Perfectly Scarred

The Escape

I tiptoe down the stairs as quietly as I can, knowing one false move will be the end of me. Once downstairs, I hear the raised voices of my dad and Dahee.

Dad going at him full throttle. I want to burst in there to stop dad, afraid that he'll be next in the firong line for protecting me, but I know I can't. It won't help anything in the long term.

My only way to end this is to reveal Dahee to the world

"Go" Jisoo whispers loudly, and I feel her pushing me..

I stare at the door to the library, unable to leave Mom and Dad in this situation, feeling frozen on the spot. If I leave,they could be punished, accused of aiding me. If I give in and stay, they will be safe.

The door suddenly opens and Jisoo grab my hand hiding me behind her back. Both of us freeze. It's all over.

Instead of Dahee, Mom steps outside, face pale angry. She has a new undercut hairstyle, one side of her hair has been shaved close to her head, the other side still a reminder of her long, beautiful waves. She looks like a warrior.

She sees me with a packed bag, ready to leave and she closes the library door firmly behind her. I know she won't let me leave and I will have to try to convince her.

Mom rushes to me, throws her arm around me, covers me in kisses and hug me tight.
"I love you, My Rosie." she says

She looks at me, as if memorizing my face and then she whispers one word close to my ear that leaves no question in my mind and goose bumps on my skin.

"Run"

With tears almost blinding me, I leave her side, feeling torn from her, ripped at the seams. I clamber over our backyard wall. I stay low and run to reach the lane, which will lead me up the hill to the summit hidden from view.

A car appears from around the corner, lights on full, and heads toward me. It stops my path. I'm not sure whether it's going to stop; and with its headlights on running me over.

I don't recognize the car, though it is brand- new, expensive. It stops inches from me. The headlights are still so bright I can't see who's behind the wheel.

I think about turning around and running, but I know Daher is in the other direction. I am so close to the lane that will hopefully take me to freedom, the lane I took to see Lalisa on the summit.

The driver's door opens, and Judge Ramirez gets out. My heart races.

"Nice evening for an escape, Ms. Park?" She says, coolly.

"What do you want?"

"I want what you want" she says. "We have something in common"

"I doubt that" I say, biterly.

"To bring your Aunt down, Dahee."

I'm shock by that admittance, but, of course, I shouldn't be. She was trying throughout my entire case to undermine her. She was just using me to do it.

"I hear you know something about her that could be beneficial to both of us. Something that's making your aunt awfully nervous, sending out groups of Whistleblowers here, there and everywhere. I don't know what it is, but I'm hoping you can tell me"

"What makes you think I can trust you?" I'm panicking. I need to get away from this. I need to escape. My family can't hold Dahee back from searching the house for me for much longer, and if it's true that I am being held responsible for both the rally and the riot in the supermarket, then the Whistleblowers and the police will be here to take me away. I hope the police finds me first, but Dahee wont let me get away from her that easily.

"You can trust me. I'm going to let you go" she says, and I am totally confused. "You're not much use to me in Dahee's control. I can see the damage you can do when you're free. You've really shaken her up, she's making more mistakes than usual. Do you know what it is you have over her?" She asks, curiously. I can tell that it's not killing her, not knowing what it is that I know.

I swallow hard, thinking about it, and then finally nod.

She smiles, a small, sly smile. "Who'd have thought it would be you" she looks me up and down. "You know. I believe in the Society, a public inquiry, inquiry into matters of urgent public importance but I don't believe in how it's being used now" she says, eyes hard and focused on mine.

"I was trying to help you in the court case, Roseanne. You should have taken the prison sentence. Did you like the little show I arranged for you to hear at the castle? I thought witnessing a branding would care you out of going through with it, that you'd just admit to aiding a Failure."

It was she who arranged for the guards to have a meeting so that they could force me and Lalisa to sit outside the branding chamber.

"If you help me, I can do something about that brand around your arm and your neck" she roots in her pocket with black leathet gloves and produces a card. "I'll let you run away, Roseanne, but contact me when you're ready, and we can help each other out"

It's almost too good to be true, but I slowly reach for the card, take it hesitantly, and inch away from her, waiting for someone t jump out from hiding and grab me, but nobody does. I keep moving, quickening my pace. Judge Ramirez watches me then gets back into the car. She starts up the engine and reverses.

I walk as fast as I could until I reach the summit since that road will take me to my destination.

As I am nearing the summit, I saw a familiar figure standing beside the tree, her hands in her pocket. And she looks utterly mesmerizing even in the dark

She greets me with a sweet smile. "There you are"

"Lisa?" I say, feeling confused.

"I've been waiting for you." She takes a step forward.

"It's always you who finds me" I whisper.

"I have this need to protect you, to always keep my eyes on you, Rosie"

Lisa opens her arms widely, welcoming me

I follow my mother's advice.

I run.