Original subtitles

Once upon a time,

a girl was living

with her mom in a village.

All they had was a vegetable garden

and an old run-down clapboard house

but they supported each other

which made them happy.

But one day

a dam began to be built near the village.

The village people and the girl's mom

were forced to build the dam.

They were living in that kind of era.

At that time, our country wasn't ours.

The girl's mom carried stones all day.

For the girl

the girl's mom worked with patience.

(Park Sunhye)

She felt like her arms would fall apart

and she wasn't able to stretch her back.

But there was her daughter

who welcome her at home

which made her barely endure.

The girl was waiting quietly at home

until her mom came back home.

She listened to her mom

that she shouldn't go out of the house

because there were soldiers on the street.

And since one day

her mom hasn't been coming back home.

(Shin Donghyuk)

The girl didn't know what to do.

Her mom always came back with food

even when she got late.

(Choi Junsuk)

The girl had to keep waiting.

She didn't go outside even when she was hungry

because her mom told her

(Hong Gwaksik)

to wait at home.

Her mom said she'd come back home.

(Kim Sieun)

The time passed and the dam was complete.

The girl's village in front of the dam sunk under the water.

(Lee Gyuhyuk)

The village people already moved to a new place.

The girl was left behind at home,

waiting for her mom.

She kept waiting like that.

(Bottom of the Water)

(Those who easily get the energy from the sky)

(but hardly get the energy from the earth)

(will easily get possessed by spirits)

(They shouldn't come to a place)

(where exorcism for drowned people is performed)

Mom told me not to come when she was sending a person

who was drowned to death.

- It's okay. - We can't go.

Don't you enjoy watching exorcism?

It makes me excited when watching it.

Mom, I'm going to work.

Of course, I'm wearing it. Don't worry.

There's lunch on the table. Don't forget to eat.

Earth creates Metal. Metal creates Water.

Water controls Fire. Fire controls Metal.

Metal controls Wood. Wood controls Earth.

Earth controls Water.

Earth creates Metal. Metal creates Water.

Water controls Fire. Fire controls Metal.

Earth controls Water.

(Earth)

(Water)

(Metal)

Metal creates Water.

- It's so good to have a car. - I agree.

It was a good thing

to buy a used car at a cheap price.

Let's carpool every day.

Just give me some money for gas.

I'll take you to work.

Thank you.

How is your mom?

She's getting worse.

I'm worried that she stays alone at home.

I'm thinking about sending her to a nursing home.

That could be better.

How long has it been?

About 6 years.

Chief Kim from the Design Team

has his father at a nursing home.

Ask him.

- Does he? - Yes.

The Design Team has been so hectic

because of the dam construction.

So he made up his mind after thinking a lot.

- Thank you. - Have a good weekend.

See you here on Monday.

- Say hi to your mom for me. - I will.

Cheer up, Ka-young.

I'm home.

Oh, Ka-young.

Yes, Uncle Kyeong-min. Long time no see.

I've been busy working in the provinces and all.

I see.

Mom had lunch.

Do you want me to prepare dinner for you?

Would you join us for dinner?

No, I've got to go.

Ma'am.

I hope you get better.

I'll visit you again.

Sorry that I can't visit her more often.

You don't have to come here.

You're not a family.

I should take care of her.

You're wearing that bracelet.

Sorry?

Your mom got this, going here and there in the provinces.

It's made of the earth of Sindoan on Gyeryong Mountain.

Mom did?

When?

When she was sound in mind

after what happened to Soo-ah.

Anyway, make sure you're wearing that bracelet.

See you.

Mom?

Mom!

Don't come here!

Mom! You should've woken me up.

Aren't you hungry?

I'll prepare breakfast for you.

Mom?

Mom!

Mom.

(Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water)

(Metal)

Hello? Is this Ka-young?

Kyeong-min.

- Mom is... - Huh?

- What happened to her? - Mom is missing.

I've looked for her all over the place.

I can't find her.

- Did you report to the police? - Yes.

I did, but they told me to wait at home.

Right, she would come back home anytime.

Wait for her at home.

I'll look for her.

Yes.

Please look for her.

Call me if she comes back.

I'll call you if I find her.

Hey.

Do you live nearby?

No!

(Since water ghosts under the water are caught)

(by a strong yin energy)

(they can't get out of the water)

(So, they try to get out of it)

(by possessing people)

We got a report.

- Where's the body? - This way.

Why did you come here?

My mom is missing, so I've been looking for her.

She has dementia.

Oh, I reported it to the police.

Is that body...

No, I think that's a man.

A man?

Chief!

Isn't it Mr. Kim from the junk shop?

I heard he was missing.

His kid has been missing too.

Didn't they move to another place?

Move?

Then people would know they moved.

Who knows? They might've fled at night.

Can I go now?

There's nobody.

What? That can't be right.

Gosh, I was on the way back home.

I'm sure that I saw it.

This is Car 8. About the report to check the reservoir.

I think she made a mistake.

Wait!

Hey.

Can't you see that?

Gosh, it must be Mr. Kim.

People farm with the water from here.

This would've fed fish.

What?

Chief!

Chief!

Are you okay?

Your chief drowned...

What are you doing? Let go of me!

(Village Hall)

Is this Ka-young? Did you find your mom?

- What's going on? - Kyeong-min.

Someone's chasing me.

Who's chasing you?

I don't know.

Suddenly from the water...

From the water?

Ka-young, where are you?

- The underpass. - Which underpass?

The closest one to the reservoir.

The reservoir?

Ka-young?

What happened, Ka-young?

Answer me. Ka-young!

Ka-young!

Ka-young!

Ka-young. What happened?

I went to the reservoir to find mom.

The police officers drowned there.

Drowned?

Then they suddenly attacked me.

They tried to drag me to the water.

I barely ran away.

Who was chasing you then?

I don't know.

I saw them right before I passed out.

Because of light... Earlier...

This is Earth.

What?

Let's go back home.

We should get out of here.

No way...

I really had no choice.

Kyeong-min!

Kyeong-min!

I ran because...

Water ghosts are the evilest of all.

I couldn't save Soo-ah.

You have to run away.

I have no choice.

Gosh.

Please help me. Is anyone there?

This is the reservoir.

Please help me.

The police officers are dead.

Why are you here?

I told you not to come!

Mom?

Mom!

- Mom! - My baby.

- Are you okay, mom? - I'm okay.

Do you recognize me?

Of course.

Mom, I saw Soo-ah.

Ka-young.

That's not Soo-ah.

That one who possessed Soo-ah came back.

Uncle Kyeong-min is...

It's not time for this.

Let's go back home

before it comes back.

Dear.

Listen.

You have to run away from here.

You have to leave this town.

I got it. Let's go home.

Don't believe

anyone you're meeting from now on.

Keep it in mind, Ka-young.

Mom.

Run away.

As far as you can go.

No, mom.

Ka-young.

You're here to see me, right?

Get out of here, please!

You were from earlier.

(Earth controls Water)

(Earth dams up water and makes it rot)

(Metal creates Water)

(Cold metal forms water on it)

Where is this place?

Did you see it?

Are you living here?

Alone?

What's your name?

Dong-i.

No family name? Just Dong-i?

What you asked me earlier.

What you told me.

What is it?

The water ghost.

I saw it at the reservoir a while ago.

That caught them.

Whom?

Are you a shaman?

My mom is a shaman too.

Well...

Is Ms. Geum-jeong your mom?

Do you know my mom?

Ms. Geum-jeong is fire.

She's fire,

so she can't defeat water.

It's chasing me.

Why...

Why is it chasing you?

From some day

my little sister was getting even worse.

She was sick once in a while when she was young

but she was mumbling at home all day.

She didn't get out of the house at all.

When I heard her talking

it was a story about a girl

who suffered.

About a girl who was living

with her mom once upon a time.

About a girl, who couldn't go outside at all

even when she was hungry

looking for mom.

Her mom always came back home at night,

but she didn't come back one day.

The girl was suffering, being hungry.

But she listened to her mom

and stayed at home.

She kept looking for her mom

who never came back.

She was hungry

and thirsty.

And one day

she felt suffocating.

The earth was shaking.

The trees got broken.

Mountain animals howled.

Birds flew away.

And suddenly, the water rose up in the house.

As the water was coming into her nose and mouth

she couldn't breathe.

I didn't understand the story back then.

Back then...

Mom used to come back at night.

She always came back with food.

Where is mom now?

I'm so hungry.

Mom.

Soo-ah is getting worse.

Shouldn't we take her to a big hospital in Seoul?

If that can make her get better,

I would take her.

Bring your little sister out.

Let's eat.

The water...

The water is coming in from everywhere.

It's coming into my nose and mouth.

I can't breathe.

It's painful. Mom.

Where are you?

Did you abandon me?

Soo-ah.

Let's eat.

Yes.

Soo-ah, you seem to have an appetite after a long time.

Soo-ah, help yourself.

You lost too much weight.

Why?

Don't you like me losing weight?

No, that's not it.

Why did I lose weight?

Who made me lose weight?

I didn't mean that.

It's all because of you people.

You've had delicious food,

keeping me behind at home!

Soo-ah!

Why are you calling me? Dammit!

Where are you going, mom?

Don't follow us.

There's no one at home.

Where are Ms. Geum-jeong and Soo-ah?

Mom will be back home at night.

Soo-ah has not come back home,

and not answering me.

Do you have anything about this?

She'll be okay.

Don't worry too much.

I'm worried that you might get exhausted.

I'll look into it.

Don't be like that.

- How could you... - Ma'am.

I'll do what I can.

But you're asking me to do what I can't do.

I didn't ask you to do the whole exorcism.

Just help me a bit.

This is not something I can help you with.

Remember how much Soo-ah cared about you.

I'm sorry.

Get out, you evil spirit!

You wench!

Untie me! Right now!

Let go of my daughter.

Soo-ah.

Mom.

It hurts.

It's painful, mom.

Soo-ah,

are you okay?

I'm sorry that I can't help you.

Is it Ka-young?

Yes.

Can I get better?

Of course, you can. I'm sure of it.

I'm in pain.

I'll take you to a big hospital in Seoul.

There must be a cure.

Really?

Will you take me?

Can I get out of here?

I'll go with you.

I'll keep you safe.

So...

hang in there.

Ka-young.

Yes.

I'm thirsty.

Soo-ah.

I'm thirsty!

Please let me go!

Goddamn thirsty!

Let me go out of here!

You damn wenches!

Then,

was it here?

But you made a promise to the water ghost.

I made a promise to my little sister,

not to the water ghost.

It won't care about something like that.

This has the strong energy of the earth.

My mom told me to be wearing this.

I think this prevented the water ghost

from possessing you.

Earth controls water.

Water defeats fire.

Earth controls water.

My mom was looking at that picture.

(Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water)

The Five Elements.

It shows the creating and controlling cycles

of the five energies.

The arrows inside show the controlling cycle.

The arrows outside show the creating cycle.

Water dowses Fire.

Fire creates ash which is soil.

But that metal...

(Metal, Water)

Does metal create water?

It's not just a minor evil spirit.

Dong-i.

No...

Don't come here.

(Water ghosts have a strong obsession)

(with human bodies due to pain and grudge)

(Avoid them by any means)

(There's no way to defeat them)

Soo-ah. Let Dong-i go.

She has nothing to do with this.

Please...

I'll go.

That's how this ends, right?

Ka-young.

Mom.

Where are you going?

To Naju.

Naju?

I have no choice.

I can't do this alone.

Are you going for Soo-ah?

I'm going to meet the shaman who led me.

I'll come back tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

Mom.

Can Soo-ah get better

with Uncle Kyeong-min's help?

How do you know that?

I'll ask him again.

Soo-ah liked Uncle Kyeong-min.

Uncle Kyeong-min cared for Soo-ah.

He ran away once.

He won't come back that easily.

If he's forced,

he won't be a good help.

The Five Elements.

Wood must have helped Fire.

But it's blocked there.

So...

it has to be stopped by Earth.

What?

You should get some rest at home.

Why would you come with me?

It's been a long time

since I walked with you, which feels nice.

Why?

Did you leave something behind?

No, let's go.

What Soo-ah mumbles all day.

Do you know what it means?

It's about a girl

who drowned to death

near this town.

How does Soo-ah know about that?

That's not Soo-ah says.

It's that girl.

While waiting for her mom who's not coming back

she must've had a lot on her mind

feeling anxious that something happened to her mom

wondering if her mom abandoned her and ran away

thinking that it's dangerous outside

doubting if she should have been out to find her

or stayed home as her mom told her to.

Only if Soo-ah didn't come there...

Without that,

Soo-ah would have been a shaman by now.

It happened

because Soo-ah could feel spirits so well.

If I stopped her more strongly

she would've been okay.

I had to...

Ka-young.

What's done is done.

I won't give up on Soo-ah.

So...

Brace yourself.

Okay?

Wait.

Why am I here?

You said you're going to Naju.

You said you were going to meet your mentor.

Oh, right.

Right.

Goddamn thirsty!

Soo-ah!

Soo-ah.

Soo-ah.

Soo-ah.

Let's go home.

Ka-young.

I'm in pain.

I promised to take you to a hospital in Seoul.

Let's go tomorrow.

No.

I can't stand it anymore.

I'm so thirsty.

So let's go with me.

I'll bring water.

It's all water here.

Please, let's go home.

Soo-ah!

Stop it, please.

Soo-ah!

- Let's go with me. - Stop it.

- I don't want to go alone. - I can't go.

Why can't you?

You've always said you'd keep me safe!

That's...

Did you lie to me?

No!

You have to come with me!

Come with me!

No!

Soo-ah, stop it!

Stop, please!

Soo-ah!

Soo-ah!

No, stop!

Stop it!

Soo-ah!

Stop it, please!

Let go!

Ka-young.

Are you abandoning me?

Sorry.

Do you think this is over?

You will see me again.

I'm sorry that I left you there.

It's okay.

We can stay together from now on.

But you're not Soo-ah.

Ka-young.

Ka-young.

Ka-young!

Ka-young!

What about the water ghost?

Why are you in a hurry?

You can get some rest before you leave.

I'm going to look for a house in Seoul.

I need a house to move to.

I'm sad.

I'll come back as soon as I find a house.

Okay.

Do you want me to take you to the terminal?

Wait.

I'll go check if I didn't leave anything behind.

So

You're going to live with Ka-young?

What's your name?

Kim Dong-i.

It'd be so much fun living with her.

Take care of Ka-young, please.

Okay.

(Water ghosts are around you)

(Bottom of the Water)