Chapter 4
They

Saturday, 12th December
09:48am

Heavens opening up, thick snowflakes the size of pennies fell the sky now blanked out by slate grey clouds. Bitter wind rushed in over the uneven location, and the four women glanced to each other in suspicion.

Reading the words over once again in her head, KiSe swallowed hard before telling the others what she had received.

‘Two strikes for SeokJin.
One strike for TaeHyung, JaeSeok, and YoonGi.

Let’s make this more fun and include all of your friends.
It’s not nice to leave people out. T_T

Your first clue is in three minutes.

P.S: Any contact to anyone beside the four of you will result in instant disqualification. xD’

Finishing reading the message aloud, KiSe shoved her phone back into her hip pocket. Glaring at the pair at odds, she snarled. “You two better get your together, or else we’re they’re going to die at this rate.” Throwing her hands up, she kicked the front wheel of Mercedes in a fit of rage. “I won’t have that!”

Turning her nose up at the sight of HaNeul trying to clamber to her feet, TaeRin took her own phone from her hoodie pocket and placed it on the dashboard inside her car. “Who knows who will get the next message - Put your phones out.”

HaMi, whom was closest, took her cell from her bag and handed it over without any complaints. Taking her phone back out of her pocket, KiSe chucked the device encased in white rubber with the others. Not quite able to gather her bearings just yet, HaNeul held out her phone for anyone to take. Accepting the green coated cell, KiSe shook her head at the turn in situation as she accepted the device. Concerned for the tiny woman, KiSe dragged her to her feet and then turned to placed the phone oout of anyones reach.

Pacing in the cold, HaMi was overtaken by many thoughts. Usually the first one to think of someone else entirely, but she could only think of YoonGi - of what he was doing right now, and who was watching him just in case she failed her tasks. Stomach cramping up with anxiety, the young woman held onto the roof of her car as she tried to breathe away the stress.

Scratching her brow with her right ring finger as she lit up a cigarette, TaeRin called out to the woman a few yards away. “Get in the back; The seats are heated.” Sitting on the driver’s seat, she faced outwards with her heels resting on the frame.

Holding her hand up in dismissal, HaMi kept her back to the group. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other to relieve the icy burn seeping through her pumps and taking over her feet, the brunette propped her forearms on the top of the freezing metal. Resting her forehead on top of her limbs, she pulled in long breaths.

“HaMi, get in the car.” KiSe called out from her spot on the heated leather of the front passenger seat of the Mercedes.

“If I sit down now, I won’t want to get up.” She spoke more to herself than anyone else as a sickness twisted in her gut and snow tangled in her caramel locks.

Just as the woman said that, one of the phones buzzed on the dash. Flicking the end of her vice into the thick snow, TaeRin twisted around in her seat. Looking for the phone still lit up, she picked up HaNeul’s cell and read the message.

‘With day comes light, but with night comes a special something.
Find me, and look for a star.’

Finishing the words, TaeRin scrunched her face. “What the is that supposed to mean?” She looked to the two women sitting inside her vehicle, only for them to both shrug in confusion.

“It means the summit.” A muffled reply came from the loner with her back to the group.

“What?” Brows scrunched, the eldest asked.

Forcing herself to turn around, HaMi swallowed down the dry lump in the back of . “During this time of year, there’s a certain spot at the top of the mountain that imitates the Aurora Borealis.” Pointing up the mountain they were at the base of, the brunette swayed with sickness. “I don’t know about the star, but there’s a path-” Suddenly hurling, the informer bent double as she upchucked her breakfast.

Looking up from the pile of vomit steaming in the snow growing thicker by the minute, KiSe inspected her friend with worry. “I think you should stay down here and rest.”

Wiping with the back of her wrist, HaMi breathed as slowly as she could as not to hurl again. “I won’t just sit around.”

“You’re clearly unwel-”

“I won’t just sit back!” Snapping, the shortest pointed at the others with conviction.

Reading the expression, they all knew just how HaMi was feeling: They were all feeling it too. Their brothers, lifelong friends, and lovers were all at risk, and the weight of that hung on their shoulders. Personality wise, they were all completely different - They would swear blind that was the case. But right now, they were all in the same boat. They may have all had it rough growing up, and they all had their own personal issues and secrets. They had their own desires and things they would die to protect; and even though HaNeul and TaeRin hated each other more than could be put into word, right now, those types of things could be the only specifics to drag them together.

Feeling a change in the atmosphere, HaNeul’s hardcoded habit since childhood caused her to speak for the first time since being smacked around. “The wind’s changed.” She halted by the back passenger door when the others looked to her. Almost tutting upon realizing that none of them understood what that meant, she pointed to her left, and then up towards the mountain. “The snow was getting caught on the trees at the top before. Now the wind’s going the opposite way, so it’s going to start piling up on the side we need to walk on.”

“Wow,” busying her empty hand with a fresh cigarette, TaeRin hummed. “you are actually useful for something.”

Sending a sharp glare, KiSe jabbed a red nail the eldest’s way. “Don’t ing start again.”

Holding her right hand up lazily in submission, the eldest prodded one of the buttons on the key fob hanging from the ignition. With the sound of a dulled ‘phdunk’ coming from the rear of the car, she moved around the vehicle and opened the trunk. Leaning inside, TaeRin fiddled about.

KiSe rested her hands on her hips as she rolled her eyes. “What are you doing?” She already had an idea of what her friend was doing, but she just hoped to be proved wrong.

A black cloth flew out and landed on HaMi’s head, “A Coat for you.” and then something considerably smaller. “And gloves.”

Shielding her eyes with her hand, the redhead mumbled. “Jesus Christ, Rin.”

Taking the empty backpack which had been thrown in the back a few days prior, the driver filled it with her stash of alcohol, a tire iron, and the two flashlights which she had stowed away. “I won’t be caught with my pants down.” The muffle came with more scuffling.

“I bet that’s the first time you’ve ever said that.” HaNeul shot, and KiSe gawked at her year-mate.

“Are you really that ing stupid?”

Finishing putting her arms through the straps of the rucksack, the eldest returned to face the group. Security strap squishing the already prominent bust to immeasurable degrees, TaeRin raised her hands up. Pulling the release clip of the handgun back and causing a solid click, she cocked her head. “Let’s hope not.”

Ducking for cover, the three females squealed in panic as they dashed out of dodge. Crouched whilst holding her hands up, KiSe shook them madly. “What the ’s wrong with you? Where did you get a gun?”

“Do you know how many criminals I’ve got off?” Even the wind seemed to stop at that moment as the others raised their brows. The eldest scoffed at the poor wording. “You know what I mean.”

“I don’t think anyone would say anything anyway at this point.”

“Do you have a license for that?” HaMi yelled from the other side of the Hyundai.

“No, but I am a -hot shot, if I do say so myself.” Dropping the firearm down by her side, TaeRin glanced to the lifelong thorn in her side. “What say you, HaNeul?”

Seemingly unfazed by the weapon upgrade, the slim female remained unflinching. “I don’t like you, and you don’t like me - It’s really no secret - but I know that you’re not so much of a lowlife, or a coward, as to shoot someone who is unarmed and stood still.”

The four women waited in silence for a someone to do anything. Howling wind bit at bare ears and noses as the temperature dropped even further. “Hm.” Was the short reply that the eldest gave as she turned her back. Making sure the safety was on, she tucked the gun between her belt and the band of her jeans. “If what you said about the weather is right, we’d better get moving before it becomes impossible to do so.”

Completely done with everything wrong with the day, KiSe threw her hands up. Thrashing her body madly, the redhead was on the verge of yelling. “Are you out of your mind? We’ve lived here all our live; we grew up here! Did you never listen to the stories of travelers going up into the mountains at this time of year? Did you hear? You heard, right? I know you heard, because it was your father whom told us.”

“I heard, Ki.”

“Then, what the is wrong with you?” Holding her head, the tallest growled in irritation. “How many times do I have to ask?”

“I know better than to ask if you’re coming with us, so what the Hell’s your problem?”

Taking a step back, she mentally tried to reword her thoughts in a way that was both understandable to all of them, and didn’t get anyone killed. Holding her hands up in a gesture for them to wait, the redhead dropped down into a crouching position. Using her finger, she scraped lines into the snow.

Advancing wearily, HaNeul inspected the marks. “Tha-” She was cut off by the redhead smacking her in the side of the leg and holding her finger up to her lips.

“We at least have to have a plan.” She wrote more as she continued to speak. “We have no food, or water.”

‘I think some, or all of us, are bugged.’
‘We have to talk as usual, but we can communicate by writing like this.’

“KiSe, my love, you are a genius.” Straightening up, TaeRin took the keys from the ignition, and the phones off the dashboard. Holding onto them, she locked the hired vehicle. “There will be nothing but doubt if we each have our own phones, so I suggest HaMi keep hold of them.”

“Why me?”

“You’re the most trustworthy; HaNeul and I are at odds, and KiSe is my best friend; If either us were to do anything, the other would likely help.” Holding out the bundle of technology, the eldest nodded her head encouragingly. “Rather than us all watching every other person, we just need to keep an eye on you.”

“Well, it definitely isn’t me.” She held her hands up out of natural rection. “I will take care of them, but only if everyone agrees.”

All eyes shot to HaNeul. If she had to pick a person to trust beside herself, HaMi would be the one she’d pick. Seeing less harm in entrusting the shortest than anyone else, the woman on the spot nodded in agreement. “Please put them in your purse.”

Acknowledging the request, the slim woman took her bag off and placed it on top of the car. Shrugging on the heavy-duty winter coat lined with fur which had been lent to her by the eldest, she returned the long strap over her head and rested the main compartment over her left hip.

Seemingly ready to go, the redhead crouched down again.
‘Does anyone have a pen?’

Holding up her hand, HaMi pointed at her bag. Reopening her car, TaeRin took one from the well beneath the handbrake.

“It usually takes around three hours to get to the very top, if we hurry with no stops, right?” TaeRin looked to the others to verify her estimation.

“That’s in the milder seasons.” KiSe wafted off the easy call. “And we have to take into account that we have no food.”

Upon that remark, something clicking in HaMi’s mind and caused to shake her head. Brows furrowed, the shortest looked down in thought. “If our task is at nightfall, how the hell are we suppose to survive over 12 hours without food with all of that exercise? Don’t forget, we do have to get back down.”

Thinking about it logically, the other three looked away as the sentiment set in. “Are we supposed to be the next victims?”

Updated: 29th May 215 - 21:34