LOST

Chapter 19

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Violence/mention ofkidnapping/foul language 
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In-Su sat alone in his office. The quietness of the room brought him a little peace. He hadn't slept in days, which was hard to tell. He always looked alert and aware of everything around him. But as of late, it was getting easier to tell. His mood-swings usually gave it away. The smallest thing seemed to set him off. Even one misfiled paper agitated him to the point of blowing up at one of his employees. It surprised him at how well they handled his outbursts.

Glancing over at the clock, he let out a breath. Its bright display flashed as the minute ticked by slowly. 2:39 Am. He should have gone home hours ago. But something kept him there. Something he didn't want to read, nor did he want to deal with. Sitting on his desk, was an unopened envelope that had been delivered late that afternoon. With no return address on it, In-Su knew exactly who it was from and what it would contain.

Sitting next to the envelope, was a half-full bottle of whiskey. In-Su had started drinking it after the last person had left for the day. It started with a small glass. The amber liquid only filled the bottom portion of the glass. From there, his glasses got fuller and fuller, until he filled it to the brim. He time he would take a sip of it, it burned less. Soon, he found himself numb to its fiery presence.

He rose from his seat and looked out his office window. His pride grew each time he would gaze out to the city he had built. Serenity was his pride and joy. It had taken him years to get it to the way it is now. But now, as the city slept beneath a blanket of darkness, he couldn't help but feel that it was missing something. That someone was missing. Ji-Yeon.

Turning back to his desk, he took a long sip of his drink. His eyes wavered from the envelope to a picture frame that sat face down on his desk. It had been sitting there, like that for years collecting dust. His heart felt heavy every time he would look at it. He brought it close to him and traced the glass with his finger.

A small smile formed on his face as he gazed at the couple who smiled back at him. They were in a hospital, both looked exhausted but both very happy. The woman's dark hair was a mess and clung to her forehead from sweat. His was no better. Still, the woman was beautiful to him. Cradled in her arms, was a white blanket covering a newborn baby girl. It wasn't long after that photo had been taken, that he noticed his wife fading in an out.

The nurses rushed in, taking the baby from her and placing her in the care of one of the other nurses. Their voices were nothing more than white noise in his ears. Scared and confused, In-Su began yelling at them. Asking them what was wrong. The nurses had asked him to calm down, but again their voices only sounded muffled to him. They escorted him out and shut the door behind him, leaving him outside questioning everything that was going on. He backed into the wall opposite of his wife's door, his heart pounded in his ears and his breathing became short. Hours had passed and his fears only grew worse. When the doctor had come out, In-Su knew he had lost her.

For a few years, In-Su hired nanny's to care for his daughter. He felt anger and regret whenever he saw her. He had lost the love of his life, his best friend, the night she was born. As the years went by, In-Su distanced himself from her. He gave her a set of rules and each time she disobeyed or ignored them, he would see her mother's spirit in her. Which only made him distance himself from her more. To this day, he still sees her mother in her. Ji-Yeon was practically a spitting image of her. He missed them both.

Placing the picture back on the desk, he took one last sip of his drink. Letting out a breath, he grabbed the bottle and the envelope. In his current state of mind, it was obvious to him that he needed to go home and rest.