"Begone"

“The world is so beautiful, isn’t it? But not when you can’t see it.” 

Lily paced back and forth, biting her lip in frustration. Finally, she stopped, took a deep breath, and murmured to herself, “It’s for her own good. She needs to know.”

With renewed determination, Lily walked over to Tara, who was still sitting on the infirmary bed, her face pale and eyes distant. Tara barely noticed her approach until Lily spoke softly, “Are you okay?”

Tara blinked and looked at Lily, her voice trembling. “Do you think it didn’t happen either?”

Lily hesitated, her eyes flickering with something Tara couldn’t place. Instead of answering, Lily pulled out a small purse and held it out. Tara froze, her heart skipping a beat as recognition flooded her.

“Where did you… No,” she stammered, her voice rising in panic. “Why do you have this purse?”

Lily sighed, her shoulders slumping. She stepped closer, sat beside Tara, and looked at her with genuine regret. “I didn’t want you to remember,” she said quietly. “But I can’t keep it from you anymore.”

Tara clutched the purse tightly, her hands trembling. “What are you talking about?”

Lily hugged her suddenly, her grip tight and desperate. “Thank God nothing happened to you,” she whispered, her voice cracking.

Tara pushed her back, her fear and confusion mounting. “What’s going on? Tell me!”

Lily’s hands shook as she wiped at her eyes. “Tara… You know how you lost your memory? It wasn’t from a car accident. It was because of what happened here, at school, when we were kids.”

Tara’s breath caught in her throat. She shook her head. “What are you talking about? What happened?”

Lily’s gaze dropped to the floor. “There was… an accident. One of our friends died, and you—” her voice faltered, “—you lost your memory because of the shock. We thought it was best to let you forget.”

Tara stared at her, horrified. “What does that have to do with now?”

Lily took a shaky breath. “The child responsible for what happened back then… He’s started again. But this time, he’s targeting the people around you.”

Tara’s mind reeled. She laughed nervously, shaking her head. “This… This is insane. What kind of joke is this?”

Lily grabbed her hands, her expression deadly serious. “It’s not a joke. I think he’s the one who killed that girl.”

Before Tara could respond, the door burst open. Dong Man stormed in, his face dark with anger. “Lily! What are you doing?”

Lily stood quickly, trying to calm him. “Dong Man, listen—she needs to know.”

Dong Man’s jaw tightened. “Is it true? Everything you told her?”

Lily glanced at Tara, then nodded. “Yes.”

Dong Man’s expression shifted, his anger melting into guilt. He walked over to Tara and pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t believe you before.”

Tara pushed him away, shaking her head. “Wait… So you’re saying people around me are in danger?”

Lily stepped forward, her voice urgent. “No, not yet. I just needed you to know what’s happening.”

Dong Man grabbed Tara’s hand gently. “Come on. Let’s get out of here. I’ll explain everything.”

As he led her out, Tara looked up at him, her voice trembling with anger. “Why didn’t you tell me? You took care of me when I was a kid, and I didn’t even recognize you. Were you okay with that?”

Dong Man stopped and turned to her, his eyes filled with regret. “I wasn’t,” he admitted. “But what mattered most was that you were safe.”

Tara’s eyes filled with tears. “Were you sad?”

Dong Man smiled faintly. “Yes. But I was more angry that I couldn’t save you back then. So let me save you this time.” 

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