---

 

It was excruciating. Who the hell uses duct tape to bind their wrists? Although it is hard to free their hands at this time, the leader should have used unbreakable handcuffs in addition to chains.

 

The air is uncomfortably frigid. Inhaled bloody scents affect their nerves. The dust comes out of their nostrils and mouth. There's no doubt that they'll have to sneak out of this prison of a camp.

 

That wouldn't be the simplest thing to do. The older girl believes the entire area is surrounded by an army of hostiles. If they really want to get out of the camp, they'd need to crouch their way to the tunnels of freedom.

 

The two girls held captive try breaking the firm duct tape off their wrists. The younger of the two successfully does so, removing the tape and rope inflicting pain on her already wounded hands.

 

Handong rips the tape from Minji's mouth, then untangles the rest of the latter's rope. Damn, their wrists are on the verge of scarring. Minji's are visibly bleeding profusely.

 

Minji murmurs, "There's got to be a way out."

 

"Of course there will be," Handong reassures, "we simply need to figure out where it is."

 

They peer through the gaps of the cage and stare at a pirate gazing somewhere else.

 

"I'll bash that guy's head to death. He's got the keys." The older hisses.

 

Realization dawns on Handong, forgetting that she and Minji can't fit their way out of the gaps of the cage.

 

"Right, we're still locked in this bamboo cage."

 

Minji has a sly smirk on her face as she plots something. It's as if the bulbs in her head suddenly light up, and she knows her idea's guaranteed to be a phenomenal success.

 

"Put your hands back to where they were." She instructs, pointing at the exact place where the Chinese's wrists were at.

 

Handong nods in acknowledgement of the elder's words and wraps her wrists around the bamboo that had once threatened to slash through her veins, nearly ruining her well-being.

 

After her hands go back to their position, Minji glances at the pirate, whistles and catches the attention of the latter.

 

"Over here!" she exclaims, a wicked grin on her lips that lasts only a fraction of a second.

 

The pirate turns around angrily and walks over to the two captives in the cage.

 

"What do you want to talk about you son of a bit-"

 

Minji surprises the pirate when she grabs the enemy's neck and bashes their head onto the cage's bamboo. The pirate's unconscious, and Handong quickly searches for the key.

 

"This's what intensive training does to us." Says the latter, hissing angrily at the motionless pirate. She moves her gaze around the area, looking for a way out.

 

Minji discovers an open path that leads in a specific route. She approaches the path with skepticism, feverishly searching everywhere. What follows beyond is a different set of paths.

 

She crouches back where Handong is waiting for her. Remembering to keep her voice quiet, Minji moves closer to the unaware girl.

 

"There's more pathways. We might need to do stealth maneuvers." The older whispers.

 

"I'm sure there are even more pirates patrolling those paths," the younger groans, recognizing that this is only the start of their escape attempt from the lunatic leader's island.

 

"That's why we both stay quiet." Minji reminds.

 

Several minutes later, they miraculously evade the nearby pirates on watch. It's been looking pretty good for them until they meet the foliage of leaves on the dirty surface they're on.

 

Handong tells Minji to remain back since he's planning a ruse on the pirate. The latter, lurking in the foliage, beats her to it and calls for her.

 

"I could use a distraction. You see that rock?" The Korean suggests.

 

The younger sees what her friend wants to do. "You want me to throw it over there?"

 

Minji responds, pointing to the empty window, "Yeah, then we go over that."

 

Handong exactly does what she's told, deceiving the pirate guarding the opening. She notices another pirate out of the corner of her eye as they make their way to the window and vault over.

 

Minji appears out of nowhere with a knife, stabbing the pirate on the windpipes. When Handong sees the pirate's gory pool of blood, she almost pukes. Her knees collapse onto the floor as her body shivers.

 

"Holy s-... I-I can't do this, Minji..." she mumbles, her mind racing with images of people being stabbed right in front of her eyes.

 

"Dongie, look at me." She almost loses control of herself when Minji lightly shakes her shoulders, lifting her chin to face her best friend. She can't gaze anywhere else 'cause of the worrisome look on the older's face.

 

"I understand what you're feeling right now. I'm just as terrified as you are, but the others need us." Minji faintly begins. She gently her friend's hand, rubbing calming circles on it.

 

Her expression softens as she looks at the younger. "You don't have to fear of anything. We're going to get out of here, find them, and get on a boat to get off this island."

 

"I'm sorry. It's the trauma troubling my senses, and you know what it's about," Handong tries to toughen herself up, briefly taking a breather from what they've just gone through.

 

"You don't have to apologize; I completely understand why you're still terrified of killing people in cold blood," the older says, offering the Chinese a consoling hug, which the latter gladly accepts.

 

After a few moments, the younger woman lets go of the hug and stands up. "We should get out of here before anyone notices us."

 

The Korean nods. Not wasting more time, she and her friend walk through dozens of doors 'til they reach a table with equipment on top of it.

 

"Grab the tactical radio and the map. Those'll be useful." She urges, and the Chinese hurriedly takes the things they needed.

 

---

 

"Are we almost there?" Handong questions to her slightly nervous friend.

 

"One way to find out..." Minji states, peeking at the small hole leading to rail tracks.

 

She shushes her friend. "Crawl down and don't make a sound. I hear multiples voices outside."

 

"!" Agonizing anguish messes with Handong's mind. Her body becomes paralyzed and her vision fades to black in a flash.

 

(A psychological game begins.)

 

She didn't pass out, though. She just blinked and saw Minji still there in front of her, kneeling down to crawl through the hole, then underneath the rail lines.

 

She trails Minji, knowing too well what path they're about to venture.

 

She feels her heart beating like crazy. Noises from the pirates add to the anxiety she's been feeling since the very start of their escape.

 

Gunshots nearly throw her off, but Minji reassures her that this is the final hurdle on their way to their well-deserved freedom. They didn't even understand why they're abducted by a psycho.

 

And they make it to the other side. Handong reckons this is their chance to find and save their other friends.

 

She pulls out the map of the island. Minji starts talking about their next destinations and where they'd stay.

 

"We're getting back what's taken from us-"

 

Minji's speech abruptly stops by a bullet hitting her neck.

 

The Chinese's eyes inhumanly widen, hands instantly applying pressure on the bullet spot. She could only attempt to stop the bleeding.

 

But not for long, 'cause "they" have things to do.

 

"N-no. Stay with me Minji!" The bullet's struck deeply through the older's skin. It was virtually impossible for her to take it out. Not long after she got shot, Minji passes on.

 

"Huh. How does it feel to lose a dear friend of yours?" the psychotic leader inquires as they fiddle with their revolver.

 

"What the do you want from us?!" She desperately cries out.

 

"I don't want anything. In fact, your fate is to either die if you stay, or you die while saving your precious best friends." The leader evilly chuckles.

 

"You're just like those stupid morons who decided to intrude on this island by throwing a party and celebrating your minor successes."

 

"I suppose your friend right there would rather die than to help you out 'cause of how useless you've always been. You gotta use your head, Handong." The leader ends their long speech.

 

Moments of silence pass by, and Handong still hasn't spoken a single word or chose to flee from the demonic leader behind her.

 

The mad leader lowly mocks and warns the befuddled Chinese girl, "You ain't runnin' away? Fine, I'll make you."

 

"Run, Forrest!" the leader exclaims as he fires a bullet. Run! "

 

The words that she couldn't let out are kept to heart full of guilt and remorse. She mutters out an apology to her friend for the last time.

 

"I'm so sorry Minji..."

 

---

 

It seems like she travels back in time to tell her friend not to crawl all the way to the exits. Well, that's half-true. The last part's got to be true.

 

When Minji calls her name for the nth time that day, Handong returns to reality. The former is still reeling from shock, terror, and panic.

 

"Dongie!" Minji catches her in time before any pirate catches both of them making noises.

 

"Holy s-. You're still alive," she exclaims, her body almost colliding with the hard ground even though she is held back by a set of arms.

 

"What's wrong?" Minji frantically asks while holding Handong's trembling body.

 

The latter makes a conscious effort to breathe evenly. "F-," she responds, "we can't get out without one of us being shot by that monster of a leader."

 

That causes confusion on Minji, her becoming perplexed. "What do you mean?"

 

"I saw visions, of us getting to that area and..." The younger can't get the words out, gasping for more air, drops of sweat trickling down her face.

 

She tries to continue what she was about to tell her friend a few seconds later. "They killed you, and I-I had no choice but to flee, leaving your body behind."

 

"I can't lose you right now; you're the only one I have for the time being. I know I'm making it sound like we don't have a choice, but we have to go back or we'll die in their hands; our friends need both of us."

 

Minji doesn't say anything, contemplating the choices laid on the table. Her friend is correct. It's far too early to die, and it's far too early to abandon the others in the dark.

 

As a result, she sighs loudly in defeat and nods at Handong. She knows deep in her heart that this will lead to a slew of questions and thoughts in her mind.

 

What if the others are already en route to their rescue? Knowing them, Minji thinks it's not impossible. 

 

All she and Handong needs to do is following whatever the hell the leader wants from them.

 

---