"Race you!" Wendy announced a race towards the home to her 3 friends; Irene, Seulgi and Joy. They were on their way home to Wendy's house, walking from her cousin's house on the hill which is only 5-minutes walk from her house. They were just back from a get-together plus party preparation for tomorrow's Halloween party at Wendy's cousin's house who was also the ladies' close friend. 

 

"Ugh, there she goes again!" Seulgi complained, "Wendy, it's past midnight. Stop it."

 

The street lamps made the quartet's walk on the road not as scary despite the clock was striking past 12 am.

 

"Suddenly it is not fun anymore." Joy added, she silently entwined her arm around Irene's.

 

The 3 of them watched passionate Wendy doing her one-woman show of athletic performance.

 

"I admitted defeat, Wendy." Irene shouted.

 

Wendy who arrived at her house's door earliest clicked on the bell. The three others trailed her from behind. Wendy did not bring her house key, because she never needed to. She just need to wait for anyone inside to open the door; be it her parents or her maid.

 

"Wen-unnie, I am sleepy." Joy said.

 

"Wait, pretty Sooyoung." Wendy mumbled, taking out her phone and dialled few numbers; her mum and dad's phone numbers, her maid's phone number, the house's landline, her other phone in her room in case anyone was in her room despite it's being late.

 

"Guys, please wait a moment." Wendy continued dialing it. "They'll open this door soon."

 

In the midst of that, Joy spotted someone coming towards them.

 

"Who's that, unnie? Your cousin? Your friend?" Joy asked to Wendy who was still ringing the bell.

 

"Where?" She looked at the direction that Joy pointed. One very pretty girl, in school uniform rather old-school ones, about the same age as Joy coming towards them from the house gate.

 

"It's this late and she just got home? That's odd. And what's with the uniform? So 90's looking." Seulgi mumbled, loud enough for only 4 of them listen, as the girl was still walking "And it's cold as hell."

 

"Do you know her, Wen?" Irene turned to Wendy who looked very confused at the moment.

 

"I don't know." She answered, her eyes looking up, "But she does look familiar."

 

"Hello." The girl in school uniform greeted when she reached the door. They can see her features more clearly and only one word can describe her. Pale. Her face, her lips and her skin colour seemed to be unnaturally pale.

 

"Hello." Joy replied, "How can I help you?"

 

"Oh nothing." She answered, "I live here."

 

The three of Wendy's friends turned to her, probably surprised that Wendy said she doesn't know this girl despite living under the same roof.

 

'What? I've never seen her before. Is it Ms. Im's daughter? Eh, no, that's impossible, Ms. Im is not married.' Wendy thought of her unmarried young maid.

 

"Hasn't Mrs. Son open the door yet?" The school girl said.

 

'She even knows my mum?' Wendy continued her thought, 'That's peculiar. I guess she really does live here.'

 

"Uh, no. Not yet. Wendy's trying to contact them though." Seulgi answered.

 

Soon after, Wendy's phone received a text.

 

"The key is at the pot near the door." Wendy read the massage out loud, "Ugh, all along?" She searched for the key and unlocked the door.

 

"Who is that texting you?" Seulgi asked.

 

"Mum."

 

The 4 of them along with the school girl came in to the house.

 

"What's your name?" Joy asked the school girl as they walked in.

 

"Oh, I am Hana." She said, politely. She finally removed her backpack and headed to the couch. She sat down on the couch and just slouched down.

 

"Aren't you going to go to bed?" Irene directed the question to Hana, rather puzzled that Hana did not go to her room, well that is if she has any.

 

"Ah? This is my bed." Hana smiled.

 

"Huh?" Wendy who was actually at the middle of climbing the stairs up went down again.

 

"Hana-sshi, you better go to bed. It's late." Joy advised Hana, expecting Hana to go to her bed somewhere in her room.

 

"Thank you." She did not budge, instead she laid down on the couch, "Good night."

 

"Hana-sshi, it's going to be cold here. Go to your bedroom." Seulgi said.

 

"But my bedroom is here." Hana replied.

 

"Hana-sshi, sleeping in the couch is not good for your postures. You should go to your bed." Irene assured.

 

"I am sure my mum gave you a room if you do live here right?" Wendy folded her arms, "Are you sure you live here? I am starting to get suspicious about you."

 

"Wendy, even if she doesn't live here, you gotta keep her in. It's cold outside plus it's midnight!" Seulgi rebutted.

 

"That's why I am doubtful. It's cold and midnight but why was she happened to walk by and at the same time, we were happened to be outside the house." Wendy narrowed her eyes towards Hana, "Why? Did someone send you here? Their car is still outside the house waiting for your que, isn't it? You want to trick us to let you in so you can steal our stuff while we are asleep?"

 

Hana looked down at the floor, her long hair covering her face. They can't really see her expression that time, and thus her feeling.

 

"Unnie." Joy looked over to Wendy.

 

"Look, Joy. She doesn't even say a thing, what I said must be right!" Wendy speculated.

 

"Enough. It's past midnight." Seulgi interrupted.

 

"Seulgi-ah, we don't know the identity of this girl..." Wendy turned to Joy, "Look, I've been nice enough to let her in but I cannot trust her."

 

Irene walked over to Wendy, wrapping her arm around the younger girl's shoulder and brought her a bit further than the couch Hana was sitting on, "Seungwan honey, listen, I agree with you too. But you know, it's past midnight and it's cold out there, plus she's a girl, it's dangerous out there! Anything could happen, isn't it, Seungwan-ah?"

 

Wendy turned to Irene. Ugh, Irene always knows what to say, "But still--"

 

"Here's an idea, if you don't trust Hana, why don't the four of us sleep here with Hana, to make sure she won't, you know, steal..." Irene whispered in a very soft voice, "How does that sound?"

 

Wendy turned to Irene, "I guess you're right."

 

Irene smiled and returned back to the others, "Okay, girls, we're all sleeping downstairs. We'll change clothes and wash up with turn, 2 by 2."

 

"Why?" Joy asked.

 

"Well, when 2 of us go, 2 of us will need to accompany Hana-sshi, don't you think so?" Irene answered.

 

"I'll go first." Seulgi immediately obeyed.

 

"I'm with Seulgi." Wendy trailed behind Seulgi going upstairs to change into comfortable clothes.

 

"Wen, I am actually kind of suspicious of Hana, too." Seulgi finally confessed after they changed clothes and now off to wash up.

 

"Mwoya... You defended her just now." Wendy put on her hair band, ready to wash her face.

 

"True. But I realized your points were right." Seulgi said, "I mean it's cold an it's past midnight, and she's still wearing uniform."

 

"And that she happened to come home just in time we were outside."

 

"That, too." Seulgi nodded, "And did you notice her skin? Super pale. Paler than Irene-unnie."

 

Wendy hummed in return, her hands massaging her face with her cleanser.

 

"She is as pale as you know..." Seulgi trailed her words.

 

Wendy washed off her cleanser quickly, curious since Seulgi didn't continue her words, "As pale as what?"

 

Seulgi leaned in to Wendy's ear, "Ghost."

 

Wendy  gave her a look, "Wow really Kang Seulgi? Wow." Wendy walked away, wiping her face with towel, removing her band and examining her face in the mirror.

 

Seulgi trailed Wendy from behind, "Wen, you gotta listen. She is skinnier than any of us. It's midnight, Wendy, it's possible that she is actually--"

 

"Seulgi, I am heading downstairs now. I am done. Are you, Ms. Kang?" Wendy asked Seulgi.

 

"No, I haven't wash my face yet." Seulgi shook her head.

 

"I am going downstairs now. Take your time." Wendy was about to leave her room.

 

"Seungwan-ah, Seungwan-ah, Seungwan-ah..." Seulgi grabbed the sleeve of Wendy's shirt, "Don't leave me alone."

 

"Why?" Wendy raised her eyebrow, "After all this time, you are alright being alone..."

 

"I know. But it's midnight and we have a potential ghost girl downstairs. You can't leave me alone!"

 

"I don't know what you're on, Seulgi. Bye." Wendy grabbed her door knob and stepped outside

 

"Yah, Son Seungwan!" Seulgi ran trailing Wendy from behind, not caring to wash up anymore. Better safe then sorry!

---

Next morning...

 

"Girls, why are you sleeping downstairs?" Mrs. Son's voice woke the girls early in the morning. She was surprised to see that the girls were sleeping on the long couches in the living room.

 

Irene bolted up first and bowed, "Good morning, Mrs. Son." She rubbed her eyes and fixed her messy hair.

 

"Why are you girls sleeping here? Wendy didn't let you sleep in her room, is it?" Mrs. Son threw another question.

 

"Oh, no. Not that. We were accompanying her--" Irene pointed to the couch where Hana was sleeping on. "Huh, where did she go?"

 

Wendy immediately widened her eyes, "Mwoya?! Where did she go?"

 

"Seulgi?" Mrs. Son asked when she noticed that Seulgi was not there.

 

"Mwoya, Seulgi-unnie's gone, too!" Joy immediately gasped when she noticed the white couch Seulgi slept on was empty. "Where did she go?"

 

Joy stood up and found that only her blanket and phone left on the couch.

 

"Probably she's already up." Wendy assumed.

 

"No." Irene shook her head, "Seulgi rarely woke up before us."

 

"True. She's a heavy sleeper, she never really wakes up until people asks her to." Joy nodded,

 

"Then when happened to her, you tell me?" Wendy rolled her eyes.

 

"Maybe she's in your room." Mrs. Son assumed, turning to her daughter, "I am going to the kitchen to make you guys breakfast. If you are done washing up, have breakfast , alright?"  and off she went to the kitchen.

 

Irene frowned, "Was that a dream or..."

 

"What are you thinking about, unnie?" Joy asked the oldest girl, after noticing Irene's face.

 

"No, it just that I thought I saw Seulgi went upstairs. I don't know if that was a dream or real." Irene said.

'That's weird. I saw the same thing.' Wendy thought, 'Only one way to know.'

 

"Seulgi-ah!" Wendy stood up and ran upstairs to her room.

 

She opened the door and found Seulgi looking very hysteric; her body was shivering, her trembling hands covered her ears, were mouthing something inaudible and her eyes were wide open. She was sitting on the corner of her room, wrapped in the blanket.

 

"Yah Kang Seulgi." Wendy slowly approached Seulgi. She realized that Seulgi has not notice her yet. When Wendy placed her hand her shoulder and give it a tap, Seulgi screamed and looked up into Wendy. She immediately went into Wendy and hugged her.

 

"I told you... I told you that she is... I told you, Wendy... I told you... I told you..." Seulgi said that repeatedly to Wendy, her voice was all husky and trembling, "Wendy, I told you..." She was barely taking breath in between her words.

 

"Shh..." Wendy didn't dare to ask Seulgi what she was talking about but instead focused on calming her down.

 

After Wendy succeed calming Seulgi down, which took about few minutes, she took Seulgi downstairs where they were immediately joined by the other 2 girls.

 

Wendy told them what state she saw Seulgi was in when she found Seulgi.

 

"I told Wendy, Joohyun-unnie. I told Wendy... I told her... I told her already..." Seulgi continued, saying the same thing again to Irene. She said in breathless voice again.

 

Irene settled Seulgi down, gesturing Joy to bring Seulgi water and after a gulp, Seulgi was calmed down. A bit calmer.

 

"Now, tell me, what you told Wendy." Irene asked Seulgi softly.

 

Seulgi turned to Wendy, "I told you Wendy... I told you... And you didn't trust me..."

 

"What did you tell me, Seulgi-ah?" Wendy asked in a soft voice.

 

"Hana..." Seulgi said simply, "She is..."

 

Seulgi's answer actually seemed impossible to them but to notice what state she was in, they chose to confirm this to Mrs. Son.

 

The 4 of them headed to the kitchen, sat down on the table. Irene's arm still around Seulgi's body, calming her down since the answer Seulgi said just now shocked her as well.

 

"Omma, is there any girl named Hana that you are close with?" Wendy turned to Mrs. Son who was pouring hor chocolate into 4 mugs.

 

"Hana? Ah, of course. One of our maid back then had a daughter named Hana. She used to live here, too." Mrs. Son smiled, "Why are you suddenly asking that, honey?"

 

Joy described Hana's appearance to Mrs. Son and asked, "Is that how she looks like?"

 

"Do you know her, Sooyoung?" Mrs. Son's eyebrow raised, surprised that Joy described Hana perfectly.

 

"Mrs. Son, do you happen to have any of her picture?" Irene asked.

 

"Oh I think I do." Mrs. Son disappeared for a while into a room where she placed her photo album.

 

"Here it is." she returned back with a photo album on her hands opened to a particular page. She placed the album on the table.

 

The four ladies leaned over and gasped when they saw a picture of the same Hana that they saw last night, in the same school uniform.

 

"No wonder she looks familiar to me. I saw this picture years ago!" Wendy now knew why she felt that last night was not the first time she saw Hana.

 

"Before the renovation, the living room used to be her bedroom." Mrs. Son informed.

 

"So that's why..." Joy nodded. One mystery solved; why Hana was sleeping on the couch in the living room.

 

"Omma, is this date correct?" Wendy asked as her eyes fixed on the date written on the picture.

 

"Yes. 1993. A year before you were born."

 

"Mrs. Son." Seulgi blurted out, "We met Hana last night."

 

"What? That's impossible." Mrs. Son laughed it away.

 

"It's true, Mrs. Son. We met Hana last night. In fact the reason why we all sleeping downstairs last night is because she was sleeping on the couch in the living room." Irene nodded.

 

"That's impossible." Mrs. Son repeated.

 

"And Seulgi noticed one thing about her." Wendy turned to Seulgi, placing her hand on top of the Seulgi's giving her a squeeze, "Go on, Seulgi-ah."

 

"Last night, when we were all sleeping, I suddenly woke up because I needed to go to the washroom, I  found that Hana was standing near the couch, her back facing me." Seulgi began, "Nothing was odd until I saw that something was missing from her."

 

Seulgi paused, Mrs. Son finally sat down on the chair, intrigued by Seulgi's story.

 

"She doesn't have legs." Seulgi muttered, "Like she was floating in the air like a ghost would, nothing at the place where our legs should be. I thought it was impossible but I remembered that she didn't take off any shoes when we came in into the house."

 

She continued, "It was okay until she turned around and faced me with her pale face that stood out even in the dark. I ran upstairs because I was so scared. She stopped me by calling my name and asked me where I was going. I answered that I was going to Wendy's bedroom because the living room was too cold. She smiled to me and said, 'Cold or that you found out who I am?' She then vanished into thin air."

 

"I saw Seulgi running upstairs but I didn't stop her because I thought it was a dream." Irene said.

 

"Me, too." Wendy nodded.

 

"So where did you go after that, Seulgi?" Mrs. Son asked.

 

"Seulgi was in my room until this morning." Wendy informed.

 

"Hana died when Wendy was 1 year old in an accident where a truck ran on her legs. She was at Joy's age that time." Mrs. Son started to tell the story before she was asked to. "That time she was just coming back from school."

 

One after one mysteries is answered; why was Hana in the living room, why was she in old-school uniform, why was her legs absent...

 

"I think so, too." Joy nodded, "Last night, when Wendy-unnie and Seulgi-unnie went upstairs, Hana was left with Irene-unnie and I. She told us stories about Wendy's grandmother and we remembered that Wendy's grandmother died long ago that Wendy cannot remember anything about her but oddly, she's about Joy's age and she knows everything. But when we talked about Wendy, she described Wendy like she described an infant. I guess she was still stuck in 1995."

 

"She also talked about you and wondered why you always forget that she always remembers you." Joy added.

 

"Could it be..." Mrs. Son immediately flipped to the last page of the photo album where words were written."Her death anniversary was yesterday. I didn't go to her grave for few years now. She must came by to remind us."

 

In Loving Memory of Kim Hana

Died on 30th October 1995.

 

THE END.

---------

The ending big time but I don't want to add anything cliche like the ghost's pov and whatnot so I let it just like that. 

I hope it is to your liking. Good day everyone ^^

Love,

S-Sone21 

29.11.14.