It was well past midnight when Sunny entered her father's laboratory. The old guy was sitting with his back to the glass elevator. Despite the crisp ding when the elevator door opened, he paid no attention. His mind was all on the research data in front of him.

Sunny walked with care, not to spill the seaweed soup on the tray in her hands. On it were other side dishes in small portions, grilled fish and warm rice.

"Father," she called him gently.

Prof. Lee turned his head, his expression startled. He clearly didn't expect his daughter to be down there at that hour. She usually never left her room after eight, be it before or after the unfortunate event.

Yep, she was that obedient kid even since she was little. Never she caused any problems. Even when her mother passed away when she was ten, she handled both herself and her father well. She never complained when she had to take hold of the house when her father was grieving although she was only a little kid and was grieving herself. She never made a fuss when she had gone through her puberty. She dealt with it herself.

It was only good that she had Mrs. Na, the kind old woman who had been with their family since Sunny was born. She helped Mrs. Lee during her labor before and then helped Prof. Lee to raise Sunny like she was her own daughter when Mrs. Lee passed away.

Sunny had always been grateful of her as well. Mrs. Na had always been there for her, even in the darkest time of her life when she wanted to toss the second chance that had been granted to her. The second life, as well as a curse that she had to carry.

"Hi, sweetheart," her old guy greeted her in return. Smile slowly appeared on his face. "What brings you here at this hour?"

"You do," Sunny answered. She placed the tray she brought on the table with the least papers on it, before she effectively tidied up the strewn papers and stacked it in a small pile. After that, she set up the table so her father could have his late dinner.

"What will you do if I'm not around, Father? You can barely take care of your daily needs," she lightly scolded her father.

The latter smiled even broader. "You reminded me of your mom. She scolded me a lot too back then. It was even before we had you."

"I wonder why mom chose you. She must have a very big heart," she teased. "You know you are undisturbable when focusing on a project. You can see nothing and no one but your research. And how you always skip your meals and even forget to take a bath when the research gets more interesting."

"That's her charm. She indeed has the biggest heart," the old guy smiled.

"Enjoy your meal, Dad," Sunny passed him his chopsticks and pushed the rice bowl closer to him.

"I'll enjoy my meal," he uttered solemnly with hands clasped. "Who cooked all this? Mrs. Na?" Asked him as he put one spoonful of the seaweed soup.

"Nu-uh," replied Sunny. "I did."

"Really? It's delicious! Did you taste it?"

"Eeey... How could I? You might gone mad if I do. Besides, I can't taste it anyway if I try. Failed taste buds, remember?" She said lightly.

Her father can only smile once again at her attempted lightness. Deep inside, he knew it was only a facade so to lighten his burdened heart.

Sunny accompanied him eating. She stayed and chatted with him. The food she made was soon gone, and they tidied up the table together.

"Are you going back to your room now?" asked her dad.

Sunny who was already holding the tray of empty dishes merely nodded her head.

"Why don't you stay? I'm going to leave tomorrow. Don't you want to spend the night with your daddy before he has to go overseas?"

Sunny just chuckled. "You speak as if I am a wee girl who would cry when her father leaves."

"Don't you?" Asked her father jokingly.

"You wish, Dad," retorted Sunny in the same manner. "I'll be in my room then. You will most likely to ignore me anyway if I stay. You and your experiment..."

Her father chuckled.

"I'll see you in the morning, Dad. Try to get some sleep if you can. Stop overworking yourself. You're having a trip anyway," Sunny heeded as she was walking to the elevator which door was opened wide.

"Yes, Sweetheart. You sound so much like your mother," her father said, smiling.

"What can I do? I'm her daughter anyway," Sunny returned the smile, and right when the elevator door is about to close, she said 'see you' to her father.

The glass box went up to the third floor, to where her room was and to where the whole island was visible. She didn't went to her room though. Instead she walked over to the patio just at the end of the corridor.

Just like her room, the patio provided the same view of waves rolling onto the shore and the twinkling lights from a few houses below. There was an added scenery though, a wider access to the sky up above. That was the place she loved so much in her house, whereas her bedroom remained her sanctuary.

She stepped on the wooden floor. The clip-clopping sound filled the silent night as her shoes hit the dark color planks beneath. She walked over the railing of black iron, and held on it.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The fresh savory air from the ocean filled her nose.

The moment she opened her eyes again, a guy taller than her yet lanky, already stood beside her. He came unnoticed and soundless.

"Harry," Sunny greeted him casually. She didn't seem startled with his sudden existence.

"What are you doing here?" The guy asked.

"Am I not allowed?" Asked Sunny calmly.

"You know the damp air doesn't do you good," answered the later.

Sunny furrowed her forehead. "You are worse than my father," she grumbled.

"Well, technically I'm in charge of you whenever he is away."

"But it doesn't start 'til tomorrow, Harry."

"Suit yourself. I'm gonna stay here anyway."

Silent befell on them once again for a couple of minutes before Sunny spoke up.

"Do you know anything about my Dad's trip?" She started. "He only says it's for greater good, but what is that actually?"

Harry stared straight to the front, to the black ocean. "If he says it is for greater good, then it is for greater good."

Sunny heaved a sigh, "Don't you ever feel curious? I smell something fishy behind his trips which is now recurring often."

"It is in my code of ethic not to ask."

"So, you blindly follow my father?"

"When I don't ask, it doesn't mean I do not know."

"You're such a difficult person, you know that right, Harry?"

"Am not. It's just not in my nature to pry on other's businesses."

"Although it is your boss'?"

"All the more that it is my boss'."

"You're no fun," stated Sunny while sticking her tongue out.

"I will be less than no fun now should I mention how you should be in your room right now. The salty breeze..."

"Yea, yea....," Sunny cut him off. "Don't even dare to go on."

She turned around and without further ado, headed to her slumber.

Harry who was left alone, was staring at the door where she vanished into. His thought was swimming in the topic of life and death, and how someone was being both.

*****

By the time that Sunny came out of her room the next morning, her father was already gone. The house which was originally silent and empty has become even more silent and emptier.

Wanting to shake off the loneliness, she decided to do something that she usually could not easily do. Gathering the novel Harry bought her a week before when he had to go to the land, her journal, a pouch of stationary, iPod and guitar, she headed to the beach.

The weather was considered nice. Although the sun was sweltering hot, the refreshing north wind, which caused her white linen maxi dress fluttered as she walked down the sand trail, cooled down the temperature a by a little.

Taking her spot under her favorite shady big palm tree by the shore down below she decided to enjoy her time. To be honest, chance like this was one in a million since her father would always be ready to reprimand her, although gently, about going out under the sun. Adding her fortune, Harry was away to do some errands, so she would finally be free of her guard's scrutiny.

She took out her journal which has yellow cover with tiny flowers on it. It was 2053, and although common people that days usually used their hi-end gadgets to do even the simplest task such as writing a journal, Sunny opted to do it by hand. She liked hands on activity the most, and writing was proven to be a good work out for her stiffened hand anyway.

The day went by peacefully. She spent the whole afternoon on the beach, writing, reading, playing soft tunes on her guitar, even taking the unneeded nap. However, if you were living in a remote island, you would know that sudden unexpected changes were only natural.

When she came back home, the sky had turned dark suddenly. Dark heavy clouds were hanging in the sky, even the faraway roaring thunders could be heard from her villa.

"Good thing you come home already," Mrs. Na greeted the smaller woman. Relief was written all over her face. "Harry will be furious at me should he know I let you out that long, even more knowing that the weather has turned this bad suddenly and will soon be worse."

"Oh, he won't," Sunny dismissed the comment as she walked into the kitchen where Mrs. Na busied herself by making pastries for anyone who would eat - which would be no one actually.

"Not to you, missy. To me," she retorted while braiding the little dough in her hand.

Sunny just smile in respond while taking her seat on a stool opposite of Mrs. Na.

"Don't try to criticize the purpose of me making this pastry. It's a hobby, okay. Who knows someone will need it later," Mrs. Na cut the petite woman when she just about to open .

"Chill, lady. I'm not criticizing. I was about to ask if you need some help to brush the egg on the bread," replied Sunny, pretending all offended.

"Oh. By all means, please." She picked up the bowl of beaten egg and brush and hand them over to Sunny.

As both of them worked on the dough in a dry and warm place, the scenery outside their windows really turned to the worse. The rain started to pour heavily and the thunders kept roaring. It was even difficult to make out anything over the window.

***

"Dad! The storm has started. What should we do?!" Sungjin screamed in panic.

That was his first time on the boat, not to mention that they were on it to run away from their destroyed hometown to find refuge. Fortune was clearly written off of their fate, he thought. Will they die in the ocean now?

"Keep the steering steady! I will help Mr. Sung with the pumps," Mr. Lee, his father instructed.

"Yes," was the only word Sungjin could say at that time. He was in fear. Everybody in the boat was in grave fear. It was like out of the frying pan into the fire. They might be saved from bombardment and all sort, but the storm was none the better.

"Check on mom and Sungmin, Dad," Sungjin reminded his father before he went out of the cabin.

The old man merely nodded. When he came into the cabin below, he found the ladies and children were squatting down in praying form. Everyone but Sungmin who was on the bed, unable to move much.

"Will we be alright, Uncle Lee?" asked Sung Jisung, the son of Sung family whom they escaped with. His voice trembled a little.

"We will," he assured the boy who was only ten. "Be brave for your mother and sister, boy."

Gulping, the latter nodded his head. He swallowed back his fear and on his face was a new determination.

"Are you guys alright?" Mr. Lee turned his attention to the rest of family members. His and Mr. Sung's.

"We are," answered Mrs. Lee. "How bad is it?"

Mr. Lee could only form a thin line on his lips, but he said, "We'll pull through."

He then briefly scanned his oldest son's condition. Noticing that he was alright despite being dead pale, he added, "Hang in there, son."

"Will do, Dad," said Sungmin. "And sorry," he added in whisper as his father rush out of their cabin to come to Mr. Sung's aid.

The storm shook their boat like it was just a leaf. There were some times when the tides were so high that they thought they had done for, but the boat still survived somehow. However the storm had not and was not easily ceased.

It was when Mr. Sung finally screamed, "The pump is broken! Water is flooding in!" that their faces were struck in real alarm. The children had began to cry. Fear had tightened its grip on their hearts. The women could only try to shush them in futile since they were too scared to death.

"Dad, the tides has become worse than ever! I can't hold it anymore!" screamed Sungjin from inside the cabin, although he was fully aware that it was impossible for his dad to hear him.

For a good fifteen minutes they lost control over their ship. Fifteen minutes that last forever. It was one last straw when a big wave hit their boat. One second, the boat was still there, and it was vanished the next, swallowed into the dark ocean. Swallowed into nothingness. And the storm kept roaring victoriously for the whole night.

***

Sunny blinked her eyes. Once. Twice. She was sure that she saw something on the ocean when the lightning struck like a flashlight in a camera a second before. But when she tried to make out what was really there through the heavy rain, she had no other option but giving up. It was impossible to see through the storm.

"I was just hallucinating, perhaps," she thought to herself. "I'd better get myself comfortable under the duvet."

She turned off the light in her room, and went to the side of her bed to get her bedside lamp . After picking up the unfinished novel from her bedside table, she climbed into her bed and continue reading it. The storm had no effect whatsoever to her. What could possibly scared the cursed one like her anyway.

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Hi all! Sorry for the hiatus. I will try to keep this story going, although I don't promise that it will be tightly on schedule, as I had never be :D

I hope you like this chapter. Actually, writing after abandoning it for so long is kinda hard. But I still have all the concept ready and am adding the details in my notebook. So, I hope to satisfy you will the entirety of this story, The Wanderers.

Once again, sorry for being inactive for a year already. And although this chapter is shorter than what I had in mind or what I wanted to, I hope you guys like it.

Be sure to comment, upvote or anything. And even if you don't give a damn for this story after my hiatus, it is completely understandable.

Much love,
xoxo,
Thesilverstrands