Chapter 17: The One I've Longed for

Chapter 17: The One I’ve Longed for

An Jieun

Is someone playing a gayageum? I open my eyes and look around and I’m in a dark forest, how did I get here? I feel drawn to the sound of the slow plucking of the silk strings. My feet are moving on their own to somewhere yet unknown. The forest feels vaguely familiar. As my body moves forward with the melody of the strings my mother’s Hanko comes into view. The music is coming from the inner courtyard. I enter the house, it’s strange, it’s like it was when Mother was alive.

I’m quickly standing in front of the door to the inner courtyard and the music stops and a voice I’ve never heard but longed for shakes me to my core. “Jieun, come and sit with me. I’ve called for you, my daughter.”

I slid the door open and there she was. I’ve had similar dreams all my life, but this feels so real. I sat at her feet as I have so many times but, her eyes were looking me up and down like she had never seen me before.

“I see my daughter has grown into a gre