After the food contest, the carnival started heating up…

Yunho would drag Changmin to this and then pull Changmin to that. They did a bunch of random carnival games: like throwing a Ping-Pong-ball in a bowl, trying to knock a bunch of milk bottles off a table in one shot, shooting darts at balloons. Between each game, Yunho would insist on grabbing some caramel apples, kettle corn, cotton candy, corn dogs, and funnel cakes…despite the fact they not long ago just participated in an eating contest. They even stopped at one point for face-painting (which Changmin wiped off with a wet nap right after the paint was applied). He was also oh-too quickly getting tired of this charade.

Of course! Because a humiliating food-eating contest was not enough−Apple Bobbing! I really hate this abhorrent holiday…Yes, because no carnival is complete without one−Apple Bobbing! Hate it so much! It’s also infinitely more humiliating than simply eating till you vomit−Apple Bobbing! I should just say I have to use the bathroom…home has a bathroom…he doesn’t have to know…then I can just call him saying…I ate too much at the contest! Yes that’ll do just nicely.

“Hey, Yunho…” Changmin started as they just came into view of the apple bobbing area.

“No time, Changmin! We gotta hurry!”

What? Changmin was confounded. Yunho just ignored him; he never ignores him like that. Completely ignore him! His plan was foiled.

“But Yunho−”

“No! They’re about to begin! We can’t miss it!” He tightened his grasp on Changmin’s hand and started to hurtfully manhandle him towards the bins of water and apples. But Changmin abruptly yanked his hand from his leader before Yunho could step another inch closer to the ghastly event in front of them.

“Lemme go!” Changmin yelled−it surprised both of them. He yanked his hand out of Yunho’s, all the while, the two never broke eye contact. Changmin could have sworn his leader’s eyes became pained and a little watery.

“But…” His voice was soft; too soft for someone who had been bouncing with joy and happiness not ten seconds ago.

“No buts!” Changmin didn’t know why, but he couldn’t stop himself from continuing. He knew he should have shut his mouth, but alas, he didn’t. He knew−they both knew−this was headed in the wrong direction. Fast. Pent-up anger, frustration, stress, or all three combined was never a good thing for anyone, let alone these two.

“Changmin…” His voice was faltering.

“No Yunho!! You know full well I never wanted to be at this stupid place! Yet you begged and begged and begged!! And I had no choice but to cave!!” Changmin’s voice was gaining volume and intensity way too quickly−they were mere seconds away from creating a scene.

“Ay, yo Changmin!”

It was Kyuhyun, practically heaven-sent. Saved by the bell…

“Oh,” Changmin was red from embarrassment, “Hey Kyu…” Then Changmin noticed his best friend wasn’t alone either: he grew even redder.

Kyuhyun put his arm around Changmin’s shoulders and then whispered in his ear: “Just calm down, make jokes if you have to. You owe me one, too.” Changmin almost laughed at that. “As if,” he whispered back.

That’s when Changmin noticed exactly who Kyuhyun was with. It wasn’t Minho like he expected, but the rookies! Well, they weren’t exactly rookies anymore but still, they were the youngest of the bunch.

“Hey! This isn’t my Kyu-line! Where’s Minho? And what’re you punks doing here?” Changmin tried to lighten the mood by playfully slapping Jongin and Sehun on the back of their heads.

“Oi! That hurt!”

“Respect your elders. So where’s Minho?” Changing the subject hopefully would work. Yunho remained silent, taking out his phone to play on or something.

“He wasn’t feeling up to par so he stayed home,” Kyuhyun responded. Lucky him…Kyuhyun must have knew exactly what Changmin was thinking because he stepped on his foot. “So I borrowed Sehun and Jongin. They were ditched−”

 “I ditched them…but Jongin was ditched,” Sehun interrupted.

“Anyway,” Kyuhyun ignored this one, “New group!” The three giggled like a bunch of school girls.

“Yeah, yeah…” Changmin smiled. It was fake.

“We’re joining you guys in this dumb little contest−no objections, Changmin,” Kyuhyun stared him down. Then, he looked at Yunho. “Is that alright with you, Yunho?”

“Sure.” Changmin’s heart was being folded into tiny pieces inside of him over and over again. It was painful, to hear how dejected Yunho sounded. But, that’s as far as Changmin let himself think about it. He was going to blow it again.

“…I want to g−”

“Alright! Me and Changmin are going to the bathroom before we start. Better to go in pairs, right? ‘Specially on this freak night,” Kyuhyun signed, then he pointed at Sehun, “And keep an eye on that one for me Yunho.”

“I know, I know,” Changmin felt horrid, but still, just couldn’t help himself. He was crossing that line again. “I just want to go home!”

“You are acting like a kid again.”

“HA! Coming from someone only a few weeks older than me!” Changmin couldn’t help but laugh at this−being scolded by Kyuhyun always made him laugh and shrug everything off. Nevertheless, he took his “elder’s” advice: only because Kyuhyun lecturing him like this made him forget things and calm down. Kyuhyun laughed with Changmin and they headed back to Yunho and the burdensome pair. But, when they could see Yunho from afar, Changmin just knew he had screwed up…bad. Was redemption too late? Would he push Yunho too far?

He just needed to keep his mouth shut for once. Grin and bear it!

Or he could just apologize and start acting less like a child throwing a tantrum and more like the adult he is, Kyuhyun thought as he shook his head.

Upon even closer inspection of Yunho, Changmin could see that he was…hiding?...behind Sehun and Jongin−his youngers?! But…the look on his face. It was near heart-wrenching. They were now reunited with their newly formed group…it was heart-breaking.

“Come on! Let’s do it!” But that was not Yunho’s excited voice; it was merely Jongin. The five were crossing the grass to the bins to start the competition. Jongin led the way, bouncing with joy as Sehun tried to keep up. Changmin tried to walk closer to Yunho; but Yunho scurried up after Sehun, pretending he was trying to catch Jongin or something. Changmin kept at it but quickly gave up and walked back with Kyuhyun.

“Try harder, nimrod.”

“Look! Now he’s mad at me!” Changmin was clenching his fist. Kyuhyun rolled his eyes. “How immature!”

“Hey! We haven’t hit that yet, guys!” Jongin nearly screeched when they were closing in on it−the main event: The Haunted House.

This is where it happened…

“We really gonna do this, guys?” Sehun whined.

“Yep,” Kyuhyun replied as he pushed the maknae of the maknaes forward.

They rest of them waited a bit behind until they mustered up the courage and jolted forward, eyes shut, fearing what they may see on the way up to the house, the haunted house. Despite the fact they were at a company owned carnival, it was way too realistic.

First, they were just in a dreary hallway with no doors, except the lone one at the very end of the hall. Sehun was still leading, he didn’t seem to mind; haunted houses were common to him. The other three were in the middle, huddled close (Changmin took close notice to this), with Kyuhyun following in the rear; which either could be a bad thing or a good one. The slowly, very slowly, reached the door. It stood before them nine feet high with huge, brass knockers on the door. They dared another to progress inside. Kyuhyun volunteered but as soon as they were about to enter, he pushed Sehun ahead again; but, not out of humor this time.

Once inside, they opened their eyes and gazed about, fretful of what they might come across.

Anxiety filled the hall. They were all frightened; even the ones who were hardly ever scarred.

The curtains were torn and dusty and the stench of blood lingered the hall. Their nostrils stirred at the stench. Their eyes scurried about the room. Dusty sheets covered the vast amount of furniture, a grand staircase stood before them, dark and gloomy with stains of blood on the railing. Bones lay sheltered in the fireplace. The fireplace itself stood tall, maroon, and smelled of decay. Near the fireplace, another pool of blood lingered, but this blood smelled fresh−and not fake, they a prop they are sometimes used to.

 Then, the mighty door slammed shut behind them!

 They jolted up the stairs, nearly tripping on every step. They rushed into an unlocked door, the only unlocked door. They then saw the “exit” sign that was legally obligated to be there. They rushed at not thinking about looking back.

That’s when they noticed they weren’t all there.

“Where’s Yunho?” Changmin gasped.

“No time! Let’s get outta here! I’m not going back in there!” Sehun and Jongin took off. They were kids after all.

“Kyu?” Changmin didn’t care that the other two left but not Kyuhyun…right?

He was wondering around now, all the while thinking to himself the great job the designers did with this place. It was way too realistic. No wonder they ran…but even Changmin? They didn’t even make sure I was with them.

Yunho was feeling down today. And it just got worse. All he wanted was to share this holiday with his most favorite person in the world. He knew he should have stopped beginning Changmin to come to this dumb carnival−but, they always do things the other hates. And then, they usually end up liking them…together.

He pushed Changmin too far this time.

Just then, he heard noises: Haunted house-like noises. Yunho wasn’t scarred but the noises were loud and irritating…and rapidly coming towards him. Maybe he was scarred…just a bit.

“Yunho?”

It was him?

“Changmin?”

“Yunho? That’s you, right?”

“Changmin…you…you actually came back for me?” He couldn’t believe it. He didn’t expect any of them to come back for him, just that he’d find his own way out and head home, alone.

“Of course I did.”

“But…I thought you just wanted to go home?”

“Not without you, hyung.”

A/N: Thanks for reading peeps! I have no idea what I am doing! And happy late Halloween to...well...u-know who you are :P.