Broken

    Kai broke out in a cold sweat as he stumbled down the poorly lit hallway on shaky legs. The air around him was tinted yellow from the dirty, old light fixtures buzzing above his head. They gave an eerie, haunting feel to the atmosphere which caused his gut to twist painfully. Feeling more desperate than ever, he clawed at every doorknob with his numb, trembling hands, trying to find somewhere to hide before he lost it completely. He began to lose hope, his vision going blurry with tears as he neared the end of the row of doors...

    Click.

    He felt a whoosh of air brush past him, teasing his skin as it was into the room when the door opened. With a sigh of relief that did nothing to lessen the crushing tension in his chest, Kai quickly slipped into the room.

    A sob escaped his lips as he slumped to the floor, his body inadvertently pushing the door closed on its way down. The fear and panic he had managed to hold off until now rushed to the surface, like a tsunami ready to destroy everything in its path, causing his whole body to shake and the crushing weight in his chest to constrict every ragged breath more and more.

    Feeling his vision going dark around the edges and his limbs going numb, Kai didn't think to check his surroundings... or if he was indeed alone.

    Before he could see the concerned figure rushing to his side, before he could feel the gentle hand brushing his sweaty bangs out of his eyes, or the strong but caring arms lifting him off the cold floor, Kai out.

    "What in the world happened to you?" the occupant of the room quietly asked the still unconscious boy as he gently laid him on an old couch.

~*~

    "Kai... Kai... Kaaaaiiiiiiiii!"

    Kai grinned and tried to snuggle deeper into the blanket cocoon he was currently encased in.

    "I swear you are the hardest person in the world to get up, Kai,” his sister said with a huff. “I know you're awake, dork. I can hear you snickering under there..." She waited for a response, but again, nothing happened. So, with determination gleaming in her soft brown eyes, she flung her arms out like a bird about to take flight, then leaned forward and let her body topple onto the cocoon, not even attempting to brace for the impact.

    "Oooommmmfffff... Noooon-naaaaaaaa!" Kai wailed, squirming underneath her.

    The way he drew out the 'noona' let her know he was finally awake, and annoyed, which guaranteed he wouldn't fall back asleep. With a satisfied smirk, she rolled off the squirming lump and walked into the kitchen.

    "Noon-naaa... why did you do that? I only wanted five more minutes," Kai complained with a whine. He somehow managed to sit up and poke his head out, all without leaving his bl