Morning came by a few hours later. However, it’s hard to tell when the view of the outside wasn’t at close grasp. Those were the first awakening thoughts from Tiffany.

The girl couldn’t recall a day when her hair smell and feels bad. No longer the soft, papaya-scented hair she once knew - she had to wake up with the feeling of disgust every morning because of the untreated and messy bed hair that Tiffany herself doesn’t bother to take care of as days go by being trapped in a place where there’s no sink or any water-equipped mechanism to help rinse it clean.

Tiffany slowly propped herself up and laid her back against the wall behind her, trying to go back to sleep when she felt her head beginning to grow itchy. Groaning sleepily, she scratched her head in an attempt to sctratch away the annoying itch that’s been the main source of inconvenience due to the lack of a proper for more than a month.

‘Or was it two?’ Tiffany thought, stopping her hand from scratching her head even more. ‘Jesus. How long has it been?’

She glanced to the left, expecting to find Taeyeon still asleep beside her but was surprised to find the occupied space completely empty. Tiffany’s eyes dart around the room before settling upon a familiar figure fast asleep with her back against the locked door. She let out a sigh of relief, then turn to look down at Jessica whose eyes were still shut and her body lying comfortably on the floor as if it’s a soft, warm bed.

Tiffany smiled sadly at the sight, then leaning in closely to plant a quick kiss on Jessica’s forehead. She got up from the floor and made her way quietly to Taeyeon’s tiny body against the door. Tiffany took a moment to simply look at the older girl sleeping in front of her, taking in every single detail of her exhausted face and the way she looked much peaceful whenever she’s deep in slumber. After what seemed to be like a long while, Tiffany carefully sat next to Taeyeon whilst avoiding

One word to describe Taeyeon: indestructible. As cheesy as the word sounds, it is true. Tiffany has been keeping an eye on Taeyeon ever since they were trainees, and she couldn’t remember a single day that went by without being so mesmerized and starstrucked over Taeyeon’s determination in achieving her dream of becoming a singer. Those dog days when everyone wasn’t working together as a group and as a family, Taeyeon stepped in voluntarily and tried her very best to work problems out with the rest of the girls. All of those death threats, unbelievable amount of hate comments, negative vibes that can ruin a person’s day in an instant – yet Taeyeon stood atall, despite her height, and she stood there with a smile on her face.

“Kill ‘em with kindness,” they all say. Tiffany never put much thought to it until now.

A sudden sound startled Tiffany out of her thoughts as she turned to see Taeyeon snoring with opened slightly. Giggling at the sight, Tiffany stretched her hand out and placed it on to Taeyeon’s shoulder, shaking it lightly. “Taeyeon.”

Taeyeon stopped her snoring, regaining her consciousness as she slowly open her eyes. A yawn escaped from , followed by the sounds of bones cracking as she began stretching her arms and neck. She didn’t notice another presence until she slowly stretched her neck to the left and saw Tiffany there with a soft smile on her face.

Taeyeon greeted the girl with a small smile. “Morning,” she straightened up her back and moaned in satisfaction as she felt a lot better after hearing a loud crack from her spine. “How long have you been staring at me?”

Tiffany shrugged her shoulders. “For a while, Granny.”

Taeyeon rolled her eyes and said, “Oh, haha. Very funny. You should be the one sleeping here, then you’ll know how it feels like.”

Tiffany chuckled, leaning her body closer to Taeyeon. “Glad that I didn’t.”

Taeyeon’s eyes turn to the sleeping beauty that was Jessica. It was a sad for Taeyeon to see her other friend silently suffering with constant nightmares and emotional breakdowns for the past few days. Jessica wasn’t like this before; she wasn’t like this at all. And now, she’s sleeping like none of those things had happen. “I hate seeing her like that.”

Tiffany followed the line of sight to where Taeyeon was looking and couldn’t help but frown. It was hard to understand the pain Jessica’s going through when you’re not the one screaming for the names of four dead friends in your sleep during the middle of the night, while shouting out loud that you can’t handle all of this anymore, and you might as well die than to suffer even more.

“Me too. But what are we supposed to do? Tell her that everything’s gonna be just fine?” Tiffany didn’t asked a question, because to her, it was more of a statement. “You and I both know that it won’t be.”

Taeyeon nodded with a sullen look upon her already tired face. “I know that. We’re just trying to keep her sane.”

“Well, it won’t be long before we officially give up and she goes completely insane in front of us,” Tiffany stated the truth that has burned beneath Taeyeon’s mind. Though it piss her off to think about it, Tiffany was right. They will eventually have to stop deceiving both their friend and themselves from the reality of the situation and, to her horrible demise, give up. Give up all hope and simply just face the truth.

Just when these depressing thoughts was about to take a toll on Taeyeon, the speaker suddenly .

“Wakey wakey, rise and shine.”

It was sick – both his voice and his ‘bubbly’ personality. His sense of humor in all things wicked and mental angered Taeyeon. It was annoying and it never made anything better to begin with. And when the man started humming a happy melody with his low, gruffy voice, Taeyeon can sense her knuckles turning white for clenching too hard.

It was this exact moment when Jessica finally woke up from her slumber. Didn’t take long for the girl to start groaning from the annoying humming through the speakers. “Ugh... please, stop that...”

“What? You don’t like my singing?” The man asked innocently, then proceeded to chuckle amusingly. “I’ll probably start doing it more often. You know, to entertain you girls and stuff like that.”

“What do you want?” Taeyeon’s firm voice made the man pause for a moment. There was silence.

“Oh, yeah. I forgot about what I was going to say...” The man cleared his throat before continuing. “You’re free now.”

That startled the three girls in the room.

Taeyeon sat there, her thoughts clouded with confusion and disbelief. Tiffany stayed silent with her eyes wide open, looking back and forth at Taeyeon and Jessica. Meanwhile, the other American girl was now fully awake and standing on both feet with her heart pounding inside of her chest. Free – the word Jessica had been dying to hear since the first day. Her eyes started to go teary, wide opened. This was certainly out of the blue. This was way too sudden.

“W-What?” Taeyeon managed to stutter as she slowly stood up from her spot and began looking around the room to see if she could spot a secret exit of some kind. “Wait, wait, wait... There’s no way-“

“Oh yes, there is,” The man said with a grin, clearly satisfied at the reaction from the girls. “And it’s right through the door behind you.”

Taeyeon quickly turned around, staring at the same door that lead the girls to a rat trap and started a succession of conjuring events to happen in the very room she’s in. This couldn’t be it. This couldn’t possibly be it. It was too easy, too obvious; must be another mind game of his. That’s gotta be it: a mind game. A trick. An ordinary trap. But... was it really?

Taeyeon looked at Tiffany, motioning her to get away from the door. Tiffany complied as she made her way to Jessica, holding onto the other girl tightly. Jessica returned the action, not taking her eyes off of the door: the one way ticket to getting out of this hellhole.

Jessica build up the courage from underneath, swallowing the remaining saliva in . “A-Are you telling the t-truth?”

Taeyeon snapped her head back and turned around, looking at Jessica like she has done a terrible crime right before her eyes. “What the hell are you doing?”

Tiffany looked at Jessica desperately. “Please, Jessica... Don’t listen to him.”

“Absolutely. I am being one hundred percent right now,” The man lured Jessica into his ways. “Have I ever lied to you? Ever since you got here?”

Cold sweat formed on her forehead. Jessica didn’t know what she was doing to herself. “N-No...”

“Jessica, snap out of it!” Taeyeon ran to Jessica, pulling her close with her hands gripping on the girl’s arms tightly whilst looking at Jessica’s eyes in an attempt to pull her away from the crazy talk. “This guy is the one who put us here. Okay? This guy is the same guy who didn’t have to ing think twice in killing all of our friends! This is the same guy who tortured us to the very core-“

“And this guy could be the only person who could set us free!” Jessica spat back, releasing Taeyeon’s grip around her arms. “I am sick of being stuck in here and not doing jack that can save us all! And you know what it did? They’re dead, Taeyeon, they’re all ing dead!”

“Sooyeon, look at me,” Taeyeon spoke softly, her hands now holding onto Jessica’s cheek as she leaned closer to the latter. “Do not listen to him. Please. I’m begging you. It’s not your fault that they’re dead. It’s not. Okay?”

Tiffany took a hold of Jessica’s arm, looking at her with begful eyes. “Please... don’t listen to him.”

There was a migraine that started in Jessica’s head: a thundering, aching battle filled with dilemma. Looking at her two remaing friends, she wanted to believe them. Then, her eyes turned to the door. The only way to escape was through that. The only way to be free; once and for all. But what they’re saying is right – the man who captured them was good at deceiving. She didn’t want to believe him for the same exact reasons Taeyeon had stated before. She didn’t want to fall into the hands of the captor; she won’t do that.

But, it doesn’t hurt to try, right?

In a quick motion, Jessica freed herself from the two girls’ grasp. She looked at them with sorrowful, apologetic eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

Jessica quickly ran towards the door, reaching for the knob.

She tried to turn it. It clicked.

Hope was set ablaze in her heart. This is it. Finally. Freedom.

Jessica swung the door open. She saw the white, colorless hallway. Oh, so familiar.

“Sooyeon, look out!”

Something swung down from above the door. Jessica saw what it was for a split second.

A loud gunshot was head.

She didn’t react quickly enough.

Taeyeon was close. She was so close. Her hand reached for Jessica. But it was still too late.

She quickly knealed down towards Jessica, her mind too slow to comprehend what just happened. The shotgun blast made her ears deaf for a moment. It ringed and it hurt, but she didn’t care. At that moment, she only needs to know if Jessica’s okay.

The wound was something out of a war film: the large impact of the bullet against the skin created dozens of ripped holes on Jessica’s worn out clothes. Her white shirt was quickly being stained with the blood oozing out from the sickening wound. The gun shot her in the stomach and the chest. Taeyeon quickly took a precaution to see if Jessica’s still alive by checking for her pulse and her breathing through her nose.

Relief washed over her. Her pulse was slow but still beating. She’s breathing rapidly now.

Taeyeon didn’t have time to think as she impulsively took Jessica a hold of her body and raise her up bridal style. Jessica cried out in pain, hot tears streaming down her face. She knew that the wounded girl didn’t have much time left. That’s why Taeyeon needed to get the hell out. Fast.

Taeyeon turned to Tiffany, motioning her out of the door as she walked out of the room with Jessica crying loudly in pain. “Come on, let’s go!”

“Wait!” Tiffany was too late. Taeyeon had gone off.

-

Running. Running. Running.

Turn after turn after turn.

Hallway after hallway.

Door after door.

Taeyeon didn’t know where to go. It didn’t help at all carrying a heavily wounded Jessica in her arms in the state of panic and confusion. Every turn she took, every door she kicked, it didn’t lead to anywhere. Another useless room, another useless hallway. It was a neverending labyrinth.

“, , , , !”

Taeyeon cursed under her breath as she continued to ran through endless hallways. Every now and then, she looked down to check on Jessica’s condition. So far, it’s getting worse. Her breathing is growing slower and slower by each second passing. The blood stained her arms and clothes, but she didn’t give a damn. She needed to find a way out of here.

The hallway ended on another two-turn. She impulsively turned right.

And there it is. An exit sign.

A wave of relief surged upon her like a tidal wave. Taeyeon laughed out loud. She ran towards the door.

“Taeyeon!”

A scream was heard. It was Tiffany’s.

Taeyeon stopped dead on her tracks. Heavy breathing. Realization slapped her across the face. She forgot about Tiffany.

“TAEYEON! HELP!”

Taeyeon looked back at the hallway behind her, and then at the exit.

Hallway. Exit. Hallway. Exit. Hallway. Exit.

Taeyeon’s uncertainty resurgence. She heard another scream again.

“TAEYEON, HELP ME!”

Taeyeon let out a shout of frustration and peaked desperation. She started to run.

And she kicked the exit door.

Taeyeon expected the view of the outside world. But all she saw only left her in utter shock.

Another. Empty. Hallway.

Taeyeon felt her knees weakening. She let herself fall to the floor. Long forgotten tears began to emerge in her eyes.

Taeyeon looked down at Jessica. “Sica?” Her finger tried to find a pulse.

There was none.

Taeyeon closed her eyes shut. The world around was caving in around her. The thunderstorm inside of her grew stronger than ever. And with a single breath –

She screamed her broken heart out.