Moments | Sweet Home

Chapter 5

The woman is talking to an empty pram.

That's one of the first things Yeonha notices after coming back to her senses. At first she thought the woman had been talking to her child, but when she took a closer look, she realised that there was no child. She didn't say anything though, just smiled and nodded as the woman introduced her imaginary child to Yeonha.

How could she say anything when this woman was so kind; she'd took the time to save her and bring her back to her senses even though she was a total stranger. She's wrapped Yeonha in blankets, stroked her hair, offered her tea and wiped her face with a warm towel. 

Yeonha let the woman coddle her, brush her hair, pick her a change of clothes; the woman had even fished out a lip tint from somewhere and insisted Yeonha wear it, "Lipstick can't solve all problems but it's a pretty great start." She smiles.

Yeonha, not one for wearing more than lip balm, can't deny the woman. 

"There we are don't you feel better with a bit of colour?" Yeonha smiles and nods and feels warm inside, but it's not because of the lipstick.

Was this what it felt like to have a proper mother?

If it was then she was thankful to have had a small glimpse of it than not known it at all.

"What do I call you then?"

"Yeonha."

"A pretty name for a pretty young lady. I hope my Da Eun grows up to be as pretty as you."

The walls and ground start to shake, at at first Yeonha thinks it's an earthquake until a foreboding chill runs up her arms and she hears a rumbling sound.

"Protein."

Children's screams follow the sound and the woman with her heads straight for her door with the pram.

"Wait." She cries in alarm, putting her hand on the woman's arm to stop her.

She had no weapon, nothing to defend herself with- how could she just go out there when it wasn't safe?

"I'll be back, i'm just going to help the children."

This woman was truly crazy. 

Yeonha inhales, tries to offer the woman her flare gun but she refuses, saying "I shouldn't let Da Eun see me use those things." Exasperated Yeonha keeps a firm grip on her ice axe, with one hand, and tucks the flare gun into her jeans and she follows the woman, keeping her safe would be the least she could do to repay her for her kindness.

Yeonha starts to regret her decision as soon as they turn the corner and she catches sight of the monster.

It wasn't just huge- it was mammoth, made of hideous muscle with an even more hideous bloody mouthed smile. It could barely fit in the hallway, head grazing the ceiling, with it's body as wide as the width of it.

How was anyone supposed to stop such a creature?

She tries to pull Mrs Lim behind her, but the woman moves forward fearlessly. 

"Please don't touch the children, you can do that right."

For a moment the monster actually hesitates, there is a split second where Yeonha thinks it's actually going to listen to the woman, but then it lifts a fist, and crushes her and the pram.

Yeonha's blood runs cold in shock. She barely has time to react before the monster, reaches out with it's hand and grabs her. 

She was slammed into a wall, smacking her head and she gasped at the sudden impact, not able to recover as the air she was trying to reclaim was trapped by the hand around her throat and it was, bruising, crushing, leaving her dizzy and frantic.

The sound rattled around in Yeonha's head, distant and muffled compared to the blood ringing in her ears, the burning emptiness in her lungs.

She hacks at the arm with her ice axe but it makes the monster angrier, it howls and tightens it's grip. Her feet which had been lifted off the ground kicked as she tried to escape. She fumbles for the flare gun digging into her lower back weakly, and manages only just to pull the trigger.

The flash of light causes the monster to discard her, as it cowers covering it's eyes with it's hands.

She lands in a limp mess. 

Her consciousness is slipping again, and Yeonha can barely make out the sound of voices around her. Other people.

"How many times are you going to almost die?"

"I told you I'll keep you safe. Let me handle things."

No.

She shakes her head, and regrets the movement. 

"It hurts doesn't it? It doesn't have to hurt, accept me and I wont let you feel any of it."