Unforgettable Memories

1

The world around me was swallowed by darkness. Everything was still, silent—an unsettling quiet, broken only by the faint echoes of distant breaths, gasps of life fading into the night. Bodies lay strewn across the ground, motionless, in pools of blood that shimmered ominously under the faint glow of broken streetlights.

The air was thick, suffocating. I struggled to breathe. Every inhale was a battle, a desperate fight to stay conscious in the midst of devastation. I tried to move, but my limbs refused to cooperate, weighed down by pain and fear. My eyes scanned the ground, landing on the figure of a boy beside me. He was breathing, but barely—shallow, labored breaths that made my heart lurch in my chest.

"Jaehyun..." I called out weakly, my voice trembling, barely a whisper. I tried to reach for him, but my body refused to listen. Pain shot through every nerve, and my fingers twitched uselessly.

I could only watch as he lay there, unmoving, his eyes half-open, but devoid of life. Panic surged inside me. My ten-year-old self felt utterly helpless. Tears blurred my vision, but I fought against them. I had to be strong. I had to save him.

"Jaehyun, please..." I whimpered, dragging myself toward him, my body screaming in protest. My legs were useless, and I could feel the deep scratches and bruises covering my skin. Blood was everywhere—too much blood.

"Wake up, don't leave me... Please..." My voice cracked as I shook him gently at first, then harder, desperate to see any sign of life. His body remained still, unresponsive, and I broke down completely.

I stumbled away, my legs barely supporting me as I limped toward the mangled car. The windows were shattered, the metal twisted and scarred from the impact. Inside, my parents were slumped, lifeless, soaked in crimson. My heart clenched in my chest, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

"Mom... Dad... Please..." I cried, reaching out to shake them, just like I had with my brother. But no one stirred. No one responded.

My hands trembled as I fumbled for my father's phone, dialing emergency services with shaking fingers. "Help... It's an accident... Please, come quickly..." My voice was barely audible, choked with sobs, as I ended the call.

I returned to my brother, crumpling beside him on the ground, my body giving in to the exhaustion and grief. I shook him again, harder this time, but he still didn't move. "Jaehyun... Please, don't go..." I cried, my tears falling onto his still face. My head throbbed, the world spun, and everything went black.

I woke up with a start, my chest heaving, my breath rapid and shallow. My hand instinctively reached for my face, feeling the dampness of tears. The nightmare again. The same one that had haunted me every night since that day. The day I lost them.

I stared at the ceiling, my breaths coming in slow, steady waves as I tried to calm my racing heart. But the memories were relentless, each one cutting deeper than the last. Tears spilled down my cheeks, and I couldn't stop them. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry I couldn't protect you..." The thought echoed in my mind as I wiped my face, trying to pull myself together.

The clock read 8 AM. I had to get ready for my first day at the new college. I didn't have time for this—not today.

After a quick shower, I went to my closet, pulling out something comfortable. The clothes felt like a shield, hiding the chaos within. I brushed my hair, grabbed my bag, and made sure to tuck the small photo album inside. My fingers lingered on the cover for a moment, tracing the worn edges, a faint smile tugging at my lips. It was the one piece of my family I could still carry with me, a reminder of happier times.

The house was eerily quiet as I made my way to the kitchen. I poured myself a bowl of cereal, the silence pressing in on me from all sides. I missed them—every day. The solitude was suffocating, and I longed for someone to fill the void, to make the house feel like a home again.

The alarm on my phone startled me, pulling me back to reality. I sighed, rinsing the bowl in the sink and downing a glass of water before heading out. The college was only a twenty-minute walk, and the cool morning air offered a brief reprieve from the heaviness inside.

The streets were alive with the bustle of the city. People rushing to work, children laughing as they lined up for school buses. I caught sight of a little girl waving at me from the crowd, her innocent smile breaking through my haze of thoughts. I waved back, ruffling her hair as I passed. Somehow, it lightened the weight on my shoulders, if only for a moment.

As I approached the college, the campus loomed large before me, an impressive blend of modern architecture and greenery. It was beautiful, but intimidating. I took a deep breath and stepped through the gates, trying to ignore the curious stares of the students around me. New faces, new whispers, the same old feeling of being out of place.

"Hello, I'm Kim Somin," I greeted the receptionist with a bow, doing my best to sound confident. She smiled warmly, handing me my schedule and locker number. "Welcome, Somin. You'll do just fine here," she reassured me.

With a nod, I made my way through the crowded hallways, catching snippets of conversation as I passed.

"Who's the new girl?"
"She's pretty, I'm gonna ask her out..."
"She looks stuck-up... typical."

I ignored the comments, focusing instead on finding my classroom. Their words didn't matter. They didn't know me.

Laughter rang out from a group nearby, and I couldn't help but glance over. Pushing through the crowd, I felt an odd sense of déjà vu, as though something was about to happen. Something I couldn't explain.

#edited