The Brothers Kim

Chapter 60- Cease to Exist

Heels clicking on the pavement. The beeping of a pedestrian crossing. The rumble of cars. Subin opened her eyes as the din faded to the background. Like a polaroid picture coming into fruition, her vision sharpened and her eyes adjusted to the light. Disoriented, Subin blinked several times.

Where am I?

The first thing Subin noticed was that she was in a room of some sort. On the walls were several posters, most of which looked like handwritten notes. An unmade bed with a pile of dirty laundry and stuffed toys was to her left, and to her right was a wardrobe with mirrors as doors. Subin searched the room, not quite believing her eyes. Through the window, she could see an overcast sky, but despite the ominous, grey clouds looming overhead, she felt strangely comforted. From the mountain of books on the desk to the laptop charging on the ground, Subin had no doubt as to her whereabouts. She smiled as her eyes brimmed with unshed tears.

She was home.

Not wanting to waste a second longer, Subin turned to the door. "Dad?" she called out excitedly. "Yoongi?" She ran out of the bedroom, her heart like a drum in her chest. It had been so long since she had last seen her family, so long since she'd heard her dad and brother's voices, that the first thing she wanted to do was to hug them both. "I'm back!" she shouted, her grin growing wider with each step. "I'm home!"

But as she searched from room to room, she soon realised that the two people she wanted to see the most were nowhere to be found.

Her heart began to sink. "Where are you?"

Just when Subin thought of searching for her mobile phone, she suddenly tripped on a tower of takeaway boxes. Subin cursed under her breath as it tumbled, creating a mess. As she stooped to clean it up, she noticed the familiar chicken logo printed on the boxes. They were all from the peri-peri chicken place she and her brother used to frequent. Recalling how their dad used to complain about the blandness, Subin curled her lip. Has Dad changed his mind about their food since I've been away? But before Subin could investigate further, she heard the jingling of keys come from the front door. Subin immediately got up. "Dad! Yoongi—"

"Why's it always so cold in here?"

Subin froze. Instead of her dad and older brother, a pair of strangers came inside, the gust of wind having nothing to do with the chill that bolted down her spine. From where she stood, she saw that one of them had a bulky frame and the other was shorter and thinner. Dressed in thick coats and woolly scarves, the pair proceeded to make themselves comfortable. Subin hid from view.

Who are these people? And what are they doing here?

Subin peered at the strangers from her hiding place and noticed they were armed with what looked like hockey sticks.

Are we being robbed right now?

"I'll go and turn on the radiator," the bulky one spoke and Subin pressed herself closer to the wall.

With her mind clouding in panic, Subin's breath quickened. She needed to call for help but she didn't know how. Not when their landline was disconnected, and she didn't know where her mobile was.

Okay, she thought, as soon as the coast is clear, I can run next door and—

"Oh, put the kettle on too while you're at it," the other said, catching Subin off-guard. "I'm chilled to the bone."

Subin swore under her breath when she heard the bulky-framed stranger change course. As their footsteps grew louder, Subin frantically searched for somewhere to hide. With their kitchen being small, there weren't many hiding places large enough to conceal her.