….

…minjeong…..MinJeong….MINJONG!!! Wake up!!

Someone was calling me, but I was too tired to wake up. Whoever it was kept screaming my name…Now that I think about it, it was a male voice, very sweet and delicate… too familiar a sound… sounded just like LuHan…LuHan?...LUHAN!! I woke up and got on my feet all together in less than a second, and saw what I’ve been searching for… LUHAN!! I ran towards him and embraced him in a tight and warm hug, while my tears fell like waterfalls. I hid my face in his chest and notice he was all dirty, like me, but he seemed okay.

MJ: (I talked in between sobs) LUHAN!!...I’ve been so worried!!!... Are you okay!?!? Did they do anything to you!?... I finally found you, now we can leave!...I…I…I missed you so much…

LH: (he was crying) Minejong!! I’m so happy you came for me… I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t stayed to save me… I’m so lucky to have you by my side… It was all horrible, but now you’re here, and that’s all that matters… We should get out of here; the game is already over…

I got out of his chest and looked at his eyes. Even crying he looked beautiful… I took my hands and cupped his face in them, while caressing his wet cheeks…. After what just happened, I couldn’t let another moment go by without letting LuHan know how I felt about him…

MJ: LuHan… I have to tell you something… I…I… I love you….and I don’t mean like a brother or a Best Friend… because you already know that kind of love is there…what I mean is….I love you as a man… It’s been a while now since I started to feel this way…and I…I just wanted you to know…just in case anything else happens and we’re separated again…I just hope this doesn’t hurt our friendship becau—

I got cut off by LuHan’s soft lips as he pressed them against mine. I just let him take control of everything while I followed… My desire was a reality now… It was all too perfect to be true… LuHan felt the same way and now we would be together…

Ppssssss~

An army of daggers came flying right towards us and hit LuHan on the back. He became weak and fell to the ground, bleeding to death…I just watched….I couldn’t move…I screamed at the top of my lungs…and…

I was screaming while digging my fingernails in my own face. I couldn’t see anything, but I could feel it. Suddenly I felt cold water all over my body and opened my eyes…It was all a nightmare…I was now lying flat on the ground, wet all over, staring at a ceiling…Okay, it wasn’t a roof; I was under a bridge

I sat up and looked around… It was already day; the sun was shining everywhere and I could see a few shadows here and there beyond the bridge. I tried to calm myself and think where I was, but more importantly how I got here… I heard a chain sound behind me and turn around, just to come face to face with a young tanned boy… I yelped and stepped back in astonishment; losing my balance and starting to fall, when the boy pulled me by the arms and brought me into his chest. I quickly pushed him and got in the wushu position Tao had thought me, called “The Crane”.

MJ: I know Kung Fu!! Don’t come any closer or I’ll break your neck with my fingers!!...

The boy looked at me bewildered and began to chuckle silently. He then tried to compose himself and act all cool…He fiercely looked into my eyes, as if trying to tell me something. I took the time to examine him thoroughly: his skin was way darker than mine, hair in a messy bowl cut that almost covered his eyes, his eyes were very expressive, his lips mostly plump, a slender figure covered with a ragged t-shirt and dirty jeans… and he had a thick chain tide around one of his ankles…

MJ: YOU!!! You’ve been messing around with me since last night!! Tell me, WHERE IS LUHAN!! I know you know, so don’t play dumb with me you little !

He didn’t seem the least offended or interested; he continued eyeing me like I were some sort of maniac… I think I looked like one too, so I couldn’t blame him completely for thinking I was a total lunatic. Still, I know he’s one of THEM! And surely he’s here to attack me once I touch the un-shadowed ground…I have to defend myself before it’s too late…

MJ: Listen here mister! I know what you want, and lemme tell you it aint gonna happen. I’m giving you to the count of 3 to either tell me where my friend is, or to get the hell outta here…If not, prepare to face the consequences…and I’m not bluffing…

The guy raised an eyebrow like he doubted me. Crossing his arms in front of himself he looked at me with angry eyes. I began to count…1…his lips didn’t move… 2… the guy actually motioned with his hands for me to hurry up…. Ohh no you just didn’t… Number three didn’t even cross my mouth… I sprang into action and was about to head-bud him in the stomach, when he caught one of my arms, twisted it around me and positioned me in front of him with my back towards him… Oh Lord, this was it!! He was gonna cut my neck and drink my blood like the savage he is and then do some weird demonic ritual with my body…. NOOOOO!!!  Save my soul God!!! And LuHan!!! No one can save him now!!... I started to cry and closed my eyes waiting for the hit…but it never came. The guy just smirked and threw me into the ground. I quickly turned myself to face him, even though he was standing and I was sitting on the dirt. He just looked at me, changing his expression from “I’m a bad ” to the “are you okay?” face. He slowly kneeled before me and sadly looked into my eyes. Now I could see how beautiful he was; behind that cocky aspect was a cute young man. He began to move his hands here and there, trying to act out something. I was still crying, and seeing him do this little mime act made me laugh a little. He smiled and it made me more comfortable…Maybe he wasn’t one of them, maybe he’s one of the prisoners… but still, I wasn’t going to trust him just like that…

MJ: What?...what is it? ..You want something from me?

He shook his head while moving his hands side to side; I think that’s a no. He pointed towards me, the pointed to himself, and finally signaled a structure I remembered: last night’s platform, where I out.

MJ: Me…and you…in the platform?... Wait, you were the one that brought me there… I remember the sound of your chain. And then I walked on it and the platform just broke and I was going to fall…but… now I’m here… Were you the one that saved me?

He mouthed a NE~ as he nodded. He was smiling like a little kid now; weird how his attitude changed so dramatically.

MJ: Well... thanks, but I don’t get it. You were the one that took me there, is there something you or I should do there?

He shook his head and pointed his finger toward the building that was across the platform. He emphasized with his finger.

A gray clay structure stood opposite to the platform. It bore high pillars around its square escalated base. Just like the rest of the houses, it had no roof; it was also falling apart, so debris laid about.

MJ: wait… you brought me here, but I wasn’t supposed to go to the platform-trap thingy? I was supposed to go to that temple looking building?

He nodded so hard I though his head was going to flop out. I looked at him a little shocked and he noticed. He felt embarrassed and scratched the back of his head while looking at another direction.

MJ: Okay… so, what do I have to do there?.. Wait, is that the first stage!? Is that where the path begins?!

The boy smiled while giving me a thumbs up with his right hand.

MJ: Oh.. well, I don’t know what to say.. Thanks I guess…I should probably apologize about before. I didn’t mean to be rude or anything, I was just being careful… My name is MinJeong. What’s yours?

The young man, smiled, while mouthing something I couldn’t understand.. it looked like he was barking…

MJ: um... sorry, I can’t seem to understand... Can you talk? Don’t be shy!

He looked a little down; he moved a hand in front of his mouth and started opening and closing it, like a duck bill. Then he shook his head and hands; apparently he’s a mute. After that he took a sort of wallet out of his pocket and showed me his student ID: “Kim JongIn; 9^th grade student”; and a picture of a younger version of him.

MJ: Nice to meet you JongIn…it seems I’m your nuna then. (I giggled)

The boy currently named JongIn chuckled and glanced jokingly at me. He shook his head slowly, and motioned his hand high in the air as if sending someone off.

MJ: You mean that was time ago? You do look younger in that picture. How old are you then?

JongIn stretched out his ten fingers, then did a plus sign with both index fingers and stretched another 8 fingers.

MJ: So you’re 18, just like me. That’s nice~ Too bad you can’t talk, I’d be nice to have some conversation in here…It must be hard for you…                                                                   

This boy made me sad somehow. Then I had a flashback:

“As you go through the course you will encounter people: our current prisoners. They cannot talk; if they do, sensors scattered around Exotica will recognize their voice and will activate a chip attached to their bodies, making it inject a deadly dose of Cyanide”…

MJ:…wait, you can’t talk because you’re a mute, it’s because if you talk, you die…prisoners can’t talk…

The tanned man sighted and did a firm yes with his head.

MJ: And how do I know you’re a prisoner and not one of those men trying to trick me? You could be easily sending me into another trap for all I know…

JongIn lifted his right sleeve and showed me a small device attached to his upper arm. I inspected it closely and took a guess…

MJ: ..the Cyanide?…

He nodded. After that he stood up and lifted me by and arm, then lead me to the edge of the bridge, where the Sun was already shinning upon the ground. He pointed at me and then at the Sun, immediately pointing at himself and at the shadow produced by the bridge.

MJ: So, you’re telling me you brought me here? Away from the Sunlight?... You could have easily left me out there…

He nodded with a serious face. I felt like even though he couldn’t talk I could understand him; like there was a connection. Maybe he wasn’t one of them…maybe he really is a prisoner. I don’t know what to think, but right now I owe him some thanks, besides the fact that he seems to know a lot about the area, so I need him to guide me. I’ll just have to trust him for now; and if he happens to betray me… well, only God know what will happen…

MJ: Well, I guess you’re one of the prisoners then. Once again, thank you for helping me out, and for trying to guide me. I guess I can trust you. Do you wish to join me in my quest? I could really use your help…

JongIn looked at me seriously, but ended up smiling. He stretched out an arm waiting for me to shake his hand, and so I did. We both smiled.

MJ: Well JongIn, we…

He cut me off with his hand movements. He took my arm and placed it in front of him. With a finger he slowly began to write something in my forearm. It tickled, but still I tried to see what he was writing. He re-wrote it a few times until I got what it was.

MJ: ..k…Kai?....

He gave me a thumbs up and pointed towards himself.

MJ: You want me to call you Kai? Is that your nick name?

He nodded like a baby. I just giggled at his actions.

MJ: Well, Kai, might as well get started if we ever want to leave this stupid game. Are you ready to lead me on? I’m counting on you to save us all.

He gladly nodded, while patting my back and finally resting his hand on my shoulder. He pointed toward the temple-like building and stepped out of the bridge and into the day-light shadows across the land. He then motioned me to follow him. It was now or never; this was officially the first time I would encounter the shadows of Exotica…