Story of my lives||LeeJooyeon||

1

Run.

That's what my mind told me to do. That's all I could do. I had no place in mind, but I couldn't stop or else I would be caught. He would get me, and if he did it wouldn't end well for me; the bruises and scars decorating my body were a constant reminder. The rain made it hard to run as I kept slipping, and my hair stuck to my face, but I still kept on. I kept running until the street turned into wet sand that stuck to the bottoms of my bare feet. I ran until I didn't hear the loud footsteps that were behind me; taunting me. I slowed to catch my breath, but I knew I wasn't safe, and I also knew I couldn't go back home for a while. A home is where you're supposed to feel safe, somewhere you can always go to and feel comfortable. That house is not my home, and it never will be.

The rain has subsided as I walk further down the beach. My heart is racing in my chest and my breathing is ragged. I can't do this anymore, I can't handle it anymore. I need to escape this shithole that is my life. I'm so tired and I want it all to end, but for now, I need to sleep. I continue walking with slow steps as I listen to the crashing waves in the distance. It feels like forever before I see something in the distance. The closer I get the clearer it gets, and before I know it I'm standing in front of what looks to be an abandoned house.

"Weird," I say under my breath. I move some of my hair out of my face as I study the building. It looked like it was once a place that had many visitors with its pink and blue colored shingles. There were tall, wide pillars covered in sand and vines on each side, almost like support structures. The windows were shattered and the wood of the door and house was chipping away revealing its soft brown oak underneath the fading white paint. What caught my eye, however, was a small sign on the door that said 'Movie Theater' in thick gold cursive letters.

After a quick debate with myself, I decided to walk up to the door. I don't know what I was expecting, but what I saw when I opened up the old water-damaged door wasn't it? Inside was extravagant. People were walking around in expensive-looking clothes; women walked around in fur coats and diamond-encrusted headpieces, and men in top-tier suits and fancy top hats walked around holding a variety of snacks in their hands. The ceilings were high and made of gold with paintings of what looked to be the Heavens and angels hiding in its pinkish clouds.

The floor was a velvet carpet stained a deep blood red, and I internally cringed when I realized my feet were still wet and covered in sand. I turned to leave, but was forbidden to do so. The door I had just walked through was no longer there so I had no choice but to stay. I walked deeper inside and the smell of warm and buttery popcorn invaded my nose making my stomach growl. I walked up to the ticket booth and was greeted by a tall man in a deep blue usher uniform. He looks well-groomed with his dark brown hair gelled to perfection and his shirt ironed, with no wrinkles in sight. He wore a smile that stretched ear to ear with deep dimples that rested on his face.

"Hello and welcome. Ticket for one I'm assuming." His voice was deep and husky, very fitting for his appearance. He wrote something down on a ticket before handing it to me. I hesitated before taking it from him with shaky hands.

"What is this place and how did I get here?" I couldn't stop my voice from shaking. I gripped the ticket in my hand while staring at the floor. I don't know where I am and want to leave. A deep and low chuckle caused me to look up meeting the man's eyes. He looked amused as I sunk deeper into the dread I was beginning to feel.

"I know it can be scary, but I promise you nothing bad will happen to you here." He sounded genuine and it spooked me a bit. Could he read minds or something?

"As for how you got here, I can't say. Only you know the answer to that. The sign outside tells you where you are, and you're here for a reason, but you're the only one who knows why. So, what's your name?"