It had been a week since that night. Ji Soo had mostly forgotten about it and was rather enthusiastic about her birthday. She would be 13 years old and as her mother had promised that now she would be allowed to own a play station.
The alarm went off at 4:30 A.M and was already up and awake. She got dressed and gave a bright smile to herself and went to wake her grandma. Her grandmother kissed her forehead and wished her Ji Soo anticipated that like every year she would be given an envelope though this year she got a small box which stored a golden ring. She thanked her and drank the seaweed soup for her birthday, (most Koreans drink seaweed soup on their birthdays), and happily walked towards the school. As soon as she entered, she was told to meet the in-charge and the principal to which she obliged. She was given a light warning and told off. The day passed by without a hitch and she managed to call some of her friends. She had a wonderful evening which was filled with laughter and gifts but only she knew that this day would mark the beginning of a new end. Would she have enjoyed it? Perhaps she would have cherished it.
Ji Soo woke up to a light knock at her door. She tried to brush it off, but the knock soon turned into a violent one. "Bang", "bang", "bang" it seemed like someone wanted to enter her room forcefully. Her heart pounded violently, and she started calling her grandma hysterically. She closed her ears and shut her eyes and again screamed for her grandma, but no one heard her. Soon after a creepy silence followed, and it seemed like everything had stopped. She opened her eyes and saw a woman with completely dark eyes staring at her standing right next to her bed. She woke up screaming which startled her grandma who was sleeping next to her. She was so scared as her dream seemed very real to her. Her grandma managed to calm her. She lay her head next to her grandma's chest, but she could not sleep the whole night. She didn't want to sleep because each time she closed her eyes she would see that woman's face.
The dawn broke and brought a sense of relief for her. She woke up as usual and sat down for breakfast. "Hurry up and eat Ji Soo or else you'll be late", said her grandma. "I'm full grandma" Ji Soo retorted. She was about to leave when her grandma took hold of her hand and said, "Are you not feeling well? Take rest for today". Ji Soo really felt like staying inside and sleeping but she was rather afraid to do so she insisted on going to school. She kissed her grandma's cheeks and went off to school.
Recurring nightmares had become so common to the point that she started fearing less each time she got one, until the day her nightmare started turning into reality.
Ji Soo woke up to the same nightmare that night. She turned around and saw that her grandma was sound asleep, so she took out her cell phone from under her pillow to look at the time. it was quarter to 2. "I have school tomorrow, it is going to be a tiring day", she thought to herself. However, Ji Soo had a feeling that something was looking at her. She felt a sudden urge to turn around and see when she saw a face with only two red eyes staring at her from the window of her room. She started screaming and wailing frantically. Her grandma who was sleeping next to her woke up at once and turned on the light. "Ji Soo what's wrong? Ji Soo?", her grandma started shaking her. "A Face, a face", was all that she could say and soon she fell unconscious.