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It should have been a little bit easier to find Taehyung if it wasn't for the zombies that tried to get in the prison field, not to mention a bunch who chased him. There are atleast a hundred or two of them that scattered outside and basing from their attires, they came from the nearest city as they finally wandered around this area.

 

 

 

"C-Chanyeol, help him! Let's find him!" Baekhyun is hysterical. It hurt Chanyeol and the others too much as he finally gave up into insanity and just panicked out there with tears b in his eyes.

 

 

 

While the others didn't uttered a single word and just kept busy stabbing the heads of the zombies from the inside of the cell, it greatly bothered them that the metal poles may break down from the weight of the zombies that leaned towards it that's trying to get in.

 

 

 

 

That, if this disaster couldn't be dealt with, this might be also their end now.

 

 

 

 

Chanyeol held Baekhyun's shaking shoulders to calm the latter. He cursed inside as he endured his pained expression.

 

 

 

 

"Hey, Baekhyun... shhh.. Baekhyun listen to me.." Chanyeol tried his best to catch Baekhyun's attention even under the loud roaring noise off the hungry zombies.

 

 

 

 

"Baekhyun, we'll find him. But first, hey, listen to me Baekhyun. I needed you with me right now." Chanyeol explained as he was already cupping Baek's shaking face. His body shaking uncontrollably and his breathing ragged. The smaller's eyes finally steadied and focused into Chanyeol's worried ones atlast. His ragged breathing calmed at the slightest bit.

 

 

 

 

"P-Please..." Baekhyun silently begged and cried, closing his eyes as he gripped on Chanyeol's shirt. Chanyeol's heart squeezed even more when Baekhyun wrapped his shaking arms around Chanyeol's body as he dipped his face in the latter's toned chest, begging and praying that Taehyung is gonna be safe.

 

 

 

 

"I'll find him myself Baekhyun. I promise." Chanyeol mumbled as he rubbed Baekhyun's still trembling body. It made him more felt guilty knowing that there's only the slightest chance for a unarmed boy wandering on the forest right now, but Chanyeol is willing to take that chance no matter what. Especially because this may make Baekhyun alright.

 

 

 

 

"Now, let us help take down the zombies from the inside or they'll destroy the fences. It'll just make things more complicated if that happens, alright?" He murmured still keeping Baekhyun in his chest until he felt the smaller loosened his grip on his shirt.

 

 

 

Baekhyun pulled away from the embrace and breathed.

 

 

 

He then opened his eyes and searched for Chanyeol's face. 

 

 

 

"T-Thanks." He spoke with tears rolling down his cheeks and while he's trying to prevent his voice from breaking out from his quivering lips.

 

 

 

Without uttering another word, he walked away and quickly pulled a dagger from his boots. He then started to stab the zombies' head with such force and intensity, yet his expression was in utter pain.

 

 

 

It took them until afternoon to finally see the field outside the fences again and Baekhyun almost gave up from his knees not only from tiredness but he realised that darkness is already looming above the bluish violet hues of the sky.

 

 

 

 

"H-He can't survive there a-alone..." Baekhyun sighed painfully. He can't shed tears anymore because he's already empty. Only the feeling of abandonment and pain is lingering in him anymore.

 

 

 

"B-Baekhyun," there goes Luhan's voice as he hugged Baekhyun tightly. They were now covered in splashes of blood coming from the zombies they killed that was already lying on the ground outside the fences. Finally the area is silent, the only noises that's now emerging was the sound of crickets and the ominous wind.

 

 

 

"H-He's g-gone by now..." Luhan sobbed even in his tired state. Others just watched painfully while letting their tired selves drop on the soiled ground in blood and sweat.

 

 

 

"Do not ever say that!" Baekhyun shouted. Luhan just shook his head frantically as tears rolled down his cheeks.

 

 

 

"Listen to me," he whispered as he was still hugging Baekhyun.

 

 

 

"After I found out that he was left outside, I-I ran towards the watch tower to know if what direction is he taking, and a-also to try to shoot the zombies who followed him into the woods..." he breathed deep from the continuous sentence he let out. Baekhyun just listen, feeling numb already.

 

 

 

 

"And, and, I saw him bleeding.. he already got bit Baekhyun." He mumbled painfully. This sentence made Baekhyun's pain unbearable even more. The pain is too much for him to handle. This pain is way more worst than losing Minho.

 

 

 

It was the time with Taehyung that invested this pain. The smiles. The struggles. The fears. The time they shared together. Everything.

 

 

 

"We've come this far, only to lose him?" Baekhyun asked more to himself as he stared on the darkening surrounding.

 

 

 

 

"Baekhyun, I think it's time for us to go inside." Jongin approaches with Chen and Sehun tailing behind him. Even in his whispered pitiful voice, it still echoed in the unusual silence of the field.

 

 

 

"Shouldn't we be finding Taehyung?" Baekhyun looked up, his eyes bloodshot as his eyes begged from something he wasn't saying.

 

 

 

Tao approached along and crouched down into the two males sitting dreadfully on the ground. Luhan is already fallen asleep from the drained energy from crying and taking down zombies.

 

 

 

 

"Baek, the night is dangerous. We can't track footprints and if who's coming towards us. We should start the search earliest tomorrow." Tao mumbled, looking away when Baekhyun lifted his eyes to face him.

 

 

 

 

Even though they tried to hide their ashamed expressions, it couldn't really be erased on their eyes. The pain that hunts them when they even couldn't help one of their colleagues when they needed help. When Taehyung needed help.

 

 

 

Baekhyun just kept silent. He had no energy left. And he prefer to not speak, because he's also scared that he might spill something that isn't reasonable and hurtful just like what happened with him and Chanyeol when Minho died.

 

 

 

 

"I'm sorry.." Tao spoke again as he squeezed Baek's shoulder. The thing was that Baekhyun can't even feel now, not even Luhan's bodyweight that's  leaning on him.

 

 

 

 

"Let me carry Luhan.." Sehun initiated as he gently recovered Luhan from Baekhyun. Jongin who's silent all along mumbled something towards Sehun, the latter nodding before walking inside the cell with Luhan in his arms.

 

 

 

 

Tao and Chen left with Sehun after that. The night had already eaten the last breath of light. That left Jongin and Baekhyun in the field near the fences where dead bodies are scattered.

 

 

 

"He told me, he was scared to die..." Baekhyun sighed, pain still lingered in his voice.

 

 

 

Jongin couldn't say anything. All he knows is he felt really bad. He just listened at Baekhyun as he sat beside the smaller male, flinging his right arm around the latter's shoulders and pulling him near him so that the smaller can lean on his shoulder.

 

 

 

"He was a good kid. A good person. He never hurt anyone. And yet this happened? In just a blink, he's no longer here." His voice broke at the end as he finally buried his face on Jongin's chest. The latter just kept silent, he just listened and felt the warm wet tears setting his shirt.

 

 

 

"And now, Luhan was telling me he saw that he got bitten." Baekhyun sobbed. His stomach hurt, his throat rough and his eyes burned from the salty tears.

 

 

 

 

"What should I do now?" He mumbled as he lifted his face a bit to face Jongin.

 

 

 

"I suggest that we should keep going Baek.." He mumbled as he averted his gaze on the darkness. 

 

 

 

The post light to lighten the prison, hoping that Taehyung might just come back.

 

 

 

"For what? Please tell me." Baekhyun begged for answer, gripping unto the other male's shirt. Insanity cloaking him.

 

 

 

"For the people who's still there for us. And who needed us. We still have each other Baek. All of us who are still alive. The people who believes on us. There's a lot of things why we should keep going." Jongin mumbled even so himself doesn't really know why are they really doing their best to survive. He just know things. These things.

 

 

 

Baekhyun took in a deep breath. He tried to calm himself. Even in his broken state, his mind was telling him he still got people looking up for him. Valuing his existence. Loving him.

 

 

 

"Let's go inside," Baekhyun mumbled. He prevented the tears in his eyes to flow once more.

 

 

 

"Mm. We still need to get cleaned up." Jongin respond as he stood up. He lend his hand to pull Baekhyun to stand.

 

 

 

"I don't mind. I'll talk to Chanyeol first." Baekhyun spoke as they started going back the prison building.

 

 

 

"That's what I wanted to tell you earlier back Baekhyun," Jongin spoke as he opened the metal gates towards their section.

 

 

 

Baekhyun looked at him clueless with questioning eyes.

 

 

 

"I tried to tell Chanyeol that it's not a good idea to start the search but he wouldn't be stopped. He already left, Sehun and I are the only ones who knew this before he go because he knew that we'll try to stop him. So now Sehun and I are in charge." Jongin stated, watching Baekhyun's face turned worried for the first time. Not the panicked face expression but the worried one.

 

 

 

"Baek, are you alright?" Jongin asked when the boy didn't answered. Baekhyun blinked and lifted his eyes on Jongin.

 

 

 

"You let him go even though you knew that it's bad to wander at night? You told me yourself." Baekhyun sounded frustrated.

 

 

 

 

"I'm sorry, Chanyeol is not a man who could be stopped when he already had a decision." Jongin answered.

 

 

 

"You could have told me. I could have talked to him. Or smack his head for some sense. Taehyung is in danger, and now you guys just let another one slip outside. Great." Baekhyun hissed a bit in the end.

 

 

 

"But you know Chanyeol, he would never listen anyone." Jongin responded. Their voices echoed in the empty hall.

 

 

 

"Don't sweat it. It's okay. We should start the search early morning. I appreciate you being there for me earlier Jongin. But I guess I needed some time alone now." Baekhyun answered, going inside the cell, leaving Jongin at the gates.

 

 

 

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