Rain was pouring hard but Yerin still went on her way to catch a glimpse of a blue butterfly that went past her window. She was having a great time sipping her coffee while looking for great photos to include in her resume when a butterfly stopped by in front of the café window where she was at. Having a great eye for stills, Yerin was caught up in the seemingly intricate details the butterfly was sporting and couldn’t fight the urge to take a photo.

She felt possessed by the butterfly’s blue and beautiful wings that she snapped a few more shots. She examined the pictures she got and was surprised that the butterfly’s wings registered white. How could that be?

Yerin looked once more on the butterfly at her window to have a double look, but the blue butterfly went flying away. Despite the rain pouring hard and not having her umbrella with her, Yerin ran to catch the butterfly. She followed the butterfly until she found herself caught in someone’s garden maze and stooped to catch a breath.

She didn’t know that butterflies fly fast.

And how did she end up in the middle of a seemingly large garden maze without even noticing it at first?

Yerin felt weird and confused but decided to catch the intriguing butterfly. But the butterfly was nowhere to be seen. Where the heck did it go?

Just then, Yerin caught an old woman t the ledges. She wore an apron and gloves and she looked very welcoming. But Yerin took a step back, confused that she didn’t see that woman when she entered. Or was she too distracted catching the butterfly?

“Don’t you find the garden beautiful?” The woman suddenly said.

Yerin looked around her and saw roses in full bloom and hummingbirds together with different colored butterflies roaming the entire garden maze. Her eyes caught the different floras around her feet. Even the floor became a flower bed! She could also smell every scent the flowers are offering her olfactory senses and in a strange kind of way, Yerin felt hypnotized by the scenery around her.  How did she not see all of this?

“You were so focused catching that butterfly you missed the entire landscape.” The woman said as if she heard Yerin’s thoughts. “You probably got caught in her wings, right?”

Yerin gulped. She felt especially weird around the woman, like she doesn’t want to interact with her and yet a force much greater than her feeling compelled her to talk. “It was beautiful and weird, actually.”

The woman stopped t and went closer to Yerin with a grin on her face. “You do know that that butterfly will soon die, am I right?”

“Die?” Yerin repeated the word. She didn’t understand what the woman means, and truth be told she was creeped out by the word. “How do you know that a butterfly will die, though?”

The woman chuckled lightly, like all mothers in fairytales do and patted Yerin’s shoulder. “Dear, butterflies’ wings in this world turn white signaling the end of their life and means that a new one will take its place. I’m sure you made that butterfly happy by giving your attention to it through her last moments.”

Yerin took a step back. In this world? Last moments? What does that mean? “Y-you’re creeping me out M-Ms. Gardener. I was just in a café a while ago and now I’m into some other world? How is that possible?”

“You got so many questions, my dear. Now tell me,” The woman cut Yerin. “What’s you’re greatest disappointment?”

Yerin was silent. Disappointment? Then as if someone knocked her out of her conscious, she remembered their family trip together. They were picnicking on top a hill and she was watching her older brother play a harmonica her parents bought him. She remembered the look on their faces as they beamed with happiness and pride seeing her brother play the harmonica. She wanted to have her parent’s attention too and so she made a face like a duck to impress them. It’s the only thing she can do at her small age of five and thought that she was good at it. But her parent’s face went from happy to sour. Yerin felt sad remembering it and shook her head.

Now, where are we? Oh right, disappointment.

Yerin tried to think hard of her disappointments in life when the woman chuckled again. “I now know your problem. Now, let me help you.”

“But I didn’t say anything yet.” Yerin rebutted.

“What came first is the sole problem,” the woman cheerfully said. “You and that butterfly have something in common. So, wake up dear, and find your problem solved.”

Yerin blinked multiple times. What?  “I-I don’t understand a thing you just said!”

The woman just smiled and covered Yerin’s eyes. But just as she let go of Yerin, she whispered something, “We will meet again once you find where that butterfly will rest.”