Three days ago

Jongin’s heart hammered, he had no doubt that this was audible to Tao, who rested not two centimetres away. At one time, his ears would have flared with embarrassment, but now he found their position to be an all too regular occurrence. ~Background bit~

This time they were against a wall, Tao’s body leant over his own as they crouched low. Blocked from sight as they used the stench of the surrounding dustbins for cover.

‘Tao I-‘ Tao’s eyes flared in warning, clamping his hand over Jongin’s mouth, the sound of hissing echoing through the alleyway. The metal plates of the vipers body scraped along the ground as it slithered along. The two men froze, stood perfectly still, the bulbous head of the snake raised itself from the floor, a pair of glowing red lenses scanning. There was silence. Then one beady eye rested on that on the silohettes in the corner,

‘.’ He heard Tao whisper dropping his hand, the vipers mouth gaping over to reveal metal spikes for teeth, a sharp electronic siren echoing. The sound cut through Jongin’s ears and he winced but there was no time to dwell on the dull pain on his ear drums. The screeching sounded across the alleyways and above their heads windows slammed shut. What little activity going on in the streets vanished in seconds as people hurried into closing doorways, terror stricken from the answering beacons of other vipers replying in their hordes.  

Jongin felt Tao clasp his hand and the pair set off down the alley, the sound of their heavy panting no match for the roar of the vipers call, the telltale scraping of metal on concrete proved their enemies were close on their heels and gaining. Jongin’s gaze was fixed ahead of him, eyes widening at the towering brick wall dead ending their path. He did not miss Tao’s slight head twist, but had no time to react before he was spun into an open door, and into the slim metal box, it’s stench giving away its disposal purpose.

Jongin opened his mouth to protest, quickly realising the garbage shoot would barely fit him inside, but Tao beat him to it.

‘Don’t be a baby, Jongin,’ Tao paused, glancing back before an easy smile appeared on his face, ‘I’ll be right behind you.’

Jongin shook his head in protest, tears already fogging up his vision but the door was already closed in his face. The countdown began.

 

10

9

8

7

... untill the moment the floor would give underneath him, dropping him through the underground with the rest of the City’s rubbage.

 

6

5

4

 

Jongin thrashed his fists against the door, relentless even though he knew he was locked in from the outside. He choked back a sob, tears running down his cheeks regardless as he was forced to stand and listen to the crunching of metal on flesh.

3

2

1

 

His thoughts flew to Tao’s face, unmarred and lit with ambition like the day he’d first met him.

Numbness came, the ground opened.

Jongin fell.

 

 

 

Current Day

Sehun laid awake, the soft caress of his bed covers his only  comfort left now that his friend was gone. ‘Why.’ He muttered aloud, his lips pursed, a slight crinkle forming between his narrowed eyebrows.  His expression one of habit when he was in deep thought. Tao would be reprimanding him right now, he realised, because ’scowling gives you wrinkles, wrinkles make you look old and I’m not being friends with a frowning old man.’

Sehun threw his covers off, his hands shaking as he ran his mind back over every minute, every word he’d exchanged with Tao in the last few days he had seen him. There was nothing he could think of, no indication or hint.

It had been three days since Sehun had attempted to visit his only friend in their little community on the outskirts of the City. Only to find the apartment cordoned off with police tape. Not just that, but anyone he asked had no idea of Tao’s whereabouts, occasionally weren't even aware of his existence. Most gave him blank looks. The liars were worse; tilting their heads to the ground so as not to meet Sehun’s searching gaze, denying all knowledge, ‘You don’t ask questions, Sehun.'

The apartment was guarded, vipers curled contently at the foot of the door, only sloping off when night came, to patrol the streets. Sehun knew this because he’d been watching him through the blinds of his own tiny, dusty apartment. Thankful, at last, for Tao’s insistence that Sehun ‘stay no more than a street away because what if you have to walk home at night- there could be all kinds of bad people!’

He scoffed to himself even then, Tao had been such a scaredy baby sometimes-  what could have happened for him to disappear so suddenly. Sehun pondered this thought, he knew everything about his annoying, slightly feminine best friend. All except the reason for his vanishing. On the morning of his branding no less. It was strange. It was wrong. Sehun had to know.

His palms sweated as he peeked once more through his blinds, watching the Vipers slink off as time ticked to midnight, ‘Like clockwork.’ Sehun muttered, moving from the window, jacket hastily tugged on as he headed out the door.

He had to get into Tao’s flat. 

 

 

 

 

 

a/n:  Sorry it's short >< I'm still finding my feet!