Dark Secrets

Chapter 3: It Drives Me Wild (1 of 2)

10th of July 1973, Seoul, South Korea

I’m in the airport, waiting for my plane to be ready for departure to Vancouver, Canada, where my Lolo Uranus lived for 11 years.

Since I met this strange girl, 8 years ago, I keep on coming to Canada every summer vacation, hoping that I’ll meet her again.

She has huge scar on her right palm which I found fascinating at that time, that’s why I touched it.

She’s pretty cute specially when she held my hand like she doesn’t want to let go and even went with me to play.

We’re both strangers to each other but it feels like I’ve known her for a long time, although I didn’t get her name.

The only thing I know about her is she’s Korean immigrant to Canada and she doesn’t know about my family.

My family name is well-known for being one of the wealthiest family in the world because of my paternal grandfather who owns and Aeronautical Company that has a branch all over the world.

Just a decade ago, when our family also ventured to agricultural, chemical, and construction business, which made us on top in Korea.

As for me, I’m the 5th child of the owner of the construction company, his youngest son, but not the youngest in the family because I have a younger sister next to me, she’s the youngest.

The only person who I can be authoritative because I’m her older brother, she’s the only one I can be ill-tempered when I had enough.

Nonetheless, she’s my most precious little sister whom I always want to protect because I should be the only one who makes her cry.

“Young Master Pluto, you may board the plane now.” flight attendant calls my attention as she leads me to the plane.

The girl I met in Canada she’s younger than my younger sister, I think because of their height difference, but the way I want to protect her is different from the way I feel for my younger sister, I don’t want to see her cry because it hurts me when she cries.

It takes 14 hours of flight from Seoul to Vancouver and 16 hours’ time difference, but I never mind travelling for thousands of miles just to find her again.

“Good afternoon, Young Master Pluto.” Mr. Deux Andante, head butler in the Vancouver Mansion.

“Have you found her?” asking him the same question every time he welcomes me to Canada.

“Not yet, Young Master Pluto, but we’re still looking all over the continent to find the girl.” he said.

“Why is it so hard to find that girl?” walking towards the car.

I asked them to find the girl for my 13th birthday but I’m already 18 and yet she’s nowhere to find.

Every time I arrived at Canada on my 1st day, I only stay in my bedroom, relieving my jetlag.

On the 2nd day, I ask the driver to drive me to Mississauga, Ontario, and spend a night in an inn nearby the park where I met the strange girl then spend two more days before I head back to Vancouver.

“18 is the legal age here in Canada, right?” asking Mr. Andante.

“Yes, Young Master Pluto.” serving my lunch.

I’m not a morning person, but when I’m at home with my parents I have no choice but to eat breakfast with them, only when I travel alone, I can do whatever I want.

“I’m going out later, you don’t have to accompany me.” thinking of going to club in the evening.

There’s a lot of bars in Vancouver and I only want to dance and drink alcohol for the first time since I’m not consider as minor here.

I left the mansion at 8pm and hailed a cab, I don’t want them to know where I’m going to party so I went alone to the bar.

It took me an hour to choose the bar that seems to be famous for youngsters like me.

Everyone is so friendly that I never feel out of place even once.

I had a dance battle to those who were showing off their dancing skills on the dance floor and joined a group of party people who made me drink a lot of alcohol.

Now, I’m drunk, I paid for everyone’s bill in the club since I have fun before I went out to hail a cab back to the mansion.

I’m only few steps away from the bar when I bumped into a lady, she doesn’t look local but she got this gentle and affectionate vibe.

A silver key dropped on the ground so I picked it up for her, but when I look at it closely the color seems to be ocher.

She told me that it was a magic key that turns into gold when I revealed my deepest and darkest secret.

“Deepest and darkest secret??” open my eyes a bit. “I personally don’t have one but my family does. Haha. My older sister and oldest brother had an affair and they got a child whom my older sister put to the orphanage, no one knows except for our family.”

After I confessed to the key my family’s secret, it really turned into gold but I couldn’t fight my drowsiness anymore.

I woke up from a delicious smell of bacon but when I opened my eyes, I saw a woman in her 50’s in front of me.

“Hwa!” I almost jumped out from the sofa. “Who are you?! Where I am?! What have you done to me?!” realized that I’m still wearing my clothes and she didn’t take advantage of my drunkenness.

“You’re at my house, my daughter brought you last night. We forgot about you last night and I just remember when I saw you here. You saved my husband’s life and our lives, thank you.” bowing to me.

“What are you talking about old lady? I don’t remember saving anyone last night.” recalling what happened last night. “I just had a wild night in the club and then I bumped into pretty girl who have a key that turned into gold after I …” remembered that I told the girl about the secret of my family. “I’ll be damned!”

“That secret of yours, she probably forgot about it since we only cared about my husband last night. So, don’t worry it’s safe.”

“Honey, breakfast is ready!” a man that looks younger to the woman appears in the living room while wearing an apron. “Oh, he’s awake, thank you for bringing me back to life. My girls suffered for over year because I’m gone.” embracing the woman. “Come, I cooked breakfast for everyone, I’ll be doing the household chores from now on to make it up with the time I lost from being locked up.”

“It’s not your fault, Honey, don’t be too hard on yourself.” she said.

I followed them to the dining room, since I’m famished anyway after I threw up a lot last night.

“You’re finally up.” woman said to the girl who comes in to the dining.

“Good Morning, stranger!” girl greeting me. “Did you sleep well?”

“We need to talk.” wiping my mouth with the table napkin.

“Sure, go ahead.” sits beside the man and about to start her meal.

“In private.” glancing at her.

“Can I put this in my mouth first?” she noticed that it’s an urgent matter when I didn’t answer her. “Fine, let’s talk.” Putting down her spoon with the meal she already scooped. “Follow me.” stand up.

I followed her and she brought us to a ballet studio, she leans her back on the mirror that covers the walls while standing.

“You’re doing ballet?” looking around the room.

“Yes, since 1st grade in Korea, but I only had this personal studio when we migrated here in Canada. I’ve been using this for almost 9 years now, my Dad actually made this practice room himself.”

“I have the same dance studio too at home, but it’s not just ballet that I know, and my room is 5 times bigger than this.” I said.

“Wow! You must be from a wealthy family!” she exclaimed. “My family isn’t rich, we just got this house from my late aunt, Aunt Lily, she died without a family of her own, so she had my Mom’s name as her inheritor in case something happened to her.”

“I see.” realized that we’re lost from the real discussion. “Wait, that’s not what we’re for, you’re distracting me, I want to talk about last night … the secret that I revealed.”

“Ah, about the i****t in your family. It has nothing to do with me, so your secret is safe, also you lived in Korea, right?” crossing her arms as she walks around the room. “Don’t worry, we’ll never meet there because my family is staying here in Canada for the rest of our lives. We’re not going back to Korea because we got nothing there, Canada is our home since we migrated here. Also, I don’t even know your name so what harm can I cause you?”

“Really? You don’t know me??” (Most people in the club last night recognized me, but she doesn’t know me?!)

“Why are you a celebrity or something?” looking at me with a straight face. “If you’re not a Canadian celebrity or from Hollywood, no offense, but I don’t know you. I’ve been living here for almost 9 years so I don’t have any news about Korean celebrities.”

“Well, you don’t look like you’re lying.” sighing in relieved as I walk around the room until I stepped onto something that made the floor move. “What just happened?!”

“You! How did you do that?!!” gazing at me in puzzlement.

“Do what?!! It’s not like I made that secret passage.” looking at the at the stairs that suddenly appear. “What do you have in here, huh?”

“I always want to tell my parents about this underground but every time I try to talk about it to them, I suddenly forget what I’m trying to say, that’s why I’m the only one who can open it.” looking down.

“Let’s call it even when you show me what’s down below.” I said.

“It’s not the treasure you have in mind but sure, I’ll show you what’s down there, just promise me that you won’t touch anything. You can look at them but don’t you ever touch them.” waiting for my reply.

“I promise, I keep my hands to myself.” putting my hands in the pockets of my pants.

“Then, come with me.” leading me downstairs.

All I see are ancient relics, they may not be golds but the prices of such items are probably in millions of dollars.

“So, you have a historical museum underneath your ballet studio.”

“Aunt Lily is an archaeologist; she probably collected these artefacts from her expeditions, which is somewhat illegal according to my research. Archaeologist shouldn’t bring their discoveries to their home for personal collections.” she explained.

“Aren’t you afraid that I might tell to the cops about this secret museum you have?” smirks at her.

“I like to see you trying. If you can tell it to my parents then you defy what this place forbids.” smiles at me. “I want to tell it too, but I can’t because the memory of this underground vanishes in my head whenever I tried to reveal it.”

“Just like the magic key you have that suddenly turned into gold after I told my family’s deepest and darkest secret.” I said coolly.

“Don’t you think it’s weird? I mean everyone will think it’s odd but you speak of it like it’s normal.” looking at me.

“I actually believe in supernatural stuffs, that there’s a dark world and those horror stories aren’t just fictional.” explaining myself.

“Have you seen such horror with your own eyes??” she asked.

“No, apparently I don’t have the gift.” looking at the scriptures.

“It’s not a gift but a curse, if only I can transfer my ability to you since you look like you want it, then I’ll do so.” she uttered.

“Wait.” glancing at her. “You mean you have the eye??!”

“Third eye, sixth sense, whatever you called it. I never want it but I got if from my mother’s family, my ascendants are shamans.”

“There’s a famous family of shamans in Suncheon at South Jeolla Province, they’ve been known since the beginning of Joseon dynasty.”

“Sorry, but I don’t know Korean history.” shaking her head.

“Ah right, you we’re living here for 9 years. You’re probably more knowledgeable in this country’s history.” scratching my head.

“I have to memorize all the dates, places, and people in Canada’s history or I won’t be in junior year in high school this September.”

“Right, the school year here starts at September, Korea’s 1st term is on March and the start of 2nd term by last week of August or 1st week of September.” looking at her. “So, you’re an incoming 3rd year high school after this summer vacation, huh?” chuckles.

“Don’t you dare tell me that I look like a middle schooler.” she said.

“I don’t have to, you already said it yourself. Hahaha.” making fun of her. “I could’ve asked you to senior ball if we’re attending the same school and you’re in Korea, because you got something that I want.” looking at her closely if there’s something in her forehead.

“Wh-What are you doing??” leaning on the pillar near the stairs.

“I’m looking if your third eye is somewhat visible but I guess not.” pulling away from her. “Gosh, I want to have the ability to see the unseen too, that could be awesome!” climbing up the stairs. “Don’t you want to have your breakfast yet? I could hear your stomach.”

I tried to tell her parents about the secret passage underneath the ballet studio but just like what she said the memory of it suddenly disappear in my head.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. and Mrs. …?” looking at the couple who’s seeing me out from their house.

“Ah right, you haven’t known our names yet, I’m Yoo Ahn Ha or Jamil Ha, and this is my wife, Jung Yoo Ha or Daisy Ha.” Mr. Ha said.

“Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Ha.” slightly bowing my head to them before I turn to the lady that I don’t know the name.

“I’m Desa Ha, thank you for saving my family.” bowing her head to me. “You don’t have to know the details like I don’t need to know your name because you won’t give it anyway to protect your secret.”

“Mmm. I’m going now.” walk towards the cab that they got for me.

When I arrived at the mansion, Mr, Andante nagged me because I made them worried when I didn’t come home last night.

He’s like Mama when he takes care of me so I completely understand when he got mad at me because of my action.

My flight back to Seoul is this late afternoon so I still have time to stroll around the area to buy some books and vinyl.

And of course, buy horror materials for my collection from the shop I always go to before I leave Canada.

The attendants with me at the flight know about my habit of buying horror stuffs so they’re quite used to me when I carry a skeleton or anatomical model in the plane.

I departed from Vancouver at 4pm of Sunday and arrived to Seoul at 9pm of Monday.

“Hey, is that the remain of Davy Jones?!!” Poseidon said as he saw me carrying a skeleton as I entered the South Mansion.

“Yeah, I got it from Dark Arts, they’re onto pirates this year.”

“KYAAH!” Hestia screamed as she noticed the skeleton in my arms.

“Toto. How many times do I have to tell you to cover your creepy collection?!” Demeter scolding me.

“Tia is always overreacting every time.” glaring at Hestia while Poseidon covering the skeleton for me.

“I’m not overreacting! It’s you who’s weird! Why do you like scary stuffs that much?! You even have your own horror house underneath your bedroom! Who do you think you are, King of the Underworld?!”

“That’s a great nickname, Tia.” Zeus walks in. “You got blue skies in your ceiling while your whole bedroom is in Black and Red then you have your collections under that room.”

“Do you want to be a doctor, Toto?” Hera asked. “What you have in your dark room are what I see in the lab at the university.”

“I want to but studying medicine almost take a decade, so pass, I can be one with the darkness when I study mining engineering.”

“One with the darkness?!!” Mama walks in from behind. “Why don’t you study wizardry then?!” raising her voice as she nags me. “You! Mr. Andante told me that went home reeking of alcohol yesterday!”

“Ma! Oww! Please spare my ear. You’re going to tear it!” handing the skeleton to Poseidon to hold Mama’s hand on my ear.

“You’re in trouble, young man.” Papa shaking his head to me.

... To be Continued ...