-Chapter 14-

Blood

“Hey… did you guys hear??”

Sehun’s eyes found themselves gravitating upwards to subtly peer at the group of boys chatting in front of him.

“Hear what?” the boy’s friend asked willingly.

“This morning, everyone in class 5A was feeling weird!”

Sehun narrowed his eyes at the unknowing boys. Class 5A… isn’t that Jaeyun’s classroom number…? Bringing his gaze back down in his desk, Sehun slowly and daintily leaned into his desk to hear the boys more thoroughly.

“Weird? What do you mean by ‘weird’?” his friend questioned, tilting his head to the side inquiringly.

“Weird as in everyone felt totally sick to their stomach, like there was quote on quote ‘a nauseating feeling in the room’.” Sehun raised an eyebrow at this. “Nausea, goose bumps, chills- you name it. They all felt it. And get this,” the boy continued, leaning in closer and his friends following suit. “In the blink of an eye, the sickness went away from everyone at the same time.”

“No way!” they buzzed, exchanging wide eyed glances with one another. “But how?”

“Well this might just be a rumor but…” He leaned in closer once again and brought his voice down to just above a whisper.

“They say it’s because of that girl Oh Jaeyun.”

Sehun’s head immediately yanked up at the utterance of your name, where he stared stricken at the bunch before him.

“Jaeyun… Oh! You mean that girl who lives in that haunted house?” Sehun’s limp fingers resting on his desk inadvertently curled into his palm to make a tight fist.

“Yeah, that’s the one! Well, they say that a couple of people saw her leaving the room and instantly after she left everyone felt better. If that isn’t proof that she’s the cause of it then I don’t know what is!” With each word that left the boy’s mouth, Sehun’s usual neutral demeanor gradually shifted to a contorted expression of consuming anger. His fists were trembling and his mouth quivering.

“Really? But how could she be doing that? Oh, maybe she’s cursed or something! You know, since her house is infested with ghosts and all-“

SCREECH

The boys sharply cringed at the loud, abrupt noise. Turning their heads, they gaped at Sehun who was now standing hunched over on his desk with hands balled up into taut fists and eyes darkened by raging anger. Filled to the brim with intimidation, none of the boys dared to speak as they were getting eaten alive by Sehun’s daunting glare. “S-Sehun… you… alright…?” the seemingly bravest of the bunch sputtered.

A bit too conveniently, their teacher suddenly marched through the classroom door and silenced the whole class. The boys hurriedly dispersed and sat in their desks without even turning a cheek to look at Sehun again. “Oh Sehun, please sit down. Class is starting.” His teacher firmly instructed with the wave of his hand. Swiftly glancing at all of the eyes boring up at him around the room, Sehun slowly lowered back down into his seat.

Not too long after class started, his teacher’s voice seemed to have dissolved in the air until Sehun heard nothing but his own thoughts. Cursed? How can they have the decency to call an innocent girl cursed?! Sehun breathed out a long drawn out sigh to himself. And those idiots had the guts to ask me if I was alright. Who would be fine hearing someone talk down to their little sister! The tension built up in Sehun’s knitted eyebrows loosened as he felt his anger begin to ease away as realization kicked in.

Of course they wouldn’t know, because most people don’t even know Jaeyun’s my sister after all… Because of the lack of communication and social distance between you and Sehun in school and even in the public eye in general, most people probably wouldn’t even guess you and Sehun were related. The two of you didn’t even look similar to begin with so who could have guessed? Only a handful of people (this handful being Sehun’s close friends), knew of his relation with you.

Leaning back into his chair, he quickly waved the subject out of his mind and concentrated on the real issue at hand. People were feeling sick when you were in the room but were completely refreshed once you left? “That doesn’t make any sense…” He softly whispered. “There’s no logic behind it. Obviously it’s all in their heads. It’s gotta be some type of stupid rumor- and a badly thought out one at that…”

“Maybe she’s cursed or something! You know, since her house is infested with ghosts and all.” For some reason, that certain phrase that one guy had blurted out stuck to Sehun like a persistent leech. His house infested with ghosts? The thought irked him more than it should have. It’s impossible. There’s no way my house has any type of paranormal beings in it… right…? Sehun mentally slapped himself for that momentary doubt. There’s nothing! Nothing at all!

Besides, even if there was the slightest chance that there really was something in his house, how would that even affect his little sister? What would some ghost even want with you in the first place? For a moment, his mind went vacant and he drew a blank. Absolutely nothing was preoccupying his mind for this split second until…

“Blood... I can see it flowing...”

An electrical shock shot through every inch of Sehun’s body in the blink of an eye. With halted breath, stiffened muscles and painfully knotted stomach, Sehun rigidly turned his head to the left and then to the right. W-who… said that…??

He almost desperately eyed each and every girl around him, hoping that at least one of them was looking in his direction. But they weren’t. Every girl in the room had their backs towards him and was diligently (or at least halfheartedly) listening to the teacher’s lecture.

Where did that clear as day female voice come from then…?

Sehun felt a chilling tingle run down his spine when he recalled how terrified and pained the female voice was that had echoed in his ear… But how? No one in the room was talking. He must have been imagining it! But then again… Sehun couldn’t deny in any way how clear and thoroughly he heard it…

B-Blood.... blood...? What...?

Sehun was yanked out of his thoughts when he suddenly saw students standing up from their seats and walking away. “I-is class over already…?” he hastily murmured to himself, quickly snatching up his book bag in his shaky hands. He stopped midway when he saw the students who had gotten up now sitting back down in different desks. “Huh…?” Sehun whipped his head to the side when he caught a glimpse of an unfamiliar face pulling out a chair in the desk next to his and plopping down.

The older and slightly masculine looking guy let a small exasperated sigh blow past his lips and then turned to stare at Sehun with expecting eyes. Sehun awkwardly stared back, unsure about pretty much everything that was happening right now. “So how are we going to do this?” the stranger finally piped up rather unexpectedly. “I do half and you do the other half?”

All Sehun could do was dumbly blink at the guy. What was he talking about? The guy continued scrutinizing Sehun with raised eyebrows until finally he heaved out an impatient breath. “Do you even know what we’re doing??” Sehun hesitated to answer but was cut off when the older boy continued. “Didn’t you hear the teacher? He assigned everyone with a partner to do this history project. Didn’t you hear him call out our names?”

“Oh…” Sehun nervously scratched at the back of his head and guiltily shook his head. “I kinda… spaced out there.” The guy ran a hand through his short, spiked hair and shook his head regretfully to himself.

“I guess I’ll have to do most of the work then…” he reached a hand into his book bag and whipped out his notebook. Normally Sehun would have felt terrible for completely spacing out like that on the guy but right now he just wasn’t feeling like himself. He felt himself still stuck in his own thoughts, his mind barely present in reality at this point. There were too many things crowding his mind right now, and this whole unexpected project thing was the last thing he had on his mind.

“Alright, so let’s start this paper off by writing our names…” the stranger said with his pen lingering on a fresh piece of lined paper. “Kim Jongdae…” he sloppily wrote. “And Oh Sehun.” Jongdae abruptly stopped in midair the moment the tip of his pen left the page. “Wait… Oh Sehun…” Jongdae swiveled his head up to stare doe eyed at Sehun. “You’re ­the Oh Sehun, right?” Sehun was a bit taken aback by the sudden change in manner of Jongdae but cautiously nodded in response.

“So you’re the one who lives in that haunted house!” A tinge of anger momentarily peeked out in the back of Sehun’s mind the moment he heard that, but he managed to keep a straight face and simply nodded in response. Jongdae now seemed to have brightened up both physically and mentally, sitting with his back a bit straighter and beaming at Sehun.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to meet you!”

“What? Seriously? Are you sure you’re not mistaking me for someone else?” Jongdae swiftly shook his head.

“You’re definitely the person I’ve been wanting to talk to.” Jongdae leaned in a bit closer and continued. “I know this might come as a surprise but I’m what you would call a paranormal fanatic.” Sehun slowly eased back a bit and stared down at Jongdae, involuntarily contorting his face disgustedly.

“And… how does that pertain to me…?” Sehun slowly asked. Jongdae let out a small chuckle as if what Sehun had said was the most foolish thing he’s ever heard.

“I research paranormal things all the time and you live in the town’s renowned haunted house. What I’m trying to say is… I know the history of your house and what could possibly be lurking in it.” Jongdae smirked at Sehun, knowing eyes boring right into Sehun’s rounded ones. Sehun couldn’t say anything for words failed him right now.

How was he supposed to react to all of this? Relieved, interested or just plain weirded out?

“This should be an interesting partnership.” Jongdae chuckled.

`Author's Corner

I need to stop writing these chapters when I'm seconds away from falling asleep..... lol