pretty flower | 강새벽

007

"Go get me some more soju!" my father yelled as he threw money at my head. 

"Yes, sir. I'll leave right away." I hurried out the door, rushing to the store to buy him some more beer. 

On my way back, someone bumped into me, causing me to drop the case of soju and fall to the ground. 

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" I yell as I collected the bottles, placing them back into the box. As I picked up everything, I put my hand in my pocket, looking for my keys. Instead of my keys, a brown card replaced them. 

"Hey! Get back here!" I call out for the man who bumped into me, but he was gone completely. I looked back at the card, turning it around to find a phone number. 

They weren't lying when they said we'd have another chance. 

⎯⎯⎯⎯

Here I was. Standing on the side of the road. Waiting to be kidnapped by strange men who will most likely kill me. 

This is where they told me to wait. 

I look down to check the vintage watch on my wrist. 

"Mom, I'm sorry. I have to do this for them though." I whisper to the watch, hoping that her watch would bring me good luck. 

By the time I looked up again, a set of headlights lit up my dark silhouette. A van slowed down, stopping in front of me. The door opened on its own and I looked towards the driver, realizing it was a masked man.  

I slowly walked towards the van, carefully getting inside and sitting down.

"There's a blindfold next to you. Put it on." The driver said. 

I looked to the seat next to me, finding a cloth neatly folded up. I wrapped it around my head tightly and felt the car moving a bit. 

It didn't take long until the car stopped again and I heard two car doors open. 

"Is someone else joining us?" I ask sarcastically. 

The next thing I knew, there was a sharp pinch in my upper arm. 

"Hey! What are you doing?" my head was spinning and I felt like my soul was detached from my body. I felt as light as a feather.

Did they drug me?

I pulled my blindfold off, looking at the masked man standing next to me 

"Woah, there's five of you! How did you get so many to fit in the van?" I giggle for no reason. I felt like I wasn't in control of my body, almost like I was being brainwashed and controlled through a sequence of codes. 

"She'll be out soon, and if she isn't, she won't remember anything." one of the masked men said.

"Your voice is nice." I smile as the masked man closes my door and sits back in the front seat. 

We started driving again, this time, I watched out the window before everything went blurry, and then completely black. 

⎯⎯⎯⎯

When I woke up again, we were still in the van driving. I looked around to see if there was anyone I noticed. My eyes were still adjusting to the dark and my head was pounding. 

"Where ar-" I began whispering before I felt a hand cover my mouth quickly. My breath hitched, panic slowly filling my body. 

"Shhh. You're fine, but you need to stay quiet." Someone whispered into my ear. I nod my head before turning around to see who was talking to me. 

Although it was dark, I could make out the figure easily. 

"Sae-Byeok?" I whispered, trying to keep quiet this time. She nodded, looking towards the front of the van, trying to keep our consciousness secret. 

She places a single finger on her lips as she lays back down on the seat, closing her eyes, pretending she was passed out like the rest of the passengers. 

I turn and face the front of the van, looking towards the driver. I stayed silent for a while as I recalled what had happened. 

They drugged me. 

"She'll be out soon, and if she isn't, she won't remember anything." 

I won't remember anything. 

I smirk as I lean up against the driver's seat. 

"Mr.Mask man, did I ever tell you that you're really pretty?" I giggle, pretending the drugs were still heavy in my system. 

"You're awake?" He asks, concern seeping through his voice. 

"Are you not happy to see me?" I pout and place a hand on his shoulder "You all seemed so happy last time." 

"Get your hands off me." 

"Someone's grouchy." I remove my hand from his shoulder and continue talking "But you didn't answer my question. Did you know that you're pretty? Your voice is soothing and I bet your body is just as nice." 

I poke his shoulder this time, trying to provoke him. 

"Stop touching me." 

"But you're so touchable!" I whine and giggle again, sounding completely obnoxious. 

The van begins slowing down and I notice other vans, similar to this one, lined up in front of us. The driver turns around to face me and shows me a needle. 

"Don't move." He says as he puts the needle in my arm.

"Ow!" I whine "Can't you be a little nicer?" 

 "Shut up, or else I'll make it hurt more." 

I mimic him before sitting back in my seat. 

"This seat is uncomfortable," I complain and I climb into the middle row where Sae-Byeok is. I sit down, placing her head on my lap softly, trying to help her stay hidden. 

"Get back in your seat!" the driver yells.

"But I don't wanna sit there." I pout and notice the vans in front of us moving. 

He doesn't respond with anything before turning around and driving, not paying attention to us. 

"I think he drugged me again," I whisper into Sae-Byeok's ear. She nods her head subtly, placing a hand on my thigh.

My eyes felt heavy again, but I was trying to fight it. No matter how hard I fought it, each second got harder to stay awake for. 

"S-stay awake," I mutter to myself, my eyes closing one last time without opening again. 

⎯⎯⎯⎯

WORD COUNT: 1028