Perfectly Scarred

The Failures

Never trust a woman who looks at you sinisterly when you're not looking around. Trust no one.

These are the words of my mom's dad, my grandpa, Ram, who, as a result of saying them, isn't welcome in our house anymore. My mom decided It's not about what he said that bothers us, the problem is, it was the person he said it about: Judge Kim, my dad's sister and my aunt, one of the most powerful women in Seoul, currently sitting at the head of our dining table.

Alexander, my dad returns from the kitchen with a turkey and a bottle of red wine as we celebrate the Christmas Eve. He sat beside mom who's currently fidgeting in her seat. I can tell she is anxious. Dad squeezed her hand and gave a reassuring smile. Anne, my mom reciprocated my dad's sweet gesture as she smiled sweetly at him and then returned her gaze to Judge Kim nervously.

I know Judge Kim as Dahee, contrast to what other people perceive her to be, I saw her as a regular person, I've seen her first thing in the morning, with her hair looking like a nest, with dried saliva on the side of her cheeks, I've seen her in the middle of the night drinking water with her panties on, I've seen her drunk, vomit endlessly, sleeping with her mouth open. I've heard her laugh and cry when she lost her husband. She's not terrifying at all, so how can I be scared of her?

Nonetheless, my family and the rest of the people in this country is afraid of her. She is the judge of the committee named The Society. It is considered to be a permanent solution so that people won't do mistakes, to lessen the wrongdoings of the citizen. People who are accused are called Failures. The Failures are regular citizens who made moral or ethical errors in this country.

All of us have never been to the court, I don't intend on going there either. However, it is open to the public so people can watch the trial. I personally believe that it's a fair procedure because friends and families of the accused as Failures are given the the freedom to testify on the accused. If they are proven guilty, the 3 judges will decide what are their failures and it will be publicly announced where their skin is going to be burned with the F brand in one of the five places. Namely:

For making an intellectual mistake, the side of their head
For lying and saying bad things about the society, their tongue
For stealing, the right palm
For turning your back and walking away to the society, the right sole of their foot
For disloyalty to the society, the chest.

Failures are not going to be imprisoned, they haven't done anything illegal but considered to have done something bad that are perceive to be as something damaging to the society. Failures live with us, but they are being isolated, people disgust them and live differently under the Society's rules. They are considered to be as toxic in the society and they will carry out the brand for the rest of their lives

Why do we have this? Our country suffered a crisis due to the leader's poor decisions. They tend to remove the leaders and branded each one of them so that people won't imitate their wrongdoings. The Society's main aim in the future is to have a morally, ethically perfect society. And with that, Judge Dahee Kim is the hero to us. Even I sees her as a golden calf, I'm looking up to her.

"Shall we begin?" Dahee interrupted my thoughts as she puts down her phone and look at us.

"But the Lee's are still not here." Mom looks at Dahee nervously. I wanted to tell mom to stop fidgeting and act normal but I know even if I tell her, she would still feel anxious.

"It's okay, we should start the dinner. I'm hungry already" Dahee looks at my mom with her eyes squinting and I can tell it causes a tension.

"But.." mom tried to say something more when she saw Dahee's expression, she's losing her patience

"Okay" Mom hurriedly made her way to the kitchen. I can tell hers legs are wobbly.

Me and my sister, Jisoo are exchanging banters to celar the awkwardness, to clear the air.

"Me, being your sister is the best gift that you ever had in your life"

"Gift you say? More like a curse."

Jisoo my older sister, she is usually calm, preserve loves to makes jokes sometimes and most especially I never saw her panic or looking worried. But right now, I can feel that she's feeling the tension too. We exchanged smiles and the next thing we heard is the

sirens. Loud and frightening.