After Dark (Prompts)

Spellbound - 2

A/N: Spoiler alert - the backstory of Kang Yeo-ri relies heavily on the movie so if you haven't seen it and intend to do so, you might want to stop first. If you continue, thank you but don't blame me. Anyway, I really liked the movie though some parts were really, really creepy.

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"How's the weather in Oslo, Eomma? I'm okay here. Don't worry about me. Thanks for the care package you sent!" she said, smiling at the video to show her mom that she was happy with what was sent.

Yeo-ri chatted with her mother a little more before finally ending the call. Finally, she could wipe off her smile and sigh sadly.

Being Kang Yeo-ri was not easy.

Her early life was good. She had loving parents, a younger sister she adored. She was quite popular in school and had many friends. She also had a lot of admirers.

In school, she was doing good in her studies and looking forward to taking up a course in the University where she would be around a lot of people. At the time, she was considering either marketing and advertising or even theater arts.

But life had other plans.

The accident during their sophomore year changed that. Her carefree spirit was replaced with a girl who was cautious about everything and worried that Death might come chasing her because she escaped that day. Then again, there came a dark lerood when she almost wished that Death would claim her because life was becoming a living hell.

Ju Hui, her best friend who died in that accident, had been haunting her. It started with nightmares that soon transitioned to apparitions.

Kang Yeo-ri would feel a sense of foreboding before being filled with cold dread. Then, she would see Ju Hui's eyes staring at her but without life behind them, her skin and nails in an eternal state of decomposition. At times, she would just stare or hover around Yeo-ri to test her limits. In other moments, Ju Hui would squeeze her until Yeo-ri felt like she couldn't breathe.

Then, Kang Yeo-ri would snap out of it developing various coping mechanisms over the years.

However, Ju Hui seemed to be seeking revenge and she resorted to visiting Kang Yeo-ri's family and any of her remaining close friends.

All were understandably terrified.

Once they understood that it was connected to Yeo-ri, they distanced themselves from her. One by one, Yeo-ri lost friends from school until no one wanted to be associated with her. Then, even her family migrated to another country hoping that meant Ju Hui could not follow them.

Kang Yeo-ri was alone.

Her previously busy social calendar with mall get togethers with the girls, movie dates with boys from the nearby high school with her other friends, and sports competitions, were replaced with more solitary activities like walks along the river when there were no crowds, trips to the library and choosing the desk farthest from anyone, ordering take away food and coffee to accompany her for a movie night at home.