Rise and Shine

Her eyes snapped open, showing the bloodshot eyes as the phone rang echoes endlessly throughout the darkroom disregarding the drained being, who wrapped herself into a ball under the blanket. Slowly shifting her arm out, knocking down the empty water bottles that were in the way. She answered with a tired menacing tone, "Do you have a death wish?"

"Ah, there you are," a cheery voice responded, ignoring the warning, "Was about to call 911 on a dead body."

Son Dam-bi remains silent.

"Bambi?~You there?" Her close friend, Kang Min-Ji trying to get her attention, "Dam-bi??"

She left the phone on speaker and covered herself again.

"Are you listening? Dam-bi?" she starts to get playfully, "Hey, Hey HEYY!"

"What!" Dam-bi snaps back.

"Can I stay over at your place today?"

Dam-bi rest her eyes as they can no longer stay open, "Where are you right now?"

"Outside of your door."

Dam-bi paused and countered, "You see that mat lay on the floor." Min-Ji glance down at the mat she was already sitting on. "You got my permission to sleep on it," and ended the call.

"Since when did I raise you to be so heartless? She heard the line cut, "...He-Hello??" She stares down at her phone till it goes black and rests the back of her head on the door. She sat back and exhaled deeply, "Is this really the way you should treat your best friend?! Even if my family decide to abandon me. You should not abandon me-"

Without warning the door swings open. Unable to find her balance Min-Ji landed head down first on the ground. Dam-bi gazes down at her, "What nonsense are you spouting about?"

Min-Ji looks up with open arms she beams with the brightest smile, "Dam-bi!"

Dam-bi face palm her before Min-Ji could wrap her arms around her. Dam-bi lifts her downward gaze, rolling her eyes at her in irritation, "Do you know what time it is? Want to wake up the whole world?"

Min-Ji met Dam-bi's annoyed expression with delight, "If you let me in, this mouth is zip."

Dam-bi rolled her eyes, "only for tonight".

They enter the dark apartment. "Why don't you turn on the lights?" Min-Ji said reaching for the switch. Dam-bi glances behind in monotones," You. dare," turning towards Min-Ji and denoted at her hand to lower, "the. lights. stay. off."

"It is not like you are some vampire," Min-Ji pouted her lip as she lowers that hand of hers.

"Even though I don't suck blood. You should still be careful with that neck of yours," strolling back to her room.

Min-Ji gulps as she runs her hand down her neck.

---The Next Morning---

Dam-bi already brushing her teeth walk over to Min-Ji, rocking her body with her foot, "Yah, wake up. Don't you have class today?"

"What time is it?" Min-Ji weakly asks as she stretches. Dam-Bi looks at the clock hanging up on the wall and grins down at Min-Ji with mischief in her eyes, "1"

Min-Ji quickly rose and checked her phone, "Aish-" throwing the pillow violently at Dam-bi, "It's 10!!"

Dam-bi laughed hysterically, "you should have seen your reaction..."

Min-Ji glares back, "People would think you have a split personality." still bitter about yesterday.

"Who told you to come when you know I spent endless nights up." heading to the bathroom to rinse her mouth.

Min-Ji slips out of bed and heads to the kitchen, "what are you doing today?" as she searches for the cereal she likes.

Coming out of the bathroom, "tidy my place" as she looks at the unwashed clothes thrown in random areas around the house with water bottles and papers scatter, "and ..rest?" Dam-bi said with a shrug.

"What do you feel about going to the outside world?"

With sarcasm, Dam-bi commented, "The human world, it's a mess."

Min-Ji rolled her eyes and goes to the bathroom. Pouring the cereal Min-Ji took out into her own bowl Dam-bi suspected, "Stay today too?"

Min-Ji shouting through the closed door, "please."

---Last night---

Dak-bi receives a text from Kang Ha-neul, Min-Ji's younger brother.

[Is sis with you?]

Dam-bi let out a sigh mutter, "another fight?" She calls Min-Ji in after laying the furniture down.

---

Dam-bi knows there's something, but she does not pray, "What you want to eat later?"

"Meat!"

Dam-bi clicks her tongue, "You pig."

Min-Ji scoff, "You eat the most though."

"Piggy. Go buy them after your class."

"By the time my classes end, the supermarket is gonna be closed."

Dam-bi attaches a nasal strip on her nose, "No meat then."

"What's that?" Min-Ji notices her putting something on her nose as she walks out.

"Your gurl can't breathe," Taking a sniff here and there.

"You and your allergy. Can't even open the window for air."

"No one is forcing you to stay."

---

After Dam-bi tidies the place, she changed into sweats adding a cap with a mask. "That should do the trick," popping a piece of gum in her mouth she heads to the supermarket.

Flowers were displays inside the entrance near where the baskets are located. She quickly walks over to grab a basket and goes to the meat section. After getting the meats for tonight she glances over at the snacks area, and shrug, "Since I'm at it, why not?"

Reaching for the bag of chips, a shadow appears on her side view and took the bag she wants before she could. They look at each other and bow out of awkward. Dam-bi went her way to the cashier.

"Hana, hurry up."

---

After paying at the cashier, she felt something holding her pinky.

"Big Brother..." The little girl looks like she gonna burst into tears any moment.

Dam-bi slouched down meeting the kid's eye, lowering her mask, "Does this big sister look like a boy or a girl now?"

Her trembling lips call for her brother and began to weep.

A passing lady comment, "Aigoo, take it easy. There's no need to be yelling at the kid. She crying her lungs out."

Dam-bi pays no attention to her and tries to stop the crying, "Do you want some ice cream?" As the girl quiets down Dam-bi asked, "You're here with your brother?"

Upon hearing that word, it turns the switch back on, "Brother-"

"Hana!" a figure shouting in the distance running toward the crying girl. "What did I say about following strangers? He scans Dam-bi and carries his sister, misjudging her based on her outfit, "Blackcap, mask,..."

Dam-bi notices the look he was giving her, "Before going off-" she notices a crowd surrounding them.

The crowd mutter to themselves. "What's going on?" Dam-bi just stood there and fisted her hand. Hold it in. It useless… hold it in. She stares back at the kid that was still sobbing and around her. Her brow raises after seeing the brother's face. Where have I seen this face? "It's not what you think. Let's talk somewhere else."

"Hah?! Talk somewhere else. Why are you hiding your face?"

"I have allergies-" as she removes one side, he snatches it away, revealing her face.

He froze as he got a glimpse of her face, "Y-you!?"

In disbelief of what he just did, Dam-bi glare at him as she was about to explode with anger, someone jumped in.

"Before you start writing your novel. Ask around what really happen?" He pointed at the surveillance camera in the corner that was facing the exit, "There a camera over there. Should we call the cop to have it check?"

A guy in a high school uniform walked in front of Dam-bi.

Dam-bi using this time to cool down her and calls out his name, "Ha-neul…" sneezing a couple of times, "...can you help me get back my mask?" Glancing over her shoulder, she spotted a range of bright colors that radiates positive energy while it absorbs the warm rays. 'God if you're gonna hold flowers can you stand elsewhere.'

Ha-neul takes back her mask from the brother that still looks shocked.

"Kids shouldn't interrupt."

Well, that does it. Dam-bi snapped, "You. Grandma."

"Grandma??!" it irks her to think she has been called grandma when she's only in her 40s.

"What makes you involve and can interrupt." Dam-bi continues.

Ha-neul tries to hold back Dam-bi. "Don't you want to know the truth or you just like to gossips?" She turns to the kid, "you done crying? Even after calling me brother I gave you ice cream."

Her brother finally snaps back to reality, "What happened, Hana?" She began to cry louder.

"You don't like the spotlight too right? I don't too-"

"That's enough now," Ha-neul covers her mouth as he pushes her out, "Just check the camera and if she did want to kidnap her. They will come looking for her." She pushes his hand away and said her last words, "Get your kid on a lease"

"This kid was lost and she went to help her." the cashier said.

"Then why didn't you say it sooner?"

"I was trying to. You were all yelling at that young lady."

The brother's face gone pale, "That's...Son... Dam-bi?... How am I gonna face her?"