I felt someone shaking me. At first it was calmly, but then it felt like a stampede going through my right arm. I opened my eyes and automatically sat up looking in every direction, seeing if there was something wrong. I found it was Kai. HaeRi and Lay were still sleeping.

MJ: Kai, did we fall asleep? How much time has it been?

I said while rubbing my eyes. Kai “explained” it was already day time. I was surprise to know that he knew, since we were nowhere near an exit. I guess when you live here for a few years you can tell time by other factors…maybe temperature? Anyways…

MJ: I think we should get going. We’ve been held back a little too much by now. I’m going to wake this two up, meanwhile try to make a plan to move forward: I’m counting on you.

I gave him a shoulder pat and he nodded. I was still holding HaeRi’s arm with my left hand. I shaked her softly and she fluttered her big eyes until she understood her surroundings.

MJ: HaeRi. It’s time to wake up. We need to keep going. It’s gonna be rough being in my group, but trust me, we’ll get out of here: together!

I smiled at her and she smiled back. I got on my feet and walked up to Lay. He was a mess! He had drooled like a baby, and he had moved so much during the slumber that his shirt was all rolled-up up to his chest, exposing some fiiiine abs… AHH! STOP PEEKING AT THEIR BODIES!!!... I slowly shacked him, and without notice he jumped up onto his feet and started looking in every direction like a lost puppy. His eyes were huge, and it looked like he was about to attack the first person he encountered.

MJ: Lay!! Take it easy… it’s just us…Kai and MinJeong… HaeRi is here too. Remember? You were sleeping. We took a rest…

Lay blinked at me a few times and returned to normal. He looked at the floor while scratching the back of his neck; he somewhat looked embarrassed. Maybe this is what prison does to you… it turns you into a nerve wreck until you lose control of yourself and eventually give in… I’m not gonna let that happen to LuHan or any of these new friends… I will save them all from this horrible peril.

We were all on our feet and ready to hit the road. Kai had already an idea of what we were going to do: if we kept walking a few miles from there towards north we would encounter an exit, from there it was just a moderate distance to the next stage. We drank some water, picked all the clothe we left drying, and I checked Kai and Lays wounds. After cleaning them, we began to walk down the road, taking one last glance at the beautiful scenery of the mystical pond.

It was a dark tunnel like the one from before, with poor light source and nothing but rocks and dirt. HaeRi and I were holding eachother’s hands, while Kai was leading us, Lay being right at his side moving his hands like a maniac. I took the opportunity to talk with my best friend. I had been so tired that I didn’t have the strength to talk to her and face the truth… what had really happened to her 2 years ago… But now it was the time to hear it all.. or at least interpret it…

MJ: HaeRi… tell me… what happened? Two years ago you just disappeared. Your parents suffered so much, and I… I became depressed for some time… even LuHan couldn’t bring me out of it. The police said you were kidnapped, but after so many tries they finally gave up and classified you as dead. I was so hurt… HaeRi, were these people the ones that took you away from us?

I felt as my heart beat started to race. I didn’t know if I was ready for the answers. If the Exotics were the ones that caused me so much pain, even before taking Lulu away, I will have to take an even bigger vengeance on them. While walking I looked at her with open eyes, ready to read her hands, lips, and gestures.

HaeRi began to move her lips slowly and acutely, making it easier for me to understand what she was trying to mouth out. After she said some things and moved her arms here and there I tried saying it and she corrected me about certain points and details. After what seemed an hour, I finally got the whole story. My eyes were teary, and HaeRi had already let her tears fall silently down her cheeks. Kai and Lay noticed we were in a state of pain and stopped. We also stopped.

MJ: So… all this time…you’ve been here suffering.. all alone! And these guys took you in because your great grandfather worked for Lee SuMan?! They just appeared at your house and took you while you slept?!.... HaeRi….HAERI!! Did they….the men that kidnapped you against your will… did they…did they…

I didn’t want to ask… I DIDN’T WANT TO KNOW! She had been kidnapped while she slept one night. The next thing she knew she was in Exotica and was playing this stupid game. She tried to play, but she didn’t get far…. She had always been a fragile girl... I was the strong one in our friendship… She was taken as a prisoner for all this time… I may think Kai had it worst because he’s been here 3 years, but he’s a guy… and HaeRi is a girl… and that’s when it hit me…

MJ: did these Exotics…touch you in a lascive manner?...

Kai and Lay opened their eyes till they looked like Kyungsoo, a friend of ours back home. I couldn’t take my eyes away from RiRi, as I use to call her. She looked at me with her already wet face. She made an expression of disgust while looking blankly at one of the tunnel’s walls. I took her my the shoulders and shoock her

MJ: DID THEY RIRI!?!? DID THEY!!?? Did these people touch you?..DID THEY YOU!?!

My tears began to fall like waterfalls. The boys became worried. Kai tried to approach me, but Lay stopped him: he knew this were women matters. HaeRi finally burst into strong sobs, covering her face with both hands. I took her into my chest and hugged her as hard as I could, while I whispered into her ear that everything was going to be alright… that I would protect her…

That’s what I use to tell her those years ago…

“Don’t worry Riri, I will always take care of you! So forget about those stupid boys!”

“Hey !! I think you just messed with my friend here. You have exactly 3 seconds to pick her books up and say you’re sorry. If not… prepare to meet your insides…”

“ HaeRi, remember that I’m always here for you. You’re my best friend, and that will never change...never…”

I kept crying, trying to think about what to say next, but nothing came. I just wanted to meet one, JUST ONE EXOTIC! And I swear… I swear I would kill him… That way all the others will cower upon hearing my name, and will run for their lives when they see me approach. They must be punished…I….I had never had these kinds of feelings: killing, bleeding, stabbing… I’ve always fought for what’s right, but now… I had to be a serial killer to live and safe those I love… the world is just a big pile of injustice no matter where you are...

HaeRi looked at me and then at the ground…I knew we shouldn’t talk about this kind of things.

But then she gave me a smile… a smile that meant “don’t worry, I’m fine now”, but at the same time said “it’s in the past, but it still hurts to remember”… I just let go of her and took her hand and continued walking. The boys seeing me began to lead the way again. I waited some minutes for HaeRi to calm herself, while I myself tried to minimize the rage I felt right then and there… I just placed my hand around her neck and kept looking forward. I didn’t want to meet her eyes again, or I would rage up once more.

Half an hour passed and I tried to start up another conversation to try and gain the most information I could on the area. Something had been itching my brain since the moment I introduced HaeRi to the boys…

MJ: I have a question. Why is it that even though you’re all prisoners, you didn’t know eachother? Kai knew Lay, but they didn’t know you... How come?

Lay fell behind and left Kai alone on the lead. He began to “explain” that there were different prisons. Just like there were different dungeons for normal and decoy prisoners, there were female ones and male ones.

MJ: So the guys and the girls live in different prisons? So opposite es don’t know about eachother?

HaeRi nodded. I found this somewhat stupid. I mean, it’s not like they’re gonna have intimate relations in front of everybody in a small crowded prison…right? Okay, maybe it was best if they did separate them. But then again, HaeRi got and it wasn’t by a prisoner, so in the end, the women are always the ones that lose. Or maybe it isn’t only the woman… what if the men also get !?!? LUHAN!! ….Hold yourself together! Just pray to God that it won’t happen… Maybe if both es lived together that wouldn’t have happened; the men would have protected her and all the other girls… or would they have been afraid of their Cyanide pods activating?... This place just keeps bombarding my brain with social and psychological questions.

Lay returned to Kai’s side. I just walked while prossessing al the information. Plus thinking about what might await us in the next stage. I’m starting to think that our fighting strategy isn’t the best; we should plan a formation before hand, just in case we touch any shadows and the weirdoes appear…

While in the middle of my brain storming, RiRi pulled my arm and made me look at her. She then gestured, trying to ask what I was doing there and how I had gotten in the game. I explained her everything, from the gang harassing LuHan, to the day I followed him here, to when I met Kai and Lay. She became exasperated upon knowing that LuHan was the one in prison and that I was playing to save him. HaeRi and LuHan were also friends, even though each one was more friends with me than with one another. I became sad at the thought of LuHan. What could be happening to him? Each passing moment I confirm that these people are very dangerous and mentally ill; they could be doing horrible things to him… HaeRi saw my change mood. She smiled at me and gave me a comforting pat on the shoulder, trying to cheer me up and give me strength.

I thanked her and hugged her sideways while still walking. Then, the weirdest thing happened: the perky HaeRi that I knew and loved appeared. She made me look at her and she mouthed something that made my heart jump: “Do you still like LuHan?”
 

I covered and looked at the guys, but they hadn’t noticed anything. I looked at her and she was already giggling. This time the boys turned around and smiled upon hearing such a cute giggle. I told them to keep walking, and I got back to RiRi.

MJ: (in a very low tone) What are you saying!?! I don’t like LuHan! He’s just my friend, and I have to save him!!...I forgot how rude you use to be…BAD MANNERED GIRL!

I laughed, and RiRi slapped my arm. I had told her about how I was starting to feel about LuHan, but back then it was just a little spark… not like the heated flame that brewed so passionately within me now. She sarcastically made an OK sign while rolling her eyes.

MJ: Hey missy!! Don’t you go rolling your eyes at me! I’m here to save you, you should show some respect…IN FACT!! YOU SHOULD BE GIVING ME A PIGGY BACK RIDE!

We both laughed, and even the boys laughed at my stupid comment. I always like to make insignificant comments like that; somehow people always laugh and it brings the mood back up.

We kept walking for a few minutes, until…

We saw that the tunnel became brighter. Kai began to fasten his pace, and so did we. In a matter of seconds, we were at the exit.

The scenery before us was beautiful. When we entered the tunnel we were on the nearby forest of the city, now we were in the outskirts of everything! The tunnel had taken us a long way, which was a good thing, since it meant we were getting near the end…I hope. For now, we just took in the beauty of the place and the hills that stood behind it….how could a place filled with so much evil be so tranquil and soothing?

We all looked at eachother and smiled. I went and hugged Kai. I took his head in my hands and kissed his forehead. The most motherly act yet. He was somewhat shy about it.

I just smiled. He had done an excellent job guiding us and I just had to show how grateful I was. I took his hand and tightly held it. We were all in this together: one for all, and all for one…

….LuHan... We’re getting closer, so just hold on a little more…