with @gswyongsoo​

she couldn’t precisely say what she expected from this festival. gluttony and hedonism characterized most celebrations in her life, overabundance of food, far more alcohol than could ( or should ) be consumed. myunghwa enjoyed such parties, leaving with vague memories of the happenings of the night. but equally, she was enamored with the homey entertainment provided by the island folk. silly traditions and wholesome movie nights could be charming, she had to admit. unfortunately, myunghwa was a magnet for trouble. rather, she walked into it head first would be more appropriate. without thinking, she went wherever her attention was caught. curious by nature, this tendency carried itself well into her adult years. tonight, that very curiosity brought her to a costume party with supposedly the best music.

she hadn’t had too much to drink that night. one too many mistakes cautioned her from allowing her private hobbies to permeate her public life. for the most part, the familiar ambiance around her was comforting. she appreciated all celebration, always finding reason to break up the monotony of her days. to say the rest was a blur would be cliché. no, the moment of disaster would remain all too vividly imprinted in her memory. the sweetness of liquor mixed with the salt in the air. music vibrating around her, disrupting the otherwise peaceful festivities. screams of excitement quickly transforming into ones of fear. hands pushed her around yet myunghwa was unable to follow the crowd this time. bodies that had been pressed together near the dj collided with each other on their way out, but she remained locked in place.

flames danced before her, source unknown ( and unimportant ) to the her. danger that was growing awfully familiar to myunghwa loomed before her. instinct should have directed her to run, adrenaline taking the wheel and leading her to safety. yet, like the fool she was, she chose neither fight or flight, incapacitated by memories she had supposedly compartmentalized. her response, another remnant of her childhood, was to press her lids tightly together. as if she hadn’t learned object permanence. as if she could will the flames away by ignoring them. though perhaps the goal was never self-preservation. perhaps it was merely to avoid facing her own imminent injury. 

curiosity mixed with cowardice. what a disastrous combo in one person.