Chapter 4: After School...

"Everybody!” their coach Kim Jaejoong shouted. “One last round before we call it a night! Shi…jak!” A whistle blow signaled the start of another race.
                She hit the water smoothly and started to swim, focusing only on the space intended for her. The sound of moving water filled her ears, her breathing kept on a steady pace. She lifted her face and plunged in again.
                “Nana! Faster!” she heard Mr. Kim say.
                She flipped and touched her feet on the wall, turning to make another lap. But when she looked in front of her…
                She gasped for breath and threw up all the water she took in. Her heartbeat pumped faster as she coughed continuously.
                “Nana, are you okay?” Jaejoong asked her, patting her back.
                She drowned. All the other swimmers gathered around her. She looked at the pool hoping to see a trace of what appeared before her but saw nothing more than the clear water.
                “Seohyun…” she whispered biting her lower lip before slapping the water. She stood heading to the culprit herself.
                “You placed that there didn’t you?” she grabbed Seohyun’s hair and pulled hard. “You bitch! What do you want from me?!”
               She saw it when they took her body…that doll. That black doll, it was there in the pool too when she was swimming. And she knows that this girl was the one who was scaring her.
                Jaejoong pulled her away while Hara hugged Seohyun who was already crying.
                “Are you trying to scare me? Wae? Because you want to be the best here?!” She tried to reach her once more but Jaejoong blocked her. “Seonsaeng~nim, that girl tried to kill me! She distracted me! Didn’t you see that doll on my lane? I’m sure she placed it there!!”
                Hara threw a harsh breath. “What the…are you out of your mind? Seohyun was swimming two lanes from yours, Nana. If you’re to blame her, blame me instead, idiot!”
                “That’s enough, you hear me? Enough!”  Jaejoong looked at Nana. “I haven’t seen anything like that Nana, you just panicked, and that’s all. I think all of you are tired. Let’s just go home, training’s done for tonight.”

~♥~

“She’s really crazy, that Nana.” Hara wiped her hair while Seohyun was packing her things.
                Nana already left ahead of them and used the other shower room. She really turned paranoid after the incident.
                “Hara…I saw her too…” Seohyun looked at her. “That doll I saw her too.”
                Hara sat beside her and patted her hair. “You know what Seohyun~ah? When you hair changed, some screws from your head fell off. Maybe it will be better if you go back to the frizzy hairdo. Araso?” She lifted her own things and stood up. “You’re heading for the library again tonight?”
                Seohyun nodded and watched Hara leave. She touched her, she was not lying. She saw that doll, too…

~♥~

“Where are you? I’m waiting for almost half an hour here, Siwonie!” Nana shouted at the phone in her hand.
                “Mianhae, Nana…but I can’t fetch you tonight? I am—”
                “Siwon?”
                Static intercepted his words that it became inaudible she almost threw her phone. Why now? She sighed. She rubbed her hands on her cold arms. Is it just her or the night grew colder than it ought to be? Maybe it’s just the climate…it was autumn afterall.
                She walked to the street and dialed for a taxi. Since they usually end practice really late, the last bus must have passed already. But after a few tries, she still cannot connect to the operator.
                “Shit...” she whispered and clenched the phone on her palm. It must be broken then.
                All the bad luck fell on her that day. After that sneaky girl used all the chemicals in the world to straighten her frizzier than frizzy hair, she became like this. She got scolded by Mr. Park for not passing her assignment, she almost fell down the stairs just to attend a meeting and now she almost got drowned. Yeah, she’s partly the one to blame, but hey! That girl got lucky? Uh-uh, that’s not fair.
                She stomped and headed towards the main streets, only a few people can be seen and almost no cars, no vehicles around for her to hitch. She stood under the streetlight and crossed her arms on her chest. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.
                Somebody laughed a sinister laugh making her open her eyes. And then, she was somewhere she wasn’t before.
              It was a dim lit street where the only light was the place where she was standing. She started to panic, where is she? What the hell is this?
                “Who’s there? Yah, Seohyun~ah are you really trying to scare me?” she said.
                Instead of an answer, somebody wrapped a cold hand around her neck. It was really cold…as cold as ice…its nails were longer than anything she could imagine that even if she wanted to scream, her voice was trapped inside her throat and wouldn’t come out.
                “You like scary things don’t you?” whispered a voice that is vaguely familiar…but still, she cannot recognize. “Let me show you what scary is, Nana…”
                Its long nail grazed her waist…tearing the shirt she was wearing. She wanted to scream when the nails started to dig slowly on her skin but her voice will only come as a muffled one.
                AAAHHHHH!!! HAJIMA!!! HAJIMAAAAA!!! She wanted to scream aloud.
                She closed her eyes tightly but as she did, she felt the pain all the more. Those nails, as long as it was, felt like butterflies inside her stomach. Touching every organ inside her abdomen that she started to feel the blood coming up her throat, tears trickled down her face.
           “Are you scared Nana…? Is it painful?”
           Hajima…
                The hand pulled out of her numb body and dug another heart wrecking wound. One after another, those nails dug in her like a butcher cutting a cow’s meat. Omma…she can’t do anything but try to wriggle out of that pain. Blood flowed endlessly from her wounds which were as deep as a cliff, she coughed blood and her eyes twirled in agony.
           “Let me end this Nana…”
                The fingers around her throat wrapped tighter clutching every piece of skin and muscle it can take…pulling her throat...and then…silence filled the air when her body fell down the almost empty street. Blood drenched and almost lifeless…Nana gagged on her own blood, while the same doll looks at her, eyes as cold as crystal. Another mysterious smile formed on those lifelike lips.

~♥~

“Youngwoon~ssi…”
                Youngwoon turned and saw a woman waving a hand to him asking him to come closer. He can’t see her face, but he knows that she studies at the same school as he because of her uniform.
                “Who was that?”
                He was on his way home after staying at school for another one of those late night study sessions where all you do is stare at your book and pretend to study. Well, everyone in Korea does this so it doesn’t really matter to him if he comes home really late. He looked at his watch, 11:30 PM.
                He looked at the girl again and saw her waiting for him at the main streets. What does she want from him?
                “Youngwoon~ssi balli…” she waved a hand at him again.
                He doesn’t know why he did but he followed the girl, his bicycle by his side. “Who are you what do you want?” he said while walking closer.
                The girl just nodded and pointed somewhere to her right and asked him to follow her. When he turned to the street where she disappeared, what he saw almost made his insides come out. Because right there, lying under a street light, was a girl his age. If he remembered it right, it was Nana from the other class. Her body wrecked as if by a wild animal.
                He threw up and has forgotten about the girl who brought him there. All he knows was that…it was familiar. That scene…it was too familiar. Oh, yeah…it looks just like that girl he saw last time. Go Yu Hee. Fuck, why does he always intend to see dead people on streets just like this?

Chapter 3: Transferee...

Wolf whistles filled the hallway as the new girl walked through the corridors of the school. Boys were unable to keep their jaws from dropping. Drop dead gorgeous…
                “Oh, my freaking gosh!”
                Yonghwa wiped his eyes and blinked twice. Was that Seohyun he was seeing? Kyuhyun nudged his ribcage and winked. It’s really her then. No more frizzy-hair-glasses-flat shoes combination.
                Nicole smirked as the girl sat on her usual seat at the farthest right side of the classroom. Everyone’s attention still focused on her. What a sudden change? Does it mean she’s really going to join that queenka competition after turning down those previous questions? Stupid… she thought.
                Seohyun tucked one stray hair behind her ear knowing the eyes that kept on looking at her. A slim girl whose hair has been tied in pig tails ran to her side, blinking and staring at her. “Seohyun~ah, have you decided to join the competition? Whaa…”
                Nana pushed Hara away. “Seohyun~ah...have you done my assignment?”
                She looked at her, smiling and handing her a notebook. “Maybe it’s time you do your own.”
                Seohyun stood up lifting the stack of notebooks from a paper bag and placing them neatly on the table in front of the classroom. “Just so you know, I’m tired of doing assignments for other people.”
                The gang stood up and gave her a standing ovation while the others took their notebooks, throwing deadly gazes at Seohyun.
                “Very well said, whoo!” Wooyoung howled.
                Jungshin whistled while Kyuhyun and Yonghwa made a walkway while clapping just like an award ceremony. Even Shindong who just woke up clapped. “Why are we clapping?”
                Ryeowook pushed his spectacles up and chuckled before shrugging. Gain lifted her face and watched the scene with bored eyes, arms still crossed on her chest while her legs carefully rested on her own table.
                As Seohyun headed to her desk, two strong hands grabbed her arms. “Is that so? Hah…guess we can’t stop that, right Tif?”
                Tiffany nodded at Jessica. “But then…we can’t stop bullying you either. Mianhae, Seohyun~ssi.”
                Her eye smile doesn’t rattle Seohyun anymore. In fact, nothing seems to scare her no more. She removed their hands.
                “Then we can’t do anything about that either.” She pushed past the two. And before any of them had the chance to react and pull her hair, their homeroom teacher came in and they sat down.
                “Charyeot, Kyeungrye.” Their class monitor Taeyeon said.
                All of them bowed and greeted Park Jung Su. “Good morning class,” he leaned on the table as usual. “Today, we have new company, Park Hyun Cheol.”
                A cute boy entered the room and waved happily at the. He introduced himself as Karam and was given the seat beside Lee Joon who welcomed him.
                “Sssss…” he closed his eyes and placed two fingers on his temple and whispered. “I can feel something…you’ve done something naughty last night didn’t you?”
                The blush on Chae Rin’s face confirmed what he just said, hitting Lee Joon’s shoulder. Karam smiled. But as he looked around the class, there was a certain pretty girl with a mysterious smile. Her long black hair falls straight to her back. And as she watched him looking at her, his skin started to tingle and he can’t focus. There was something about this girl…and it’s making him feel the chills down his spine.

---

A/N: 
Please forgive me for changing Seohyun's hair...yeah I know...sorry...
And, I changed her attitude too! I want to se her fight, she never seems to get angry (except at Yonghwa >.<) .

Chapter 2: 악몽 : Nightmare...

He walked slowly, taking the same dark street she took. Breathing in the cold, crisp air of the autumn night, he can only hear the howl of the wind and the sound of his own footsteps. Everything was dark from the place where he stood, up to the end of the alley. He tried to start a fire from the lighter in his hand.

            A gust of cold wind passed him giving him goose bumps. He covered his eyes to protect them from the debris that flew together with the wind, the concrete walls echoing its cries.

            Tap. Tap. Tap.

            He paused under the street lamp, looking behind him towards the place where the light couldn’t reach but saw no one. Something crept up behind his neck.

            “Are you scared?” a voice echoed behind him.

            The light flickered and died as the sound of heavy footsteps came rushing to where he stood making him stumble backwards. Another harsh wind gushed to his face forcing him to close his eyes, chilling his skin until goose bumps started to form. The sound of laughter filled the entire alley, a devilish laugh, burning every ounce of courage in his heart.

            He covered his ears, trying to stop the eerie sound. A cold hand wrapped around his throat slowly, like a snake wrapping its body around its prey. He stood without moving. Not even breathing. He closed his eyes.

            Heechul tried to shake himself out of that dream, gasping air as he opened his eyes.

            “BOO!”

            A doll’s face looked down on him, eyes as red as scarlet blood. Its long hair covered the sides of his face, leaving him nowhere else to look but to her.

            “AAAAHHHHHH!!!”

            The hum of the air conditioner and the continuous sound of his alarm clock woke him up. Sitting, this time he was certain he was awake. Sweat beaded on his forehead, he took the glass of water on his bedside table. Nightmare.

            He looked around him, trying to familiarize himself to his surroundings. Seoul. His apartment in the city. He sighed.

            How long has it been since he last handled a murder case? Three? Four years?

            His phone rang, making him twitch.

            “Yeoboseyo?”

~♥~

He slammed at the table, startling every single soul inside the station. “Didn’t I give you the freaking doll?! How can you just tell me that you lost it?! Do you want to lose your soul, huh Jongwoon?!”

            The younger policeman cannot do anything but hunch his back and look down. This was not the first time he has seen the prosecutor angry, well at least it was the first time he was angry with him. And when he’s this angry, they cannot control what will happen.

            “Sir,” Their desk officer Lee Changmin came saved his life by entering the room before he was “scolded” by their chief. “The kid’s mom came.”

            “Who?”

            He flipped over the papers on his hand and read the name of the kid. “Kim Youngwoon...the one who saw the body on the block.”

            The chief looked at him and scared the soul out of him with his eyes. “Remember this Jongwoon, I’m not done with you yet.” He looked at the others beside him. “All of you, look for that doll!”

            Heechul went out of the room and headed to the lobby where the Youngwoon’s mother waited patiently, fear and confusion visible in her droopy eyes as she looked around. The moment she saw him, she stood up and bowed, he did the same.

            “Please take a sit, Mrs. Kim. How may I help you?”

            “Prosecutor,” she sat nervously on the chair at the other side of the table. “My son’s been acting weird since that day. He’s always agitated and he says silly things.”

            “Ma’am, it’s common for teenagers who saw crimes to act that way. Have you tried consulting to a doctor?”

            “Yes, they only give him medications but nothing’s working. Officer, can you come over to our house and see what’s happening to him?”

            He tapped on the cigarette box in his pocket and thought. Maybe that kid still has something to say. “Okay, I will come over. But can you please wait here for a while?”

            The old woman nodded as he stood and headed for his office.

~♥~

Nana wrapped her long arms around Seohyun’s shoulder. “Did you finish my assignment Seohyun~ah?”

            Her smile was mocking, scaring the older girl. Though Seohyun was older by month, she was still rattled by the aura of the pretty girl beside her.

            “N~ne…” she stuttered before handing the notebook.

            “Komawo!” Nana gave a smack on her chubby cheeks.

            It was another day at school for her. Since that girl died, YunHee, she was being bullied all over again. It was that girl’s fault, all her fault because she died that night. If she was still alive, this will not happen to her.

            Another guy entered the noisy room. Instead of mourning because of the loss of one influential person in their school, the people around her seem to be enjoying the fact that the girl has died such a terrible death.

            Popular girls were preparing for the next search of queenkas. Tiffany and Jessica were qualified as the best candidates for the position. Her so-called friends kept on pushing her to run for the position as well. Crap. As if they really want her to win the stupid crown. They only want her to look stupid.

            Seohyun, a nerd, unlike that beautiful YunHee who was being lusted by all those freaking highschool boys. Sometimes she wants to smack the hell out of that girl, thinking that she was perfect, such a stupid person.

            She looked by the window, hoping that the day will pass without anyone asking her to do their homeworks or asking her for her notes. She really wonders how they manage to enter such a prestigious school with that kind of thinking.

            “Jealous bitch…”

            She looked at Nana who was busy putting on her make-up. “Did you say anything?”

            The girl looked at her and raised an eyebrow. Odd…she was sure she heard someone.

            “You want to look as beautiful as her…let me help you…”

~♥~

“Omma, what are you talking about?” Youngwoon asked her mother.

            It wasn’t what Heechul expected. Even his mother looked surprised to see the young man normal. Saying that he acted crazy, she was not sure anymore.

            “You didn’t leave me anything. Hyung, took my bike. I was waiting for you to come home, look now; I’m really late for school. Haish.”

            They just looked at him as he passed them. “I—I was sure he was not like this before I came to the station. He was acting unlike himself.”

            “Maybe, he coped up real fast with the event. Don’t worry ma’am, it’s really normal.”

            “I’m sorry for bothering you officer, I shouldn’t have called you.”

            Heechul nodded and headed for the door. He has the feeling again, that cold wind just like in his dream. He shook his head and went out to the streets. This is just another day Heechul…you’ll get used to the killings again…just like before. For now, you have a doll to find.

Undone : There are things left... Chapter 1: DULCE...

It was Go Yun Hee’s nineteenth spring, a new day when her future unfolds, her nineteenth birthday. She lifted the model doll in her hands like a little child. It was given to her by Sungmin, her long time boyfriend.
                “Hello, Dulce.”
                It was a pale faced doll with large black eyes made of glass. Her long black hair falls down to her waist. Her eyes glittered in the night light of the restaurant where they were eating that night. It was almost as if she has a life. A soul inside the body made out of wood.
                Most people are afraid of model dolls like Dulce. Dolls like her were special. There was even a myth that they acquire soul from those who made them. But Yun Hee wasn’t afraid. She loves dolls. Her room was a doll house. But Dulce wasn’t like any other dolls that she already owned.
                Many model dolls wear the most glamorous dresses you can ever see. Mostly were made out of silk and very colorful. But this doll she was holding wears an aristocratic black dress.  Even her accessories were very intricate. Her skin glows as if she was alive. Her lips that were as red as cherries painted a smile that can make even her shiver; it was mysterious just like Monalisa’s.
                She has this blank expression on her face despite the name given to her. The name Dulce means happiness, but maybe, she was named that way because she’s meant to give happiness to the person who received her. But even if she was weird by that sense, there was something about her that Yun Hee felt attached to her from the very first moment. Maybe it’s because she was given to her by her most loved person.
                Sungmin held her hand from across the table and she smiled at him to express her joy.
                “Will you go to the library again tonight?” he asked.
                She nodded enthusiastically. “Will you take me there?”
                He crinkled his nose like he was in pain. He groaned. “I need to go and meet Donghae. We’re going to have a gig tonight.”
                Disappointment painted on her pretty face, but she was more hurt than just disappointed. And he knows it when she’s like that. She pouted her lips and pulled her hand from his.
                He groaned once more before sitting beside her. He wrapped his arms around her. “Mianhae chagi~ya…” he knows he’s cute enough to win her over and over. “Don’t worry; I’ll go with you tomorrow. Hmm?”
                She sighed. “I understand…but oppa…”
                They’ve been together for three years now. Before, they were always fighting because of simple things. Just like this one that they’re having right now. But as they say, as people grew older, they begin to have more understanding.

~♥~

They walked down the streets together with their hands linked and stopped by the end.
                “ Here…” he leaned forward and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Saeng-il chuk ha hae.”
                When he pulled off, she held his hand tighter. “Take care.”
                “You too...”
                They exchanged their goodbyes and parted ways.
                Yun Hee carried Dulce on her left arm, letting the doll sit like a princess, and took the shorter way to the library.
                Being a top student, she can’t just stay at home and play with her dolls all day. She earned her position through hard work and patience. It was something you cannot gain that fast. Her perseverance paid off when she became famous in her school. The campus Queenka. Though many people think that Queenkas were mean, she proved them all wrong and it made her more famous.
                “When we reach home later, you’ll get to meet all your brothers and sisters.” She smiled at Dulce and touched her hair. Unbelievably, it felt like real hair. Maybe this doll was really expensive. She was glad; it only means that Sungmin really loves her.
                She turned to her right. It will be the first time that she will take this path. There was only one street lamp in the middle of the alley. Its dim light helped her see the path where she was walking.
                “Yun Hee…”
                She looked behind her. There was no one. She tilted her head. It was odd, she was certain she heard someone calling her.
                “Nah,” she said to herself. “I’m just missing Sungmin oppa, ain’t I Dulce?”
                She continued to walk and reached the street lamp.
                “Yun Hee…”
                She frowned. There it was again, the strange calling of her name. She stopped and looked again, but there was still no one. The street lamp flicked and died.
                “Yah, who’s there?” she tried to be tough, knowing that being scared won’t help. But honestly, she was nervous as hell.
                Her hands were turning cold as she tried to stop herself from shivering. She doesn’t usually get scared, but she was somewhere unfamiliar to her. Footsteps started to echo in the silent alley, it rattled all the strength left in her.
                “Don’t scare me!”
                Laughter filled the narrow alley while a cold breeze touched her skin.
                “Are you scared?” a female’s voice filled the dark night together with the continuous footsteps that’s coming near her. Another chorus of laughter filled the alley. It was like those that you can hear in the movies, like it was not just from a single person.
                “Hajima!”
                She turned and ran. She was scared, really scared. But even as she covered her ears, she can still hear the voices following her. She didn’t dare look behind.
                “Ah!” she tripped and dropped the doll in her hand. “Dulce…”
                She took her phone and looked for Dulce. Footsteps were getting closer to her as she tried to grope for Dulce. She was blind.
                She then saw her, lying not far from her. She stumbled in hurry to reach for her. But as her hand touched the body of the doll, another hand enclosed it. Cold and it wrapped itself around hers dangerously.
                “Boo!”
                She screamed at the top of her lungs, waking the ravens in the silent night of autumn.

~♥~

Sirens were blaring. Cameras continued flashing. The district policemen gathered around the cold lifeless body. A call was received. A girl’s dead body was found.
                This will be the first murder case he will be taking over since he was transferred to the district. Come to think of it, it will be the first one after a few years. Heechul puffed one last huff of the cigarette before throwing it.
                He walked past the crowd of people and media that have gathered around the scene and crossed the police line. Most, if not all, were just curious about the victim. No one has claimed to be the victim’s family, poor girl.
                “Officer,” he called to the female officer Kim Yoo Jin.
                “Good Morning, sir.” The woman saluted as they walked side by side towards the victim’s body. “We have cleared and searched the scene of the crime, but we haven’t found any materials used to kill the kid.”
                She passed him a report. “Based on the smell and temperature of the corpse, we concluded that it’s been ten hours since the crime was committed. About 8:30 to 9:00 last night.”
                He stopped and flipped through the pages, “A doll? Where is it?”
                The female officer led him to the body while he wore the mask to cover his nose. He wore a pair of gloves and carefully walked the path to the body lying a few feet away so as not to step on any blood. He shivered inside, trying not to show it, because of the awful sight.
                “Did anyone come close to the body before you arrived?” He examined the body of the pitiful girl. Go Yun Hee. Such a pretty girl, too bad she died early.
                “A young man, sir. He was supposed to go to the court over there,” she said pointing to their right. “But then he saw the body. Poor kid was still in the state of shock. He was still at the station.”
                He nodded while observing Yun Hee. One gunshot above the collar bone, she was stabbed to death based on the number of wounds on her body. But what killed her was the slit on her neck. Too deep that it already cut her throat, exposing her tubes and ended her life in an instant. Whoever made this was a psycho.
                Blood were all over the place, he was surprised not to see any signs of struggle, not even a bruise. He checked her hands. There were cuts there too. Did she try to stop the blade? Or was it caused by the suspect after pulling the blade out just to dig another wound?
                Her eyes were wide opened and bloodshot as if she cried blood itself. Her mouth gaped. And beside her, lies the doll in the same position but there was no blood.
                “Have you taken pictures of the scene?” he asked the woman beside him and she nodded. “Mark the place. I’ll take this doll.”
                It was odd. How can the doll be so damned clean when the whole place was literally drenched in blood?
                “Dulce…” he read the necklace dangling on the doll’s neck. “You look a lot like your owner.”
                He signaled two officers and they hurried to come by his side. Handing them the doll he said, “You have a place for this? Check for fingerprints. This may be the only lead.”
                “Sir, please move back!”
                He looked behind him and saw a young man by the age of the girl.
                “Yun Hee~yah!! Yun Hee~yah!! Andwae!!” the man kept on struggling his way towards the corpse. “Yun Hee~yaaaahhhh!!!”
                He shook his head. Looks like it was the girl’s boyfriend, pity.