Promise | J.JK

• three •

AVERY

Name, Avery Grayson.

Age, 9.

Birthday, 4th October 2002.

They lied.

They all lied.

Born in Miami, Florida.

All my life, has been a lie.

Mother, Emily Grayson.

Who am I, really?

Father, James Grayson.

All these years, I've been living as someone else, not as my own self.

DECEMBER 22, 2011.
A FAMILY OF THREE INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT IN BUSAN, PARENTS ARE DEAD.

CHILD IS MISSING.

I grasped the folders in my hands, tighter with every step I take.

Tears started to fall down my cheeks, but I didn't care. I'm crying harder now, as if something feels heavy inside and I can't get it out. I continued walking down the hallways, opening and slamming every room's door, trying to find Madame Grace. I reached the kitchen, and I found her cooking.

"Oh hey Hye- what's wrong?" She turned to me and I saw the concern in her eyes. But right now, I have so much anger inside me, that the sight of Madame Grace seems to add up to it. The sight of her... disgusts me. She's a liar.

I threw the folder in front of me, sending pieces of papers everywhere. She looked at them, scattered on the floor, and her eyes widened. I'm still holding the newspaper article on my right hand, so I showed it to her. She dropped the spoon she was holding.

"How did you...where..." she stuttered.

"What is all this?" I asked calmly, trying to contain myself.

"I... I was gonna tell you.. but.. let's talk, okay? I'll explain," she said, coming closer to me. "Hyejin-ah..."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!!!!!!" I shouted so loud that she was startled. "I'm not Hyejin. I'm not Kim Hyejin. You know that."

"Hyejin, let's talk over this please? I'll-"

"DON'T COME NEAR ME!!!!!! I DONT WANT TO TALK TO YOU. I DON'T WANT ANY OF YOUR LIES!!!!" I'm already shouting so loud, but I didn't care.

I saw tears in Madame Grace's eyes.

"Do.. do you even know? Huh? Do you even know how much I asked myself, how much I wondered what's wrong with me? Why my parents left me? But now, I found out, that they didn't leave me. They just... they... th-they..." it became hard for me to speak now, because instead of words, more tears are coming out. Some of the girls must've heard my voice that they started coming in the kitchen too. I turned my eyes back at Madame Grace. "Do you even know?"

"I understand... I just.."

"NO YOU DONT!" My voice cracked. "Now this explains... why I can't remember anything..."

"Av-no... Hyejin-ah... your parents..."

"THEY'RE DEAD!! MY PARENTS ARE FUCKING DEAD!" And with that last word, my knees became weak and I fell to the floor, my chest started to hurt as more tears came out. At this rate, everything hurts so much, I feel like I'm going to die.

"Avery." Someone said from behind me. When I turned around, it was Haesoo.

"You...y-you knew?" I struggled with every word.

"I want to tell you... but I can't. I wish I could, but I was asked not to. Madame Grace told me not to tell you."

Why is this happening to me?

Haesoo tried to approach me, but I managed to stand up before she got close. "Don't come near me. Don't touch me." I dropped the last piece of paper I was holding in my hand, and I walked out.

~ ••• ~

"Hyejin-ah..."

"Hyejin, please open the door."

I sat on the bathroom floor, not minding the hours that have passed. I turned the shower on earlier, letting the cold water touch my skin.

I'll run away.

Tonight.

I won't come back in this place anymore.

I finally stood up, turned off the shower, and opened the door. Madame Grace, Haesoo, and the other girls were all outside, waiting.

"Hey. Are you okay?" A girl named Jen asked me.

Haesoo tried to cover me with a towel, but I shrugged it off. They were all looking at me, whispering, but I didn't care. I walked straight to our room, laid on my bottom bunk bed, and covered myself with my blanket. I couldn't hold them back, so more tears came. I heard whispers and footsteps as our roommates came in. I just laid there, pretending to be asleep. Our roommates would approach me from time to time, trying me to wake up, inviting me to eat. When they noticed my shoulders shaking from crying, they'd rub my back or pat my shoulders. I haven't heard Haesoo's voice since I left the bathroom. After hours of crying, my eyes felt heavy, and soon, I fell asleep.

By the time I woke up, the room is closed, everyone's on their beds. I checked the clock on our room. 2:06 am.

Perfect.

~ ••• ~

I tiptoed as I walked out of the room. I slowly closed the door, making sure no one hears. I checked to see if there were anyone lurking in the hallways, and unfortunately, the door to Madame Grace's office is still open, with its white light leaking in to the hallways. When I reached the door frame, and peeked inside, she wasn't there. Great.

Now I have to be extra careful, she could be anywhere. Just as I started walking away from her office, I was startled by a voice.

"I'll let you go," a voice a little bit distant from me said. I turned around only to see Madame Grace, standing there by the door frame I just walked away from. The hallways are dark, but her face can be seen, it was lit by the light coming out of her office. "It's the least I can do for lying to you."

Tears started to roll down my face again. I completely ignored her and turned around. I start taking quick footsteps away from her.

"Whatever happens," she started again. "You'll always be my Hyejin." It was hard for me to keep myself standing at that moment. I'm in so much pain and anger that my knees feel weak. It's taking everything I have to stop myself from screaming. "Will you come back?"

I heard her voice crack, followed by sobs. I can hear her footsteps toward me, so I wiped my tears and continued to walk quickly. I can hear her say my name repeatedly. Again, and again, and again, until she was screaming my name already, but her voice grows more and more distant with each step I take.

I'm scared. I don't know what I'll do as soon as I step out of this place. I don't know where to go.

But I continued walking away.

~~~