Chapter 3.

'Peaceful' Picnic.

 

The next morning came and the family managed to eat breakfast without the staff knowing, to make sure they would eat something normal.

After that, the kids were going to pack the bags, while their parents were going to prepare the car.

 

“I think it's better to get the car closer to the hotel so we don't have to drag the suitcases around,” Lee Teuk suggested while getting inside the passenger’s seat.

“Yes I thought so too. I'm glad we're leaving,” Kang-In answered while getting behind the steering wheel.

He started the engine... No he tried to start the engine since the engine didn't respond the way it should.

Kang-In tried again... Without success.

“You've got to be kidding me,” he murmured while trying again..

“Please don't say our car isn't working,” Lee Teuk looked at Kang-In. But when Kang-In didn't respond he sighed in frustration. Why was this happening to them, Right here and now?

Kang-In tried again without success.

 

*Knock Knock*

The both of them jumped a bit and looked to their right. The red-haired boss was waving at them. Lee Teuk breathed out slowly, calming himself. This place was no good for him.

Lee Teuk opened the door.

“Hey Guys. Your car isn't working?” he asked.

“No it seems like it's broken. Could we call someone to come and fix it?” Lee Teuk asked. Heechul seemed to think for a while.

“Well the problem is that our phone isn't always working. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Do you have a cell phone?” Heechul wondered. Well, if you have a good look at the house it's a miracle that the lights are working.. But the phone was apparently too much.

Kang-In pulled out his phone and tried to dial a number.

“Out of range,” Kang-In sighed.

“Okay, wait here. I will put the purchases inside and get some help,” Heechul said, picking up some bags Lee Teuk and Kang-In didn't notice before and started to walk inside again.

“Do you think he'll really help us?” Kang-In wondered.

“Well as long as they don't make it worse, it's our best option right now,” Lee Teuk answered and leaned back in his chair. Kang-In grabbed his hand.

“I just don't want to stay here any longer. The house is scary,” Lee Teuk murmured. Kang-In couldn't help but to smile a bit before kissing Lee Teuk.

“Don't worry, we've been through worse.”

 

Not long after that Heechul came back out, followed by Han Geng. Lee Teuk shivered by the sight of Han Geng in his blood strained clothes.

“Well let's have a look shall we?” Heechul said while opening the bonnet.

Han Geng and Heechul looked carefully at the motor while Kang-In and Lee Teuk got out of the car to join them. Well, Kang-In joined them and Lee Teuk almost hid behind Kang-In.

“Chull, have already asked Kyuhyun to come?” Han Geng asked and Heechul nodded.

“Kyuhyun?” both Kang-In and Lee Teuk asked.

“Yeah, he is our youngest son,” Heechul answered with a proud smile, “And a real smart-.. I mean, genius.”

Kang-In looked surprised at Lee Teuk.

“That could impossible be the same 'Kyuhyun' right?” Kang-In whispered to Lee Teuk. Lee Teuk shacked his head.

“I never heard Sungmin talk about the fact that Kyuhyun had such a family,”

“Hon, we knew almost nothing about Kyuhyun except that he made our Sungmin really happy, and then he left without a good reason,” Kang-In answered still angry after reminding how hard Sungmin had cried for that guy. It's painful for a parent to not be able to cheer up your child.

“No it probably wouldn't be the same,” Lee Teuk reasoned out but he couldn't get the thought out of his mind for a while and Kang-In noticed that.

“You know what? If you go do something with the kids, than I'll wait here and see if we can fix the car,” Kang-In thought out loud.

“Had anything in mind?” Lee Teuk wondered.

“It's amazing picnic weather! I can ask Siwon and Kibum to join you, they know some nice places to see,” Heechul suggested. Lee Teuk seemed to think for a moment but then nodded.

“Not such a bad idea. Okay I'll get the kids, if the car is working again you'll let me know?” Lee Teuk smiled a bit Kang-In nodded.

“Of course, now have fun!”

 

Han Geng and Kang-In watched how Lee Teuk and Heechul walked back to the house, with quiet a distance between them.

“I don't think we- wait long, he'll be here any minute. But.. Not sure if he'll be able to fix it,” Han Geng said in his broken Korean.

“If not we'll have to find another solution,” Kang-In answered while he wanted to add more about his Korean, but since his car was still broken he thought it would be smart not to say it right now.

Not long after a guy approached them. He had almost the same hairdo as Han Geng, blond and longer. But he looked more like Ryeowooks age.

“What's up dad?” he asked looking at the adults and then to the car.

“Kyu their car broke down, can you try to fix it?” Han Geng wondered. Kang-In just kept staring at the boy, trying to memorize him so he could ask Sungmin later about it.

“Well I could have a look.. But even if I know what is wrong we need to get some spare things somewhere,” he said while he started to have a good look at the motor.

Kang-In wasn't happy with that news, but well it was their only option for now.

 

 

- Lee Teuk's P.O.V. At the same time, backside of the mansion-

 

I followed Siwon and I think Kibum, towards a big wood at the back of the hotel. I was holding a pretty heavy basket which Heechul had prepared I hope it wasn't something disgusting this time.

But the thing that bugged me was that my three kids didn't seem to enjoy it.

“Guys, why don't you go ahead and talk with them?” I asked nodding towards Siwon and Kibum.

“But.. But Umma.. that guy is missing an arm! And it's still bleeding!”  Donghae whispered to me and I sighed.

“That he's missing an arm doesn't mean he can't talk,” I tried again. But apparently they decided not to listen to me today.

“Okay guys later we'll pass a graveyard. Watch out there, some things are a bit unstable. And after that there is an open space where we could picnic,” Siwon told us. Well I think only me since I wondered if the rest was listening.

Ryeowook came walking next to me and grabbed my free hand.

“What's wrong?” I wondered, but I didn't mind it. I know Ryeowook was often scared.

“I don't like graveyards,” he murmured softly, only for my ears to hear.

“Don't worry, it's still day so it is less scary,” I assured him, but he never let go of my hand.

 

I only noticed that we were near the graveyard when it became darker, like it was all in the shadow.

But if they hadn't told me it was a graveyard I wouldn't have know it. It looked more like a ruin.

Rocks and broken stones were everywhere. All kinds of thing sticking out of the ground. And I wondered if someone had ever take care of it.

“Look, Look! Sungminnie! A real skull!” Donghae laughed. I felt how Ryeowook came even closer to me.

“Donghae, that is of course a fake skull,” Sungmin sighed and stared irritated at Donghae.

“That skull? That was one of our guests right?” Kibum said. I stared at him in shock. One of their.. guests?

“Ow that one! Yeah, he got lost in our mansion, ended locked up in one of the rooms.. And uuh we forgot him a bit till that was the only thing left,” Siwon finished his story.

I shivered a bit. Probably a made-up story, right?

 

Donghae on the other hand dropped the skull, tried to wiped his hands clean and ran towards me.

We moved on and I maneuvered Ryeowook passed the stones since he had his eyes almost closed.

We were almost at the end of the Graveyard. I sighed in relieve. Somehow this place gave me the creeps.

“AAAAAAAAAAH!” I heard a loud scream and turned quickly around. I was pretty sure that scream came from Sungmin. And indeed, when I looked carefully one of Sungmin's leg had disappeared into the ground.

I gave the basket to Ryeowook since he stood there like a statue and I ran towards Sungmin. I knelled down next to Sungmin.

“Are you alright?” I asked worried like hell.

“I just stood there! L-leaning against that stone when.. when the stone moved and and than my leg got stuck!” Sungmin explained almost in tears, which was pretty unusual.

But wait, what? The stone moved?

Think about that later, first how to get Sungmin out of there?

“Donghae! Come help!” I yelled to Donghae whom safely passed the graveyard and wasn't really planning to come back.

“Yah! Donghae!” I yelled again angrier this time and he noticed since he came this way, taking his time.

“WAAAH GET ME OUT!! SOMETHING IS MOVING!!!” Sungmin yelled while clinging on  to my arm so strong it probably ended up bruised.

But it was effective because Donghae was within no time on the other side of Sungmin and carefully we pulled him out.

When he stood on his own again he hugged me tight, but also kept an hold on Donghae.

“Umma! T-there was some-something that t-tried to grab m-my leg and... and...” he stumbled I couldn't do more than to caress his back, trying to calm him down. When he finally calmed down we walked carefully, -really careful- towards Ryeowook whom looked like he just had seen a ghost.

 

When we followed Siwon and Kibum again I didn't have the basket anymore but instead three kids clinging on to me somehow.  Who's stupid idea was it to go picnicking?

“Actually you're quiet lucky,” Siwon said for the first time since a while.

“Yeah. Since we just gave them some dead animals to eat, those insects weren't in that big of a need to eat your leg,” Kibum explained, making me almost fall. No wait, not his story, but the reaction of the kids to the story. All three of them were frozen on their place, making me almost fall down.

“Uhm, right.. How far to go?” I tried to change the topic and dragged all three of them with me.

“Oh! We're almost there! I think just one minute or so,” Siwon smiled leading the way. We followed silently and Siwon was right, within a minute we were on an open space. All six of us settled down.

 

I was extremely happy that when we opened the basket we only found normal sandwiches. Noting weird, no heads, no privet parts, just normal sandwiches.

But I did started to get a bit curious about something.

“I don't mean to be rude, but Siwon what happened to you that you lost your arm? If you don't want to tell us that's fine, but I just wondered,” I dared to ask. From the corner of my eyes I saw how my kids shook their head. Was I such a horrible parent that I raised them without manners?

“I got no problem with it, if you have a bit time I could tell you?” Siwon said while eating a sandwiches.

“We really don't wanna....”

“If you don't mind, please go ahead,” I interrupted Donghae, seriously what was with those kids today? I have to admit some weird things happened today, but why so rude?

“Well it actually happened in the mansion. When we started to live here not that long ago the house looked even worse than now. Well since only some ghosts have lived there the place was dirty and looked horrible. So I decided to clean up a bit. Starting with some mould covering the walls.  There was a lot of it so it took me some time before it finally disappeared.

A few days later my hand started to tickle out of nowhere and in the middle of my hand a black spot started to form. Well I just thought it was nothing. Just a bruise or something like that. But the spot actually started to grow. And instead of tickling it started to hurt. Soon enough the black spot was covering my whole hand to a point I wasn't able anymore to move my fingers.

That's when I asked my parents for help but they had also no clue what it could be. Before we had any change to see a doctor or such my whole arm was black and it hurt soo badly that one day I took a knife and cut it of myself. Well it never stopped bleeding since then..”  Siwon finished his story.

“So watch out for the mould. But I told you this was cooler than Yesung his story,” Kibum told like it was a fairytale instead of an horror story.

But I did lost my appetite and wondered why in the world I wanted to know that story. I put away my sandwich and hoped we could go back soon, back to Kang-In and away from this mansion.

 

 

When we finally got back in the mansion is told the kids to go to their room. In a while they could come to our room so we could discuss about what we would do next since I got no idea if our car got fixed.

But for now I just needed a big hug and someone to protect me from all those creepy things in here.

When I slowly opened the door I saw Kang-In sitting on the bed reading a book. All our stuff was still unpacked and somehow I didn't like that sight.

“Kang-Innie,” I whispered and walked into the room. He looked up, put his book away and walked towards me to give me a big hug. Just the one I needed.

“Why is everything still unpacked?” I asked him even though I already knew what that meant.

“Kyuhyun did found the problem with our car, but they don't have any spare things so they need to find those first before he can fix it,” Kang-In explained making me sigh.

“So we are stuck here even longer?” I thought out loud. That idea made me really unhappy.

“Yeah but don't worry. Everything here is fake and they just wanted to make you scared,” wait what? How could he say that so sure. I freed myself from the hug and looked at him.

“How do you know that for sure?” I wondered.

“Just think logical Teukie. You know ghosts don't exist and you can't live without your head.. It has to be all fake of course.” Well I wasn't so sure about it. It all looked so real.

“And how come the mirror broke like the kids said?”

“That's probably their fantasies running wild.” Why would our kids make up those stories?

“And what about the food?”

“They just made that up.”

“You are scared Kang-In just admit it,”

“I'm not scared, why the hell would you be?” he said almost with a smile on his face. I don't know how he meant  that comment to be, but it felt like he was laughing at me and it made me really sad. When I just needed some comfort, even the most important person was now laughing at me.

“Well if... I will.. I-I,” o crap I couldn't even form a normal sentence anymore. I felt how tears came up.

I pushed Kang-In out of the way and ran towards the door. Opening it, walking through it and then closing it with all my strength so it closed with a loud bang.

After that I just ran.. Ran to I don't know where but just far away while I did hear someone calling my name, but I didn't listen anymore.

 

-End Lee Teuk's P.O.V.-

 

 

- Donghae's P.O.V.-

 

When we heard a door slammed shut the three of us all jumped in surprise. We opened the door only to see someone run away, too far to recognize whom it was. But we did saw Kang-In standing outside the room.

“Appa! What's wrong?” I asked as I walked towards Kang-In. He seemed worried and sorry for something.

“Nothing much, really.” he murmured but I didn't believe him for sure.

“If that's so then where's Umma?” Sungmin asked making Kang-In sighed.

“It's just... Aish.. Why do you all believe in those kind of nonsense?” he asked us. Now I already knew what happened. Well it wasn't so hard to guess since of course I knew my parents pretty well. Our though Appa didn't believe in all those things happening here while our Umma did, and probably got really scared. And that is when they got into a fight.

“Appaaaa! You know how scared Umma can be and you just made it worse!” Sungmin said and I could see that Kang-In was really sorry for it. Of course he was! My parents loved each other, right?

“But.. But we need to find Umma!” Ryeowook next to me said while I could hear that he was afraid of something.

“Of course we need to,” I answered. It was logical that we needed to find Lee Teuk right? But why was Ryeowook afraid.

“No but fast! You-you know what Siwon told us! One of their guests ended up in a locked room only to be found as.. as..” Ryeowook stumbled.

“As a what?” Kang-In wondered.

“As a skeletal,” Sungmin finished Ryeowook's sentence. Okay! Now is the time to panic!

“Mission Find Lee Teuk Start!” I yelled and ran after where I saw Lee Teuk disappeared. Why talking when we needed to find someone right?

I decided to climb another level and look there inside the rooms in the hope to find Lee Teuk.

 

After I checked at least 6 different rooms without finding anything I got tired. I started to rain loudly outside which didn't help with my current mood. When I didn't found him in the 7^th room I just dropped down on the bed that was in there.

I was tired of today, I was scared because of this whole mansion and even that holiday wasn't necessary anymore. Just going home with the 5 of us seemed like a good idea.

“Hello.”  

Wait, where did that voice come from?

I looked around but there was really no-one in this room. I was alone...

“Just check yourself for a second,” the voice said in a sarcastic tone. But how did he mean check yourself?

I stood up and saw a big mirror.. With my own reflection... And.. The Monkeyboy!

Uuhm, what to say without pissing him of like last time?

“Have you seen my mother by accident?” I asked him since I didn't know what the ask otherwise. He raised his brows.

“Your mother? You mean the guy with the blond hair? Nope. And if I did I wouldn't tell you,” he answered.

“Meanie,” I answered puffing my cheeks.

“I'm a ghost, what did you expect?”

“What's your name?” I wondered.

“Why do you wanna know?”

“That's easier talking,” Actually I was since our first meeting just really curious about it.

“And your cute..” Wait! Did I just say that out loud?

“Eunhyuk.. And yours?” Wow he did tell me his name! And it suited him, somehow.
“Donghae! Nice to meet you.. urhg somehow,” Well it's not nice to meet a ghost, but it was nice to meet him, let's just say that. And he didn't seem that evil, if you didn't piss him off.

I sat down on the table in front of the mirror, with my side leaning against the mirror.

“How come you're looking for your mother?” He wondered while he sat down next to me.. Well he sat down on his side of the mirror next to me.

“My parents had a little fight and my Umma had enough of it so he walked away but the house is so big and we don't want him to get lost or something,” I explained hugging my legs. Now I somehow did felt small. I was young when I lost my real parents but was really happy when Kang-In and Lee Teuk got me out of the orphanage. I can remember how I would cry when one of them was away for a few days for business. Just being so afraid they wouldn't return again.

Well I did get over that with the years. But when something like this happened, it scared me somehow.

“Don't worry. You'll find your Umma. When I see him I'll tell you deal?” Eunhyuk assured me and it did somehow made me better.

“Thanks,” I smiled a bit to him.

 

I don't know how long we sat there, in a quiet but comfortable silence, when a bright light filled the room. Great, thunder is something we could use right now.. It could cut of the engine, everything would be dark and then I'll never find Lee Teuk! Stupid weather stupid hotel!

A loud  bang was heard and I sighed until I heard a soft whimper next to me.

I looked up only to see the normally so strong and evil ghost cuddled up into a small ball pressing his hands against his ears. 
A ghost afraid of thunder? Well that was new.. Well, not like I speak to ghosts on a daily base..

“Hey.. Hey! Don't worry! The lightning can't do anything for you as long as you're inside!” I tried to comfort him somehow. Well it was hard since I wasn't able to hold him or anything.

“But, but the lights could go out and and there could be an electrical breakdown..” he murmured pressing his hands even harder to his ear. I got onto my knees and looked at him.

“Just think of all the things you love! Like.. Like chocolate! And dogs, Family, friends, sunshine! Music, dancing,...” I started to name a lot of things I liked, since I have no idea what the interests of a ghost could be.

He looked up to me while I was naming those things and I smile at him.

“Don't worry okay? It will be alright!” I said while I Kissed the mirror, leaving a spot where I just kissed it.

He giggled because of it.. Yeah! Mission success!

But just after that another lighting his close to the mansion and... Unfortunately all the electricity went down and Eunhyuk disappeared. Of course! I could use that. First my mom, now my new found friend...

I sighed, climbed down the table and walked towards the door..

Better to find my family before I got even more scared than I already was...

 

---

A/N:  Very Happy New Year Everyonee! <3

I hope you all liked this chapter,
And uhm, from now on, a bit more couple moments hihi :) 

With Love,

DeNameless

 

@kpopoppa: Hihi the only certain couples for now are KangTeuk and HanChul :) Buuuuut; there is still more to come so who knoooows :P And Kangteuk is one of my favorite OTP's too (with KyuMin =3 )

@sha961: oow I hope you're not too scared :O But I hope you liked this chapter :)