"I'm here," Seoyeon said as she shut the door behind her. Luckily, she caught the boys at a good time. They were both in the same room. "Are you ready to work," she asked. LuHan nodded and tapped Baekhyun's shoulder, making him aware of Seoyeon's arrival. Baekhyun waved 'hello' to her. He then looked back down to his paper. She leaned in close to LuHan's ear and whispered.

    "I'm not sure exactly if my theory will work," she confided to LuHan. LuHan rested his hand on her shoulder.

    "Don't worry. I have faith in you. You got Sehun to say a few words -something no one has ever been able to accomplish. But, if you need help," LuHan said, patting Seoyeon's hand. "You can ask me." Seoyeon thanked him.

    "You don't mind if I work with Baekhyun first, do you?" LuHan shook his head.

    "It will give me time to sleep," LuHan said, plopping down on the bed beside the windowsill. "Good luck," LuHan said, tapping Baekhyun's shoulder. Baekhyun looked up at Seoyeon and smiled.

    Seoyeon grabbed Baekhyun's hand, and they walked to the long hallway that Yixing showed her. She brought Baekhyun there because it was the most silence that could be found in the house, and for her plan to work, she would need utter silence. She sat down on the floor and patted the spot in front of her, gesturing for Baekhyun to join her. Seoyeon spelled out words in dust on the wall for Baekhyun to read.

    It's very silent, so this will work. Okay?

    Baekhyun wrote back.

    Okay.

    Seoyeon tapped Baekhyun's shoulder, making him look up at her face. She pointed to his lips and gestured for him to say something. He shrugged and shook his head. She scowled, and wrote. 

    Okay, if you can't speak, I will. Now, I want you to focus as hard as you can. I'm going to sing, okay? I need you to raise your hand or open your eyes when you hear my voice, okay? Now, close your eyes. We will start now. Baekhyun did as he was instructed and he shut his eyes. Seoyeon sang a song she learned when she was little. It was simple enough. She sang for awhile, then stopped. Baekhyun looked over at her in confusion. She wrote on the wall again.

    Anything? Baekhyun shrugged.

    I heard what sounded like the whispering of words. It was barely there; I had to strain to hear it. But... If I keep trying harder, maybe it will work.

    He looked at Seoyeon hopefully and then closed his eyes. Seoyeon started singing again, but louder. Baekhyun's brow knitted slightly, then furrowed in surprise. He kept his eyes shut and his hand down. Seoyeon sang louder, in hopes that he would hear it clearly. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Baekhyun raised his hand slowly. His hand stayed up for a while, then Seoyeon stopped singing. His hand lowered by an inch at a time. He opened his eyes and looked at Seoyeon nervously. He wrote slowly on the wall.

    I heard it... It was distant -like you were on the other side of an auditorium with no microphone. But, I definitely heard it. Please... Can we keep trying? And... I want to learn how to speak, too. If it's not too much to ask. Seoyeon wrote beside Baekhyun's writing. 

    It would be my pleasure. Do you want to keep going? Or, are you finished for the day? Baekhyun nodded and grabbed Seoyeon's hand. He drew on the wall with his free hand and smiled uneasily. 

    If it's not too much to ask, can we try a few more times? I know you still have to work with LuHan, so if you want to be finished, I understand. Seoyeon smiled back at him

    Listen. You can ask me for anything, any time. I will never be too busy for any of you. If you would like, I can show someone else how to do this. That way, if I'm sleeping or bathing, they can work with you. Baekhyun nodded vigorously. Who would you like? 

    Chanyeol. Baekhyun blushed and wrote again. I... Like him. He's nice. And maybe I could help him, back! Seoyeon smiled and gave Baekhyun a hug. 

    I'm glad you like him. He needs someone to love. I'll work on it with him when I work with him tomorrow. Now, let's try this again. 

    For three hours, Baekhyun and Seoyeon worked together. There was silence almost all throughout the house. There was a loud slam and a thump that startled Seoyeon out of her work session. She urged Baekhyun to stay put, but he followed out of concern for Seoyeon's safety. Seoyeon ran up the stairs, not bothering to even wince when her leg started to throb. She saw immediately where the slam came from. Chanyeol's door was shut, and the rest were open. She panicked and burst through Chanyeol's door, only to find Chanyeol sprawled out across the floor. She and Baekhyun hurried to his side and shook him frantically. His eyes fluttered open and he lie still in shock, looking back and forth etween Baekhyun and Seoyeon.

    "Chanyeol, what happened!?" Chanyeol sat up and rubbed his eyes. Seoyeon saw no blood, so she was slightly relieved. At least he hadn't cut himself again.

    "I... I don't know. Something hit me on the head," Chanyeol said, looking up. His eyes grew large and he lunged forward, tackling Seoyeon and Baekhyun. A beam crashed to the floor where Seoyeon and Baekhyun sat just moments before. Seoyeon's eyes widened, while Baekhyun's shut as he fainted. 

    "Poor thing," Seoyeon whispered. She whistled and admired the damage done to the ceiling and floor. Luckily, the floor was strong and thick, so there was no way on Earth the beam would have broken through it. "We have to fix that as soon as possible," Seoyeon said, circling the fallen beam cautiously. Chanyeol nodded and scooped Baekhyun's limp body up in his giant arms. Seoyeon giggled. "You're alright, aren't you," Seoyeon asked Chanyeol.

    "Who, me? Yes, I'm just fine," Chanyeol said, staring down at Baekhyun. Seoyeon couldn't help but feel accomplished.

    "Chanyeol, how would you like to help me with Baekhyun," Seoyeon asked, helping Chanyeol through the door to Baekhyun's room. Chanyeol's eyes lit up and a large smile crept across his face. He nodded as he set Baekhyun on his bed. "Tomorrow when we work together, I'll explain the entire process to you. He told me that he likes you," she said, shutting the door quietly behind her. Kris was sleeping in the bed opposite Baekhyun. Chanyeol smiled giddily and tried to hide his blushing face. "You're sleeping with me tonight," Seoyeon said. "Right?" Chanyeol nodded uncertainly. "You have nowhere else to sleep -your room was demolished. You're sleeping with me." Chanyeol nodded again.

    "Okay, if you say so. LuHan is awake," Chanyeol said, pointing. Seoyeon tapped LuHan on the shoulder and he rolled over to face her.

    "Seoyeon?" Seoyeon grabbed his hand and helped him to his feet.

    "Yes, it's me. We're going to go work outside, okay," Seoyeon asked, pulling LuHan down the stairs. LuHan agreed, but stopped suddenly. 

    "Can Sehun come work with us? If I'm going to see for the first time, I want him to be the first thing I see," LuHan said, meekly.

    "Of course," Seoyeon said. She instructed LuHan to wait at the bottom of the stairs where he was, and she dashed up the stairs to wake Sehun. "Sehun, wake up," Seoyeon whispered. Sehun groggily turned over and smiled at Seoyeon. "I'm working with LuHan right now. He says he wants you to be the first person he sees when he gets his vision back." Sehun flew out of bed and down the stairs before Seoyeon even reached the door. 

    "S-S-Seoyeon," someone whispered. Seoyeon turned around to see Kris reaching toward her. She hurried to his side and clutched his hand. "I... I... C-Can you get me another b-blanket," Kris asked, teeth chattering loudly. Seoyeon pulled a blanket off of the bed beside Kris's and covered him, tucking the blanket around his quivering body. "I d-don't think there's any w-way for y-you t-to help me," Kris whispered. His eyes squinted shut and tears ran down his face. 

    "Kris, there is one way I can think of helping you," Seoyeon said, his hair. He opened his eyes and pleaded desperately. "You would have to come outside for a little while and get in the pond. Are you up to it," Seoyeon asked. Kris's eyes watered and he sighed heavily.

    "If you think it w-will do good, th-then y-yes." Kris looked like a puppy who had just been kicked. He was terrified. He stood up and doubled over, violently shivering. Seoyeon wrapped the blanket around him and they slowly made their way down the hallway. Sehun looked up and saw them coming down the stairs and tilted his head.

    "I need to try to help Kris. I promise it will only take a short while," Seoyeon said, patting LuHan's hand as they passed. Sehun stared after them in confusion.

    Seoyeon led Kris through the warm hallway and they stopped for a moment so Kris could catch his breath. He leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor. He breathed deeply and his shivering ceased. He opened his eyes and looked around in confusion. Seoyeon looked around as well. 

    "I..." Kris looked at the floor, obviously flustered. Color rushed up to his face and blood circulated throughout his body, warming him all over. His throat no long itched, and the urge to cough was gone. Confusion filled the air as Seoyeon wandered up and down the hall, trying to think of a reasonable explanation.

    "This hallway... Something about it... It... Heals," Seoyeon said, breathlessly. "I brought Baehyun here... Yixing and I came through here... Kris, how do you feel?" Kris raised his hands to his cheeks and was shocked after feeling the warmth. 

    "I feel better. I don't feel sick in the slightest. I can't believe it," he said. He couldn't remember the last time he felt well. 

    "Do you still want to go take a bath," Seoyeon asked. She was admiring another picture on the wall. Kris nodded, and Seoyeon approached him with a picture in her hand. It was the picture she had asked Yixing about earlier. "Kris, do you know anyting about this picture," Seoyeon asked. Kris's eyes grew five sizes.

    "I do... That's an old picture of Yixing. That must be the person who took care of him before... Wel, before all of this happened," Kris said, rubbing his jaw. "I remember from a long time ago. When I first got here, Yixing told me everything. He told me, 'My memory is bad, so I had better tell you this while I remember.'" Kris stopped to inhale deeply. "This air is so warm. It's soothing. But, anyhow... Yixing told me the story about how he and Kai got here, and how everyone started arriving. It's actually not a happy story. If you want to know, I can tell you," Kris said. Seoyeon nodded and sat down in front of him.

    "Please? I'm so curious and confused as to how all of this happened," Seoyeon said, urgently. Kris sat up and took a deep breath.

    "Yixing and his family lived in this house when he was a little kid. One day, A little boy showed up on the doorstep. Yixing's family was confused as to how he got there, because as you can tell, there is nowhere even remotely close to here. Well, they took him in and raised him like their own. It was a really nice summer day, so the entire family was outside enjoying the weather. Something went wrong somwhere or another -not sure where, and there was a huge explosion. Yixing was rendered unconscious after being flung against the wall. I think his Ceberal Cortex was damaged, so the part of his brain that holds the memories isn't working properly. It has gotten better over the years, though. He couldn't even remember his own name. Anyway, when he came to, he found his family dead from the explosion. He found Kai sprawled out somewhere on the lawn and he went over to help him. Kai couldn't move. He was able to talk, but he wouldn't say anything useful. Yixing brought him inside and lay him down in the bed he is in, now. He has only been up a few times to bathe, and we help him up to use the restroom. It is a hard process, but he can't do it himself." Kris wiped under his eye, obviously brought to tears by this story. Seoyeon blinked fast to keep the tears back. "Well, Kyungsoo was the first one to show up. About a month or two after this happened, Kyungsoo stumbled upon the house. He had just experienced something horrible. We still don't know what it was, because he won't talk. Well, exactly a month after Kyungsoo showed up, it was Zitao. Yixing probably won't remember, but he was ouside when Zitao fell from the sky and landed on his back in front of Yixing. He almost died," Kris said, breathing deeply again. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes, but he wouldn't let them. "He must be paralyzed. At least, I think so. Well, Yixing and Kyungsoo had to put him in the same room as Kai because neither of them could move, and it was easier to take care of them. Exactly a month after Tao, I showed up. I suffered from pneumonia before I was in the plane crash, and it only got worse by being here. No medicine... Nothing. I almost died, as well. Tao said my fever reached 106 degrees. He said I was in a coma for the longest time. It must have been longer than a month, because when I finally came to, LuHan had showed up. LuHan..." Kris sighed and sat up straight again. "LuHan used to be able to see. He used to run around outside with Yixing, or he would help out those of us who... Couldn't take care of ourselves, I guess. One day, he ran off because he heard an explosion. He says now that it was a plane crash. There was a second explosion that blinded him and rendered him unconscious. He was dragged back by Sehun, who was battered and bloody and wasn't able to speak. Tao, who says he knew Sehun before this series of unfortunate events, says Sehun never spoke in school, either. A month after Sehun was XiuMin." Kris chuckled nervously and inhaled deeply again. "Sehun hated XiuMin. XiuMin kept trying to get close to LuHan, and Sehun didn't like that one bit. XiuMin told me that the reason he was here..." Kris's voice trailed off, and he looked around to make sure no one was listening. "A man kidnapped him and JunMyeon -I'll get to that next... The man brought XiuMin and JunMyeon to the middle of this... Jungle... And did some pretty... Bad things. Poor XiuMin and JunMyeon... The boys made a break for it, but the man caught JunMyeon again. XiuMin kept running to find help. Well, he ended up here. He kept trying to go after JunMyeon, but LuHan wouldn't let him. JunMyeon showed up here a month later... He was completely and torn apart. The man who had... him... JunMyeon shot him in his sleep. He was too terrified to stay around any longer, and ran here. Those two boys are always together. They believe that, that man will find them again. They stay together at all times. A month after JunMyeon stumbled in, Chanyeol showed up. He won't tell anyone how he got here. Only that, he was shot in chest by a bad person, so he ran here. He wants to die... You don't know how many times he has tried -How many times we have stumbled upon him trying to hang himself, or jump from the window... Too many times, we have had to bind his wrists with bandages," Kris said, sniffling. Chanyeol obviously meant a lot to Kris. "Ah..." Kris wiped his eyes and tried to smile. "A month after Chanyeol was JongDae. Heh. That . He has devoted his life to making everybody miserable. He's done the best with Chanyeol. He knows how sensitive he is, yet he still insists on making his life a living Hell. I don't know how he got here. He's too good to tell anybody," Kris said, snarling. "Well," Kris said, counting on both hands. "Oh! Baekhyun... He dragged himself to the pond out back. He was dehydrated. It turns out, he lost his hearing from an explosion. He, too, was in a plane wreck. When the plane exploded a second time and a third time, the... Boom -to put it crudely, probably blew out his eardrums." He counted on his fingers one last time, then decided he had everybody. 

    "Kris... I'm so sorry... I'm sorry you had to go through this," Seoyeon said, wiping tears from her cheeks. Kris shrugged and looked down at the floor. 

    "So... How about that bath," Kris asked, meekly. Seoyeon faked a smile and they both stood. Seoyeon's leg gave out from underneath her, and she fell forward. Kris caught her under the arms, and she cleared , brushing herself off.

    "Sorry," she said, blushing. They walked out to the pond slowly, and sat in front of the water for quite a while, just staring. 

    "Thank you for telling me," Seoyeon said. Kris nodded and looked back at the pond.

    "Thank you for caring, and thank you for helping us all. You have no idea..." Seoyeon smiled.

    "It's my pleasure. It's the least I can do," Seoyeon said. Kris slowly scooted closer to Seoyeon, who gently rested her head on his shoulder.