Chapter 8.5: A Little Girl's Epiphany

It was just like everyday.

Papa would wake me up in the morning for school.

Papa would cook for breakfast and my school lunch bag.

After school, Papa would pick me up and go straight home. I would sit beside him in our car because I always feel safe near papa.

"Seoyoong how was school?" Papa would always ask me.

"It was Amazing! Teacher thought us something new again" And I would always answer with a big smile.

It's always been only me and papa together. Sometimes my classmates say that I should have a mama... But I've never met my mama.

I wonder how it feels to have a mama... Maybe...you would know?

But its fine... I don't need a mama... As long as I have my papa I'm happy.

My papa loves me I know that. He would always take care of me when I'm sick, he would play along with me, and cook me my favorite food.

My Papa loves me and I love my papa.

The next day papa woke me up early in the morning, the window was shining red and blue like the ones on the 'wee-woo²' cars.

"Seoyoong listen, you and papa are going on a walk outside okay?"

So papa just wanted to walk in the morning. Yay~!

"Mhm! Yay a walk with papa!"

I'm happy papa and I rarely walked together outside. I smiled excitedly at papa. I wonder where we're going? Maybe we'll go to the park? Maybe the mall? I can't wait!

"Here Seoyoong this bag has snack like biscuits make sure to carry it okay?"

Papa who was smiling gave me the bag with my favorite snacks. Maybe we're going to have a picnic? Or maybe to the zoo!

"Seoyoong listen to papa ok?"

Papa's voice was a little odd and his hands are shaking. Maybe his cold? I always shake when it's too cold in the morning too.

"Don't worry papa, Seoyoong will keep you warm"

I grabbed papa's hands. Papa always holds my hands when they're cold so this time its my turn to keep papa warm.

"Seoyoong..."

Papa's face was looking sad but I don't know why.

When we were about to go outside papa stopped.

It was loud outside a lot of sounds came from outside.

"Seoyoong, you and papa are going to play 'hide and seek' okay?"

Yay, a game! I'm going to play with papa again!

"Mhm!"

"When papa says Hide we hide okay? If I say run we run okay?"

It's a little bit different from the game we play but its okay!

"Okay!"

I smiled and papa also smiled back... But it was an odd smile.

"Seoyoong hide"

Papa mumbled as quietly as possible and I would always hide. When we were walking some people were sleeping in the road with ketchup all over their bodies. I wonder what they ate.

Some of them even walk around with ketchup in their mouth.

We hide behind a tree, behind a car and sometimes inside somebody's house, the thrill was fun and I'm enjoying it.

But I don't think papa is enjoying as much as I do.

Our game continued for a long time sometimes we had to run and papa would carry me if I was tired.

"Papa I'm tired"

"Come here papa will carry you"

Papa gave me a piggyback ride, I've never played this long with papa and I was tired for a while but never stopped playing this was the first time that papa played with me for the whole day.

Papa's back was warm but he was breathing too hard but I still fell asleep on his back...

"Seoyoong, wake up"

I opened my eyes and saw papa in front of me, I rubbed my eyes because I just woke up.

I thought papa had already took me home but we were inside the subway station. This isn't my first time here since sometimes papa and me would ride the train to visit papa's hometown.

"Papa are we going to your hometown?"

I looked at papa.

"..."

Papa looks sad and he was quiet.

Maybe he was cold?

I touched papa's face to feel if he was cold but he was fine and warm.

"Seoyoong ...I.. t-that's right Seoyoong and papa are gonna go visit papa's hometown..."

Papa's voice sounded sad and I could see tears in his eyes.

"Papa what's wrong?"

**blurgh!!** **cough** **cough**

Papa suddenly vomited and started coughing.

Something was wrong with papa.

"HEY!! That guy just vomited blood!!"

A man shouted at everyone and pointed at papa.

"Help!! My papa's sick!! Somebody help!"

I screamed for help, I know papa is sick somehow I need to ask for help!

"He's turning into one right!?"

But no one came...why?

"That's the first symptom!!"

My papa is sick but why are they just standing there?

"EVERYBODY GET HIM!!"

A man screamed.

"Seo..yoong..."

Papa's voice was weak.

"Papa! Are you okay!?"

But before papa could say anything a man pushed papa to the ground.

"No! What are you doing to my papa!"

I tried to stop the bad man but somebody stopped me.

"Little girl stay away! That's not your papa anymore!"

"No! Let go! That's my papa! What are you doing to my papa!"

I bit the bad man's hand and ran towards papa.

"Let papa go! My papa is sick!"

But before I could reach papa somebody stopped me again.

"Hey she said that's her papa right?"

"Yeah that's right"

"Then isn't it possible that she could also be infected?"

Suddenly voices from other people started talking.

"That's right! We should also get rid of her just to be safe!"

"Yeah you're right"

They were looking at me with scary eyes.

Why? What did I do wrong?

"Wait are you crazy!? She's just a kid!"

The bad man screamed back at the people

"Have you all lost your minds!? Are you really gonna murder an innocent kid!?"

"Shut the fuck Up! What if she 'turns' huh? Everyone will die! Are you okay with that!?"

Another man screamed back.

Their voices were loud and I'm scared.

What are they saying? What are they going to do to papa?

**crack** **snap**

A loud sound echoed everyone went silent and looked at where it came from.

The bad man who pushed papa down was now standing and papa was still on the ground not moving.

The bad man who was stopping me wasn't moving so I quickly ran to my papa.

"Papa?"

Papa wasn't moving and he wasn't breathing.

I don't know why but I suddenly felt sad and my heart feels like it was being crushed.

I touched papa's face but he was cold and he wasn't moving.

"Papa?"

Why wasn't papa moving?

"Papa?"

Why is he cold?

"Papa?"

Why isn't he talking?

I don't know why... But it feels like papa was gone.

It feels like I won't be able to see papa anymore.

It feels like if I don't hold on to papa, papa would disappear.

"Waaaaahh~! Papa! Papaa!! Waaaah~!!"

I held papa as tight as I could.

Please don't leave me, papa! Please don't disappear!

.

.

.

.

.

.

In that station nobody said anything, nobody moved they only stayed silent. The people who were arguing just moments ago became silent. Nobody uttered a word not even the air made a sound.

"Waaaaah~! papa!"

The only sound that can be heard was the cry of a little girl who clung to her father's cold body.

"Waah~!"

As she cried she desperately clung to her fathers body as if it was going to disappear.

As they watched the little girl cry, the guilt in their hearts became heavier and heavier. Moments ago they were talking about killing the little girl but now not even a single one of them ever dared to think about it... Because if they did, they know that they wouldn't be able to call themselves human anymore.

Not even the man who was so adamant about murder dared to think about killing the little girl.

Maybe it was pity? Maybe it was guilt? Or just the fear of becoming a child murderer?

Whatever reason it was the little girl's life was safe from harm because of it.

But the price for the little girls safety was too much. The world was too cruel towards this little girl.

"W-we should do something..."

"B-but what if she's infected?"

"We don't need to harm her.. We just need to put her in a place where we could monitor her"

"You mean lock her up!? She's a kid!"

"So what!? What are you gonna do if she turns huh? Are you willing to get rid of her yourself!?"

"That's... But still.."

"I know alright!! I know nobody can do anything! And I know she's just a kid! But we can't risk it!"

"..."

Although they didn't want to they still agreed to the man and they approached the crying girl.

"What are you doing!? Stay away! Stay away from papa! You're all bad people stay away!"

The girl screamed desperately as she tried to protect her father's body, she tried to act intimidating but tears still flowed down her cheeks.

"I said stay away!"

But this time nobody stopped.

"We're sorry little girl but..."

Every single one of them carried the expression of guilt on their faces as they captured the little girl.

"No! What are you doing!? Stop! No! I want to stay with papa! Let me go!"

The little girl struggled desperately as she tried to free herself but she couldn't.

"No stop! Don't take me away from papa! Stop!"

Tears flew as she struggled and her arms became red but she still couldn't break free.

**Slam** **Lock**

With her bag and a couple more food she was locked inside the bathroom.

**bang** **bang** **bang**

"Let me out! Please let me out!"

She banged the door as hard as she could as she begged for them to open the door. But nobody responded.

"W-we're.. sorry, we're very sorry"

Only a single voice answered and it begged for forgiveness.

"Please open the door! I want to stay with papa! Please!"

The little girl begged one more time but this time no one truly answered.

How long was she trapped in that room? She didn't know. Maybe 3 days? Or maybe a week? She didn't know.

One thing was for sure though, she didn't stop begging for them to let her out and see her papa not even when there were loud noises and screams from outside.

"Please let me out..."

As time passed the snacks and food that was given to her by her father and the other people started to dwindle and soon she ran out of food. She only had water now but it wasn't enough to keep her alive.

"Please... let me out"

Her voice was weak and so is her body but even then she didn't stop begging in front of the door.

"Its cold..."

As she lay at the corner of the room shaking from the cold and weakened from hunger she slowly felt sleepy but the little girl fought against her sleepiness because she knew that if she falls asleep she won't be able to wake up anymore.

"Papa... Its cold.."

Tears flowed down her cheeks as she wished for the warmth that her father would always provide her.

"pa...pa.."

That was the last word the girl uttered as her mind entered the darkness...