The Church
The air was sticky and they’d been drinking for hours. It was late into the evening of the going away party for Ron and Jenni. They’d been good friends to Sean when he first arrived, but since then they’d grown distant. In fact, it had been awhile since Sean had hung out with anyone. He’d arrived to a room full of people he didn’t know, already well on their way to getting drunk.
“It’s so great to see you,” Jenni said, offering a hug. “Sean, oh man!”
Ron offered a handshake. “Hey man, good to see you one last time.”
“Thanks for the invite,” Sean replied. “And sorry to see you going.”
The room erupted with laughter. A man had slipped and fell on his ass and he was rolling on the ground hollering away. “I’m goanna grab a cigarette,” Sean said.
“Oh wait!” Jenni grabbed his arm. “Let me introduce you to everyone!” She proceeded to bring him through the rooms of the townhome they rented for the night’s going away party. There was a Jack and a Royal and a Jeremy and a Kim and a Karen and more and Sean soon forgot all those names anyway. He finally go outside for a cigarette, his heart racing and his anxiety peaked.
“Fucking…” he mumbled to himself. “Too many fucking people in that space.”
“I know, right?”
The voice startled him. He peaked over and saw a girl sitting with pink dyed hair. “Can
I get one of those?”
“You know Jen and Ron?” Sean asked, offering her a cigarette.
“Sure,” the girl replied. “We met a few times at church.”
“Church?” Sean asked. “I’m incredulous. I didn’t know they were Christians.”
“Oh, it’s not that kind of church.” The girl took a drag on her cigarette and the presumed air of mystery she was attempting to paint annoyed him.
“Okay,” Sean said. “Well, then, what kind of church is it?”
The door to the porch opened and the music blared from inside. Ron came outside with a group of other party goers, all drunk and cheering.
“I’m telling you,” one of the guys was saying. “That girl’s totally into me. I’m going to go for it.”
“Do it!” Ron said. “We all believe in you man. Believe in yourself!” Then, turning to Sean. “We’re going for a swim!” Ron announced. He shouted it again, and the group cheered.
Sean glanced over to the girl, whose name he still didn’t know. She was smiling.
They trekked down the dirt road from the pension then through a dirt path. The ground was rocky, volcanic in some spots in that way typical to Jeju. Drunk, most of them stumbled. They passed by a fish farm, the ponds of which were covered in nets. Then a water treatment plant with rumbling generators inside its deep warehouse.
Then they reached a secret, secluded beach. The pink haired girl stripped down, an obsidian necklace dangling from her neck, glowing in the moonlight. She descended into the water.
“It warm and wonderful!” she said. “Come on.”
The group stripped down, and Sean saw many were wearing the same pendant. He began to strip as well, as the idea of warm ocean waters in such a hot night was intoxicating. He went into the water, swimming till it was deep enough to fully submerge.
When he came back up, he heard screaming.
MY ENDING
The scream echoed through night. I could not see further than a few paces in front, in addition to that, it was getting darker. Here and there I heard splash of water, of something like a voice, or cry for help. But, all that was far far away from my mind, masked by that scream. Terrible, terrible scream. That simple sound, just on the first impression, but more deeper and complex than a scream. It was primal, and contained hundred more in it. Even smaller but more profound voices, all of them crying. There was not words that can be understood, just fear.
Cold water became even colder, and my senses, a do not know better word, died. Just like scream. In that little moment of complete stillness, I felt more scared and alive than ever before. A forgot what I was doing weeks before, forgot my plans for future, even who I am actually - I forgot. Noting was important but that perfect moment of stillness in my mind, soul and body. I was in another dimension, outside of this world. Did not even know the reason I came here, to this cold water, but not even that mattered anymore.
That moment - that lasted like seven years - ended. Than scream again came. They entered in every cell of my body and made permanent damage. I felt that, also. I tried to swim back. And that was it, everything ended on that try. I looked on shore, try to get help, but only clothes was there. Not a sing from others, or that mysterious girl.
A splash, light before my eyes, and all went fuzzy around me.
I was again outside house, there was not a sing of a water or that horrible scream. Not even a girl with a pink hair. Than that light again, and darkness. Never to see light again.
