So far away, the glistening sand called me towards it as I drifted along the shores of an isolated island. Was I alive?
Nahh... this doesn't really seem being alive...
a cold wave struck my face and brought back the senses of aliveness. I lied down there helplessly amid marshes. Is this where my life has brought me? Is this the dead end? yes, I guess.
"Do you pity yourself?"
A voice echoed in my ears, is this the final judgement of my life? I thought
"Have you ever pitied for those who lost their lives because of you?"
Haven't I? did I just live selfishly for my whole existence? Why would they ask me such questions at the door of hell, take me in and burn me down to ashes at once!
"Come out now, wake up. 3,2,1 and open your eyes"
A bright ray of red laser pierced my eyes. I looked in front and saw a familiar figure in white coat.
"Do you feel better now that you've lived the scariest moment of your life again?" He asked while plastering a smile on his face.
"For how long do I need to keep on visiting you Dr. Park?"
"Answer my question first"
"Yes, I feel much better now", I lied obviously
"That's good. Even though it's quite evident that you're lying, at least I would not feel bad about taking the consultation fees from you.", he laughed foolishly.
"I want to stop this treatment..."
"You think you could live on without these meds?"
"I want to try living on without them."
"Let's make a deal then, prove to me that you can live without any kind of soothing dose for one month, with causing no harm to any living being. I repeat, with causing NO harm to ANY living being. If you could prove that.... may be I'll set you free from this treatment."
I stood up from the resting chair and walked out of the door, a new beginning was calling me from the outer world, a world in which I wished to live for past ten years.
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"Grandma!! How long will you take to pack my order?!!!", a customer shouted for his tteokbokki order.
"Yes! 5 more mins please!!", a tired but strong voice replied to him.
Hermoibbang joint was famous for it's various tteokbokki dishes and the one who cooked them, 70 year old grandma Suhyeon jeong who was running this business since her youthful days.
"Don't you ever get tired? how could you run this shop for 12 hours a day at this age?", a high-school student asked her while eating noodle pot.
"I get tired... but what could I even do sitting alone in the house? It makes me bored... so, instead of getting bored, let's work harder!!"
"Alone? don't you have any family to look after you??"
"Ahhh.... I don't quite remember if there's any family who could look after an old hag like me...", Grandma said with a deep sigh.
Setting sun illuminated the shop with it's mild rays. Grandma locked the doors and stepped out of the shop with wooden stick in her hand. She never stayed in the shop after 6 pm, not even spent an extra minute... a very secretive rule she had followed ever since past 10 years...
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"Another murdered body of a delivery man was found inside the deep forest of Damyang-gu this morning, cops are suspecting it to be the next targeted kill from the serial murder case which was closed 10 years ago due to abundance of proofs and witnesses. The suspicion is caused because of the method of sucking out blood through the victim's chest. Does this incident mark the return of infamous anonymous blood thirsty murderer? If yes, then what made him disappear for 10 years and exactly what has made him return back? Stay with us for more news related to this incident, until then this was your special reporter Song-ah Yoon, CBS news, Damyang-gu", Song-ah turned off her mic and ran inside the news channel van. Her cameraman Jehoon Kim followed her,
"It's fucking so cold out there! couldn't even hold the camera properly...", he said while drinking hot water and sat down on the cozy seat.
"When did you even film me correctly Jehoon-ssi? with your blurred ass vision!!", Song-ah laughed at him
"Hya!! you fools! didn't you take the close-up shot of that corpse? Vice president is firing me over the phone here!!", Mr. Lee shouted from the front seat of the van.
"Has he gone crazy or what? how much more close should we go? does he want to see his anus now?? Can't you see how cops were surrounding the dead body?" , Song-ah shouted back at Mr.Lee
"Watch your mouth, Song-ah! Just because you're a special reporter does not mean you are not answerable to the president!! Get off the car right now, take your cameraman and get the pictures of corpse's chest. All other news channels are flashing the pictures so boldly except for us!! Hurry up!!"
Song-ah stared back at her senior for few seconds and stepped down the van frantically. Jehoon walked behind her slowly with a camera in his hand.
"I'll keep the cops busy by asking them some questions, in the mean time just go inside the crime scene and click the pictures, finish it up within 5 mins... okay?", Song-ah whispered and pushed Jehoon towards the crime scene while herself walking near the policemen.
"Ohhhh Yoon Song-ah, did not expect to see you reporting for this case!", said one of the cops who knew her way long back her rookie days.
"What could a poor reporter like me do when higher ups keep on dragging me into cases like this? By the way... doesn't it seem a bit weird? murderer returning back from his exile after 10 years... what if..."
"Song-ahhhh!!!!! Hyaaa Song-ah!!!!", Jehoon screamed loudly from distance
Song-ah and the cops ran towards the crime scene, Jehoon was shot in his shoulders and lied down the ground.
"Jehoon-ssi!!!", Song-ah panicked badly
"Could you reporters stop invading the crime scene?!!! You think this place is safe to click pictures???? Yoon Song-ah! this is my last warning if you are working on this case, stop meddling in our business!! Do not repeat the incidents!! You're not a rookie anymore!!", policeman warned them and called for an ambulance
Song-ah looked back at the corpse, the camera was lying down beside his chest... damaged completely.... she knew it... her life had played a trick again and her fate was standing at opposite end... again... after 10 years...