NJ - Nightmare

Odd Wings: Book of Lynx

 

It's almost morning and Namjoon is still at the gas station where he works as a part time for the night shift. His shift will be over in a few minutes though, just right the time where everybody start to wake up and do their activities. The coldness really creeps up on Namjoon through his worn out coat and thermal clothes underneath it. He shivers and shrinks because of the cold weather. He looks around and he could not see anyone around, only empty road and flickering light. His friend through most of the night. Thank goodness it's Sunday, that means he could rest as he doesn’t have part-time job until a new week starts. He sits on the chair available just outside the store where another young part-timer is sitting behind the cashier, looking tired and worn out as much as Namjoon's coat. He glances at the clock inside showing it's 5.45 in the morning, he couldn’t wait for his other colleague to come so he could change shift. Since there's no customer, he takes this opportunity to look at his phone and check back what he misses on the group chat.

 

태형이: So when's your competition?
호석: In three months. Hopefully everything will turn out to be good ㅋㅋㅋ
지민: Hyung has been working none stop with Hazel. Seriously they are Jjang!
호석: ㅋㅋㅋ ㄱㅅ
태형이: I'll make sure to come, and maybe I will bring Taemi with me. Fighting, fighting!
국이: Will I be able to watch by then? ㅠㅠ
윤기형: So get better.
국이: 네ㅔㅔㅔ 알겟습니다!!!
호석: Be sure to come!

 

No sign of Jin coming out or even typing out any reply in the group chat. It's almost four days now and Jungkook has been in the hospital for almost a week. He's rehabilitation has not even started yet, but the rest of the member, himself included, has been visiting Jungkook once in a while to keep him company or to switch with Yoongi if he's tired. Of course, Yoongi would not leave Jungkook alone in the hospital. He quickly types in his reply, 'I hope Jin-hyung is doing well, too', then hits send. He closes the group chat window and open his personal chat window with Taehyung.

 

태형: We arrive safely.

 

That was the last message he receives from Taehyung, which was two days ago, when Taemi and Taehyung visited him at his home when his mother's boyfriend came back for a couple of days. But now that he's not home, it was safe for Taemi to be staying home without his supervision. Nevertheless, Namjoon couldn't shake the unsettling feeling about Taehyung's and Taemi's well being. Maybe a little bit more for Taemi (ㅋㅋㅋ). Thinking about the last time they were at his house makes his mind run wild on thoughts he could not implement in real life. He wishes Taemi would come to him under a less stressful circumstances. Have a nice long chats about anything other than her mother, her brother, or her school, or even unimportant and monotone story of polite exchange. All he ever wanted was to sit down with her, some place nice, maybe a picnic, talking about their interest. Likes and dislike. Their hopes and dream. Hobbies. Anything. Anything at all that could only draw up a smile than frowns. Inevitable and unstoppable smile. Namjoon smiles because of his own thoughts. Just thinking about it, makes him smile, what happened if he actually gets the chance to do that with her? His heart would explode. He stare at his phone and type in. 'What is Taemi doing today?' which he quickly erase before he changes his mind. But not a moment later he has conflicting feeling of regret for not sending that message. He turns the screen off and clasp his phone within is grasp and let down his head while he rest both of his elbow on his knee. He put his phone against his forehead, trying to sink in all the tiredness from his body and survive for another minute. Before he realizes, he had just dozed off for a couple of minute in that position. When he opens his eyes, his neck and back hurts like hell. The sun is already trying to peak through the clouds and people starts pouring out of the street. Suddenly, he sees a figure that he knows very well. A sigh of relief came out automatically and he gets up on his feet. He shoved both of his hand into his jacket and wait for his colleague to approach him. He says hi with a cup to hug like how guys usually would do it. He told Namjoon to go on and leave now that he can switch. He couldn’t be more happier to go and sleep in his beloved bed.

Soon, Namjoon had already arrive at his house and enter quickly. He puts down his things randomly near his bed and let his body drop and sunk into his bed. Without even trying, he already fallen asleep, fast asleep like a baby. Loud snoring can be heard through out the room because of how tired he is. As the days gets older, he falls deeper into his dream—or is it nightmare? Suddenly he's standing in middle of an apartment ground floor, two building tiered to the a rather cloud sky.

Is this a dream?

He looks around and nobody seems to be around, it was rather dead. Like it was an earth apocalypse.  Everything moves so slowly, the wind blows onto his face, he could feel the little kiss from the ruble. Then, he heard it. A scream. A woman screaming. Followed by broken glass. His dream suddenly takes him in front of a door. A door that is so familiar even in his dream. 31B is written on the door.  A fit could be heard through the door. Stuff dropping, door banging, glass shattering, woman crying and screaming, and a man cussing all over the place. He witness everything as if it was a movie. Then he looks to his right—still in slow motion—he sees Taehyung running from the stairs, running out of breath. His hair and clothes are floating through the air as he takes big steps toward where Namjoon is standing. Before Taehyung could reach the door, suddenly the door in front of Namjoon opens forcefully and lose out of control. A silhouette moves faster than his mind could comprehend. A long haired person pass by him and run towards Taehyung, which Taehyung catches within his embrace. He's now standing in between them on the side. Watching the girl cries in Taehyung's embrace as Taehyung try to lift her face. It was Taemi. Glimmering with tears and fresh wound on her face. Her clothes has been ripped and rumpled as if she was just involve in a fist fight. Taemi mutter something in her wails, and Taehyung replies in horror. Although they are exchanging words, Namjoon couldn’t hear any sound. This movie has turned into a silent movie in slow motion. A scene jump—now Namjoon is standing in the middle of a prison cell. Cold dark and he couldn't see anything at all. He's now himself. Everything is in normal pace, and he could hear his own voice panicking inside the cell, nudging the cell trying to break out.

"Let me out! Let me out right now!" he scream on top of his lungs demanding to be let out, but he's not even sure why he was there in the first place. He panics even more and starts to pacing around the cell trying to see if anyone is outside. Then, he sees a female figure approaching, closer and closer, taking it shape. The female lower her head down with messy hair and ed up clothes and blood everywhere, dripping down her legs. Namjoon stops screaming and slowly approach the girl near the bars. As he approaches the girl lift her head slowly, in tears. It was her again! Looking back at Namjoon in sadness and disappointment. Namjoon heart leaps out and his legs suddenly become weak and shaking like a leaf. He chocked up as he sees Taemi sobbing. Taemi then opens and mutter, "Oppa, why? Why didn't you help? Why, Oppa? Why? WHY?!?!" Taemi screams puncture his ear drums and his heart beats faster and faster to the point all that he could hear was his heart beat. He pressed down both of his palm onto his ears and falls to the ground. Then he wakes up in cold sweat and terror in his eyes. He's lungs running out of breath, and his chest is in pain. More than ever. He heaved himself up slowly holding his head together, thumping as if it's about to explode. Then he heard a knock on the door. His mind is still working very slowly, unsure what to do. He look at the clock and it's almost 10. He wipes down his face with his hand and quickly get to the door. He turns the knob hoping it would be either Taehyung or Jin, but when the door is completely open, he is in for a surprise.

"Goor morning!" Taemi had just stand there on her casual clothes, worn out jeans, red converse, and oversized white t-shirt, and a blue semi-leather backpack. She smile from cheek to cheek. She has tied up her long brown hair, and let some of her baby hair daggling framing her face. Namjoon's eyes dilates in a sight of her. Namjoon open his eyes wider, he almost attack her and take her into his arm, relief that she's okay, but he hold his intention. Instead he put both of his hand on her shoulder, abruptly.

"Why? What's wrong? Are you okay?" a sudden emergency fills the spaces between them, it surprises Taemi for a second but she goes back smiling again.

"Nothing is wrong. I came here to see you, Taehyung-oppa is going out and mom is resting at home. I'm fine. We have not seen him for 2 days now." Taemi assure Namjoon, which fills Namjoon with even more relief. But then his mind go haywire right after Taemi said she's here to see him.

"Are you busy?" asks Taemi.

Namjoon does not reply right away but he just stand there like an idiot before he answers, "Oh, no. I'm not."

Taemi smiles even more. "Do you… want to go out with me?'

Namjoon's mind went blank one more time. But he tries to calm himself down. "Where?"

She shrugs. "Well… I don't know, just around. I thought maybe we could do something together."

Namjoon couldn’t hold back his smile, he lets Taemi inside and let her wait inside as he takes a quick shower to freshen up. He brush his teeth quickly and put on his white shirt, baggy black training, and black cap. He gets out from the bathroom looking better than he did a couple of minute ago. Taemi is sitting down at the table playing her phone, when he gets out she sets her phone aside and smile. She quickly heave herself up.

"Ready?" she asks which Namjoon reply with a small nod. "Oh. I have something for you." she shoves one of her hand into her jeans pocket and take something out while she approaches Namjoon. She takes Namjoon hand, and she puts the item on his palm. When she removes her hand he could see what the item is. It os a phone chain. One wing made out of wood, with a black strap to slip into the phone cracks.

"It's a key chain, or phone chain to be exactly. I made it. At first I was going to give it to mom, but I think it suits you better." she takes out her phone one more time and held it between them. There he can see a similar wooden wings keychain hanging from her phone. "Look, if you put it together…" she gets her wing closer to his wing and suddenly a soft click can be heard. "It'll stick together like this."

Namjoon is still in silence, looking at a set of wings. He has the right wing, and Taemi has the left wing. He smiles and look at Taemi who seems to be satisfied with herself.

"I put on a small magnet right here in the middle. So when put together they become a set of wings, ready to fly," she swings the wings on the air in her hand, mimicking flying wings. Namjoon giggle a little. He takes his part of the wing and Taemi takes hers.

"Thank you. I love it," Namjoon smile back at Taemi. Then they both get out of the house ready to start their very first date—which both of them belief to be it is, but none of them knew since they keep their own mind and intention to themselves. 

"So what's going on at home?" Namjoon asks out of concern.

"I dont want to talk about that right now. Not that, not mom, not Taehyung-oppa," says Taemi as she tucks in her hair behind her ear. 

Namjoon walks right besides Taemi as they walk down the stairs. "Okay, sorry. What do you want to talk about?" 

"I want to talk about you," she stops at the stairs and looks at Namjoon deeply with a serious face. "I want to know about you," then throws in a smile. "I never really know about you, so I want to know about you." 

Namjoon smiles and looks deep into her eyes. He sracthes the back of his head and lower his down awkwardly then peaks to see Taemi who's smiling and standing right in front of him with a fully open heart. "I know just a place that would be perfect." 

Taemi's smiles widen. She offers her hand to Namjoon and surprises him, but with confidence he takes in her hand and clasp it lovingly within his own hand. Her hand is perfect for Namjoon's hand, fills the spaces just right. Taemi's cold hand burns under Namjoon's but he doesn't care. They both descending and walk hand-in-hand side by side to a day they both excited to see. In Namjoon's heart, he could never be more grateful for what he wants came true in a flash without any setbacks. Just for a while, he is allow to forget about everything else in the world. Just for a while, he is allow to have her in his hand. Just for a while, he is allow to look at that face he long to see without stealing. Just for a while, he is allow to be by her side and him on hers. Just for a while, he will let his heart flutters for things to come in the future. 

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Aiesha
#1
Chapter 1: So glad I discovered this story. It’s been such a long time since I read a story in the present tense and I must applaud you for doing so. Not sure about you, but I find writing in present tense most difficult yet you do it so well. At the moment I’ve only finished chapter 1, can’t wait to binge read the rest of the available chapters. Keep updating though!
Bangtan_sonyandan #2
Kya... This is adorable!!!
ALMinGi
#3
Chapter 5: Thank you for sticking with me until this far, trust me this is only the beginning. I will bring more exciting story and plot as well as characters for all you to come :) Please keep giving this story lots of love <3