“Wake up, Danbi.”

“Wake up, child.”

Who’s Danbi? A hand snakes down my back.

“Who dares touch me?” The invading yet warm hand shakes my shoulders. I don’t even remember my back and shoulders being clothed.

“Danbi, what has gotten into you?”

My eyes flew open, I do not wake up in such an unconventional manner. No one dares disturb my peaceful sleep.

“Who are you?” My ‘mother’ ,sits the cushion dipping in response. “Your mother, now go and get ready.” She drags me to my feet and taps my bottom.

“Do not do that!” I ordered the woman. “Danbi. Do not use that tone with me.”

I stood stiffly behind her, her back facing me. She was tidying up my sheets. I hesitated to ask but I just had to. “Who is Danbi?”

“Danbi.” She addresses me, of course that’s me, I remember now. The Queen has sent me here.

“I apologize for my rude actions, mother.” At my sudden realization, I bow lowly, the last word escaping my tongue like vomit. I haven’t addressed someone as such, except for the Queen mother. I just need to remember how I treated my real mother.

“Ok, my daughter you may bathe now.” She chuckles and turns back to her tidying.

“Why do you laugh mother?”

“Oh, nothing.” But she was still laughing. I figured, while bathing, she was using mockery against me.

The school ‘uniform’ exposed skin at the wrong places. The scratchy white fabric irritated my shoulders and back yet the skirt was too short. I started missing my silver dress that exposed the beautiful lines and curves of my back and hid my thighs. The cloth covering my lower half was too loose and it was too short.

My bag was like my bow, appearing like an accessory but I guess the bag was essential to learning. My feet were sweating, the fabric was thick and warm I could not wait to remove them after class.

Breakfast was confusing and incredibly seasoned till my tongue burned.

The drive to the school was even far more confusing and dizzying. When I was young, cars weren’t sealed with clear glass and they certainly didn’t travel at blinding speed.

“Mother, what do you do for a living?” I ask her, curious of how she will sustain my needs.

“I’m a university professor, Danbi. How can you forget?” She gazes quickly at me, then turns her attention on the road.

“I just… ugh, I am totally out of it today, mom.” I imitated Zoe’s rambling and scratched my head. I’m sure she’ll be proud of me when I tell her.

“What now?” She notices my angry demeanor. “The men are overtaking the world, mother. You see that?” I point to the bus and the taxi behind us. “They operate public means of transportation. And they drive recklessly.”

“It’s just the way it is, Danbi.”

“Mother? Are you just gonna let the male specie take over?”  I rolled my eyes, disgusted by her feeling of powerlessness.

“Do you not irk the male who impregnates you yet leaves you alone?” I face her, demanding her to look at me but at the moment she was failed to do so.

“Danbi do not start with that!” She stops me, alarmed.

“Your father has died.” She looks around, attempting to rid of my unnecessary observations.

“What-whatever.” Again, another one of Zoe’s annoying rambling.

I caught myself in the middle of humming a latin lullaby. “Wait, mother. How can you understand me? Do you understand Latin?”

“Danbi, you’ve been acting weird lately.” She looks decently shocked but continues to speak. “Are you trying to skip school?”

“Why would I do such a thing?” I clutched on my bag and wind and unwind its zipper. I really miss my hunting bow and my hunting knife, I feel vulnerable without them. “What language have I been speaking?”

“Korean, Danbi. Ok, it’s your last year of highschool so be good, ok?”

“I know I don’t say this often but I really love you, ok? Do not go around dating, ok?” She hugs me, as tight as the car could allow and kept on rambling like Zoe.  “Be respectful to your teachers, and eat lunch but don’t eat junk, ok?

“Yes, mother. I accept.”

“Here. You forgot your phone.” She hands me a flat piece of cold glass and plastic.

“What is this infernal contraption? This fragile looking thing is a phone? How can I make calls with this?

“It’s your phone, dear. Use it to call me.” She calls out from the car as she drives swiftly away, she’s almost as bad as transporting as the males. How can I call her with this? It had no wires for connection.

The rooms had two glass doors and each room I pass I get a glimpse of my reflection. Zoe often describes the color and shape of my features. She says I have hair the color of lemons and I have skin as pale as paper and my eyes reflective silver.

My skin stayed pale as paper, but my eyes and hair are now black as ink. Zoe used to make me draw her face as did she drew mine.  I actually liked my new appearance; I looked colder and more dangerous, perfect to avoid the male specie.

“Do you need help?” A young girl dressed the same as I approached me, her hands cradling thick stacks of bound writings.

“Oh, we’re from the same class.” She takes a peek at the schedule I was holding. “By the way, I’m Juri.” She pushes her glasses up using her free hand.

I nod and follow her as she walks to class, she looks strangely familiar almost resembling Zoe, well, except for the eyeglasses she was wearing.

I entered the room, the humans greeted me with mouths hanging open especially the inferior male specie. They f