The Umbrella

The beach can be beautiful during the day and a perfect place to run around with fireworks and snap tear-filled memories at night. A perfect place to build sand castles and where one could go down on their knees to propose. The perfect place to hold hands and admire one of nature's phenomena; the ocean. And the perfect place for creeps who have risen from their slumber due to a great mistake to call their home and watch closely on those who can walk, run, and live on land. Those with legs.

It was still night as the creature continued to stalk them. Her deep blue eyes watched closely as they jolly around near the threshold of her home. The creature's body was buried from the neck downward in water while its head surfaced and its silver hair danced like ripples on the body of water and it reflected the dull light of the moon hanging above.

She envied them.

Not only were they gifted with two pairs of limbs to move around and do stuff, but they also had brains to think and redesign their world. Furnish their habitat. Made it look even better than what it was a few thousand years ago. While her world and habitat remain as before. No tall buildings that could kiss the feet of the heavens. No special bird powered with magical engines that can enable them to fly...even above the clouds. And they are so good till the point of making their world shine bright and sparkle even at night.

The creature sneered at the sound of their laughter and cursed to see them smile and confess their love for one another.

She must end them. Now that she is awake, she is tired of eating crabs and sharks. She thirsts for blood. Their blood. And of course, their peril.

Her pale thin lips mused to a smirk when she saw one of them sitting on a rock in isolation and far away from her friends. The creature saw that human as her ticket to eat, kill, and destroy. And she had an idea of how to use it.

"Hae-Sun!" One of her friends called from a distance and the creature watched as her ticket answered the call. "What are you doing? We are about to go! Dae-Sun wants us to go drink together at his house! Come now and let's go!"

"Okay!" Her ticket to the surface world answered and they both watched that lousy friend return to the group and begin to pack their things and leave the beach. Hae-Sun gave the ocean one last look without noticing the deep blue eyes pinned on her.

Soon, the clouds began to rumble and grumble, lightning flashed once or twice at different corners and rain began to fall. People at the beach began to take cover from the rain. Hae-Sun slipped, hit her head on the rock she was sitting on a while ago, and fell with a large splash inside the ocean. No one noticed as they ran Helter skelter from the rain and the creature saw this as the perfect opportunity to act before it was too late.

She sank back into the water and searched furiously for her ticket to the surface world. The two-legged creature she would become once she kills the soul of the body and becomes the soul in the body itself.

I will become the new occupant of that body. The creature laughed at that thought as the waters moved back and forth in mighty waves.

Moments later, there was calmness. The rain that fell was unusual as it only lasted for six minutes. The strange downpour was not even predicted by the forecasters. Hae-Sun's friends soon noticed that she was missing and they spread out and began to look for her.

At the feet of the rock she was once sitting on laid an unconscious Hae-Sun drenched in salt water from head to toe and the side of her forehead is wounded.

"Hae-Sun!!" One of her friends cried out pointing to the body lying beside the rock in a still state and they all rushed over to her to help.

One of them who was brave enough crouched down and called out to her to open her eyes. She later brought her right ear closer to her chest but found no heartbeat. Fear gripped the mixed Asian girl when she felt no pulse from Hae-Sun.

"Hurry, call 911!" She screamed as the others pulled out their phones and began to yell for help.

It was all like a dream to them.

What could have happened to her? They all wondered as tears clogged their eyes one by one.

"Hae-Sun." Another girl went on her knees and tried waking their friend. "Wake up!" She didn't move a muscle...until...her fingers started to move and her body recoiled to expel the water in her lungs in spit coughs.

Her friends' eyes all widened with hope as they fell on their knees to help. Some even pumped her chest to get her to breathe and spill out whatever water was in her.

Hae-Sun began to move and frowned in discomfort at the throbbing sensation at the side of her forehead and face. Fresh air flooded her lungs and she gasped back to life, eyes wide open in shock.

"Hae-Sun!" They all called as the sound of an ambulance drew close.

"Are you okay?" Someone said from her right--no her left--behind her...she couldn't tell.

The feeling of shutting her eyes overwhelmed her as she felt weak again. She felt her body being carried from the ground and placed gently on a stretcher. The sound of the ambulance became more pronounced. She felt the world above her did a funny spin and became blurry. Her eyes fluttered and she felt like she was being pulled out of her own body by a force. She coughed out again and again. The third cough was a breakthrough. A real breakthrough.

Hae-Sun opened her eyes once more to see herself lying still on the stretcher and being dragged along by two paramedics to the ambulance car. She gasped when she realized that she was no longer in her body anymore. Her friends running after the stretcher couldn't see her but only the body that lay still on the stretcher.

Hae-Sun tried to slip back inside her body but froze when she saw deep, blue eyes staring back at her with a smirk. Blue vein-looking threadlike fiber crawled at every inch of her face and body like a network and later disappeared with the original brown color of her eyes and it closed back with a satisfied smirk.

What just happened? Hae-Sun thought before she burst into a whirlwind of dark ash and vanished.

*****

The alarm went off again and Ha-Yun woke up with a throbbing headache. Her heart felt heavy in her chest as she stared back at the redness of her eyes.

Memories of last night became a blur from the point her mother was declared dead and moved to the mortuary. Her hair in the mirror was a disaster. And what to do with her mother's body became a problem. How to hustle for money to pay for a land and a casket caused her to moan as she sat on the toilet seat.

Her phone began to buzz. She unlocked it to see an unknown number and she wondered who it was this early in the morning.

"Hello," she answered trying not to sound frustrated.

"Ha-Yun."

Her entire body became tense as she recognized who it was. Anger bubbled in her like boiling water as she immediately cut the call.

It was her annoying ex-boyfriend, Do-sik. She thought she made it clear to him a million times before not to call her again after what he had done to her.

Ha-Yun braced herself and got herself ready to visit the hospital that has her mother's body and decide what to do from there. Which is the least expensive? A casket or cremation? As usual, she was out of food so she branched a convenience store on her way to the hospital to buy and eat a cup of ramen noodles.

Her head was still throbbing and she tried to remember what happened after her mom died. A blurry apparition with aqua-blue-red eyes was unsettling. She would constantly see that figure before her head would start to ache and she would stop trying to remember anything.

After paying for the cup of noodles, she proceeded to wait at the bus stop for a bus that would take her to the hospital.

'How did I even reach home last night? I am sure I did not go home after my mother's body was transferred to the mortuary and placed in the freezer after embalming.'

She sighed when nothing else made sense to her. Running out of food, losing her job, her ex calling back and her mother dying the same day!

Finally, the bus slowed to a stop and she joined the small queue entering it. She was lucky to find a seat by the window but she was not in the mood for sightseeing. Then her eyes wandered to the other occupants of the bus...feeling a little bit uneasy when the sky rumbled and it started to rain heavily. The people on the bus began to murmur and curse the forecasters for not warning them before they left home that there would be heavy rain like this.

Ha-Yun didn't mind. The forecasters were not Gods. They could make mistakes like this. Everyone began to wonder how they were going to get to work or school without getting drenched.

Ha-Yun's phone buzzed and she quickly unlocked her phone to see a message from an unknown number. Out of curiosity, she unlocked her phone to read it.

'Ha-Yun. Are you avoiding me?'

She rolled her eyes and immediately switched off her phone in anger.

How dare he...

Her eyes fell on a golden-brown umbrella being pointed at her. She looked up to see who was giving her an umbrella...and it turned out to be a woman with bob-cut hair and big brown eyes. Ha-Yun felt a chill go down her spine at the woman's smile. She noticed two other umbrellas of the same color and design on her other hand and saw almost everyone on the bus with the same umbrella with big smiles on their faces and thanking the lady who was giving it out.

'How did...she know that it was going to rain'

'And who walks around with that much umbrella' Ha-Yun thought.

She hesitated but decided to collect the umbrella from the mysterious lady and head-bowed a small thank you to the lady. The lady only gave her a big smile as lightning and thunder tore the heavens apart. And she proceeded to give the other two people sitting behind Ha-Yun an umbrella.

Ha-Yun stared at the impressive structure of the hospital with uncertainty. She didn't know what else to do. She should probably talk to the doctor in charge of treating her mom first if she had other dues to settle before they decide which burial is less expensive.

Ha-Yun folded her umbrella as she approached the two nurses at the front desk. While she was speaking to them, she stiffened at the familiar voice that called her name. Her hands balled into fists as she turned around to face him approaching her with two other doctors. One she recognized because he was the doctor assigned to her mom and the other looked much more older.

Her body tensed the more when Do-sik smiled brightly at her. Like they did not have a huge fight in front of her apartment seven weeks ago. Like he did not attempt to kill her with a flower vase and claimed it was a mistake. Like he didn't leave her to marry a rich man's daughter one week ago. Like they didn't break up with her crying for hours and not being able to stand up from the wet floors of her bathroom.

He smiled at her like none of those things happened. Like they were still on good terms. Ha-Yun balled her left hand into a tight fist, causing her knuckles to turn a shade whiter. While her other hand fisted around the umbrella as she glared at the face she was so stupid to fall madly in love with.

"Ha-Yun," he dared call again as tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

"Do-sik, what are you doing here?" She tried her best not to raise her voice and attract unwanted stares.

Do-Sik then pulled on a sad face as he took a step closer. "I heard you got fired yesterday and your mother passed away that same night."

Ha-Yun couldn't believe her ears. Was Do-sik still interested in everything that goes on in her life even after they made it clear not to see each other anymore?

"So?"

"Mr. Jang here has identified himself as your next of kin, Miss Kim. He has also agreed to settle all your dues and be responsible for all the costs of burying your mother." The doctor of her late mom revealed with a smile.

"What?" Ha-Yun was reeling in shock.

"All you just need to do, Miss Kim is to sign this consent form and we will have your mother buried today."

Ha-Yun shook her head while still in shock and Do-sik noticed her plans to decline his help.

Do-sik took further bold steps towards her and the smile on his face disappeared. "You think I was calling you to get back to you? I was calling to make sure your mom has a decent burial at least. I am helping her not you. If you failed in getting her cured, at least let those who can afford her burial bury her rightly," Do-sik said to her. Ha-Yun was fighting the urge not to land him a deafening slap on his cheeks. "Put whatever grudge you have against me aside and let me help you just this once."

A tear traveled down her left cheek as she continued to glare at the face of the bastard. Ha-Yun had no other choice but to slowly put her signature on the consent form.

"I would love to stay and attend the burial...but I am running late for an important meeting." Do-sik's eyes fell on the umbrella secured in her right hand and eyed it. "I didn't come with my car because I don't want my driver to know I came to pay for my ex's mother's funeral. My wife's family won't forgive me if they should find out. And it's still raining outside..." Do-sik reached out for the umbrella in her hands..."Mind if I borrow your umbrella?"

He didn't even wait to hear her response before he left with her umbrella. Ha-Yun then placed her hand on her chest as she suffered another episode of her frequent breakdowns.

The burial was a brief one. With only Ha-Yun in attendance and putting on a black dress. She stared lifelessly at her mother's grave. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as her sobs became louder and louder. There is nothing left for her to hold onto anymore. First, it was the accident incident and then the bullies that beat up her brother to the point of death, and now...

Her eyes squeezed tight at the unbearable pain.

Night announced its presence over the city of Seoul as Ha-Yun remained seated on the bus, head resting on the window as the rain began to fall again this time the forecasters were aware hours before and it was broadcasted immediately. Everyone held onto their umbrellas on the bus except Ha-Yun.

The bus slowed to a stop and Ha-Yun walked the rest of the path leading to her tiny apartment on foot and without an umbrella. People would turn to throw curious and sometimes pitful glances at her. Like they could understand what she's going through.

Ha-Yun began to trek in a lonely yet familiar neighborhood that connected to her apartment.

She stopped walking when she noticed an umbrella lying in the middle of the road...some feet from where she stood. Her heart jumped at the familiarity. The odd color of the umbrella.

The sky rumbled when she rushed towards it and she remembered when last she had seen this type of umbrella apart from the one she had and lost to Do-sik in the hospital.

Her heart began to race when she noticed a trail of blood from the umbrella and it disappeared behind a corner.

Ha-Yun immediately picked up the umbrella with shaky hands and followed the trail of blood leading to a corner of the neighborhood.

The sky rumbled in protest as she rounded the corner.

A little splash of rainwater as the umbrella dropped from her hands and had contact with the slightly flooded road.

Ha-Yun trembled and brought her hands to her lips in shock at the limbless body that lay dead some feet from her. Blood dripped from where his eyes should be and his teeth were also missing. He lay in an awkward position armless and his legs were also missing.

Ha-Yun recoiled at the sight and felt like emptying all that was inside her.

She was terrified would be an understatement. Her bones were shaking as her heart threatened to fall off her chest. She fished out for her phone with trembling hands as the umbrella swayed slightly to the rhythm of the rainwater and dialed 911.

The phone fell from her hands at the first ring with a crack and died when her eyes fell on the figure emerging from the shadows. Deep blue eyes glared at her from a distance and Ha-Yun took a small step back, her eyes widening in horror.

The sky rumbled once more to recognize the presence of the creature feeding in the shadows. The abomination that has sensed Ha-Yun's presence.

Ha-Yun screamed and braced herself when the blue-eyed creature came for her at an unmeasurable speed. Expecting to be pinned down by whatever was coming for her and meet the same fate as the disfigured body drowning in rainwater.

But nothing happened.

Ha-Yun slowly opened her eyes to see a tall and slender figure with broad shoulders and long, dark red hair sticking to his back due to the rain.

The sight of the hair made blurry memories clearer. The figure shielded her from the creature with a flaming sword in its right hand.

Ha-Yun's jaw dropped in recognition even without seeing his face. The creature also ran back to the shadows and disappeared when it recognized who it was that intervened.

Like a spell, the pouring rain gradually reduced to a stop. Her phone rang back to life and proceeded to call 911.

Ha-Yun took a step back when her savior turned to face her with his mysterious, aqua blue-red eyes and the dark vein-looking structures that appeared and crawled up from his neck to both sides of his face.

And his dark lips...

She gasped.

"Are you okay?"

He asked with concern drawn on his beautiful, yet scary-looking face of his. Ha-Yun just stood there frozen as the umbrella moved again. Never did she expect to meet him again when her brain made sense of the recovered memories of last night at the rooftop of her previous workplace.

'He asked me how I knew his name '

And Ha-Yun remembered saying...

''I gave you that name."