Arang and the Magistrate

Why is Moo Young chasing me? His wand was pointing at me, the door was about to open to suck me back to hell, but I manage to dodge and pull the wand down at his feet. The wand started to suck one of his foot, then the other, literally half of his legs are in between the hell and the human world. I speak up firmly, "Will you bring me to the Jade Emperor?" No answer, I started to wiggle the wand for more sucking to proceed. A sound of agreement beeped out, this is when half his body is already suck it. I tried my best to pull him out. I had an agreement.

I am on a boat riding on the Gold River going on a journey of the either the Under World or the Upper World, looking down at my mark that marked me as a ghost and there is no other way for turning back now. Once you step on the boat, it is done, your decision had made. Behind me is Moo Young, ghost hunter. Why am I on this boat? Because I am now on the journey to bargain the Jade Emperor to give me my life back and find the reason why I was brutally murder. I am entering a dark cave full of spirit or ghost crawling to me, like I am the chicken wing of the children, trying as fast as possible to grab that wing to satisfy your hunger, but in slow motion. That is how our world lives, the underworld, the ghost. Suddenly, Moo Young called out, "It is time! You can walk alone from here. I won't be there for you anymore, don't drag me in no matter what the consequences are. I had announced the Jade Emperor of your visit. He will be expecting you soon." He signed and whoop, he disappeared. Out of nowhere, a white bright space slowly opened from the far away, that blanked my eyes, but I kept walking toward it. Stepping into it, oh my god, I was wrong, this is a way to the Under World. I quickly turned around and Moo Young's eyes met mine, he smirked. I whispered fiercely, but I know he can hear me, "Moo Young, you own me..." The world started to turned around like you were stuck in a black hole. I tried to go back, but it isn't possible anymore, I am going to hell.

One blink, I was standing on a strand of clouds, it let me travel on it. Then, I saw a man not even late twenties but with white hair, playing chess with an old grumpy man wearing black. He turned to me.

"Hello, Arang. Long time no see, what is the problem now?" Jade Emperor said.

Yama, the Under World Lord out of nowhere, jumped in, "Your Highness, she should be taken to my world, not visiting here. There is no place for her standing, but hell. Not here, not the human world, but hell, Your Highness."

Jade Emperor 'shush' him, then his eyes met mine, a kind smile appear but show no teeth. Then his wise words spread out the whole sky, "I know why you are here. You want to know why did you die and who kill you? The matter here is you are no longer belong to the human world, you are dead remember? You are just a ghost, hiding from the ghost hunter, trying to find the truth but did it occur to you that you will never succeed?" he paused, turning back to the angrily stumbling Yama to discuss, it took them awhile, but finally the Jade Emperor spoke again, "Arang, here is the option, you either go to hell immediately, or we give you one full moon to become human again and find out the truth by yourself. If you didn't meet the deal, you go to hell no matter what, but if you did, you will be living an immortal life in the human world. Will you accept the offer?"

Going up here, the sky, all alone was weird enough, Jade Emperor offering me a deal without any bargain was way too much. This is getting weirder and weirder. Not going to hell is no agreement, after this split second of thinking; I spoke, "I, Arang, am taking your deal, Your Highness. When do I start?"

I wish I had throw that attitude of me away, but who had time for that anyway, I can change later when I am enjoying my immortal life. It started. The two-power stream from the Jade Emperor and Yama struck me, spinning me around, the great energy I never felt. A second later, my body landed on Goguryeo, nowaday is Seoul, South Korea. My mark on the neck was fading. The happiest day of my life ever, but I remember my life ended three years ago. Now I can feel the ground, the air, the sweet sweet peach that ghost are never allowed to eat. Out of nowhere, a man bumped into me. He apologized and told me his named was Eun Gi and the new magistrate here. Magistrate is the man who is now like a detective, trying to find evidence to solve a case. But he just look so familiar, oh, he is the man who I bumped into last night that was talking to me when I was still a ghost. Now that a start for me, before a full moon, 10 days, end up.

I followed him, and told him my story so he could help me. He refused me. He said he is busy finding his mother.  Then, I offer a deal to find his mother, if he helped me find the answer to my case. He also accepted the deal. Why is everyone on my side today? Another moment of happiness. The only clue we have is the headband I have was from his mother, and my real name is not Arang, but Lee Seo Rim. Day after day, we couldn't find a clue, but I just flied around, catching hungry ghost back to Eun Gi, to write their will down so they can  go to their after lives.

One day, we went on a date, which I was not supposed to, strolling near the lake, and then we saw a woman that the magistrate said she looks like his mother. From that day, I had nightmare that seem like my past appearing my dream. I found out that I was stabbed, not running away with my poor boyfriend that everyone passed the rumors of mine around. Nightmare came one after another, so we decided to follow her to ask her about the headband I had. We also found out that Moo Young, the ghost hunter, was following her, too. We found out that the woman name is Moo Yeon, Moo Young's sister and lover, had gone crazy because she wanted to be immortal. We found that she had used Eun Gi's mother's body to survive. She had a great power that can hide the Jade Emperor's eyes from seeing her. Never thought of that huh? Everyone only thought that the Jade Emperor is the mightiest of all, but no, think twice.

Today, the ninth day, we gone out to seek her. We secretly follow into her house by flying, and hit her in the head. When she woke up, she gave us the answer we want. She said she found Eun Gi's mother when she was young and really need a body to survive, so she used her. Moo Young followed her because the Emperor wanted her dead, but Moo Young couldn't kill a person who is alive. So Eun Gi decided to strike for her heart to revenge back for his mother. Then suddenly, she murmured out, if Eun Gi kills her, his mother will die also. Only to save his mother was if she transferred into me and kill me. His mother or me, he chooses. That was hard, but not as much as this, Eun Gi was already a dead person, just that Jade Emperor saved him because he was the son of the body the woman is using. The Emperor also told Moo Young that only the bloodline could kill her. Once and for all, he decide and said sorry to his mother, when the woman is getting weak. He stabbed her, tears burst out of him for a really long time. Lightening appeared, stroke the cave, and shut the cave down, so Moo Yeon's spirit would be locked up too. We ran fast out of it, running as fast as we can and as far as we could. Bang bum bang, more lightening. Raining started.

We halted. The lightening and raining is gone. The mark on my neck is also gone, suddenly he was holding my waist, his lips met mine, I felt the hot and longing kiss of his, but suddenly a black hole appeared searching for, oh wait, that women is not capture yet. Now, the black hole finally caught her and the dress I am wearing. She was pulling me in, too. But Eun Gi turned me around to stop me, and he was gone. The black hole was gone and everything was back to normal. I ran in the house quickly, packing as light as possible, setting out another journey to the Gold River again, which an immortal like me can't just to find my love. All my mind can think of now is Eun Gi, Eun Gi, Eun Gi, wait for me, I will be right there.