Bang!

Key awoke with a start.  He looked over, and the clock blinked back 10:57 PM.  It was late; everyone should be in bed.  So what was the noise?

He listened, but it didn’t come again.  Just Minho’s light snoring. 

He shook his head.  “Go to bed Key.  You’re just hearing things,” he told himself sternly. 

He lay back down and pulled the blanket up around his ears.  The day had been uneventful—as they were unable to find another living person in the building and the exits were still sealed—so the five of them had decided to sleep early.  What else was there to do?

Bang!

His eyes had just begun to close when he heard it again.

He didn’t sit up, but his gaze turned to the ceiling.  His ears strained to pick up any other suspicious sounds from outside the room.   When he could hear none, he forced himself to calm down.  Quieting his breathing, he assured himself that there was nothing wrong.

But his intuition didn’t want to listen.  “What if it’s the same thing Taemin was talking about?  What if he wasn’t just imagining things?” it whispered persuasively.

Bang!

There it was again.  Quicker this time.

“Stop it Key, you’re being silly.  It’s probably just the wind hitting the loose siding on the side of the building,” his brain commanded.

“But what about Taemin?” his instincts repeated.

“No.  It’s the wind,” his brain concluded for him.  “Just the wind.  Nothing more.”  He closed his eyes once again.

Bang!

Key shot straight up, and his eyes flew open.  Too late, he’d realized.

They didn’t have wind anymore.

He jumped up and raced out of the room.

Bang!

Faster, again.

This time he was close enough to hear a soft grunt accompany the mysterious sound.  What the--?

“Jonghyun!”

He rounded the corner to see Jonghyun standing in front of the only window in the apartment.  While Key watched in horror, Jonghyun raised his fist and slammed it against the glass pane.

Bang!

“Jonghyun!” Key cried again, rushing to his side.  “Jonghyun stop!  What are you doing?”  Key turned his friend so he could face him.  Immediately, he gasped and dropped his hands, instinctively taking a step back.  “Oh my God, Jonghyun.  Your eyes!”

They were completely white, as if they were rolled back in his head. 

Jonghyun didn’t seem to hear Key’s cries; his face was blank and expressionless.  Like a robot, he turned back to the window and raised his fist.

“Jonghyun, stop!”

Key caught his friend’s fist in midair, holding it fast.  The window already showed signs of damage; there were dozens of small cracks, and splinters of glass were lodged in Jonghyun’s hand.

“Out.”

Key’s eyes widened, and he released Jonghyun, taking another involuntary step back.

“Out.”

Jonghyun’s voice was different.  Just like his eyes, they were his…but they weren’t.  It was deeper.   More raspy.  Colder.  Less…human.  What did that mean?  That word?  Out.

“Out.”

He kept repeating that word.  IN that scary tone of voice with those creepy white eyes, staring right at Key. 

Key’s hands began to shake.  “Jonghyun, please.  Please stop this!  Wake up!” he whimpered, still moving slowly backwards. 

“Out.  Out.  Out.  Out!  Out!”

He repeated each word with more and more fervor.  His head began to move side-to-side, twitching almost.

“Out!  Out!  Out!  Ou—“

He seemed to choke on his words, and his body began to tremor.  His eyes closed, and his knees buckled.  Before his head could hit the ground, Key caught him, struggling under his weight.  He laid his friend gently on the carpet, leaning over him worriedly.  As he watched, Jonghyun’s eyes—his real eyes—opened slowly, and he groaned as he tried to sit up, holding his head.

“No, don’t move,” Key ordered quietly, reaching out to stop him.

Jonghyun winced and hissed as their hands touched, and upon seeing the state of his hand he exclaimed, “Wha—what happened?”

“I don’t know.  I really don’t know.”  Key shook his head.  “Now stay here while I get a rag to clean your hand.”  He stumbled into the kitchen, rinsing a towel in cold water with still-trembling fingers.  He grabbed a bowl from the cabinet and returned to Jonghyun’s side.  “Hold up your hand,” he commanded.

Jonghyun repositioned himself and did as he was told, in a harsh breath as Key began to pluck out the small shards of glass from his skin.  “Key?” he whispered, “What did I do?”   

Key hesitated a second before replying slowly, “You were banging on the window when I came in.  Your eyes were…weird, Jonghyun.  And your voice.  You kept saying ‘out, out’ over and over.  It was…really freaky.  Do you really not know?”

Jonghyun sighed.  “No,” he muttered, “I really don’t remember.  What’s going on, Key?”

Key snorted sarcastically.  “Heck if I know.  I’m just as confused as you are.”  He removed the last piece of glass and wrapped the bloodied flesh carefully in the cold towel.  “Keep this on your hand for a while.  I’ll go get us some water.”

He moved to stand, but Jonghyun grabbed his arm with his good hand.  “Can you do something else for me?” he asked suddenly.

Key nodded.  “Of course.”

“Let’s not tell the others about this.  They don’t need it right now, and we don’t’ even know for sure what happened.  Just… Please?”

It was Key’s turn to sigh as he turned away.  “Sure Jonghyun.  We won’t tell them.”  He bit his lip and shook his head as he retraced his steps to the kitchen. 

He had a feeling they were keeping one too many things hidden.

So many secrets…

A/N: This story is getting so awesome (in my mind haha) because I had a break-through, and I finally have a FOR-SURE plan about where this is going.  It's getting easier and easier to write because of that.  So I'm taking a short break form Sherlock to get this one on it's way!  Thanks for subbing and commenting!! Love you all!! :)