[𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐭𝐡 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟎7]
𝑮𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆'𝒔 eyes snapped open...Maybe...It was midnight.
Sleep had paralyzed his entire body. He looked around..
Everything felt strangely unfamiliar.
"Mom?" His voice came out small,almost hollow.
He saw that Mom was not nearby.
Slowly, he tried to sit up, his eyes still heavy with sleep, his arms and legs numb.
He scanned the room carefully in every direction.
"Mom…!" No answer came.
The room was dark; only a faint light from outside filtered in through the window. It was so dim that he could barely see anything.
He stared at the street lamp through the window. Outside, a thick fog swallowed everything. Nothing was visible.
But why was the window open? He scratched his head,thinking.
"Momm..."
He called again, louder.
Suddenly, a sharp, foul smell struck his nose — thick and rotten, like something decaying .
He clamped his hand over his nose instinctively.
For a second, it felt something had burst inside it.
Slowly, hesitantly, he pulled his hand away and lifted it toward his eyes.
Dark.
Wet.
"Blood… huh…?"He muttered, His chest tightened.
He touched his nose again in disbelief.
Warm liquid.
Still flowing.
"Ahh! Mom! Mom! Blood—blood!!"
The scream tore out of him — first in fear, then in pain.
He tried to get out of bed — but his body felt impossibly heavy.
Like iron chains had wrapped around his limbs.
He couldn't move a muscle.
"M–Mom! M–M…"
His voice caught in his throat.
Stuck.
Frozen.
Terror spread through him, slow and poisonous — as if it was seeping into every organ.He forced himself again to scream, but only broken sound emerged.
"Mo…! D–Da…!"
Nothing..
No answer. His heart slammed against his ribs like it was trying to escape his body.
He clawed at his throat, nails digging into his skin — forcing, begging, choking on silence.
The darkness around him seemed to thicken, pressing in closer from every side.
His eyes widened so much he couldn't even blink.
His breathing became heavy and ragged.
Then—
suddenly—
footsteps...
Someone —
or something was coming closer.
He tried to call again; it felt like Mom was coming…
But a scraping sound reached his ears—like someone dragging something across the floor—moving in perfect rhythm with his fear: chhhheeeeee!!!
"Da…..!" Geone couldn't finish. Suddenly, everything around him snapped into clarity.
Afigure …Black …Dark …Indistinct… wrapped in a foggy , imaginary shroud.
Scraping against the floor, attached to it, was a tool–some kind of hoe.
The sound echoed sharply in Geone's ears... His heart jolted violently in his chest.
The shadow crept closer, step by deliberate step.
Tiny tremors ran through his body, stiffening him like glass. Blood had reached his lips from nose.
He struggled with every ounce of strength to rise.
Butsomething was numbing him from the inside.
The vogue figure moved forward...
One step...
Then another..
Directly in front of him.
Geone couldn't blink. His eyes shook uncontrollably. His lower eyelashes were wet.
Unable to close his eyes...redness spread across them, mingling with pain and a strange, watery sensation...
Along with it came an intense, unreal fear.
The figure was impossibly close—so close it seemed even more indistinct.
Geone couldn't make out what he was seeing....
His eyes and throat felt Sealed .The figure moved completely near him.
Geone's whole body went rigid in an instant.
Even that close, he could see nothing—no face, or perhaps it was hidden beneath some unknown belonging.
He turned his gaze away from the figure and looked at it's right hand–
The tool on the floor was coated with black blood ,like someone's rotting flesh.
His eyes returned to the figure. Strange… very strange… the figure extended its left hand toward him..
Geone's eyes trembled.
He gasped through his mouth, unable to form words.
The figure placed it's hand on Geone's face ,"Sev..gilim....."
His entire body froze.
His eyes snapped shut.
Every muscle trembled like broken.
After being frozen so long, his body
collapsed onto the bed in an instant .
"AAAAAAHHHHH —!"
Geone jolted upright.
Awake.
Breathing hard.
His sheets were twisted around him,
his heart pounding violently in his chest.
Mrs. Mital burst into the room."What happened? Geone—what happened?!"
Geone was still screaming.
Mrs. Mital rushed forward and pulled him tightly into her arms, rubbing his back slowly.
"It's okay… it's okay. I'm here," she whispered. "Just a dream. You saw a bad dream. Everything is fine. Look… Mom is here."
It took a long while, but eventually, Geone's breathing steadied. His sobs softened into shaky breaths.
This wasn't new.
Sometimes he woke like this — screaming from nightmares he could never remember.
11:00 AM.
Geone sat in front of the television.
Today was his 10th birthday.
Sherlock Holmes played on the screen while Mrs. Mital moved around the kitchen, preparing cake, apple pies, and other dishes.
She glanced at him and asked, "Do you want some butter biscuits?"
Geone didn't look away from the screen. He shook his head.
"No…"
"Why not? You love them." She sounded slightly surprised.
"Don't want them now…"
He hesitated, then turned a little toward her.
"Mom… I had that nightmare again."
Mrs. Mital pulled the cake out of the oven and let out a small sigh, faint concern crossing her face.
"Hmm,But you can never tell what you saw?"
Geone placed the remote on the sofa and walked into the kitchen.
"Ah… I tried. But I don't remember."
He scratched his head absentmindedly. Then his eyes fell on the clock.
11:10.
"Oh—my match! I'm late!"
His breath caught.
His basketball match had started at eleven. He was already late.Without wasting another second, he spun around and ran upstairs.
Five minutes later—
"Mom! Mom!! Where are my shoes? I can't find them! Mommm! I'm already late!"
His voice sliced through the house.
Footsteps hurried from the kitchen. "One minute! I'm coming!"
Geone stood stiff in the hallway, fingers digging into his palms.
"I told you not to touch my stuff! You always mess everything up—now look! They won't even let me play!"
Anger and frustration in his voice.
His mother paused, then slowly exhaled, forcing herself to stay calm.
"Alright, alright. But you never look properly for anything."
She bent down, opened the shoebox near the door, and pulled out his sports shoes.
Geone snatched them without a word and bolted outside.
From the doorway, she watched him disappear down the street. Her shoulders sagged slightly.
"Huh… I just hope he doesn't come home crying."
[ Play Ground ]
The field buzzed with noise—shoes squeaking, the ball thudding against the ground. The game was already in full swing.
Geone sprinted straight toward the team captain.
"Sorry I'm late, Toha. Tell me where to stand."
The captain didn't even fully turn."You're not playing today."
Geone froze.
"…What?"
His brows knitted together.
"Why not?"
His eyes swept across the court—and landed on a girl standing in his usual spot.
Heat rushed to his face.It was Hira, Toha's sister.
"What? You put her there? That's my place! Move her—she can't even play!"
The captain finally faced him, eyes sharp.
"Watch it, junior. That's my sister."
Geone's jaw tightened.
"And she plays better than you. Now move. Don't disturb the game."Toha growled.
Hearing Toha's words, Geone's anger flared like fire, his fists clenching tightly.
"You're only saying that because she's your sister! Even if she couldn't play, you'd pretend she can!"His voice cracked with fury.
"Give it back !" he roared. "That's mine! I always play there!"
Toha stepped forward, chest out, eyes blazing.
"Oh yeah? Or what? You'll hit me? Go on. Let's see how brave you are."
Geone's breathing turned ragged.
"You think I can't…?"
He shoved him hard.
Toha hit the ground.
For one second, everything went silent.
Then—
"Catch him!" someone shouted.
Geone ran.
He didn't stop until his lungs burned.
"I'll never play with those Withman's.. Never."
His face crumpled as tears blurred his vision.
Actually the Whitmans are their nearest neighbours.So often, Geone played basketball with Toha and the older boys, even though he was younger than all of them.
By the time Geone burst through the front door, his eyes were wet and his vision completely blurred.
"They kicked me out!" he cried. "They didn't even let me play! That evil neighbour—Toha and Hira ! I hate them!"
Mrs. Mital rushed over immediately.
"I told you," she said firmly, "to play with children your own age. You always chase after the older boys."
Geone's shoulders trembled as tears rolled down.
She studied his face, then softened slightly.
"There aren't any ten-year-olds on their team, are there? Tell me."
Geone's lips quivered.
"They're better…" His voice cracked. "I don't have any… friends...I want one .."
The last word came out like it hurt.
Mrs. Mital's expression tightened.
She reached up and wiped his cheeks with her thumb.
"Geone…" she murmured, almost tired. "Do you think friends can be bought from a shop?"
Geone sniffed hard, frustration bubbling up again.
"But I don't have anyone!"
She knew it was true. Geone had no friends — and right now, where could she even find one for him? She had prepared everything for his birthday alone since morning,and now he had cried on top of it all.
She sighed, weary, turned back toward the kitchen.
"Go ask your father," she muttered. "He's out all day, leaving everything for me to handle."
At the mention of him, Geone's head snapped up.
"Did Dad forget my birthday?" he demanded. "Why isn't he here yet?"
Mrs. Mital spread cream over the cake in slow, careful circles,
"He left early," she said. "Medical work. He's visiting different areas.He'll be home before midnight. Now stop crying and go watch TV."
Geone lingered in the doorway, still breathing unevenly.
"…Then what about my friend?"
Mrs. Mital paused.Her shoulders sank.
"We'll talk about that later," she said tenderly at last. "Go to your room. Eat some apple pie."
She glanced back at him, gentler now.
"I will bring..one "
Those words were meant only to console Geone — there was no doubt about that.
Geone hesitated.
"Promise?"
She forced a small smile.
"Promise."
Geone wiped his face with his sleeve, jaw set.
"Okay…" he muttered.
Then, stubbornly, he added,
"But you have to bring me a friend. Before tomorrow."
Mrs. Mital didn't answer.
Geone turned and went to his room.
–––––––
12 AM was getting closer, but his dad still hadn't come home.
Geone and his mom, Mrs. Mital, sat at the dining table with the cake, waiting.
Ten candles were melting on it—big blue ones, wrapped with pink ribbons.
The cake's cream was starting to harden.
Geone glared at the cake, his eyes drifting repeatedly toward the door.
They had already called Mr. Mital many times—but no answer.
Mrs. Mital kept trying...
Just then, the doorbell rang.
"Tring.... Tring...."
Geone jumped from his chair, excitement bursting out.
"Dad! Dad's here, Mom!"
He sprinted to the door and pulled it open.
"Happy birthday, my boy," Dad said—voice warm, eyes tired, as if he hadn't slept all night.
Someone else was standing beside him...
Mom hurried over and began to say,
"Why are you so late…?"
But her words stopped halfway.
A small boy was standing beside Dad.
Mom, anxious and puzzled, asked,
"Who is he?"
Dad glanced at Geone once, then at her.
A bit hesitant, he said calmly,
"His name.. is Charlion."
"Charlion…?"
Continues....