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I approached my bed and carefully laid the pillow against the wall. The ambitious summer breeze was blowing gently against the chimes that were hanging from the balcony door. It stirred a calming feeling in me. Feeling. That’s right. Ever since that big story I wrote about domestic pet abuse, my pen has been all but active because I lacked just that, a sincere message from my heart that I truly wish to pursue.

My publisher has been nagging me for the past two weeks to get something done, anything really. It didn’t matter as long as I put ink on the paper. It’s almost ironic how people can come knocking on your front door when they need you.

As I sat there in front of screen, once again I feel the fatigue slowly hitting against my mind. My body’s refusal to cooperate with me has been exhausting. Perhaps it’s because I haven’t been going out much, experiencing what it really means to become a termite, spending quality time at home and swapping attention between the computer and my bed. And it’s not like I don’t have a single idea on my mind. On the contrary, thoughts and ideas have been running rampant on my mind, but the ability to translate that into words has been nothing but a challenge.

Once again, I look at the empty page that has staring back at me almost insultingly. I scratch my head and ask myself how I managed to get my life to become like this. As I think of the words that could potentially make up the story I was supposed to write, the lights in my eyes slowly diminish to a minimum.

“Unnie, give it back! I was playing with it!”

Wait, where am I? Who is shouting so loud? Children?

“No, it is my turn now. You have been hugging that Game Boy ever since we left Auntie Sooyoung.”

“Girls, girls. Stop fighting or I’m going to have to stop the car and take a hold of that.”

Car? Am I in a car?

I open my eyes only to find myself looking at the interior of a small car. Confusion flashed past my mind like lightning, gone before I could even grasp onto it.

“Oh honey, did I wake you up?”

I look to my left and saw Yuri sitting behind the wheels with her sunglasses on and her gorgeous smile beaming right at me. Memory successfully evades me as I futilely try to remember how I got here at all.

Yuri chuckled. “You should really wipe that off now that you’re awake.”

The words brought me back to the present and I quickly used my arms to clean the sides of my chin of any remaining saliva. Logic did not explain how I knew that Yuri is my wife and those two kids in the back were ours. We have been happily married for years and right now, we were heading for home after an anniversary dinner with Yuri’s sister. Somehow I just knew. Somehow it just made sense.

***

“Oh! You died! Now it’s my turn again!”

“Wait, no! We never made that rule. It’s still my turn!”

The bickering has been never-ending since I woke up from my sleep. Something tells me that these two have been going at it for a while now. I turn around and look at them in the face.

“Seohyun, Yoona. You two better stop fighting or I’m going to take it from you now and then neither of you can play for the rest of the week.”

“I’m sorry mummy.” The 8 and 9 year old cooed simultaneously.

“I don’t get it.” Yuri said. “How is it that they listen to you and not to me. I’m their mummy too.”

“That’s because I’m the prettier of the two.” I replied before flashing my cheeky grin.

“Oh shush. I’m sure you have bribed them some way or the other like Kim Taeyeon always does.”

“I do not.”

“Yes y-“

“WATCH OUT!”

My scream was just about enough for Yuri to quickly spin her car to the side and slam on the breaks. A skidding car barely raced past and crashed relentlessly into the one in front of us.

“Oh my God. That was close.”

“What happened to that car?”

“I don’t know, but let’s go take a look. You kids stay in the car.”

The children still shocked from the sudden incident sat back down on their seats, trying to understand what had just happened.

The crash had caused the cars in front of us to pile up. Smoke was coming out of the vehicles and the gravel was covered in glass and metal. The driver that almost hit us was now lying on the hood of his car. The people in front of him were slowly making their way out of what’s left of theirs. Each of them were holding the now sore areas on their body. Two girls around were about our age. Then there was another teenager who had probably just gotten her own car for her birthday.

We rushed over to their sides and helped them rest their bodies against the car.

“Are you guys alright?”

“I-I don’t know. What just happened?”

“You were hit by a car from behind. I think it lost control.”

“W-Wait, wha-“ The girl quickly looked around. “Where’s Tiffany?”

“Don’t worry. My wife is helping her out on the other side of the car.” I replied with a smile. “She’s a nurse, so she’s in good hands. What’s your name?”

“I-I-It’s Je-Jessica. We just came back from our holiday”

“Alright Jessica. I need you to stay still here while I go and take a look at the other people.”

The girl quietly nodded.

I walked over to the other car where the girl managed to lift herself out of the car. Seeing how she was the last car in line, she couldn’t have been hurt very much.

“Hi, are you alright?”

The girl gave me an irritated look.

“Do I look alright to you? I’m supposed to go to a party later. How do you suppose I’m going to get there now?”

I mentally shook my head. Even now all she can think about is a party she has to attend?

I ignored her complaints and look around for other casualties, worry apparent from the creases on my face. As I attempt to stand back up, my legs give up from underneath me and force me back on the ground. I guess the shock of seeing such scenes has finally caught up to me.

Surely one sees this in multitudes through documentaries and action movies, but the situation in front of me is a completely different issue to swallow. From my knees upwards, I could feel the trembles become worse by the second. The strange thing to me was that even my hands that were resting on the gravel road were feeling the quickly approaching quakes.

And then I realized.

“Taeyeon-ah, what are you looking at?”

Yuri-ah… run…

Hollow words were shouted towards my wife as I stayed hypnotized to the incoming truck that was sliding its way towards us.

Yuri-ah… take the kids and run…! Why are you still standing there like a block of wood? RUN!!

The big truck with Melon on the side was skidding us with no hint of breaking anytime soon. My mind was screaming for help. Screaming for my body to do something, anything, but my body refused. Caught in the moment of terror, all I could do is wait for it to hit us with its full weight.

I raised my arms and closed my eyes. I could hear the truck approaching.

This is it.

I’m sorry Yuri-ah. I couldn’t protect you.

Ironic, huh, getting hit by an ice cream truck… As if those arms could possibly protect me from that thousand ton block of metal…

***