Amidst screaming sirens, red beans pelted the roof of the tunnel. Ahrisu shuddered from the cold seeping into her skin until her flames blinked awake and repelled the discomfort. But something wet touched her knee, and she moved her legs. Her pants were soaked—

  She sat up, heart pounding in her ears, hands splashing water.

  Rain fell as a downpour, thousands of showerheads operating at full intensity, that sound like red beans striking the tunnel. And it filled the once dried-up canal of the water ride.

  Ahrisu squeezed Dalnim to her chest and seized her backpack, spraying water everywhere. She snatched up everything else and pinned her cap down with her chin.

  How much was ruined by the rain, it was a mistake sheltering here, why didn’t she wake up sooner?

  She splashed through the canal and out the tunnel, where water streamed out of the T-Rex’s jaw. The rain beating down on her, she lowered her head and clambered out of the canal and over the railing.

  Ahrisu stomped through the ankle-deep water towards the car racing track. Where she should’ve slept instead. All that work yesterday, ruined.

  As the flood warning sirens blared and pierced through the rain, she held onto Dalnim and tossed everything else under the extended roof of the race track. It was dry, thanks to the solid paneled fence. Fixing the hood over herself, she covered Dalnim with her sleeves and climbed over. Sheets of rain washed over her back from the downpour becoming a waterfall against the roof's edge.

  Shaking off her windbreaker, Ahrisu hauled her belongings behind the pillar. She didn’t need more light to know Dalnim was soaked through. Would her rabbit doll never be dry again?

  Squatting, she swatted away droplets on her backpack and rummaged through it. Whatever touched the backpack itself was drenched, but everything in the center wasn't wet. Just cold.

  Her rapidly beating heart throbbed, as she opened the inner pocket. And exhaled at feeling the dry envelope. How her money survived after being in a puddle, she didn’t know, but she was grateful.

  She pulled out her hoodie—also dry—from the drawstring bag to check her food. Not sopping wet. Unlucky twice, yet lucky twice, too.

  Ahrisu wiped her eyes of sleep and rain. And tears.

  Her backpack was her “home.” And she slept in bed without a care in the world while floodwater seeped into her house. A moment longer and it would’ve been swept out to sea. In that scenario, she’d rather go with it.

  Without Dalnim and her backpack, she had nothing and couldn’t do anything.

  Those days when all she had was her name, Dalnim, and the clothes she wore. She couldn’t return to that time. She didn’t know how she survived, but she knew she couldn’t recreate that miracle. Was it a miracle? No, it was a burden. A punishment . . .

  The sirens died down, fading into the rain, and Ahrisu pressed her palms against her eyes. She squeezed out the last of her hot tears.

  She could still fix this. She had to. Dalnim and her clothes had to be washed and dried. The one, and only, time she left rain-soaked clothes in her backpack, she had to throw them out because of mildew and the odor. The old backpack soon followed once she bought a replacement. Dalnim was saved because she carried it in her arms. Not that she would ever discard her rabbit doll.

  But this was an issue of time. The water-logged elevator wasn’t taking her underground any time soon. And even if she had time, it wasn’t up to her, whether it was going to the coin laundry again or waiting for this downpour to end. She was stuck here for who knew how long.

  Thankfully, the MP3 player turned on. Ahrisu wrapped it, the wired earbuds, and the charger in the hoodie for safekeeping. She listened to the elderly man telling her to wear her rain boots, but forgot he mentioned it was also going to rain. The pretty lilac color distracted her.

  The elderly man had to be safe from this rain, the sisters, too. The residents must have shelters of their own if they lived in a coastal area.

  She pulled up the sleeve of her windbreaker. 6:04 AM.

  This was ridiculous. Regardless of whether it started raining a minute before she woke up or two hours ago, she slept too deeply. What was she so caught up in that she didn’t hear the rain? It wasn’t because of a dream either; she never dreamed.

  On second thought, this wasn't ridiculous. It was dangerous. She prepared the table herself so perfectly and thoroughly that they only had to pick up the utensils and eat. She was her own worst enemy.

  Ahrisu shook her head, at herself, and wiped off the baseball cap before placing it in the backpack. Dalnim sat on top of it. Patting her pockets, she also stored the empty string for the yeopjeon and the braided string for siltteugi in the drawstring bag. If they got wet, they’d start unraveling.

  With her belongings packed, she wrapped her arms around herself. She wasn’t cold, but she wanted to forget the sensation of her drenched clothes glued to her skin. Not even one day worn and they already became laundry.

  She only had herself to blame, though, and she peered past the pillar to watch the waterfall over the roof's edge.

  Two girls stood outside the race track.

  They faced Ahrisu, who squinted to see them through the downpour. No raincoats or even a useless umbrella. Their long, black hair blended in with the dark dresses they wore. And they clutched fashion dolls to their chests.

  The little girls from the swing. But where was the third? Holding down the hood with both hands, she jogged towards them.

  “Why are you just standing there?” she asked loudly. “Get out of the rain.”

  Despite being soaked to the bone, the girls' expressions were blank, as if she didn't speak to them at all. Oh, great.

  Pursing her lips, Ahrisu climbed over the fence and broke through the waterfall. She grabbed the girls by their wrists, but held back a flinch at how cold their skin was. How long were they out here? Pulling gently, she guided them to stand under the roof. They were still in the water, and the downpour was right in front of their faces, but at least they weren't drowning in the rain.

  “Why are you outside?” she asked them. “Do you not have a house?” She wasn’t one to ask, but both girls turned their heads to the left. At the same time.

  Ahrisu didn’t follow their gaze. Outside of how they looked to be copies of each other and the fact they stood in a downpour unflinchingly, nothing about their appearance was off. Their hair was long, but reasonably so, and their fingernails were short and trimmed. Should she get them to clap, to see if they clapped with the backs of their hands? No, that was too random.

  The girls raised their right arms and pointed together, towards the theme park's entrance.

  Triplets could move in sync with each other. But she scanned them from head to toe one last time before sighing and stepping out of the roof's shelter. They weren't going to talk so it was best to just go. She trudged through the water, which reached her calves now. Cigarette butts floated on the surface.

  Raindrops streamed down the horses of the merry-go-round, and a puddle formed on the empty swing. Rivulets of water trickled through the pile of sandbags at the fence.

  Because the walkway turned into a river.

  The blistering wind ripped off Ahrisu's hood. The seawall creaked and groaned, as ocean waves crashed through the missing doors and windows of vehicles. She stood on her tippy toes to see over the fence, but floodwater sloshed over the sandbags by the bucketful in a rhythm, like waves on a beach. Soggy fast food wrappers were stuck between the burlap sacks.

  Anyone and everyone would be swept away if they were caught in this hongsu. Ahrisu shifted around. If this was what the girls wanted to show her—

  The girls stood next to her, their movements either silent or muffled by the pouring rain. They pointed ahead.

  A bare arm stuck out of the water. Oh, no. The third girl was caught near the seawall, the flood dunking her head underwater and giving her little time to breathe.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  There was no way to reach her, not even the strongest adults could withstand this level of hongsu, never mind Ahrisu, who couldn’t swim, not that swimming would help unless she was a dragon.

  Waves washed over the drowned man. Those watery eyes, a shaking voice begging to be spared. Because he was scared. His desperate grip left bruises on her arms. Proof that he once existed.

  Ash swept past her nose, the memory of it filling her nostrils, tickling her skin.

  That heavy weight, that burden, anchored her feet, as Ahrisu hauled herself over the fence and knelt on top of the sandbags. The sand hardened into stone from the deluge.

  She dipped her hand in the floodwater. It was a flowing current, but not surging. Yet. There was also the issue of debris, either from the walkway or swept in from the sea. But the seawall would block the largest, deadly ones.

  To the right, something long rippled in the water. It was the geumjul, likely loosened by the flood and without the white hanji twisted around it.

  The crashing sound of thunder. No, it came from up ahead, not above. A wave bowled through the vehicles, creating a waterfall.

  The girl’s head disappeared, leaving only her arm above water.

  Ahrisu leapt into the hongsu. And was knocked off her feet. Gasping, she kicked and stretched out her arms. Scratchy straw grazed her neck and jaw.

  Before she was swept away, she pushed off the ground with her legs and reached backwards. She grasped the geumjul, her head submerged. Her legs flowed behind her, as she pulled herself towards the rope, arms straining until the bones threatened to break.

  But she stood, hacking out water, her lungs heaving for air. The floodwater, reaching her hips, pummeled her. She wrapped the geumjul around her arm for extra support and held it to her chest.

  Ahrisu “climbed” the rope, one hand after the other, and trudged towards the seawall. The geumjul, however, came loose past the girl. Once she made it to the shipping container, she bent her knees for stability.

  No time to think or plan. She pulled on the rope until it was taut and hoped it held strong before turning around. The hongsu struck her back now, as she “climbed” down the rope towards the girl.

  Seaweed-like hair spread out in the water’s surface. The girl's right arm was stuck so Ahrisu wrapped the geumjul around her own left arm several more times before widening her stance. She shifted to face the seawall and lowered her left knee further.

  With her right arm, she lifted the girl out of the floodwater by her armpits. The little girl coughed out water and couldn’t keep her eyes open in the downpour.

  Ahrisu also took a moment to breathe and made sure the girl's face was out of the flood. With her left arm, she simultaneously tugged on the rope to maintain balance against the force of the current and searched for whatever it was that caught the girl. Her arm or legs had to be stuck to something.

  Finding nothing, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes before ducking underwater. She followed the girl’s arm down to her wrist and hand.

  The girl gripped her doll, and something hair-like and stringy was tangled around her fist. Must be a fishing net.

  Ahrisu raised her head and sputtered for air. This was going to take a while, and she may have to force the girl to let go of her doll. But she was also this little girl once, clutching Dalnim as if it was a part of her.

  So she could only do her best. She wrapped the geumjul around both their waists, then around her left palm and wrist for extra support. Without being told, the little girl held onto the rope, and her chin was near Ahrisu’s shoulder. At least she wasn’t struggling or panicking.

  Ahrisu took a deep breath again. Keeping her eyes open, she plunged her head beneath the surface.

  Her eyes stung, everything was dark and blurry, but she kept them open through the pain. She started from the girl’s shoulder and went down to her hand. She had to relax her fist for Ahrisu to untangle the net—

  The hair-like strings came loose, and the shadowy strands withdrew—withdrew?—into the space between shipping containers.

  She resurfaced and gasped for air, squinting and blinking rapidly, unable to wipe her eyes. Whatever happened, it worked out for the best.

  “Hold onto me,” she shouted at the little girl. “You have to hold onto me.” The fashion doll soared through the rain-soaked air, as the girl wrapped her arms around Ahrisu’s neck.

  Ahrisu kept a firm grip on the rope while unraveling it from around their waists. She tugged on the geumjul, as if to rip it off the seawall, to keep her footing.

  Walking sideways, like a crab, she trudged back to the theme park’s entrance. The little girl took the brunt of the current’s force, but it was so she wouldn’t be swept away out of Ahrisu’s reach.

  Her muscles burned, turning her bones into charcoal. She focused solely on the sandbags growing closer with every step. She was an arm’s length away.

  Thunder crashed from behind.

  Letting go of the rope, Ahrisu threw the girl onto the sandbags with what little strength remained in her arms. Her feet were lifted off the ground.

  As the girl crawled towards the fence, Ahrisu floundered, sinking in and out of the water.

  Another wave surged over the seawall. The current shoved her towards a building. She winced and braced for impact before her left shoulder struck wooden boards. Enduring the pain, she reached out, for anything to grab, but the current pulled her back. She was going to be swept away, she was going to drown—

  Her arms collided with metal. Ahrisu grasped the lamppost. Begging for air, she pulled herself forward through the floodwater until she hooked her elbows around the lamppost.

  The little girl crawled down from the sandbags, joining her sisters. The triplets stood side-by-side, watching her. She was on her own.

  Ahrisu clung to the lamppost and forced her aching legs to stand. Her stomach burned from the effort. She was stuck here until the hongsu slowed down or drained enough to cross safely. It was at chest level and the current too strong.

  The lamppost rattled. Oh, no, no, it had to stay, it had to withstand, and she half-embraced, half-tried to force it down. But the lamppost rattled further until she fell backwards.

  Flailing limbs, rain striking her face. A dark gray sky. The lamppost crashed into the water. She thrashed her arms against the current, tried to stand, but the hongsu was merciless.

  Fire.

  Her feet struck the ground, but she couldn’t stand. Ahrisu swallowed as much salty water as air.

  Her flames. She cried and whimpered, the rain dissolving her tears. There was no other choice, she had no other choice, and flames erupted from her hands, but it was too much water.

  No, this wasn’t the ocean.

  This wasn't the ocean, and Ahrisu reached for the ground, envisioning the sun in her palm. Her right hand joined the left, as she pushed against the force of rushing water. Droplets skimmed across her face before water vapor rippled past and between her fingers.

  Her palms smacked the pavement, and she knelt on all fours.

  Red-orange fire blazed from her hands. Hissing noises surrounded her, as floodwater and rainwater alike became steam. She staggered to her feet and willed the flames to burn more, keep burning.

  Ahrisu stumbled across the walkway, forging a path through the evaporating hongsu. The downpour sizzled from striking steam, and the air around her flames warped from the heat.

  Underneath a protective layer of fire, water droplets were frozen on her skin, water sloshed in her rain boots, and her clothes were sopping wet.

  The dark lumps of sandbags were a few paces away, peeking out through the haze. All around her, beyond the billowing steam, the floodwater raged.

  Ahrisu's mind alone wasn't strong enough for this level of precision so she imagined the flames, the heat, burning in her right hand alone. The bul-kkot bloomed, the veil of fire swirling, like flower petals perpetually opening and closing.

  She held out her hand to evaporate the floodwater barreling towards her and inched closer to the sandbags. It was now or never.

  Envisioning a wall of fire, Ahrisu slashed the air with her arm.

  Flames erupted where she swung, water collided into heat, steam exploded, and she jumped on top of the sandbags.

  Collapsing where she landed, she allowed her flames to be extinguished and imagined them diminishing into a weak spark. The downpour broke through the steam and pelted her with a fury while the hongsu sizzled from lingering heat. Waves crashed into the sandbags, washing over her head for a moment, before the water continued flowing down the walkway.

  Ahrisu dug her hands into the burlap sacks until her fingers were bent. She made it. She actually made it.

  She lugged her body towards the fence and dropped down, disturbing the water with heavy splashes. Exhaustion seized her as chains.

  Groaning, she sat up with her arms and legs splayed, limp in the water. She scooted backwards until she leaned against the fence. Water streamed down her shoulders, but she didn't care.

  What a morning. The triplets. They weren’t here. Did they see her? Her flames? Panic was a candle wick doused by fatigue. Ahrisu will worry about that once her limbs were resuscitated.

  The rain bombarded her face. Not a cloud in the sky. It was like the curtains of the world were pulled back and released the ocean the Earth was submerged in.

  A rogue wave spilled over Ahrisu, and she sputtered and spat out the salty taste. Her arms and legs needed more time to recover, but she didn’t want to be the vengeful floodwater’s punching bag.

  Using the fence as support, she stood on wobbly legs and sloshed through cement-like water. It reached her knees now, submerging her boots. She put her hood back on. Water streamed down her scalp and face. She should’ve expected that.

  If the triplets told anyone what they witnessed, no one would believe them. Besides, they weren’t the talkative type. But they shouldn’t be out here right now so Ahrisu had to find shelter for all of them.

  She blocked out the rain with her arm. The triplets weren’t under the roof of the car racing track. Or the canopy-covered stairwell. Or at the tunnel or near the Viking longship. She was alone.

  Water sloshed. At the exit leading to the road near the mountain, the surface of the floodwater rippled and spread towards the theme park.

  Not the three girls, but a person appeared.