The sun was shining down without a cloud in the sky. 

The heat visably waved off the cement. Without the cloud coverage, there was enough room for the sun to beam down. Even the cool water seemed warmer than usual. The sky was a clear light blue too, making the reflective water look pure and sparkle.  

The morning was like any other. Junmyeon sat atop his Life Guard chair high enough to see across the whole pool. His sandals had long since fallen off and his sunglasses were pressing indents into his nose. The sun screen that lathered his skin made him feel greasy and sticky. 

A few older women were sun bathing. It was early enough that people still came, but no one with a job or school. Half the time, Junmyeon was saving some old woman's poodle from the pool instead of an actual person. 

He himself tried basking in the sun. He had always been fair skinned as a child. Junmyeon's friends joked that he was brighter than his future. He supposed in a way that they had been right. 

Junmyeon had been kicked out of college and out of his home. The light was pretty dim so far. 

Now, he was working as a Life Guard and living at his friends' place. He remembered the days when he wanted to be an English teacher. Those days seemed far away and near non-existent. 

He watched a family come in. A little unusual, but Junmyeon wasn't going to kick them out. He eyed them carefully. It was just a set of parents and a little girl. 

The mother and father were peculiar. They didn't look like they were home, so to say. They both looked dead in the eyes and seemed emotionless. The girl held her father's hand as the walked over some chairs. The mother layed herself herself out and began to sunbathe. The father and daughter, however, chose to swim around.

Junmyeon kept a close eye on them. Half because the father looked lost and just stood in place at the shallow end and half because the girl couldn't have been older than ten. 

It was starting to prove uneventful, though. The girl paddled around, never going to the deep side. The parents remained dead-eyed. He watched while a few older women left.

It was nearing the afternoon when someone screamed. 

He looked up and saw the father become suddenly animated. He was waving his arms back and forth, and calling for help. Junmyeon took a moment to see what was wrong; the little girl was nowhere to be found. 

Junmyeon hopped past most the steps of the long ladder and dived straight for the water. It was chill to his heated skin and it made his eyes water. Chlorine burned the insides of his nose, but he kept swimming anyway.

The movie magic about seeing perfectly in water was bull. Junmyeon couldn't see a damned thing, but instead followed the sound of thrashing water. His arms felt exhuasted from moving like windmills. 

He found the girl violently flailing around as she neared the floor. He kicked harder and stretched his arms out for his. His lungs wouldn't be able to last much longer. Junmyeon felt small hands clamp down on his bicep. He winced as her nails ding into him. He then tried to swim them back up, his lungs burned. 

However, something tugged on him. Hard. 

He cried out, causing water to rush into his body. He spluttered and coughed. Junmyeon clawed for the surface; sunny light glimmered through the water. 

Junmyeon couldn't even open his eyes correctly. The hands that crawled from his arm, up his shoulder, and around his neck were tiny, but like a scraggly rope. Junmyeon struggled uselessly, he was no match for the girl. 

Junmyeon finally decided to go limp, there didn't seem to be a point anymore. 

Everyone asks me if I changed. 

He could hear them. Their whispers. Their snickers. Their pity and misunderstanding. They say when you loose one sense, all the others enhance. 

Baekhyun pulled on the leash and Luz slowed down. Baekhyun's seeing eye dog got a little excited every now and then. Just walking down the street was an event. Not because he couldn't get around efficiently, but because people could never shut up. 

Baekhyun was blind, not helpless. He was disabled, not a freak. There were only ever two reactions when took off his sunglasses and people saw his gray eyes. One was the annoying pity-party he received, apparently it was horrible to be blind- a tragedy. The second was just insulting. It the part where he became a freak show or people thought he was lying. Baekhyun always had people asking him if he could 'sense' how many fingers they were holding up. 

So, as he walked down the street, without any difficulty whatsoever, he went straight past the groups of people to his left. The girls at least ten feet ahead and to the right. Luz yipped and barked every few minutes, too, like she wanted to keep Baekhyun company. 

It was early-ish. He couldn't imagine many people were out. That was the best time for him. The less people, the better. The less attention, the better. Baekhyun was a solitary human being. He liked it that way. 

He turned down the sidewalk. He liked this one, after leaving his house, walking down the street, and three left turns and one right, was an ice cream shop. He liked the people- one boy in particular  -there, they didn't ask how he became blind -he was born without sight- and they didn't think he was some faker looking for attention. 

Luz trotted the usual course, but took a sharp left when she was supposed to go right. 

"Luz, what are you doing? Franny's is the other way," he huffed and followed anyway. 

Luz let out a few loud barks and began running. Baekhyun's heart started to race as well. He trusted Luz, but now she was acting weird. He didn't know if he was being pulled through traffic or over someone's newspaper. However,  he had no choice but to follow. He wasn't familiar with this street. 

Soon, Luz finally calmed. Her dash lowered back down to a happy waddle and she halted. Baekhyun breathed hard, but recovered quickly. This street smelled like sweets. 

"Did you drag me all the way down here so you could get a treat? Because you're not getting one now, " he grumbled. 

"Ah, I'm sorry. Maybe she was following me."

 Baekhyun turned his head up. In front of him was a girl. She didn't sound very old, but also didn't sound young. The presence she gave off was huge, not like she was physically big, but the way she held herself could be felt. 

"Luz, is just so cute, I was hoping she'd follow me," the girl cooed. 

Baekhyun coughed awkwardly. "Have we ever met?"

There was a soft laugh, barely audible. 

"Baekhyun, have you ever seen the sun? People say you'll go blind if you look long enough."

"Hey, how do you know me?" He questioned. Now Luz was growling as the precence got stronger and scarier. 

Hands came up towards his face. Baekhyun tried to smack them away, but he was slapped back. His sunglasses were gently slid off. He closed his eyes anyway, it wasn't like he could see any better.  

"Baekhyun," she asked again in her ageless voice, "Have you ever seen the sun?"

He shook his head. 

Two fingers pressed themselves against his right eye. They were soft, at least at first. They quickly started to press against his eyeball. Pointed finger nails made crescents in his skin. Even though he couldn't see out of the eye, that didn't make it any less painful. 

There was a brief, unbarable pain that had Baekhyun curling in on himself. He pushed himself away from the girl, his manicured hands shoved her shoulders and he fell. Luz had come off her leash, but he couldn't hear her anymore. He held both hands over his eye. Warm liquid- he assumed it was blood -pooled past his fingers. It was like he was crying. 

He wiped away blood and blinked on impulse to put his eyelashes to good use.  

This time when he blinked, he saw light brighter than the sun. 

It's like you're nailed into my heart.

"Come on, guys...let's... let's just be cool, yeah?"

"I don't think so. You've been getting cocky, Park. I'm sick of it. Who do you think you are?"

Chanyeol gripped the straps of his bag tightly. The much older, much more muscular men stepped forward. They smelled just as bad as they behaved. Alcohol and cigarettes was what Chanyeol was guessing, but he was sure there was urine somewhere in there as well. 

"I don't know what you mean."

Chanyeol always remembered thinking s would disappear after high school, but these idiots always followed him to his classes. At first he had thought they were homeless, but after weeks he realized they were just dirty individuals. Most of them did drugs of some sort and he lost any sympathy he had.

Chanyeol was dead tired of it. He had his college classes and job to worry about, he didn't need them on his anymore. 

He was fed up. 

That didn't stop the fear, however. They always came armed, whether it be knife or a cracked bat.

The ringleader smiled something greasy and the sight made his stomach roll. "C'mon, Park. Give me my money."

He adjusted his glasses and stood firm ;with his booming voice, he yelled, "I-I am not a bank! I barely have enough money for myself! I ate ramen for breakfast. I get that times are hard, but I gave you guys like half my pay check yesterday. Please...just leave me alone."

A beat of silence.  

And then, slobbering laughter. 

Chanyeol let out an annoyed sigh. The men, only three, were practically falling over each other. They had tears in their crust eyes and their mouths foamed, but he wasn't so sure it was from laughing. 

It seemed useless to just stand there, people were looking too. Chanyeol his heel and started to walk off. He tried to promise himself he wouldn't give them the ten bucks in his wallet. He needed it for lunch. 

"Hey, Park!"

Chanyeol could smell the rotted teeth from there, but kept on. 

"You better get your sweet back here!"

He kept walking, albeit a little faster. 

"You've got to the to the count of three or you'll be in a world of whoop-! You hear me?!"

Keep walking. 

"One!" A bag was rustled around behind him. 

Keep walking. Keep walking. 

"Two!" Heavy footsteps were following. 

Keep walking. Keep walking. 

"Two and a half!" A distinct click and lock of metal. 

Keep walking. Keep walking. Keep walki- 

"Three!" 

BANG!

The stop sign to Chanyeol's right twanged and sizzled. A clear dent was hollowed right into the S. Chanyeol whirled around and lost his breath. The ringleader had a gun right in his grubby hands. Other people in the street screamed and ran. Chanyeol mirrored them. 

He sprinted faster than he ever had in his entire life. Then again, he had never experienced this kind of fear. Life or death. His bag slapped into his back hard and flat; the books that filled his backpack weren't helping. 

Two shots rounded off. Chanyeol swore that one took the top of his hat off. His heart was beating uncomfortably rapid. It scared him how much it hurt. He hoped to God he wasn't about to have a heart attack. 

He was able to turn the corner before they did. Unluckily, he had turned the wrong road. Now, he was running in the new, uninhabited part of the city. No citizens, but no cops either. He was running past places that would be be livable for weeks. 

Another shot blew, Chanyeol was desperately waiting for an idea to hit. He thought viciously as he turned sharply into the neighborhood part of town. The streets morphed into small, one way roads lined with unpainted houses. 

according to the police officials we spoke to this morning, the new buildings in the new district will be implanted special fire detectors. They will have a double purpose. Due to the major crime activity increase in the city, the fire detecters- funded by the local Choi family -will have motion detectors also. The city is very gre- 

He beelined for a house. He ditched his backpack in the yard and busted through the front door. None of the houses had locks yet, it seemed to be the only break Chanyeol was getting. 

He slammed the door closed behind him. 

He scrambled around the blank living room looking for the fire detector. It wasn't there. He swivelled when shots penetrated past the front door and made holes in the wall across from it. Chanyeol ducked his head as he slid past the front door, crawled behind the stair case, and ninja-ed into the kitchen. 

The fire detector was on the ceiling and there was a door that lead to a fenceless backyard. 

Chanyeol jumped around the fire detectoor, he had to wait for the red light to turn green. He waved his hands back and forth. He jumped on his tip toes. Chanyeol even poked the light with his finger. 

Still red. 

He could hear them getting closer to the kitchen. He was fortunate that they were stupider than most, they would've found him by now if they were smart. 

Panic set in shakier than ever. He didn't want to die. He was too young, he hadn't even had his first beer yet. He didn't plan on dying a either. Chanyeol always thought he'd die in his sleep or at least in some way that would have been painless. 

Thick and fat tears fell down his cheeks, but he bit his hand to make sure he didn't make a noise. Eventually, he had to stop because it hurt so much. He dropped his hand back down and it slapped it thigh and moved his jeans. Something poked his thigh bluntly. He slipped it out.

A faded, blue lighter. 

Without wondering if it would work or not, Chanyeol held it up to the detector and flicked it. A small flamed popped. He felt uncertain hope creep up. The flame spluttered, yet it kept burning. 

The red light was still red. There was still no help coming. 

He thought about just running. The door was unlocked and if he went fast enough, he could loose the men. However, his heart of gold prevented it. These guys would never be caught if Chanyeol didn't do this now. The city was big and the police were spread thin. They'd just come back.

The flame went out. 

His breath was quick and ragged as he shook the lighter. There had to be more fluid. He was convinced that the sloshing noise was lighter fluid and not wet, disgusting pants moving across clean floors. 

He held up the light again and flicked it. No flame. Not even a spark. 

The ringleader kicked the kitchen door open. Chanyeol flinched, he walked backward until his waist bumped into the sink. The gun was pointed right at his head. 

"I've given you so many chances," crooned the ringleader, "But I don't think I want your money anymore. It's cheaper than you, Park."

"Yo-you'd waste bullets on me?" his voice cracked painfully. The lump in his throat made it hard to speak. 

The ringleader shrugged."It's not my gun to worry about."

Chanyeol kept flicking the lighter. He held it tightly in between his legs. He slid down to his knees. The drawer handles dung into his back. The greasy man cocked the gun, like he was showing off. 

He flicked it again. And again. And again. 

"I think I'll take your hat when this is done. Looks expensive."

Again. Again. Again.

"Maybe I'll give it to that highschooler under the druggy bridge. Even druggies need nice headgear."

Chanyeol felt panic and fear melt into confusion. He saw something behind the ringleader. Something small and fluffy. She trotted over and stopped right between the gross man's legs. She her paws and stretched her claws. Her little cat tongue swiped her nose and she wiggled her bottom in the air. 

Her sharp teeth latched onto the the clothed ankle of the ringleader. 

There was a warbly scream that sounded like a gurgle of saliva and a shot rounded off. Chanyeol ducked. The bullet ricocheted off something metal and pinged about the kitchen. Something whizzed by his ear, taking slivers of hair along while cracking his glasses and he freaked. 

His thumb flicked the lighter while his hand lost grip. 

There was a sudden thud and intense heat Chanyeol could only compare to an oven. He pushed the glasses off his face and saw Hell. The lighter had landed on the ringleader. The flames curled high and twisted into various colors. 

Chanyeol gaped wide eyed, and slightly blurry, as the man spasmed on the floor. The brightness made it hard to see properly, but he could tell the flames were destroying this man piece by piece. His dirty jeans and ripped winter coat were ashes. 

He felt sick, but it got harder and harder to breathe with each second. Flames turned blue and purple and ivory. They the ceiling and flooded the entire kitchen. The cat was sitting pretty right in the middle. The fire swirled around her like a wind storm. 

Chanyeol covered his mouth and nose. The smoke was thick and damn near black. He crawled for the door, but the metal knob was melting under the heat. It dripped like water out a faucet and made burn marks on the tile under it. 

Sweat quite literally poured from Chanyeol's skin. Every inch of his tall body felt we. 

He was forced to breathe in smoke and he coughed so violently, he thought he threw up a little. The taste wasn't great on his tongue. He collapsed completely onto the floor. The light show swirled in all directions as the cat walked over. 

She padded over until she was right on Chanyeol's chest. She sat on his lungs, only worsening his struggle. A tough, sandpaper like tongue swiped over his chin before the smoke smothered him. 

My world is filled with you. 

"Be careful! It's slippery over there!"

"I know! Worry about yourself!" 

"H-hey! Watch your mouth!"

Kyungsoo laughed at his friend's outburst. Someone was born a month before you, and suddenly they were more responsible than you. What bull crap. 

He had to admit, though, that the river was especially fast today. It wasn't very deep at all, but there were sharp rocks at the bottom. And if they weren't sharp, they were slippery or covered with algae. His bare feet didn't have that much grip against them. He held his arms out like he was tightrope walking and hopped from rock to rock. 

The breeze blew swiftly, something not uncommon by the river. A mile in in the forward direction was a fork in the river. One side lead the river into the next town and the other way made a dead end to a water by the side of the mountain. 

Kyungsoo was fond of this place, his brother used to take him on walks along the river when he smaller, however now that he had enlisted into the military, kyungsoo was forced to come by himself and anyone he dragged along. This time he brought Hyejin. She was a little older and a lot more responsible, even if Kyungsoo didn't want to admit it.

While he waded out, fifteen feet out into the middle of the river, Hyejin and her pretty white dress stayed behind on the shore-like sand. He hopped to another rock and wobbled dangerously. 

"Kyungsoo! Come on, let's just go, it sounds like there's a storm coming!" Hyejin yelled. 

He steadied himself and looked back, Hyejin's long dark hair wasn't flowing in the wind and her dress wasn't soaked with rain. The sky was clear, impossiblly so since he lived so close to high mountains. He frowned. It wasn't going to storm, but there was a rumbling in the distance. 

 Kyungsoo called over, "Hyejin! Hey, I'm gonna go farther and figure out what's going on! Stay there!"

She spluttered, "What?! Kyungsoo, I'm serious, I hear something, like thunder!"

He waved her off, "Yeah, yeah, you just wanna leave-"

"-damn right!-"

"I'll be back in less than five minutes."

Kyungsoo kept along the river. He only stepped on big rocks that looked like they could hold him. The farther he went out, the deeper the water became. After a few minutes, the water was already at his thighs.

He couldn't see Hyejin either. 

He knew that if he went any farther, he'd hit the fork in the river. Kyungsoo thought about going back, but the rumbling was louder and the water was shaking. His curiosity was winning by the second. 

The rocks were getting smoother, but slicker. The water was to his waist and he could hear the waterfall. He thought it impossible to have already walked a mile. Green forest and life flanked him on both sides of the river. It was getting wider too. The sounds of wildlife drowned out the near by town he lived in. 

He turned left and followed the water. Slimmy, scaly fish started to swim past his legs. The rumbling was louder than ever and Kyungsoo regretted his decision.

The waterfall standing dozens of feet above him with harsh water cascading down it, was moving. The entire side of the mountain was. Rock crumbled and fell in the river that turned into a pool the size of a house. Water rushed past causing him to almost fall in. 

Parts of mountains jutted out like spines, anything from pebbles to boulders splashed in with Kyungsoo. No wonder it hadn't taken long to get to the waterfall, it came to him. Trees and rocks fell like water and swirled into the pool Kyungsoo was trying to escape. 

But nature was working against him. 

The entrance of the pool was blocked by spirals of rock that grew from the earth under the river. It created a dam-like effect; the water had nowhere else to go. Kyungsoo floated over, narrowly missing a sharp branch, and pounded on the rocks. His fists were bruised instantly and throbbing in pain. 

There was a huge splash and he looked over. 

The waterfall had fallen apart. Rock and earth had made a criss-crossing pattern across the mouth of the waterfall. Once the last gallons of water had cascaded in and left Kyungsoo the view the wall behind the water. Green algae stuck the raw rock and lone fishes that had fallen with the water were stuck, dying, in the ledges of rock that stuck out  

Also, carved into the rock with plants hanging over the opening, there was a cave. It was small, just barely Kyungsoo sized, but the water was too high for his liking. It had risen up to his neck, he cursed his shorter stature. Kyungsoo couldn't breathe in small places, but he wouldn't be able to breathe if he got tired and drowned.

He used the rock to push off with his foot, and he paddled all the way to where the waterfall was inching closer and closer. Behind him, from several feet above him, an entire tree uprooted and flung itself into the water. Waves of debris infested water slapped him in the back and shoved him under the water for a second.

He was shivering once he got a grip on the wall. The cave was five feet above water level, so he'd have to climb. He damned himself for not wearing shoes. His feet were getting small cuts and scrapes from the rough rock he was forced to climb up. Kyungsoo was relieved when he reached the cave, he clawed himself into the alcove.

It was worse inside than he had imagined. The second Kyungsoo sat all the way inside, the curvled walls were getting smaller and the air was too thick to breathe. He whined as he held up his arms, afraid the ceiling would cave in on him for no reason. His stomach turned when he realized that he was still moving with the side of the mountain. 

Kyungsoo wanted nothing more than to swan dive back into the muddy water, but now there was something blocking his way. 

Someone. 

Hyejin crouched on the edge of the rocks with a goofy smile. 

"I- Hyejin...what are you-" 

"Shh, Kyungsoo. You want out?"

Kyungsoo shivered in his skin. Hyejin didn't sound like Hyejin. 

"T-That's not funny! You know I have c-c-claustraphobia," he was shivering in real life too. 

Hyejin chuckled lowly. "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind."

Then, she fell back and he could hear the splash where she hit the water. 

Kyungsoo feebly moved to look over the edge, to see if Hyejin was okay. But his vision was once again obstructed by something getting in the way. Rock sprung up in stuttered jerks right in front of him. "No...no no no no no-" he ran the mantra in his head and maybe out loud. He dragged his hands and his nails against it. It felt like solid granite or whatever the stupid mountains were made out of. He just wanted an open space.

Kyungsoo couldn't breathe. Agonizingly slowly, the rock made it's way to the top of the entrance. He cracked and bruised his nails in his desperation to get out. 

The mountain lurched and Kyungsoo was slammed into wall. His head had hit particularly hard. He groaned and lifted a hand to his forehead where warm blood trickled down his face. His vision became dizzy around the same time rock brushed against his feet. 

The two walls on either sides of him were closing in, like a cruel Kyungsoo sandwhich. 

He felt a panic attack on the horizon and couldn't stop his breathing from being erratic. He pressed his hands to the rock,  hoping it would prolong the likelihood that he would die from being squished. 

He pressed until he heard a crack and felt pain like no other; then, Kyungsoo passed out.  

I can't stop, I'm already filled with you. 

He stumbled inside. 

His mind was blurry and the bright lights of his mother's kitchen weren't helping. He threw his bookbag down and bolted to his room. The stairs were a challenge, but the urge for a cigarette was nearly the strongest thing he'd ever felt. It made the skin on his fingers crawl and his tongue itch. 

Jongin stepped inside room only to stop short. It was clean, impeccably so. Clothes were washed or in the hamper and papers thrown away. His pillow cases were different. Floral airfreshner clogged his nostrils.

He tore back down the stairs. Fury ran red into his vision or maybe it was the lasting effect from the blunt he had hit before the last bell had rung. 

He found his parents in the living room. 

"Where are they?"

"Where are what?" His father didn't seem confused at all. 

Jongin growled as he stepped closer. "If you don't give them back, I'll buy more. Who's money should I waste this time?" 

His mother stood from her chair. She had tears at the corners of her eyes. "Jongin, honey...we're just trying to help-" 

Jongin began a fit of giggles before rubbing a hand over his face. "Help me? You wanna help me? We play this game every day. Give back my cigarettes, mom."

"No."

He laughed bitterly once more. Jongin his heel and walked towards the front door. He heard his parents scrambling behind him, tugging on his shoulders to stop him. He just shrugged them off, though. He didn't need them. 

His father grabbed his bicep and pushed him around, but Jongin's reflexes had changed ever since he started getting into fights at school. Instead of moving away, panic laced itself into his heart and his fist flew. He caught his father right in the eye. The middle aged father fell and his mother completely forgot about him- not uncommon -and tended to his father. 

Jongin made sure to slam the door behind him. 

He pulled his jacket closer to him. The wind was bitter against him. It wasn't even late, but the sky looked darker than usual. Black clouds rolled in towards the university. He shook his head, he wasn't going that way. 

He walked briskly out of the gated neighborhood. Jongin never liked it there. It was where all his anxieties and responsibilities lived and festered around. His own home felt like a prison comprised of two wardons who expected too much.

But, out in the night air, in the dangerous city that lived around the gated neighborhood, he felt so much better. Night air was different than day air. Day air was filled with the voices of people and the hot carbon dioxide they spewed from their mouths. However, night air was clear. It was crisp and cold, but no one was polluting it with their voice. The night was empty save for the few people that were just like him. 

Jongin jaywalked across roads, hopped over train tracks, and dodged patroling police cars. There was a bridge just out of town. It was abandoned by cars, but not by people. It was the rain cover homeless people slept under and the authority cover addicts hid in. 

There was rubble and cracked asphalt to weave through, but the bridge couldn't have been easier to get to. As soon as he stepped under, the night got brighter and the air got thicker. Smoke from drugs and from fires clouded the air. Despite how cold it was, it looked almost cozy. The fires that burned in the metal barrels- probably wasn't the safest place to start a fire but whatever -casted an orangey glow on the stones and smoke that curled in the air. The people sat along the walls, covered in ratty blankets and old winter wear. There were old men and young children. The homeless. But Jongin didn't want them. 

He travelled farther down, past the women and children who slept soundly. He ventured to where it wasn't cozy anymore. It was dark and, probably, sad. He saw a business man tripping out on the ground, his expensive looking suit was covered in mud and grass that grew from the cracks. A few feet to the left was a woman who giggled at her phone screen. The phone wasn't on. 

Jongin walked right on by. 

He saw his target counting his money with a cigarette hanging from his lips. The sight made Jongin drool a little. He hadn't had nicotine in twelve hours and it was taking a toll ln him. 

"Hey," did he look as wrecked as he sounded? He hoped not. 

Namjoon looked up. He spoke with a wicked smile. "Hey. Someone looks tired. Mommy and daddy giving you a rough time?"

"Shut up. I just want my stuff."

Namjoon laughed then. "Your stuff? Nothing's yours until you pay for it. What would you like to pay for today?"

Jongin couldn't tear his eyes off that cigarette. It was like the answer to all his problems. "Smokes. Any kind. Just something to smoke."

Namjoon pocketed the money he held and nodded. He took a long drag and Jongin thought he might die from waiting. 

"Alright," Namjoon said lightly, as if he wasn't giving a minor illegal substances. "Go ahead 'nd smoke this. It'll feel a little weird first, but you'll like it. And, since I like you, you can pay later." Namjoon added with a wink. 

Jongin accepted the 'smokes'. It looked a lot like a rolled up blunt, but he knew it was laced with something. He knew that 'pay later' meant Namjoon would come up to him while he was high and just ask for his wallet. It was a damn shame Jongin hadn't taken any money with him, though. Namjoon would beat him within an inch of his life and leave him. He'd wake up with a hangover. He'd go home smelling like sweat and smoke and blood. 

It had happened before. And he didn't care. 

So instead of calling Namjoon out on it, he mumbled a thanks and took a seat closer to the business man tripping balls. He didn't like the way the woman was rolling on the ground and making weird noises. It almost sounded like she was trying to talk. 

He reached in his jacket pocket and revealed his matches. Funny how he had that but not money or an ID. He swiped it against it's package and cautiously lit the blunt. It burned like any other and smelled like any other. Without a thought, he took a drag. 

The familiar feeling of a burn in his lungs and throat roared up. He blew the smoke out and coughed a few times. With a sick sense of satisfaction, he realized he was getting better. He hadn't coughed as horribly as he had last week. Jongin took another drag. 

By his third hit, he understood what Namjoon meant when he said he'd feel weird. Every time he blinked, colors turned negative and positive. The sounds of fire crackling sounded like a song he knew. He felt a lot warmer too.

It stopped after awhile, and for a moment, it felt like the blunt had already worn off. Everything looked normal. Jongin could even see Namjoon from twenty feet away; he had gone back to counting money. 

He felt something. 

And, god, did it feel awful. 

It felt he had the worse hangover he'd ever had. His head pounded and his tongue felt like it weighed five pounds by itself. But, worst of all was the need. The need for more. Not just smokes or alcohol. Something stronger that would really mess him up. It wasn't a good feeling, but an exciting one. He tried to use the blunt again to get the high again, but it wouldn't come. Savage anger built up in his chest. Namjoon had cheated him. 

Jongin went to get up. He wanted to throw a fit and demand a drug that worked. However, the second he stood up, the world spun. His head made rhythmic headaches that spanned seconds. He closed his eyes and waited for it to pass. 

He opened them and he was in a different place. 

No longer was he under the bridge, but inside a classroom. Empty and large. He didn't recognize it. In shock, he blinked. 

Jongin was now in his room. "What the -" unconscious blink. 

Bridge. Namjoon was gone and the business guy had closed his eyes. The woman was there, and she looked fairly sober. She smiled at him, but it looked pretty crazy. She still wore a tank top and jeans with unruly hair, but now she was coherent and giving Jongin the eye. He blinked. This time he didn't go anywhere.

"What- did you smoke that stuff?" He muttered and looked around. 

She nodded. 

"Did you trip this bad? I mean, I've tripped before, but that was-"

"You're not tripping, Jongin."

He stared, "What?"

She inspected her nails while speaking. "You're not tripping. You're moving. Blink. Go on, do it. Move."

How was Jongin not supposed to blink now? He did on impulse and she was gone. He was on his room and so was his mother. She had tears streaking down her face while she sat on his bed. 

"Mo-" he tried to call out, but the scene changed before he could. 

He was in the university while electrical lightening struck. Then in the park. The bridge. His kitchen. The hospital. The principal's office. It kept happening seconds after he made it to one place. Soon, he was in places he didn't know. Large cities with bright lights or miles of farmland with no civilization anywhere. Jongin felt like he was going to explode. So many different places and climates we're making him sick. Different timezones made him tired and ed with his internal clock. 

Jongin just wanted to stop and take a breather. Although, he didn't really know how. He couldn't breathe and with all the colors moving, he couldn't see either. Jongin was forced to close his eyes. He couldn't open them again. But this was nice. It was dark and calm, almost like sleeping. So, he didn't open them. 

Right now, this moment... 

Sehun felt much too young to be this situation. 

Too young to be dressed in all black. Too young to feel lonely. And too young to help carry a coffin to it's grave. 

It was the cliche best friend's funeral you only saw in movies. The rain poured down with fat drops. It had been overcast for a week, but Sehun thought irony was working it's magic and making it rain on this day specifically. Men and woman kept stoic faces except for the immediate family. Sehun kept in the tears. He didn't trust that if he started, he might never stop. 

It'd been stupid, really. They were all in the car, but he hadn't been driving. He couldn't remember who had been, but they had lost control. Only one of them died, though. People kept telling him that was he was blessed to be alive, but was he really? 

He shook the thought. He went through the motions of helping the rest of his friends lower in the coffin. He was exhausted. Being in America meant that his night, had turned to day. He'd technically been up for two days and it wasn't doing him any good. Not even a full week out of his own country and he was already messing up.

After everyone was away from the coffin, the priest started his preaching. Sehun couldn't really find himself all that interested in what he was saying. He knew little of the English language other than conversational and how to get to the gas station. 

His friends next to him all kept their eyes down and their shoulders squared. He wondered if he looked the same. He scanned around the crowd. Not many considering they were doing this is in a different country, but Alex had been from there. 

The immediate family was closest to the coffin all the way to the left. A mother, sister and little brother. Then were the family friends. Then, Sehun and his friends who had known him. To the right of him were two policemen and a paramedic. He recognised them as the three who made it to the crash first. And finally past them were family members from America and Sehun's parents. None of them looked too sad, bored even. It made him want to punch something.

He wasn't sure how, but he somehow ended up storming away. He straight up his heel and started on his way. Without the cover of an umbrella, the entire front of him got dowsed. His new, leather dress shoes got muddy and scuffed, but he didn't really see why it mattered.

He walked by other headstones and small structures he figured more bodies were inside. It made him shiver. 

Sehun walked and walked and walked until he had no idea where he was. It was a big cemetery, much like a maze with headstones placed neatly. He faced the way he came. He couldn't see anyone. Just headstones and wilted flowers. 

"Ah ," he swore with groan. For a second he forgot he was on holy land. 

He spun around a few times, which only made his confusion worse. He ran a hand through his hair. God, he was stupid sometimes. Sehun set out in a random direction. He'd hit a road or a building eventually. 

Wrong. 

He walked for ten minutes, he counted, thanks to his watch. Sehun just told himself it was a big cemetery. He walked for another twenty minutes. Fog was crawling in now. Sehun couldn't see ten feet in front of himself. He started to get worried. No one had come for him yet, surely the funeral was over. Or maybe they just couldn't find him. He certainly couldn't find them. 

Sehun was able to find a path. There was a small trail that was worn out. Patches of grass were gone, Sehun figured it was from people walking to one area of the cemetery. Somewhere likely popular. Maybe people would be there  He didn't have any better ideas. He stuck to the path like glue. 

Sehun naturally had his head down. Due to his height, he was often looking down at people anyway. But the trail abruptly stopped. He frowned and strained his neck to look up. He jumped back. 

In front was him was an angel statue. She sat on a large cement block with words carved into it. She was life size too, if not bigger. She wasn't weeping or anything, she just stood with her hands clasped and eyes closed. Long robes draped her body and heavy wings hung off her back. 

Sehun stared at it through the fog. The rain was lessening, but the breeze was picking up. He moved closer, there was something about the writing on the concrete slab that interested him. 

The writing was partially covered in overgrown plants and dirt despite the flawless looking angel. He slid his fingers through the vines and leaves, he ripped and pulled them until they snapped. The wind and fog had picked up quickly once he started wiping dirt away. His clothes and hair were dry in minutes, but the air remained wet and humid. 

It wasn't long before the wind was taking his breath away.  It whipped from all directions. It felt almost like a warning. 

A strong gust hit his front and Sehun fell, taking clumps of dirt and leaf with him. His head made a resound thud and he swore a little more. He rubbed the back of his head, damp again from the water on the ground. He blinked stars out of his eyes. Sehun raised the top half of his body to see the inscription. 

Oh Sehun 

His eyes must have bugged out of his head, he stared so intensely. He read it over and over; it made his brain hurt to see his own name there. It didn't make sense for logical reasons and reasons that only seemed ironic. 

Sehun's eyes darted to the angel. Her eyes were wide open. Her lips were curved in a ghost of a smile. The wings were spread, the wingspan was at least twenty feet. 

Scurrying to his feet was harder than expected. The wind was on level with an oncoming tornado. The forced pushed him back down and got muddy grass in his mouth. Sehun's limbs felt like twigs the way the air moved him. He rolled painfully until he hit yet another gravestone. 

Oh Sehun 

With a whimper, he tried to crawl away. He was in the middle of two rows of stones. Flowers, wilted and fresh, flew around making the wind look painted and colorful. Sehun used the stones like life-lines and held onto them with a grip he dared anyone to rival. He strained his poor eyes to catch a glimpse of the angel. 

He wished he hadn't. 

She was no longer smooth marble with soft features. Now, the wind stripped away her softness. The marble's color was warped; what was once white, was black obsidian with gold veins running over her whole body. They looked like fractured glass. Her eyes glowed gold like her veins. Her wings were crumbled at her feet, all that was left was the spiny bones. The skeletal system of her angel wings made her look more like a bittersweet demon. 

Sehun was frozen in place. He couldn't tell if this was a hallucination or a dream. Maybe both.

The wind was blinding him. He had to close his eyes for a few moments to regain his vision. In the process, his hand slipped and he was thrown violently forward. First, the top of the stone he had been holding onto smashed his legs. Then, he tumbled until he was front and center of the angel. 

She didn't move, only look right at him. 

He watched as the wind wiped the writing away. Oh Sehun was gone. As the N washed away with the air, so did Sehun. 

....you're in my heart.