The expression “like herding cats” worked well for these guys. Every time I got one of them to do what they were supposed to be doing, yet another one began doing something unusual and potentially dangerous, like Eunhyuk doing headstands by the fire pit or Onew trying to hunt game with a tent pole. I can’t believe I was elected babysitter, especially since I seemed to be the youngest, but now I didn’t have a choice.

At least not until Siwon and Minho came crashing back into the campground, carrying what looked like a 6-foot ball of purple, black and blue feathers. They threw it down near the fire, prompting excitement from every other member of the party. I felt a bit sick, actually.

“It’s a Jubjub bird.” Announced Minho in response to my sulky expression. “They’re really good, you’ll see. In the meantime, while they cook it, do you want to go get water?”

Not really.

“Sure, why not? Um, where do I get it from?” Minho grabbed a couple jugs from our pile of crap. (When did those- I give up. I accept this reality.)

“I’ll go with you.” He said firmly. Minho grabbed my shoulders and steered me towards the right, through a group of bushes. He led me down a gentle incline until we reached a wide, shallow brook that seemed almost paved with these odd purple stones the color of heliotrope. They looked dull under the water, but when I picked one up and dried it off, it shimmered, almost pulsing in my hand.

“Do you know what those are?” Came Minho voice from behind my right shoulder.

“No idea.” I replied, flipping the strange stone over in my hand. “Amethyst, maybe? Opal?”

“Tears.” Replied Minho. “These stones are all the tears you’ve cried in your life.”

Whoa. There were thousands. Millions, maybe. I wasn’t necessarily ok with anyone knowing something personal like my crying habits, but really? It was none of Minho’s business.

“Why are there so many?” He murmured, reaching out from behind me and taking the stone from my hand.

Honestly, the way he was hovering practically on my back and fondling my tears made me  uncomfortable. So did the way he spoke quietly in my ear. It was way too intimate for someone I didn’t know, and I moved forward, trying to put some distance between us.

Suddenly, I remembered what it was he was saying earlier. I turned to stare into his suddenly blank face.

“You said I didn’t remember something. You said there was a plan, but you said there was something I had forgotten. What was it?”

Minho eyed me quietly for a minute, just watching me with a look of guarded consideration on his face before he sighed, and closed his eyes in a look of resigned defeat.

“What I meant by that, Taemin-ah, was that you’ve been here before. You just don’t remember it.” His voice sped up, becoming higher-pitched and desperate.

“Listen, I’m not supposed to tell you, but you used to come here. A lot happened, and now it’s broken, and I think the Queen wants you to fix it, but-“

“Minho, hush.”

, I think my heart stopped. Onew must have crept up, and we just hadn’t heard him. He stood there with the queerest look on his face, almost anger but also frustration and something like pain. Then it was gone and his face was as blank as a stone.

“Minho, you said you could handle this. Go back to the campsite. I need to speak to Taemin-ah.”

Minho’s face twitched with a mix of fury and earnestness, and he looked like he had quite a bit to say, but finally he his heel and stalked off to the camp.

Onew sighed quietly before sitting down on the grass next to the stream and motioning me to take a seat to his right. I complied cautiously, not sure if I’d be punished for what Minho had told me.

“Taemin-ah,” began Onew, “I need you to forget what you just heard. You weren’t supposed to find out and now we could be in trouble.”

“Trouble from whom?!” I questioned, exasperated by all the nonsense.

“Two people, Taemin-ah. One being the Queen, who specifically ordered us not to tell you anything. However, I think that was just to keep you safe from person number two. Not everything in Wonderland is nice, Taemin-ah. The Queen isn’t the only antagonist. As long as you don’t remember, you’re fine.”

“But how did you make me forget in the first place?” I wondered. Onew settled himself against the ground differently, looking somewhat uncomfortable with this line of questioning. He should be, I wasn’t happy thinking people had been in my head without my knowledge. Or consent.

“Well, Taemin-ah,” more shifting, “One way to enter Wonderland is through your dreams. Likewise, if someone knows you well enough and is skilled enough to do it, they can enter your dreams from Wonderland. It can go both ways. Only this time, rather than you manipulating our reality, they can manipulate your reality.”

Shock.

“Are you the one giving me those dreams then? I want you to stop, they’re creepy and they scare me.”

Onew seemed almost to curl into himself, looking like he wanted to claw his ears out rather than keep talking to me. “No, those aren’t me. And the Block wasn’t me either.”

Relief.

Confusion.

“Block? So they’re just blocked? I haven’t lost my memory?”

“Yes, Blocked. Imagine your memories of Wonderland being herded behind a door, then that door being locked. You just can’t get to them. He refused to destroy them completely.”

Dread.

“Who’s ‘he’? Who wouldn’t get rid of them? Was it-“Key’s dead, Taemin. It wasn’t him. Get a grip, son.

Onew met my eyes and waited for me to continue before sighing, and looking towards the left of the stream. “You won’t be happy Taemin-ah.”

Annoyance.

“Who cares if I won’t be ‘happy’? It’s none of your damn business anyway, and I have a perfect right to know who was futzing around in my head. Tell me, now.”

Onew muttered something reluctant before looking at me, his face blank but his eyes defiant, coolly stating a name.

Horror.

Hurt.

Betrayal.

“It was Minho.”

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Ok, you guys. It's been a while since I updated. I'm super busy, like, all the time, but I want to try something. I'm going to make an update schedule. Maybe if I have a deadline, I'll stick to it. I'll be updating from now on twice a week, mondays and fridays. We'll see how this works out.