Jonghyun could barely make out Onew’s dim form in the darkness.   “Man, you there?” he called out quietly.   “Did you disappear on me too?”   He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard his friend’s familiar voice.

“Yeah, I’m still here,” he replied softly.

Jonghyun found his hands were shaking.  “Onew,” he whispered, “What did she mean?   About the…game?”

He heard Onew sigh.  “I don’t know.  Although I’m starting to think it has something to do with all the disappearances.  First Taemin, then Minho, and you say you saw Key go before your very eyes!”

At his words the lights in the apartment flickered off and on, and the appliances whirred to life, one by one.  The microwave; the television.  Almost like casino lights or something.  “Ding, ding, ding!” the voice told them. 

Onew shook his head.  It was almost like it was encouraging him on.  So he complied.  “Umm…we know that Key saw that teddy bear, and when he touched it, they both vanished.  Maybe Taemin saw a childhood toy too.  And then he disappeared, that’s why he never came back to the apartment.” 

More “casino lights.”   “Ding, ding, ding!”

So Onew continued.  “And then Minho too?  So the point of the ‘game’ is to—what—find a childhood toy?”

The lights went on again, but this time they stayed on to reveal an alligator sitting on the couch.  It had a collar around its neck made of orange felt, and its mouth was cured upward in a huge smile.   “Cheerful?” Jonghyun murmured.  “Oh my gosh this is mine!  Does that mean…?” 

Onew looked at him seriously.  “I guess so.   Well go touch it; see if we’re right.”

Jonghyun nodded and approached the toy, looking back once at his friend, a little hesitantly, before he reached out and picked it up. 

Onew sighed.  Here he was; alone again.  He shook his head.  Does that mean that she didn’t want him to go on?  Why else would he not get a toy?  He felt completely lonely, not much of a change from how he’d felt the rest of the time.  The other members hadn’t bothered to hide the fact that they were all better acquainted with each other than with him.  He really should be used to it by now—with Jongkey and 2Min and junk.  What was he?  The Forever Alone.  Onew + Chicken.

“Don’t be so discouraged,” the voice told him, as if she could read his mind.  “This level’s for everyone to win.” 

“This level?” Onew asked.

“What’s a game without levels?” the voice giggled.

Onew furrowed his brow and hesitated.  “What do you mean?”

“Silly boy,” she reprimanded him.  “You’ll see!”

Onew looked up and saw that the place where Jonghyun’s toy had been was now occupied by a familiar shape.  A stuffed horse, black with a white spot on its forehead.  Black Beauty.   Onew grinned in spite of himself and stood to go towards the horse, but he stopped, thinking better of it.  Who knows where they’d end up, and he didn’t want to be stranded without food and water.  He ran to the kitchen, grabbing a cooler and filling empty bottles with water and emptying the contents of their cupboards into a large backpack. 

It was only as he was returning to the living room when he realized that he didn’t necessarily know if he could even bring these with him.  The others hadn’t been holding anything else, at least not that he knew.  He paused, considering, and decided it was worth a try.  No one would see him look like a fool if it didn’t work.

Onew took a deep breath and reached out.

The world started spinning, and he was left in the swirling darkness, conscious of one thing.  He was holding a backpack strap. 

***

“Taemin?”

Key’s voice echoed in the darkened space.

“Minho?”

Just his echo.

“Jonghyun?”

He was starting to feel a little claustrophobic, like the darkness was suffocating him and the walls were moving in on him.  He could reach out and touch all four walls.  His breathing quickened, and his eyes welled with unwanted tears.

“Stop Key,” he told himself sternly.  “Be strong.  Prove everyone wrong.”

Suddenly he heard a rapid thumping.  It sounded like it was closes, but just beyond his reach.

Thump, thump, thump!

It came again, and Key stiffened.  Where was he?  What was that noise? 

The room was suddenly flooded with light, and Key slammed his eyes shut against the sudden intrusion.  

“Key?!” a frantic voice made him open his eyes again. 

“Taemin!” Key exclaimed, leaping up and—ignoring his spinning head—wrapped his arms gratefully around the younger boy.  “Thank God!  I thought you were gone!”

Taemin hugged him back and pulled Key out of the closet.  “Yeah, I still don’t really know what happened.  One minute I was in the boiler room at the dorm building, and the next minute I think I must have out or something ‘cause I woke up here!”

“Yeah, where exactly is ‘here’?” Key asked. 

“SM’s practice studio!” Taemin explained.  “I woke up in one of the dance rooms, and I recognized it right away!” 

Key chuckled.   “Yeah, I’m sure you do.”

“So, how did you get here?” Taemin inquired, his face scrunched up in thought. 

“I don’t know,” Key admitted.  “I was sitting in the living room with Jonghyun, and he had found this old teddy bear of mine somewhere in the hallway.  He was showing it to me and asking me about…something…when I reached out for him, I touched the bear and I must have out too.”

“And you woke up…in the closet?” Taemin clarified. 

Key shrugged.  “I guess so!  But have you seen Minho?”

“Minho?  No,” Taemin said. 

“That’s weird, because he went out looking for you and he never came back.”

Taemin paled.  “He went looking for me?  I hope he’s okay!”

Key patted his shoulder.  “I’m sure he’s fine.”

All of the sudden they heard a shout from upstairs.  “Hello?  Hello?!  Is anyone here?!”

Taemin jerked upward.  “That sounds like Minho!”

Key smiled wryly.  “Well speak of the devil.” 

A/N: Kind of a filler, with a little more info! :)  Please vote on the poll!!!