Scream, Voldemin!

 

Drip! Drop! Drip! Drop!

 

I hear the sounds of the water dripping from the broken tap behind me, and swallowed fearfully. My mouth is already running dry so there’s nothing to swallow really, but it helps calm me… a bit. Despite how tall I am, at this certain moment, I tried to shrink as small as possible, clinging tightly to the life-saving warm body in front of me, as we move forward slowly in this dark, dark, dark place. I can barely see what’s around me with the mere flashlight from our phones. 

 

It’s cold. It’s stinky. It’s creepy. And I swear there’s something in here! My shoulders feel heavy and I’m having goosebumps all over my body!

 

I am not trembling. No, of course I’m not trembling!! 

 

Crack!

 

I gasped and snapped my head to the side, “What was that?!” My voice so did not shiver.

 

“Sorry, I think I just stepped on a wood piece or whatever.” I hear Akira, one of our dancer’s voice reach me. I exhaled in relief before Yunho-hyung suddenly stopped, causing me to bump straight into him. All of us stopped moving and kept quiet while hyung inspects the surroundings cautiously. 

 

“Hyung?” It seems like we arrived at a big hall, previously a cafeteria perhaps; there were broken tables and chairs. 

 

“Shhh… I think I saw something.” That does not sound reassuring at all… at all!!! 

 

How did we ended up here anyway?!

 

 

4 Hours Ago…

 

I stepped off the van and cringed as my eyes adjusted to the bright lights of the set up illumination for the shooting. We are at the front court of a wasted prison, one that was said to date all the way back to the second world war. I fully believe in that information seeing this is almost in the middle of nowhere in Japan, and the building across this wide dirt court screamed every bit of prison. The tall wire fences surrounding the area and the metal gates I remember the car passing through before we arrived also. 

 

I winced, a hand reaching to tug at Yunho-hyung’s sleeve. “Is this really necessary?” 

 

He tilted his head in confusion, “What do you mean, Changmin-ah?”

 

He started walking towards where the dancers grouped and I followed closely. “Do we have to film a dancing scene here? At 7 something pm?”

 

Someone laughed at a distance and I turned to see our music video director, as well as the director of the horror movie this music was going to be the theme song for. Nishino-san walked towards us as he continued chuckling, I think he heard my question. “Of course, Changmin-san! This song is going to be used as my new movie’s theme song! The music video should match perfectly with the movie too!” 

Yunho-hyung and I bowed slightly in greeting, my lips splitting into a nervous grin. “Couldn’t we have filmed this in the studio? With the set? Like the rest of the music video parts we filmed yesterday? It looks scary enough!” 

 

Yunho-hyung glanced at me and smirked knowingly. Damn it, he knows how much I’m scared of this kind of stuff! I actually wanted to reject the director when he said he wanted to take charge of the music video too. Who ever said that the music video of the theme song for a horror movie must be ‘horror-like’?! Or- Or, CG could make the background perfectly scary too! Avex has more than enough money for that! And that could take some off the budget for the ridiculous fairyland CG they planned to do for our other song. I huffed, seriously what do they think we are? Fairy godmothers? What kind of grown up male idols wears fluffy costumes with fake wings on their backs?!

 

“Why, Changmin-san, it is absolutely different if filmed at an actual place than on a fake set! The building, the details, the atmosphere, it all leaks onto the screen!” Nishino-san spreads his arms in emphasis. “Audiences register when the background is fake, and it decreases the intensity of the video and the song! The more realistic the video is, the more they feel!” 

 

There is nothing realistic about a music video to start with! Who the hell sings and dances at night in front of a wasted prison?! And with dancers dressed like they came back from the other world! God, they look scary. I shook my body after a quick glance at the bunch of dancers currently practicing the dance moves and the positions in the middle of the court. 

 

A heavy arm threw itself over my shoulder and I don’t need to see to know who it belongs, “Give up  already, Changmin-ah. It will be fine! Just don’t think too much.” 

 

Easy for him to say! I watched as Yunho-hyung walked away from me with the director heading to the dancers. I always feel like Yunho-hyung possibly has a lot of what people call the ‘yang qi’, and is the type that dirty things, yeah, those stuff, would avoid. I narrowed my eyes displeasingly, why can’t I be like him! I always feel ‘things’ in suspicious places! Now that I think of it, I feel like my body has become heavier…

 

“Changmin-ah!” Yunho-hyung’s voice snapped me out of my train of thoughts. He was signaling me to go over with his hand, and a look at my empty surroundings, I immediately obeyed and dashed over. 

 

 

2 Hours Later…

 

I turned away from the camera and maintained my posture for the final few seconds after the last two beats of the song. The area goes scarily dead quiet and we painstakingly waited for the director’s call. 

 

“Okay, and cut!” I exhaled the breath I held in, high-fiving with my leader-hyung and the dancers. Our assistant, Emi-chan, came over and held up a towel to ‘pat’ the sweat on my face and not damage my makeup. She passes me my phone and I know there would be new messages, but I’m too tired to check right now. The dancers fell into the chairs behind the filming crew, breathing heavily. I see Yunho-hyung checking the video with the director at the corner of my eye as I dragged my body to an open chair. Too tired to check. Yunho-hyung could do the job perfectly. I just hope his perfectionism doesn’t drive us for a reshoot. 

 

He nods and I relax further into my seat. Final dance shot finished. Phew~

 

The dance routines felt much more tiring because of the suspiciousness from this wasted prison, and I swear there are weighs on my shoulders! Every moment I made were performed with extra effort, and it’s seriously tiring!

 

The device in my hand buzzed, reminding me of its existence and the multiple messages waiting for my attention. 

 

Kyu-Line Bros:

 

KyuKyu>3

ShimChang! Buy me some famous whiskey when you come back from Japan!

 

Minhoooo-Pig

I want some Udon! 

 

Jonghyun-chan

Spaghetti please!

 

I smirked and typed, 

 

Kyu, some as in loads. What happened to the last few bottles I bought?

Minho-yah, go tell Google that. 

And Jonghyun, Italy welcomes you. Not Japan.

 

Hmph. 

 

“Changmin-san, would you like to change to the next set of clothes first?” The stylist asked me and I lifted my eyes, communicating my question nonverbally, ‘Next set?’

 

She smiled a little too widely at me and giggled at my expression, “Changmin-san, we have a last part of filming to do! Half-body lip-syncing shots!”

 

I widened my eyes at her, not believing I need to spend longer here. It’s already over 10! And didn’t we filmed those already?! As if she read my thoughts, she added further details to our stretched schedule. “The director found it more intriguing to re-film the shots right in front of the wire bars, and the broken windows and cracked walls. He even thought of going into the building and film the shots in the old prison cells…”

 

My jaw dropped to the ground and I pressed my palms along my cheek in horror. 

 

“But! The technicians told him it’s not possible to have enough lighting in there.” 

 

Thank god, no way I’m going in there! 

 

 

1 Hour and Half Later…

 

I sat in the car, waiting for my hyung, Emi-chan, and Akira chatting outside of the car. The last part of the filming had been quite quick, and not soon after, the set was packed away and the staff had drove away car by car. And why are we still here? Because our manager and our other assistant had walked off to somewhere and we are waiting for them.

 

The chatting outside changed in tone, Emi-chan sounded anxious and desperate. After a few pleas on her side, it became quiet and Yunho-hyung peeked his head in. “Changmin-ah!”

 

I unwillingly pulled an eye open, “What? Did you drop your couple key holder from Jaejoong-hyung into the toilet bowl again? I’m not going to get it for you.”

 

“No, not me this time. We are going inside! Emi-chan said she dropped a ring her late-grandmother passed on to her and she wants to find it back. Just stay here!”

 

My eyes snapped open, “I-inside? As in…” 

 

Yunho-hyung tilted his head in direction of the prison. “Inside the prison of course!” 

Why, oh why! “How is that possible? How did the ring get inside there?!” I did not shriek. 

 

My damn hyung smirked, “Emi-chan went to toilet with the others before they left.” Before they left?! That’s when there’s still near a hundred of people here! That’s when there’s still loads of light around this ‘cozy’ area!

 

“When are you guys gonna be back?” I tried my best to suppress the rising panic, but it seems like my all-Changmin-knowing-hyung noticed it anyway, and chuckled. 

 

I mustered my best glare at him. “I don’t know, Changmin-ah.” And narrowed my eyes threateningly, but he shook his head. “I really don’t know. Depends when we find the ring I guess. Maybe half an hour? An hour at most.” 

 

It would not take that long! “You’re exaggerating!” I pointed an accusing finger at him. Yunho-hyung chuckled some more and shrugged before turning away.

 

I feel cold sweat form on my forehead as I quickly ran through my options. 

 

Option one: stay here in the car alone, in this horrifying surrounding, and wait for everyone to return, for god knows how long. 

 

Option two: follow Yunho-hyung into that haunted building for god knows how long. 

 

Ah~~~ Either ways I’m stuck in this place for god knows how long, and being with someone at least beats being alone! 

 

“Yunho-hyung, wait!” I raced out of the car and ran to catch up with the trio, arms half-willingly clinging onto Yunho-hyung’s arm. Damn I feel like a scared little girl. With any pride and courage I have left in me tonight, I tried puffing my chest and hold my head high. 

 

Yunho-hyung laughed slightly. “Hyung!” I whined slightly, and then noticed a big problem. “Hyung? What about the flashlights?”

 

He lifted his other hand and I looked to see him waving his flashlight-lit-cellphone. My eyes popped out for the up-tenth time of the day. Complains are flowing up but it all gets stuck at my throat, leaving incoherent whimpers out into the air. Phones… phones?! Four people so four phones… that’s barely enough to see the front! What about all the other directions?!

 

Emi-chan flashed her phone up and my eyes followed the stray of light, swallowing uncomfortably.  Here is the door to the dungeons. 

 

The metal prison door screeched across the floor as Akira pulled it open, revealing a cube-area before the metal gates inside led to a seemingly endless dark channel. A shiver raced through me, heart, mind, and soul fully rejecting this awful building. I haven’t even go inside yet and I could already feel the weight on my shoulders!

 

Yunho-hyung tugged his arm, and started walking forward. I swallowed dryly, wrapping myself tightly around Yunho-hyung’s arm. 

 

“This is so wrong, we shouldn’t be here, dear souls we don’t mean to offend, just to pick up a ring, I’m so sorry, please don’t come out, please don’t bother us, I swear I will pray for all of you, I will—” 

 

“Shh!” Having enough of my almost-unconscious-mumblings, Yunho-hyung turned his head slightly towards me and shushed me. I can’t help it! I’m scared! There I admitted it! In my mind that is… Who knows what could’ve happened in this long channel?! Many people could’ve hit their heads to the walls and killed themselves! O god bless those souls. 

 

I glared back at him, at least I think it’s a glare. He sighed and turned away from me, focusing on the lightless corridor we were going through, but when I started mumbling again, he pulled me to walk in front of him, hands on my shoulders and pushing me forward, “Okay, okay, I’m sorry! I will stop!” 

 

He released me and immediately I went back to my original position — around his arm. A few seconds in front, I already felt like a part of soul has been in by the mysterious horror corridor. 

 

Devil-hyung! I glared at him again. He stopped, and I shivered. “What?” 

 

Yunho-hyung was inspecting his surroundings, and I feel that the next moment he would say something like “I heard something” or “I saw something”.

 

“So Emi-chan? Which side is the washroom?” It was then I realized we were at a crossroad. A flash of relief sparked and I too turned to Emi-chan. 

 

She was tapping her chin with her index finger, “Mmmm… I think… to the left.” 

 

“I think?” I questioned her doubtfully. I seriously cannot risk a ‘maybe’ in here. One uncertainty could easily get us all killed, murdered, slaughtered by thousands of sinful ghosts!

 

Emi-chan flinched at my tone. Yunho-hyung patted my head and stepped to the left, “Okay, left it is then.” 

 

“Hyung!” He shrugged, “We don’t know where it is anyway, could only follow her instructions.”

 

“Even if she isn’t sure?” I beg to differ. We could go back, wait for flashlight, or best, wait for tomorrow till we come search again, and then I could risk a small tiny chance of walking under this building for slightly longer than needed. 

 

Yunho-hyung nodded and pulled me forward strongly. A door awaited us at the end of the left aisle; a scary old white-painted metal door. Yunho-hyung pushed the door open and it creaked open, allowing me a first glance of the wide, pitch-black hall. 

 

Big space, big doom. Oh, no. 

 

“Minnie, I know you’re scared but you need to either walk in or let us go in, and not block the entrance.” 

 

“I’m not scared!” I refuted all too quickly. Yunho-hyung rolled his eyes and pushed me away from the doorway to walk in, but then pulling me in since I was still holding onto his arm. 

 

“Whatever you say~” He sang aloud. The sound echoed in the hollow room, coming back at us three tones lower. 

 

“Hyung, please don’t sing!” He laughed and the echo sounded so much worse I feel cold sweat running down my back and neck. “Or laugh either…”

 

“This is a bit scary…” Emi-chan whispered. Akira nodded in agreement, “Not just a little…” Now there’s someone that feels me!

I was tugged forward suddenly, a soft baritone calmly spoke, “There’s a door on the right side at the back!”

 

Please tell me I didn’t hear any hint of excitement from his voice.

 

But my stupid hyung didn’t give me any chance to ask before he held a tight grasp of my elbow and pulled my straight forward, heading directly for the door. 

 

“Ouch!” Akira gasped. We paused in our steps and see him rubbing his left thigh. “I think I bumped into something.” 

 

Goosebumps quickly sprang all out my body. Something? Something?!

 

Yunho-hyung reached to the left of Akira and touched a surface, “It’s a table. Hmmm… I think this use to be the cafeteria.” 

 

I winced involuntarily, wrapping myself around Yunho-hyung’s other arm again.

 

Emi-chan looked around and softly said, “Yeah, when I went in here earlier, there were tables and chairs everywhere.” 

 

My eyes got used to the dark and I was able to see what she was talking about, but that only worsened my fear. “The tables and chairs are a mess! Like a huge fight happened here! Look around more and there might be bones from the sorry souls that died from this fight!” 

 

Yunho-hyung raised his eyebrows at me while the other two’s face visually paled. 

 

“N-No way! I didn’t see any of that when I came here last time!” Emi-chan reasoned. 

 

“Did you even look clearly? You might have actually saw it but thought it was one other of these chairs!” That completely took the color off Akira’s face. Yunho-hyung smacked me on my head lightly and glared at me in warning. Stop scaring them! 

 

I glared back. I’m not trying to scare them! I’m just saying what I think in my mind! 

 

He sighed in defeat and turned to head to the door again, me quickly following beside him. “At least we’re now sure that this is the right way, since Emi-chan remembers being here before.” 

 

Emi-chan nodded. Then Akira, beside her, asked, “Could you lead the way then?”

 

Emi-chan stepped forward till she was slightly in front of Yunho-hyung. We went through a few more passageway and crossroads, turned a few corridors, and finally arrived in front of a large open-door that was labeled “Washroom” in black strong letters on top. 

 

Yunho-hyung began walking in and I tugged him back immediately. “It’s so dark in there! I don’t want to go in!”

 

Akira scoffed at me and said, “Its dark everywhere in here!”

 

I narrowed my eyes at him. He’s going to die painfully once we’re out of here! I’m only keeping him now because, well, the more the less scarier. 

 

“How about you stay here and we go in then?” I snapped my head back to Yunho-hyung. He did not just suggest that. 

 

“No way! I don’t want to stay here alone!” My arms reached around to hug his whole body. He merely patted my head and slowly pulled away from me, “You’re not alone. Akira is staying here with you too!” 

 

“He might as well not be! There’s no difference! He’s scared too! And I’m sure he would run away faster than me when something happens!” I desperately clawed at my precious hyung to no avail. I could feel Akira’s hard stare on me but what, it’s the truth!

 

“Just give us a minute, alright? We will be back very soon.” Yunho-hyung held his arm out for Emi-chan to hug onto and walked into the horror washroom. 

 

Hmph! I’m going to tell Jaejoong-hyung about this! 

 

Rrrrrrrrr… I jumped at the vibrations from the phone I held in my hand as flashlight. 

 

“H-hello?” I whispered into the phone. Suddenly, the scenes of ‘The Ring’ flashed through my mind, along with the famous phone-call line, ‘You will die in 7 days…’

 

“Changminnie!” An all to familiar chirp rang from the other side of the line and I breathed out in relief.

 

“Yeah?” I sounded normal enough, right? I see Akira looking at me and I mouthed to him, ‘a friend’. Not like I can tell him I’m talking with our infamous duckbutt-hyung. I’m happy he called though. His voice is soooo unfitting with this prison I’m stuck in right now, it relieves me.

 

“You will die in 7 days…” A raspy voice dragged. My eyes widened and I screamed, phone still pressed to my ear, bringing Akira to scream along with me too.

 

The voice on the other line started laughing, and I calmed down almost instantly, “Hyung!” 

 

Akira fell to the ground in fright and looked at me incredulously. “What the hell?”

 

I ignored him and continued scolding my idiotic hyung, “Why did you do that? You scared me!” 

 

“Eukyangkyangkyang. I heard from Jaejoong-hyung that you guys were filming at a wasted prison today! Just thought I should scare you! Payback for all your evil-doings!” He sounded way too happy for my liking. That’s it, he’s next on the black-list after I survive out of this prison!

 

“Not funny, hyung!”

 

“Eukyangkyang. So how was the prison?” I scoffed. 

 

“Not good! Very not good! We’re still stuck in it!” What is taking Yunho-hyung so long?

 

“Still? Whooo~~~~ Watch the ghosts~~ They are coming at you!”

 

“Hyung! Stop it!” I need to take back what I said previously. I am so not relieved nor happy that he called. 

 

Junsu-hyung started laughing again and I glared at the wall in front of me, willing to strangle the stupid dolphin. “Did you just call to tease me? I’m hanging up!”

 

The duckbutt chuckled some more, “No no, I called to tell you I just arrived in Japan for my fanmeet tomorrow! We could meet up tomorrow after that for dinner or something!”

 

“Tell me that when tomorrow comes.” Seriously, why isn’t Yunho-hyung back by now?! I tried looking into the black room he is in, getting on tiptoes and hoping to see him. 

 

“Oh, come on Changmin-ah! We could—” The line began to falter and I panicked. 

 

“Hyung?”

 

“Ch-Changmi—” And the line was cut off. I was about to scream again but uneasily held it in, until a hand tapped on my shoulder and I did scream this time. 

 

“Changmin!” I stopped to see Yunho-hyung and Emi-chan covering their ears.

 

“Oh… hehe… sorry.” I apologized wholeheartedly, knowing how high-pitched and ear-piercing my screams are. 

 

Yunho-hyung sighed and we started walking back out again, Emi-chan flashing her diamond ring cheerfully to Akira and me. 

 

“What were you screaming about? When we were still in the washroom. That frightened us!” With a hand to her chest to emphasize her point, Emi-chan asked accusingly. 

 

“Nothing, just a prank a friend of mine played when he called me. Oh, that reminds me!” I pulled at Yunho-hyung’s arm. “The line suddenly got cut off! It faltered in the middle and then boo… boo… boo…” I re-enacted the sounds after the call got cut off. 

 

“Some force in here doesn’t want us to connect with the outer world!” I threw up my arms only for my hyung to whack my arm, “Stop being ridiculous.”

 

“Yeah Changmin, we are walking out of here already. It wasn’t that scary!” Akira laughed at me. He was scared too! He screamed when I screamed!

 

I was about to stab back when Yunho-hyung suddenly stopped and I turned to see a hall we’ve never seen before. 

 

“Wait, where are we?” Oh no! A bell rung in my mind and I jumped to splay myself against Yunho-hyung’s back, clinging onto him for dear life. 

 

“I think we turned a wrong corner while we were talking…” Emi-chan hid herself behind a pale-faced Akira. Look who’s scared now!

 

“Let’s walk back.” The dancer said, and made motion to turn back around but Yunho-hyung stopped him. “Wait. We don’t know which corner we turned wrong so we wouldn’t know how to go back either. We might get even further lost.”

 

“I’m sure we were at least heading out, in the direction of the main door. Maybe we are just going through a different route.” Emi-chan whispered. We stayed still for a few seconds, then the female warrior stepped forward, “Let’s continue walking!”

 

To show her determined will, she firstly entered the unknowing hall, the rest of us tailing quickly behind. 

 

So we kept walking, and walking, and then here we are. Tired, annoyed, and scared, standing in the middle of yet another unknown hall. The sounds of water dripping from a broken tap echoed, forming a frighteningly calm melody, a requiem.

 

“Hyung…” I hid behind Yunho-hyung, heated tears fighting to come out.

“There! Light!” Emi-chan promptly called out. We looked in the direction where her finger pointed and indeed saw two spots of bright light flashing. We all stopped and Yunho-hyung guarded in front of me. We all tensed up, ready to flee or scream when needed. 

 

“Yunho! Changmin!” Our manager’s voice sounded and we all broke into a smile. 

 

“Daiki! Jiro!” I gasped as they walked to us. 

 

“We were wondering why you guys took so long so we came in! Come on guys! It’s over midnight already! Let’s go!” They turned around and with the bright flashlights they brought with them, I feel so much more secure. Nevertheless, I still clung to Yunho-hyung.

 

“But, how did you guys know we are here?” I questioned as we walked out of the hall.

 

“Yunho texted me beforehand.” Daiki, our manager said as-matter-of-factly. I sent a thumbs up at hyung. 

 

Now we can finally go home. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

My phone beeped on my bed, signaling a message. 

 

I picked up my phone, towel still drying my hair. 

 

From: Squeaky Duckbutt Dolphin

Sorry Changmin-ah, 

The call got cut-off when we went into the underground tunnel.

And then I was too lazy to call back~ Kuku.

I texted hyung about tomorrow already.

He said he will arrange a restaurant! 

See you then ^^

 

I frowned at the message. So I was just imagining things in the prison!

 

However, once the picture of the whole crew was printed, Changmin screamed at the half-transparent extra people he didn’t recognize, dressed in old prisoners wear, filling up the entire picture. Every blank space, yes, even the space right beside and in front of the center TVXQ HoMin pair.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just something that popped in my mind when I first head "Scream", the TVXQ song that was the theme song for Sadako 2. I never got to complete it, but I returned to it a few days ago so, here it is!