Chapter 1
The rain poured down as my back hit the cool cement below, the impact had left me winded, gasping for air as I stared up at the roof I had fallen from. A figure stared down at me, had they, whoever they were, pushed me off? I don’t know. I groaned as the shock had left my body and was replaced with pain. My head pounded and every muscle in my body ached. My phone went off beside me, the caller ID “Mom <3” lit up the cracked screen. I reached over, feeling every crack and edge on the screen as I swiped to accept the call.
“Hello..?”
My voice was hoarse as I called out to who I had to assume was my mom.
“Nari? Nari, where are you?”
My mothers voice was frantic, she had obviously been crying from the way her breath shook. I sat myself up, ignoring the pain. Something was wrong.
“Sorry.. Tutoring ended later than I expected.. Why? Mom, what's going on?”
My tone matched my mothers. Both worried as I waited for her to continue.
“It's Grandma.. Honey, Grandma is in the hospital..”
My eyes widened, I knew she was sick but… No… Not my Grandma.. The women I looked up to all my life, the women who, despite our traditional family, accepted me for me… I could feel all the comfort slipping away from me as I forced myself to stand up, my uniform soaked through, I picked up my backpack, told my mom- “I’m on my way” -and hung up. Running as fast as my legs would go, tears threatened to spill as I made my way to the hospital I knew she was in. Rushing through the front doors and towards the front desk.
The lady sitting there with the most noticeable thing about her being her nametag, an english name I didn't know how to pronounce. Without looking up from the computer she asked me.
“Are you visiting or is there an emergency?”
The clickety-clacking of the keys rang in my ears as I responded.
“Lee Hana? She just arrived tonight.”
The lady, Elijah, finally looked at me.
“Second floor, room 707.”
She handed me a pass and I walked quickly towards the elevator, making my way up to the second floor. I walked through sob filled rooms and coughing patients before I finally reached room 707, I walked in and my mother ran up to me, hugging me with tears in her eyes.
“Oh Nari, what happened..?”
Her hand touched my head and I winced, when she pulled it back I had finally realized I was bleeding. I brushed it off before going to my Grandmother's side.
“Grandma..? What's going on..?”
Her weak, wrinkled hand reached out to me, my dad and two siblings sat at the window, tears flowed from my eyes.
“I’m… I’m okay… It's just a little blood..”
My mother spoke up.
“She was coughing up blood, we didn't know what to do…”
I turned back to my mom, then back to my grandma. She kept telling me she didn't have much more time, but I didn't think it would be so soon…
We sat by her for a few more hours. My mom and dad had just gone home to get some blankets and feed our dog, my sister had gone with her and my brother went to the bathroom. My grandma looked at me, gesturing for me to come over.
“Come here, my little flower.”
I walked over,wiping my eyes as I didn’t want to start crying again, I leaned down as her voice was quiet and weak.
“Yes grandma..?”
WIthout missing a beat, she spoke.
“Find who you are”
With that, she was gone, the heart monitor went flat and my eyes widened, nurses and doctors filled the room but I didn’t hear anything, they tried dragging me out but I just screamed, I couldn’t bear to leave her.
