The leaves are falling into a flurry of deep gold and bronze colors. It’s still unbelievable that I’ve been here for almost a year. Everything feels so calm, relaxed. The weather’s starting to cool too. Since I’ve been here I’ve experienced things that are both equally fascinating and distressing but this one thing I’m starting is by far the most exciting.

College was not available to me in the past but now it’s like a free opportunity and because I have no choice but to live in this life, I’m gonna face it enthusiastically.

I am light on my feet, almost bouncing as I walk the brick streets. This is amazing. It’s been a hectic year and now feels like I’m really only starting to see this world as how it is. I notice colors, smells and feelings I failed to take note initially. The cool air relaxes me. I pull down my sleeves to my wrists and exhale. Finally I’m entering the university.

I have to be honest. It feels good to be invisible, especially after all the attention that’s been directed towards me ever since I came here. Aside from mother and father, everyone’s acting like strangers, like they didn’t even meet me.

 The Hunters were also acting like strangers. For weeks now, no dreams or visions and no one tried communicating with me. I should be worried or at least anxious but for so many days now I always anticipated them bringing me back but nothing happened. The thought does cross my mind but it quickly goes away like the unease is written with invisible ink. The fear only gets seen for a very short time then it disappears.

I don’t know anyone. I mumble to myself. The halls were crowded with people, I guess like me they’re freshmen. The paper with my schedule was scrunched up and slightly damp as the hour of endless searching ends. I am finally entering a class! I practice a smile on my lips and peek through the glass. A lot of people were already inside but still no sign of authority. I twist the door handle and enter. The smile I practiced never left my lips because the noise inside doesn’t dissipate.

My radar has been turned off.  I joke under my breath and claim a seat near the front of the room.

Before I knew it, my first day as a college student was over. It was just like the classes in the Hunters’ just the people and the place are different but it was the same routine. Some of my new classmates invited me to eat outside so I just followed the crowd, because we were so many I didn’t want to add to all the different opinions they had on where we were going.

As we approached the café, I swallowed dryly. I’d like to think that this is coincidence but Leo’s blonde workmate welcomed us. He was not behind the register today so I searched for Leo’s face which returned futile.

I’m positive, everyone’s avoiding me now.

My classmates chatted around. Discussing how we decided on our majors, where each one lives and some other petty stuff. I looked over my shoulder, glad I got the seat next to the window and see the ballet dancers.

I walked home. Everything feels so mundane and I had only one day to experience college. Mother asked me about college. I answered honestly. “It was okay.” I say and walk lazily to my room. I pout as I enter my room. My summer was spent in this small room. I barely went out. My skin never felt the beaming sun on its surface. When others got slightly tan, I turned paler.

Mother would waster her time to scold me to go out sometimes but she wouldn’t bother after trying twice. I was a slave to my own body. It wouldn’t let me live normally yet now even normal is not normal. It does not feel normal.

I walked to my desk. Opening the relatively new book, my obsession, now the pages were frayed and tear stained. Hongbin has the same book. Hyuk’s empty house now seem so close but it doesn’t matter how close that house physically seem. It’s empty, not a soul lives there.

Mother knocks on my door and she opens it. I hear the creaking of the door and the twisting of the knob even her footsteps, I hear. “Danbi,dinner’s ready.” I feel her tummy touch my shoulder. It’s so big now like a small balloon growing inside her. She kisses the top of my head and rubs it. “I’ll be right down.” I tell her and close the book.

The food looked appetizing but I have never felt so full. I ate like a bird, grain per painstaking grain of rice fell into my mouth. I chewed incessantly, with the amount of food I was eating, I didn’t even need to chew.

Father walked in, almost missing dinner. He sat with us wordlessly and ate. I bowed to him and when my eyes looked over to mother, I saw something glinting around her neck.

A necklace. A necklace almost killed Ravi’s sister.

I picked kimchi off the bowl and rested it on top of my rice. My eyes concentrating on the food then I looked up again, to mother still with the silver necklace around her neck.

“Mother…” I set my chopsticks down.  “Where did you get that?” I couldn’t say the word but she got what I was referring to immediately. Her hands tinkered with the chain, running her fingertips through its length and smoothing down the pendant after cupping it for a beat longer.

“A girl friend gave it.” She smiles at me and places a piece of pork on father’s bowl. “It’s pretty, right?” she adds and juts her chin up just a little, proud of the thing around her neck. I bite the inside of my ch