Pages of the Past (11)
Pages of the Past (11)
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Yeeun was being supported by her mother as she entered the house. They had spent two days at the hospital where she was treated. Thankfully, the doctors said that her baby was fine and there were no major complications. Finally, they were discharged in the evening and it was 10 PM by the time they reached home.
Shujin helped her daughter to sit on a chair and rubbed her back.
"You really need to rest well," she grumbled. "Being so reckless and communicating with spirits even in this state. I'll be damned if the kid ends up like you!"
Yeeun giggled. "She'll be very much loved," she told her mother. She rubbed her belly and added, "Aren't you looking forward to coming to this world, little Gayoon? I know you are!"
As if in response, she felt a slight kick."See, she wants to come quickly as well!" Yeeun said cheerfully. Shujin gave her a smile before it faded and she was serious again.
"She's coming with a strange fate," Shujin lamented. "If only our family was normal. All the women being able to communicate with spirits and ghosts. It's not a good ability. I still recall the time before you were born. All those heinous monsters came to me for help and I was forced to aid them. And not all of them were good. Some remained with me for days and it was impossible to exorcise them. In my days, I was looked down upon by society. They shooed me away and I was treated as a curse."
"But your father was a good man," she sighed. "He took me in and treated me with respect. He even learnt a little bit of exorcism so that he could drive away the bad ghosts. And then you came along. We were happy."
She dabbed her eye which had teared up. Yeeun held her mother's hand. Her father had passed away only a couple of years ago due to cancer and Shujin missed him a lot. It was a good thing that he did not live long enough to see Yeeun being abandoned by her husband otherwise it would have destroyed him.
"We'll be fine, mom," Yeeun assured her. "Both of us will raise Gayoon to be strong. She's not gonna be afraid of ghosts. And one day, she'll find someone who will love her despite her abilities. She'll have a happy family too. You'll see!"
Shujin gave her a small smile. Yeeun was very optimistic and never let her sadness get in the way of living her life.
"I should check the telephone messages," Yeeun said, getting up from the chair. "I'm sure someone must have called us to put orders for food delivery."
Shujin nodded while Yeeun walked towards the telephone to press the answering machine. There was a beep.
"Yeeun? Is this Yeeun's place?" Junho's desperate voice came out of the voice message. Yeeun froze while Shujin looked confused.
"I'm Junho, Suna's husband!" Junho's voice continued. "I think...I think you were right. Suna has been possessed. She's acting very weird. Please call me back as soon as you can!"
"Junho?" Shujin frowned. "Suna? What's going on?"
But Yeeun had gone pale with worry. She glanced at the clock. It was the second day of the possession! In the midst of worrying for Gayoon, she almost forgot about Suna's state!
"Mom!" she exclaimed urgently. "We'll have to save Suna!"
"What happened to her?" Shujin asked, feeling worried.
"I think she's been possessed!" Yeeun revealed. "And if we don't hurry, that thing possessing her will kill her family!"
….
Junho held Suna's hand, as she slept. His wife had been unresponsive the whole day and she did not eat a single bite. The entity in her was driving her to a state of despair and madness. Her whole body was malnourished and no matter how much he tried, nothing was working. He even called up a church, begging them to exorcise his wife but they refused because they did not want to anger their supervisors with an unauthorized exorcism.
"It will take weeks for the permission to arrive," the priest informed him over the phone. "Sorry."
His last hope was on Yeeun but she had not picked up his call. After how he treated her, he did not expect her to get back to him.
"Junho…"
Suna was now awake, looking at him. He straightened up, hoping that she was cured.
"Can you….bring me some water?" she begged. "I'm...thirsty…"
"Yes!" he replied. "Of course."
He picked up the water jar but it was empty. So he headed outside, locking the door behind him. As soon as he stepped out, he came face to face with Minho who was glaring at him. He had been suspicious of his father for the past two days and was beginning to think something was wrong.
"I want to see mom," he said.
"No," Junho replied, walking past him but Minho was adamant. He blocked his father's way, feeling fully determined.
"I want to meet mom!" he insisted. "Mina is still crying for mom and you're not letting us meet her! What did you do to her? Tell me!"
"I told you, she is sick!" Junho yelled at him. "Can't you understand that she doesn't want to see you right now? Do you want her to become more sick?"
"You're lying!" Minho exclaimed, trying to get past his father but Junho held him back, trying to pull him away.
"MOM!" Minho yelled, pulling away from his father but Junho's grip was too strong. The little boy was helpless as Junho pulled him to his room and threw him in there. Junho was hurtin inside for being unable to answer his son's questions but there was no other way. What if that thing tried to harm the children? Mina was already crying hard whenever she was around Suna and if Minho saw her in that state…
"She's sick," Junho said coldly, mustering all his willpower to keep Minho away from Suna. "Don't bother her."
He closed the door, leaving Minho to angrily glare at him. As long as Junho was around Suna, he would not be able to meet his mother.
I'll have to try again tomorrow, he decided.
Meanwhile, Junho went to the kitchen and poured water into the jar. He went back into his room, locking the door behind him. To his shock, Suna was not on the bed.
"Suna?" he called. "Where are you?"
No response. He looked frantically around the bed and even under it, but she was nowhere. Moreover, on the floor were strange symbols. Suna had drawn a circle with an eye in the middle of it with her own blood.
"What the-"
Then a low growling voice came from behind him. He spun around only to be lunged at by Suna. She jumped on him, brandishing a knife at Junho. Junho managed to barely grab her wrists to push her off but she was too strong.
"DIE!" she growled. "DIE! DIE! DIE AND LET HER OPEN THE GATES!"
The creature slashed Junho's face. Blood trickled from his cheek but he did not care. With one heave, he pushed her off him.
"Suna!" he cried as the creature angrily groaned. "Don't let it get to you-"
But she jumped at him again, pushing him against a wall. Junho struggled to keep up with the strength of the creature which was desperate to kill him. The knife was pointed at him, nearing his eye…
"Junho…"
Suna was crying. Her body was no longer in her control but she was trying to hold on to the brief moments of sanity.
"You must kill me…" she whispered sadly. "If I live…then this thing will kill you! And it'll achieve its goal. Only my death can stop it…"
"No…" Junho said tearfully. Her body was still fighting against him, trying to stab him to death but her eyes were pleading. She was fighting off the spirit internally but it would not be long before it regained control.
"You have to…" Suna said. "It wants me! If I live, it'll torment me! I'll be stuck in its unending hell. Only you can save me...Please….darling…kill me…"
"No!" Junho cried but Suna had finally gained momentary control of her body. The hands which were trying to kill him now pushed the knife into his palm and held his wrist.
"You have to…" she said with a smile. Junho was crying and unwilling to do the deed. He could not kill her. He loved her more than he loved his own life. They were supposed to be together, grow old together and see their children happy.
It was not supposed to be like this.
"Your wife will beg for death!"
The creature's shrill voice rang through his ears. As if on impulse, Junho's eyes wandered to the clock.
"She'll beg for death but I'll burn her in this purgatory!" it sneered. "Your death will lead her straight to hell! You can't win against me! I'll make sure your wife's soul is tormented beyond repair. She'll never know a day's peace from now on-"
Its words were cut off by a sharp pain in the abdomen. Blood gushed out of its mouth and stomach and for a moment, in its shock, it met Junho's eyes.
A blazing fire burnt in them which was worse than any hellfire. He was glaring at the creature without any fear or hesitation. There was a strong determination and an eternal vow in them which he was going to keep till his last breath.
"This doesn't mean I'm gonna stop," the creature sputtered. "I'll find another body and finish my work!"
"In that case," Junho said and pulled out the knife. He pointed at the clock. The creature glanced at it and was shocked. It was 11:59 PM.
"I'll keep on hunting you until I destroy you," Junho declared.