;;;;;

Taeyeon stared at the deep puddle she’d just stepped in. Not just her shocks but her shoes were filled with water. She recalled the man from earlier talking about a flood. Were they really going to have one? Pausing a little she glanced up at the cold rain pounding on them non-stop. She turned to Yoona who seemed to be suffering the same fate.

“Can you go any further?” asked Taeyeon.

Yoona nodded. “It’s been 15 minutes already. Where else do we look? The road only leads straight ahead and I doubt he’s gone that way.”

Taeyeon glanced around and saw the shrubs to her left. Where would Leeteuk have gone? Why would he just walk out of the house without saying anything? Was he upset about something and wanted to take a stroll? But in the rain? It didn’t quite make sense. What had Leeteuk been thinking to have gone out when it was raining so hard?

“Wait for me,” Taeyeon told, “I want to see if there’s something behind these.”

“Unnie, I’ll go with you.” Yoona offered.

“No, wait here. I’ll be right back,” Taeyeon urged.

Turning back around she pushed the shrubs aside and made her way through them to find a slimy dirt path. Where would this lead? The rain was falling so fast it looked like dangling strings ahead of her.

Taking a step forward she found that the dirt path led somewhere downward. It didn’t look too steep but since it had been raining for so long would the ground be slippery? If she took another three steps she would be heading downward…had Leeteuk really been here? Deciding she’d find out if she went down she took the three steps and took a step climbing down. However, as expected the mud underneath her gave way and she slipped all the way down with a scream.

;;;;;

Before the girl in front of him could continue Leeteuk turned around when he heard a quiet scream. He stared at the door for so long as if he could see through it. That voice sounded familiar. Feeling an urge he wanted to go out and see who it was that had screamed.

“You’re…going already?” she asked. “But why?”

Leeteuk turned around, “My friends are still at the house. It’s cold out here, do you want to come with me?”

“Come with you?” she repeated.

Leeteuk nodded.

“Are you cold?” she changed the subject after turning away.

It was like she didn’t want him to go at all, but Leeteuk felt a longing to head back to the mansion to where his friends were. Even if they argued he wanted to be there with them and not out there in the cold. He didn’t want to stay in the strange cabin he’d just found. Secret? He didn’t think so. What kind of a place like that was a secret?

“You’re cold too,” Leeteuk told.   

“Am not,” she immediately answered to him.

“We’ve been out here for too long, there’s no way you aren’t cold,” Leeteuk pointed out. “The mansion will be warmer than here so lets go.”

As Leeteuk turned she suddenly grabbed his arm with both her hands. Leeteuk turned to look at her wondering how she’d got to him so fast when she’d been so far from him.

“You’ll come back, won’t you?” she sounded too innocent for him to reject her.

“You’re not…going with me?”

;;;;;

Yoona turned around after hearing her scream. Making her way through the shrubs just as Taeyeon had done before. When she reached the other side she found Taeyeon no where in sight, but noticed the downward slope immediately. Edging forward she found Taeyeon at the bottom.

“Unnie!” she called.

If she made her way down would she be able to come back up with her? Panicking for a moment Yoona ran through her jumbled thoughts. Why of all days did it have to rain so harshly? Every pounding raindrop slowly echoed in her ears endlessly. She was cold and her body was freezing from it. If they found Leeteuk she was ready to give him a beating back at the mansion. But what to do? What to do when Taeyeon could be hurt? Suddenly recalling Taeyeon’s friend from earlier, who was nearby, Yoona ran out from the shrubs and down the road.

The rain splashed everywhere as her feet landed in the deep puddles. The flood was real. If they remained outside any longer she wasn’t sure if they’d return to the mansion safely.

Brushing her hair aside she ran down the same road Taeyeon had earlier on in the day and found the small gateway that led to the yard inside. Once she stepped beyond the entrance she could hear loud barking coming from somewhere. Turning right then left she saw no one in sight. Not a dog either.

“What do I do? What do I do?” she muttered to herself feeling even more worried about how she’d get to Taeyeon.

Then after a few seconds of feeling the rain slide down her skin she saw an umbrella first then someone appeared from the path toward the trees. Taeyeon’s friend. A smile erupted on her face and she dashed across the deep water toward him.

“Taeyeon! Taeyeon! I think she’s hurt! I need you to help me get to her!” was all Yoona was able to spout when she ran up to him.

He stared down at her lost at first and whether he understood the situation or not he followed her anyway. They both ran down the road and toward the shrubs. While they ran she wondered if the rain on the ground had gotten deeper. Her feet were completely underneath the water. When they reached the shrubs Yoona urged him to go first.

Before heading through the shrubs he turned around, “Here, take this.”

Yoona took the umbrella from him and watched him go through.

;;;;;

The girl looked down. A complete stillness took over the cabin and all Leeteuk heard was the falling rain. It was only then that he realized her hands were ice cold.

“You’re freezing,” he said. “Are you sure you’re not sick?”

Suddenly releasing him as if alarmed she said, “I’m not cold. You’re the one who’s cold.”

Leeteuk felt like frowning at her but could not.

“I cannot go with you,” she told, “only you can come with me. Don’t leave me yet. You always make me lonely.”

“Have we known each other for a long time?” Leeteuk asked.

A saddened expression of shock took over her eyes before she tried to force herself to smile.

“You should go.” she turned around so her back was to him again.

Leeteuk felt speechless. Had he hurt her feelings somehow? He hesitated about whether to comfort her or to head back to the mansion. But the desire to head out and see who it was that had screamed was stronger.

;;;;;

Changmin glanced down to see Taeyeon slowly sitting up at the bottom of the slope. Slowly edging his way down he carefully slid the rest of the way down to her.

“Taeyeon!” he called.

She turned around in her soaked clothes to look at him surprised. Her feet had disappeared underneath the water.

“Are you ok?” he asked stepping into the water, half getting onto his knees next to her.

“I think I hurt my back on the way down,” Taeyeon told.

“Can you get up?” he questioned placing his hand on her arm.

“I’ve been trying to,” Taeyeon said. “I kept slipping against the mud that it feels impossible.”

“Here,” Changmin offered standing up half pulling her. “Try to stand up, I’ll hoist you up onto your feet.”

Taeyeon did as he directed and pushed her feet against the ground feeling herself sink into the ground. When her feet dug into the mud she almost slipped but he quickly caught a hold of her with his arm all the way around her back. Taeyeon gave a small shout and turned to look at him.

“Lets get out of the water, you’re freezing,” he suggested.

Taeyeon nodded finally feeling herself shiver. However, before they were able to try to get back up the slope Leeteuk emerged from out of nowhere and they only noticed him stopping in his steps before them. They stared at each other without a word.

;;;;;

“Yoona!”

Yoona spun to her right then to her left to see both Siwon and Seungho rushing toward her. It looked like they were having a hard time moving in the water as well.

“Where have you been?!” Siwon questioned.

“Where’d you get the umbrella?” Seungho changed the subject.

“Taeyeon’s hurt so I went to get help,” Yoona explained generally.

“Taeyeon? Where is she?” Siwon asked.

“She fell down a slope,” Yoona continued.

“A slope?” they both repeated in unison.

Yoona glanced toward the shrubs. “Through here.”

Siwon made his way through the shrubs with Seungho following and Yoona followed them through. Stopping at the top they all glanced down to see Leeteuk standing not too far from Taeyeon and Changmin. All of their feet hidden underneath the water on the flat land below.

“What are you guys doing?!” Siwon shouted.

Leeteuk, Taeyeon, and Changmin all turned to look at the three of them above.

Turning away from Siwon Changmin returned to look at Leeteuk.

“What are you doing here?” Changmin asked.

“What about you?” Leeteuk questioned.