Friday morning - the 13th, no less. It was half an hour before the other members had woken, but Lip was downstairs, packing away two sandwiches in her bag. The thrill of discovering the unknown sent a chill down her spine, anxious for the day to move along. As they got onto the bus, the edges of Lip's mind began to itch with thoughts; how she wore her bag only to avoid suspicion, rather than intending to use it for any school work today; whether or not she'll be able to find Jinsoul again, especially if she's made up her mind to avoid them; how many are left, and if finding them would be enough to end this numbing loop.

    When the bus came to a stop, the students made their usual commotion of getting up and collecting their things before filing out. Lip looked out of the windows, scanning the city for any bus stops nearby. She picked up her bag and ped the front pocket, pulling out her wallet and stuffing it into her pocket. Slinging it over her back, she got in line and exited the bus.

    Standing alert outside the premises were two administrators, often receiving attendance sheets to mark students down as present each day. Lip walked towards the entrance as all students always do, passing the staff who entered the bus. Looking over, the second administrator entered the previous bus. Lip turned and made for the nearest corner of the school, about 20 paces ahead of her. She turned and concealed herself behind the wall, alert. Her hand rested on her zipper, a generic excuse forming in her train of thought. Ten seconds passed, and no one had called out. She noticed a bus stop ahead and recognized it as one she could use.

~ ~ ~

    Unlocking the front door, Lip made her way to the kitchen; hidden behind leftovers and bagged fruits sat those distinct cans. Placing one in her bag, she swung the door shut and went upstairs to her room, pulling herself into a sweatshirt. Finally, she opened the door to the bathroom and waited. After a few minutes had passed, worry began to hint at her, though she swayed the thoughts away. Then, the light began to drain from the room, the mirror beginning to distort around the edges like a mirage in the desert. She ped her bag and pulled out a cherry, taking a bite. Lip felt her body lift into the unknown, the familiar tugging and the fantasy of weightlessness. An opening formed and she fell out, clashing her feet against the path.

~ ~ ~

    Evening had fallen over the world. Again, her muscles tensed against the clash between fear and great responsibility. She pulled out her phone and opened the text message. Looking out for the first notable landmark, she began walking in the same direction she had gone before. Soon enough, she found the starting point and began following the notes.

For several minutes, she watched the vivid landscape morph and evolve in front of her, following the notes into woods, ditches, over hills, and into openings. The farther she got, the more difficult it became to locate exactly where to turn and go, different paths becoming more and more shrouded and twisted. The muscles in her legs pushed past the first wall of weariness, growing tense with each push, while the straps of her bag dug into her shoulders. In addition, each patch of rocks and sturdy tree became more unforgiving than the last, her energy seeping out each minute.

Eventually, after scaling another hill, she reached a level platform of grass, surrounded by thick trees and a dark green foliage completely enveloping her. The floor was blanketed with a layer of soft green leaves while branches and clusters of leaves webbed across the sky. Ahead of her, the trees opened up to a circular hedge formation - as she approached, a fountain in the middle became visible, short but wide enough to take up nearly the entire circular opening. Most important, though, remained what stood ahead: a fortress of a home, only a deep gray hue across the walls with various columns, arches, windows, and ornaments adorning the exterior. A few windows on the second floor gave off a dim orange glow, unwavering. Directly in front, between two wings jutting out towards her, sat a door underneath more arches.

    During the day, the entire premises could be monitored by any window, nearly every area visible by some angle, but many of the lights were already off, signaling the end of another day. Lip slowly made for the door, lightly brushing against the hedges in case she needed a spot to hide behind. Small pebbles and granules crumbled and crunched underneath each step, so she increased her pace. Finding solid ground, she ran up to the door and twisted the handle.

    From the start, from nowhere distinct, she heard a whisper in the air - Lip shut it swifty behind her and sneaked to her right, her steps muffled by a carpet running throughout the hall. Moonlight left a glow on the towering windows, casting rays of light into the antique architecture. After continuous intervals of doors and artwork raced past her in a blur, her left opened up into a staircase: access to the second floor. She took the stairs two at a time, the feeling of a predator chasing her growing stronger with each moment. The mass in her bag jumped around, causing a muffled shaking noise with each hop.

    The second floor - Lip determined that the source of the noise was somewhere nearby. Without a moment to spare, however, a door opened behind her and she raced back into the shadows of the staircase. As the steps got louder, she went further down, keeping an eye on the opening, hoping for a glimpse. Sure enough, a young woman walked by, dressed in a white nightgown to match the atmosphere. She carried a glass of water, catching the light and reflecting inside the glass, then she disappeared behind the wall.

    Along with Jinsoul and whoever her own mirror image was, Lip grew confident again that she had seen three more girls - she focused herself again on the task, ever aware. Carefully, she went up each stair again and peered over the wall, before the girl disappeared for good. At the end of the hall, she opened her door and went in. Lip went after her, all the while buzzing with questions she might ask. At the door, she stopped herself - not entirely the best way to meet new people, but there simply wasn't enough time. She clicked open the handle and swung the door open.

    At first, her eyes took a second to adjust - the room had been almost completely in darkness save for a candle on a nightstand. Looking across the floor, all Lip could make out was a floor of thin carpet and a mess of playing cards in a loose pile.

    "Woah, woah, woah, woah…" came from a girl somewhere close by.

    "Stop talking," someone else suddenly cut in, ahead of her but farther back.

    Lip cleared . "Okay, look-"

    "No, stop talking. Get her under there."

    Someone else grabbed her wrist, the springs of a mattress squeaking as they left their bed. Lip grabbed the hand that held her, but she was forcefully pulled down to her knees, only to be shoved across the floor underneath. Her bag slumped over her, caught on the frame above her. A blanket fell over the opening and Lip was motionless.

    "For two minutes," came from a higher-pitched voice, almost whiny, "don't make a sound."

    All Lip could do was find herself lost in the events that had taken place today. One part of her rejected this reality completely, disassociating herself from her senses, from the fight-or-flight trigger deep inside of her. Another part thought of the girls, what they'd think of this whole scenario, whether or not this is how Heejin would have gotten it done. If she isn't careful, everything could go bad - the combination of lying on the floor and being in total darkness began convincing her body that it was time for sleep, Lip mentally straining to stay on task. Outside, footsteps grew louder, muffled outside the wall - a moment went by, and the sound disappeared. Her breath caught, Lip waited again.

    "Okay, come out."

    Face down, Lip pushed her elbows against the floor, inching out from underneath the bed frame. Once out, she felt the air grow cooler, a rewarding sensation - yet not enough to save her from the glares she felt on her once she stood up. A light switch was flipped on and her eyes were scorched in white. Someone else turned in her bed, taking deeper breaths. Four beds were placed around the room, each with their own blankets, colors, and designs. Two other girls sat up in their beds while a fourth girl emerged from a dark doorway in front of her.

    "What's going on here?"

~ END OF THE FIRST CYCLE ~