Femme Fatale

Chapter 5: Foretelling disaster and provoking it to happen

My mother was murdered when I was 9 and now, I’m 18, my father committed suicide, in order to be with mother again. I shouldn’t have confirmed to father about the soul bind thing, if I haven’t done that then he wouldn’t leave me alone.

“You said you love me, but what’s this?” looking at my father’s photograph surrounded by flowers “Why are you so selfish father?!” sobbing “How could you leave me and followed mother on the other side??!” crying out loud “You said it’s only you and me, we promised to build our ship and travel the seas together, how can it be possible now???” feeling a sharp pain in my chest as I catch my breath while pouring all the sorrow I have

“Nene!!” Dr. Tranter caught me before I fall on the floor

I opened my eyes and I’m in my bedroom at our house in Yeongdo-gu, I’m lying in my bed when father suddenly opened my door after knocking.

“Good morning kitten!” father smiling at me “Get up, let’s have breakfast!”

“Father, wait!” get out from my bed immediately to chase after him and when I reached the dining room mother is sitting beside father “M-mother?!”

“What’s with the surprised look, Nene?” mother giggles “I’m still not used with that short hair of yours, why do you have to cut it too short that you almost look like a young man??!” looking at me

“She said she wanted a new look before going to college that’s why she had it cut on New Year.” father explained on my behalf “But whether her hair is long or short, she still has a cat face on.” making fun of me

“That’s her charm point, Jack!” mother defending me “What are you still standing there for? Come on sit, let’s have breakfast!” staring at me

“I don’t understand.” sits on the right side of father “How can this be possible??!”

“What are you talking about Nene?” father laugh a bit at me “Are still half-asleep?”

“About the Christmas party, I already convinced Jack to grant you permission to have it here, besides we want to meet your friends too, so how many are you planning to invite for the party?” mother waiting for my answer

“Ten I guess, my roommates and classmates.” thinking about all my girls

“I agreed for an all-girls and no boys allowed party, just so you know.” father making himself clear

“They’re all girls, don’t worry.” start eating my pancakes “I think I need more syrup for this, I can’t taste anything.”

The moment I turned my head to look at my parents again, they’re gone and I suddenly heard a scream from the backyard. I ran out through the backdoor and when I opened it, I’m at the shore of Cape Cod Bay. I could clearly see the sharp blades that’s about to put on top of my mother in the glass container. When I stepped forward to stop the men, I suddenly feel the knife in my hand, and the next thing I know, I’m sitting on top of a man but I can’t see his face. I stabbed him with the knife, he’s already bleeding but I still push the blade to his heart deeper, until I sensed his dead.

When I turned to see if mother’s safe, father was carrying her in his arms until mother grew her human legs and stand on her own feet. They’re staring at me, while holding each other’s hand, they’re both talking but I couldn’t hear a word they say, so I walked closer to them.

“Look.” father and mother pointing at the same direction and when I turned around, I saw dead bodies in a huge glass container bathing in a pool of blood “You killed them all, Nene.” both of them whispered to my ears

“They’re monsters not humans, I just did to them what they’ve done to others.” walk towards the glass to see the bodies closely “I ended their lives.”

While looking closely at one dead body, he opened his eyes and everyone else does, their bloodshot eyes were looking at me. When they started banging the glass with their hands, I know their going to kill me so I run out from the room but after I passed through the door, I’m lying in a boat. I sit up and found out that I’m floating on the water, the boat was moving towards the direction of a fountain. As I reached the stepping stones to the fountain, I noticed that the water was going upside down, I’m still puzzled with the fountain when I heard someone growling.

“Nene!!” Dr. Tranter looking at me worriedly “Finally, you’re awake! I can’t watch it anymore so I have to pull you back.”

“It feels so real, what’s that all about Justin-samchon?” asking him for explanations with my nightmare

“The fountain that you saw, Nene …” Dr. Tranter’s eyes wavering “It’s not just a nightmare, what you’ve seen … those are omens.”

“What do you mean omens?! What, I just saw what I’ll become in the future??!” being sarcastic

“If I’m not wrong but I hope I am, you weren’t even much older so it’ll be soon.” Dr. Tranter walking back and forth while thinking deeply “I thought you were just having a dream about your parents because you wanted to think that you have a happy family and all misfortunes happened were just a bad dream … that fountain, I’ve seen it too, mine was more calmer but yours … it’s raging.”

“I don’t know what’s about to happen but I don’t care anymore, I already lost my family so I have nothing more to lose, why do I have to be scared?”

“Even if I’m not your real uncle and you don’t need a guardian anymore because you’re already 18, but because I’m your father’s best friend, I won’t let anything bad happened to you, Jack speak to me with his mind to take care of you before he drowned himself.” Dr. Tranter stopped walking

“You’ve seen it too, it’s me who did all the killings … I’m not the one in danger but those people.” walk towards the door

“The more I need to take good care of you, I won’t let you be a murderer.” Dr. Tranter walked past by me “Don’t even think about going berserk.”

Father killed himself through drowning at the sea, he put rocks in all of his pockets that made him sink as he walked deeper to the water. Dr. Tranter found his body lying in the seabed, there were sea creatures circling around but they couldn’t get into a certain range near his body as if something underneath them that everyone was afraid of. But whatever was it, it surely preserved father’s body and made him safe from the dangers of the sea.

Dr. Tranter notified my roommates about what happened and they also told it to my friends in class then they told our professors. My girls mourned with me on Friday evening and they also helped Dr. Tranter with the visitors coming in as they spent their weekends with me in the funeral home. Because it’s midterm week, I told them to focus in the exams instead as they already assisted for the past three nights but they still keep on coming until the last day. It was Thursday afternoon when father’s body got cremated, my ten girlfriends, they took a leave of absence to be with me along with my four British professors who also helped out during the weekend.

“Professor Martin!” chasing after my professors “Thank you for everything, also to you Professor Berryman, Professor Buckland, and Professor Champion … I’m going back to school and take all the midterm exams tomorrow.”

“You don’t have to rush, Ms. Puth, you may take it next year.” Prof. Martin said “Professor Berryman and I already told your other professors to give you until the second week of January to make up for your exams, don’t worry about it for now, take your time to get it together somehow.”

“Professor Martin is right, you’re only going to messed up your good grades if you rush, we all know that you’re having a hard time right now but don’t ever give up, Ms. Puth.” Prof. Berryman said “Currently, you’re in pain and it might not go away completely but it’ll subside along with time.”

“Always go up and never down, Ms. Puth.” Prof. Buckland said “You can get it together we know; we believe in you.”

“You may feel like you’re stuck in a limbo at this moment but you need to be strong.” Prof. Champion said “We’re all here for you, when you need us.”

“Thank you, professors, I’m fortunate to meet such amazing people like you.” looking at the four of them “Then I’ll be back, next year, when I’m fine.”

“Nene, the girls are waiting for you.” Dr. Tranter pats my shoulder “Professors, thank you for everything you’ve done, you’re all such great men.”

“Don’t mention it mate.” Prof. Martin said “About your request, we’ll recommend you to the President so you just wait for the great news.”

“Thanks mate.” Dr. Tranter shaking hands with Prof. Martin “I’ll see you gentlemen around, have a safe trip.” sending off the professors

“You want to tell me what’s going on?” looking at Dr. Tranter

“I sent my resume to your school, it’s better that I’m around to take care of you.” Dr. Tranter put his hands on his pockets “I want to be the first person to know what’s going on with you.”

Dr. Justin Tranter, he’s a psychologist but as a merman he has a special power to read minds of the living and see the memories of the dead, though sometimes he just hears it when it’s too loud. He had an American mermaid mother and British human father, and the reason he went to Korea was because of a woman. Unfortunately, that woman died four months after they got married, father met him three months later when we moved in to Andong. He was about to go back home to America but because of us, he stayed, he’s not just father’s best friend, he’s also my uncle, even though we’re not blood related. He’s the only person I know who’s just like me and the only one I can rely on, now that I don’t have parents anymore.

“Nene.” Dr. Tranter knocked on my bedroom after letting me locked myself since Thursday night after father’s cremation “I can’t cook so I bought chicken and waffles, you might want to eat now, I also got a bottle of wine, care to join me for a midnight snack?”

“I think I’ve had enough being melancholy.” stand up from the couch after staying for two nights and days sitting and crying without doing anything else “I’ll just take a bath before I join you, Justin-samchon.”

“Sure, I’ll wait for you then.” Dr. Tranter said calmly as he left my room “You can do it, Nene, I’m here to fix you up, I’m also your doctor, I remember?”

“I really can’t hide something from you, thank you for giving me some time alone to get it together, Justin-samchon and Dr. Tranter.” I replied to him

It was Christmas eve; Dr. Tranter gave me the present that my father told him to get for me. I thought I’m done crying but he just made me cry for reminding me my father, instead of stopping me from weeping he just let me pour it all out. He told me that there’s no need to play pretend that I’m fine when I’m clearly not and I don’t need to keep it hush as I can make a noise since I’m home and I’m with him.

The next day, since it’s Sunday and Christmas, we went to church and stayed out all day to have ourselves a merry little Christmas. Two days later, the girls visited me at the house, to celebrate a late Christmas and early New Year with me. They decorated the house and cooked food for the sleepover party, they wanted to have fun with me and letting me know that I’m not alone.

“Alright ladies, I’m leaving because it’s an all-girls and no boys allowed party, I’ll be home tomorrow afternoon.” Dr. Tranter gets in to his car and left

“The last time I had a sleepover was when I’m in high school.” Meghan clings onto me “Now that it’s just us girls in the house, you can say whatever you want to say, we’re all going to listen to you the whole night.” walking beside me as we all get back inside the house

“Thank you, girls, I know you’re doing this to make me feel better, shall we eat first before we light up the fireworks you brought?” trying to cheer up with everyone’s effort to sympathize with me

It might not be the happiest party that we had but I could feel everyone’s love for me that night, we ate with the food they cooked, light the fireworks as we all being dramatic, and slept at the living room together. We all woke up, late morning and had brunch before they all left to spend the rest of the winter vacation with their families.

On New Year’s Eve, we all decided to welcome 1978 together along with Dr. Tranter and everyone else who also enjoyed the firework display. The next day, Dr. Tranter and I went to church for the first Sunday of the year which happened to be also New Calendar New Year's Day. When public holidays fall off on a Sunday day off will be on Monday, so I took the midterm exams that I missed on Tuesday until Friday.

The second Monday of January, a student from our school’s partner institution in Malaysia got transferred to my class. Since the only row that have available seats is the ladies’ row and I’m sitting on the left corner beside the seat not taken, the transferred student sits beside me.

“Hello.” new student greeted me with a smile as he settles in to his chair

“Hello.” I replied to him with a faint smile to give back his sweet smile at me

We didn’t talk to each other after that simple greeting until the class was over. He initiated to have a conversation with me as we wait for our next professor to arrive, and everyone seems to be focus at him since he’s the new face in our class.

“Forgive me if my Korean isn’t good, I’m still learning the language and for me to be fluent I have to get used to it.” new student trying hard to speak

“It’s alright, if you’re having a hard time with Korean but you want to talk, you may speak to me in English.” helping him out “I’m Lee Nene, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Hammond Swanneli, from Malaysia.” reached out his hand to me

“Lee is actually my mother’s, Puth is my family name, I was born and raised in America for nine years so Korean isn’t my first language too.” shaking his hands “I completely understand what you’re going through right now.”

“You told me I can speak in English right?” Hammond speaks in a language he’s comfortable with “I see your Korean-American, I just arrived here in yesterday and I almost got lost earlier, I still can’t believe that the whole campus of this college is located in an island, amazing isn’t it?!!”

“That’s actually the second reason I chose this college instead of studying in the capital, the first reason is this school is the country’s most prestigious national institution for our chosen program.” getting along with him well “In fact our program has the biggest number of students among others.”

“Yes, I’ve heard that too, luckily this class still have two seats available, I’m hesitating at first because I’ll be on the all-girls row, but aside from this chair or that chair at the other end near the windows, there’s no space for me to be with the other boys.” Hammond resting his face on his palm while looking at me as we have our conversation going

“Well you only have two options since you’re the late comer to join this class, you’re still fortunate though, when I first enrolled in a school here way back fourth grade I had to sit at the back without anyone beside me, a class supposed to have only twenty students but I’m the 21st, I had to be the extra person until I finally had a normal class on my fifth grade.” sharing him my experience “So I totally understand the feeling of being a newbie.”

“Then I chose the right spot to sit in.” Hammond have a friendly smile on his face “Please help me to adapt with my new student life here in Korea.”

It has been always like this since I started studying here in Korea, I always have a male friend that eventually becomes my best friend. First, it’s Philip Lee in elementary that I thought wasn’t a normal human before because he’s acting weird most of the time but he only has a twisted personality that only I can tolerate. Second, Christopher Swift, his family moved in to Korea after he graduated elementary in America, he became my classmate since the beginning of middle school until we both graduated in high school, we’re pretty close that everyone believed we’re dating. And now, this Hammond Swanneli, I already know that we’ll be best of friends sooner and my instinct never fails me, within a year we’re almost inseparable.

“Now that your roommates graduated, are you going to move in to be with our classmates?” Hammond shooting an arrow to the target board as I assist him to practice while we’re on vacation and waiting for our third-year class to start next week

“No, they’re the one to move in to my room.” giving him another arrow to shoot “You can be a professional archer with this skill of yours but you still chose to be an ocean system engineering student.”

“Archery is just a hobby for me, and in case I need to fight to defend myself at least I’m good at long distance combat.” Hammond targeting the same center spot “To be honest, I actually envy you because you know martial arts, that’s pretty amazing for a lady.”

“I learned it for self-defense, it’s not like I actually have skills for a fighter, but you … you must be a great archer in your past life and you still have it in you even now in this life.” giving him two arrows to wrap up his shooting practice

“I think so too, I guess it’s in my blood.” Hammond shooting two arrows at the same time and both landed at the corners of the target board

“If we’re living in the last century, and we’re in a battlefield there’s no doubt you could kill two enemies at the same time.” walk towards the board

“Even if it’s 1979 now, my arrows can still kill if I have to.” Hammond said in a serious tone “Shouldn’t Dr. Tranter be home, right now?”

“He must get side track again, since you’re staying here with me, he can have a time to think about himself for a while.” pulling out the arrows

“That’s another reason I have to be stronger, Dr. Tranter told me to protect you at all times in exchange for letting me stay here in your house every school break, specially I’m using your late father’s bedroom, I may be only five months older than you but I can be a reliable big brother even if we’re clearly not blood related.” Hammond helped me to pull out the other arrows

“Does it matter if we’re blood related or not? Justin-samchon isn’t my real uncle too.” handing him the arrows I’ve collected “As long as we’re treating each other like a family it doesn’t matter if we’re real or fake.”

“You’re right, I suddenly feel starving, what are you going to cook for dinner?” Hammond done putting back his arrows on the case

“How about curry mussels?” thinking about the ingredients we have in the refrigerator

“Ooh curry, I like that!” Hammond anticipating my dish

After father’s death I’m the one in charge at the kitchen, I good at cooking because he taught me well since I was a kid and I always assist him until I graduated from high school. Cooking was my bonding with father but now I’m on my own because Dr. Tranter might burn the house down, so I had to stepped up also as the only lady in the house.

“Good morning everyone!” new professor entered the classroom and write his name to the blackboard “I’m Seaof Godeth, you may call me Professor Seaof or Professor Godeth, it’s up to you which is more comfortable to address me.”

“Professor Godeth, how long have you been teaching?” classmate A who had the courage to speak up because of the professor’s nervousness

“It’s my first day, I’m a marine engineer for 3 ½ years, is it too obvious that I’m a novice professor?” Professor Godeth asking the obvious thing

“Yes.” almost everyone responded “Professor Godeth, why do you want to teach in a classroom instead of being an engineer in a ship?” classmate B

“Because as you may all notice I’m not good at public speaking but I’m trying my best not to feel shy about presenting myself to people.” Professor Godeth trying to make eye contact with everyone until he met mine

“So, Professor Godeth, are you one of the alumni who answered the call of this alma mater to be one of the new professors?” classmate C

“Yes, I am, I belong to batch ’75.” Professor Godeth smiles sweetly that makes every girl captivated

“Professor Godeth, I think we should start our lesson now.” classmate D, just like every male in the class aren’t that happy with his charms

“Of course, open your book at page 22, we’re going to answer all the questions for the first chapter as we discuss the first lesson.” Professor Godeth

“Well at least he’s not the type who give the chapter exercises as homework.” Hammond whispered to me

“Every professor got their own method of teaching.” staring ahead as I listened to his discussion

Professor Seaof Godeth, he might be a relative, it’s impossible for the Godeth I know to be here in Busan when they’re the wealthiest family in Massachusetts. This professor doesn’t seem to have a bad blood in him, and I could sense that he’s a weak type of person without any strong points.

“Alright everyone, get one and pass, I want the seating arrangement according to my preference.” last professor for the day and also a new face

“Huh??!” everyone doesn’t know what’s happening all of a sudden “Oh my! He’s the legendary handsome campus prince!! Poseidon Nevaeh!!!” student A

“It’ll be nice if you put a Professor before my name, since I’ll be the one teaching you ship design calculations.” Prof. Nevaeh said with a serious face

“These are combinations of all math in high school.” student B browsing the pages of the test paper “Do we really have to answer this, professor?”

“Like what you’ve said high school math, I want to know how to teach this class since it’s my first-time teaching, if I should teach the basic math or we’ll go to advanced calculations.” Professor Nevaeh looking at everyone as if he’s already a veteran professor and not a novice “Now that everyone got their papers, read the instructions carefully they weren’t typewritten there for nothing, if you can’t understand it then I think I also need to teach basic English course in this class, you may start now.” walking around the classroom and checking everyone’s papers as he passed by

The rows in our classroom are elevated from one another, have four aisles since there’s three columns and also three chairs in a long table. This year we’re at full capacity of 45 students but still we’re only eight females in class, but since sophomore year us girls were scattered in other rows and not just in the middle row. Hammond likes to sit at the back and the highest row so my sit is beside the window while he’s in the middle beside me and the new comer in our class also from Malaysia who also got transferred at the start of the year.

After fifteen minutes, for ten math problems, Professor Nevaeh told us to pass the papers in front and he jumbled the papers to get check by our opposite site. He dictated the answer as he checks the papers of the five people in the fifth column and collected the papers according to score.

“Everyone, I want you to get up from your seats with your belongings and stand here in front.” Prof. Nevaeh waited for us all to gather in front before he climbed up to the highest row “Once I called your name, you may take your seat where I put your paper on.”

“How many got perfect score?” Hammond asking our other classmates

“I think there’s only five.” student C said “This is so embarrassing, that’s high school math but only 11% of our class got it all perfect.” student D

“Puth, Nene Lee.” Prof. Neveah called my name first to go back where I originally seated

“As expected, Nene is the best among all of us here.” student E said as I climbed up to my designated seat

“Kim, Sunno Choi … Eun, Cero Oh … Kim, Esui Choi … Ho, Rita Co.” Prof. Nevaeh continue calling everyone’s full name until he called the last student to sit in front near the door “Not bad, my first class in the morning got eight as their lowest score but your class got seven, at least my first and last isn’t that bad at all, better than getting four or five as the lowest score, now I know that everyone in here can calculate above average I have high hopes that no one in this class will failed this course.” writing his name on the blackboard “For those who don’t know me, I’m Poseidon Nevaeh, I do have Korean name but I rarely used it, I’m a marine engineer for 1 ½ years, I graduated here on ’77 as summa c*m laude, and I’m teaching because I want to give back what I received from my alma mater, and that is knowledge.”

“So, the rumors are true, our school is in dire need of professors since the students enrolled and transferred here increased than the usual.” I said

“That’s great, we’ve got two marine engineers as professors this year.” Sunno said to me in a soft voice “Our first and last class, are interesting.”

“But unlike Prof. Godeth, Prof. Nevaeh is no doubt best in public speaking.” Cero responded “Their both new but look how big their gap is.”

I know Professor Poseidon Nevaeh because of my former roommates, but I never expect he’ll be one of my professors and he really have a godlike visual in person. I’ve seen his photographs with Meghan and the others but seeing him in live action is completely different. I don’t know if I’m just attracted to him like other girls in the class but he seems very familiar to me as if this wasn’t the first time, I’ve seen his handsome face.

The news about the new professors who are alumni of the school, spread swiftly to everyone in the campus. Females of other classes wanted to sit in during our class just to see Prof. Nevaeh’s face for almost two hours but because we’re already at full capacity, seat-ins can’t be possible.

Wednesday morning and it’s my second time meeting Prof. Godeth, instead of having a lesson today my classmates had other agenda. Some of them collected information about the professor and because we’ve got four classmates who are members of journalism club, they put him into interview.

“Prof. Godeth, would you tell us why your family moved here in Korea specially in Busan when the Godeth family is considered the wealthiest in Massachusetts?” journalist A “That’s still a mystery to everyone since your family never gone to public interview.”

“Should I break my silence now and speak on behalf of my parents?” Prof. Godeth smiles at him “My parents moved in Dongbaekseom on 10th of April 1971, because they are searching for the daughter of a mermaid, they found out that the family of that mermaid flew here to Korea that’s why they left America and stayed here but until now they couldn’t find what they’re looking for.”

“Pfft, how can you tell a joke with a serious face, Prof. Godeth?!!” journalist B chuckles “We almost believe what you’ve just told us.”

“Hahaha!!!” everyone starts laughing at Prof. Godeth humor

“!!!” I also want to take it as a joke but what he said was the truth “He … he’s the son of those monsters who murdered mother … they’re coming after me.” muttering to myself while everyone’s laughing out loud “They’re going to kill me too.” stand up from my seat and walk towards the back door but before I reach the door to take my exit from the room my vision suddenly turned black

I’m at the Cape Cod Bay shore when I opened my eyes and I see my mother being captured in the net. I want to save her but I couldn’t move an inch from where I’m standing at the moment. She’s screaming in pain as I watched her tearing into pieces by the lid made in blades. The Godeth couple are sitting at the corners of the lid as they push it down until they finally chopped my mother. They cooked her flesh and ate it like they just caught a big fish in the ocean, without any guilt in their faces but victorious smiles. Every moment of my mother’s death is clear in my mind now, the details I’ve missed before, I’m seeing it all.

“Nene … Nene … wake up!!” Rita woke me up from my nightmare “You’re screaming in your sleep; I’ve never seen you like this before; you’ve scared the hell out of me.” looking at me worriedly

“Rita!” embracing her as I cry on her shoulder

“It’s just a bad dream, Nene.” Rita patting my back to calm me down while my other two roommates at the upper deck came down to console me too

“They killed my mother and now they’re going to kill me too.” trembling in fear

“Shh … no one’s going to kill you alright, it’s just a nightmare.” Rita calming me down “I don’t know what’s wrong with you today, you passed out this morning and Hammond carried you to the infirmary … you woke up just fine before that’s why we made it here to our room.”

“I passed out??” my mind was all blank after I heard what Prof. Godeth said “What’s happening to me?!” having a vague memory of the events today