New Beginnings
Children of the Night
Play, Listen, & Read
Guilt devoured my guts, they were risking every breath they inhaled for me, just to enforce safety for a naive girl that was just flat out clueless. I didn't know what I wanted for the best for them, we couldn't sprint any further than here. Another country, another foreign boundary-
Knock, knock, and a muffled one after. There was no movement, no ruffling of bedsheets besides mine. I managed to stand up- hushing the screaming in my head when I placed pressure on my knee; I had injured it one summer playing volleyball and I think I pulled a muscle while practicing earlier- and quietly make it to the end of the stairs. Someone was at the door, if it was those we were up against, I was willing to take a step forward and risk my life as they were willing to do. There was a peep hole that I could use to my advantage, but I was afraid to confront another eye peeking in. Mustering the last of my remaining courage and boldness, I placed my eye just before the glass and glanced around. There was nothing there, must've been the wind making a tree tap the house or something. Not a big deal. While as I was about to pull away to head back up to bed, my peripheral vision caught a shadowed figure.
I gasped, then immediately covering my mouth. It was one of them. On the floor, bleeding and pounding their final bit of life against the door. Which one was it? Chanyeol, maybe Jongin? It still phased me that their names remained crisp and clear in my mind, their faces clearer than ever. I made a deal with myself, either open the door and allow what's supposed to be kept shunned away inside, or warn the others. Once again, the guilt pang like a gong; they were finally receiving the only rest that they had since a month has passed. I dared myself, I could do this, just witness with my own eyes and if it's truly evil attempting to enter then I'll slam the door. No big deal.
One, inhale. Two, exhale. Three, final breath.
I unlocked the latch to both of the doors, but only to have one ajar. And there it was, a sight I certainly didn't want to see. The odor, or shall I correct it to stench, of blood rotted my nostrils, along with the "aftertaste" of pine trees. I guided the motionless body inside, no thought of if it was a scheme that was all being planned in the distance, with good intentions; of course silently closing and locking the door. It groaned when I placed it's arm around my neck; it's earthy locks tickling my arm.
By myself, I traveled to the dining table through the kitchen. I tried to lug the heavy body on the chair which half-worked and half-failed. It was hunched over, and gripping itself into a ball. I searched frantically for the first-aid kit, forgetting that it was in the shelf near the sink, then triumphantly got my hands on the damn thing.
"I'll clean you up," I stated so it would face more towards me. "You're badly beat."
"They did this," it spoke. And it took me awhile to decipher the raspy voice to tie the puzzle pieces together.
"K-Kyungsoo.." I breathed. "W-what happened?" His head rose, revealing a busted lip, a black eye swollen shut, marks surrounding his neck as if he was choked. His attire was completely tattered and through some of the ripped holes, there were knife gashes.
"They threatened to kill me when they found out that I let you go," his hands shook uncontrollably.
"Threatened?" I retained a hushed voice to not stir the others. "That was attempted murder."
The contents inside, gauze pads, ointment, scar medicine, and other things would have to do for now. We could sneak him into a nearby hospital maybe tomorrow to fully treat his wounds.
"It's a threat until you're dead, was what we went by. But they gave me a head start before they would chase after, so you were the first thing that popped into my mind."
I splashed a plethora of the medicine into the pad, dabbing it to the wounds trenching the skin of his arms. He flinched, it must have stung worse than thousands of bees, and jerked his arm away before returning to the previous position.
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