Bittersweet Home

Chapter 12

Episode 6, part 2

Hyunsu's point of view

We were still on edge when we got back to the first floor. Eyes still black and Junseo's skin still cold to the touch. He told me he was too worried about having to fight again that he wanted to be prepared for anything. We kept buzzing but no one answered. Soon after Eunyu answered the door letting us back in. She looked unsettled, probably because our eyes are still black. We quickly shifted them back as I felt the presence leave the driver's seat.

We walked down the stairs hearing a woman screaming and the sound of something being hit. I was surprised to see that the noise was the convenience store woman beating on what looked like a Walmart version of Cousin It. Is that her husband? We both stopped dead in our tracks as she fell to her knees sobbing. I pushed Junseo's arm off of me as I slowly walked towards the pool of blood. Gazing down at the pool of blood, I could see my reflection staring back at me with black eyes.

"You'll end up like this, too," the monster stated taking over my mind making it seem like I was smiling back at the reflection without any of my facial muscles moving. Coming back to my senses when I felt a hand on my shoulder, I looked over to be met with Junseo's worried gaze. His eyes conveyed so many emotions but right now I just wanted to be alone, so I just walked away dropping all of the supplies that I had risked my life to acquire. I entered back into the cage with no door. I guess the monster must have broken it off because no one else here is strong enough to do that. When I notice that no one has followed me I sink to the ground against a wall in silence just staring at the never changing concrete walls as if something will suddenly change if I don't take my eyes off of that spot.

I decided that the ceiling might be more interesting and better for me to rest since I can lay down. I was exhausted from the beat down that I took to the point that my eyes felt extremely heavy. When I opened my eyes again and I looked around the room, it looked almost as if I was underwater but without the water. Standing above me was the version of me with dark eyes. The monster within me.

"What are you?" I asked hoping to learn more about the creature residing inside my body because once I understand it fully, I will no longer be scared of it. I can control it.

"I don't know," it blankly responded.

"What?"

"I don't know what I am. You can just start over here. You can live however you want. With whomever you want."

"And if I reveal my desire, I become a monster?" The monster grinned its notorious smile that haunted me to my very core.

"That's right. Now tell me what you want..." A wave of comfort and confidence suddenly washed away my fear of well...I guess myself as my spear appeared in my hands.

"Fuck you," I responded stabbing the glass pane separating the two of us shattering it into pieces.

"Fine. Good luck, then," the monster said as his image flickered across my vision dancing like a flame. I suddenly woke up to be greeted with a familiar voice and a warm hand.

"Are you up? I knew you were a pushover. Being a doormat is in your blood. But I was wondering, Hyun-su. Who did that?" She asked pointing a flashlight to the vertical scar going halfway up from my wrist. I looked at it quickly before steadily moving it out of sight. Then I noticed that something had tugged at my other hand, Junseo was holding it. He was asleep against my cot grasping my hand like it was the most important thing in the world right now.

"I did," I answered honestly.

"I mean, why did you do it? Who made you feel like that was your only option?"