Chapter 1
On Jeju Island, where this mansion is located, boredered with big forest at the back of it. A forest which is also bordered at the end by a village. In front of the mansion there's the main street, separated from the mansion by the front garden and the parking garage,all rounded by a big wall. A group of cars arrive at the entrance of the mansion and stop at the door, a few number of servants get out from the first car and the third along with the security guards. One of the security men walks past the car in the middle and opens the door for the mansion lady to exit.
This Soft, delicate and infinitely beautiful, with a goddess-like body and silky black hair, Kim Jisoo.
The daughter of Kim Sehun, one of the most influential men in Korea for his vast influence and immense wealth. She herself has her own company branch to manage. Next to Jisoo, her loyal butler, who has been with her ever since she was very young, Lee Min Yoo.
Jisoo takes a deep breath as she ponders the house she will be living in from now on, which was a sudden request from her father.
Her aunt must be coming on vacation at their house in Seoul and so to avoid any quarrels, he sent her here. It is unfortunate but a must.
Jisoo enters the mansion and suddenly the lights turn on, then the servants enter and Lee Min Yoo walks ahead of them.
"Welcome, madam. We are your loyal men at your service. Please leave all of your worries and think only about your comfort."
Min Yoo says standing at the entrance to the mansion, bowing to her.
"Min Yoo ... How many times did I tell you that there was no need for honorifics. I spent more time with you than my father so..spare me." Jisoo replies in boredom.
Lee Min Yoo smiles at her and then nods and expands his hand in the direction of the mansion as a sign for her to enter.
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"Shit! Shit! What are they doing here ?! Damn it!! Dad, you will pay for this!!" Jennie mutters in a low voice and in a stressed tone as she looks around, terrified. listening to the violent blows on the door.
"They're still at the door, what will I do? If they don't find their money they will inevitably kill me or take me with them! Fuck!" She says and looks around again for a way out until her eyes fall on the bathroom window and she rushes to it.
"Quickly, I have to run! Damn! it's narrow! Come on! Come on!"
Jennie tries to get out of the bathroom window and hardly presses her body to pass through the window. In the meantime, men smashes the door and starts looking for her.
After struggling a bit with the window, Jennie gets out and falls to the ground. The men hear the sound of the fall coming from the other side, and they rush to the outside. Jennie was hurt by falling a little, but this is not the time to complain, so she gathers all her energy and strength to stand and starts running away, listening to the screams of men behind her.
"She ran away into the woods! Track her! Don't let her get away! Our heads that will be cut off if we don't catch her!"
Jennie runs as fast as she can, Resists pain and fatige. She's starting to get thirsty; the forest is dark and can see nothing, her face and hands are full of scratches as she collides with leaves and twigs while her feet are contaminated with mud and dirt.
She has isolated her consciousness from the outside world and all she thinks of now is to get away from them, focusing only on running and what's in front of her. She's looking for any shelter that protects her, anything. Thinking about losing them, she starts to change her running direction and after about an hour or more of continuous running, she finds herself in front of a narrow hallway . It looks like a secret passage.
Trying to catch her breaths, she slows down a liitle, feeling as if she is about to faint. And starts walking in the hallway, only hearing her breath. She must have managed to lose them.
When She reaches the end of the hallway, she finds an old wooden door in front of her connected to a large wall. she can also see a part from the mansion that is located behind it, feeling the shudder just from looking at it.
What will she do? would she risk entering? not knowing what's gonna happen behind this door and who lives in there?
At another time, she would have driven out these ideas and gone on another path, has she not been in urgent need of hiding now. She has no other option, especially since those who chase her have mostly spread around the edge of the forest and in the village.
Jennie opens the door and enters the mansion's back garden tip toeing, quietly. The place is dark and quiet, and the mansion's lights are off. They must be sleeping now.
She keeps walking cautiously as she searches for a place to sit, trying to find a suitable spot that protects her, at least until the sun rises before the owners of this palace wake u-
"Hey!! So what are we going to do now? Where are we?"
"Yes..I'm really tired and hungry. In fact, very hungry."
Jennie stands still, shocked. Doesn't know who these voices are and where they came from. She turns slowly, feels bewildered once she sees them.
"uh..wh- what ?! Wh- who are you for heaven's sake?" Jennie says stuttering in a low voice as she looks at the two strange girls in front of her, feeling lost. From their looks, she can tell that they are about the same age as her, but she doesn't know them and doesn't know how they came here.
"Oh ... I apologize for the late introduction, because you were running continuously and we had no chance to ask you anything." One of the girls says, putting both hands on her waist and breathing heavily, it looks as if she has just came back from a marathon and the other one was the same as well.
"What? What are you saying? Who are you?" Jennie repeats her question, more confused.
"I am Lisa!" The girl answers with an enthusiastic tone, as she points to herself, then points to her friend.
"And this's Chaeyoung."
"We were asleep, and suddenly we heard screams and violent steps." She continues. "We woke up to see what's going on and you ran by quickly. Frankly, your expressions were very funny, but this is not the point. Anyway, we started running with you! " Lisa completes wearing a proud smile while Jennie still looking confused.
She must had been so immersed in her thoughts that she didn't notice their presence, typical Jennie.
"What?! Why? Is your mind ok? Why are you following someone you don't know?" Jennie addressees in disapproval.
"Oh, as you know, most of those who die in horror movies die because they do not quickly understand the danger coming to them. And that is why me and Rosie decided we should not become like them." Lisa says in all seriousness.
"It's true, and since you were running as if someone was about to steal your food..it must be dangerous and so we followed you." Chaeyoung adds approving her friend's point with a smile and contentment as she exchanges looks with Lisa, which is reflecting her cheerful facial expressions while Jennie is cursing her luck and the day she was born inside her head listening to their words and amazement is still on her face.
"Oh shit! We have to hide." Jennie says suddenly when she feels some movement and noise from inside the palace.
Jennie lowers her head, and Lisa and Chaeyoung do the same. She hints at a tree-shaded spot beside the wall beneath one of the mansion windows, and tells them to go there.
They reach the spot and sit quietly next to each other against the wall so no one can hears them. when she makes sure it's safe, Jennie cushions her head against the wall to rest and sighs tiredly.
She ran a long distance and she barely can feel her legs. Feeling drowsy, her heavy eyelids force her to close her eyes. And as the sleepiness begins to take over her, she puts her head between her knees and hugs them, letting herself to take a break.
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**
"Mom! Mom! Look, it's a butterfly!"
Jennie says passionately as she pulls the edge of her mother's dress and points to a large butterfly, with bright and colorful wings, standing on a plant in their small garden.
- "Really? What a beautiful butterfly...just like you." Her mother responds, agreeing to her daughter's tone of joy.
"Mom..at school, the teacher told us that the butterfly in the beginning is a small caterpillar and then it grows to become like this. Is this true?"
- "Yes, Jennie... at first, it is a weak caterpillar that is unable to do anything, and then it wraps itself in what we call it, a cocoon , to grow and come out like this, as an grown butterfly."
"Oh, what a beautiful thing."
Jennie adds, looking at the butterfly with admiration. Her mother stares silently at her, smiling softly.
"Jennie , you know? We humans, are just like her but in a different way." Her mother begins with a gentle tone, drawing her daughter's attention.
"Really? how?"
"At the beginning, we also come to this world weak and fragile, in need to our parents to take care of us so that we can grow up and be able to stand on our own two feet. They continue to take care for us and give us what is necessary to be in good health. They prepare us for the time when we must make our own decisions.."
little Jennie continues to listen to her mother carefully despite not fully understanding what her mother wants to convey to her, so she focuses well on what her mother says to her.
"In fact, when you grow up a little and become a beautiful and smart girl, and I am sure of this. You will have moments when you feel completely helpless, moments when you think it is the end .."
Her mother falls silent a little and then continues while placing her hand around Jennie's shoulder.
"But you, my little Jennie, are very strong. You will find this cocoon someday to make you stronger and stronger. What is this cocoon and in what image will it appear to you? You will know this too."
Her words that Jennie still remembers, the love that they contain, the bright smile on her mother's face, the strength that she drew from her..all of it rests deep inside Jennie.
Suddenly her mother stops smiling..
"Now, my dear, I have to go. You have more important things to care for. Always remember that you are strong, always.."
Her mother says calmly as she gently caresses Jennie's cheek to then straighten her pose and turns around and starts walking away.
"What? Why? Stay here, please..
- Little Jennie says she starts walking behind her mother, but the closer she gets, the farther her mother becomes.-
Mom!! Stop! why are you getting further and further ..Mom please! Stop!..
**
"Stop!!"
"Shh ... lower your voice! They will know that we are here!!" Lisa says in a whisper as she looks at Jennie.
Astonished, Jennie remains silent for a moment while she absorbs the surroundings and realizes that what she was experiencing is nothing but a dream that goes back to her childhood days, of course with a little twist at the end. She sighs returning to reality, feeling exhausted with a hope that no one had heard her. Raising her gaze towards the side when she hears the sound of a noise next to her, her pupils expands in amazement at what she sees.
What are Lisa and Chaeyoung doing at the glass back door of the mansion? Are they trying to open it? are they out of their minds?!
"Hey! What are you doing? Move away! " Jennie whisperes, in a stressed tone, as she stands up and heads towards them.
"We are frozen from the cold! Don't you see how your body is trembling?! Besides, we will go before they notice us." Lisa answers without looking up from the lock and without stopping trying to open it. Jennie looks at her hands and see that she is right, her hands are really shaking, but this is still not justified.
"Does this allow you to break into the homes of others? You will put us in a trouble!" Jennie says in a reproachful tone.
" Hey, can you stop arguing already!" Chaeyoung adds impatiently as she looks with irritation to both, to then softens her facial expressions with indifference and returns her attention to Lisa.
"Lisa hurry!"
Jennie stands still with her mouth slightly open, looking at them unbelievably, doesn't know what to say. A little while ago she was about to be killed and now she is on her way to the prison for intrusion.
Good..cool..very cool!
"Ah! I opened it! I opened it!" Lisa says suddenly, excitedly as she opens the door.
"Come on! Quietly and slowly..Go in. "
"Lisa yah! Now I'm sure you're the smartest one between us!" Chaeyoung says in a playful tone from behind her.
"Wait..just now?" Lisa adds with a deadpan expression, and Chaeyoung just pushes her lightly, indicating her to start walking. Jennie rolls her eyes at them and follows them.
Carefully, the girls enter..one by one, through the back door of the mansion, which opens to the secondary dining room. They move slowly and try not to make a sound. Trying to get to the back of the sofa temporarily and while Jennie is putting all of her focus on her steps, she suddenly stops and looks with panic when she hints something on the other side.
"Hey!! Chaeyoung! what are you doing next to the table?! We are moving in this direction." Jennie says through gritted teeth, as she points to Chaeyoung towards where they are supposed to go.
"What?" says Lisa, confused, and then turns to see Chaeyoung in the opposite direction, walking towards the fruit basket in the center of the table. Feeling betrayed, she calls for her in a stressed and low tone.
"Hey! what are you doing?"
"What? I told you I'm hungry." Chaeyoung answers as she takes bites from the apple and looks at them with wonder.
"And when I saw these in front of me, I couldn't control myself."
"How do you go without telling me? I'm also hungry!" Lisa says, grumbled as she goes over to Chaeyoung's side.
"Really! Is that all you're thinking of? We are about to get caught and you're here arguing over food!"
"Sorry but you didn't spend your life eating solid bread so you can't understand us." Chaeyoung says with irony.
"Yeah..who shpenz hiz life in zhe colt wader, ish not zhe shame like who shpenz it in zhe hot wader." Lisa adds with an apple in her mouth as she take the fruits out from the basket with both hands and hides them in her pocket.
"What?! Take that out from your mouth, then talk!" Jennie says, irritated.
"Anyway, come on! We have to move before we-"
"Stop right there!"
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To be continued
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