I watched from the back of the room as he slowly lifted his gavel and hit the surface to call for attention to give his final ruling. “Mr. Park, you’re found guilty of the crime of premeditated mass murder of citizens.” he announced. There was an immense cold silence in the room. I remember the pain in his mother and sister’s eyes at the ruling. His mother fell to her knees in shock. His sister Hope couldn’t even react. She just stood there calm with no visible emotion on her face. I guess her mind was protecting her by taking away her sanity. That’s how Darren Park was sentenced to death row. He was to be executed through lethal injection in the next two days.
‘’We usually like to grant a final wish to the inmates sentenced to death.” the guard spoke with sympathy as he escorted him back to his cell. “Is there anything you’d like to do before then Mr. Park?” he asked as he opened the door to cell 115 and led him in. He locked the door and uncuffed him through the metal bars. The guard stood there facing him. He looked helpless and disturbed, almost like he knew this was wrong. He desperately wanted to help in the smallest way he could. That’s why he was persistent to grant Darren’s final wish. Whatever it was.
“Professor Martin.” Darren had whispered in a barely audible fading voice. “Please get me Professor Martin. This can’t be the end.”
“I promise you. I’ll make sure you see him.” the guard responded.
He had big dreams still. A writer. That’s what he had wanted to be. There were so many stories untold, so many characters in his head that were about to die with him unless he found a way to stop it. Miss Kim. His heart ached with pain at the thought of her. The dreams they dared to dream together. He couldn’t just let it all go like this. 'What about his family?' He had thought. He was the man of the house and the provider. This wasn’t right. So he’d set his mind on his only getaway, Professor Martin.
They both sat quietly separated by thick glass between them with a few holes on it to enhance they conversation. On the door stood the guard who’d spent the whole night delivering his promise.
“It’s the only way Professor. Please help me out. I don’t have enough time left.” he begged with tears filling his eyes.
“It’s not yet approved. It’s a painful process and may kill you.”
Darren laughed at the irony of it. “Professor, death is the end result in both situations. I don’t really have anything to lose. Don’t you find it convenient for such an experiment?”
The Professor had looked anxious as he came to the fact that he’d have to carry out the experimental test on his best student. They’d spent years working on this project. The only thing that had been lacking up until now was a human volunteer. It had been illegal and therefore they had taken a lot of caution and had not experimented yet.
“Professor, at least let me have this. Let me get the one and final chance to make advancements to our project.”
The professor sighed and nodded. He was very hesitant to agree but figured it was the only gift he could give his student. ‘Soul Transplant.’ is what they called it. They believed that souls and consciousness of people could be moved from one body to another at the right timing. The project showed that there are two matching souls in this universe with the same properties. That the strength of one person was mutually supported by the other. Transferred at the exact time of death one soul could easily occupy the other body with no complications given that it was done immediately before the other body shuts down completely.
This was done at the time of death of both bodies so that as one soul left its body, another would occupy it. Since most likely Darren’s match was definitely dying with nobody else to save him, at least Darren could be saved. They had thought.
So the decision was made. With the help of the guard, the professor was secretly scheduled as the technician in charge of Darren’s execution.
On the day of the execution, Darren was led out out by the guard and led to the execution room. He could feel his fear at the tips of his toes. He was so scared. His knees were weak, he could barely walk. For the fast time in his life, he felt trapped. In the room stood a preacher with his bible, the technician, who was Prof. Martin. On the other side of the glass sat a few men dressed in black suits. At the back sat his mother, sister, and Miss Kim. They all sat hugging each other. a sign of comfort. He couldn’t help but wish for a miracle right now. He hoped that somebody would walk in through those doors and declare that his sentence had been changed. He wanted more time to be Darren Park.
He was bound to the gurney facing the audience that had gathered to witness his death. Heart monitors were placed to his chest. Professor Martin then inserted a needle into his vein. “Safe journey my friend.” the professor whispered.
Darren could feel the heat build up in his body, he began sweating. He felt his body go numb and his heart heavy. As the images before his eyes became blurry, he saw Miss Kim. She was holding onto the glass window sobbing. It was the first time he saw her cry. Even then he thought she was the most beautiful person in the entire universe. He wanted to get up and tell her everything was going to be fine. Hug her so tight and feel her sink into his embrace. His breaths became longer and his mind disoriented. He lifted his hand towards Miss Kim and rolled it into a fist. This had always been their love language. It had always signified the strength for their love. His eyes felt heavier as he struggled to stay awake.
The final image he saw was her curling her fingers into a fist before his bound hand fell limply to his side. He felt a warm hand squeeze his shoulder as he drifted away. Then the pain stopped. He stood there watching himself lay on that gurney. He looked so pitiful laying there. He watched as Professor Martin hurriedly injected another needle into his vein and zapped his heart thrice before he stopped. He looked at his watch and took a loud breath. “Time of death, 10.45am.” he announced wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. He watched as his family members sobbed and Miss Kim whimpering on the floor holding onto her heart that was breaking into so many pieces. Then he was gone. He disappeared, floating into a dark, empty void.
on the third flow, in room 305 in the ICU ward, lay Hana. Her mother held onto her hand caressing it gently. Her father stood by the door his hand tightly covering his mouth in fear that if he opened it, he would cry. He was trying to be strong for them. The machine beside her bed started beeping. Her mother stood with fear in her eyes as she ran past the father yelling for the doctor. Then there were people rushing in with one nurse leading them out of the room. As they were led out they could see each person trying to keep their child alive. A few minutes filled with anguish later, the doctor walked out and announced to the family that Hana was dead. They couldn’t believe it. Holding each other they rushed into the room to see the nurse disconnecting the machines that had been keeping their daughter alive for the past 2months.
She lay there looking so peaceful. Then as the nurse was about to walk out, she opened her eyes. Hana was alive. The nurse dropped the trays she held in her hands and ran out.
She opened her eyes to be met with relived expressions. A middle aged man and woman stood before her staring. They’d obviously been crying.
“Hana. Can you hear me?” a man asked from the other side of the bed. She was confused. Who was Hana? Everyone was looking at her anxiously with hope.
“Hana darling?” the woman gently tapped her shoulder for a response.
“Hana?” She responded in a faint, shaky voice.
“Yes. You’re Hana. Don’t you recall that?” the doctor asked calmly exchanging a concerned look with the nurse.
As she lay there, for a few minutes she couldn’t connect it all together. In her brain she saw a young girl probably in her early twenties standing at the ledge of the roof top. She looked scared. The wind blew her dark hair backwards revealing her face. She was crying. She took a few steps to her right, her arms wide open trying to balance in the strong wind that kept swaying her fragile body giving her unsteady steps. Then she glanced at the roof top door as if waiting for somebody to walk through it and change her mind. Give her a reason to stay. There was a loud bang that startled her. She lost her stand and fell backwards down through the empty space as she blacked out.
Then on the other side of the window she saw a man on his final breaths. This was her. The memories came flooding through her mind like angry waves. The pain of both the man and the girl was drowning her at once. She remained engulfed in the memories and could not tell who she really was. She held onto her head and was whimpering in pain. Then she let out a scream begging the people beside her to help. She could feel the hands on her arms and legs holding tight with fingers digging into her skin as they tried to restrain her. She felt a sharp pain on her neck as she drifted off.
He stood on a bright void filled with emptiness. In front of him he saw her. The girl he’d seen jump off the roof earlier. She looked very attractive and happier now that she wasn’t crying anymore. She walked towards him with a bright smile on her face and held out her hands towards him. He reluctantly lifted his hands and placed them both in hers. Her skin was icy cold and pale.
“I’m free now.” she whispered in a soft soothing voice. “You’re my soulmate. I wish I knew about you before I let go. My equal match in every aspect.” she let go of his right hand and ran her fingers gently down his cheek. “But at least I get to save you right? I get to offer you this one thing.”
The more she said, the more his heart ached. He was connected to this girl. For some reason he belonged with her. He’d never met her but he felt as though he’d known her his entire life. She gave him peace and comfort.
“Its time to go back Darren. They all need a bit of us.” she said letting go of him.
“I can’t leave you.” he managed to let out the words.
“You are not though. I’m a part of you now. We’re soulmates remember? We’re destined to be together till the end of time. I needed the rest. But you my darling are not dead yet. So you can go back and live on.” she took few steps back. “it’s gonna be a wild ride Darren.” She laughed out loud heartily. “This is gonna be fun. I’ll always be on the other side waiting for you Darren or should I call you Hana already?”
Then she was gone as he woke up on the hospital bed.
‘Professor Martin!’ That was all he thought about as he stood in front of the mirror in the washroom. “He never told me I’d end up in a female body.” he said panicking as he touched his chest. “How I’m I supposed to live like this? Well at least I’m pretty. Oh but Miss Kim likes tall and strong men.” he cursed at the thought and sat down. “Maybe have surgery? Yeah that could work. I could be a man again. Oh but what about Hana? I’ve already invaded her body I can’t harm her body like that.” He shook his head hysterically scratching. “I need to pee.” he stood up and stared at the toilet and then peeped through the pants. “My stick’s gone.” he said lowly. “it’s okay. We got this. Just have to sit and it will be done. He pulled the pants down and sat on the toilet and at the thought of this he let out a loud disappointed scream.
“You’re awake.” the nursed rushed in through the door without knocking.
“Get out. Get out.” He yelled struggling to pull the pants back up.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’ll go call the doctor.” she responded as she rushed out.
I’ve been narrating this story for a while now, and before we proceed any further I'd like to tell my story. I’m not really a significant member in this tale. I’m just a bystander who happens to have witnessed the entire story. I’m not the protagonist or the antagonist. You probably won’t even meet me among the characters in the narration but I hope you keep me in mind. I’ve met Darren, I’ve met Hana. To be honest, I wouldn’t be here without either of them. I was somewhere always watching. I guess you’re justified to call me a stalker. But I’m also very much justified by saying that at the end of my story you’ll also find my reason justifiable enough. As by now you don’t know who I am. Neither do I. Let’s just keep me as the narrator. In due time, I’ll find a place. I’ll fit in somewhere. I spent years watching them. I watched all the soulmates. their struggles.
