The smell of freshly fried noodles, the warmth of a loving family and a whole lot of mixed emotions.
Suddenly, all the pain I've went through is gone. I missed the warmth given by this old house that was somewhat full of love.
The feeling that I thought was surely burried for good resurfaced. Maybe I just need to forget about other things for now, it isn't that bad to stay here.
As my mother walked to the kitchen and continued preparing the food for tonight, I can't help but think about the present I was in a while ago.
I wonder if anyone is searching for me, not knowing I'm enjoying myself here. Though, even if they did, I don't think I want to return to the present yet.
While I was standing in the hallway of the old house, wondering about Mary, Chin-hae and the games, a sound of the door opening made me forgot about those thoughts and turned around.
I was send into shock once again, I clenched my fists as my eyes widened. I know him very well, he always come home late and looks drunk, it's out of the ordinary to see him home so early and not drunk.
I know it's just a dream that I'm experiencing at the moment but it's not really a good excuse for him being out of character.
As he entered the house, I can't help but whisper to myself. The man that was almost always never present at home, the one that my mother had to stand up with for the past few years.
"Han Yeong-oh…"
"My boy!"
The man screamed, running towards me with open arms. His arms wrapped around my body, embracing me in his warmth. It felt nice to see him act like this for once even if it's fake, I guess that's also why he feels cold.
As he held onto me, I could feel my memories of the present slowly disappear, changing what I thought I knew about this world.
I don't think I want to leave this place, time feels slower around here. The longer I stay, the more a certain feeling grows in me . Is this really home? I took in a deep breath as my father let go of me.
I smiled, my mother from the kitchen was running out to greet the man in front of me while I was standing there without a single thought.
If this wasn't home then what is? As my mother got closer, I could spot a figure lurking in the shadows outside the kitchen's window. It didn't look like an animal.
As I tried to identify what it was, my mother stepped between us and blocked my view. Maybe I was just hallucinating… why should I focus on things like that anyways?
I looked up at my mother's expression, she was smiling, kissing my father. I stood aside, waiting for them to finish their greetings.
As I stood there in silent, my father took out a little plastic bag and started speaking.
"I heard you were making rice cakes tonight, I brought some ingredients."
I looked as he handed her the bag. This isn't right, I don't remember the events happening this way… as I tried to think about what was wrong, a annoying sound was repeatedly ringing in my head.
I grinded my teeth, holding onto my head, I could feel myself getting weak. This isn't my family, not the one I grew up with… are they?
I shook my head, watching my mother took the bag and went to the kitchen. How was I going to save anyone if I don't even know a way out of here? I have to stay conscious.
I went to the kitchen with my father, seems like I'll be helping with the rice cakes tonight… will my father be drinking tonight?
I sighed, it was hard staying conscious while I keep baiting myself with questions to zone out. As I stood there in silent, my mother brought in a stool and put me on it.
I smiled at her, listening to the instructions and helped her with the rice cakes. Her hands carefully wrapping the filling inside the dough, my father carefully put them into the steamer after she's done.
We sat there, chatting and laughing. It felt too warm to be real. I looked as my mother stood up and went to get the rice cakes. As she got up, I could see that figure outside the window once again, clearer this time.
It looked strange, a crossbreed between a human and a cat. I can't help but let curiosity take over me. While my father was distracted, watching the television, I stood up and sneaked over to the window.
The creature was still there, maybe jt could be a clue of some sorts. I thought for a moment, it could be my key to escaping this dream, but for some reasons, I can feel myself hodling me back from opening the window.
Maybe it was fear from being attacked or the fear of leaving the yesterday I'm in. I couldn't tell what I was holding on, I knew everything was a trick yet I still chose to fall for it.
I raised my hand hesitantly towards the locked window as the creature was watching. After a few seconds of hovering over the handle, I took a deep breath and opened it.
As the window unlocked, I quickly retracted my arm. The creature smiled at me weirdly before disappearing. I guess this is it, I'll go back the present I was in, leaving yesterday.
As I closed my eyes, waiting for something to happen, an arm reached out for me from the back. The man began speaking.
"Hey buddy, what are you doing looking outside the window?"
Did it fail? Was it not a clue? I looked at the window then back at him. The creature clearly disappeared, the window is still open. Maybe there's something I'm missing.
I shook my head, answering him.
"It's nothing, dad."
"Well we should eat now, your mother called me to tell you."
I nodded, following him to the kitchen. Maybe today was a different day? My mother could've read the date wrong after all… how come everything is happening so differently?
I sighed, sitting down at the dinner table. Japchae, songpyeon… most of the dishes on the table are meant to be served during Chuseok.
As I began eating, the creature appeared again, behind my mother and the layer of window glass. I shrugged it off, considering how the thing didn't do anything last time.
As I bit into the food, I saw a red glow from behind my mother. My eyes widened, I dropped my chopsticks, reaching out for her.
Bang!
I looked as blood splattered onto my clothes and the hand that I used to reach out to her. My mouth was gaping in shock, this wasn't how she died. The woman in front of me was just an illusion, why am I so shocked?
I stood up from my seat as my mother body fell onto the ground, her body came crashing down along with the glass bottle on the table.
I looked over to my father after she fell down onto the ground, trying to see what he might be feeling, the man showed no emotions for his wife's death, he was just sitting there in silent like an unused puppet.
Something was wrong… A chill ran down my spine as the window suddenly opened. The creature used its human arms to crawl into the house through the opened window.
It began speaking after sitting down onto the woman's body infront of me. It acted like a cat yet it wasn't fully an animal.
"All lives are meant to reach an end one day."
It stopped for a bit, looking at my shocked expression. I gave it a glance before looking back at my father again to see his reaction, as soon as I turned my gaze on him, I jumped.
To my surprise was a dead rotten corpse sitting on the chair with a pile of food in its mouth. The scene was disgusting yet even with all that, it didn't have a single smell.
The creature looked at me with a sly smile, seems like this is all apart of it's plan.
"No matter which road you choose, death will always be there, waiting."
It smiled creepily, letting out the laugh of a dokkaebi. It could be one of them but something about it is off.
I clenched my fists and started thinking. I looked under the table then back at my father's seat, judging by their looks, they had been dead for a long time.
I'm certain, the creature wasn't the one that killed my mother, it was rather using her as a puppet for this dumb act. It was using my parents' corpses.
"You can't kill what's already dead."
It seemed to have read my mind. The creature's answer confirmed my thoughts. It was right, the dead can not die.
The disgusting creature must've given me some kind of hallucinogenic gas for me to react to dead corpses.
Damn twisted monster…I grinded my teeth and got under the the table, to find one of the glass shards from the broken vase to use as defense.
As I got down, I could see the rice cakes that my mother prepared. They're now blood stained and dirty, there's no way someone could eat this now.
Seems like not everything here is dead and withered then… I looked around, ignoring the dead body on the ground and picked up the piece of glass.
As I got back up, I could see the figure of the creature again. It was sitting there patiently, showing no signs of hostility as if it was waiting for me to kill it.
As it sat there, the hybrid-looking creature began speaking again.
"You're very special, Gyungho. You posses a power similar to his."
His? Who is this man this creature is talking about? Could it be the same person that toy wolf was talking about? I frowned, pointing the glass shard at the monster. My body was still taking the form of when I was a kid, if it wants to fight, I'll surely be defeated.
The monster looked at me shivering out of fear and laughed. It was just like a dokkaebi yet it had a different form… even worse, I feel like I've met this creature before.
"Who is he and who are you?"
Sweats began dripping down my forehead as the atmosphere tenses between us. The creature looked at me with a bit of amusement before it started talking.
"Hm? I thought you'd known by now. Kekekeke… though it is more interesting that you don't."
"Don't ignore me now."
The creature let out an irritating laugh. It then flicked its finger. Whatever it is, the creature is certainly a threat that I must annihilate.
I held tightly onto the glass shard, damaging my own hands. I could feel the glass digging into my palm, soaking itself in my blood. Holding in the pain, I came charging at the creature.
As my glass shard got closer, the creature looked at me as if I was a toy. By the time I've realized it, I was sitting back down st the chair again in my normal body.
I looked at the creature, it didn't have a single scratch on its body. I then looked back at my hand, the wound was still there yet the glass piece was gone.
"You're very entertaining."
I gulped, the creature was definitely stronger than me. I looked as it flicked its finger again, this time, it made the area around us turned into a blank space.
"I'll let you figure things out on your own, Gyungho."
It stopped for a moment, looking deep into my eye before talking.
"I'll let you off the hook this time."
It flicked its finger again. This time, the corpses around me were gone then the chair I was sitting on disappeared as well, making me land on the ground.
I looked as the creature started walking up into the nothingness and began to disappear. Before the beast left, it smiled again and talked.
"See you soon, my friend."
Woosh!
[SYSTEM: you've escaped from a hallucination and arrived at 「Connecting Station」 !]