——Lips painted by a red gloss carefully pressed against each other immediately after withdrawing from the white cup. “How are you feeling now, dear?” Mrs Park investigated shortly after placing the empty cup on the table. Her eyes gently fell on Jiyeon who had been nervously staring at the plaster cast around her arm. She bit her lower lip and nodded, “I am…fine.” Jiyeon replied in a voice that had dropped to a whisper. She slowly raised her head and turned her eyes to her left, where Travis was sitting. The boy had been quiet as he asked himself questions as to how Jiyeon got the big bruise on her face. The bruise decorated itself across the left side of Jiyeon’s face like a big wing of a butterfly. Travis wanted to let his eyes linger on Jiyeon’s face, but he couldn’t, he averted his eyes away from her face to his grandmother who seemed to have a lot to say. “It is late, you guys go to sleep, and we will have a talk tomorrow.” Mrs Park suggested instantly after getting up. The t
——The golden rays of the rising sun slowly floated into the room and landed on Travis’s face whose sleep was quickly chased away. With a frown across his forehead, Travis unhurriedly opened his eyes and let out a groan. He got up and stood straight on the bed before reaching for his phone. “Nine? I’m late for breakfast!” Travis growled as he sprinted to the bathroom. He quickly washed his face, brushed his teeth, and raced downstairs when he was done. He found his grandmother and cousin, Arthur, already seated for breakfast. Jiyeon was absent from the table, something Travis quickly understood. “Sorry…for being late.” He apologised as he sat down on his chair. His grandmother only nodded, while Arthur smiled. “How did you sleep?” Arthur investigated and smiled widely as he sipped his apple juice. “Well, I…slept like a baby,” Travis replied shortly after clearing his throat. He instantly began to recall last night — his hand’s job and then a conversation with Jiyeon. His heart slo
MEMORIES: BITTER AND SWEET! "Only six years…that's what we agreed on! Six years! Or were they too much for you to handle?" A husky, booming voice that, belonging to Travis reverberated across the spacious room with a query that sent chills to paste themselves onto the figure of a man who was standing five minutes away from him. "You failed to keep your promise…!" Travis blurted with a voice that was cracking up with emotions. He aired the words with great difficulty whilst his dewy eyes carefully watched the face of the man in front of him harden with coldness. "What did I do to receive this kind of treatment from you? Does it not matter how long I waited?" Travis questioned in a brittle voice as soon as he took timid steps towards the man's direction— a man who did not dare to soften his face, rather he put on a face that lacked emotions and warmness. Slowly but surely, the man turned his features, together with his figure away from the saddened Travis that was already weeping.
Who are you? [8 January 2018]Number of days drifted off in just a blink of an eye since the terrible incident that evidently made Travis to welcome a new year with a heart that was sunk by a load of gloomy emotions. After almost two years, he found himself sitting behind a school desk, where a bunch of books were looking at him with nothing but mockery. School— according to him, it was a place that was going to make his life a living hell. He knew that it did not matter how hard he had to rough it in— eventually, he'd have to live a lie and entangle himself to the outside world— which was something he was against. He knew that he had a choice to get up and walk away but his 'cruel' heart had always reminded him, on many occasions, that he had once imprinted a promise into his grandmother's 'weak' heart— a promise he dared not to break. It was the second Monday of 2018 and the morning was not different from the other mornings. Leaning his head on the palm of his hand, Travis's e
[ Five Days After 31 December 2017] —–DAVID CHWE"Your father must have explained the consequences of repeating your silly mistakes, I reckon?" A voice that waved with clamour left a question hanging in the air, leaving echoes of peril to linger across the limo. It was dark inside— the luxurious car was bombarded by smoke from the cigar that was exhaled by an individual who sat in the darkest corner. His deep, life-threatening voice sent immediate shivers that carried electricity, throughout the system of David who flinched at the vibrations of his voice. There— David sat ten seconds away from the unknown individual, where the one bulb was illuminating fear as it caressed his veins. He was visibly shaking like a leaf, his whole body was covered in sweat. The unknown man behind the shadows made a four with his legs shortly after throwing out peals of guffaws that further influenced aghast to envelope itself on David's figure. DAVID— the only thing he'd do was to nod whenever thro
But I Saw Him!—–TRAVIS PARK"I'm…I know that it may be early, but since you asked, you failed your first mathematical test and this brings down your percentage points!" The tiny, sensitive organ began to pound strongly and steadily, against Travis's chest. Words scattered across his head, influencing a headache to take over instead. His eyes widened— he felt like everything was floating as if he were on a ship that was carried away by a strong current. Hair on every part of his body stood up, gearing up to run away, if possible. His dilated eyes with fear, mixed with confusion, only darted around from one place to another, as if searching for something. That was it. That was how he remembered yesterday when Mrs Lee broke the news to him— news that carried evilness that paralyzed his soul. Those dreadful words hid in the core of his wonderland, preventing him from entering inside. They played again in his head for the millionth time now, discouraging him from thinking of anythin
["I Am Haunted, Can Anyone Hear Me?"]"Shh! Everything is going to be fine. Just...breathe!" A shuddering Travis spoke in a quivering whisper. His dry lips were trembling as words stuffed themselves under his tongue while some scattered throughout his head. His tear-filled eyes were watching the sun through the window as it bathed the school buildings with its warmth. He silently watched a group of learners as they were leisurely walking with gleaming smiles pasted on their faces. A piece of his heart that was wildly throbbing against his chest, broke as soon as his ears caught the soft giggles exhaled by the learners. He was not aware of a waterfall of tears that was flooding the floor of his reddened cheeks. The urge to swallow a pill that he has been clasping in his shuddering hand only grew strong. "Will I ever…?" Travis spoke in a breaking murmur. He was breathing heavily with regret immediately after he had thrown the pill in his dry mouth. He closed his eyes tight and bega
"A smile so shamelessly radiant— it cages my heart with its warmth. I must be going crazy, I think!" A jubilant David shouted quietly to himself. His dark, brown eyes were shimmering with sparkles of merriment. At this point, he could not help but dwell once again, in the memory that was created yesterday— for it to be kept in the chambers of his heart. A shy yet colourful smile published itself on his scarlet, tiny, heart-shaped lips whilst he recalled a bright, enchanting twinkle in Travis's eyes that were intensely staring into his eyes. —"I…!" Travis aired while he unconsciously bit his lower lip, shortly after lowering his eyes. He closed them as he fished his head for "right" words and took a shy step towards David whose heart was vehemently beating against the wall of his chest— steadily and carefully as if afraid it'll burst. A lump rose to dance shamelessly in the core of his throat, making breathing hard for him. "I…I am sorry about…earlier! I am really…sorry!" In an a
——The golden rays of the rising sun slowly floated into the room and landed on Travis’s face whose sleep was quickly chased away. With a frown across his forehead, Travis unhurriedly opened his eyes and let out a groan. He got up and stood straight on the bed before reaching for his phone. “Nine? I’m late for breakfast!” Travis growled as he sprinted to the bathroom. He quickly washed his face, brushed his teeth, and raced downstairs when he was done. He found his grandmother and cousin, Arthur, already seated for breakfast. Jiyeon was absent from the table, something Travis quickly understood. “Sorry…for being late.” He apologised as he sat down on his chair. His grandmother only nodded, while Arthur smiled. “How did you sleep?” Arthur investigated and smiled widely as he sipped his apple juice. “Well, I…slept like a baby,” Travis replied shortly after clearing his throat. He instantly began to recall last night — his hand’s job and then a conversation with Jiyeon. His heart slo
——Lips painted by a red gloss carefully pressed against each other immediately after withdrawing from the white cup. “How are you feeling now, dear?” Mrs Park investigated shortly after placing the empty cup on the table. Her eyes gently fell on Jiyeon who had been nervously staring at the plaster cast around her arm. She bit her lower lip and nodded, “I am…fine.” Jiyeon replied in a voice that had dropped to a whisper. She slowly raised her head and turned her eyes to her left, where Travis was sitting. The boy had been quiet as he asked himself questions as to how Jiyeon got the big bruise on her face. The bruise decorated itself across the left side of Jiyeon’s face like a big wing of a butterfly. Travis wanted to let his eyes linger on Jiyeon’s face, but he couldn’t, he averted his eyes away from her face to his grandmother who seemed to have a lot to say. “It is late, you guys go to sleep, and we will have a talk tomorrow.” Mrs Park suggested instantly after getting up. The t
Silence — it was absolutely hushed. The wind released a soft cry that left a hole of embarrassment in the two boys' hearts. Their eyes nervously darted from one place to the other. Travis shifted from foot to foot, wearing a glowing, sparkling smile that magnificently decorated his face. David silently fought with his heart, urging to gain control over it, but he continued to fail over and over again. No words could describe the amount of jingling in the depths of Travis’s heart as he was fishing for words to spew, but none came forth. “One, two, three...” He counted as he tried to wipe his smile, but he had no control over it. His eyes gently landed on David’s pale face for a brief while and then they quickly flew away from his face to the dusty nightstand. “S-so…how are —!?” “I need to use the bathroom,” David whispered with a hiss when Travis was speaking. The boy quietly nodded and carefully watched David as he hurried into his bathroom. “Calm down, breathe!” Immediately after
•••The rays of the rising sun flooded into the space, gently landing on the black island table that separated the two individuals — one wearing a smirk that was carefully spreading across his face and the other with eyes that were dilated with shock. It was very quiet — so hushed, making it easy for Sean to hear how loud and demanding David’s heart was throbbing. “Remember it, David. Remember well how you tightly clenched the sheets, endlessly moaning my name. I did not force you; you were the one who jumped on me even when I was asking you to stop. You were not drunk; we both know that.” Sean murmured, leaning forward and allowing the sunbeams to expose his green gleaming eyes. The man ensured that his gaze strictly fell on David’s face, studying its movements and the change of colour — from pale to red. David closed his eyes and gritted his teeth so hard that an unbearable pain kept his gums hostage for a short period. He did not want to react to Sean’s words, but his body diso
–“Falling deep into blue…! I wish I did not, but I ended up doing it. It is painful and it hurts so much.” A boy who whispered through his clenched teeth lay on a king-sized bed whose sheets were wrinkled. The beams of the rising sun floated into the huge room through the naked window and landed kisses on his pale, nude body. His eyelids trembled when he felt every warm touch from the sun. A smile faintly spread across his dry, chapped lips immediately when his eyes slowly opened and collided with a white, vaulted ceiling. He bit his lip and closed his eyes again. “How many times have I been looking at you? It is still the same and I hate it. Maybe he should change the design…!” David breathed instantly after clearing his throat and never dared himself to move his body, not even an inch. “Maybe we should do it somewhere else. In another room so that I don’t always look at the ceiling. I had to look at it all night.” The boy added with a loud, rough sigh, ignoring the sun’s beams th
DAVID CHWE’S POV CONTINUED…[ I REMEMBER…ALL OF IT!] WARNING: AGE GAP! “Are you willing to do anything, boy?” An unfamiliar deep, slightly husky voice investigated. I vigorously nodded, breathing heavily as I stared at the green eyes that were shamelessly following every movement I made. I stood in the same spot and listened to footsteps walk out of the dark towards me. My hands were shaking but I did not intend to run away because I needed a job. I helplessly narrowed my eyes to catch a glimpse of the owner of the voice that made my heart tighten with fear. A step and another, I saw a tall, pale-skinned man in a very black suit looking down at me. His eyes were mysteriously gleaming with glee as they hovered over my trembling, slim figure.I unconsciously took a careful step back, my eyes still glued onto his, as if under a spell. The unknown man scowled at me with amusement and for some reason, I felt like he was looking directly into my soul — I felt all my secrets, fears, and
[ A PAST AND IMAGES ENGRAVED IN MY HEART; NEVER WILL THEY LEAVE!]DAVID CHWE’S POV: I REMEMBER….“There we go! It started again! The fucken unruly thing!” A dry hiss made a rough escape through my shrivelled lips that I had been trying so hard to keep wet with my tongue until I had no patience anymore. My eyes hastily flew up at the vivid blue sky that was covered by clouds that I instantly caught retiring into an intimate dance with the gentle breeze. I released an oppressed sigh quickly when I felt the sun lay its warm kisses on my red skin. “Another torture,” I whispered to myself, my forehead frowning deeper than it already had. During that moment, I had averted my gaze from the sky to two girls that I shamelessly witnessed as they were burying their heads into an idle talk. Something bothered me or rather, influenced a feeling of envy within me. I know many boys would have widened their eyes with admiration at the sight of the girls, but instead, my eyes widened with envy as I
A clap of thunder rumbled immediately when his now veiny eyes collided with those harvested by treachery — poison and cold darkness. David felt his chest tightening and he could not breathe. The papers in his hands trembled, some falling on the floor with a silenced, pitiful whine. “This…!” “Your new job!”Mr M intruded on David who could not release words from his quivering, dry mouth. The man’s voice rumbled throughout the dining room, making David’s muscles tighten with fear — afraid to even land his eyes on the one speaking. “New job? W-what…why are Travis’s…pictures…?”David calculated and investigated quietly, his trembling voice dropping into a whisper. He was paralyzed to the spot and could not move his body — he felt cold air bite into his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. His tear-filled eyes darted around, landing on anything possible — from his shaking hands to Mr Sok whose face showed no emotions. Confused, David felt his world start to shake — he felt like he
[CHAINS AROUND MY NECK; DELIVER ME FROM HELL]The wind firmly cried as David stood there, his eyes filled with burning fear while he stared at the gigantic house that was covered by pulsating, crimson-red lights — each blinking as if warning him to go back where he came from and if he were to enter, he’d not come out alive. “RUN!” A sonorous voice in the chambers of his head whispered but he could not move an inch of his body. He stood still as he continuously exhaled deeply. His hands were shuddering deep in his pockets — he was now counting past 51. “RUN!” The same voice advised but once again, David dared not to move — he felt his hands heavy and could not lift any of them. He did want to turn around and leave, and never come back but the longer he looked at the lights blinking in his direction, the sweeter the spell became as it travelled through his head and to the back of his skull. He could take a step back and walk away but he knew the consequences that would come with tha