The girl opened her mouth. Though no sound came out, she called again and again.
Mom, Mom, Mom...
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
Why wasn't Mom here?
Her head spun, and she fell back onto the bed.
She didn't want to give up.
Where was Mom?
Someone held her.
It was Dad.
She wanted to turn and ask him, Where's Mom?
But everything before her eyes sank into darkness again.
It took her a long time to understand what Dad meant when he said Mom was gone.
Mom was gone?
How could Mom be gone?
Dad said Mom had been in a car accident.
A car accident... What was that?
One time, she heard the nurses talking.
They probably thought she was asleep.
But she hadn't been sleeping well these past few days.
Whenever she closed her eyes, the scene came back to her vividly.
Only in fragments.
A deafening roar, a pungent smell, her heart beating wildly and faltering.
And Mom holding her tightly.
Her body had been warm, yet inside she'd been so panicked she wanted to scream.
Everything before her eyes had been blood-red.
"Such amazing maternal love."
"If her mother hadn't shielded her in her arms, this child probably wouldn't have survived either."
"Yeah."
"After such a terrible car accident, this child was the only one who came through unscathed."
"She only suffered some superficial injuries."
"Though they look serious, she'll be fine as long as she recovers properly."
"The others who survived the accident..."
"How awful."
"Just being alive is a blessing."
"Mm."
Only after hearing the faint sound of a door closing did the girl come to her senses and open her eyes.
Her face was cold and wet.
Did Mom... die saving her?
She remembered the blood-red scene before her