She fell onto the ground gasping for air. Overwhelmed and scared, she curled up into a tight ball. She gritted her teeth trying to keep the memories back. A shadow hovered over her and pulled her into a tight embrace, the shadow then continued to her hair.

 

“It’s okay. Everything will be okay.” a deep voice comforted her.

 

She buried herself in his chest.

 

“I promise you, I will be here for you. Every step of the way. We will go through this together, okay?”

 

She tried to look up at him but she couldn’t see his face.  Her crying stopped and finally gained the courage to ask him a question, “Wh-Wh-Who are you?”

 

“Park- The train is here, go. You will be safe now.”

 

“But-But-But…”

 

“Go.”

 

She slowly walked away from him as her conscience strengthened. Step by step, the nightmare started to fade and reality came back in. Soon, she found herself stepping into the busy train.

 

“Park.” She mumbled to herself. The train jolted without warning as it started its journey. She stumbled backwards, she closed her eyes and braced herself for the cold, hard ground but it never came. Instead, she fell into the warm arms of a stranger. The embrace felt familiar.

 

“Park…” she whispered.

 

“The park is the next stop.” He replied. 

 

“Oh.” Her voice was barely louder than a whisper and was filled with disappointment. She had hoped so bad that this was the guy who comforted her in her nightmare. But he was just someone on her train. “Thank you.”

 

Everyone was packed together, like a sardine can. His hands held onto her shoulders, keeping her steady. She did not move away for two reasons, there was no space to move away and as weird as it sounds, she liked the feeling of being protected.

 

A woman, whose shoulder was pressed against his arm smiled lightly and the baby in her arms chuckled softly.  She did not notice, but, he did…

 

The doors opened and she stepped out of the train. She followed his instructions to get off at the next stop even though she didn’t need to go to the park.  She looked at the train as it went past, he seemed to be smiling. She shook her head and looked again, but the train had left. He couldn’t be smiling. Could he?

 

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Sliding her finger across the screen, she accepted the call.

 

“Baek?”

 

“What do you want?” he asked in a monotone.

 

“Where are you?”

 

“At school, I had soccer training.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Is there anything else?”

 

“Baek, it’s been exactly eleven years since we met.”

 

“Oh.” His voice stayed at in the same tone.

 

“See you later then.” She said as she bit her lip.

 

“Yeah.”

 

Beep-beep. He hung up on her. She knew that this world she lived in was like this but she wished Baekhyun would be different. She hoped he still understood. One day, I will meet someone who will always understand me, someone who will change the world with me. My parents used to understand but as I grew, their power to feel emotion faded. And when my father died, my mum resorted to anti-depressants.

 

The little pink and blue pills that would supress my true emotions. That was how I lived, until today. I don’t want to live like that anymore. I want to be able to decide for myself.

 

Another train stopped at the station and she stepped inside. She let the flow of people walk around her as they got off the train. Seven stops later, it was Baekhyun’s school. She looked out the window to try and spot him on the soccer oval. There he was, dressed in a navy blue t-shirt and a guy was approaching him in a red shirt.

 

She still remembered the first time they met.

 

“Mummy, I don’t want anyone else. I just want Sehun oppa to come back.” Tears were falling from her cheeks.

 

“Honey, I know, I know. Be a good girl, don’t cry.” Her mother wiped the tears from her face and her hair. “You’ll meet a new friend today, he is special like you too. I promise everything will feel better. Say ah-”

 

She opened slightly.

 

Her mother popped a tiny yellow pill into . “See, all better.”

 

She stood outside the big white door.  She was scared; she didn’t want to be left behind again. The door opened and she was gently pushed inside. The other door opened and a boy came inside from the other side.

 

“I’m Baekhyun.” He said, holding his arm out.

 

“Mm.” She mumbled, still standing at the door.

 

Baekhyun walked over towards her but stumbled and fell over. She ran over to him, tears welling in his eyes. She repeated what her mum had told her in the car, “You have to be a good boy, don’t cry.” She wiped his tears and patted his head. Baekhyun smiled slightly.

 

“We will be friends forever. Promise?” He asked, extending his pinkie.

 

“Promise.” Right then and there, they pinkie promised each other to not only be friends forever, but to be the ones to return emotion back to the world, no matter what it took. But, Baekhyun’s father was not a pure blood. And so, from his twelfth birthday onwards, Baekhyun slowly lost his ability to feel emotion.

 

She sighed as she looked at Baekhyun kick the ball down the oval. I wish you still loved me, like the way you used to.

 

The train sped along and finally, it was her stop. She stepped out of the train with her bag on her back. Baekhyun and her went to the same school, just she went to the other side, the girls’ side. Their beds formed a circle and each girl had their own bed. She lay down at her own bed. Looking up at the ceiling, the projector signalled for them to start their lessons.

 

She stuck the suction pads to both sides of her forehead then placed the special glasses over her eyes. A deep, calming voice told them to close their eyes and to slowly fall asleep. Just as she started to drift off, she heard the voice starting the lesson.

 

“World War Three, the one that ended it all…”