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Chapter 3___

Every night Hye Sung would dream about his proposing marriage to Annie, and every time he did, he woke up before she accepted...

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During the afternoon as they sat on the porch Hye Sung thought about his dream. "Annie..."

"Yes?" Annie smiled as she turned to him.

"Have you ever visited the ocean?" (Hye Sung)

Annie’s smile faded and a sorrowful look came over her face, "Yes, I have... Why do you ask?"

"Did I ever go with you?" (Hye Sung)

Annie was silent for a moment, then she replied, "Yes."

Hye Sung waited for her to say more, but she didn’t. He could see she didn’t feel comfortable discussing the topic any further.

After a few moments he decided he couldn’t stand another second of not knowing so he asked, "Annie, lately I’ve been having this dream. We’re on a boat and I, I ask you to marry me. I don’t know what it means, and I always wake up right before you answer."

"Hye Sung, tell me every detail about that dream you can remember," Annie said softly.

Once Hye Sung had finished, Annie spoke, "That isn’t only a dream. Your memories are starting to come back..."

Hye Sung looked at her curiously. He wondered why she seemed so upset. His memory was coming back, shouldn’t she be happy? "Then, that really happened? It’s not just a dream?"

"No, it’s a memory," Annie said sadly.

"If it’s a memory, what happened next?" (Hye Sung)

Annie looked very pale after Hye Sung said this, "What, what do you mean?"

"Did you say yes?" (Hye Sung)

"Yes..." (Annie)

Hye Sung waited for her to say more. Again she did not. He sighed heavily then looked out across the yard. After a few minutes he looked back at Annie. "Then are we-" He stopped speaking as he saw tears streaming down Annie’s cheeks. "Annie," he said gently, then reached for her. She began to cry even harder.

"Annie I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, I..." (Hye Sung)

"It’s ok, I should be the one that’s sorry. I want to tell you everything, really, but..." Annie trailed off. As soon as he remembered he would no longer be able to stay with her. The fact that he had already dreamed about that day on the boat, scared her. She hadn’t thought he would remember so quickly. She had hoped he would just forget forever, but more and more she could see he was recovering his memory.

Annie wiped away her tears, "Hye Sung, how do you feel?"

"Huh?" (Hye Sung)

"How do you feel? Do you feel well enough for a walk?" Annie asked, forcing her tears back and smiling.

Hye Sung smiled a little too. He liked her smiling much more than her crying. "Yes, I’m up to it if you are," he replied.

"Ok, then let’s go..." (Annie)

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Once again they returned to the field of flowers where they had been many times before. Annie had gotten control over her tears. She had assured herself that he would be with her for a long time. Even if he did remember, it didn’t necessarily mean he’d be leaving her. Although she didn’t know for sure....

Hye Sung looked around at all the pretty flowers, they seemed almost to be smiling at him. He knelt down to smell them. He sighed, "Flowers... Do you think they feel pain?"

Annie was silent for a moment as she considered what Hye Sung had said. "I don’t know. What do you think?"

"I think, I would like to be a flower." (Hye sung)

Annie walked over and placed her hand on Hye Sung’s shoulder as he knelt on the ground. He continued to stare at the flowers in front of him, his face expressionless.

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Chapter 4___

"Annie, will you marry me?" Hye Sung asked.

She looked into his eyes, and smiled while tears ran down her face, "Hye Sung please, this is your last chance," she whispered and suddenly pushed away from him.

He looked at her in confusion, "A, Annie, what are you talking about?" He asked.

She seemed to ignore him, "Hye Sung, I don’t want you to die," she said lowering her voice.

"What? Annie stop, you’re scaring me." (Hye Sung)

"Oh, Hye Sung," Annie said, her voice cracking. She covered her face and burst into sobs.

He reached out to her, but she moved away. "Annie," he whispered.

She pulled her hands away from her face and looked up at him. She had changed, she was no longer Annie. He stared at this woman whom he had never seen before, and yet seemed strangely familiar.

"It’s almost time. Hye Sung, I want you to know I love you and this is the most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make," she said softly. He looked into her eyes, he could see his reflection and that was all he recognized before him.

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Hye Sung snapped awake as pain and discomfort consumed his body. Within a few minutes Annie was by his side, having heard his screams.

"Hye Sung! Hye Sung!" She yelled as she grabbed onto him. He buried his face into her neck and let out a tormented cry.

He started gasping for air, "A, Annie! I, I can’t breathe!"

Tears spilled down Annie’s cheeks. It was not long before Hye Sung’s body became limp and lifeless in her arms.

He was gone.

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Everybody stood waiting beside the hospital bed. The decision had been made. They would pull the plug. He had been in a coma for far too long and they couldn’t stand to see him like this any longer.

The woman watched as her son began violently thrashing when his air supply was cut off. She pressed her face to her husband’s shoulder and began to cry. The man placed his arm around her, he too was crying.

When Hye Sung opened his eyes he was filled with pain. Everything hurt him, especially the bright white lights. He soon realized where he was and reality rushed back, crushing him with its coldness and cruelty.

*Flashback*

"Annie, will you marry me?" Hye Sung asked.

She looked into his eyes and smiled, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Oh Hye Sung," she whispered, then hugged him tighter. "Yes."

He took the ring out of the box and placed it on her trembling finger. He found his own eyes growing teary...

*End Flashback*

Hye Sung started to cry. His parents rushed over. He was alive, taking him off of life support had shocked his body enough to bring him back.

"Hye Sung," his mother said, barely able to get the words out through her sobs. This was her. That voice he had heard, the woman who had appeared in his dream. The woman Annie had turned into.

"Annie," he tried to say, he had to wait for the doctors to remove the tube that was going down his throat.

"Annie," he was finally able to say.

His mother leaned down and hugged him, "Honey, do you remember what happened?"

Hye Sung closed his eyes. He did remember. The storm, it had come on so quickly, not long after he had proposed to Annie...

"Where is she? Where’s Annie?!" He cried out frantically.

"Hye Sung, I’m so sorry...." His mother said gently.

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Some time later......

Hye Sung walked along the shore, looking out over the water as the sun slowly disappeared beyond the horizon. He stopped and stared. He still expected Annie to suddenly come up beside him and take his hand in hers. He turned to look for her, but she was not there.

Lately, all he was able to think about was that time he had spent with her in that place that was now so far away. He missed it, and he wanted to go back and live there with her. He wondered where that place was, or if it even existed. He had told a few people, but none of them had taken him seriously. He had gotten angry, and the more he insisted, the less they believed him.

He felt so distant from everyone now. Nobody understood him anymore. He sighed to himself.

"Annie, you’ll always be forever in my heart. Please forgive me, but, I can’t do this any longer. I can’t live without you," he said then started toward the ocean. Nothing could be more painful than life without Annie.

Nothing.......

The End