The Countryside

"It's time to go, come on my girls", Mrs Smith said, calling their girls to come out and take their seat. Both of the girls came out and took their seat beside the window.

" Give me the keys", said Grandpa.

"But dad-"

"Shssshhhh... I'm better than you in driving", said Grandpa.

" Yes it would be best if you drive Grandpa, he's too slow in driving, even the bicycle could run fast on-road than our car", Serin said, smirking to his dad.

Grandpa started laughing and took the keys from Mr Smith's hand. He couldn't say anything to him than following what he says, as he's his dad and he respects him.

It's a weekend, the weather is bright and sunny. The sun was radiant with an all-watching eye, its light creeping into every corner on earth, bathing the whole world in a warm glow. The air had more warmth and more fragrance. Countryside adventure through winding roads and open green fields reduced their tiredness.

Before going to the art gallery, they did a quick lunch at a roadside small but good restaurant.

"I think before going to an art gallery you must go somewhere else, I'm sure my grand-daughters will like it", said Grandma.

"Which place grandma? ", Elin asked excitedly.

"I don't trust you grandma, your way of beautiful things are far different from me and expectations", Serin said, rolling up her eyes.

"Serin", Mrs Smith called out her name, looking her with big eyes to shut her mouth.

"Oh let it be she doesn't know anything yet", grandma said, smiling at Serin.

She was confused. Since she has come, both her grandma and grandpa were behaving little weird. And when she said 'she doesn't know anything', made her puzzle more.

"Come on, we must leave now", said grandpa and they all left towards an unknown place.

Saturday afternoon, everyone was done with their lunch. The green landscape Seein looked on the way, started to boost her spirit.

Finally, they reached their first destination. It was Gachang's Pony Ranch Healing Park. They all got off from the car. Serin was kind of surprised looking at the pony farm. Being a moody person, her suspicious mind turned into excitement to meet ponies.

"You can purchase a little bag of pony's snack like carrots to feed them", said grandpa.

They stepped inside the farm. There were many beautiful ponies. Serin took out her camera from the bag and clicked some pictures of them.

It felt so calm here. A pretty warm sunny day with ponies was amazing to her. They even did horse riding and feed them with snacks. The pony park is located at the top of mt. Choi Jeong. So, they also enjoyed a beautiful view of Daegu.

It was about afternoon now, time to go to their next destination, art gallery. They got themselves inside the car after having fun in the pony park. They headed towards the art gallery passing the gachang dam reservoir from the park.

They arrived at the art gallery. The garden surrounded to an art gallery was beautifully decorated with different flowers, trees and plants. Grandma looked happy and clicked few pictures with flowers as she loves planting.

Serin decided to explore the garden and make some videos and also clicking pictures. Of course, she doesn't want to waste the charging of her camera by not capturing the overwhelming view. Except for her room, nothing happened bad yet with her as she expected from a village. She thought it would be boring but no, it was pretty amazing.

Her soul was refreshing with the cold breeze on the top of the mountainside in the warm sunny day. She was also happy because she got a great view of the gallery to capture with beautiful mountains in the background, in this calming weather.

It was evening now, Serin became quite excited to watch a beautiful sunset on the top of the mountain. She came enough far away now from the gallery so she decided to go back to her family.

"Serin.... "

A familiar voice called out her name and she turned back to find who is it.

Her grandma and grandpa were coming out from the forest, walking towards her. This old couple was not here just to enjoy with their children. They were hiding something from everyone and Serin's doubt towards them began to increase.

"Why are you both coming out from the forest?", Serin asked.

Both of there face turned blank on her question, and they began to laugh awkwardly looking towards each other.

"Oh, look we're late come on let's go", grandma said, ignoring her question by changing the topic and started walking towards the gallery.

"Come let's go", grandpa said and they both started following her.

"Is there anything you both are hiding from us or me? ", Serin asked with a suspicious gaze.

"What are you talking about? ", grandpa asked.

"Since we've come here, I don't know you both always acts like this always or not, but both of your behaviour is something weird that doesn't get into me", Serin said.

"Are we irritating you?", he asked straightforward.

"No, it's not like that. I mean, I think you both are hiding something from us", Serin said.

Grandpa stopped walking.

"Maybe you think like this because you don't like us? ", he said and made his way forward.

"No, I didn't mean that", she shouted so that he could hear her but he didn't stop or turned back.

Serin felt as she hurt him by asking this question. She decided to apologize when she'll meet him and walked towards the gallery. She reached the gallery and went in. The room was filled with framed arts, antique items and so many more interior points to create a laid-back and inviting atmosphere.

She almost forgot to apologize to grandpa and clear misunderstandings. She took her camera again and started clicking pictures. Until now her camera captured pretty much in it.

She turned back to go to the cafe where her family was waiting for evening tea, but her grandma was standing right behind Serin which made her jump back little. She gulped a little looking at her grandma standing right in front of her and smiling.

"Do you want to talk to me g-grandma?", Serin asked.

Grandma started leaning her face towards Serin, while Serin kept leaning back awkwardly.

" Wh-what are you doing? ", Serin asked again.

Grandma took Serin's hands in her and put a hard thing into Serin's hands. Serin quickly looked down at her hands to see what was it.

"Beautiful face, brave mind, cold-hearted girl. You'll need this", grandma said. Winking at her, she turned back making her way towards the cafe.

"What was that? What did she meant by you'll need this?", Serin asked herself and kept looking at her hands.

It was a bracelet with purple crystals decorated on it, it was old but yet attractive. It doesn't even have a lock to open. How her grandma even put it in her hand was the question she kept thinking about. She tried to remove it by pulling out, but it didn't come out. She ignored it as it wasn't coming out and went towards the cafe.

The gallery also offers a cafe area where comfy sofas and traditional floor tables welcome visitors. The cafe is also filled with framed arts, antique items. She took a seat and ordered coffee. Elin kept staring at her bracelet.

"YAhhh! What are you even looking at?", Serin asked.

"That bracelet, I think something moved in it. I saw something moving in that diamond", she said, pointing towards a diamond in my bracelet.

"Stop stop..... I know you're jealous, but it doesn't mean you should speak any nonsense stuff", Serin said smirking at her.

"But-"

"Who gave you the bracelet? ", grandpa asked her by interrupting Elin's words.

"Grandma ", Serin Answered.

He quickly looked at grandma with a confused but strange look. Grandma placed her hands on his hand as if she was calming him down.

"Grandpa, I wanted to say sorry. Whatever I said you out I didn't mean anything. Sorry for creating misunderstanding", Serin apologized nervously.

"What? Did you said something bad to him? ", Mrs Smith asked.

"No, it was just a misunderstanding. I'm not angry at you my child and how could I even?", he said smiling.

"You aren't angry with me? You forgive me?"

"I was never angry", said grandpa with a cherish smile on his face.

"Come on now let's have tea and enjoy the sunset", Mr Smith said.

Smith family enjoyed their evening tea and coffee and went out to enjoy the beautiful sunset. The hills turned black with the orange, bluish and yellowish tinted sky in its background. The view was beautiful, also the birds were chirping as it was their time to go back home too.

After enjoying the sunset and taking photographs, they went back home. It was a long but great day. And Serin was tired now. As soon as they arrived back to their home, Serin ran into her room changing herself in nightsuit. She placed a mattress on the floor and was about sit down when someone knocked on her door.

" Come in", she said.

Grandma came inside. She sat on the mattress which Serin placed on the floor to sleep.

"Are you sleeping early?", she asked.

"Yes I'm very tired", Serin Answered.

"Have some dinner before you sleep"

"It's ok I've low appetite", Serin said.

"Ok so let me say you some stories so that you could have sweet dreams", grandma said patting on the mattress beside her, saying her to sleep.

Serin nodded yes and laid down on the mattress.

"Do you have any interest in antique things?", she asked.

"No, but that mirror is quite interesting", Serin replied.

"That mirror, I brought it from my home. It was my favourite when I was of your age. I have got a lot of memories with it", she said.

"Then why isn't it in your room?", serin asked suspiciously.

"Because now I'm old and someone young like you needs it", she said.

"Mirror is a mirror. What's young and old in it?"

Grandma ignored what Serin asked and changed the topic. She started telling her stories about young days how she met her grandpa and how they came to Daegu. Serin wasn't interested in the story, she doesn't have any other option than staying quiet and listening to her.

Serin was too tired that she didn't realize when she slept. Serin opened her eyes when she felt a cold breeze touching her skin. Serin woke up, her grandma was not in the room. The room was only lightened by moonlight. Serin stood up and turned on the lights. She closed the windows to stop cold breeze coming inside her room.

She took out a blanket from wardrobe to cover herself. She closed the wardrobe, and a cold breeze touched her body again. This time it came from the mirror. When she closed the door of her wardrobe, her eyes caught something strange.

The colour of the mirror was changing with purple smoke in it. Serin's eyes widened looking at this. She went closer towards the mirror to see what is wrong with it. She was not able to see herself anymore in the mirror. The entire mirror filled with purple smoke inside it.

Serin slowly took her hands near the mirror to touch it but someone knocked on the door, making Serin turn back. Before she could ask someone who is there, she was pulled inside the mirror.