[CONTENTID1]2

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         With the sun rising at the midpoint at high noon, the lady sits beneath a tall tree to shelter herself from the heat. Her eyes stare intently in fascination at how the freshly bitten spots of the apple slowly heal themselves. The flesh rises, filling the space that she had taken away in a matter of a minute or two.

         Extending her arms once more to study the said fruit from afar, she noticed how it has already grown a tad bigger as compared to when she first found it.

         How this is possible, she can’t quite comprehend yet. If it were capable of growing on its own, then it should be way bigger, in the first place when she found it.

         Something must have switched on this drastic change.

         Was it when she took a bite or when she picked it up?

         “What is it that all of us ever want?” She audibly asks as she leans the back of her head on the sturdy trunk of the tree.

         To feel good, to have a sense of purpose, to live.

         “Are you the same as all of us too? Do you thrive in sweet words? ” She brings the apple close to her face again. At this time, most of the red skin has returned to cover its flesh already, as if it was never touched in the first place. “When I say you are mine, does it make you happy? When I eat you, do you find purpose?”

         Another crunch can be heard as she takes a huge bite that almost tore a fifth of the apple. The sweetness is addictive, and she could not help but take a few more bites until she has eaten almost half of the fruit in the end. Juices dribbled from her chin, smearing her dress as well.

         Instantly, from where the marks of her teeth are, white juicy, and crunchy flesh grows from it again.

         “How very peculiar indeed.” She whispers. “Come to think of it, I can survive with just this apple alone. I will never starve, and I will never have to work to keep myself nourished. I can stay here in the woods for good, or even farther away from people. I can travel and be free.”

         That much thought was an ambitious stretch, making her chuckle at her silliness. But it seems like the apple enjoyed the thought as she swears she feels it grow heavier on her palm.

         Her musings continued in mumbling until her eyes turned heavy. She soon realizes that most of her energy has already depleted for the day when she did not even do anything grand yet.

         The tiredness got to her, and the maiden dozes off under that huge tree.

         When she awoke, the sky had already turned golden, and the wind had grown colder. She was about to accompany her yawn with a big stretch of her arms when she realized — she just could not do so.

         She could not take her hands away from the apple that now is almost the same size and weight as a watermelon. Frowning in confusion, she tilts her open palms downwards, hoping the fruit would fall off of her, and instead, she feels a stinging pain all over her hands, as if several spots of her skin are being pinched and pulled. The maiden hisses and bit her lower lip hard to ease herself from crying out.

          She squints at the apple again and for the first time, focused on the bottom part where her skin connects to it.

         Then she sees it — the thin hair-like and thorny roots that sprout from the apple’s skin have latched and pierced her palm. A bad feeling settles down her gut as she now stares around her wrists where several thin veins have protruded on her skin.

         It was then that she realized that perhaps the fruit has managed to nourish itself and regenerate over and over because it was taking from her vitalness.

         While she ate, she was being eaten too.

         She shakes her arms and attempts to drop the fruit, but it latches on. The more she tries to reject it, the more roots dug into her skin.

         Then there was pain. Oh, the pain that makes her flinch and give up after one feeble attempt and another.

         A feeling of heavy dread engulfs her; she could not move, and she could barely breathe.

         For the first time in a long while, fear has taken a strong grip on her heart.

         When did it all go wrong?

         When did it all go wrong, indeed?

         She would wonder at times as she basks in silence. This home, the one she tends all day, held all the promises his husband and her shared. Every nook and cranny was a witness to the future they were once so excited to build. Together.

         The first time they opened the main door together as a newly wedded couple, Seulgi tackled Jaehyun to a hug and peppered his lips with kisses, telling him how much she loved the place and the home that they were about to make in it. Jaehyun promised to provide for them, and she evidently was convinced to quit her job to be his full-time housewife.

         On weekends, they can be found lounging in the living room with a bowl of popcorn to eat every movie night, a light tradition in honor of how they first met in the cinemas.

         The kitchen bore witness to how they supported each other. Every morning, they made their breakfast together with barely opened eyes and messy hair. In the evening, it was where Jaehyun immediately heads off to after arriving from work, his arms already wrapped languidly to her waist, while she prepped their dinner with extra thought for her tired husband.

         The dining area was where Seulgi first saw Jaehyun the happiest. They were having dinner on a winter night, and she excitedly showed him the pregnancy test kit that drew two red lines, confirming they were expecting. It felt like a new