TWO
Number Four (Contest Fic_2nd Place)Kim Dasom had never known love. She was abandoned near the orphanage when she was just two days old. At first, she never cared. She thought it was just normal, since everyone at the orphanage had more or less the same fate as her; parentless, alone and lonely in the world.
Until she met Lee Eunjoo, the girl who had the brightest smile she had ever seen. So bright, it was blinding.
She liked her. Eunjoo made her feel happy and content, made her forget all the world problems, and it felt good to forget. Eunjoo made her feel loved, and wanted. She never left her alone and always took her feelings into consideration. And it made Dasom loves her even more.
But when she first realized how Myungsoo and Eunjoo really looked at each other, she felt a gush of cold wind; as if signaling her that she’ll once again be alone.
But she ignored the darkness that started to spread again from the corner of her heart. Because, she knew that she should be excited that two of the most important person in her life had fallen in love with each other. That should meant that the two of them will be happy— and shouldn’t her feel happy for them too?
The days went by and both Myungsoo and Eunjoo grew even closer. Dasom had never seen Myungsoo laugh as bright as he did around Eunjoo, and Eunjoo never looked that happy around her.
Does that mean she will never be needed again?
Will she be left alone once again?
And that caused Dasom to make a very huge mistake. A mistake so big that would change their entire life.
* * * * * * *
“What would you give in exchange of owning four lives?”
The old shaman took Dasom’s hand and slit her palm with a small blade and Dasom bit her lips in response to the sharp pain.
Deep red blood dripped down her translucent skin down into the bowl in front of them as the old shaman started to chant a dark old mantra.
“What would you give in exchange of owning four lives?”
She asked again.
“I — I’ll give you my own soul,” Dasom said, her eyes filled with a void darkness.
“How old are you? And how old is the girl?” the shaman continued asking.
“Si— sixteen,” Dasom stuttered a little as she saw a glint of red in the shaman’s eyes. She felt her body shivering from it but being determined with her plan, she braced herself.
“And when is the day this girl was brought to live? As it would be the day she’s going to greet death.”
Dasom stopped breathing for a moment, she faltered a little; shaken by the word death.
“April; its 4th April 1994,” she finally answered.
The shaman nodded then suddenly she smiled.
“Ah, that is even better! What a perfect day to curse. You have a good eye child,” the shaman said, and laughed creepily.
“Are sure about this child? Because this is a dark and forbidden curse, there will be no turning back.”
And Dasom nodded.
She continued her enchantment, this time in a language Dasom could understand.
“Take this blood as form of oath,
Oh deaths please come so grief will stay,
Four times just strikes and take away,
With this girl’s soul we vow to pay.”
The 16th cycle shall it be,
For vow and oath is set to be,
Four lives taken then you’ll be free,
And all will change your destiny.”
A very dark smile crept up on Dasom's lips. Soon, she will finally be content again.
* * * * * * *
When Dasom heard the news of Eunjoo's accident, she thought everything was done. But what she saw as she entered the mourning room was beyond her imagination and it made Dasom froze.
She saw Myungsoo hugging the lifeless Eunjoo. The girl was pale, and still had the stiches from the accident on her forehead.
What went wrong? She’s supposed to be dead too!
Dasom’s palms were sweating and she started to breathe heavily, her knees kept trembling so hard that she had to lean on the wall. Her eyes were still glued on the scene she just witnessed. Tears of hatred started to form in her eyes.
It’s impossible, I even offered my soul. She shouldn’t be here! There got to be some mistakes! That damn old hag was so confident when I met her that night.
“Dasom ah, you’re here?” Myungsoo’s voice distracted Dasom from her thoughts.
“Oh, Myungsoo ah; I just arrived,” Dasom said as she walked towards the two of them, pretending to look sad and sympathizing.
Eunjoo who finally saw her best friend tore her body away from Myungsoo’s embrace and went to hug her Dasom instead. She who hadn’t been eating, sleeping nor talking from the first day of funeral finally started to sobs on Dasom shoulder.
Eunjoo realized that she had no one to confide in except for these two people now.
She couldn’t think of anything anymore. She only saw her two bestfriend by her side. They were her only way to escape from the consuming darkness that started to spread inside her heart— her heart and body which had been like a walking corpse, finally felt a little alive. Hurt and pained; but alive.
* * * * * * *
“You’re here again,” the old shaman greeted the furious Dasom with a low voice.
“What happened? The outcomes are not same like our agreement! You said four life will be taken, but how come that girl is still alive?!” yell Dasom hysterically.
“There was one white cloud that was covering the dark clouds that day. Don’t worry child, Death would take away what it had promised to take. One life is still overdue, but unfortunately you have to wait the next cycle for the curse to restart, which is four years from now,” the shaman explained.
Dasom eyes widen at the shaman explanation. She needed to wait for years before she could get rid of that girl? It was hard enough to see her crying like she was the saddest person on earth during the funeral ceremony. Now she had to bear another four years?
“Fret not child. The girl’s life won’t be the same as before. This time, to make sure that the curse will work perfectly; you have a bigger task ahead,” the shaman continued as if she was able to read Dasom’s mind.
“The more miserable the object of the curse, the stronger the curse will be. Until the day when the 20thcycle of the girl’s life arrives, separate her from people. Make her feel alone, and hopeless. Make her feel that there is nothing that would be able to save her from her misery.”
And with that, a smile crept from the corner of Dasom’s mouth.
It’s time to play pretend. The days of revenge had finally arrived.
* * * * * * *
“No, don’t leave! What do you mean by it?!”
Eunjoo opened her eyes and see only darkness around her. Reaching for the table lamp next to her bed, she switched it on.
It was the same dream all over again. Each time it happened, it was on the night of every supposed ‘cursed date’. The dream always felt real, like she had experienced it before but she can’t figure it out no matter how many times she thought about it.
These dreams only started after the accident.
Eunjoo threw a quick glance on her study table. The picture of her mother, father and baby sister was neatly placed on one corner of it.
Since they died, she had been living in her home with her paternal grandmother who acted as her guardian. She doesn’t have had any financial problem to support herself and her grandmother since the insurance money for the lost of three of her family members was enough to cover her expenses until she finishes university; probably even longer if she spend it wisely.
The house was initially her late grandparent’s wedding present for her mother, so there was no issue on mortgage. The house grant and other related documents are safely tucked inside her study drawer. And her father somehow already completed his will for her a few months before he passed away—as if he knew that he would be leaving.
The word 'drawer' somehow made something clicked in Eunjoo's head.
Of course, the drawer; I think I remember now!
Once again the memories of her encounter with the old lady a few months before the accident started to flood her mind.
“Four is death and four is darkness.
Four takes away and four get taken.
But four shall stop as four completes.
Fight the four, and light will be lit.”
Eunjoo took out the crumpled paper which was thankfully, was still safely stored in the drawer; right where she threw it into, a few years ago.
‘The door of fate will open when the 16th circle completes’
Eunjoo started pondering over the content of the crumpling paper.
The biggest mystery now is why the old lady gave me this. And what she meant by that weird chanting?
Eunjoo spent the rest of the night trying to find the answer. But it ended up with nothing but dead end. And when the next day came, the whole school was shocked by another disappearance case.
The disappearance of a nineteen years old girl
—Kim Dasom
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