Chapter Text
"Mom, I'm going to go play with some friends!" Eleven-year-old Seokmin yelled from the foyer of his home.
He had just returned from school and tossed his backpack inside. His friends had made plans at lunch to go to the edge of town to a waterfall. It was hidden and blocked off, but his next-door neighbor, Soonyoung, had found a way to get in. To a bunch of eleven-year-olds, it seemed like a fun adventure.
His mother, hearing her son, appeared from the kitchen to the front door. She was a beautiful woman who didn't even look like she could be a mother. She was younger-looking and people often thought she was Seokmin's aunt or sometimes his sister. Despite that, she was a strong and wise woman and could be strict when she needed to be and this had been one of those times. She had heard for weeks of her son and his friends talk of the hidden waterfall. She knew all about it. It had been blocked off since she was a child, and for good reason. She didn't like the idea of her only son going there. It was too dangerous.
"Seokmin, you're not going to that waterfall." She stated firmly. "We've talked about it."
Seokmin frowned, not liking his mother ruining his plans. "Come on Mom! It's just a waterfall." He tried.
"The answer is no. It's too dangerous. Now get inside and do your homework."
The eleven-year-old sighed in defeat and shuffled down the hall to his room. Satisfied she had won, his mother resumed preparing dinner. An hour later, she finished and decided to check on him. He had a short attention span. With the promise of cake after dinner, she was sure he would no longer be mad and would forget the waterfall. However, when she opened the door, she found the room empty and the window open. He had snuck out. She shook her head with an exasperated sigh.
"He's so grounded when he gets home."
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"Okay, so we just have to climb this hill and then there's an opening between the trees," Soonyoung informed as the two made their way up the hill.
Seokmin felt bad for sneaking out, but he also didn't want to miss an opportunity like this. Everyone in school had talked about the waterfall. He wanted to be able to experience such a popular mystery.
"I heard that someone died here," Seokmin stated.
It was only he and Soonyoung as the others' parents refused to let them go, fearful of the dangers such a place could hold. Soonyoung and Seokmin knew that much, but their curiosity won over their fear. They wanted to explore it and tell the stories themselves instead of just hearing them.
Soonyoung nodded. "A long time ago, a girl had drowned." Soonyoung started.
He stopped just before the top of the hill and sat on a nearby rock to catch his breath and tell the legend. Seokmin followed and sat on another rock, ready to listen.
"There used to be a house down the hill. The girl was just seven when she lived in it. The waterfall was in her backyard. She used to play near it every day, but one summer day, her mom called her back in for dinner, but the little girl was nowhere to be found. It wasn't until days later, that her body was carried back to the shore."
Soonyoung told the story with enthusiasm as if he had rehearsed it thousands of times. In reality, it was a constant story that was told but kept changing. Sometimes it was a girl, sometimes it was a boy. Sometimes the body returned, sometimes it never returned. Whoever was telling it determined which version you got.
"Do you think her ghost is there?" Seokmin asked mischievously.
Soonyoung rolled his eyes. "Obviously. That's why we're here."
The two giggled as they continued their hike up the hill. When they finally came to the opening between the two trees, Soonyoung took the lead. He had been told about it plenty of times by his older sister. He was sure he knew it like his own house. Once through, he helped his friend, and they both marveled at the sight. The waterfall was loud but mesmerizing as the clear blue water landed down on the rocks below as the sun cast a radiant orange glow. It was a sight neither of them had ever seen and they both stood there for the longest time admiring it.
"Should we try calling out to the ghost?" Seokmin asked.
Soonyoung shrugged. "Don't we have to wait until night?"
"Well, what are we going to do?"
"We could wait," Soonyoung suggested.
Seokmin shook his head at the suggestion. He was sure his mother discovered his empty room already. He knew he was in deep trouble. If he stayed out any later, she would send the police after him and he would never hear the end of it.
"Let's just call her now. I'm sure the night thing is a myth." Seokmin persuaded.
However, as he went to take a step forward, he lost his footing and before he knew it, he was falling into the water below. He landed in front of the waterfall, and the water continuously flowed over his head, making it difficult for him to swim. Before he knew it, the water was filling around him and he had begun to sink.
Water entered his lungs as he gasped for air, but every time he tried to breathe, more water would enter. In a desperate attempt, he rapidly kicked his feet in the hope that he could resurface, but instead, he was knocked back against the rocks and the world started to turn dark as more water flowed through him. The last thing Seokmin remembered before his eyes closed was the blue sky above him. The water created a blurring effect, but he could still make out the vibrant blue and the white fluffy clouds surrounding it. It was like a painting of a distant dream, and although his brain and body were screaming that he was dying, he smiled as his eyes closed.
The next time Seokmin opened his eyes, two weeks had passed. He had spent those two weeks hooked up to various machines as he had been in a coma. He had hit his head on the rocks and the water in his lungs had caused serious damage, but Seokmin knew of none of this as he heard his mother's voice.
"I should have gone out and looked for him. Instead, I just wanted to ground him. How could I? What if he never wakes up?"
Seokmin felt saddened by his mother's words. He felt guilty that he had made his mother feel that way. It was his fault for going there when he wasn't supposed to. She shouldn't blame herself. Despite the pain he felt doing so, Seokmin sat up in the hospital bed.
"Mom?" He called out. His voice was hoarse and scratchy, but he still could speak, which in his condition was a miracle. The doctor had said last week that if he woke up, he'd be surprised if he could speak or if he would speak ever again. His mother, who had been sitting in the chair nearby with a hand on Seokmin's arm, shot her head up and looked at her son in disbelief.
"Seokmin, you're awake!" She exclaimed as she rushed over to him. She grabbed his arms and face, trying to examine if he was actually awake and alright.
Seokmin didn't say anything as he looked around the room. They were the only two in the room. So, who had she been talking to?
"Do you feel any pain? Can you breathe alright?" She asked frantically.
Seokmin blinked a couple of times, trying to process his surroundings. He looked into his mother's eyes and was sorry he had caused that sad look. He looked away in shame.
"It wasn't your fault, Mom. You weren't wrong for not looking for me or for wanting to ground me. I deserve to be grounded. I didn't listen to you." He said sadly.
His mother looked at him, stunned. All those things she had thought, he had said. It was bizarre. However, she chalked it up to the traumatic event he experienced and grabbed his hand once more.
"I'm just happy you're alright." She said sincerely.
However, Seokmin couldn't answer her as he heard her voice once more, but her mouth didn't move.
"How could I ground him after almost losing him? That would be too cruel."
Seokmin's eyes widened. Something had happened in that waterfall, and he was different now. The question was, was it forever?