PRISONERS (24/?)
Title: Prisoners (24/?)
Author: qrn
Pairing: OT6
Rating: M (Mature), for sexual & violent themes
Summary: Each of them has their own problems that may just be too hard to cure.
Author's Notes: Yayyy Chapter 24 finally up~~! Finished studying for Japanese on Friday (the exam is tomorrow), & I've been reading for my Commerce unit since last night (the exam is on Tuesday) >.< The last time I wrote Doojoon's POV, there weren't many flashbacks regarding Kiwan... I think... so here's a treat for all of you (complete with lovely cameos from the '89 line)! More suspense & impossible things in this one, people... we only have a few more chapters to go! =D Anyways, I hope you guys don't kill me for the overly depressing & disturbing content >.< Feedbacks & comments are welcome, as always ^^ Enjoy!
24. DOOJOON
"You've been coming home late," Doori said, biting into her toast.
I shrugged. "Just hanging out with some friend."
Mom was busy cutting some chicken pieces to save for lunch later. "Really? Who?"
"There's this little kid," I said. "He's always at the park, playing by himself. So I go hang out with him after school."
"I see." Doori continued eating her breakfast, nodding. "That's sweet of you."
"Well, you could've let me know beforehand," Mom said, concerned. "I thought it was weird that you'd come home at night so often these days."
"Sorry," I muttered. Taking care of some neighbor's kid shouldn't be a trouble, right?
"What's his name?" she asked.
"Lee Kiwan."
The knife suddenly slipped from her hand and fell to the floor with a loud clank. Both me and Doori got up in alarm.
"Mom!" Doori exclaimed. "Are you okay?"
Mom placed a hand on her chest, taking a breath of relief. "I'm fine," she said, somehow rushed. Then she bent down and picked up the knife. Although she was wearing slippers, we were still thankful it didn't injure her feet.
"Are you sure?" I asked warily.
"Yeah, it's okay." She washed the knife in the sink and resumed cutting up the chicken. "I'm fine, really."
"Be more careful next time," Doori said, shaking her head. I grabbed a spoonful of cereal quietly.
"Have you ever met his parents?" Mom asked me, referring back to Kiwan. "Or at least, his father."
I frowned. That boy hardly mentioned them in our conversations, so I didn't know anything. "No. He doesn't talk much about them."
Then Mom mumbled something under her breath, but I couldn't make out what it was.
"Who needs a lift?" Dad suddenly rushed into the kitchen, putting on his suit and balancing a cup of coffee at the same time.
Doori checked her watch and said casually, "I think I'm going to drive mine today. I have a meeting in 15 minutes."
"Shouldn't you get going, then?" Mom asked.
"Don't worry, you know I'm a good driver," Doori replied cheekily.
I sighed, knowing what she really meant by that. In her dictionary, a 'good driver' was equivalent to 'speed driver'. I decided not to get driving lessons from her, just for good measures.
"Alrighty, then," Dad grabbed a slice of toast with his free hand. "Doojoon-ah, are you ready?" I nodded, placing down my spoon. After taking a quick double-check onmy uniform, I grabbed my bag. He kissed Mom goodbye and warned Doori to be careful on the road.
As we pulled out of the garage, I caught a glimpse of a small figure standing across the street and looking at us.
It was Kiwan.
We heard an echo of a scream coming from a far distance.
I put on my wristbands again.
I suppose it's another experiment.
"Where are we going?" Yoseob asked me for the fifteenth time (yes, I counted) over the past half an hour.
Still, I patiently answered, "I don't know."
"How are we supposed to find the..." There was an uneasy pause. "...m-morgue?"
My eyes wandered around the doors on both sides of the long corridor--they all looked the same. "I don't know."
"Doojoonie." He clung to my shirt. "Everyone's going to be fine... right?"
I bit my lips, feeling a pang of sadness in my chest. "I..." I turned around slowly. "I don't know, Yoseob."
He looked down, his face solemn. "I just hope they're all safe and sound."
After successfully getting out of the common room (thank goodness I knew a thing or two about handcuffs), both of us had tried all three levels (or at least, we thought we did...)--but it was no use. Then I remembered Junhyung telling us that he couldn't find a way out when he tried to escape this morning.
No exit?
"Do you think..." I swallowed nervously. "...that the morgue is located in, perhaps, some kind of basement?"
The blonde looked at me, eyes widened. "Basement?"
"What if there are hidden floors unknown to patients?" Of course, I thought. That's the most likely possibility.
"But--" He shook his head. "I don't want to go there, wherever that is!"
Maybe Dongwoon's there. Grabbing his hand, I began to quicken my pace towards the dark end of the corridor. I could sense his hesitation, but he held on to my grip nevertheless. "Dead end," I muttered as we stopped in front a brick wall.
"What do we do?" He sounded panicked.
I didn't say anything. Determined, I pressed the palm of my right hand on the wall and tried to locate existing panels (if there were any). There has to be a secret passage somewhere.
Then we heard a thud from the other side of the wall.
I exchanged looks of alarm with Yoseob.
What was that?
Another one was heard, followed by a loud shriek.
"What the hell...?" I mumbled, feeling more nervous by the moment. Suddenly images of past incidents I'd witnessed since I arrived here came flashing in the back of my mind--the hypnotism bloodbath, Sunggyu's explosion, Dongwoon taken hostage...
"What if it's them?" His eyes widened.
The staff.
The thud stopped--so did the voice.
I had failed to realize that there were cameras installed in the common room--which meant they would have known that we escaped. They're probably tracking us down already. My eyes lowered down to my red shirt. The blood smell is slightly gone now, but--
Yoseob turned his head to look back at the (strangely) empty corridor. "They could be coming any moment," he whispered with intense fear in his voice. "Or probably from behind this wall!"
"Is there another room behind this wall?" I tapped my finger curiously.
Come to think about it, why are there no other patients walking around?
As we exchanged a brief silence, the noise revived. I held my breath.
It sounds like someone's banging the wall on the other side.
Suddenly someone from behind us said, "There's a loose brick above your head."
My heart felt like it skipped a beat.
Both me and Yoseob snapped our heads to the direction of the voice. It was that guy I met on the second day: Taecyeon.
"You!" My eyes widened with surprise. "What are you--?"
I didn't hear his footsteps.
The tall guy gave a thin smile. "You guys heard the thumping noise, huh?"
If he has the chip in him, then he would've told Mr. Yoo and others about us, I thought hopelessly. We've been caught.
I swallowed nervously. "Why are you here?" The banging continued, this time even louder and more frantic.
"I just came back from lunch," he replied casually.
"Where are your friends?" The fact that he's alone makes it more suspicious.
"Oh... Junsu and Junho--you probably don't know them--went straight to the common room, while the others stayed behind in the dining hall."
"Where's your common room?" Yoseob asked (I could tell he was being careful).
"It's upstairs." More thud.
My pulse was racing. "Then why are you here?"
"Just felt like walking around." Taecyeon looked at me calmly. "Why are you so agitated?"
He's bluffing.
Yoseob was frozen on the spot. "Did you say... a loose brick?"
"Oh." The tall guy nodded. "Yeah. Up there, just a few inches above you."
Both me and Yoseob lifted our heads. I squinted my eyes (it was quiet dim)--sure enough, I spotted it. If anyone was to take only one quick look, they wouldn't have seen it.
"Is that--?" Yoseob didn't finish his words.
"You want to find out what's behind the wall, right?" Taecyeon asked. The thud was getting louder.
Is he trying to help us?
I raised one arm slowly, trying to reach the said brick.
Don't tell me...
Gritting my teeth, I pushed it with my fingertip.
Then the unexpected thing happened.
There was a loud creaking noise, and suddenly the bricks started to move. Yoseob clung to my wristbands, his jaw dropping in shock. It only took less than three seconds for the bricks to re-arrange themselves and create a gap, revealing a black door in the middle of the wall (yes, a door).
You've gotta be joking.
I didn't have the time to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. The thud stopped as we stood, speechless.
I thought this kind of thing only happens in movies.
Behind us, Taecyeon remained silent.
Like Harry Potter.
"What... the..." Yoseob didn't finish his sentence.
This place can't get any freakier.
Not knowing what to say, I went to grab the doorknob--but I noticed that my hand was trembling.
Darn it.
"Are you sure?" Yoseb's scared voice added to the intensity. "What if it's those people?"
He could be right, I thought serenely. But it could also be Dongwoon. I shook my head. Or the others.
"Go ahead," Taecyeon urged.
Was he instructed by Mr. Yoo to lead us to this secret room?
Once again, we heard the muffled voice (if I wasn't mistaken, it sounded like... sobbing?) and more banging noise from the other side of the door. Somehow, I sensed that it was filled with panic and fear.
Without another word, I opened the door.
It was pitch black.
There was a loud gasp, and we peered inside carefully.
"You--!" Yoseob clamped his mouth shut.
It was Kikwang, whose expression was of sheer terror. His eyebrows were raised straight up, pupils dilated. I could see cold sweat running down the sides of his awfully pale face. With a dropped jaw, he didn't let out any sound.
What was he...?
The dim light from the corridor made me notice the trails of wet tears on his cheeks.
He was crying.
The darkness covered the lower half of his body. He remained silent, not moving, but his shoulders were shaking.
How come--
"What the hell are you doing in there?" Yoseob grabbed the black-haired boy by the arm harshly. Then he jumped back in an instant with a loud yelp.
Huh?
"Your skin is so cold!" he cried. "What the--"
A drop of tear trickled down Kikwang's left cheek.
Did those people do something to you?
Then he mouthed something to us, almost as if he was too scared to utter a word.
What?
Before he could say anymore, he was pulled back by some force into the darkness.
"Kikwang!" I yelled, reaching my hand out to him.
Let him go!
He let out an abrupt cry; as he was dragged away, the bricks started moving again, signaling to close in.
We're losing him.
"No!" It happened so quick that we couldn't do anything to stop it. I banged my fist furiously on the now closed-off wall. "No!"
They took him away.
"Kikwang!" I stopped banging, knowing it was useless. The two of us stared at the door that was no longer there.
I have to open it again.
My eyes shifted upwards in search of the loose brick, but stopped when I realized I couldn't find it anywhere on the wall.
It's gone.
"Cold," Yoseob muttered.
"What?" I looked at him anxiously.
"His arm was cold," he said again in a shaky voice. "Like ice."
They wouldn't.
I felt my heart beating faster.
They wouldn't have killed him.
Yoseob kept his gaze on the floor.
Please, no.
We were so pre-occupied by the scene we just witnessed before our very own eyes that we forgot that Taecyeon was still standing behind us. "Too bad for him," he said coolly.
I turned my head around and saw him staring at us. Strangely, his eyes seemed lifeless--it was as if he didn't feel any emotions towards Kikwang, despite having also seen what just happened. "Where did they take him to?" I grabbed his collar. "What are they doing to him?"
He refused to speak up.
"Is he going through his therapy right now?" I yelled, demanding for an explanation. "They'll torture him!" That poor kid's disturbed enough as he is.
He only shot me a cold look. "I don't know."
You ought to know something! "Don't fuck with me," I hissed. Come on, I thought impatiently. Talk, dammit!
"Why don't you go look for him, then?" He grabbed both of my hands. I cringed as he lowered them slowly--his grip was too strong, and I couldn't fight back.
He's like a robot.
"Doojoonie," Yoseob whispered. "We have to run."
I swallowed a breath. They'll catch us. Without looking back, I grabbed his arm and ran to whichever direction my feet led me.
We have to find him.
---
"Are you going to Ga In noona's dinner party?" Jo Kwon asked.
I shook my head. "I'm not sure... I don't think so."
"Why not?" Jinon asked.
"It's her birthday!" Jo Kwon said disappointedly. "She'll kill you if you don't come."
"Well..." I started hesitantly.
"You've been acting weird these past few months, Doojoon-ah," Jia commented. "Four months, to be exact."
I looked down on the ground beneath our feet as we were walking. I had been hanging out with them less lately, and I'd always prioritised Kiwan over them (on weekdays). Even so, I hadn't seen him yesterday nor the day before; I thought it was weird for him to disappear like that, but I assumed it was due to family matters (probably his parents got cranky at him for playing outside too much... it could be anything).
I had hoped he would turn up today.
"At least come to the mall to hang out," Raina begged. "Some of us need new clothes for the party."
"And by 'us' you mean only yourself," Jinon teased. The others laughed as Raina hit him playfully on the arm.
"Good one," Jo Kwon said as he exchanged high-fives with the tall guy. "So... are you coming with us?" He turned to me.
Maybe I should go.
"Bekah's there already, guys," Raina said, checking a text message. "You know that if we don't come get her, she'll get lost."
"That girl still doesn't know her way around," Jinon sighed, "even though she's been in Korea for a year."
"Come on," Jia shot me a grin. "It'll only be an hour or so."
I was about to answer 'okay' when we spotted a crowd of people standing by the dam. There were police cars with flashing red lights as well as an ambulance, and we could see a few cops putting on yellow barrier tapes.
"Stand back, please!" One of them yelled out. "This is a crime scene!" Despite the warning, some people were so curious that they still forced their way through to see what was happening.
The five of us exchanged glances and made our way to join the crowd.
"What's going on?" Jinon asked a man standing in front of us.
"They found a body in the dam," he replied.
"A body?" Raina held on to Jia, her big eyes filled with fear.
"Yeah," the man nodded, an astonished expression on his face. "A kid, apparently."
A kid?
I pushed my way in through the mass of people.
"Doojoon-ah! What are you doing?" The others were calling after me, but I ignored them. I had a bad feeling about this.
I stopped in front of the police officer. "Back away, please," he beckoned. "There's nothing to see here!"
From the distance, I could see them carrying the body on a stretcher and making their way past me towards the ambulance.
"Poor kid."
"That's horrible."
"Imagine what will his parents do when they find out."
I looked at the half-covered bruised face.
It had been haunting me ever since.
"Doojoonie!"
I blinked.
"Are you okay?" The blonde looked at me in concern.
Another flashback.
I shook my head. "Yeah, I'm fine." I ran a hand through my hair, feeling frustrated. "I guess."
"Where do we go now?" he asked, catching his breath in short gasps.
We were standing in front of two tunnel-like paths.
They even have tunnels?
We had run so much that I forgot which way we took--stairs, hallways, rooms... all became a blur.
"I'm hungry and tired," he pouted, dropping down onto his knees. "And thirsty, too."
So am I, I thought. My throat was so parched, and I regretted the fact that I didn't take any drink in the common room. But then again, the water could've been poisoned.
"Left or right?" he asked.
That's right. I tightened my fists. I have to make the decision. "How do we know which is the right one?"
"There's no way we'll know," he said in a tone of defeat. "It's just a matter of luck."
Both tunnels seemed long and dark, and I thought that for a second we were trapped in an underground cave.
"Should we just choose whichever?" he asked, looking behind him anxiously. There was no one running after us.
I'd never made so many decisions in my whole life. I took a deep breath. The incident with Dongwoon was too much.
Yoseob gripped my hand tightly. "Left?"
Or right?
I figured that no matter which way we chose, we'd end up in some weird room anyway. If we were lucky, we'd meet either one of those four: Dongwoon, Kikwang, Junhyung, or Hyunseung. If they're not being tortured or experimented on, I added to myself.
"This way," I said confidently as I led Yoseob to the one of the tunnels.
We didn't share a word as we walked carefully through the darkness.
Does this lead to the morgue?
It felt like forever--my legs were hurting (I was pretty sure my feet had got blisters by now), and my whole body were sore as hell.
The red room Yoseob mentioned before?
I made sure not to let go of his hand.
Or some therapy lab?
By the time we reached the end of the long passageway, the two of us gasped in shock.
What are the odds?
The six of us were reunited in the most unlikely situation possible.
Author: qrn
Pairing: OT6
Rating: M (Mature), for sexual & violent themes
Summary: Each of them has their own problems that may just be too hard to cure.
Author's Notes: Yayyy Chapter 24 finally up~~! Finished studying for Japanese on Friday (the exam is tomorrow), & I've been reading for my Commerce unit since last night (the exam is on Tuesday) >.< The last time I wrote Doojoon's POV, there weren't many flashbacks regarding Kiwan... I think... so here's a treat for all of you (complete with lovely cameos from the '89 line)! More suspense & impossible things in this one, people... we only have a few more chapters to go! =D Anyways, I hope you guys don't kill me for the overly depressing & disturbing content >.< Feedbacks & comments are welcome, as always ^^ Enjoy!
24. DOOJOON
"You've been coming home late," Doori said, biting into her toast.
I shrugged. "Just hanging out with some friend."
Mom was busy cutting some chicken pieces to save for lunch later. "Really? Who?"
"There's this little kid," I said. "He's always at the park, playing by himself. So I go hang out with him after school."
"I see." Doori continued eating her breakfast, nodding. "That's sweet of you."
"Well, you could've let me know beforehand," Mom said, concerned. "I thought it was weird that you'd come home at night so often these days."
"Sorry," I muttered. Taking care of some neighbor's kid shouldn't be a trouble, right?
"What's his name?" she asked.
"Lee Kiwan."
The knife suddenly slipped from her hand and fell to the floor with a loud clank. Both me and Doori got up in alarm.
"Mom!" Doori exclaimed. "Are you okay?"
Mom placed a hand on her chest, taking a breath of relief. "I'm fine," she said, somehow rushed. Then she bent down and picked up the knife. Although she was wearing slippers, we were still thankful it didn't injure her feet.
"Are you sure?" I asked warily.
"Yeah, it's okay." She washed the knife in the sink and resumed cutting up the chicken. "I'm fine, really."
"Be more careful next time," Doori said, shaking her head. I grabbed a spoonful of cereal quietly.
"Have you ever met his parents?" Mom asked me, referring back to Kiwan. "Or at least, his father."
I frowned. That boy hardly mentioned them in our conversations, so I didn't know anything. "No. He doesn't talk much about them."
Then Mom mumbled something under her breath, but I couldn't make out what it was.
"Who needs a lift?" Dad suddenly rushed into the kitchen, putting on his suit and balancing a cup of coffee at the same time.
Doori checked her watch and said casually, "I think I'm going to drive mine today. I have a meeting in 15 minutes."
"Shouldn't you get going, then?" Mom asked.
"Don't worry, you know I'm a good driver," Doori replied cheekily.
I sighed, knowing what she really meant by that. In her dictionary, a 'good driver' was equivalent to 'speed driver'. I decided not to get driving lessons from her, just for good measures.
"Alrighty, then," Dad grabbed a slice of toast with his free hand. "Doojoon-ah, are you ready?" I nodded, placing down my spoon. After taking a quick double-check onmy uniform, I grabbed my bag. He kissed Mom goodbye and warned Doori to be careful on the road.
As we pulled out of the garage, I caught a glimpse of a small figure standing across the street and looking at us.
It was Kiwan.
We heard an echo of a scream coming from a far distance.
I put on my wristbands again.
I suppose it's another experiment.
"Where are we going?" Yoseob asked me for the fifteenth time (yes, I counted) over the past half an hour.
Still, I patiently answered, "I don't know."
"How are we supposed to find the..." There was an uneasy pause. "...m-morgue?"
My eyes wandered around the doors on both sides of the long corridor--they all looked the same. "I don't know."
"Doojoonie." He clung to my shirt. "Everyone's going to be fine... right?"
I bit my lips, feeling a pang of sadness in my chest. "I..." I turned around slowly. "I don't know, Yoseob."
He looked down, his face solemn. "I just hope they're all safe and sound."
After successfully getting out of the common room (thank goodness I knew a thing or two about handcuffs), both of us had tried all three levels (or at least, we thought we did...)--but it was no use. Then I remembered Junhyung telling us that he couldn't find a way out when he tried to escape this morning.
No exit?
"Do you think..." I swallowed nervously. "...that the morgue is located in, perhaps, some kind of basement?"
The blonde looked at me, eyes widened. "Basement?"
"What if there are hidden floors unknown to patients?" Of course, I thought. That's the most likely possibility.
"But--" He shook his head. "I don't want to go there, wherever that is!"
Maybe Dongwoon's there. Grabbing his hand, I began to quicken my pace towards the dark end of the corridor. I could sense his hesitation, but he held on to my grip nevertheless. "Dead end," I muttered as we stopped in front a brick wall.
"What do we do?" He sounded panicked.
I didn't say anything. Determined, I pressed the palm of my right hand on the wall and tried to locate existing panels (if there were any). There has to be a secret passage somewhere.
Then we heard a thud from the other side of the wall.
I exchanged looks of alarm with Yoseob.
What was that?
Another one was heard, followed by a loud shriek.
"What the hell...?" I mumbled, feeling more nervous by the moment. Suddenly images of past incidents I'd witnessed since I arrived here came flashing in the back of my mind--the hypnotism bloodbath, Sunggyu's explosion, Dongwoon taken hostage...
"What if it's them?" His eyes widened.
The staff.
The thud stopped--so did the voice.
I had failed to realize that there were cameras installed in the common room--which meant they would have known that we escaped. They're probably tracking us down already. My eyes lowered down to my red shirt. The blood smell is slightly gone now, but--
Yoseob turned his head to look back at the (strangely) empty corridor. "They could be coming any moment," he whispered with intense fear in his voice. "Or probably from behind this wall!"
"Is there another room behind this wall?" I tapped my finger curiously.
Come to think about it, why are there no other patients walking around?
As we exchanged a brief silence, the noise revived. I held my breath.
It sounds like someone's banging the wall on the other side.
Suddenly someone from behind us said, "There's a loose brick above your head."
My heart felt like it skipped a beat.
Both me and Yoseob snapped our heads to the direction of the voice. It was that guy I met on the second day: Taecyeon.
"You!" My eyes widened with surprise. "What are you--?"
I didn't hear his footsteps.
The tall guy gave a thin smile. "You guys heard the thumping noise, huh?"
If he has the chip in him, then he would've told Mr. Yoo and others about us, I thought hopelessly. We've been caught.
I swallowed nervously. "Why are you here?" The banging continued, this time even louder and more frantic.
"I just came back from lunch," he replied casually.
"Where are your friends?" The fact that he's alone makes it more suspicious.
"Oh... Junsu and Junho--you probably don't know them--went straight to the common room, while the others stayed behind in the dining hall."
"Where's your common room?" Yoseob asked (I could tell he was being careful).
"It's upstairs." More thud.
My pulse was racing. "Then why are you here?"
"Just felt like walking around." Taecyeon looked at me calmly. "Why are you so agitated?"
He's bluffing.
Yoseob was frozen on the spot. "Did you say... a loose brick?"
"Oh." The tall guy nodded. "Yeah. Up there, just a few inches above you."
Both me and Yoseob lifted our heads. I squinted my eyes (it was quiet dim)--sure enough, I spotted it. If anyone was to take only one quick look, they wouldn't have seen it.
"Is that--?" Yoseob didn't finish his words.
"You want to find out what's behind the wall, right?" Taecyeon asked. The thud was getting louder.
Is he trying to help us?
I raised one arm slowly, trying to reach the said brick.
Don't tell me...
Gritting my teeth, I pushed it with my fingertip.
Then the unexpected thing happened.
There was a loud creaking noise, and suddenly the bricks started to move. Yoseob clung to my wristbands, his jaw dropping in shock. It only took less than three seconds for the bricks to re-arrange themselves and create a gap, revealing a black door in the middle of the wall (yes, a door).
You've gotta be joking.
I didn't have the time to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. The thud stopped as we stood, speechless.
I thought this kind of thing only happens in movies.
Behind us, Taecyeon remained silent.
Like Harry Potter.
"What... the..." Yoseob didn't finish his sentence.
This place can't get any freakier.
Not knowing what to say, I went to grab the doorknob--but I noticed that my hand was trembling.
Darn it.
"Are you sure?" Yoseb's scared voice added to the intensity. "What if it's those people?"
He could be right, I thought serenely. But it could also be Dongwoon. I shook my head. Or the others.
"Go ahead," Taecyeon urged.
Was he instructed by Mr. Yoo to lead us to this secret room?
Once again, we heard the muffled voice (if I wasn't mistaken, it sounded like... sobbing?) and more banging noise from the other side of the door. Somehow, I sensed that it was filled with panic and fear.
Without another word, I opened the door.
It was pitch black.
There was a loud gasp, and we peered inside carefully.
"You--!" Yoseob clamped his mouth shut.
It was Kikwang, whose expression was of sheer terror. His eyebrows were raised straight up, pupils dilated. I could see cold sweat running down the sides of his awfully pale face. With a dropped jaw, he didn't let out any sound.
What was he...?
The dim light from the corridor made me notice the trails of wet tears on his cheeks.
He was crying.
The darkness covered the lower half of his body. He remained silent, not moving, but his shoulders were shaking.
How come--
"What the hell are you doing in there?" Yoseob grabbed the black-haired boy by the arm harshly. Then he jumped back in an instant with a loud yelp.
Huh?
"Your skin is so cold!" he cried. "What the--"
A drop of tear trickled down Kikwang's left cheek.
Did those people do something to you?
Then he mouthed something to us, almost as if he was too scared to utter a word.
What?
Before he could say anymore, he was pulled back by some force into the darkness.
"Kikwang!" I yelled, reaching my hand out to him.
Let him go!
He let out an abrupt cry; as he was dragged away, the bricks started moving again, signaling to close in.
We're losing him.
"No!" It happened so quick that we couldn't do anything to stop it. I banged my fist furiously on the now closed-off wall. "No!"
They took him away.
"Kikwang!" I stopped banging, knowing it was useless. The two of us stared at the door that was no longer there.
I have to open it again.
My eyes shifted upwards in search of the loose brick, but stopped when I realized I couldn't find it anywhere on the wall.
It's gone.
"Cold," Yoseob muttered.
"What?" I looked at him anxiously.
"His arm was cold," he said again in a shaky voice. "Like ice."
They wouldn't.
I felt my heart beating faster.
They wouldn't have killed him.
Yoseob kept his gaze on the floor.
Please, no.
We were so pre-occupied by the scene we just witnessed before our very own eyes that we forgot that Taecyeon was still standing behind us. "Too bad for him," he said coolly.
I turned my head around and saw him staring at us. Strangely, his eyes seemed lifeless--it was as if he didn't feel any emotions towards Kikwang, despite having also seen what just happened. "Where did they take him to?" I grabbed his collar. "What are they doing to him?"
He refused to speak up.
"Is he going through his therapy right now?" I yelled, demanding for an explanation. "They'll torture him!" That poor kid's disturbed enough as he is.
He only shot me a cold look. "I don't know."
You ought to know something! "Don't fuck with me," I hissed. Come on, I thought impatiently. Talk, dammit!
"Why don't you go look for him, then?" He grabbed both of my hands. I cringed as he lowered them slowly--his grip was too strong, and I couldn't fight back.
He's like a robot.
"Doojoonie," Yoseob whispered. "We have to run."
I swallowed a breath. They'll catch us. Without looking back, I grabbed his arm and ran to whichever direction my feet led me.
We have to find him.
---
"Are you going to Ga In noona's dinner party?" Jo Kwon asked.
I shook my head. "I'm not sure... I don't think so."
"Why not?" Jinon asked.
"It's her birthday!" Jo Kwon said disappointedly. "She'll kill you if you don't come."
"Well..." I started hesitantly.
"You've been acting weird these past few months, Doojoon-ah," Jia commented. "Four months, to be exact."
I looked down on the ground beneath our feet as we were walking. I had been hanging out with them less lately, and I'd always prioritised Kiwan over them (on weekdays). Even so, I hadn't seen him yesterday nor the day before; I thought it was weird for him to disappear like that, but I assumed it was due to family matters (probably his parents got cranky at him for playing outside too much... it could be anything).
I had hoped he would turn up today.
"At least come to the mall to hang out," Raina begged. "Some of us need new clothes for the party."
"And by 'us' you mean only yourself," Jinon teased. The others laughed as Raina hit him playfully on the arm.
"Good one," Jo Kwon said as he exchanged high-fives with the tall guy. "So... are you coming with us?" He turned to me.
Maybe I should go.
"Bekah's there already, guys," Raina said, checking a text message. "You know that if we don't come get her, she'll get lost."
"That girl still doesn't know her way around," Jinon sighed, "even though she's been in Korea for a year."
"Come on," Jia shot me a grin. "It'll only be an hour or so."
I was about to answer 'okay' when we spotted a crowd of people standing by the dam. There were police cars with flashing red lights as well as an ambulance, and we could see a few cops putting on yellow barrier tapes.
"Stand back, please!" One of them yelled out. "This is a crime scene!" Despite the warning, some people were so curious that they still forced their way through to see what was happening.
The five of us exchanged glances and made our way to join the crowd.
"What's going on?" Jinon asked a man standing in front of us.
"They found a body in the dam," he replied.
"A body?" Raina held on to Jia, her big eyes filled with fear.
"Yeah," the man nodded, an astonished expression on his face. "A kid, apparently."
A kid?
I pushed my way in through the mass of people.
"Doojoon-ah! What are you doing?" The others were calling after me, but I ignored them. I had a bad feeling about this.
I stopped in front of the police officer. "Back away, please," he beckoned. "There's nothing to see here!"
From the distance, I could see them carrying the body on a stretcher and making their way past me towards the ambulance.
"Poor kid."
"That's horrible."
"Imagine what will his parents do when they find out."
I looked at the half-covered bruised face.
It had been haunting me ever since.
"Doojoonie!"
I blinked.
"Are you okay?" The blonde looked at me in concern.
Another flashback.
I shook my head. "Yeah, I'm fine." I ran a hand through my hair, feeling frustrated. "I guess."
"Where do we go now?" he asked, catching his breath in short gasps.
We were standing in front of two tunnel-like paths.
They even have tunnels?
We had run so much that I forgot which way we took--stairs, hallways, rooms... all became a blur.
"I'm hungry and tired," he pouted, dropping down onto his knees. "And thirsty, too."
So am I, I thought. My throat was so parched, and I regretted the fact that I didn't take any drink in the common room. But then again, the water could've been poisoned.
"Left or right?" he asked.
That's right. I tightened my fists. I have to make the decision. "How do we know which is the right one?"
"There's no way we'll know," he said in a tone of defeat. "It's just a matter of luck."
Both tunnels seemed long and dark, and I thought that for a second we were trapped in an underground cave.
"Should we just choose whichever?" he asked, looking behind him anxiously. There was no one running after us.
I'd never made so many decisions in my whole life. I took a deep breath. The incident with Dongwoon was too much.
Yoseob gripped my hand tightly. "Left?"
Or right?
I figured that no matter which way we chose, we'd end up in some weird room anyway. If we were lucky, we'd meet either one of those four: Dongwoon, Kikwang, Junhyung, or Hyunseung. If they're not being tortured or experimented on, I added to myself.
"This way," I said confidently as I led Yoseob to the one of the tunnels.
We didn't share a word as we walked carefully through the darkness.
Does this lead to the morgue?
It felt like forever--my legs were hurting (I was pretty sure my feet had got blisters by now), and my whole body were sore as hell.
The red room Yoseob mentioned before?
I made sure not to let go of his hand.
Or some therapy lab?
By the time we reached the end of the long passageway, the two of us gasped in shock.
What are the odds?
The six of us were reunited in the most unlikely situation possible.