Dark Hole

There weren’t many women in the mines; most of the workers were men.

As such, men handled the heavier labor.

The women worked outside the mines, washing dirt from the rocks or preparing meals like boiling potatoes.

Heesoo followed the woman around, helping with odd jobs.

Having someone she could talk to was a lifeline, and through her, Heesoo learned more about this world.

While they worked, they whispered to each other in secret.

“How long has it been since you fell into the Dark Hole?”

Heesoo tilted her head in confusion.

“Dark Hole?”

“Oh, that’s what they call it here—the Dark Hole. It’s like a gateway into this world. You probably got pulled into some kind of vortex, didn’t you?”

A vortex.

As the woman spoke, Heesoo’s memories clicked into place, and she nodded frantically.

Yes, that was it! The last thing she remembered was a flock of birds being pulled into it.

The plane she had been on had been sucked into it, too.

“I know it! I saw it! The plane I was on—”