Sun and Moon (Sweet Home)

16

Mi-Sun awoke the next morning to sunshine streaming through the daycare widows, bathing her in warm golden light. It was the sound of classical music playing over the intercom that woke her up, blinking her bleary eyes, she saw that she was the only person in the room. Stretching her tired limbs, she sat up with her baby blue blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

A calm, deep voice sounded from the intercom; Eun-Hyuk. "Survivors," he started. 'Guess he figured out how to work it,' Mi-Sun thought happily, not that she had doubted he would. This was a good sign— they were another step forward to survival! "The first floor is safe now."

Assuming Mun-Su was with Eun-Hyuk again, she headed to the security room, leaving her blanket behind. Would they be meeting some more survivors soon? If Seung-Jae survived then surely the were more?

"Come to the first floor, we'll be safer together. We survivors must stick together. Please, come down—" With a sharp, high pitched screech, the intercom faltered and cut off.

With the noise of the intercom silenced, it revealed a more sinister sound coming from the lobby. The clanking sound of metal, it made Mi-Sun's blood freeze in her veins and her feet halt mid step. One terrifying thought played in her head. Her body felt numb, unable to move, like invisible restraints were holding her down.

'Who's raising the shutter?'

Coming from the security room, Eun-Hyuk, closely followed by Mun-Su, darted down the hall, running for the lobby and towards her. Seeing the two, she felt herself able to feel her body again. Mun-Su's fingers laced with hers as he grabbed her hand, pulling her along. She stumbled into a run, her legs and feet waking up.

"Stay behind me!" Mun-Su ordered, not looking back as they ran to the main entrance.

"What's going on?" Eun-Hyuk demanded.

The shutter was slowly raising, half of the barricade was torn down. Jin-Ok, kicking and screaming, was being held back by both Jae-Hwan and Seung-Wan.

"Let me out!" Jin-Ok screamed, fighting against the two men. They were struggling to hold the furious woman, barely dodging sharp elbow jabs and kicks as they held onto her arms and shoulders.

Jumping forward to assist them, Mun-Su let go of Mi-Sun's shaking hand and grabbed onto Jin-Ok's elbow. "Ma'am, please—" he narrowly missed the hand flying towards his face. "Ma'am, you can't go out there!"

Breaking out of their hold, she was suddenly in front of an unresponsive Eun-Hyuk, holding her phone out once more. She frantically pointed at the screen, "Look— look, look! My daughter's here!" She cried, pointing to the tracking app on her phone.

"Close it," Eun-Hyuk ordered, ignoring the woman's begging.

Mi-Sun looked up at his emotionless face, his eyes hard, she understood his reasoning— they couldn't just leave the gate open. She just wished it didn't have to be this way.