"You have supernatural powers?!" The boy cried in hope that somehow his best friend would say something to prove all his rational thoughts wrong. However, there was nothing else to be said that would make enough sense to patch up the horribly shattered situation. 

Trying miserably to mend the gaping hole that had been carved out of their friendship, Jongin sputtered, "Y-yes but-" 

A vague question of "What?" echoed into Taemin's ears. He wasn't sure if he had said the word himself or if there was someone else observing the situation along with him. 

"Taemin, that's not the point!" Jongin tried to reason, but his friend seemed to be out of reach.

His eyebrow was raised as he asked the question, "What's not the point Kim Jongin? The fact that you lied to me?" Taemin spoke in a monotone voice, emotions along with the color drained off his face. No signs of the previous hurt and anger on his face were apparent, almost as if a iron wall had risen up to hide any sings of hurt. Jongin realized that this is what he did in order to protect himself from those who wanted to see him hurt. He realized that this was how he acted around his mom, around old friends that would use words against him viciously, around prying therapists and grief counselors who may have been trying to help, but they weren't wanted or welcomed. Taemin was pushing him away, cutting him out, and it hurt more than anything he had ever experienced before. It hurt more than a thousand knives slowly carving out his soul and burning it slowly in flames. which wouldn't be very pleasant, but Jongin would take that in a heartbeat compared to where he was now. His only friend was disowning him, leaving him to fend for himself for the first time.

"Tae," Jongin tried, his voice wavering from the un-shed tears,  "I'm so sorry. I should've told you, but I guess I was nervous that you'd act like, well, this. I can't lose you, you're my only friend. You're my best friend." Then he  waited. Waited for anything to happen. He waited for Taemin to continue to act untouchable, to act unharmed. 

But some random miracle must have occurred, because Taemin smiles. He smiles softly, but it's enough for Jongin to see immense relief on his face. He sighs, "No, I'm sorry. I overreacted," Taemin giggled, the sound bringing a wide, unbelieving grin to Jongin's face, "I'm glad you decided to tell me the truth, at the very least."

Jongin continues to grin widely at him and replies in a soft tone, one that could only be heard to those listening closely, "Thank you."

After cutting off his circulation with a tight hug, Taemin replies, voice full of question, "Thank you for what? I didn't do anything." 

As the air around the boys goes from tense and oppressing to lighter and full of happiness with a slight bit of nervousness due to the background of uncertainty. Jongin isn't quite sure why Taemin calmed down so quickly or why he was suddenly so happy and content with what Jongin had told him, but he's grateful. "For always being there. For forgiving me time after time even though i don't deserve it. Especially today. Why did you forgive me?" the boy spits out before he can think about it.

Taemin gives him a small smile again, "You told me. You could have lied or said I was wrong, but you told me the truth. And I mean you haven't even been lying to me for that long." Taemin pauses to chuckle a bit before continuing, "Since the powers are a new thing, I figured it was wrong to not forgive you for something as simple as being scared of my reaction."  

And in that second not only was everything back to square one, it might have actually been worse than it was before. Because this time, Taemin directly believed a lie. This time Jongin hadn't been prepared for sudden despair. It was worse because no, the powers were not new. "Well actually," Jongin fidgeted, wondering if he should tell him. Maybe if he just kept quiet, it would all be okay. But something within him begged him to tell the truth. To get the enormous weight off of his chest, and to let out everything he had been holding in for his whole life. So he does. "They're not.  I've had them since the day I was born. Every time I would open my mouth to tell you, nothing would come out. So I would stand there like a fish until I spouted out some ridiculous lie. I had so many opportunities to tell you, but I was too scared. I'm so sorry, Tae." Jongin looked down and didn't look up when he knew everything had registered in Taemin's head. He didn't  look up when he felt the disappointment coming from his best friend. He didn't look up when his first tear hit the ground. He didn't look up on any of the hundreds coming after that. He didn't look up when he felt the sand begin to move, nor did he look up when a shoulder brushed past his. He didn't look up because in his shame and pity he didn't notice the menacing presence behind him. However, he did look up when a small, muffled shriek and a whimper of pain filled the air, alerting him to danger. Only when he realized that although Taemin was nowhere to be seen, that there was no possible way he could have left the scene that quickly, did the thought of the demon following him overwhelm him. Jongin sank to his knees slowly as he silently, then verbally cursed himself in every way possible. No more tears fell to the ground. There were no tears left to fall out of his inflamed eyes. The boy shook his head and collapsed in a heap of clothing, wishing to never wake up.

On the side a woman with eyes filled with blackness, an utter darkness that couldn't be explained accurately in words held a small, fragile boy completely still as everything occurred. Only after Jongin collapsed did the woman speak to him. Her voice sounded like it was layered with 15 different pitches and it was the definition of eerie. "Dear, dear Taemin. Jongin couldn't save you. It is just as I promised. You are next. Nothing will stop me." His mother began laughing in the way the bad guys in movies do, but instead of being comical, the sound is ominous and radiates imminent death. Taemin whimpers again and looks back at the heap of breathing bones and fabric, the only person that could have saved him, knowing that nothing could be done for him now. If he ever saw the beach that was once full of happy memories again, all of the memories would be erased, and all that would be left is dreams and flashes of what had passed littering every landscape and every human. Taemin looked up at the dark sky. He wished all of it was over before it even started.