It has been three days since I stalled as human. Three vicious days of not speaking, light sleeping, not eating; a tedious measure of callous treatment it pondered. My only savior languished causing loose to his tight guard. He died not so long ago, dad. Through forlorn occasion that latched onto my young memory, undistinguished trauma raveled me.

Not so long ago, I was living my life with the odds in my favor. Not so long ago, the sun rays dampened my skin along with the humid air, continuously touching me, reminding me I was still alive. So long ago, smiles never failed to reach my lips. Not so long ago, I belonged to a family I thought who would be greatly solicitous, not just because we were sumptuous.

We are sumptuous, I am. For the many has proclaimed, money was the root of evil. My father died exactly four days and three hours ago. He left me blithe and now I was caged inside. Four corners, light illuminating from a small window, a bed for one, cold walls, blanket folded at the foot of the bed, pillows resting on the headboard, they transferred me somewhere I couldn't escape. Someplace where agony contemplated with emptiness I existed.

A group of people who has the Jung title as their surname hindered me from living my own life. I was their key to my father's wealth. A lady with long brown hair, curly locks, average height and weight, and with the lightest idea of their scheme is how they secerned me. Without me, a hundred of billions wouldn't slip onto their hands. Without me, there will be no access to any bank transactions. Without me, everything would lose its control. Without me, Jung will fall. Without me, the heir of the entire profusion, nothing will result from their false identity hardships. Without me, there will be no Song Jieun.

My body tampered as I prod my pulse not to beat anymore. It would be better if I would die in a swift. My breathing was heavy—either with the heavy gloominess weighing above me or with the dread and narrow milieu I was in. My senses were gradually turning worse. The place lacked the coziness I was used to. The light, which supposed to give me the least glim of hope for survival, failed to brighten my view. My body was feeling numb. I knew I wouldn't live longer and by the time I lose my breath, they will win. I must not die, my head was convincing my weakened body. I haven't signed any papers yet. I will not, ever, write on any sheets.

Footsteps rushed behind the wall I leaned against on. The kids must be around, clueless of having me in here. Knocks were heard on my door. It was four and quick. As the carved wood in designs creaked open, a man in black suit gaited in. Fives steps drawing near me, a lady in red hot dress followed inside and assured to lock the door. Her eyes were furious that frightened my inner spirit. We used to be friends, best, not until I figured out that the whole thing was planned. Findings were still unsure of who did kill my father and it would be needless to suspect them. Chaff falling off from their debris ensnared me. She threw a nod at the guy accompanying him. His eyes twitched and glistened, to her, and back at me. I ducked my head in torpor. My stomach was growling at me. It hasn't digested anything but acid filling inside. I grasped on the bed clothing to avoid hurling down in pain. That was what they want to see. See me suffering.

The lady stared in an intensity I couldn't handle. My thoughts are becoming feral and my lips failed to part. Nothing was coming out from my mouth, not even a groan or hiss, not a sound of teeth grinding one another. I was mute, afraid in speaking for plea. She pulled her arms to her chest and crossed them. I gulped soon when I realized they guy was only a meter away from me.

He's no doubt handsome. I could still remember how competent my father arranged us for an engagement. The young man whom I thought could take care of me for the rest of my life, could live with me and my children in bliss, could be a great companion in our business, proved me a huge mistake I nearly dragged myself into. He also wants to smooch money from us, from me. Now that my father is dead, the more his family convinced us to get married. They lied we could live together in felicity but in fraud. I insisted in not meeting his eyes. I didn't want to look at the person who stole my young love and crashed my feelings into pieces.

The space beside me was enough for him to occupy. He ran a hand through my hair and tugged behind my ear. His hand was still soft and I thaw at the memories of him being the sweetest man I've spent five meaningful years with. I shut my eyes vigorously but I could feel him motion his way, leaning closer until I could feel his breathing right through my ears. I cringed wanting to rupture my filaments. I want him dead, I badly want them dead. They must be away from me, I must.

The whole place served as hell. And they are the demons dwelling at the heavenly sanctuary I resided. They ruined everything. They killed my father. Reality hit me back repeatedly. I was too stupid. It was them who ruined everything.

"Look at me, my angel." he whispered in a hoarse tone. I nearly melted at what I heard. "Please, look at me." too late, my eyes were stitched. I did not respond. He gasped in annoyance and grabbed his hand back. "You little brat," the curse was almost too faint but my ears managed to hear. "Daehyun, you're taking too long." from the back, the lady who's as hot as her dress accosted. I remained as hard as rock, not moving, eyes not meeting theirs, mouth shut. Her heels thumped loudly when he uttered nothing in return. "Jung Daehyun!" a little higher in note was the volume meddled in her call that followed. "Hana, shut up, will you?" that was all he grappled to say. He leaned closer again and took my hand that was clenched to a fist as I grasp on the cloth tighter. "I'll wait but you will never have a chance of choosing anyone than me."

The mattress loosened as he supported himself up. My eyes peeked open and buried attention to my faded jeans. I bowed my head deeper almost hiding my face under my bangs. They chattered things I didn't understand. Their language was so new to me. How long has it been since I came out to the city and check on people? Hana and Daehyun both laid their attention to me soon making me freeze in terror. Who knows on what they could do to me next. They have the authority to excruciate me or more, as long as I could feel my every bit torn they wouldn't stop.

Daehyun wouldn't keep his eyes away—sparkling, something I couldn't discern. I want to tell him how cruel he was; how baneful he was for attracting me; how truculent he was for courting me; how incredibly abhorrent he was for making me fall in love with him. Seeing him is like the same with prickling my every vein. I could grab a knife and skin myself for making the same man who used to be one of the most precious things in the world before and the horrifying image of subterfuge now being my familiar.

I blinked my tears away. Be strong, voices echoed in my head. Hold on and we're going to sneak out of here soon.

They decided to continue their talk inside the car. I overheard one of them saying. Hana pulled her handkerchief out of her pocket and handed it to him. Daehyun then strode his way to my direction, bent down to my level, and wiped something from my face. His gazes were studying me. I panicked and wondered if I've done something. Do not punish me, I screeched inside.

"Stop crying," I felt the cloth trailing the teardrops running through my face. "We can make things easier if you'll marry me."

Emotions unraveled from their shell and urged me to beat him up. I badly hanker for the moment of seeing him with blood all over his face—the same structure which beguiled our life, my life. Someone whispered in my ear and I felt a chilling sensation run down through my spine. My body relaxed and the heating temper went down. I became calm and caused nothing, yet.

He straightened and ran a hand to my hair. I snapped my head away from his figure when he attempted leaning for a kiss. Those lips need to restrain from messing up my emotions. There's no need of having them touch mine. Everything about him is a huge lie. He paused and searched for my face once again, grabbing my chin up roughly. My mouth whimpered silent cusses which he smirked at.

"Rot in hell." my lips formed to produce a sentence. "Oh no," his thumb rubbed my lower lip, "We'll rot together." Daehyun smacked his lips and captured mine. It was too short that I haven't bitten his plump feature real hard for him to regret his act. He deserved to be in hell, my thoughts kept clanging.

Daehyun led his way to his cousin. She glanced at me for the last time. Her eyes were burning and the flame frightened my weak soul. I couldn't decipher what thoughts she has been shooting me with. The man eventually traversed in dealing with me longer and passed down the act of convincing to her. He sleeked smoothly out of my sight and brought a fiery figure standing in front of me.

"Jieun, you've been a very bad girl." hair whipped along as she shook her head from left to right. "What can you ask for? My cousin has been with you for five years. He tolerated your childish acts and immature arguments. Excuse me, are you still playing hard to get? If I knew, you nearly lost your innocence way back senior high. Good thing, I drew you back to the laboratory. Thanks to me." huffing, she crossed her arms to her chest again and continued speaking. "I shouldn't have done that anyway. Our work could have been very easy. Daehyun makes you pregnant and you'll marry each other the soonest. I'm such a stupid person. Well," Hana bent down to my level. I swear to heavens I could cut her tongue but I ought not to. "I grew pity over you. That's one thing to thank me for, again." a shrill laughter satiated the room. "And as a bonus," I winced, feeling her touch on my skin. She's a bacterium I am immune to. I regret proclaiming her the best—the worst would make it. "You'll finally have your dinner tonight, honey. Thank your fiancé for he didn't want to see you too skinny. Aw, I'm so touched. Take good care of my to-be godchildren soon, understand? I'm not following his orders for nothing." I heard a light hum. "I'll go and send Nahyun and Jongup to school. Bye, lovely."

The door flung shut when she trod leaving the room. Little by little, I grasped back to my sanity. The children were playing games still, at least they aren't having a hard time like how I do. That was better. I sighed in relief and immediately jumped off my bed. The car engine started. Eavesdropping made it easier for me to figure out that everyone already retreated.

Under the bed was a pair of shoes handed to me by dad during my last birthday. I slid my feet wearing them and scurried toward the window. They weren't only the ones who had planned hap beforehand. I did, too. Not a single design got pinned nor posted on the walls and hung on the ceiling. No calendars, no paintings, no mirrors, and no clocks. The only sign which gave me a hint of night time was the sunset descried from the small window. I should drag myself out of the place before the darkness falls. I need to escape.

I've been spying the guards and routines the past three days. They followed a pattern of leaving the gates for few minutes when the sun finally sets off. I need to catch the right timing in order to run away from where I was currently at. The last will and partition must be passed to me and get the demons arrested the soonest. There must not be any clues of where I'd head to.

Orange skies lingered and blinded the people who surveillance the ground. Silhouettes flustered behind their bigger frames—making them even terrifying in my eyes. Twilight it was, a time in a day where everything grows horrifying. The guards began charging their guns for rigid security. I hid behind the dark loosened curtains of the window and peeked through the small hole I contrived to create using my nails. Nails served as the second sharpest part of the body next to teeth. At first I doubted if I could possibly rip a small part but then the fabric didn't give me a hard time. They must be heading to their quarters now. I glanced outside in a hurry, not trying to get noticed.

Four of them was left and distributed accordingly around the four sides of the whole place. Sixty eight more seconds. I grabbed the blanket and the bed sheet, tied them together making a substitute rope. Another countdown would start with four hundred and forty one seconds before the dinner gets served. I immediately laid the end outside the window.

Three hundred and seventy five seconds, I was finally climbing out of the window. Good grief, the guards hasn't seen me yet and it scared me. What if they knew I'd be doing such sooner and prepared a trap for me? My small figure complimented my escape; the window was big enough to let me out of the room. The skies were dim the moment I reached outside. By the time I found myself holding onto the cloth tightly, I wished to have the power of camouflage. Three hundred and thirty nine seconds. Not any of them had any idea of their prey absconding. My feet were still glued on the wall. Few more steps and I'll reach the first level of the building. Panicking, I jumped off, not removing my clutch on the cloth. It made landing on the ground easier for me but the sound I produced alarmed the security. Two hundred and eighty five seconds, I need to stay away from here. Eyes wandered around to find a hideout. Traipsing toward the darker shade of the forest, I headed nowhere else.

A hundred and ninety five, halfway I was on my way to the ghastly part of my journey. Forest, the woods, served as the easiest knack to ploy everyone—that I was gone. When the sun peeks a greeting tomorrow, I'd immediately run my way to my cousin's residence. He's the only one I could trust right now. He has been giving me warnings but I intended to disagree and forget all of them. Fool, indeed, I was. One hundred and fifty more, I successfully entered the ferocious area of real beasts.

No matter how I hastened and searched for a place to spend the night, I couldn't decide where. I was too ambivalent. What if I'd wake up in the Jung side again? What if I'd be eaten while I sleep? What if I'll get harmed? What if I'd get myself fleshed? For a span of time, I thought twice about the risks. A hundred and three and I could hear the security panicking. I need to reach the heart of the forest.

Too late. I heard footsteps rushing to my direction. My reflexes were too fast and flaw causing light scratches on my knees down to my feet. Good thing there were trees with big trunks that I hide from time to time not to get caught. The leaves, plants and veins were tangled from one another too which appeared difficult to pass through, enough to let the guards think the other way around.

"It's impossible for her to get through this!" one deep voice spoke. "Let's look on the other route."

I heaved for air, panting real hard. I halted and remained at the same spot for few seconds. Everything was dark and the only means of light was the moon above. When there were no signs of other people around, I came out from behind and sauntered the somber environment I was currently going through. Different animals sounded and they kept appearing one by one making me flinch and wince at their sudden actions. The forest was more terrifying than those of the Jung but I knew this place could be my greatest escape. Sixty seconds, I had no idea where the center of the forest was.

Thump, thump. My shoes sounded as I took light steps on the muddy ground. Unluckily, the sloppy soil caused me to brush myself to the ground. It happened too quickly and I already found myself lying on the ground with all the dirt spread on my face and body. My knees grew weak in a sudden and I was still glued on the ground. Finding no means of walking, I lifted my upper bod with two bare hands, crawling to a direction I didn't know where would lead me.

Ten, nine, eight, I strove hard to find an area to obscure my frame once again. It still wasn't safe—I was only few meters away from the forest's entrance. They will nab me here anytime sooner. Three, two, one. The alarms rang and I could hear everybody freaking out—yelling my name, searching for the missing Song.