Yong-sun hasn’t forgiven Hye-jin for leaving her without the slightest guilt. One night was torture to her. She could not sleep the night nor did she have the gut to go in the town. All she could do was worry about Hye-jin and wonder how the town must be.

While Hye-jin was away, Yong-sun opened the journal and read what Hye-jin wrote. She knows she shouldn’t invade her privacy but was curious about what has written there. The first few pages were about Hye-jin’s insomnia after the incident. As the pages turn on, the content changes from how much she loved the forest to how much she wanted to leave the forest; considering herself a coward and weak for not being able to set foot outside the forest.

The written letters on that one particular page were rough, reflecting the anger and emotions of Hye-jin on that day. The day was the thirtieth anniversary of their mother’s death.

“It has been thirty years since that day we found our mother’s lifeless body on the border of the forest. Yong-sun said it was strange how she died. But there was nothing out of the ordinary for her death. She had been strict with me about going to the border. And I am sick of it. Who is she to tell me what to do? It’s not only her that misses our mother. Why can’t she see that I am also hurting? If Mother was here, she would have believed in me and let me go back to see the town and my friends.

Can’t she notice that I am stuck here because of her? I hate myself. I hate her so much that I wish I could make her disappear.”

Her breath was short and the squeeze inside her chest hurt. The whole house was suffocating her and tears streamed down her cheeks. Her head was clouded with realization. It was hard to think at the moment whether she was hurt by the fact that her own sister hated her so much or she never tried to understand her sister and kept things the way she wanted.

Yong-sun could not bear the suffocation inside the house. She dropped the book and ran out of the house. She gasped for air and cried hard. What was she thinking when she wanted to keep Hye-jin inside the forest forever? Has all this time she done it for their safety or because of her own fear?

Yong-sun thumped on her chest, hating herself because she could not keep the promise she made to her mother. The words her mother made her promise: ‘Take care of your sister. Keep her away from danger. She has only you so believe in her and try to understand her even in the worst situation. Also, don’t let her near the town. I trust in you, my beautiful daughter.’

They were young when their mother brought them to the forest. Yong-sun had just turned eighteen and Hye-jin was fifteen. In their heads, the fear of the town was instilled and they were made to believe that as long as they were in the forest, they were safe from the townsmen.

Their mother taught them spells, how to make potions, and all the life lessons she knew. For a century, the small family lived happily in the forest. Hye-jin explored the vast forest while Yong-sun and her mother spent time together learning new things.

But it was too late when Yong-sun found out their mother was acting strange. She suspected her mother could be going to the town in secret because she sometimes did not come back home for a night. She would say she was out gathering herbs or exploring the forest. Until one day, she spotted her mother boiling a foul-smelling potion in a shed outside their cottage range.

She walked up to her mother and asked what she was making. The mother was terrified of Yong-sun’s presence and closed the door of the shed. “Stay away from me, Yong-sun.”

“Mother, what’s wrong? And what is this place?”, Yong-sun too got panicked seeing her mother and looked at the pot boiling. She turned to her mother and tried to touch her.

The mother took a step back and uttered, “Yong-sun, would you help mommy? Promise you will not tell Hye-jin about this.”

Yong-sun hesitated for a second but anything for her mother, she would do it.

“Listen carefully, my daughter. I want you to help me make a potion but while you do so, you should never touch me. Do you understand?” Yong-sun nodded as she listened to her mother worriedly.

Then her mother slowly took off her outerwear and revealed red spots on her torso. Yong-sun gasped and looked away. The sight was terrifying. Her mother continued to explain it was the side effect of something she ate from that mystical forest and it could be contagious. She wanted Yong-sun to help her make a potion to cure it.

So, the mother-daughter duo did hit and trial potions for a whole year in secrecy. Some worked but the effect lasted for a few days. However, the spots spread faster all over the mother’s body. They must hurry before it reached the head.

Yong-sun slept only a few nights and ate a few, working day and night, collecting everything useful from the forest. She never asked her mother what she ate which made the spots appear because, at the back of her mind, she doubted her mother. She believed her mother visit the town once in a while and it must from the town where she got the disease.

And on the eve of the new year, Yong-sun presents her mother with a small bottle. She placed it on the table and step back.

Her mother took the bottle and opened it. It has a water-lily fragrance and the potion was crystal clear. Without a second thought, she smiled at Yong-sun and drank it all. There was a sudden rush of strength in her but nothing happened to the red spots. Yong-sun heave a sigh and sat down in distress.

The mother sat down in front of her keeping a distance. “My dear, don’t be discouraged. There is no rule that a potion would make a sudden change like the spells. Of course, there are some but it’s not always that way. It could take days or even years. We just have to keep trying until then. So, chin up and do not worry much about this old woman.” Yong-sun held her tears back and her hands tingled as she fought off the urge to hug her mother.

The next day, the mother woke the two sisters early for breakfast. Yong-sun was confused about why her mother was so excited early in the morning. She walked into the kitchen to help her mother. She reached out her hand to call her mother but immediately retreat. However, the mother turned around with a smile and pulled Yong-sun into her embrace as she grinned from ear to ear.

It took a second or two for Yong-sun to digest what just happened. She then screamed out loud and pushed her away. She hurriedly checked herself and yelled at her mother. “What’s wrong with you, mother?”

The mother laughed at Yong-sun and held her again by the shoulders. Yong-sun freaked out again and before she could push her mother away, her mother whispered, “It worked.”

The potion Yong-sun made worked and the red spots reduced steadily. Yong-sun jumped in joy and hugged her mother. She hugged back and said, “And I also found out it’s not contagious.”

For two months, the mother took the potion and by the end of the month, the red spots had completely disappeared. Yong-sun had never felt so relieved.

When everything seem to go well, the misfortune struck the two sisters. Maybe their mother knew something was about to happen to her. Every day, she tried to make Yong-sun learn everything she knew and made her promise to take care of her sister.

Their mother ultimately did not return home for two days. Worriedly, the two sisters decided to go find their mother and when they came to the border, they found their mother’s cold body lying on the ground.

The pale body was covered with dirt and the forest spirits were surrounding the area. The sisters stood there in shock and Yong-sun could not move her body. She did not want to believe that it was their mother. Hye-jin slowly walked towards the dead body and kneeled down next to it. She caressed her mother’s face as tears rolled down her cheeks. Soon, Hye-jin’s loud cry filled the place.

Yong-sun cried even harder remembering how her mother was laid on the ground. Such a cruel world. She knows her mother would never kill herself. But what could she do when her mother was already gone? The night was getting colder and Hye-jin has not returned. Where could she be? At Whee-in’s? Or has she fallen into the same fate as her mother?

The night was long and Yong-sun could not sleep a wink. She questioned herself if it was Hye-jin, would she come looking for her in the town?

.

.

“Sister?”

Yong-sun immediately opened her eyes at the muffled sound and ran outside. The sun was already up and the morning breeze was cold.

“Sister, I am back.” Hye-jin stood a few steps away from Yong-sun, hanging her head low. She could not imagine how angry Yong-sun must be. She mumbled that she was sorry for running away and before she could finish, a tight hug welcomed her.

Hye-jin stood there dumfounded and behind her ear, she could feel her sister’s worried face. The hug got tighter and Hye-jin hugged back. She missed the warmth of a hug and both the sisters needed one at the moment.

“Thank you for coming back,” Yong-sun spoke as she still hugged Hye-jin.

“Are you okay?”, Hye-jin wanted to make sure her sister was not angry as she didn’t want to get yelled at again.

“Tell me everything. How was the town? How are Moonbyul and Whee-in? Did you meet them?”

Hye-jin broke the hug and held her sister by the shoulder. “How about we talk over something warm to drink?”

The sisters smiled at each other and went in to plan about what Hye-jin said to their friends back in the town.

-------

Whee-in rushed to the flower shop as soon as she was done with her maid work. She tied the apron around her waist and started to welcome the customers.

Usually, there were fewer customers in the afternoon right before evening set in and the couples drop in. But Whee-in always look forward to the afternoon customers because that was the usual time ‘He’ would come when no one was around. It was not that she wanted the young man to visit the shop every day nor that she…secretly liked him. He was tall, handsome, and a gentleman, anyone would fall for him. She should not be fond of a stranger who does not even have a name. Nevertheless, the thrill of seeing him on the most random days elated her and his mysterious life intrigued her.

The sun has set behind the hills and the lanterns were lit. More and more young couples started to crowd the place and the roses and the vibrant flowers were sold off instantly. Once in a while, some children would drop a shell for a small flower.

The place was lively and Whee-in put on a smile for the customers. The fresh daisies were picked one by one and by the end of the day, few petals and wilted ones remained. She sighed as the customers cleared off the shop. It would have been her day if he had only come.  

The owner called it a day and Whee-in took off her apron as she glanced at the street.

“Whee-in?”, the owner called and Whee-in quickly stood before her and bowed.

“Here. Your payment.” The owner handed Whee-in a rather small coil of copper coins. She had never felt so betrayed and looked at the owner in disbelief. The business was flourishing and she had been working there every day with no payment for two months. “Before you give me that look, check it first.” The owner cleared and left.

Whee-in took a closer look and there was one silver coin between them. For silver, she could fetch at least a hundred copper coins. She smiled and bowed once again. It felt like ages since the last time she held a silver coin in her hand. Whatever it was, she told herself that she should be nicer to the owner so that the owner is crazy enough to give her more silver coins.

>>>

When the night got colder and the people were having sound sleep, the quiet footsteps traveled the town and the Capital. The papers were stuck on the walls again and on the boards.

‘A witch amongst us?’

-Demented writer of the town