A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Chapter 9: The Night Sky

Son Naeun’s POV

                                I slept that night, alone on my own bed. My last memory before drifting to sleep is the peaceful look on Eunji as she was sleeping tight on her bed, her face glowing under the moonlight, if there is, otherwise I would wonder how I was able to see her face in the dark. When I woke up, things were harder and more complicated. I woke up in a different room, no, I don’t even know if I changed room. I’m not sure but with no Eunji or her bed around, I think someone must’ve transferred me in another, tinier room. That wasn’t all for I noticed a paper stuck on my grip when I woke up in the middle of the night, and the note was not reassuring enough.

                “For the safety of you and everyone else, please don’t leave your rooms.”

                Reading a note like that that came out of nowhere just means that something will go wrong, and something IS wrong. You know how horror stories would tell you that lesson. When someone tells you don’t look, don’t look. Because the moment you’ll turn your head, it’s either you get killed or die of fear. I think it goes the same for the note. I shouldn’t leave my room for safety…

                But without Eunji, I don’t think I would ever be safe anyway.

                So being the stupid heroine of this story, I left my room. Yep. A smart move from my brainless head.

                Not like what I expected though, no hallways welcomed me as I stepped outside. Instead, I found myself outside, under the twinkling stars and the bright moon.

                Wait… That’s wrong. I lifted my head and looked around, for a sign of the house I’m in but to no avail. All I can see is the door I went inside in…

                Just then the realization hit me. I wasn’t technically outside. I’m just in another room decorated like the outside. Above the ceiling and the upper part of the walls are the dark blue evening sky filled with stars and constellations that were lined out to figure out what they were. The big dipper was there, along with Orion and Draco and such. The moon looks more artsier than normal but it was bright, at least. On the lower part were trees painted in the walls and on the floor was a design of a path and some grass for an overall effect.

                Definitely something was wrong but I didn’t mind it a bit. I’ve seen dead bodies and people killing them. I should expect at least half of that… right?

                It was at that moment I reached the end of the path, into another door, and into another room. The room was different that time… as it was dark and gloomy. No, it wasn’t a room… it was a dark hallway…

                I found myself walking and walking until I found some light. I thought it was light bulb finally but I was greeted by a large window that reaches up in the ceiling, about ten feet tall. Outside was dark as well, with only a tree that I could see… And a hanging chair swinging on the branches. I wanted to believe that it was the wind that makes it swing… but the air was humid enough to even think of that idea…

                At least the light from the outside, from the real moon this time, helps me figure out something around me. The walls were made with bricks, black bricks, and another way was shown on the opposite direction.

                I badly want to say something but nothing came out of my mouth.

                Instead, my eyes noticed something hanging above. Half of my instinct says that it must be another body hanging… but it wasn’t. There are no bodies, no one there. It was just a rope… Oh wait, ropes are something really bad on movies… still, I reached out for it, holding it tightly before pulling it down. And at the same time, a hanging staircase appeared right before me, a staircase leading to the upper floor….

                It was dark above and I was contemplating if I should go or not. Should I, or should I not…?

                I was about to take a step up, when suddenly…

                “YAH!!!!” I screamed when I felt a cold hand drape on my shoulders. I was about to scream more if it weren’t for the person’s hand covering my mouth. “Son Naeun, you better shut up or else we’ll both get killed!”

                I shut up as he said and composed myself. Whispering, I asked him. “Lee Taemin, what are you doing here???”

                “I woke up on my bed with a note saying I shouldn’t leave the room that’s why I left. Simple as that.”

                “Just that?”

                He nodded, although I can vaguely see it on the darkness. “I was lead somewhere here until I heard something. I guess it was the staircase creaking so I came to take a look then I found you. Have you seen everyone else?”

                “No…” I muttered lowly.

                “I think Yoon Bomi is with Park Chorong by now. Kim Namjoo and Oh Hayoung is missing, I can’t find them on their rooms anymore. Solar vanished just the same… Choi Minho probably is sleeping soundly on his room.”

                “How about that other guy? You know the one you still haven’t spoken of?”

                “Oh that guy… Hmmmm… probably sleeping too. He’s too greedy for his own liking; let him die in his sleep… Now should we go upstairs?”

                I didn’t know what to say, I’m pretty sure Eunji would be upset knowing I am hanging out with this guy, but Taemin was the one who showed up when I needed help so… Trusting him a bit, I took another step up the stairs to view what’s there. It led to a door less doorframe and inside seems like a storage room filled with dirty and dusty boxes and such. Lee Taemin found a small torchlight along the way and lighted it up, but to no avail since there weren’t much on it. No, there was a small door on the side, a small door I could barely get into…

                Taemin was about to open it up but when he was about to touch the doorknob, someone suddenly spoke.

                “Don’t.” She said, “Don’t even dare open up that door… Let’s go the other way…”

                “E-eunji unnie!” I screamed in relief as I saw her figure on the barely lit up device Taemin was holding. I guess I was so relieved I ended up hugging her tight in my arms. Now that I think of it, it was so embarrassing but all my worries went away when I felt her arms hugging me back tightly too, and she pecked my forehead on the dark. Trust me that was enough to assure me completely, knowing that she was finally here.

                “Are you okay?” She asked as she pulled away and caressed my hair that I nodded with a small smile.

                “I was scared when I woke up and you weren’t on the room anymore… I went out and found Taemin along the way…”

                She just nodded her head and faced Taemin, “Let’s go the other way, there’s something I saw… You should see it…”

                Taemin had a questioning look, as if he’s asking me something from a three meter distance. I just shrugged, feeling Eunji unnie’s hand holding my hand tightly in the dark. We followed her in another hallway and led us to another room. When light was lacking earlier, I felt like I’m in heaven that moment… or probably a research facility due to the glass fragments lined up on the sides, on the ceiling and on the floor. Some pale blue light was one and all I can see in the other side of the glass were something like rings….

                “What is this, Eunji unnie?” I asked. Taemin were on the side, knocking on the glass once and stepped back, hoping that it wouldn’t break.

                “A collection…”

                “Collection?”

                “It’s a collection of rings, Miss Son Naeun who seem to not know anything… wait, is it the collection of the collector who invited us in this auction?”

                Eunji’s face didn’t show any expression and just nodded slightly… “Yep. One of his collections, I suppose.”

                “One of his collections?” I asked cluelessly…

                Only when Eunji unnie dragged me outside into another door that I realized what he meant. The moment we got out, I found myself in a lobby and circular staircase circling us around. Every step is another door, like the one we just go out in.

                “All the doors lead to another collection…” Eunji unnie muttered as she took three steps in the staircase.

                We did check some of the rooms out. Some were too cute, too classy… and some are just too… scary…

                “Butcher knives…” Taemin muttered as we got inside a room filled with hundreds of assortments of butcher knives. I don’t even have to look to know how sharp it could be. Maybe even just a touch would cut your finger… And I was right.

                “Eunji unnie, you are bleeding…” I noticed as I saw her finger touch a blade. She took it out and sighed, about to wipe it away when I took her hand and it to take the blood away. I saw Taemin oppa make a face but I just ignored him. Eunji unnie didn’t.

                “Can you check the other room, Lee Taemin?” She asked.

                “I’m not your minion, Jung Eunji… Do you expect me to abide on your words… If we separate now, we may never meet again…”

                “JUST GO, please. We’ll follow right after…” Eunji somehow shouted. “Or are you too scared to?”

                Taemin threw his arms in the air in frustration, “Fine… But I’ll call your names out loud if I found something wrong. Take your romantic time for a while, although this place isn’t…”

                I blushed on his words and as he left, I grew even redder, realizing I was alone now with her.

                “It’ll be better soon.” I muttered, letting go of her fingers and looking down, which wasn’t much of a help since I’m taller than her and she could see my expressions easily. She just nodded her head in silence. It was another thirty seconds or so when she spoke.

                “Naeun-ah… whatever will happen tonight, I want you to not make it a dark memory in your mind… It will eat you alive and break your heart, if ever…”

                “W-what do you mean, Eunji unnie…”

                “I was in the dark for the past two years upon the same memory… seeing my best friend die before me was the worse. The school was just covering up on her death, and her body found at school… I was the one who placed her body there… to give at least a reason for her death, and so people won’t in the matter as much.”

                “What are you talking about now Eunji unnie? Is this about Youngsun-ssi? Is it because your lover died in a place like this too?”

                Her expression was hard to read as she looked through my eyes. All she can do was voice out my name helplessly. “Naeun-ah…”

                I was not able to speak anymore as she caressed my cheeks and planted a soft kiss on my nose. She kept the intimacy for a while; her face was just a few centimeters for a while.

                I was sure she was about to kiss me again, somehow I wished to land on my lips this time, when Taemin’s shout ruined out moment.

                “Jung Eunji! Son Naeun! You guys seriously have to check this out!” He screamed as he opened the door once again and saw us in that position. Being embarrassed enough for the past fifteen minutes, I pulled away quickly, leaving Eunji grinning a bit to herself.

                “Are you about to kiss earlier?” He asked stupidly in which I ignored and Eunji unnie just laugh at.

                Dragging Taemin’s collar, Eunji stepped out of the room to the next like nothing happened. Oh what a tease…

                Just then, the light atmosphere vanished as we went to the next…

                ‘Cause in there I saw Seolhyun’s body perfect frozen there, looking back at me blankly, as if she was dead and alive in the same way…

                Just then… I heard Park Chorong’s dolphin like scream…