The sound of night rain and the smell of the damp earth were eventful.

Yet the young one was deeply afraid alone in her room.

She crouched in the corner of her bed with a blanket on her and shook both in cold and fear.

What was she afraid of?

The thunder? No.

The loneliness? No.

The dark sky outside? No.

What are you afraid of?

She shook up and looked around hoping that the boogeyman will not appear.

However he saw all.

Her fear;

Her loneliness and…

Her…

How did he see her?

How could he see her without being in the room?

That was it.

He was in the room.

She didn’t know.

She couldn’t sense it.

But she could sense that the boogeyman might attack her any moment now.

Boogeyman can see you…

“Shut up. Shut up.”

She held her ears tight and chanted to herself like usual.

He liked tormenting her.

Did he?

Of course you do my son.

You like it just like your father.

Why would you sympathize with a mortal?

Hearing the voice, the boogeyman left the girl alone…

For now.

He appeared in the dark corridor.

You were once a mortal…father.

I was never meant to be one.

That is why I am not where mortals are supposed to be after their lives are ended.

How long must I keep doing this?

As long as she gives away.

Why must I do this?

To carry on my legacy; our legacy.

We are meant to rule.

He couldn’t be so sure anymore.

Being the boogeyman he wasn’t so sure anymore.

He had been torturing her for a long time.

For the purposes of his father.

To carry on with their so called legacy.

He wanted to live.

Live like a normal being.

Like a mortal.

With a family.

With a complete family.

With his mother.

Who was his mother?

He always wanted to know.

His father would never tell him.

He would only be told to look for someone to pass their part of them.

So another could be born.

But why like this?

Why not just like someone and get to know her?

Then fall in love?

Why was his father so against it?

Why was he like this when his father was so different?

Sleep now my son.

You need your rest.

Not arguing more; he laid on his bed.

Sleep was the only thing that could take him out of this nightmare.

He wondered why he could sleep when his father did not.

However he didn’t care much on it and shut his eyes.

Sleep well my son.

My Jaejoong.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It all started when she recently passed her bar council exams and was celebrating with her single mother. They missed her father who had died many years ago due to cardiac .

They paid their respects to them and bid their friends and relatives home.

That was when her mother, Moon Chaewon, had asked her to spend the night with her.

She really looked up to her mother because firstly she raised her all by herself; secondly not once she looked at another man and thirdly it was because of her she was this independent.

Although like most daughters who follow their mother’s steps, she decided to become a lawyer and not a doctor however her mother was proud nevertheless.

“Mama?”      she lightly called out to her sleeping mother.

“Hmm…”    she was awake.

“What was your biggest achievement?”

“My biggest? I cant say much…”   she couldn’t remember any actually.

“Come on…there must be something you have done which was big. Maybe you saved someone special.”

Chaewon looked at her daughter’s glowing face. She tried recalling someone she saved…she had saved so many besides her father. Which one was her biggest achievement?

It should be the first person she saved.

Or first biggest surgery.

Or…being s midwife.

“I had…”    she mumbled.    “Attended to a pregnant woman alone in the hospital when I was only 23.”

“Really? Why were you alone?”    her daughter was surprised.

“The rest were locked in.”

“What do you mean?”

Chaewon suddenly remembered her patient. The girl who had given birth to a beautiful boy. The girl who was and had died giving birth. Whose family was killed by a being no one could imagine.

“You wouldn’t believe me…”

“Spill it mama. I wanna know.”

“You wanna know?”   she asked her daughter. Seeing her girl nodding Chaewon started her biggest achievement.

“This was the time when I recently passed my internship and I was assigned to look after my first patient. She was a victim and was non-korean. Her name was…Murdiyah.”

“How did it happen?”

“Her family was massacred on the night and she was . She was brought in and was treated successfully however the trauma remained.”

She looked and saw her daughter listening with interest.

“She would scream every night shouting that the would come for her. He still wasn’t done. She said that this was no man. He didn’t belong in this world.”

Her daughter noticed that her mother’s face was dazed.

“One day she found out that she was pregnant and there was nothing we could do for her. I suggested that the child would be put up for adoption and she agreed.”

She noticed her mother’s voice going low toned.

“In my office I prepared the papers for adoption when I noticed that the window was opened. Strange I thought. Because I had closed it just earlier. I went to the window and closed it when I felt the coldness in my office. I looked at the glasses to see it getting blurred and noticed the mirror. That was when writings appeared. It said-Death.”

Her daughter seriously had no idea whether her mother was telling her a ghost story or her achievement story. She listened anyway.

“I heard her scream and went to her when I saw that her stomach had swollen. It was only her third day with pregnancy but it looked as if she had been 9 months and it was her time.”

“She screamed all night and I called out but no one came. I was alone with her and the baby came out. It was a boy…just like she said it would.”

That was when her daughter noticed that her mother was crying.

“But god was too unfair and took her away before she could name him. The next day, after her funeral, the child disappeared and we still don’t know of his existence.”

The girl remained quiet.

She had no clue why her mother would tell her such a story or how it was an achievement or how can she even believe about the ghostly writing on the mirror.

“Go to sleep. Rest well.”

“Good night mother.”   She closed her eyes and her mother turned off the lights.

“Goodnight Jiwon.”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She was scared to be alone even in her chamber. She couldn’t stay by herself even during daylight. She couldn’t go to the washrooms properly although she hadn’t encountered anything unusual in restrooms yet.

But she couldn’t just stay unguarded.

Whenever light disappeared she would hear him.

But she has never seen him.

What did he want with her?

The boogeyman.

No one knows of this; not even her mother although Jiwon could tell that her mother was somehow worried. But her mother wouldn’t believe it. Who would?

That she could hear voices.

He saw her through another’s eyes.

He saw how she was always on guard.

His presence would never let her be in peace.

He couldn’t smile seeing her restless self.

Look at her.

So scared.

So weak.

So…mortal.

Stop it! I cant take this anymore…

You will like it.

Once she is yours.

Why cant I just approach her normally?

Like a man?

Don’t tell me you are having feelings for her.

Just those of a human. There is nothing wrong with it.

I will not hear any of this.

You will keep distancing her from others.

And you will do it.

It was a command on his part and Jaejoong had had it.

Go…I need to do this alone.

Cant torment her with you doing the same to me.

He faded in his mind…for now. Jaejoong drifted off in his thoughts; wondering how he will actually get her away from the society.

Isolate her from others.

So he can have her completely.

However what will happen to her once he has completed his goal?

Will she die?

Or be forever alone?

He has never thought about it.

He saw that she was sipping on the black strong coffee like usual.

Trying to shake her fear.

As always she did.

Somehow during his torment he had come to know a lot about her.

Her hobbies, her understanding, her determination and that she never set her eyes on anyone.

She didn’t even have the time for guys even more after his presence in her life.

However he doesn’t know of her family much except that she had no father and had a mother whom he had never seen.

It was strange.

He had been in her room at night and watched her however he had never seen her mother or friends.

Perhaps because whenever people entered her room, he disappeared or he never waited long enough to ruin her sleep.

I cant tolerate this anymore…

Jiwon took a deep breath feeling the sudden relief.

She felt that she had nothing more to be scared of.

But she couldn’t keep her guard down.

How did it come to this?

When did this all happen?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After passing her bar she was offered a teaching position at an university and she had accepted it. She was needed for the first years and she couldn’t be happier. A job on the first try.

Her first few days were normal.

Students had warmed up to her and responded to her very efficiently however there was one boy who always seemed out of the class.

It was a non-korean boy.

He never spoke in class and no one seemed to talk to him. he would never respond to the roll calls either and after a week she decided to talk to him.

The class had emptied and the boy was still there, slowly packing his bag. She approached him and asked for his name.

“Name’s Mustafa miss.”

“How come your name in not in the roll calls?”

“I am new and they are delaying with it.”

“Are you getting whatever I teach?”

“Yes miss. Very clearly.”

“Where are you from?”

“Pakistan miss.”

She nodded smiling at him. he wasn’t an arrogant one like she thought him to be.

“Well I hope to get more responses from you.”

That was it for that day. From then on she would teach and to make the class more entertaining she would choose random to answer her questions and joke on them if they couldn’t answer.

Students would laugh but would be obliged to study diligently but Mustafa would only smile and despite quite some time, no student would still talk to him. She also never saw any students talking to him.

So make him more noticeable she decided to ask him one day.

“Mustafa tell me why the victim’s mental state is not mens rea.”

All the students look behind to find Mustafa but all they did was look at each other. Who was she asking?

“Madam Jiwon…who are you asking?”    one of the students asked.

“Mustafa on the back seat.”

They looked back again…none of the students in the back were Mustafa. They were all Korean.

“Miss…none of us are Mustafa…”

But Jiwon saw him.

Sitting there.

Smiling at her.

However his expression was sad as well.

Jiwon couldn’t understand.

She decided to pass this as a joke.

“I was just joking! You there! You answer me.”

The students laughed out however he was still there.

And the end of the class he was still there.

She didn’t know what to do.

She ran out of the empty class.

The next day she was expecting to see him but he wasn’t in the class anymore. After class she went to the dean and asked about the student named Mustafa however she was told that he would search it. After three days she heard the news she wasn’t expecting.

“Mustafa…he was hard to find not to mention he didn’t study for very long. He used to study here about 24 years ago but suddenly stopped coming. After few days we found out that he was killed along with his family. Poor kid…he was diligent too.”

“You were here 24 years ago?”

“No I wasn’t.”    he laughed.    “While searching for his name I dug more on him.”

“Where did they used to live?”

“Well you can look in his files. But I wonder why you are suddenly looking in this student who is dead for 2 decades.”

Taking the file she read it carefully.

There was no way she has seen him only a day. She saw him quite about a week before he completely vanished.

“For no reason…maybe to increase my skills.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chaewon was in her office looking at files. She would often be assigned with patients who would recover rapidly and she was proud of it.

However none of them matched up to the experience she had with Murdiyah.

Somehow she missed her as much as she missed her husband.

What did happen to her son?

She left her chair and walked to her window feeling trapped inside her. Also these days her daughter had been acting very guarded and she would notice the heavy bags under Jiwon’s eyes.

She asked plenty of times but Jiwon shoved it off.

She hoped it wasn’t serious.

She walked out of the room to get some coffee and noticed that someone was already in cue. It was a very young and beautiful man whom she had never seen before.

Perhaps he brought in a patient.

She walked to the machine and waited till he was done. He was done and mumbled an apology out of courtesy.

“That’s fine.”

They only glanced at each other but the man gaped at her much to her notice.

“Is there something wrong young man?”

“N-no.”    he stuttered.    “Nothing’s wrong…it’s just. I feel like I’ve seen you before.”

Chaewon almost felt flattered by the young man’s words but it was not to be taken as a joke. She smiled lightly at his innocence and asked.

“What’s your name?”

“Jaejoong…”

“I’m doctor Chaewon…”

As if a bell rang in his head, his face showed the surprise. It was as if he had heard this name…her face was too familiar.

As if she was the first person he had known and seen.

Chaewon noticed his look and just to make him feel at ease she bore her eyes in his and…everything became slow for her.

His eyes were…something she couldn’t explain.

As if she had seen him before.

His eyes had questions…many questions.

So did she.

“Who are you…here with?”    she asked wanting to know.

“No one…I’m here…”    he couldn’t say because he was here for himself much to his father’s dismay. He had a job and he had a house but he had pressures too so he would come here for occasional checkups however his results would always come out fine.

“Alone…”

“Where are your parents?”   she hoped it was him…that boy.

“I have none…they died.”

“When?”

He didn’t know what to say. How did he know her and why was she asking so much? Did she know something he didn’t?

It’s time you leave boy!

Quit wasting time!

He knew it was time to go…

“Uhm…I…”

“I’m sorry for asking so much. It’s just your eyes…they remind me of someone…”

“It’s fine. I must go…good to talk to you.”

“Me too…”

That was it…somehow his father didn’t sound to happy.

Did he know her?

Who was she? Do you know her?

Why would you ask?

Your tone…

A mere mortal like everyone. I despise it when you engage with them.

He let it go…for now.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jiwon had come home to find it locked. It was obvious that her mother was working late and as soon as she entered the house; she turned the answering machine on.

“Sorry Jiwon, I will be working late tonight. Food is in the fridge and lock all the doors. Goodnight.”

Jiwon went to the fridge to take food out when one of the lights turned off.

She shook up; feeling the jolts. It has started…

Why did it have to be her?

“What do you want with me?”

You…

“Please…no…”

Her voice quivered…each and every night she feared and she had no courage to share it with anyone. She left the foods and ran up to her room; locking it and hid under the blanket.

Silly girl…you think a blanket will save you?

“Go away…go away…”

You should be getting used to this…

“Please…”    she ended up weeping.    “Go away…”

But I like you so much…

He chuckled…his voice was soothing yet seductive but scary.

She didn’t like it.

“Who…are you?”

You know me.

You saw me…

And I know you…

The voice finally went away…

She couldn’t sleep…she couldn’t even eat.

She skipped her food for the night.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chaewon had left the message for working late and was reading files. It was quite often that she would come home very late and sometimes not come at all. Jiwon didn’t have complains though. Jiwon herself sometimes had to work late in her chamber.

A noise shook her as she turned and saw the window open.

“I locked it hours ago…”      she muttered and went to the window and locked it again.

She went to her desk when wind flew in and threw away the papers.

“What the?”

She saw the window opened again.

“What the hell is going on?”

As if it was déjà vu…

She walked to the window again and locked it but this time didn’t go back to her desk. This time she went to the mirror. The glasses were getting misted and the temperature dropped. Fog escaped her breath as she rubbed her shoulders.

And then…like that night…writings appeared.

Stay away!!

She staggered back and hit her desk causing her vase to fall. The breaking sound of the glass shook her up and brought her to senses. He was back…he still existed.

That boy was indeed the missing child.

She had to find him…

She took a run when her foot slipped and she fell on her face. That hurt her old and frail body; she tried to turn on her back when she saw sharp equipments levitating above her.

“Oh no!”

She quickly got up and ran as the equipments followed her. Chaewon had to save herself; she took her cell and ran in the elevator and it shut before those equipments could come through.

She pressed the button and quickly called Jiwon knowing she might not live for very long.

She wanted to say goodbye.

But she wasn’t picking up…

She didn’t pick up.

Giving up, she ran out once the elevator hit the floor.  Getting in the car; she started it and drove off. she wanted to see her girl one last time…but she cant also bring trouble for Jiwon.

-------------------------------------------------