Stone Angel 5: Brother (1/1)

Author's Note: dedicating this super duper late update to Choi_Kimmy! She helped me actually get this chapter out so yay! Btw, she recently joined a short story writing contest and I'll really appreciate it if you can head on here to read her story and help her by sharing the link to your Facebook! Each share is worth 10 points! Thanks in advance! ~*~*~*~*~*~The air grew quiet as the chanting ceased and everyone waited with bated breath as Seohyun’s body slumped forward unconscious. Experience told them that this meant that the spirit was in Seohyun’s body and it was only a matter of time before she’d rouse. As they waited, Chief Ahn wondered how it would be like to see the woman he’d come to know as an ally be someone else. He supposed he’d find out very soon. But then, a few minutes passed by but still she remained slumped on the ground, eyes closed. “Uh… guys? She’s not moving.” Yunho pointed out the obvious right there and then. Changmin frowned and turned towards the shaman and the priestess. “Did the séance work?”“It did. The spirit is very young and pretty weak so maybe that’s why–” The rest of her sentence turned into a startled, frightened scream as Seohyun’s body suddenly unfolded and picked itself up from the ground and was right in front of her in a heartbeat. Red, crazed eyes stared at her face and cold, clammy hands clamped themselves on her arms and Jessica fought not to whimper in fear. Heechul quickly shifted into position, ready to drive the spirit out of Seohyun’s body. “Get your hands off–““W-Wait.” Jessica held up a shaking hand, keeping the shaman and even Changmin and Kris from doing anything else. She pursed her lips when the spirit lowered Seohyun’s head; her eyebrows furrowing as the spirit began to mumble under her breath. “Gyeong Eunhye, is that you in there?”Seohyun’s head snapped up so suddenly and she was suddenly in Jessica’s face. “PLEASE HELP ME!” She shrieked. “PLEASE HELP ME! HELP ME! I’M SCARED! I NEED HELP! HE NEEDS TO STOP!”“Oh god…” Chief Ahn said shakily from where he stood. “PLEASE HELP ME!” She pleaded again; her face an inch or two away from Jessica. “THIS ISN’T RIGHT! PLEASE!”Jessica swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and did what she could to remain level-headed and calm. Behind all the screaming and red, crazed eyes was a frightened nine-year-old girl in need of help. It was what she was going to focus on. “We’re here to help you. I swear. But you need to calm down, okay? We’re here to help. You don’t have to be scared anymore.”It seemed like her words did the trick and the spirit quieted and slid down to the ground, taking Jessica with her. “Okay… okay…”The priestess nodded slowly, noting that Changmin had moved closer to them. “Are you Gyeong Eunhye?”The only reply she got was a tearful nod. “Eunhye, we’re here to help you.” Changmin spoke then, crouching beside the two girls as he spoke. “You don’t have to be afraid, okay?”“What’s your name?”“My name’s Changmin.” He smiled. A smile blossomed on Seohyun’s face. “Can I call you Min? Just so it’s shorter?”Changmin grinned easily. “Of course you can, sweetheart.”“I’m so tired.” She whimpered. “I want to sleep. I want to go home.”“I know you do, sweetheart. I know you do.” He sighed, feeling a pang in his heart for the little girl robbed of so much so soon. “Why don’t you tell us what happened? Who were you talking about?”Seohyun’s eyes widened as Eunhye let out another whimper. “Please stop him. Please! He said he’s doing it for me but I don’t want it. It’s wrong! It’s wrong!”“Who, Eunhye?”“My brother.”He heard Chief Ahn and Yunho gasp and chose to ignore them. He needed as much information as he could get. “What did your brother do?”“He’s killing them… those who do…” Eunhye shivered. “Those who do what was done to me. He said he’s doing it for me, Min. When he came here to visit. He’ll avenge me and everyone else. And I don’t like it. I don’t want my brother… he’s ending up just like them. A killer. You can’t fix a bad thing with another bad thing, right, Min?”Changmin let out a sigh. It moved him how a nine-year-old girl – or rather, soul – understood right or wrong more than living adults did. “That’s right.”Eunhye turned Seohyun’s hopeful eyes toward everyone who surrounded her. “Will you stop him?”“We’ll do everything that we can. I promise you.” He wanted to say more but he cut himself off when Eunhye lifted Seohyun’s body from the ground. “Eunhye?”Everyone watched in silence as the spirit-controlled medium walked towards one of the cars. She crouched down and studied Seohyun’s reflection on one of the windows of the car. “She’s pretty,” Eunhye sighed. “I wonder if I’d be pretty too if I got a chance to grow old like all of you.”Then Seohyun’s eyes rolled to the back of her head and she collapsed to the ground unconscious.Kris and Jessica were alread