She straightened up and searched to her phone. It was almost eight.

''You got to go, ''

Lisa turned her back to see Adachi staring her from where she lies.

''...before the exit closes.''

''I should?''

''Yeah,'' Adachi too straightened up. ''You would'nt want to be late''

'' Where?''

Adachi chuckled, ''To home, I'm guessing? The late night trains are creepy, ya know. '' She came close to her, ''Are you still high?''

''No, you are right. '' she stuffed her earpods and phone, she fixed her hair quickly,

''Thank you, It was so fun,''

''I think so too, and hey, don't worry about it. ''

''You are right.''

Lisa was worried. But more about Jisoo and Chaeyoung, while she was standing at the door of Jisoo's house. It was half past nine.

Especially when the door didn't open after the third ring.

Lisa came to the backyard and faced with Chaeyoung sitting on the couch and not making an eye contact whatsoever.

She called her name but it only helped Chaeyoung to get up an shut the curtains to Lisa's face.

She hesitated on knocking the glass, she amost didn't want Chaeyoung to let her in, she could run away to the hell when she saw Chaeyoung with her stone cold face when she came near her.

Lisa felt almost like she wasn't there.

She sat on the pavement, face between her hands, until eventually she heard the glass door slid open.

''Chaeng, come on,''

But instead of answering Chaeyoung turned back to go upstairs.

''Where is Jisoo?'' Lisa asked while she followed her to upstairs.

''You would know if you answered her calls.''

Lisa got nothing to say, neither she could tell how she felt like she was trapped in another world,nor she would expect Chaeyoung to lecture her the same things one more time.

Chaeyoung got into the bathroom and didn't resist when Lisa came in.

''I think both of us are not completely honest. I shouldn't wait for you to be so. Altough maybe I can manage to be,''

Lisa looked at their reflection on the mirror.

''I'm never going to understand why when I was always there, you were always wandering around,'' She let out a breath, ''You were! I was almost going to think you didn't let me save you from sleepless nights because you were searching for that someone, no one-'' she stopped when her voice slightly cracked. Then she swallowed a rock and contniued,

''Even when that girl left you, you still waited for her,then you couldn't accept her leaving, and you went to another people, again, ' Chaeyoung crunched her eyes, like she was trying to control her storming thoughts and put them into an order. ''I just wonder, what did she do that made you go after her all these time? That I couldn't do in a whole year? '' she had tried to Look Lisa's eyes trough the mirror but immedeately aborted when she saw the confusion in the girl's eyes.

''You know,'' she mumbled, trying to hold her tears back, ''I'm just gibbering nonsense because I'm mad, sorry,'' she slightly pushed Lisa and got out,

Lisa stood here for a moment with drowning in confusion. She then got into herself and chased Chaeyoung back to downstairs.

''Lisa, just, let it go.''

''No, Chaeyoung,please, let's just sit here and listen, plesase Chaeng.''

She didn't resist.

''Look, I just act careless sometimes, or maybe most of the time, and I have no excuse, , I do act totally reckless, I . But this is never because I don't care about you, you guys are the true things that matter to me, literally, I could leave everything behind, just right now, no problem at all! Because I know that you and Jisoo are all I need,''

Chaeyoung was looking her in the eye this time, with a look that Lisa had never seen since today.

''You don't understand, do you?''

Lisa didn't. It was totally new to her, eveything was slipping, the world was shaksng like her brain did, nothing was the same, there were two moons on the sky,Chaeyoung's eyes were burning, making Lisa's breath shrink,

The ringing dorbell announced that it was time out. Chaeyoung almost lapsed upon her feet to get the door.

Jisoo appeared on the door, Chaeyoung mumbled something like 'going to get some air,' and dissapeared.

''Oh cool,she already kicked your .'' Jisoo said as she started taking groceries out of the bags.

''Yeah, I think,'' Lisa replied blankly staring at the void, ''Actually I'm not sure of what she did.''

''What do you mean?''

''I don't kknow.'' Lisa grunted and collapsed to the couch.''Stupid me.''

''Yeah.''

Lisa heard Jisoo's steps closing.

''You know she,'' Jisoo started and immedately regretted, Lisa removed her hands from her face,

''She what ?''

Jisoo looked at Lisa without saying anything.

''Jisoo,''

''Really Lisa? Do I really have to say it out loud? She likes you. Obviously! ''

She did have to say it out loud, everyting was surreal in this world.

''Clueless,'' Jisoo mumbled. She stood up to leave,

''Don't go!''

Jisoo stopped and let out a sigh.

''It's going to be all awkward, sorry. Good thing you guys are leavig tomorrow.'' She smiled, but Lisa didn't,

''I can't do anything, Lisa, you are going to have to figure that out each other.''

''Since when did you knew?''

''Why do you care ?''

''Because!Because If I learned sooner, I would stop acting all stupid, and I would always be with her,I wouldn't be this much careless around her! ''

''Maybe,but she didn't want me to tell you. I shouldn't even tell you now, but I couldn't stand you being unaware of anything. '' she stopped, then continiued,''I have no idea what did she found in you, ''
Lisa crossed her eyebrows, Jisoo smirked.
''But you told me to call Jennie and all,''

''Yeah,I too should have known.,'' Jisoo said. She got up and sat near Lisa, gathered her legs under her. ''We're supposed to be best friends,''

Lisa put her head on Jisoo's shoulder.

''Seriously,'' Jisoo said, ''You and Chaengie,'' she poked Lisa's stomach,

''Jisoo! ''

''Don't tell me you didn't got excited a little,''

''No! You said it, we're supposed to be best friends! I don't want anything to happen to our friendship, nothing to intercept it to last forever, I can't think of opposite,''

''Me too, I don't want you guys ruin everyting for me, I can't be friends to you sperately, so you better work this out. You better marry her!''

Lisa bumped Jisoo's shoulder, Jisoo giggled,

''Don't tell her about what we talked!''

''Don't worry, also you better not be around when she came back.''

Lisa decided to pretend to be asleep when Chaeyoung came, but she hadn't realized how tired whe was and immedately fall asleep when she got into bed.
Her bus was at eleven. She woke up before the girls and gathered her stuff, She got chaught to Chaeyoung when she was trying to pull her charge from the plug.

''Morning,''

''Hi, Chaeng, I'm really-''

''No It's okay, don't apologize anymore. I also talked nonsense, we can leave this behind, right? ''

Lisa paused, ''..Sure,''

''Thank you, Lisa.'' a small smile appeared on her face,

The two dropped Lisa to the station. Chayeoug was leaving on same day, at evening, due to her home being closer.

The road was not that long, maybe because Lisa had so much to think of,she quickly fell asleep.

Her bags handle was torn when she was there, so it had been kind of a torment to carry them trough the station. Her fingers were bruised when she arrived taxi stop.

''Taxi! Are you looking for a taxi?''The man who was yelling asked Lisa.

''Yes, ''

''Come, come.''

Lisa followed the man trough the cabs to a one that had a driver in it, only to get throwed by the man inside.

The guide guy slapped a wet napkin to her face before she could know what just happened.

Last thing she remembered was the piece Jennie and her danced to was playing on the radio in the car.