A Haunted Love Story. (Kanglim x Hari)

Teaser (?)

[CONTENT WARNING: Reference to unsolved crisis, graphic descriptions of injury, character injury, dissociation, implied hallucinations, implied mental dismay, implied memory loss, implied derealization, implied possible major character death.]

[THIS TEASER MAY TRIGGER PSYCHOTIC EPISODES, DEREALIZATION, OR DISSOCIATION PLEASE READ AT YOUR OWN RISK IF YOU SUFFER FROM THESE!]

The dawn of the day has shed its light at last..

'Is it over?' I can't help but wonder.

The smoke of this forest fire is suffocating.. A cough erupts from my throat, then two, three, and soon a fit. It stings my esophagus to breathe, to swallow, to choke on the dust and ashes that cloud the air.

With what little strength remains in my body, still trembling in terror and pain, I dig my palms into the rough surface of the dirt, littered with gravel and ash. My vision is blurred, and my memory is failing me.. What was I doing here again?..

I am able to push myself upwards and into a sitting position, soon onto my hands and knees as I crawl over to a tree that is free of ignition, unscathed by the flames that have engulfed the landscape around me. I inhale slowly and rest, despite my almost desperate breaths coming out as more of short gasps and hiccups of desperation as my lungs pedal to intake the smoky air. 

Lifting a hand, I feel around my face. I feel grazes on my cheeks, burn marks on  the sides of my face, and remnants of tearstains that dribble down beneath both of my eyes. My ears are ringing, and the smell of smoke is getting less noticeable. My vision is growing hazy, and it feels like there's static in my brain. I take a moment to recap..

My name is Hari Koo. I am thirteen years old, I live in Shinbi apartments with my parents, my younger brother, and a goblin.. where are they?.. Through the flashes of white that have nearly taken hold of my mind, I push through the ringing and fuzziness as I work to kick my brain into gear. I remember the flash of light that concluded this.. doomsday.. the blurred faces of my friends.. I need..

to find.

    my friends..

And so with that single thought in mind, I press my back against the base of the tree, my knees barely able to keep me steady as I push to my feet. I wobble slightly, gripping a stray piece of tree bark that was sticking outwards awkwardly to keep myself steady. I rub my eyes with my free hand, and once the swirls of black and white fade away.. I open my eyes.

And the it's brighter than it was. The flames have extinguished, as if they were never there at all. I hear my sneakers rustle in the now flourishing green grass beneath me; which was previously nothing but ash and cinders. I take a shaky step forward, and my body feels lighter.. I no longer feel weak and helpless. I take another step, and another.. I look around the wooded area, searching for the figures that were nothing but smeared paint in my memories. 

A voice calls out to me. Two voices, three.. My eyelids are suddenly heavy again, and the light has faded, the grass has been seared away. The wheezes of discomfort spike agony in my chest, as I grip onto my T-shirt and cough. The voices are clearer. I hear my name. My posture shifts into a slouch, and my knees buckle beneath me, but I make no effort to catch myself. I felt my head hit the dirt, wisping clouds of dust upward around me. I find myself too weak to move, but I try nonetheless.

My fingertips twitch, trying so desperately to curl into a fist to push myself up, though my attempts are futile. The voices are so loud around me, but I cannot respond. I notice their blurred faces among the smoke, frantic tones becoming muffled once they reach my ears. My head is screaming at me to respond, to cry, to scream, to stand, to fight.. though I succumb to my exhaustion, the world fading into darkness.

For a moment, I thought I was dying. I thought that this was the end of me.. but my assumption was disproven the minute I became lost in the shadows, and the paralyzing fear took hold of my head in this world of unconsciousness.. 

There was no light to guide me to the other side.

////Decided I'd release this early, just as another way to make up for my absence and to begin building up the suspension for the plot. This story has no determined ending, and the possibilities are unlimited. I could end this story in a wonderful ending, or I could crush all hope of a future in seconds. This story will more than likely take a turn from the original plot of 'The Haunted House: Secret of the Ghost Ball' at several points, though these turns are to only make the story more immersive and interesting. I hope this short teaser/prologue catches your attention. Be prepared for what is to come. I do not show mercy when it comes to angst or drama.\\\\