I've been walking in and out of every bar in the city looking for Forest. I still can't find her. I dedicated an entire day, even ditched the school for one whole day, to look for her but I still failed. I was so desperate to find her I was willing to enter every structure I came across with just so I can see her.
I stopped by the mall for dinner, and hope that maybe she was miraculously there. While eating, I pulled out my phone to call Haechan.
"MARK LEE, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"
I moved my phone away from my ear the moment I hear Haechan yelled on the other line. "I'm okay." I answered.
"Why are you absent? Are you sick? Did your adviser make you absent to finish your project?"
I shake my head as if he'd see it. "Help me Haechan." He was silent. He was probably figuring out what kind of help I wanted from him again. "Help me find her." I hear him let out a wheeze. "I need to find her Haechan. Her sister died and she's been missing since that day – since last week."
"You were absent today, looking for her, and you're telling me all these things about her to make me help you." He said. "You're unbelievable, Mark."
"Please Haechan. I'm hopeless. If I don't find her soon, I'm afraid I'd see her cadaver next."
I hear him sigh. "Where are you?"
"In a mall."
"Have you been to the house parties she usually go to?"
I nodded saying, "Yes."
"Then maybe she really is dead."
I fell silent. I didn't want that to be an option. I was having thoughts of her being dead and for Haechan to make that a clarity of it being a possibility breaks me into pieces. I want to be with her. If I find her after this, I will never let her go again.
"I'm sorry." He said under his breath. "Have you been to the police to tell them about this?"
"I…" I haven't really thought of them. For some reason, I felt like they won't be helping either way. No officer is serious over missing-person cases so I don't really trust them. ��I haven't."
He sighs. "I'll go to the station and report for a missing person. I'll try to find a picture of her in case they ask. Don't worry too much. We'll find her."
The comfort I felt after Haechan said those made my heart at ease. "Thank you, Haechan."
"Don't go anywhere. I'll meet you there after."
Half an hour later, Haechan came to the mall panting as he approached the table where I sat for the past minutes. I stared at him waiting for him to tell me what happened at the station. He takes a seat across me before glaring at me.
"You're seriously making me do all these things for that demon. If I end up in hell when I die, I'm haunting you for the rest of your life."
I smiled at him regardless.
"They said they'll start printing out missing poster around the city and see if someone would come forth."
"And?" I frowned. "How will we know if—"
"I asked them to have your number on it of course. No way, I'm getting my number printed on flyers all over the city. You're the one who wanted this so there's not much you can do now."
I sighed. "Okay then."
"The park."
Park? I looked at Haechan confused.
"Have you checked the park." He asked matter-of-factly, crossing his arms. I knew deep inside, Haechan was worried. He was never the type of person who wouldn't do anything for humanity. "People who are lost and out of their minds mostly go to public parks, science says."
"Let's go see then."
This is already our third park and I'm starting to lose hope. I wish we can find her already so my mind can at least be at ease. Thinking of the different possibilities during her absence is too much for my brain to handle.
"Let's split. It's easier that way." Haechan suggests which I immediately agreed to. Right now, I was just thankful that Haechan is doing this with me. I wouldn't survive this all on my own. It'd be weird to ask for Ms. Felicity's help.
This is the biggest park in our city. I understand why Haechan asked to split. I took the right and he took the other. I started walking around, calling out for her name like an idiot. People would turn their heads toward me but I was too focused on my goal to find Forest to care about how they perceive me as.
"Forest!"
I kept yelling – I've been walking around the different parts of this side of the park and I still can't find her. All the people here made me frustrated. Seeing them with laughs and smiles made me bitter. Forest didn't deserve the type of life she experienced. I was so angry at these people who were fortunate enough to not live as how Forest lived.
"You've been there for an hour already! Let us take one photo will you?!"
I turned around and saw a man yelling inside the photo booth, near a hotdog stall.
"If you're not leaving, I'm calling the cops." Just like a horror movie, the grumpy man was pulled inside the booth by the neck and stumbled back outside in fear. "F-Fine! Have it all you want!"
The rest of the people waiting in line ran away as well after witnessing just that. My feet started leading me towards the booth. My heart raced. I wanted it to be her. I wanted that whoever was here to be her. It didn't matter how she scared these people just now, it's the at least she can do to make up with all the terrible things she's been through.
My hands trembled as they find its way to the curtain that separates itself from the outside world. Let it be her. I squeezed my eyes shut in fear as soon as my hands slid the curtain off.
When I opened back my eyes, there she sat, her eyes on the screen but seemed as dumbfounded as I was. "Forest…" I mumbled and she hasn't noticed. I was so happy. I wanted to just pull her out of the seat and hg her so tight – make her feel the comfort she needs right now.
I froze at my spot, staring at her as tears streamed down her face. She wasn't sobbing, only tears fell down silently – as if her soul was crying but her physical self can't properly comprehend the emotion she's feeling.
I stepped inside the booth and sat next to her inside, closing the curtain door. My chest tightened as I sat next to her, tears falling more in her face. I couldn't help but pity her.
"You're not supposed to be here."
I was taken aback. She knew who I was the moment I opened the curtain, the moment I came inside, the moment I sat with her. She knew without turning to face me. "Are you here to take a picture? You scared the old man pretty good." I try to lighten her mood but it doesn't seem to be helping.
"What are you doing here?" She asked, her voice colder than the weather, emotionless.
I gulped. "I was looking for you." I confessed and she doesn't reply. "I'm sorry." I looked up to the screen like her. "But I'm not sorry for looking for you because I'm worried," I added. "I'm sorry you have to experience all the misfortunes in life." I looked at her and her expression tightens. Her tears fell even more. "I'm sorry all this had to happen to you."
"She died…" Her trembling voice breaks my heart even more. "She died because I couldn't pay for a doctor to help her." I stared at her, my eyes watering in pain. "She's so young…" I can feel how broken she was as she spoke – how much she loved her sister more than anyone. "Sometimes I wish it would have been me. I told her to stay strong so we can play together outside," She blinks and bigger tears fell down. "I told her she'd get better…"
When her tears continuously fell down, I pulled her over my chest and hugged her as tight as I could – as comforting as I could. "I'm sure your sister wouldn't like to see you like this."
"Everyone hates me." She exclaims between her sobs. "Everyone doesn't care about people like me. They act like they do but they don't. I hate myself." She mumbled. "I wish I was never even born. I hate—"
"W-Why do you hate yourself? Why are you saying all of that?"
"Because I'm Lucifer's daughter."
Her eyes. They were so sad and sorrowful. I can feel how broken and shattered her heart was even just by talking to her. I didn't know how else to comfort her if not me staying by her side. Looking at her in this state breaks my heart.
"I hate that I ruin everything I get in contact with. I hate that people think of me as poison."
At that, I pulled her to my embrace. I hugged her so tight I wanted to make her feel the love she deserved. "Forest…" I started before slowly pulling away from her. I shook my head with a thin smile. "You're no poison."
She just stared back at me with her smudged black liner and red eyes.
"You're the most amazing person I've ever met, the strongest, the bravest – I can't start to explain how great you are." I paused and looked at her. "If you are poison, why do you think I'm still here?" I ask her. "Haechan might be right when he told me it's crazy to like you but I don't regret anything." I squeeze her shoulder tighter. "I have so much to regret but not liking you."