Lines Crossed - Volume 1 Chapter 34 33

“Min.. ah Min… ah, don’t cry don’t cry, babe… y.”

“Mamma Pappa” My mother’s voice trailed off as she stared at me. Her dark eyes tearing up. She shut them tight and pointed behind me.

“Go, baby Go get help.” She pressed her hand to the side and her hand pushed me out of the back seat of the car rather weakly.

Despite the rain outside the car, the air was filled with the heavy scent of ash and the thick unpalatable feeling of gas that clung to your body and throat impossible to remove the taste of it no matter how many times you swallowed. The worst was this smell of burning meat that made my stomach coil and flip with uneasiness a smell that lingered and hitched in the back of my throat. It was familiar, but I didn’t know what could be making the smell.

My mother’s voice echoed through my body, as the cold numbed my skin, the wet, drenched my clothing and I shivered from the waves of sobs that rippled through my body. My wails of pain were loud in my own ears, and I wondered why my vision was empty except for that deep ebony darkness with small specks of light.

“Help my momma mom papa Help.”

But no one could hear me. The bright flashes of light and the pile of cars endless wailing. I wasn’t the only person hurting and in all the noise it drowned my tiny cries for help.

The rain pelted my skin, its drops were heavy, a million needles falling like rocks on my flesh.

“Help I begged.” The entire world seemed to spin around me, the darkness and shadows of light dancing, a thousand threads that crawled across my skin.

“It’s scary I don’t like it What can I do?” I wailed.

And as if someone out there were watching over me the universe heard my cries, the wailing and screaming stopped, the sounds of sirens ceased the light that burned my eyes, the smells that assaulted my senses, they all disappeared.

I opened my eyes, to darkness, but this time the darkness wasn’t blinding, this time I could see my surroundings. They were the same surroundings from before, houses, row after row of them, some with small winking lights, others dark and empty. Yet the road was hollow, eerily quiet compared to the cacophony of noise that had been here moments before. But the most obvious was the absence of cars, in the road, especially my families, nothing but empty road in front and behind, everything else was the same. The buildings hadn’t changed, the signs, the lights, blinked the same, and the rain still poured on my flesh soaking me through to the bone.

“Help my momma gone, where are you?”

“Help me, please.”

My vision blurred and my head ached badly. All I knew was that I wanted my momma and papa.

A beautiful lady with blonde hair and blue eyes ran up to me a small boy who looked the spitting image of her rocked on his heels behind her.

“Are you lost? Little one? What is your name?”

“Min” My world became fuzzy and my lids grew heavy.

‘When you have a headache, you close your eyes and everything will get better, baby. I promise.’ My mother’s gentle voice echoed through my head, like a delicate song that drifted me off to sleep.

***

I opened my eyes. As I heard the last syllables of mother drop from my lips.

The stark white ceiling with blue trim, was so far from my own ratty old ceiling, that it only took a moment for my mind to catch up and remind me where I was.

The soft smell of frying meat tickled my nose and wet my taste buds. My stomach growled as if to scream its dissatisfaction at me for making it wait this long.

I sat up feeling as if I had aged a year overnight.

“That smells good,” I started smacking my lips.

I lifted my shirt and slid my hand underneath, letting the soft material fall on top then scratched my belly comfortably.

Hyeri looked at me and smiled, but it didn’t touch her eyes.

“You’re worried,” I stated the fact, not really asking at all.

She nodded slowly.

“You were whimpering again, all night. It has been over a week since you came here It has never lasted this long before right? The dreams, they are pretty strong.”

I nodded and walked over to the counter, then grabbed a piece of meat off the plate and juggled it in my hands to cool it off. The steam rose from it and I blew on it gently.

“Yeah, sorry I know I am ruining your lovey dovey newlywed life being here and all.” I teased changing the subject.

I really didn’t want to think about how vivid and strong the dreams were getting. They always happened every year on that day, and normally for a few days after. Maybe that’s why I had stupidly agreed to go on that date with Mark, because he had asked me on the one day I didn’t want to be alone. The one day, I couldn’t be alone on.

‘My birthday. Or rather the closest thing to a birthday, I could ever have.’

“So what is with the big amazing breakfast? Normally you are the type to have a coffee, throw a kimbap in your bag and run out the door. I know it’s a Saturday and you are not working. But still Pretty fancy.” I wiggled my eyebrows and nudged my chin to the hall door where Joon was still sleeping.

“Is this the newlywed puppy love stage I have heard so much about? That stage us novelists write about in novels as our dream moment we all want to squeal and gush about?”

“Yah, am I some sort of dog that turns its tail and barks for anyone? This is for you, my ungrateful friend.” She said with disgust and attacked my fingers with her metal chopsticks, blocking my fingers that tried to nab a piece of grilled beef.

I hissed.

“Be gentle. I am still hurting.”

She scoffed at my efforts to evoke sympathy from her and instead smacked her lips with mock disgust.

“Go wake Joon up, it’s almost finished.”

I nodded and headed towards her door.

“Sure, yeah, it was all for me, yeah right, see it was for your puppy Joon’s benefit all along.” I teased shamelessly.