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.