*unedited*

Kyungsoo

I scratch the paint that was peeling off the metal table as I listen to Jongin’s whispers of what other inmates were gossipping about. Sehun’s eyes were full of curiosity as Jongin continues to ramble on.

“They’re hiring more workers, I’ve heard.” He says, voice low and barely audible.
 

“Which means it’ll be harder to get out of here if there are double the amount of guards,” Sehun concludes and Jongin nods as confirmation. “I don’t think that’ll be much of a problem, though. The group I’m in will find out a way to get us out.”

Unintentionally, a sigh escapes me and grabs the duo’s attention. I look up when I feel their gazes on me and purse my lips together.

“Something wrong, Soo?” Jongin asks, eyebrows furrowed—an indication that he was worried. “Not feeling well, again?”
 

“I’m fine, don’t worry.” I dismiss his concern with a wave my hand and turn to Sehun. “How can you be so sure that your friends will come to our—no, your—rescue?”

His eyes harden, “because they’re my friends, like you said. The leaders took me and my sister in when we were young and have raised us ever since. We’re practically family. And if I know anything about family, it’s that no one is left behind.”

Sehun finishes the last of his words and stands up from the table’s bench, storming off to stand next to the fence. I shake my head and look over at Jongin who is still wearing his concerned expression.
 

“What?” I ask and he shrugs.

“Just let the kid have some hope.” He says, resting his cheek atop his closed fist. “It’s the only thing getting him by. We were like that before, too.”

“Yeah, before.” I repeat. “We don’t have much hope left to hold onto when they’re bumping up their forces and workers. There’ll be a guard assigned to each of our rooms before we even know it.”

Jongin reaches over to pat my shoulder, a gesture he’s been doing often lately whenever I begin to talk negatively.

“We’re going to be fine, Kyungsoo. I know you don’t believe Sehun about his rescuing team, but I kind of do.”
 

It wasn’t that I didn’t believe the kid—it was the opposite, actually—it’s just I couldn’t bring myself to bring back the hope I once had. I clung to the idea of someone fighting their way in here to take me away from this hellhole but once a week passed and I was still in that white-walled room, my wishing and hoping began to die off. The only wishes I had these days were tied to hoping I wouldn’t get experimented on.

“He misses his friends and his sister.” Jongin continues on with a shrug. “All of us do.”

“Not all of us,” I mumble.

“What about your freedom, then? You’re missing that, aren’t you?” I glare at him as he grins, knowing he struck a chord in me. “Exactly. We all have something we’re missing and imagining there’s a way out of here is the only thing we have that helps us get through the day.”

“You’re annoying.”
 

“Annoyingly right.” Jongin counters and I roll my eyes. He then nods in Sehun’s direction, “go talk to him.”

“Ugh.”

I grudgingly get up from my seat and trudge over to the tall boy who’s now picking at a fingernail, back pressed against the fence. Once I’m closer, Sehun looks up at me and raises a questioning eyebrow.

“So,” I my lips, searching for something to say.

“Yes?”
 

“Tell me more about your friends and how they’ll get us out of here.”

Sehun’s eyes brighten at my words and I allow myself to smile as he begins to explain what he thinks they’ll be coming up with.

␛␛␛

Social Hour was over and I’m now back in my ‘room’, unsure of whether or not I should try to sleep the rest of the day away. After some contemplating, I decide it’s best to do that considering I won’t have anything else to do other than daydream.

I walk over to my bed and lay down, not bothering to cover myself with the scratchy sheets. I’m in the midst of pressing my head against the pillow when my door opens. I immediately sit up, a sense of nausea hitting me from how fast I moved. I resist bringing a hand to my head when I notice who is at my door. A guard. A nurse.

My heart feels as though it’s dropped to where my gut is when I realize why they’re here. Again.

“Subject 12, it’s a pleasure to see you again.” The nurse from the other day greets me. “Once again, you have been generously chosen to undergo our procedures for this evening.”

My eyes tightly shut when the guard forcefully grabs my wrists to put them in handcuffs. He grabs my shoulder and pulls me to my feet before pushing me out the door and down the hall.

“My, my, you are quite the popular one amongst your kind.” The Nurse comments as she’s swiping her card against the reader. “It’s only been a few days and you’re already back to it. You’re a real soldier, you know.”

, I bitterly think. She seems to know what I’m thinking because she widely grins, obnoxiously showing her pearly whites.

Instead of bringing me to the room I was in before, we walk past its door and go further down the hall. A sense of fear washes over me as we pass multiple doors, almost all of them bearing the sign ‘IN USE’. A sudden scream emits from one of the rooms and I jump, almost bumping into the guard. I thank the Gods for not letting me because it would have resulted in a beating.

A few feet away from us, there is another Nurse standing in front an opened door. He is bearing a small smile with his arms behind his back.

“I’m afraid I won’t be tending to you today, Subject 12.” Spawn of Satan says with a fake tone of sadness. “You’ll be with him for your evening activities.”
 

I look back at the male Nurse and he nods in agreement with her words. The expression he wore wasn’t fit for someone who enjoyed torturing innocent people. I cringe, realizing that his smile was possibly one of excitement.

“Thank you, Ms. Jisoo,” the male says, bowing to her.

“We’ll monitor your performance later so be as creative as you like.” She says, smirking slightly. “But remember to give the shot, you know which one, correct?”
 

“Yes, the red-filled syringe.”
 

“Good, I’ll leave everything to you, then. The subject shouldn’t give you too much trouble. He’s very obedient, you’ll come to know many of them here are. ” She spins on her heel, walking away from us.

“I’m off to collect the next experiment. Good luck!”
 

The guard walks off with the She-Devil, leaving me alone with her coworker. I focus my gaze on the ground, refusing to look up at the man before me.

“What a ,” the man comments, striking me by surprise. He chuckles before saying, “And don’t even get me started on those red stocking… Well, come in.”

I gingerly walk into the bright room, keeping in mind to not look up at the ceiling unless I wanted to be blinded by the multiple lights. The Nurse pats the table in the middle of the room—every room was the same here, I’ve come to the conclusion of this. I sit on the table, awaiting his orders. I glance around, noticing the cameras here weren’t big in numbers compared to the other experimenting rooms I’ve been in.

“Kyungsoo, is it?” he reads off a clipboard and I nod. “I like the name.”
 

“Thank you?”

“Mhm, you’re welcome.” He nods as he picks up a syringe from the medical tray that’s beside the table I’m sitting on. He places it back down, “I’m going to ask you to lay back.”

I do as he says and he binds me to the table. I shake my left wrist, noticing the grip on the leather cuffs weren’t tight.

“There aren’t any microphones,” he begins as he picks up the syringe again. “es. To the left of you, there isn’t a camera there. It's a perfect blind spot. I'll be pretending to give you this shot, so I’m going to ask you to look like you’re in pain.”

“Wha—”
 

“Do as I say or this isn’t going to work.” His gentle tone from before was substituted for a serious one now. “We’re a team now, Kyungsoo. So, in three… two… ones… now, please.”

I contort my face to look as pained as it could and the Nurse muffles a snort. The liquid in the syringe is emptied into one of the many holes on the table, allowing it to fall into a large bucket that was strategically placed underneath. I heard the reason behind the holed tables and the bucket was for any time an experiment caused the participate to accidentally soil themselves.
 

“Good job, that was very ugly, indeed.” He comments, setting the syringe back onto the tray. He’s back looking at the clipboard when he says, “Now, I have a question for you, Kyungsoo.”

I’m silent, unsure of what to say to this strange man. Why is he doing this? Is he just toying with me? Trying to get me to think I have a chance of getting help only to punish me later?
 

“Have you met a boy whose name is Oh Sehun?” My eyes widen at the mention of the name and he smiles at my reaction. “Ah, so you have. This’ll be easier than I thought.”

He strolls over to my side and pretends to check my pulse, nodding.

“I need you to deliver a message for me, can you do that for me?” I meekly nod. “Great! You’re so cooperative. I like that.”
 

“Who are you?” I ask, scanning his face. I’ve never seen this man in my life yet here he is now, beginning to give me a sense false of hope.

“I’m Zhang Yixing. Tell Sehun, ‘we’re coming’.”