It wasn't until late at night that Yeo Ri came home. The filming only ended when they ran out of daylight, and the trip home took almost two hours.
Yeo Ri wasn't surprised to see the apartment unlit and empty; Gun was working a late shift and he wouldn't be back until past midnight.
As soon as she got home, Yeo Ri sent a text to her brother, notifying him of her arrival. He was working, so a call wouldn't be appropriate, she thought.
Contrary to her belief, her brother called back several minutes after she texted him.
"Did you get home safely?" he asked, sounding slightly breathless.
"Mm. Locked the door and windows too."
"Are you sure? Did you check again?"
Yeo Ri smiled slightly at his over-caution. "Yes~ I checked three times, Oppa, don't worry. I'm tired... I'll go take a bath and then sleep. Come home soon." Yeo Ri yawned as her heavy-lidded eyes threaten to close.
Gun frowned worriedly over her exhausted tone. He nodded with difficulty, "Okay. Rest well, Yeo Ri-ah. Oppa will be home soon."
"Mm."
After she hung up the call, Yeo Ri took a much needed bath.
Yeo Ri threw on a simple nightdress and tucked herself in the sofa-turned-makeshift-bed in the living room. It would be easier for Gun to notice her when he comes home, and she would feel less scared to sleep alone since the TV was nearby.
Yeo Ri turned the TV on, producing some background noise to drown out the silence and lull her to sleep.
The tired girl's eyes glazed over as she yawned again. She closed her eyes, and in due time, she fell asleep.
...
..
.
Yeo Ri stood within the room, her back facing the door. It was a familiar room; one that she swore to never come back to.
It was Lee Do Joon's locked room.
She heaved a long breath, and it was then she noticed how cold it was.
Her eyes glanced up at the sole window in the room, watching as snow slowly drift down from the sky, fogging up the glass.
Then, suddenly—
"—Ah!"
The girl let out a startled yelp as she felt her hair being yanked roughly from behind her. She fell backwards, stumbling against a man.
"Where do you think you're looking at?" the man hissed, caging her with his arms. "I'm right here! Shouldn't you be respectful and look at your elders when you meet them, hm?"
"..." Yeo Ri's reply came in the shape of a frown.
'Aah, this dream again,' she thought tiredly. She was so godd*mn f*cking tired of this godforsaken place. Again and again, she kept getting dragged back here.
"Should've taken those pills before I passed out," she muttered, regretful. Curing her insomnia was one thing, but she preferred taking sleeping pills because it guaranteed her a dreamless sleep. At least she wouldn't come back here anymore.
"Pay attention to me!" the man roared, pulling her hair again.
She sighed. The b*stard and his f*cking mood swings. "What do you want?"
The man shoved her, and Yeo Ri helplessly tumbled to the floor. "Is that really the tone you want to use with me?" he sneered as he loomed over her figure, "to use with your dad?"
As she stared at the devil's face point-blank, Yeo Ri felt an intense feeling—a feeling she had never felt before—bubbling inside of her. It was an indescribably feeling that she could never put into words; more than anger, more than hate, more that revulsion... it was like a monster was trying to claw its way out of her body.
Her body began to shake, unable to quell the feeling.
"Get off me," she seethed.
The man forcibly groped her as a sh*t-eating grin took over his expression. "Did you say something, my sweet little Yeo Ri?"
"You don't scare me anymore."
"Really, now? I don't? Then explain why we're still here, then, my lovely sweetheart? Let's face it—you still haven't forgotten about me, about us... you can't ever get rid of me. I own you. I own your body. You belong to me," he purred. The devil's hands roamed her body, and Yeo Ri's body shook.
"AaaaAAAARGGGGHHHH!"
—The monster inside her took over.
She clawed at the devil on top of her as she released a guttural roar. Her nails tore into his skin, scratching and flaying, thirsting for blood.
Her fingers clasped around his throat, and Yeo Ri found herself reversing their positions; she was now on top, staring down at the man with her hollowed, abyssal eyes.
"Seriously... if I could kill someone twice..." she whispered. A smile slowly spread on her face. "What a shame."
The devil responded with a laugh.
"You're dead," Yeo Ri plainly stated. "You can't do anything to me anymore."
"Is that what you really think, Yeo Ri-ah?" he guffawed, "is that why you still see me around, even though I'm dead?"
He looked back at her with ridicule, treating her as if she was the same dumb little girl she used to be. "Is that why you still hear my voice, and listen to it?"
Yeo Ri remained unfazed at his provocation. She tightened her hold. "You don't control me."
She narrowed her eyes, tilting her head.
Sighing, she muttered, "I wonder why I was so scared of you back then. You were just another pathetic f*cking loser I could have used so easily. So f*cking easy, you men, just a kiss or a touch—no, even with just a look—and bam! Hook. Line. And sinker."
"HahAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The devil, Lee Do Joon, burst into laughter at her words.
"Stupid little b*tch. You think you can seduce others so easily, huh, you ugly, dirty little sl*t? Do you see yourself right now? You're an abomination. No one can love you like I did. You're mine, always and forever. Don't forget about that. I might be dead but you'll see me everywhere—when you sleep, when you eat, when you bathe, when you work, when you f*ck other men... I'll be there, reminding you that you can never get away from me," he rasped as the girl crushed his windpipe.
"..." Yeo Ri opened her mouth but said nothing, eyes wide as if wanting to swallow him into the endless chasm within her eyes.
Yeo Ri raised her eyes again, staring at her own reflection on the foggy window.
Another demon looked back at her, unhealthy hair standing straight, eyes so big it took over half her face, straddling the man in her birthday suit. Her slender fingers looked scarily bony as it punctured through the man's neck. Abrasions of all sizes and colour marred all of her skin, and splatters of blood stained her body.
"Ahh... ahahahahahaha—!"
Yeo Ri laughed at her image.
Ugly! So so so so f*cking ugly!
"—hahahahahahahahaha!"
"Hahahahahahaha—!"
"Aaaaaaaaahahaha..."
Yeo Ri keeled over as she laughed hysterically.
"Ugly...! Ahhh, you're right...! Hahaha, I'm so ugly...!"
Finally, after a long time, she calmed down.
She tilted her head, looking down at the devil who shared the same ugly smile as hers on his face. "And it's all your fault. If you hadn't touched me, I wouldn't have turned out so ugly. I mean, look at me. I had such good genes, but you just had to ruin my chances with your f*cking greed."
She released her deadly hold on the devil's neck.
Yeo Ri began rocking her body back and forth, like a giddy child high after riding some attractions at the amusement park. "Look, now! They all love me now! The others think I'm pretty, see! This is where I was supposed to be all these time! This is what I deserve!"
"Aaaah," Yeo Ri moaned regretfully. "If only you could die twice."
A knife suddenly materialised in her blood-drenched hand.
She swiped it down, stabbing his body again and again and again and again and again and again—exactly six times, for the six times he violated her.
The devil ceased from speaking. Now there was only silence.
Peace was returned to her, but her body could not shake away the lingering emotions coursing through her veins.
It's not enough, the wraith thought. Not enough blood to quench this vengeance of hers.
Yeo Ri scratched her bruised arms, dragging her sharp nails down to her elbows, creating gashes dripping with blood.
She shuddered—
"Yeo Ri?"
—And then she woke up.