“It still looks the same.” I mumbled to myself. I looked around, scanning the place with my eyes. Strangely, there was no one around, the place was too quiet.

I still have some vague memories in my head of this place. Back then, it used to be so lively around here, so noisy, I wonder what had changed.

It’s not like I didn’t mind that it was quiet, 8 years ago I would have loved it more actually. Because well, being an orphan, I used to get bullied a lot around here. So, I enjoyed every moment of peace that I could get before the annoying kids of this town came to annoy me and my little sister.

But now, somehow, I kind of miss that annoying noisy place. To be honest, this quietness creep me out.

I reached my uncle’s house, the house that my little sister and I used to live in.

I closed my eyes trying to picture her face, the face that I had grown to forget this past 8 year, the face of my younger sister, Jieun.

Jieun was my younger sister, but from a different father. My father died when I was little and my mother had to get married so she can support us.

Although we had a huge we were closer than any other siblings out there. I always felt the need to protect her from everything and everyone. And even though she had the most innocent eyes anyone could ever have, she still was bullied.

Hearing a rustle close to me, my eyes snapped open to search for the source of that sudden noise. I looked left and right, but I found nothing. Maybe it was my imagination? I shrugged it off as that and went inside the house.

I reached the room that we both shared, and opened the door with a loud creaking noise, I closed one eye wincing at the annoying noise. I scanned the room and my eyes widened when I saw that there was a lump under the blankets of my bed. Someone was there.

I tiptoed my way towards the bed, trying to peek at the face of the one under the covers, but it was covered pretty well and I had no choice but to pull the covers off that person. And that’s what I did.

I stared at the figure that was hiding under the cover, it was a girl, and she was wearing a red hood. I could only see her long black hair that was covering most of her face, and a little bit of her cheeks, but that’s all that it took me to instantly realize who this shivering girl in front of me was.

Jieun, my little sister.

Her eyes opened slowly and traveled around the room, until she stopped at my eyes. She still had that same innocent look in her eyes, that look that made me want to protect her. Yet, there was something off, there was something not right, but I couldn’t think straightly. Right now, my one and only sister, the one who I treasure the most, is right in front of me, and I missed her so much.

“Jieun…” I called out to her, my voice came out stuttering. “I missed you.” I merely whispered the last part as small tears began to cover my eyes, blurring my view.

She tilted her head slightly, and blinked at me, not saying any words.

Huh? Did she forget me?

“J-Jieun,” I started again. “I’m your brother, Wooyoung.” my voice shaking.

She continued to stare at me blankly, like am some sort of alien.

What is wrong with my sister? What happened to her while I wasn’t here? How could I even leave her here alone?

I struggled trying to squeeze my brain, trying to remember the parts that I had forgotten. The reason why I left, only a small flashback came to me, a flashback of seeing my little sister looking at something and laughing.

But then before my flashback could even continue, a loud ‘Bang’ was heard. I turned to the door and found my cousin, Yoseob.

Yoseob is the son of our uncle who let us stayed at his house, he used to like my little sister a lot. He often followed us around, and played with us. He even protects us from bullies sometimes, but then, 9 years ago, just a year before I left, his parents sent him off to Seoul to study.

I missed him as well, if I had someone in this town to call a friend, it would definitely be him. I wanted to run to him and hug him, to ask him what was wrong with this town. What had happened to Jieun? Maybe he knew.

I walked up to him, but stopped. With my sudden happiness of seeing him after 9 years, I failed to notice some things. Like how he was wearing almost ripped off cloths, and how he had scars in his face, and also how he was holding a bat in a defensive mode, ready to attack any second. He was panting, looking at me- no more like glaring at me with somewhat mixed expressions; he looked angry, scared, and a little bit relieved? I think.

First it was Jieun, now it’s him. There was something wrong with them both, and I had to know what it is.

He sighed, “Ah, Hyung. It’s only you.” Letting his bat down, “I thought –” but he stopped talking suddenly and glared at what was behind me, getting back to his defensive stance.

Huh? I turned defensive as well and turned around to look at what made him be like that, but there was nothing behind me but Jieun.

I titled my head and looked back at him. “Is there anything wrong, Yoseob?”

But he didn’t reply me and kept on glaring.

That is when I realized that he was actually glaring at no other than Jieun. I didn’t understand why though, he really liked her back then.

“Guys, did you get –”

“Leave this place, Hyung.” Yoseob cut me off, though not making eye contact with me.

“Bu-” This time I was cut off with a loud sound of glass breaking behind me. My mind went blank.

Jieun has jumped out of the window.

I went to the window, not caring for the breaking glass scattered around. Holding the window frame, I searched the yard for any signs of Jieun. But, nothing. I couldn’t see her.

I felt someone getting near me, it was probably Yoseob. He wanted to talk but I grabbed him from his ripped off collar and glared at him before he could utter a word.

“You scared her.” I spoke with gritted teeth “You made her run away,” I took another breath, “What were you even thinking off? Holding a bat in front of my little sister? Huh?”

I didn’t even leave him a chance to answer me as I punched his face and ran out of them room, ignoring his calls to stop me.

Really, what was he thinking? I thought I could trust him, but maybe he was a bully too. Maybe he gave her a shock that made her forget me?

I searched for Jieun around the house, but couldn’t find her. My eyes then landed in the storage house. It was locked but I remembered that we always hid inside it when were little, maybe she is in there now?

I knocked the door out, and a strange smell came out, it was disgusting. There were bugs everywhere, and the place looked too dusty. I walked in a bit more but gave up cause the smell was just too much for me to handle, Maybe she isn’t here anyway. I don’t think she would be able to handle this smell, right?

I made my way towards the door, but I almost tripped on something. I sighed in relief that I didn’t trip and glared at the object underneath me. Suddenly I froze, my eyes widening.

It was a dead body.

My uncle’s dead body.

I let out a scream, and then covered my mouth. What is this? Why is my uncle dead body here? Why is my uncle even dead in the first place?

And at that, realization hit me.

I ran out of the storage room, and into the closest house in the area. I tried to open the door but it was locked, so I knocked it over.

And that smell hit me, again.

Tears of fear dropped from my eyes. I wanted to think that my analogy was wrong, but, the bugs, the smell, and the dead body of our neighbors weren’t helping me to stay in my denial state.

I heard a loud scream coming from the forest next to our houses.

Jieun.

My eyes widened. It is Yoseob, it must be him. I have to protect Jieun.

I ran full speed to where the scream came from. I stopped when I saw that it was a dead end, it was a cliff.

Somehow this cliff seemed familiar? Like I have been here before, I don’t even know why it is bugging me while I was supposed to look for Jieun.

I looked under the cliff and saw Jieun sitting down. I felt relieved and happy, Yoseob didn’t get to her. Maybe she just fell? Oh if she fell I have to help her.

So I climbed my way down. Because running around it would probably take me forever.

When I reached, I found Jieun, her back facing me. She wasn’t wearing her hood; instead it was on the ground in front of her.

“Jieun!” I called out. She turned to me with her innocent eyes. I stopped when I reached her. Looking at what was in front of her, I gasped.

Yoseob was laying flat on his stomach, his blood was spread everywhere.

“W-What happened to him?” I looked at Jieun for any kind of answer, but she just kept quiet, looking at me.

“Did he fall?” still, there was no answer.

She then looked back at him, and then at her hood, lifting it up and wearing it.

She smiled softly and looked at me. To anyone, it would look like a cute innocent smile. But to me, I noticed something was wrong, it wasn’t how she always smiled. It was a creepy smile that gave me goose bombs.

At that, I remembered another flash back. This time, we were both under the cliff.

I was scared, but I tried to act that I wasn’t, I wanted to protect her from something, but then, the look in her eyes was terrifying. The same as the one she was having now. Innocent yet, scary.

Then she spoke her first words to me that day. “I like red.”

Her eyes glinting, “My hood’s color is fading away, so I thought it needs coloring.” Still with her smile, she looked at Yoseob’s figure laying on the ground, “His red wasn’t enough, so, Oppa.” Tilting her head, and looking back at my eyes, “Can you give me your red as well?”

And that was also, the last words I heard from her.

Author's Note;

Hi everyone,

So, this is my atempt at a mystry fic.. is it good? XD hehe, I was squeezing my head for it to finsh, I hope that it turned out well. ^^ please leave me your feedback, and dont be afraid to comment, I dont bite. I think.

actually, I'm also writing another chapter, about how this all happend. I dont know when I will post it though, I'm kinda stuck in it and lazy to think.... yeah... I'm sorry I'm just to lazy T.T

/runs away/

EDIT;

I deleted the second chapter. I think I will rewrite the second chapter or I will leave it like this... which is better? I don't know... I hope someone replys me.

-Mahwiii