Chapter 1:Welcome to Strangeville
I hate new places. New places are the same as the old really, they bring nothing new into my life but disappointment. But yet, even then I still have to travel to a new area. You know my parents never really said it, but in all honesty, we don’t have that much money, at times they scrabble for jobs to keep me living happily. To get me the things I want and they act like I don’t see it but the stress spreads from their minds into mine. It haunts me at night sometimes itching at my skin, making me scream silently wishing I could do more, that I might relieve the pain but-*Awarf! Awarf*!
A barking snaps me back on the road, to where the tall green giants lay. The odd-looking trees with the green patches carry a solitude and I almost relate to them in that way. “Ha-Yun, you’ve been quiet lately, are you sure you are okay back there?” I blink my eyes a bit passing over the conversation. “Ha-Yun, Dumpling is everything alright back there?” My mom repeats and I still continue to daydream. “Ha-Yun!” “Ah-! I yes
아빠appa? S.sorry I was just in thought.” “No worries daughter, sorry for raising my voice. It’s just me and your mother who are concerned with how you’re acting. For the whole car ride so far you haven’t said a word about the sudden move or your thoughts on the matter. You know your opinion matters to us.”
Oh yeah, the move, I almost forgot to mention that, the whole reason this car trip is happening now is because of my Dad’s new job. I don’t know exactly what he’s going to do there but according to my parents; it is definitely a “big change” from the money they made before. I rub the head of my Mini Yorkie, Menmen, with a sigh, “I don’t know what to say about it, I mean it’s good that you’re both happy. Menmen seems happy and yeah I think that’s about all.”
My mother turns to me with a frown as my Appa passes another exit, “Dumpling. I-I see I’m sorry you have to go through all this. We just want the best for you honestly, and one day this will all be worth it.” “I know”, I say laying my head on the back of my Dad’s seat. We continue to drive and after that awkward conversation, my parents stay quiet, only making light conversation with each other. It makes me feel uneasy in the car with not even any music to lighten the mood and the rest of the trip is quiet. Long roads and staring at the random signs until we hit a new exit, only the sound of Menmen or nature filling my ears.
Unknowing I drift to sleep, not even realizing I’m in a dream, in fact, it feels almost real. As I walk through a dark hallway with office lights hanging above me, the beating thuds echo in my mind as I continue down the hall with no actual direction. But there is this sound, this screech that makes hairs rise off of my skin. It pulses in my eardrums, getting louder and louder with each step that I take onto the floor. When I reach an old-looking door though, the sound stops.
It has a rustic handle and I take a deep breath carefully pulling it open, but before I can see inside I feel a jab push through the middle of my abdomen. My eyes go wide and when I reach down to feel what stabs me, it’s this long rock, spear-like object. It’s connected to something but I’m not sure what until I turn to it. Which follows fifteen different eyeballs and five more crystal spear-like arms sticking out of it. It’s some Rocky-Humanoid creature, furthermore when it noticed I was staring at it; its body separates making this callous wail.
Sudden pain comes hurling into my eardrums as I sob in constant pain. My skin quivering, almost peeling at the loud noise continuing to blare throughout the sensitive tissue of my auricle. It was terrifying, with wet substance continuing to fall down my face as the creature raised its long forelimb toward my face. Within seconds it was shooting down to me until-I woke up…
My Dog Menmen, licking the liquid substance off my face. Wetting the surface of my brown skin, spreading a little smile on my face. “감사합니다gamsahabnida(thank you) Menmen, this helps so much, and to be honest.” I lean over to his little fluffy ear, his face perking up as he sees me. *Awarf! Awarf!*. I rub his head, “Haha yes Menmen, I’m okay but yeah, your smile and a crunchy bar are all I need right now. But I’ll just keep this between me and you, so Mama and Appa don’t worry.” “Worry about what?” Appa says sternly as his voice catches me off guard.
“O.oh it’s not much Appa really, I mean just a little nightmare ha. I was um, getting chased by something scary and it scared me a bit. Do you ever get scared like that? Feeling like it’s almost real Appa?” There is silence in the car for a moment but then my mom breaks it, “You know your crying sounded a bit like Menmen’s whimpering Dumpling. Are you sure it was just a regular nightmare?”
My face goes red in embarrassment, which makes me almost forget about my parents avoiding my question, “What does that have to do with nightmares Mama?! I-I I’m pretty sure Menmen feels more embarrassed than me right now though. I mean being compared to his older 자매jamae(sister) like that?” I shake my head, I’m honestly surprised Menmen isn’t pouting right now, I mean, after all, he is the biggest, spoiled drama king I know. But I mean that is partially my fault, he’s just so cute and little so how could I not spoil him?
My Dad clears his throat with a grunt, “Well maybe that nightmare of yours is trying to tell you something so pay attention carefully, Ha-Yun.” He said now rubbing his beard in a perpetual motion, this worries me because he always does this when he knows something. Moreover, something that he doesn’t particularly understand. So I ask, “What do you mean by that Appa?” “Well in some cases-!” His sentence is halted by an odd-looking sign.
It says, “꯱ׁׅ֒tׁׅꭈׁׅɑׁׅ֮ꪀׁׅᧁׁꫀׁׅܻ᥎꫶ׁׅꪱׁׅᥣׁׅ֪ᥣׁׅ֪ꫀׁׅ 00ގ uoıʇɐlndoԀ” In a strange font with some of the letters either missing or upside down. Which makes a pit in my stomach sink and I start to feel sick almost.
