Imprisonment. That is all I have known my entire life. It has come in many different forms, but it is imprisonment all the same. Now that I reflect on what has led to my current state of imprisonment, it was all because of grief, gullibility, and an oath. Not just any oath either.

Let us start from the beginning.

--

My first memory is of blood. My father was drenched in sticky, red blood. My hands were covered with the liquid as I shook him, trying to wake him up. Tears mixed with blood as I wiped away the salty drops from my face with stained fingers. Adults tried pulling me away, but I desperately clutched his blood-streaked, dark blue T-shirt. I wouldn’t let myself be pried away.

But eventually, we separated. His body lay crumpled on the street and soon, people dressed in white flocked to him. There were so many of them that soon, I lost sight of him. The last I saw of my father was of his sightless eyes surrounded by blood. Even now, that image of him still resonates throughout my mind. The blood flowing everywhere. The dull brown eyes that would never see the light of day again. The slight angle at which his mouth hung open.

I was only five years old when it happened.

Soon after my father’s death, my mother became ill with an unknown disease. From then on, she lay in her bed, pale and listless. Her skin became translucent and hugged every bone in her body. Her appetite diminished and with it, her will to live. At least I think it did. We didn’t talk much after his death. As a young child, I used to believe that he would someday come home, clean and mended.

But fate is cruel.

I learned to live with my half-dead mother. My greatest gift was my older brother. Although he was only one year older than me, he became my surrogate parent. Soon, I forgot to feel grieved about my father and I went on with my life. What else could I do?

--

The years went by as a blur. I can only pick out faces and little bits of past events. The faces that resonate in my mind the most are those of my brother, my best friend, and my brother’s best friend. From what I can remember, we did everything together. That is, until my sixteenth year. Let us explore my second clearest memory: the death of my brother’s best friend and the love of my life, Yoon Doo Joon.

--

Sirens blared. People clumped together in a ring. A large pine tree lay on the sidewalk, its trunk severed in half. Mud and blood mixed as the thick, soupy liquid flowed into the damp ground. In the center of all of the chaos were two figures.

She gripped his hands, ignoring the pool of blood that seeped towards her from his broken body. His limbs stuck out in different angles. Every bone in his body was cracked. Splintered. Crushed.

The paramedics forced their way through the crowd that gathered around the dead boy. They gently removed the girl from the body. A small cry escaped her lips. Suddenly, memories of her father came rushing back. Fresh tears rolled down her face. The pain pierced her heart. With every breath she took, she could feel it clawing at her insides.

“Doo Joon…”

But it was too late. His body was on the stretcher which was being loaded onto the ambulance.

“Doo Joon…”

The crowd began to disperse, one by one.

“Doo Joon…”

Her hands were covered in blood and grit. Her shoulders shook as she kneeled on the ground, calling for him over and over again.

“Kyung Mi.”

When she heard her name, she looked up into the eyes of her best friend. He extended a hand to her and she grabbed it.

“Kyung Mi.”

Another hand was offered. This time, it was her brother’s. She clutched it and the two boys lifted her up.

Her arms were covered with scratches from the pine tree’s needles. Her face was contorted with grief from losing him. Her mind was in a muddle from the entire ordeal. What would she do without him?

--

Light filtered in from the cracks of the closed window shades. She slowly opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was the anxious expression on Ki Kwang’s face. She blinked and the whole room came into focus. Her door creaked open and Dong Woon slipped inside.

“You’re awake.” Ki Kwang laid a cool hand on her warm cheek and smiled.

“Doo Joon…”

Ki Kwang held a finger up to his lips and murmured, “There's no need to talk right now.” He angled himself so he could prop her against his body, encircled her with his arms, and rocked her slowly.

“Are you feeling better?” Dong Woon’s eyes were filled with concern and sadness.

She shook her head. No. She wasn’t feeling better. Doo Joon was gone. It was like her father’s death all over again. She could still see Doo Joon’s body on the floor, twisted and mangled like a broken doll’s. She could still feel his pulse dying under her fingertips when she finally managed to free him from under the pine tree. She could still remember the last words he said to her before he died.

And the blood. It was everywhere. She couldn’t get rid of the visions of his blood spilling out of him like a river.

She could feel her energy being drained, so she placed a hand on Ki Kwang’s arm. He stopped rocking her and she said quietly, “I’m going to sleep some more. I’ll go down to the living room when I wake up.”

“Do you want us to stay with you?” Dong Woon asked, clearly worried about her condition.

She shook her head again and replied, “I’ll be fine.”

The two boys stood up and walked out of the room. A moment later, Ki Kwang poked his head back inside and said, “Feel better. Remember, we’re always here for you.” He closed the door softly and she could hear their footsteps fading away. She pulled up her blankets and closed her eyes. Soon after, sleep took over.

That’s when the dreams began.

--

“We have what you desire. Come to us. We have what you desire. Find us.”

This phrase repeated over and over again. Sometimes, little balls of light would appear. Red. Yellow. Green. Blue. Purple. White. They circled around, moving faster and faster until they merged into a giant ring of rainbow light. The voices chanted louder and louder, soon deafening her ears.

“WE HAVE WHAT YOU DESIRE. COME TO US. WE HAVE WHAT YOU DESIRE. FIND US.”

She screamed and woke up, drenched in cold sweat.

“Kyung Mi, what’s wrong?!” Dong Woon slammed open the door and knelt down next to his little sister’s bed. She gasped for breath, trying to shake off the feeling of being trapped by the voices and colors. She clutched his hands, trying to reassure herself that she was in the world of the real and tangible. Dong Woon murmured soothing words, trying to calm her down.

He held her until her breathing slowed to a steady rhythm. It pained him to witness his little sister undergoing so much pain. He knew she blamed herself for both deaths. It had been easier for him to cope with the pain. There were too many other things to occupy his mind. There were medical bills to pay for their mother, groceries to buy each week so they wouldn’t starve, and the usual stress of being a student. Doo Joon had helped him with all of this in the past and Dong Woon felt so hollow, knowing that his best friend of ten years had disappeared in a moment.

He leaned closer when he heard her whimpering. “Do you want me to call Ki Kwang over?” He knew Ki Kwang was a natural at comforting his sister. Although he was her brother, Dong Woon had never been able to connect with Kyung Mi on the same level that Ki Kwang was able to. He had always imagined that the two best friends would become more someday, so when Kyung Mi admitted to having feelings for his best friend, Dong Woon had been surprised.

She murmured, “I don’t want to trouble him. Besides, his parents won’t let him out right now. It’s past his curfew.” Her eyes flicked to the digital clock that stood on her bureau. It read 10:42 PM in neon green light.

Dong Woon nodded and laid her back down. He tucked the blankets snugly around her and wiped the perspiration from her forehead with a tissue from the tissue box that was also placed on her bureau. “If you need anything, call for me. I’ll be in my room.” Kyung Mi smiled weakly in response. He stood up and left her room, closing the door quietly after him.

She heard him close the door to the room next to hers, which was his bedroom. Now that she was alone and awake, Kyung Mi took a few moments to clear her mind of the nightmare. Of course, if she drifted off to sleep again, there was the very likely possibility of the nightmare returning. So instead, she tried to mentally plan out her schedule for tomorrow.

Wake up. Change into school clothes. Brush teeth. Wash face. Check on Mother. Eat breakfast. Ride to school with Dong Woon. Go to class with Ki Kwang. Pay attention to lectures. Take notes. Repeat until lunch. Meet Doo Joon—

Before she could finish her thoughts, tears were leaking out of her eyes. Her fists were balled up as they clutched the blankets. A silent scream escaped from her parted lips.

Then the images appeared. First of her father. Then of Doo Joon. They melted into each other. The sickening sight of blood oozing from their dilapidated bodies. The black specks of asphalt from the street sticking into her hands when she crouched by her father. The sharp pine needles piercing her arms as she held onto Doo Joon.

The memories flashed in front of her eyes, merging until the ring of rainbow-colored light returned. “No, don’t take me,” she gasped, trying to fight off the living nightmare. “Please, don’t take me. Doo Joon, save me. Don’t let it hurt me. Doo Joon, come back. Help me, please. Someone. Anyone.” She was starting to suffocate with fear. The light grew brighter and brighter until it suddenly vanished.

A sheet of white parchment fell onto Kyung Mi’s pillow. Before she could grab it, an all too familiar smell collided with her nose. With the stench came a fresh wave of memories. She recoiled away from the parchment, which stank of blood. After another brief battle with her mind, Kyung Mi extended a hand towards the parchment.

The moment she grabbed it, a sharp prick forced her to drop the paper. It fluttered to the floor and a dark red color seeped through it. She stared in disbelief at the dollop of blood that formed on her palm, but her shock increased when her attention shifted to the parchment bursting into flames.

“Son Kyung Mi, you will be visited for the next seven nights.” It took the bewildered girl a moment to register the unknown voice coming from the fire. “With your blood as proof, you have accepted our offer. By next week, you will have what you desire.” The moment the voice stopped speaking, the fire extinguished itself.

She gaped at the spot where the fire had burned. A multitude of questions ran through her mind. Was it magic? Who was visiting her? What offer had she accepted? What was it that she desired? What was going on?

By now, Kyung Mi was sure she was going insane. Perhaps these were all hallucinations brought on by the grief of losing Doo Joon. Yes, that must be it. Yet her hand still throbbed from the prick and blood was still trickling down her palm.

She wanted to scream for Ki Kwang or Dong Woon so badly. But she had already troubled Dong Woon tonight and Ki Kwang was stuck in his house across the street. There wasn’t even Doo Joon to help her. Heck, he would never comfort her ever again…

Suddenly, another burst of light temporarily blinded her and when the light faded, she found a small block of wood with a flame imprinted on it. Kyung Mi looked at it warily, unsure if she should pick it up and risk getting punctured again. Slipping out of her bed, she walked across the room to her desk and rummaged through the drawers. She found the old baseball mitt that she bought in fifth grade and slipped it on as she walked back.

The block was emanating a soft red glow. She gingerly picked it up, wondering what would happen next. When nothing happened after a few minutes, Kyung Mi decided to touch it with her bare flesh. Using her injured hand, she gave it a little tap and jumped when a searing pain overcame her hand. She blinked and instantly, her entire hand was covered in fire. constricted in fear, but after the initial shock wore off, she realized that her hand wasn’t actually burning. The block, which was in her gloved hand, began to shake. Soon, a word, ignis, appeared on the block under the flame icon in bright red cursive. A moment later, another set of letter which spelled, Sooyoung, appeared underneath ignis in the same color and font.

“I’m going insane. I’m hallucinating. I’m becoming mentally unstable.” She repeated these words over and over again as she got into bed, wrapped her blankets around her, and tried to forget seeing Doo Joon’s broken body on the sidewalk.

--

As she stared at her mother, Kyung Mi wondered whether she would end up like this helpless being. Driven to an incurable illness because of grief. Becoming a burden to others. Living, yet dead. The more she stared at her mother, the more Kyung Mi could imagine herself in that same position.

“Kyung Mi, it’s time to go.” Dong Woon’s voice floated up the stairs and into their mother’s bedroom.

Yes, it was time to go. If she stared at this miserable creature any longer, Kyung Mi didn’t think she would be able to concentrate on anything else for the rest of the day.

Dong Woon’s eyes scanned his little sister as she clumped down the stairs. He didn’t know how to abate her grief this time. It had been hard enough when their father died all those years ago. Kyung Mi didn’t speak for half a year and would’ve had to repeat kindergarten if she hadn’t read a second grade level chapter book out loud to the entire class on the last day of school. That day was the turning point. She became best friends with Ki Kwang, who had been very impressed by her skills, and life seemed to be heading in the right direction again.

Until now.

“Let’s go.” Kyung Mi hoisted her backpack onto her shoulders and lifelessly followed Dong Woon to his car. As she strapped on her seatbelt, her eyes flickered in the direction of the park, the place where she and Doo Joon had spent their last moments together. She could feel the tears welling up and bit her lower lip while she tried to blink them away. “Dong Woon, I think I’m going crazy,” she whispered in a barely audible voice.

He sharply switched lanes until the car was hugging the curb and hit the brakes. Undoing his seatbelt, Dong Woon reached over to give his sister another hug. “You’re going to be all right,” he murmured as she buried her head against his chest and let the tears spill from her eyes. “Ki Kwang and I are always here for you. Don’t ever forget that.”

She didn’t know how Dong Woon could cope with the deaths. Everything seemed to remind her of the deceased. Then again, he didn’t witness their deaths. He didn’t see their father get crushed like a leaf under the massive wheels of a truck. He didn’t see his best friend get squashed like a pancake under a tree.

No, she needed to stop with these thoughts. Kyung Mi lifted her head up and wiped away the tears off of her face. “Thanks, Dong Woon,” she croaked while maintaining a watery smile.

“Just pay attention to your teachers during class, all right?” Dong Woon advised as he strapped his seatbelt back on. “Try not to get distracted and just focus. If you need someone to talk to, Ki Kwang’s there with you.” She nodded and he revved up the engine before pulling back onto the road.

They arrived at school a few minutes later and Ki Kwang was waiting at his usual spot on the staircase leading up to the school’s main building. When he saw Dong Woon's car pull up, Ki Kwang ran to meet them in the parking lot. The first things he noticed were Kyung Mi’s puffy eyes and tear-stained face. “You feeling better?” he asked gently as she stepped out of the car.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” Kyung Mi flashed him a smile as they waited for Dong Woon. Ki Kwang decided against pressing for more details, knowing that doing so would reopen fresh wounds.

Dong Woon joined them after locking his car and said cheerfully, “Let’s go, you two! We need something to distract us and school is the perfect place for distractions.” He ushered them towards the mass of tall, red-bricked buildings as the school bell rang.

Ki Kwang put his hand on Kyung Mi’s shoulder and steered her toward their first period class. Sympathetic glances from the few classmates who had heard about Doo Joon’s death followed the depressed girl as she walked to her seat. The moment the teacher began the lecture for that day, Kyung Mi followed her brother’s advice and kept her mind occupied by devoting her full, undivided attention to the lesson.

She used this method up until her fourth period class, which was PE. The class was divided into two teams and they commenced playing volleyball. All was well, until Kyung Mi hit the ball over the net.

Suddenly, the ball erupted into flames and hit the floor. In a matter of moments, fire consumed the entire room. Thick, dark smoke swirled around the room and she could feel constricting with fear. Her eyes stung from the smoke and her skin was beginning to blister from the heat. Tongues of fire wrapped around her classmates and she watched, speechless and frozen in place. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ki Kwang burst into flames and that was it.

Her mind snapped.

Kyung Mi crouched on the floor with her eyes closed and her hands bunched up against her ears. She began babbling nonsensically, trying to ignore her flaming surroundings. But soon, the fire inched its way up to her and slowly began to wrap around her. She started screaming as she tried batting away the flames. She was so lost in the fire and the screams that she didn’t notice someone shaking her.

“Kyung Mi! Stop! Pull yourself together! Nothing’s happening!” Ki Kwang’s hands were on her shoulders and he vigorously shook her, trying to wake her up from the nightmare. He gritted his teeth as her screams reached an ear-splitting decibel level. “Coach, you’ve got to let me take her to the nurse!”

“Mr. Yang, help Mr. Lee Ms. Son to the nurse."

A short boy with fluffy blonde hair, who had been staring at the shrieking girl along with the rest of the class, hesitantly stood up. “W-what do I do?”

“Cover me,” Ki Kwang ordered as he scooped up Kyung Mi into his arms and dashed out of the gym.

“Huh? W-wait!” The fluffy-haired boy raced after his classmate, unsure of what he meant.

Students and teachers peeked out of their classrooms, trying to see what was causing all of the screaming. Ki Kwang’s eyes narrowed angrily when some students pointed at Kyung Mi and whispered to each other. He cursed inwardly at the blonde bo for not helping him with this mess. “Yo Seob, cover me!” he hissed to his classmate.

“Huh? How?” Yo Seob swiveled his head from side to side and glanced at the many eyes staring at the trio. Realiza