V: Hidden

Yuri bit her lower lip nervously as she watched Taeyeon walk away with Miss Kahi. The look on Taeyeon’s face; one of pure terror, was etched in her. She wished that she could have stopped the woman from taking her, but there was nothing she could do. Her feet were rooted to the floor and she could only watch helplessly.

“I wouldn’t worry,” Jessica’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Miss Kahi is alright.”

Yuri turned her head, eyes narrowed, lips parted slightly in confusion.

“Miss Kahi is the main psychologist here,” Eunjung explained. “She’ll just talk – or you talk and she listens. But she’ll help. She’s the nicest person here.”

Jessica nodded in agreement. “Most of the staff here are…” she shuddered, unable to complete the sentence and Eunjung patted her roommate’s shoulder empathically. Jessica shook her head, ridding herself of whatever thoughts had crossed though her mind. “But Miss Kahi’s not like that.”

Yuri continued to look at them in confusion. What exactly is this place? she wondered. She looked around, seeing that all of the staff were situated either in the doorways or along the walls. None of them mingled or spoke to any of the girls unless they had to and the girls, she also noted, were as far away as possible from the staff and the walls. There was a clear divide between the two. Where exactly was she? She looked back at Jessica and Eunjung, the latter of whom was still comforting the blonde.

“It’s nice to put a face to the name,” Jessica eventually muttered.

“What?”

The shorter girl looked up at her. “Miss Kim, Taeyeon. We’ve been hearing her screams for almost a week. It’s nice to finally be able to meet her.”

Eunjung nodded in agreement. “I don’t anyone’s spent that long in isolation in one go, well apart from Jiyeon.”

Yuri unconsciously turned her head in the direction Taeyeon had left in as more thoughts and questions coursed through her mind. What had caused Taeyeon to scream for a week? What exactly was wrong with the girl? And the others, what was wrong with them? But she knew she couldn’t ask those questions, not yet anyway. Her hand subconsciously rested of the elbow of her opposite arm, where the evidence of her own problem lay.

“Ya!” Eunjung’s sudden cry startled Yuri and she looked up to see the two girls looking at her curiously.

“Do you do that often?” Jessica asked, peering at Yuri with round eyes.

“Uh… what?”

“That.” Jessica pointed a finger at her. “Space out.”

“Oh. I don’t know. I’ve never noticed and Yoona’s never said anything about it.” She blinked hard at the mention of Yoona. She wondered what the other girl was doing, where she was. She desperately hoped that she was trying to find a way to get her out.

“Yoona?” Eunjung wondered.

“Her friend,” Jessica explained and the short-haired girl nodded in response. “So that’s not your deal then?” she then asked.

“Deal?”

The blonde nodded. “You know, why you’re here.”

“Oh, no,” Yuri replied with a shake of her head, “it’s not.”

Jessica pursed her lips and nodded thoughtfully.

Above them, the sound of a claxon rang out and there was a bustle of activity around them as the other girls started either making their way back over to the kitchen hatch to put away their dishes or they were exciting the building. There was a sudden shouting as the staff began to move forward away from the walls.

Jessica grabbed Yuri’s wrist. “Come one.” She began to pull her towards one of the exits, Eunjung following closely behind.

“Ow! Where are we going?” Yuri tried to pull herself free of the shorter girl’s grip, but Jessica refused to let go.

The three girls rushed through the corridors, weaving in-between the stream of other girls. Every now and then, Yuri would let out a quick shout of apology as she bumped into someone and she had decided that it was pointless trying to ask either of her two companions where they were going, since both girls were silent as they pushed through the other residents, both of them wearing serious looks. Eventually the corridors became less crowded and with one final pull, Jessica led them into a room which appeared to be deserted, closing the door behind them and Yuri was able to yank herself free from the girl’s grasp and she rubbed her wrist tenderly.

“That was close,” Eunjung commented, looking at Jessica, who nodded in agreement.

Yuri frowned. “What was close?” She pointed at the door. “What was all that about?”

“You don’t want to be in Home after the bell rings,” Eunjung replied. She looked at the black haired girl with round, sincere eyes.

“Why?”

“Just… you can’t, alright.” Jessica turned to her. “We’re trying to help you.”

“Help me?” Yuri held up her hands, her confusion mounting with each passing second. “What exactly is going on here?”

The two girls shared another look and Jessica bit her lower lip while Eunjung shook her head. Yuri’s eyes looked from one girl to the other. She knew there was something she wasn’t been told about this place, that something wasn’t right. She’d known that right from the beginning, but it felt as if there was something more going on, something that the two girls were frightened to tell her, but if she was to live here – and survive – then surely she needed to know.

“It’s best if you don’t know,” Jessica eventually said, turning back to the taller girl. “The less you know the better.”

“Why?!” Yuri cried indignantly. “I already know that there’s something not right about this place. Look at what they’ve already done to me! They took Yoona away from me and locked me in here. I need to know.”

Jessica cast her eyes back towards Eunjung, looking at the other girl expectantly. “What do you think?” she asked in a hushed voice.

Eunjung tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking thoughtful. “She has a point, I guess,” she murmured in response. “She’s already suffered at Mr Lee’s hands.”

The blonde nodded her head. “What about Taeyeon?”

Eunjung nodded in response. “God knows what he did to her in isolation. We’ll wait until she comes back from seeing Miss Kahi and tell them together.”

“We shouldn’t have to be telling them anything,” Jessica hissed as her eyes brimmed with tears. “This shouldn’t be happening. They shouldn’t be doing this.”

Eunjung grabbed hold of the other girl’s shoulder tightly. “Calm down,” she said forcefully, though her eyes were filled with knowing sympathy. “I know. I know they shouldn’t, but there isn’t anything that we can do that’ll change that. We have to grin and bear it. All of us do. Remember what happened last time we tried to stop it? Remember what happened to Gyuri? We can’t do anything.”

Yuri watched the two with confused eyes. Who was Gyuri and what happened to her? What could the staff being doing to them?

“We have to tell them because at least they’ll be prepared,” Eunjung continued. “But you need to calm down.”

Jessica swallowed before slowly nodding. “Okay.” She brushed a hand across her eyes, ridding them of the dampness that had formed.

“Okay.” Eunjung removed her hand from her roommate’s shoulder and cupped her cheek for a brief moment before looking across at Yuri. “We’ll tell you wants being going on, but only when Taeyeon is back.”

Yuri slowly nodded her head in agreement. She was going to learn the truth about this place but the thought filled her with a deep sense of unease and sent a violent chill throughout her entire body.

***

Taeyeon swallowed nervously as she looked at the older woman sat across from her, her fingers digging into the smooth black leather of her chair, as her body shook like a leaf. She had followed Miss Kahi into an office with dull white walls, which were adorned with bookcases full of books and figurines of dancers, certificates hung on the walls. Miss Kahi had directed her into the black chair, while she sat herself in the brown one opposite, leaning back in her seat as she picked up a spiral notebook from the small table next to her chair.

“How are you settling in?” Miss Kahi peered over the rim of her glasses.

“I-uh…” Taeyeon diverted her eyes, looking at her knees. How was she supposed to answer that? She had no idea where she was.

“It can be a bit scary here, at first,” Miss Kahi said, interpreting Taeyeon’s silence. “It’s a new place with new people and routines. Scary at first but I’m sure you’ll soon get settled. How are you getting on with your roommate… Miss Kwon, isn’t it?”

Taeyeon nodded, keeping her eyes fixed on her knee.

“Mmhm.” Miss Kahi nodded her head in a knowing fashion. “It will take some time to get used to,” she repeated.

Taeyeon nodded once more, her eyes remaining downcast.

“Do you know why you’re here?”

She shook her head. She did, however, have an idea, but if she remained silent, then maybe she would get some answers as what was going on and where she was.

“According to the forms your parents filled in, you’re prone to fits of anger?”

Taeyeon’s eyes snapped up and her fingers dug into the leather. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Miss Kahi.

The older woman appeared unperturbed by Taeyeon’s stare as she nodded once more and wrote something down in her notebook. “Mmhm. Do you know what causes these outbursts of anger?”

Taeyeon’s eyes narrowed even more, her body becoming more rigid and tense. “I get angry.”

“Of course you do, Miss Kim, but do you know why? What causes you to get angry?”

She shrugged her shoulders. She never knew what would be the cause. She would just get angry and then not remember anything, only to find out afterwards that she had done something she shouldn’t of. Something bad. A flash of memory shot through her mind.

Blood…

A hole in a wall...

The sound of blood dripping…

She shook head and looked down at her bandaged hand, her fingers dug deep into the leather, refusing to let go.

Miss Kahi noticed Taeyeon’s focus on her bandaged hand. “Do you know how you did that?”

Taeyeon didn’t reply. She kept her eyes unseeingly fixed on her bandaged hand. How had she done that? The image of the blood-splattered plaster and paint shot through her mind…

The hole in the wall…

The sound of the moustached man laughing as he stood over her…

A sharp pain in her arm…

She let out a hiss of pain, though her body felt nothing. Her heart beat faster and faster, almost pounding against her chest. Her eyesight began to blur and her fingers dug deeper into the smooth black leather.

“Are you alright?” Miss Kahi asked her with wide eyes as she watched the young girl. She was torn between scribbling down what she was witnessing in her notebook and helping the girl.

Taeyeon’s eyes snapped up, suddenly clear, looking at the woman. “Where am I?” Her tone was one of malice.

“White Leaves Rehabilitation Centre,” she replied, startled at the girl’s sudden change in attitude. In a matter of seconds she had gone from being confused to hurt to spiteful and angry. She paused. “Why?”

The young brunette tilted her head to one side, her eyes still fixed on the older woman. “How did I get here?”

She paused once more, unsure of how to reply. She was under strict orders not to reveal the truth to her, but she felt that the girl had a right to know. “Mr Lee brought you here,” she carefully said, trying not to reveal too much.

Taeyeon didn’t reply, instead her head tilted further to one side, showing her confusion.

“Mr Lee runs this place,” Miss Kahi explained. She noticed how the girl’s fingers were still digging into the arm of the chair, the knuckles of her un-bandaged hand turning white. She remembered how Mr Lee had told her that the girl was prone to outbursts of anger and that he wanted to discover what would trigger them. She swallowed, wondering if this was a sign of the girl’s building anger. “Maybe we should stop for today?” she tried to keep her voice calm as she spoke. She tried not to let the girls scare her (some of them had serious issues), but she had no idea what the brunette sat in front of her was capable of.

Taeyeon shook her head. Her vision blurred for a moment before clearing, making her feel lightheaded. “Whoa,” she muttered under her breath. She placed a hand to her head, shaking off the dizziness that had overcome her.

“Are you alright?” Miss Kahi asked once more, peering over the rim of her glasses, looking intently at the girl.

“Yes, thank you,” she replied in a steady voice. “You said I could go?”

“Yes,” she replied, still unsure about what she had witnessed.

Taeyeon stood up, instinctively brushing herself down. “Thank you,” she replied, turning around and heading towards the door.

Miss Kahi stood up. “I would like to see you the same time tomorrow,” she called.

Taeyeon felt her heart sink. What was the point? What was all of this anyway? Therapy? She hadn’t learnt anything, she hadn’t poured out her deepest, darkest fears, so what was the point? “Fine,” she instead muttered, before pulling open the door and leaving.

As soon the girl left, Miss Kahi sunk back in her seat, her head in her hands. She shook her head, deeply confused. “What just happened?”

***

The corridors were quiet as Taeyeon walked down them, thoroughly lost. She had no idea where she was or where she was going. She wanted to head back to her room, but she had didn’t know where it was. She groaned. She probably should have asked that woman where to go. That woman… she couldn’t remember what she had said her name was. Come to think of it, she couldn’t remember a lot of what had happened.

She froze, a chill running through her body.

How long had she been in there?

She had no idea. She could barely remember what they had talked about. She could remember a flash of memory but that was all. If she couldn’t remember, then did that mean she had been about loose – or had lost – control?  She only had a relapse in memory if she did, if she got so angry… but that woman had seemed fine, slightly unnerved, but fine and the room was in one piece, so nothing could have happened. She let out a sigh and continued aimlessly walking down corridor after corridor.

She had no idea how long she had been walking for, her feet just led her down the corridors without any thought. She had passed rooms, but not a single person had been seen. She bit her lower lip. Where was she?

The sound of a metallic door opening could be heard behind her and she froze, debating whether to turn around and ask for help or to run as fast she could. But before she could make up her mind, a cold hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her and she let out a scream.

“Shhh,” a voice she recognised hissed. “It’s me.”

Cautiously, she turned around and let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Yuri. Finally, she thought to herself.

“Come here.” Yuri pulled her into the room, quickly closing it behind them.

Taeyeon let out a gasp. They were in a dance studio. The floor beneath their feet was made of wood while the walls were made up of mirrors which ran from one end to the other; one side had ballerina bars running alongside it. She found it strange that a place like this had a dance studio, but the revelation excited her: she loved to dance.

“Yes, yes, it’s a dance studio. Get over it,” another voice said and Taeyeon turned to see the blonde-haired girl and the short-haired girl from breakfast sat against the wall behind her, the blonde rolling her eyes.

“What are you doing in here?” Taeyeon asked, still in awe at the room.

“Practising to dance. What do you think we’re doing?” the blonde-haired girl (Jessica, Taeyeon reminded herself) muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Jessica,” the other girl (Eunjung) scolded, giving her friend a condescending look.

Jessica held up her hands. “Sorry, sorry.”

Taeyeon turned to Yuri. “What are you doing in here?” she asked once more.

“Those two,” she began, pointing at Jessica and Eunjung, “have agreed to tell us what really happens here.”

“What do you mean?”

“This place isn’t exactly what you think it is,” Eunjung said, standing up and brushing down her trousers.

“This place is a rehabilitation centre – or an asylum, whatever floats your boat,” Jessica added. “But, let’s just say that there are things that happen here.”

“What sort of things?” Taeyeon could feel her curiosity mounting, but along with it, came a deep sense of unease. “I don’t understand?”

“You wouldn’t.” Jessica stood up and walked over to the ballerina bars, facing the mirror. She spun around so that she was facing Taeyeon and Yuri. “I doubt you know better.” She let out a sigh. “But if you’re to survive this place then you need to be made aware of what happens here.” Her eyes drifted away, resting on a spot in the far corner and she looked as if she were lost in thought.

“Look, Taeyeon’s here now. Are you going to tell us about this place or not?” Yuri frowned at the two girls.

Eunjung folded her arms against her chest. “This isn’t going to be easy for us. We’ve had to put up with it our entire time here. You two are new. You have no idea what we’ve been though, what all of us have been through. But that’s why we’re telling you, you need to know. You need to be prepared.” She walked across the room and stood next to Jessica who appeared more focused as she tugged on the sleeve of her sweater. “It’ll be alright,” she whispered. “I’ll do most of the talking if you want.” Jessica nodded as she continued to play with her sleeve and Eunjung looked across at the two newcomers. “You’d better sit down.”

Taeyeon and Yuri cast a look of unease at each other. They had no idea what they were going to be told, but from the two girl’s reactions, they guessed that it wasn’t going to be good. They walked across the room and sat opposite Jessica and Eunjung who had also sat themselves down, Jessica staring up at the ceiling with her head resting against the mirror while Eunjung wrapped her arms around her knees.

“You ready?” Eunjung asked.

Taeyeon tucked a stand of hair behind her ear as she nodded. Yuri looked at the two girls in front of her with interest.

Eunjung steadied herself and took a breath…