It was a beautiful morning. Chaeyeon woke up to the sound of nature. The sun was shining bright through her face. Chaeyeon sat up straight and stretched her body.

“Rise and shine Chaeyeon, time to work!”

Chaeyeon is 26 years old and it had been a month since Chaeyeon moved to the countryside. Chaeyeon went back there to inherit her father inheritance after her father died. Her father left her a huge farm. There are cow, sheep, and horses there.  Chaeyeon had no choice but to go back because she is the only one left in the family. She made a big decision when she moved back here. She left her job and her life completely changed right after. She lives alone in the house. Everyday she will talk with animals. She has a few workers but most of them are older than her and each of them are busy with their work.

“Ouch!” Chaeyeon squealed when she accidentally hit the bathroom door. Chaeyeon sighed and went inside to shower after scolding herself. When she was done, she went down stair and checked on the fridge. Chaeyeon grabbed a bottle of milk but when she poured it inside the glass, she accidentally spilled the milk.

“Oh crap!”

Chaeyeon scolded herself for being clumsy and cleaned up. Later, she went out and was greeted by her dog, Chaeri. Chaeyeon squatted down and played with her dog. Chaeri kept barking.

“What is it?”

Chaeri ran away from Chaeyeon and suddenly,

“MISS BE CAREFUL!”

A horse was running fast towards Chaeyeon. Chaeyeon managed to avoid the attack by jumping to the side but she landed on the mud.

“!” Chaeyeon cursed as she slowly stood.

“Miss are you okay?” Mr Kim asked, worried.

“I’m fine, just go after that horse,”

“Okay Miss,”

Chaeyeon went to shower for the second time before she walked to the pond near her farm. Chaeyeon then noticed a beautiful white swan on the lake. It was alone in the middle of the lake.

“Since when we have a swan here?”

Chaeyeon’s eyes were locked on the swan. It felt like the swan was talking to her, but she could not understand. Chaeyeon walked closer and the swan swam closer to her. Chaeyeon stopped when she almost stepped inside. The swan was only a metre away from her.

“Chae,” The swan talked.

“What the f-?” Chaeyeon was surprised.

“Yes, I’m the one talking, I’m the swan,”

“I think I have gone crazy!” Chaeyeon slapped her own cheek.

“No, you are not, I can really talk!”

“HOLY ! YOU REALLY TALK!”

“You don’t have to curse,”

“Sorry Miss Swan?”

The swan gently shook it head.

“My name is not Miss Swan, my name is Sakura,”

“What? You have a name?”

“I am also human like you, but I have a curse,” Sakura explained.

“You are not trolling me, right? This is not a hidden camera or something else right?”

“No, I really can talk Chaeyeon,”

Chaeyeon paused, trying to digest the thing she just encountered.

“How did you know my name?” Chaeyeon asked.

“From your father, Mr Lee, he always tells me about you,”

“He knew about this. But how?”

“He saved me from a hunter and bring me here,”

“But it had been a month since I came here, I never saw you,”

“I hid myself from you,” Sakura said.

“For what reason?”

“I don’t want to scare you like this, and I believe you need time for yourself after your father died,”

“You got a point there,” Chaeyeon agreed.

It was silent for a while. Chaeyeon slowly sat down. She played around with the grass.

“So, Sakura, who cursed you and turn you into a swan?”

“I have this curse since I was a child, I was born with it. During the day, I am a swan and I will change into human at night,”

“For real?”

“Yes,”

“Where did you go when you become human?’

“I have a secret place.”

The secret place caught Chaeyeon attention.

“That’s where I live, away from danger and things,”

“Wow, this is amazing, this is not a dream right because if it is, I’m going to sulk,”

“Why would you sulk?”

“Finally, I have someone I can talk to and I’m not alone in this place, but how old are you?”

“Me? I am the same age as you,”

“And you live like this all those years?”

“Yes, I lost my family and I grow up by myself, trying to lift this curse,” Sakura added.

“You have any idea how to do it?”

“No idea,”

“That’s too bad,”

“Do you want to go to the waterfall? I can show you my secret place,” Sakura said.

“There is a secret place?”

“Come with me,”

Chaeyeon followed Sakura into the woods and five minutes later, they reached the waterfall.

“I’ve been here before, when I was a kid,” Chaeyeon stated.

“Let’s climb up,”

They climbed up behind the waterfall and Chaeyeon was surprised to see the things written on the rock. It looked like it was drawn by kids.

“What is this?”

Chaeyeon touched the rock and suddenly, a flashback of memories played in her mind.

“Where is that girl Chaeyeon?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,”

“That swan girl, where is she?”

“I don’t know uncle, I really don’t know,”

“You are lying!”

Chaeyeon shook her head. Her head felt dizzy.

“What was that?” Chaeyeon wondered.

“Chaeyeon, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,”

Chaeyeon climbed down, leaving Sakura behind. Sakura with her short swan feet ran after Chaeyeon but Chaeyeon was too fast.

“Chaeyeon!” Sakura called.

Chaeyeon ignored Sakura, there was too much in her mind.

PUM!

A gunshot was heard. Chaeyeon stopped and turned back to Sakura. That white swan was lying on the ground, with blood all over her body. Sakura was shot.

“Sakura!”

Chaeyeon ran to Sakura but before she could reach her, another gunshot was heard, and she was hit by a bullet right on her chest. Chaeyeon’s body flew in the air before slowly it touched the ground. Chaeyeon could not move, her eyes were set on Sakura who was lifeless.

“Sa…ku…chan,”

Chaeyeon’s eyes closed.

A few seconds later, Chaeyeon opened her eyes and she found herself inside her room, on the bed. She touched her chest but there was no injury. Chaeyeon sat and thought,

“Was that just a dream?”

Chaeyeon looked out the window and to the lake. There was no swan on the lake.

“Just a dream,”