Chapter 15
I woke up with my head agonizing in pain. I slowly open my eyes. Somehow my ability is a good thing, I can't die even they kill me. O slightly jump in shock when Seunghyun's face appears in my vision. He smiled at me and he was holding an x-ray.
"You're ability is great Sunie. The damages of your skull vanished instantly and you are still alive after Jihae smashed your head hard on the floor multiple times."
I get up but ended up pulled back on the bed. I looked down at my hands and found them tied by restraint on the bed.
"Let me off!" I shouted while struggling even it was pointless. Seunghyun's hand found its way over my head, brushing it softly.
"Shh...relax or else Hyunsung might feel your fear and barge in here. If he barges inside, he will know."
He will what?
Seunghyun seems to read my mind and turned away from me. He took the remote from somewhere in this room and switched on the flat screen tv that linked on the wall in front of me. My eyes widen when I saw Hyunsung was being chained somewhere in the prison. His appearance looks like horror to me. His white-tailed deer horns were covered by blood with human flesh and some parts of the human skins were hanging on his horns. His skin is already grey and stitches are on his skin. He's seating on the bloody bed, curled into a ball with chains on his ankles and wrist. He's crying miserably while calling my name. He is also covered with blood.
What did they do to Hyunsung? My heart clenched inside painfully, I feel my tears flood out in my eyes until they ran down my face. I tried to get up, to get off of this bed and run to him- embrace him and tell him that I'm always with his side. A sobs slip through my mouth, I can't help but cry. I can feel his pain, his misery. I saw Hyunsung on the tv, moving his head, and looked around like he can also feel me. Seunghyun immediately turns off the tv before running to me.
He tried to calm me down, he tried to comfort me but it won't help me at all. I need Hyunsung. I want to see him and hugged him again.
"Did I tell you to relax?! Relax!" He said angrily while trying to calm me down.
My eyes snap angrily to him as I feel my horns grow out from my head. "Let me go!" I scream and struggle from the restraint.
"Look, I can't let you go. I either not allowed you to be with him anymore. I already clear his mind that you already abandon them."
My heart clenched even more. Did Seunghyun play his mind?
"Do you want to see how it goes? I can show you and I can plant it forever in your memory. Look at the television, staring at it and you will see." He ordered and forced me to stare at the tv.
It suddenly switched on its own and its light spread out throughout the room. It's too bright to the point I need to close my eyes. When I open my eyes I found Junghwan holding onto me with tears streaming his face. I can see myself standing, struggling against the nurses' hold.
Doctor Chil was standing in the doorway as if giving us more time. I know, this is the memory Seunghyun created and he insert it in their memory to know that this scene happened even in reality- it didn't. This memory doesn't exist at all.
"Sunie hyung! Please help me!" He screamed as he tried to reach me. He's crying nonstop while hugging my arm. His face was swollen and red, knots and his hair are all a mess. "Please help me! I don't want to be hurt, please! Please! I'm scared!" He said while crying messily on my arm.
I see myself holding his hands but the nurses are kept pulling us apart. I was screaming, mumbling something but I can't hear my voice but I did say something that cause him to cry even more as the nurses pulled him away from me and removed his hands off of me.
My heart sank, watching Junghwan look so helpless and scared while I'm also crying but a part of me in this fake memory was cold. We were both crying while calling each other's names but my voice is cold. The nurses forced him to pull inside despite his struggling until they fully dragged him into the room. I still screaming his name, trying to break free from the nurses' grip but then again my eyes and voice were all cold.
I saw that old man smirking at me while holding what it seems like a syringe with weird liquid in it. The me in this fake world scream again, cursing him angrily while struggling. He only waves his syringe in front of me with a smug face before closing the door from the operating room.
"Don't act like you care Lee Sunie."
What the heck are you saying?! I want to move but I know this is just Seunghyun created memory.
"No!!! Junghwan!!!"
The nurses continued dragging the me while I'm followed them all along the white hallway. He throws me inside of my room. I immediately stood up hoping to get ahead of them before the door closed but the door already slammed closed in front of me before I could reach it. I clenched onto the small bars and peeped at the nurses that locked the door. I keep on swearing at them angrily. From the corner of the room, Homin appears.
"Lee Sunie, calm down." He was also crying. "Please calm down." He said between his sobs.
I kicked the door angrily and walked to the corner of this room. I slide down on the floor, crying like a mess. I clenched my fists. Why did he create something like this? Why did he insert this fake memory to Junghwan and Homin too? I noticed Homin sitting beside me.
"I feel the same way as you Sunie. I can't even do anything to save Junghwan." He said between his sniffles.
"It's my fault! It's my fault!" I repeatedly scream out. "Because of me, he is next!"
Lame Seunghyun, lame. What did I ever do? Doctor Chil has died long ago and the fake doctor Chil who operates us is your creation. You even put schools in here too to make us learn one time how to kill people. The grandfather, the twin- all of them do not exist all along.
"No, it wasn't your fault. Not at all, it was them. Because of them, Park Sungjoon is already in that box and Gong Pil died..."
Homin starts to cry again. I pulled him and we hugged each other in fear and pain.
"You know..." He pulled away from me, he reached my face and wipe my tears. "I like back when were still happy. I like the way when we all smile especially when you smile." His voice broke as more tears keep escaping from his eyes.
He sniffles and looked down at my hands before looking up at me again. He smiled at me and held my both hands. He raised it to my face but I can still see his face through the gaps on my fingers.
"If you feel scared just cover your face, close your eyes and only think of your happy memories with your love ones." He said with a warm smile that I'd never seen for years. He placed my hands on my face that I couldn't see anything. "Forget everything and start a new life, Sunie." I heard him whisper and I sense something wrong in his voice. He seems sounds hurt.
I immediately remove my hands on my face and see him gasping for air. He's having an asthma attack, he was holding his chest while gasping fast. I quickly held hands despite I'm trembling so hard. Homin does have asthma but I don't think it's not bad but he also struggling for having it.
"Cha Homin? Cha Homin?! Are you having an asthma attack again?" I asked but he didn't answer me, instead, he handed me medicine and a card. I took it from his shaking hands even I'm confused. Medicine and a card? What do I do with those?
"Can you do me a favor?" He asked breathlessly. I wipe the sweat off of his forehead and his tears. He's sweating hard. I can't help but cry in pain and worry.
"Anything! Just...just hold on! I'll find your inhaler--" Homin doesn't have an inhaler.
He grabbed my hands. "I won't last anyway. That old man..." He tried to steady his breath to speak. "...will dispatch me. Please...please Sunie...get out of here alive." I stared at him with tears rolling down in my eyes. He smiled just when the door opened and the nurse get in and dragged Homin away.
"No! Get away from him!" I shouted and hugged Homin close to me. I tried to block them, I tried to protect Homin from taking away but I'm still a child, a manor.
More nurses came in and tried to pull me and Homin away. I keep on holding Homin even he keeps whispering to let go.
Because of the commotion, I'm doing that old man came in our cage-room and kicked me in the face. I fell on the floor because of that hard kick but I didn't let Homin go. We both crying. The doctor kneel in front of us and stuck the knife on my arm. I scream in pain and let go of Homin. The nurses start dragging Homin out of the room.
"No! Give him back!" I scream while sobbing hard. "Cha Homin!"
"Shut it you useless piece of crap!" The doctor kicked me again and I whimpered. "Don't worry, you'll be with him soon. Useless like you deserve to die." He said and slammed my head on the floor. My vision began to fade as my head is spinning. I saw him stand up and said, "Stop acting as you care." That line again.
"Bring that kid to the wood chipper. We're going to crush him alive."
"Yes, doc,"
"No...please..." I tried to beg.
What? That's terrible indeed. I ran to the door but found my other self wearing janitor clothes, holding the card that Homin gave and I was wearing a gas mask. So this other fake memory is for Hyunsung.
Hyunsung was hugging me while Junghwan is crying beside me and hugging me too from my side. The rest of us was swearing at me because I did something wrong, the reason why they're next to be put on another horrible surgery- and have the chance to die. They knew that it was me but I played I wasn't in this fake memory.
"Please don't leave me! Don't leave us, please! Bring us-me with you please!" Hyunsung begged but when I heard the footsteps coming, I hurriedly pushed them away from me.
I turned around and pulled the cart as if playing like a real janitor to escape from this place. But master Hwang chased me and pulled my arm, turning me around to face him again. "Why are you leaving us?! I thought we were friends! I thought you'll going to protect me but why leave me!" He yelled out in pain.
I remove his hands from my arms and shook my head. "I'm sorry." That's the only thing I can matter even in this situation I want to say something more. Something more to make them understand that I'm doing this to let go of my past just like Homin said before he died. And what is it? Tell me, Seunghyun. What is my reason?
I start to walked away as I pulled the cart full of damaged machines. But then again, Hyunsung chased me, stopping me from leaving, begging me to take them with me but when the nurses noticed us they start dragging him back to his room. Junghwan is already out of sight. I don't have any idea of where Seunghyun put Junghwan.
"No! Let me go!" Hyunsung struggled but the nurses keep on dragging him back to his room.
One nurse scooted towards me and asked, "What's going on? Did patient seven did--"
I quickly shook my head. I cleared my throat to make my voice different from my original voice. "No, I don't know why is he acting like that but I guess...he went crazy," I said.
I noticed Hyunsung's sudden silence and I glance at him. My heart sank after seeing his pained face as more tears rolled down his face. My heart clenched even more and I decided to turn around and leave this place immediately. I didn't turn around despite master Hwang's calls and pleading.
I didn't look back.
In this fake memory or past. I choose to forget than remember, even deep inside me- I don't want to forget. I'll never let go but I let go. I'll let them go. I leave them even I don't want to because I'm selfish. I'm selfish. Because of me, they suffered...
But I do know what is reality looks like.
I snap back to reality once Seunghyun lets go of my head. Did he turn back to his table maybe?
"I'm a great creator isn't it?"
"Something messed up," I said and chuckled bitterly.
"But it's effective. Do you also want to see the fake memory I created? I mean about how the future will go after you leave?" He excitedly said and sat on his chair.
"I don't want more show. Just tell me." I said coldly.
Seunghyun moved on his chair, crossed his legs, and placed his hands on his knees while looking at me. "I created that you will lose your memory because of a tragic accident because of Hyunsung's madness. All of us will take revenge, making all the staff and nurses even mother Arnika and Monika that I once created after they died to be our servants. The uncle is Mr. Lawrence the human eater. Then nine people will be your friends after you decided to work here. Of course, we will do some fun games but deadly and you will often recollect your past but most of them are the fake memories I created when I feel like you need to. I also prepared bitches in some way so I created Barbie. And Gong Pil the guy will be the stinky gardener. We will always punish you because you're always disobeying us but of course," He stood up and walked to me. "I'm not bad so I'll make it a happy ending. You will get pregnant and all of your nine friends will die saving your two sons from Hyunsung and Junghwan. And by the way, Jihae didn't put that thing to make you pregnant. He cut your stomach open to fix the tube in your heart since it tangled together. Jihae is careless sometimes, he pulled out the heart and damage the tubes."
"Are you...perhaps, doctor Chil all along?" I asked.
Seunghyun pet my head. "Yes, I am. The real him is my psychiatrist but I killed him for being a pushover. And using my sidekick ability, I made this facility. I wanted to create someone like me! So I created you all."
Minhee is right. It's Seunghyun all along. But I can't believe that he has that ability?
"I have this ability because of my parents. They do some crazy experiments on me to prove to the people that magic exist but they were been killed after they finish their hard work. I terminate to the mental hospital and just when I meet doctor Chil. I won't tell you more about my past, that's bored me." He walked away from me and go back to his seat. He turned his swivel chair away from me, facing his computer instead.
"Let me go Seunghyun please!" I begged, struggling against the restraint- pulling my wrist causing the object to dig into my skin and that will leave a mark.
"No can do Sunie. You will stay here for long until I finally created you as my perfect and rare creation." He said and type something on his laptop.
"Created me? What are you even talking about?!"
"I will kill you in the memory I will create and once you die, all of your memory will be erased. I can erase some memory if I want to by killing him in the memory I'll create."
"Then what? Make me your robot?"
"Maybe,"
I groan angrily, struggling against the restraint bed. I will not let him do what he wants. I scream angrily as tears continuously roll down my face. He stood up and made his way above my head. He touched my temple. I violently shook my head while struggling.
"Don't move, relax." He demand but I only shook my head again violently.
"Get away from me!" I shouted, voice wavering and body trembling. I'm crying, scared that he might be succeeded in his plan. He hush me and forced me to calm down.
I closed my eyes, crying and screaming in fear- screaming the word 'No,'
I thought Seunghyun will start his work on me but he didn't. I open my eyes and found him smiling at me. "On second thought, I will give you time to be with Hyunsung before I erase your memory. How's that? But don't expect Hyunsung will be the same as he was before."
Seunghyun freed me and let me go to the prison, to see Hyunsung. I didn't hesitate and run out of the room. I ran along the hallway but I stopped when I reached the door. I open it and I feel horror once I saw it again. The monsters breeding the women and even guys. I covered my ears and run away from this hallway of a nightmare. I arrive in area 1 and as expected they were all glaring at me. I didn't mind them and run along the way, out of this ward or let me say- facility.
My heart speeded up when I spot the prison-like warehouse from afar. I didn't stop until I reaches it.
I huffed an air for a second to catch my breath. I open the rusty huge door and peeped inside. I saw guards patrolling the area. The people inside of the cell were all well behaved but few of them weren't. I walked to the guard standing near me asking him where Hyunsung cell would be.
He gestures me to follow him.
"You can't walk close to his cell. It's forbidden." The guard spoke up.
"Why? Hyunsung is my friend. Why shouldn't I?" I asked confused, looking at his bareback.
"He's dangerous." He only said. I was about to ask him more questions but he stop in front of another rusty door. Another hallway of cells spread before us.
Unlike in the previous hallway, the inmates here were all moving oddly like they were gone crazy. One guy suddenly looked at me with his eyes widening. He watched me like he was scared for my dear life. It took another minute before we reach another door that was in the narrow hallway. It was much darker here than the spacious hallway. Lights lined up above the ceiling. The guard stop in front of the door and fished his keys that hang on his belt. He unlocked the door.
He spares me one last glance before opening the door.
"Remember what I said. I'll be outside. Don't stay long." He reminds me before letting me inside and closing the door behind me.
I looked around the room. This room is huge and it is almost dark. The only light in here is the light on the cell but that was not enough to brighten the whole cell from the edge of the room. I jumped in shock when I heard someone scream, begging for help. I could see a cell with blood all over it with corpses. A girl crawling from the darkness, naked and full of scratches. She locked eyes on me and stretched out her hand, begging me to help her while crying.
"Help me please! Help!" She cried. She crawled again until she reached the bars and stretched out her hand while clutching the bar. "Please help!"
I'm hesitant at first and shock. I don't know what happened here. I don't know what Hyunsung is right now. I'm scared. My eyes caught the glitching light from my side. I looked at it and saw the date, even the time right now. Wait, did I sleep that too long? Five months?
Is this Seunghyun trick again?! But no. I don't feel any weird in the place. Jihae knocked me out that hard.
I snap away from my thoughts when I heard the girl weeping loudly. She wailed while crying and screaming for help. I didn't hesitate this time and ran to her but I stop when I heard the girl chuckle. Just when I remember that she's one of the girls with Jihae's goons.
"I know it's you...you rare species! It has to be you who deserves in this cell with that monster-" Someone suddenly pulled her back to the darkness, she scream.
I step back, not taking another step closer to the cell. I can sense the terror in the girl's voice as she scream until I heard something snap, and the girl stop screaming. Blood flowing from the bloody floor.
What happened to Hyunsung? What...?
"H-Hyunsung?" I tried to call him despite my fear slowly eating me. He didn't respond. I heard something flesh being ripped out and the low groan. It seems like Hyunsung is eating eagerly.
I gather all my courage and tried to call him again but he didn't respond. I can't see him either so I don't have any idea of what is he doing right now. I fisted my hands.
"Hyunsung...I...I don't know what-"
"I'll...kill..." I stop when I heard him say those words, his voice is weird and sounded sinister. It gives me a chill run down my spine.
But I continue to talk. I somehow hoped for him to snap out of it and came back to his senses. "I-I don't know...I don't know what happened within those months but believe me, I didn't leave you. I didn't abandon you-"
"Leave!"
His sinister scream shocks me to the core. I immediately step back and run out from the room, tears blurring my vision causing me to bump the guard. I quickly apologized and ran again. I stop once I am finally outside, tears flowing down my face. I feel my heart clenched painfully inside. I slide down and cried my heart out. I don't care if I'm outside. I just need to clear my head. Hyunsung is just stressed, that's it. He just stressed out that's why he acting like that. I just need to be on his side. He needs me. He needs me...
And I need him too.
"Sunie?" My head move to where that voice could be. I can't help but cry more when I Shannon standing not far away from. She's holding a tray of food.
She ran to me and placed it down the plate. She kneels in front of me. "What happened?! Your friends told us that you already get out from here? Why are you still here?" She asked, confused.
"I...I didn't leave. I'm in deep sleep within those months inside Seunghyun's lab. I just woke up and find everything a mess already."
"What? So, you're actually in a coma all along?!" She gasps, covering her mouth. "They must know about this! Then...Seunghyun played their minds?" She asked and I nodded. "Seunghyun is a really bad person. Come on, stick with me for a while." She instruct and hardly stood up, holding her stomach. Just when I noticed the bump on her hospital gown. Wait, is she pregnant?!
Did that muscle guy impregnate her?!
"Wait, you pregnant?!" I asked shocked while standing up.
She nodded, eyes blank. "Yup! That bulging muscle guy got me pregnant and now," she struggled to get the tray. I hurriedly help her pick the tray. "Thank you. Anyway, now Gong Pil is in prison because he's depressed about my pregnancy. I know it hurt him but what can I do? I can't abort this child." She said and came inside.
I followed her behind as she said. We climb on the stairs until we reach his cell. His face is pale and bags under his eyes. When he saw us he suddenly engage towards us, glaring at us sternly- clenching the bars.
"I told you to not visit me again! Why are you still coming here with that annoying big stomach of yours?! And you!" He turns to me. "You already leave right?! Why are you still here?! Do you know how messy you created?! You selfish brat! Go and get yourself killed with your lover!" He screams angrily, pointing at me.
"Stop that Gong Pil! You don't know anything!" Shannon quickly barked back.
"I know everything Shannon! I know! Like I know you meeting your rapist and fucking each other!"
"How can you say that! That's not true! I got pregnant because he rape me not because I wanted to?! Did I tell you that many times?!"
I watched them fight. Even Gong Pil, Seunghyun played his mind and create fake memories to insert- just like the others. I saw Shannon crying while still shouting at Gong Pil before pulling me away, back outside.
Shannon continue dragging me until we went inside area 2. We stop in the cafeteria with few people inside, eating normal food.
She let go of my arm and slumped on the white long bench and propped her elbow against the white table, wiping his face.
"I don't know anymore. Everyone close to us went like that, crazy and mad!" She sobs.