I pushed open my room window to escape, in no avail. I lifted my chair and tossed it towards the window, only to bounced back. I headed towards my bookshelf and flipped my spell book, searching for answer.
The demon banged the door. "Let me in, you filthy witch," he demanded, in a high-pitched tone. I placed my chair beneath the doorknob and chanted, " Wonchi na ruleq."
The demon screeched. "Begone, Satan's son," I defended. "Your power has no match against the Lord's power."
I was wrong. Obsidian flames sparked as it spreads rapidly across the room.
"Qopld cuna Lordia," I chanted loudly. The hell flames extinguished, leaving the demon bruised. I opened my room door, face-to-face with the hideous creature. I grabbed a glass bottle on my desk, and uttered, "Yozong-hae qecupo."
Puffed of smoke surrounded my apartment's corridor. I coughed and covered my mouths, avoiding the smoke. No signs of the dream demon.
I wiped my sweat with my handkerchief and lay on my burgundy sofa. "Thank God it's over," I sighed in relief.
Then, my front door opened. I got up, and glanced my brother, Canis. "Too many things in the office?" I asked. He removed his leather shoes and placed it in the shoe cabinet.
"Yeah," he turned around, facing me. "There was a case."
"A complicated one."
I nodded. "There's rice and bulgogi if you're hungry," I reminded him.
He smiled. "Thanks, but I already ate instant tteokbeokki in the office."
I frowned. "I see. I'll just give some to Esteban."
I walked to the kitchen and packed the leftovers in a lunchbox. "Lopae buytoas," I uttered under my breath. The lunchbox stayed warm.
***
I entered the classroom and wrote down 'MARRIAGE' on the whiteboard. My students, seated, jotted today's topic in their notebook.
Silence filled the room as my students gazed on their notebook. I sighed.
"What do you know about marriage?" I asked the whole classroom.
The whole classroom lifted their head, simultaneously, and stared at the whiteboard, in a blank face. None answered my question.
I cleared my throat and approached Gloria. "Did you anything on the weekend?"
Her eyes blinked twice, and tilted her head on the right side, as she stared in her neutral face.
'Asotho vuypoiing.'
She mumbled. "El Padre, El Hijo y el Espíritu Santo."
My eyes widened. "That's odd," I thought. "Gloria's a Protestant, not a Catholic."
I passed Gloria's desk and approached Jamal's. His notebook, scribbled with doodles of cartoon characters. I tapped his shoulders. "How's your artwork coming along?"
He sat there motionless, his eyes focused on the whiteboard. 'Regnum orelium.'
His notebook fell from his arms and landed on the white tiles. He glared at me, his fist clenched. "I'm sorry," I bowed. "You didn't answer my question so I took away your notebook."
"What the heck, Miss Jeong?" he shouted. "You ruined my drawing."
I tightened my lips. Never in my life I heard Jamal shout at a teacher, nor curse. He's usually gentle to anyone, especially animals.
I packed my supplies and scurried towards the exit, when out of the moon, the door slammed by itself. 'Duyr kopam'
The door did not open as intended. "Damn it," I cursed in my mind. "There's no way the wind could locked the classroom door."
At that instant, Letisha stood up, hands straight. "Lucy Ciphus Found Everlasting Romance." My slingback slipped from my shoulder. "What?" I exclaimed.
"Lucy Ciphus Found Everlasting Romance," said Gloria.
"Lucy Ciphus Found Everlasting Romance, " Jamal repeated.
The rest of the class placed their arms on their chest. "Lucy Ciphus Found Everlasting Romance," they sang in unison.
My slingback slipped from my shoulders as my arms shook. Less than a second, I kicked the door open, in no avail. My students walked towards me and blocked my escape.
Safiya came near me, and placed her hand on my right cheek. "Lucy Ciphus Found Everlasting Romance."
My surroundings reddened as the room turned darker. Fire sparked in circle around me, leaving me no room to run. Raucous laughter echoed the room, as a mysterious force pushed me to kneel on the scorching ground.
Tears flowed on my cheeks as my flesh was peeled off, leaving me with meat and bones. Like a wax figure, my students melted.
Then, a gigantous creature, with a face like a goat and a body like a me, held me in his grasp. I looked him in the eyes, with fear. "Satan," I trembled. "I didn't do anything wrong."
"Your sins outweigh the good," his voice boomed. "For your punishment, you will burn for eternity in hell.
My vocal chord broke as I shrieked. I woke up.
I stretched myself and rubbed my eyes, looking my alarm clock. "Its just a bad dream."
"Breakfast's ready," I called Canis, who was watching the news. He sat down, and munched on his sausages and sunny-side eggs.
"Bad dream last night?" he noticed my eye bags. I nodded. "The worst."
"I was in the classroom and then they pushed me in the underworld," I described.
Canis chuckled. "Unexpected."
"I know right," I remarked, slapping my knees. His smile turned upside down as he put his fork and spoon down.
"Lucy Ciphus Found Everlasting Romance," he spoke. My jaws dropped. "What?" I choked on my meal.
He got up and held up a table knife from the table and pointed it towards me.
"Oh my God."
ns 15.158.61.48da2
