‘Lost Boy’

For Park Leeteuk, work was just another mundane thing he was expected to do. Paperwork and calls all day, everyday, and he hated it. The claustrophobic feeling of the office cubicle, the hums of conversations he cared nothing about. He needed, wanted out.

His feet carried him out of the office, the screams and yells for his return falling on deaf ears as he entered the outside world. The world around him shifted and buzzed with a mixture of fantasy and reality. The feeling of having no destination yet arriving at one in moments made him happy.  The large abandoned hospital had been a favorite of his since childhood. Here, his sister would tell him stories of Neverland, Peter Pan, and Captain Hook. Here at the edge of town, no one expected anything of him. Here, he was free.

His footsteps echoed as dust rose from the ground where he stepped. The small rays of sunlight that shown through the boarded windows created a fantasy for the male. As Leeteuk made his way to the stairs he normally sat at, a strange voice caught his attention. Trying to be silent, he made his way to the edge of the room, careful to keep his eyes on the entry to the next room incase the person appeared.

Just as he was about to peer inside, the floor beneath him creaked, the noise loud in the otherwise silent room.

“Who’s there?” the voice called, asking a question Leeteuk didn’t want to answer. Quickly, he made to hide, only to collide with the body of a younger man, his eyes vacant looking and wearing a giraffe pajama bodysuit.

“Are you new here too?” the boy asked, his eyes not looking at him, instead, he was whispering to his toy giraffe.

“Yesung and Heechul are arguing again.” he continued making Leeteuk blink. The boy continued to stare at his toy, before quickly turning to the door where two men emerged. They each wore long white lab coats, and had name badges attached to their pockets.

“Ryeowook, where are the others?” one of the men asked, reaching forward and placing a hand on the boy.  Ryeowook smiled, the grin wide and haunted, before pointing behind him.

“Yesung, take him to the others and prepare the bus.” his friend ordered. Leeteuk watched as the other man left with Ryeowook, his white lab coat disappearing around the corner of the next room.

“Now you, who are you?” the man asking the question had jet black hair, and his eyes were like that of a cats. Leeteuk gulped as he backed up against the paint chipped wall. The man leaned closer as Leeteuk read his name tag.

“Kim Heechul?” he asked, his eyes returning to the man’s own cat like eyes.

“Yes, Dr. Kim Heechul. Now again, who are you?” Heechul asked, searching the scruffy looking man over.

“I, am Peter Pan.” Leeteuk smiled brightly. And it was true, inside these tattered hospital walls, he was Peter Pan, never growing up. This was his neverland. Heechul looked on confused, before nodding his head.

“Alright Peter Pan, follow me please.” Heechul ordered as he grabbed Leeteuk’s wrist. The doctor had not expected to find another lost boy here of all places, but, it did bring the number of boys to the rounded numeral Siwon needed for the papers.

“Where are we going?” Leeteuk asked, watching the doctor with confused eyes. Heechul sighed as he used his free hand to scratch his eyes.

“The bus, it will take you to others like yourself and we can help you.” Heechul explained. Leeteuk blinked before smiling.

“You mean, like a real neverland?” Leeteuk asked happily. Heechul only nodded as they neared the exit. Hopefully finding Peter Pan’s family wouldn’t be too hard a job.

The bus was only slightly filled, and just a few mumbled whispers could be heard despite the number of people inside.

“Who is he?” The man from before was looking at Leeteuk with a raised brow. Heechul sat Leeteuk beside Ryeowook, the silent giraffe clad boy, once again whispering to his toy. Heechul claimed his seat beside Yesung and closed his eyes after telling the driver to go. Finally, he decided to answer Yesung.

“Another lost boy.”