01

What does "POV" mean? It means 'Point of View', e.g. 'Hansol's Point Of View (POV)'

There was a loud bang. I jumped up a little as I heard the bullet ricochet off the concrete walls. Everyone screamed loudly as we heard another bang. We all knew they had come for us. And they were coming fast. We had to move to a safer place. We had to get out of there. I was scared. “Everyone, run!!” The short old woman at the front of the room yelled loudly. Her voice was full of terror. Then something nagged at me. I knew it wasn’t going to be fine. We wouldn’t be okay if we just ran. We needed to outsmart them and hide! For some odd reason, I felt as if we were not going to survive. We heard more loud bangs, and screaming from far in the distance. I was now terrified. We all scurried toward the small door at the other side of the room. There was a small moment of silence as we all left the room into the long hallway. I grabbed my bag. Looking across the hallway, I saw the supply closet. “Hey, guys we can hide in there!” I exclaimed, trying to convince them to come with me. They were probably too stupid, or scared. I am guessing both. There wasn’t anything for me to do. There wasn’t any time. I heard another bang, and I decided I’d have to go by myself. I didn’t want to die. I couldn’t convince any of them to follow me, so I ran in the closet, shut the door and locked it from the inside. There was a silence outside. I figured the others must’ve left, and gotten to an escape truck. Maybe I was the dumb one. I clambered through the reasonably roomy closet. A rotting smell of something, most likely dead, inside the closet almost made me gag. Hanging from the quite dirty ceiling was some clothing, there was some large shelves above them with blankets. On the other side of the closet was some smaller shelves with canned food and more clothes hanging from the shelf. Below them, was some really large boxes, I climbed my way over the biggest one. Crouching down low behind the giant box, I could feel my heart thumping against my chest as I pulled my legs close. Then out of nowhere there was a bang. And another. A large thud on the ground. Then screaming. A small tear fell down my cheek. What was happening out there? Then there was a few more bangs. More screaming. A smaller thud. It went on for a little while. I tried to tell myself I was fine. But maybe I wasn’t. The others just got shot, didn’t they? Another bang. Footsteps. A thud. Tears streamed down my wet cheeks. The sound of heavy footsteps toward my closet made me close my eyes and begin to pray that I’d be fine. They were coming toward my closet. I was a dead man. I cupped my hand over my mouth. Hold in your breath. Hold it in. The door knob shook, like someone was trying to open it. Then I heard yelling. Loud yelling. A man yelling. I couldn’t understand what he was saying, it was quite muffled and it didn’t seem to be Korean. I closed my eyes calmly, and sighed loudly. Just as I did the door suddenly caved it. I stayed still no noise. No movement. Hoping they wouldn’t find me. I didn’t want to die. The man whom knocked down the door said something, and walked a little way from the door. I opened one of my eyes quietly. A small, but bright red light was waving on the wall above the box. Just above my head. I was shaking slightly. I knew what the red light was. Everyone knew what it was, and what happened if one was aimed at you. They found me, didn’t they? The man said something else. Then he walked away from the closet. Slowly. I stayed silent. I knew that if I made one sound, or moved one inch, I’d be dead. A goner. No one would know who, or where I was. My dead body would stink up this closet some more. I heard another scream. I recognised that scream. It was the lady who was taking care of us. I began to cry quietly to myself. There was another moment of silence. A loud bang came from outside the closet. Then another thud. I was scared. I was scared that whatever they are doing to the others, was what they’d do to me if they found me. All I wanted to do was help them. I felt awful, because of the way I yelled at Jiseon before the attack. A cold breeze came in the doorway to the closet. I shook a little. I didn’t have much clothes on. I had a pair of black and white boxers, and a grey tattered singlet on. After all, we did just wake up. I opened my other eye, and noticed there was a piece of wood not far from my foot. Must’ve been part of the door. Then, I heard more footsteps. This time the footsteps were fading. They were leaving. And I hope they never come back. I cried quietly, pulling my legs in toward my chest. I rocked myself back and forward. I wanted to go home. I wanted my mother. I wanted to be in her arms again, like the way she used to hug me when I was a little boy. I wanted my brothers. I wanted us all to be safe, and sound. At home. I cried a little more. It was about five minutes when I finished crying. I suddenly heard more footsteps, but this time voices. I presumed they were the enemy back for another round. “Annyeong!!” The voice called. I couldn’t comprehend it. Someone was calling. Whoever the person was could speak Korean. I stopped crying a little, and turned around. Putting my hand on top of the large box, I lifted my head so I was looking past it. I heard a muffled cry, and sobbing. “Annyeong!!! Anyone?!” A different voice called, this time their voice cracked. “Is anyone alive?!” Another voice called. I stood up quickly, and doing so knocked the box over making a loud noise. I quickly pulled the box up as I heard footsteps nearing the closet. Quickly re-hiding myself, I cupped my own hand over my mouth. “Annyeong?” A familiar voice said. A white light suddenly appeared on the wall. “Please, don’t be afraid!” The same voice said. I looked out from behind the box. But I am afraid. I couldn’t quite see the person’s head. “Kris, it’s no use. Whoever it was is probably calling the enemy right now.” The voice from before said. The person in the front turned quietly and slowly, ready to walk away. I leaned up against the box. “Kris?” I muttered under my breath, looking away from the people. That name. Kris. Is it who I thought it was? I leaned against the box more. It fell. The shelf behind me collapsed with it. I squeaked as the forever lasting canned food fell on me. I heard quick footsteps. “Hey! Are you okay?!” ‘Kris’ asked, pulling away the box. I pushed myself up, and nodded. I sat up. “I-I’m fine.” I replied. I was shaking. I was now hoping that he’d kill me. I looked up, he held his hand out. “Here, let me help you up.” He said calmly. The other people were standing at the doorway to the closet. I took Kris’ hand, and he helped me back onto my feet.

I slowly walked to the doorway. As I stepped out into the familiar hall, I saw the familiar people. All on the ground, blood covering their faces. I couldn’t pick out who was who their faces were so bloody. The other people who came with Kris looked at me. “My goodness, Kris!” The first voice from before exclaimed. Suddenly, a tall tanned boy with a mop of black hair put his hands on my cheeks, squeezing them. “This kid looks a lot like your Ma!” He continued. His ‘Ma’? Who the hell was this boy? Then it hit me like a train as I turned to see a face, a face that was all too familiar. *flashback* ‘Ma!!’ I sobbed loudly, as I ran over to her body. The horror was still imprinted on what was left of her sweet face. Her dark brown hair was muffled, and messy- there was large blobs of blood streaked through her long beautiful locks. I cried quietly. ‘Mama…’ I sobbed quietly. We heard a thud. A hand quickly grabbed my arm, and pulled my back into the cupboard. ‘Shh!!’ The person said. I turned, and I saw the person’s face in the dim light. I looked back out through a crack in the door. ‘Ryeowook!!’ I called, rushing out of the cupboard. The boy turned. ‘Hansol! Kris!!’ He called, quickly hugging us. ‘You’re both okay!!’ He sobbed. The other boy put his arms around me and Ryeowook. ‘I’m sorry, Hansol.’ His husky voice said. We all turned as we heard more footsteps. Running out the back door, we were surrounded by the enemy. That was the last time I saw them. The enemy grabbed them both, and dragged them away from me. ‘Hansol!! Run!!’ Ryeowook shouted at me. I ran. The enemy was shouting at me. I couldn’t understand them at all. I hid behind a large skip bin. Crying. My family, they were all gone. *End of flashback* I smiled slowly. I haven’t smiled in ages. Kris looked at me in awestruck. His eyes were sparkling. I looked at him. I remembered who he was. The other people looked at us. “Kris? Are you okay?” The other boy asked. I looked at the other boy. He looked as if he was worried for Kris. I was too when I turned back to him and he was crying. He was struggling to say anything, and when he finally could say something all I heard was my name. “Hansol?”

We headed away from the old base, and out of the hallway I was in. I was scared. Where was Kris taking me? I haven’t seen him in 3 years. I felt terrible. “Kris, where are we going?” I asked quietly tugging on his shirt. He turned slightly and looked at me. He said nothing. He just looked at me, then turned away. Maybe he just noticed I was running around in my underwear. Or the fact that that he just found me! His long lost baby brother! I turned around to the tall boy who had identified me as looking like my Ma. “Um, excuse me?” I tapped the boy’s shoulder. “Hm?” He looked at me with a questionably look, and was obviously prepared to answer my question. “W-Why is Kris not talking to me?” I asked. The boy chuckled. “Don’t be too discouraged. Kris always acts like this. He’s acted like this since we left the enemy’s camp.” He smiled and looked at me. “Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Siha Park, you are?” He made a hand gesture indicating for me to introduce myself. I smiled slightly. “Hansol Lee.” I replied. Siha gasped slightly. I was wondering why he suddenly looked from me to Kris, then again. “You are Kris’ brother?” He asked. I nodded. He patted my back. “It’s okay, I’m sorry for the way Kris treats you.” He said calmly. The other boys behind us chuckled slightly. “Hey, Siha stop being a softy to the little boy!” One laughed. Siha turned around and spat at the boy. “At least I don’t call him a little boy!!” He growled. Kris turned slightly. The other smiled. “Little boy? You won’t call him little boy? I mean- look at this puny runt!!” He laughed. I was upset. Why was I suddenly being picked on? I turned to Kris, hoping he had heard them. He was just standing there. He looked disappointed in me. “He’s not a runt!!” Siha yelled back at the boy. The buff boy walked over to me and pushed me against the ground. Siha stood between us, and held his hands out. “Stop it!! Leave him alone!!” He yelled as I tried to get up off the sandy ground. Kris quickly walked over, and shoved both the boys and Siha. “Cut it out. We don’t need the enemy on to us.” He snarled. The two boys looked at him, innocently. “And if they come after us, we can use the runt as bait.” One laughed. The other snickered. Suddenly, the boy had his hair gripped onto, and he looked as if he was in pain. “Which of these boys are you referring to as ‘the runt’?” Kris asked, firmly holding the boy by his hair. The boy smiled and pointed at me. “Him.” He replied. Kris growled, then threw the boy onto the ground. “You use my brother as bait to the enemy, and I’ll have no choice but to rip your face off.” He growled again, then walking away toward me. “Let’s get moving. Get on your feet!” he commanded. It was as if he was in charge! “B-But… h-how is that little puny boy your b-brother leader?” The other boy questioned. Kris turned, and frowned at them. He didn’t even need to say anything. He turned, then kept walking. Siha followed, so I quickly followed. “Hey, Kris. Thanks!” I said, walking next to Kris. He looked at me. “Don’t let those buffalo brains hurt you.” Was all he said as we entered one of the survival trucks, I think I’ve seen one like this before now, that was how we got here to this base I think? I quietly got in, and leaned against Siha. “You get some rest, Hansol.” He said as I drifted off to sleep. It was going to be a long drive to the next base.