Lay found himself in bed the next day, with no recollection of leaving Xiumin’s room nor of Luhan leaving his own. It was only the second day and the wretched place was already driving him crazy.

Wait . . .

He had dreamt of something odd, or maybe interesting, but he could remember nothing of it, other than an unsettling feeling. But both the lack of memory and feeling of unease were beginning to become part of Lay’s everyday life.

But still . . .

A light rapping on the door shook him out of his thoughts and he dragged himself out of bed, wondering if he would always be receiving unsolicited visitors.

Heaving a sigh, Lay cracked the door open and was met by the tall awkward man. “Good morning!” the man said. “I’m Chanyeol, in case you’ve forgotten – there were a lot of introductions yesterday, it’s understandable – but anyway, and related to that, I thought we could meet in the living room and get to know each other better! And I -”

Lay held up a hand, stopping the torrent of words coming out of the other man’s mouth. It was clear he was nervous, but he tried so hard. He tried, Lay had to give him that, even though Lay wasn’t sure why he tried.

“Okay,” he said. Chanyeol’s hopeful eyes lit up like a little child. “Just give me a few minute. You can go on to the others.”

~ ~ ~

In the room, Lay glanced at the number eighteen still projected on the wall, before joining Xiumin, who was speaking with Chen. Or rather, Chen was speaking and Xiumin was listening, nodding every so often. As Lay neared the duo, he could hear Chen say, “ –and haven’t you thought about how weird it is?”

“What’s weird?” Lay asked by way of greeting.

Both looked over and Xiumin smiled. “This, everything!” Chen exclaimed, opening his arms wide. “Why are we so obedient?” he questioned. “Why isn’t anyone throwing a fit or doing anything? Why are we all just sitting around like this is normal?”

“We’re actually standing around,” Lay interjected. Xiumin snickered but Chen continued on over him.

“Hell, has anyone even tried to escape yet?”

“Have you?” a new voice said. Lay glanced up to see Kris approaching the group. His blonde hair was styled upwards -- not a single flyaway could be seen -- just like yesterday, making him seem put-together, confident and in control.

Chen closed his mouth and grimaced.

“But I have,” Kris said. Lay raised an eyebrow. “There’s only one door in this building that leads to the outside and the doorknob is fake. Painted on.”

Lay raised his other eyebrow and shared a look with Xiumin. They had found the door during their walk the day before, but Lay was certain the doorknob had been real, but merely locked. He didn’t question Kris though, not with the other’s tendency to glare at Lay.

“And Kai has definitely been trying to get away too,” Kris added. “I saw him trying to open the windows.”

“Kyungsoo told me he has schizophrenia,” Xiumin supplied.

Chen sniffed at that comment. “That boy is the only interesting thing in this house,” he said and walked away to join Baekhyun.

“I don’t remember him being such an ,” Lay said.

Xiumin grunted, but Kris asked, “What do you mean you don’t remember?”

“Huh?”

Kris studied him for too long of a moment before letting out a deep sigh and leaving. Confused, Lay turned to Xiumin.

“Don’t ask me,” Xiumin said before Lay could open his mouth. Lay promptly shut his mouth and rolled his eyes.“Let’s go sit down,” he said, leading Lay to the couch near the room’s entrance.

After a few minutes, all twelve of them were settled in the room, some in chairs, some sitting on the ground. Tao and Sehun were in a heated discussion on the other couch, opposite Xiumin and Lay. Kai sat next to Chanyeol, far from Kyungsoo.

“They’re roommates,” Xiumin whispered.

Lay jumped and glared when his companion chuckled. “Who?”

“Kai and Chanyeol.”

“How did you know?”

Xiumin smirked. “I know everything,” he said smugly, answering both of Lay’s questions. “And I know you want to know more. Tao and Sehun share the room across from mine.”

“They seem to be much closer now,” Lay commented.

“Yeah, good for them. Let’s see, who’s left? Baekhyun, Chen and Suho are in the room across from mine. Kris is on the other side, all by himself,” the elder finished.

“You’re scary.”

“I’m observant,” Xiumin corrected.

Chanyeol stood and cleared his throat, directing their attention to him. “Umm . . .” he began eloquently. “I think we should play some icebreaker games.”

Baekhyun snorted. “What are we, five?”

The tall man reddened. “No . . . I just think we should get comfortable with each other,” he defended himself. “And then it’ll be easier to, uh, to figure out what’s going on.”

“Yeah, sure, let’s do it,” Xiumin said, and Chanyeol shot him a grateful look.

“So what games should we play?” Chen asked in a mocking tone.

“Never have I ever?” Chanyeol proposed, voice trailing upwards. Baekhyun snorted again and Lay wanted to slap that pretty face.

“It might help some regain memories,” Suho said.

The rest of the group dutifully began playing the game and although Chen turned out to be an , Lay couldn’t stop thinking of what he said. Really, why were they so obediently sitting around, playing a game – “never have I ever ed in my mom’s bathroom” (ten fingers go down and Luhan smiles proudly) –and joking around? Why did everyone seem only mildly confused at waking up in this strange building?

ing hell.

This makes no ing sense. This –

“Boo!”

“Holy ing !” Lay yelped, nearly jumping out of his skin. He refocused to find the entire room laughing.

“Your turn,” Luhan said, cackling.

Lay scowled at the other man and pushed away his thoughts, although his questions only intensified at the immaturity. “Uh . . .” he racked his brains, trying to remember something, “ . . . never have I ever used a gun,” he said without thinking.

His words shocked himself, but not many others had similar reactions. Only Suho and Chen put down a finger, while Kai was staring down at his lap.

“You’ve all used a gun before?” Lay asked, more than surprised. Xiumin shrugged

 “It’s not that big of a deal, you know,” Baekhyun told him, smirking.

“It just depends on what you use it for,” Sehun added.

“Yup, very true,” Luhan said. Lay nodded, though he didn’t really understand.

“Yeah, well anyway, my turn!” Baekhyun said, smiling at Suho, who only had one finger left. Slowly and deliberately, he said, “Never have I ever been ran over by a car, and survived.”

Suho visibly paled, his pallor turning ashen gray. But before Lay could form a thought, a choked gurgle sounded in the room.

“Chanyeol, are you okay?” Kris asked the man beside him.

Lay saw Suho sag a little in relief, before glancing over at Chanyeol in concern.

“Y-yeah,” the man stammered.

“What’s wrong with you?” Baekhyun snapped.

Chanyeol jumped at the demand. “I- uh, lost.”

“You survived getting run over too?”

“No!” Chanyeol exclaimed. “I mean, I forgot to put my finger down last round. I never used a gun before, I forgot, so I lost, right?”

Obviously, there was something amiss, but Lay didn’t have time to dwell on it. Baekhyun let out an exasperated curse before turning towards the other man. “Suho dear,” he cooed in a voice that made even Kai look up in alarm.

Beads of perspiration had formed on Suho’s forehead and Lay wondered if it was too dramatic of a reaction. Until the man choked out, “S-sorry.”

Baekhyun smirked and walked over to the shaking man. “Even if all my memories are wiped clean, I can still remember the face of the driver who hit me. I can never forget you, even in death.”

Suho backed away, the chair screeching against the floor. Lay winced at the sound, but it wasn’t as bad as Baekhyun’s laugh. “You can’t imagine how happy I was to see you yesterday. I’m glad you didn’t forget me either. What do you say we do now that we’ve reunited, hmm?”

He leaned down, waiting for a response.

“It must be a coincidence,” Xiumin stated, shattering the stillness. Baekhyun’s head snapped up to glare at him and Suho took the moment to bolt out of the room. To where, Lay couldn’t guess, especially since he shared a room with Baekhyun.

Baekhyun took a deep breath and composed himself. The fierce bloodthirsty hatred in his eyes were gone and he looked like the annoying yet harmless man he was before, but Lay couldn’t shake the image away. “Well, we’re all stuck here. The days are still long,” he said mildly, returning to his seat.

Chanyeol’s little game died off after that and everyone left the room with heavy thoughts. Xiumin went to “explore” and sent Lay back to his room alone. He thought he had enough life-or-death drama for the day.

But of course not.

As he walked down the hallway, he ran into Kai. Or rather, Kai ran straight at him, latched onto his arm and refused to let go.

“K-Kai?”

The boy looked up at him and Lay was frozen by the eyes full of urgency and despair. “Please save me,” he whispered.

“What?”

“He hits me. He hits me so hard and it hurts. Everywhere hurts all the time,” Kai whimpered. “Save me.”

“Uh, uh-” Lay stammered, not sure what to do with the boy.

“Promise me!” Kai demanded.

Lay’s eyes widened at the sudden ferocity. “Yes, yes!” he replied. With that answer, Kai’s body relaxed, before going still. “Umm . . .” Lay uttered awkwardly, but then Kai was sprinting down the hall and turning at the corner. “Kai!” he called, but the other was already gone.

Footsteps sounded in the other direction and Lay turned around to see Kyungsoo.

“Hello, Lay,” the man greeted with a polite smile.

Lay fidgeted, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Hi.”

“Have you seen my Kai?”

It was obvious who the “he” Kai had mentioned was.  Lay didn’t know what to do and decided to go with the truth. “We talked for a little bit and then he ran off.”

“Ah,” Kyungsoo mused. “I hope he wasn’t too much of a bother.”

“No, no,” Lay quickly said. “I just worry about him, a little.”

Kyungsoo nodded understandingly. “He has delusions, terrifying ones at times too, but it’s all made up. Don’t take it to heart,” he told Lay, patting the other on the shoulder.

“Uh, okay,” was the only thing Lay could say.

“I’ll be off now. Do let me know if he bothers you again,” Kyungsoo said, walking away. “I’ll take care of it.”

Lay waited until Kyungsoo was out of his vision before cursing himself. He walked quickly back to his room, hoping that if he was fast enough, he could make it before running into anyone else. He wasn’t sure what those exchanges meant exactly, but he swore they happened just to with his mind.

“This is so ing ed up,” he muttered as he flung himself onto the bed, hoping to sleep the ery away.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He walks down the street, a light bounce in his step, high off adrenaline from his last job. A boy sprints past him, running into his shoulder. Pissed, Lay spins around, grabbing the boy by the arm. “Don’t you have eyes?” His mouth drops open. “Kai?!”

The boy, face bruised but still recognizable, scowls and pries his arm out of Lay’s grip. What the ? “Kai?” Lay asks again. “What –”

The boy narrows his eyes. “It’s Jongin. Don’t you remember me?” Kai says, chuckling bitterly. “But of course you don’t,” he mumbles to himself.

“I- I don’t understand,” Lay stammers. “I-“

Kai suddenly crumples down onto the ground, a howling sob tearing out of him. Lay follows him down, panic and alarm taking over. “Kai! Kai!” he exclaims, trying frantically to soothe the boy. “What’s wrong?”

“You said you would protect me!” the boy cries. Lay falls back as the street shimmers and wavers. The world zooms in and out of focus and Kai’s voice is faraway but piercing in his hysterical ravings. “But Master gave me away! I was only six but your father served me on a silver platter to be eaten by the devil. Wrapped in a pretty bow and choked to death!” He bares his neck and an angry red gash forms. Lay can see the bodiless hands wrapping around that fragile neck. “Your mother told him to stop gambling, but he lost me anyway and he didn’t care! How could he? How could you?”

He suddenly breaks off, falls silent, and the world is thrown into darkness. Lay crawls onto his knees and peers at the boy. Streaks of tears glow and Kai is a little child, innocent and broken. “Kill him. Promise me,” he implores and Lay finds himself drowning in the dark abyss. “Promise me you’ll take revenge and kill him.”

“Yes,” Lay answers.

Yes, of course. Yes, he must. Yes,

Kill him.

is this fic too confusing or too boring? why does no one love me? please comment >u<