Chapter Text
sound where there shouldn’t be sound
faltering foosteps
leather dragging across the floor
skin catching on bark
soft cry of pain
What is it? What’s happening?
We’re going, we’re going now, come on!
All of us?
We have to go now!
red glow under white light bright enough to bring tears to dry eyes
hiss of dead channels
a heap of clothes with two staring eyes
Can you walk?
I’ll crawl out of here if I have to.
smashing glass
splintering plastic
quiet cries of rage
What are you doing? Your hands, your hands, my god …
dry heat baking off blackened walls
shimmer in smoky air
singed hair and blistered skin acrid in the nose
Over here, I’m over here.
Where are you - wait, I’ve got him!
scream
Sorry, sorry, here, hold on to me.
diagrams and words that make no sense but set teeth on edge
slither of maggots and buzz of insects
tarnished silver heaped with putrefaction
My god, that smell.
Get me the fuck out of here.
This way, this way!
What about -
Leave him.
We can’t leave him!
He’s right, we have to try.
He’s gone, you know he’s gone.
No, no, he’s not, he’s not, we have to -
a tiny, airless glass box
Oh my god.
Get him out of there.
Stand back!
shattering
falling shards catching in dusty black
We’re going, we’re going, come on!
This is a mistake.
jagged, hopeless laughter
Stop him! Grab him!
Watch the glass!
scream
It’s too late, we have to save ourselves.
Let me go!
skin impact on skin
crunch of tiny bones
I won’t lose you, too!
We have no choice, I’m so sorry.
I hate you, I hate you all!
Shut up. You know what he’s done.
Please, this isn’t the time.
Why? Why?
Run! Everybody, run!
I’ll come back for you! I’ll find you! Hongbin! I’ll find you!
*****
Before …
‘I really don’t see why we have to do this in the middle of winter,’ griped Sanghyuk.
‘I agree.’ Taekwoon, almost blue with cold despite being bundled into a thick down-filled jacket, heavy boots and ski mittens, regarded the snowy orchard in front of them with open dislike. ‘We’ll all catch colds, and you know Hongbin’s lungs are weak.’
‘Shut up, I’m fine,’ came the quick response, but already, Hongbin’s voice sounded slightly clogged.
‘You might be, but I’m freezing my nose off!’ Jaehwan cupped his gloved hands around his face, sniffling loudly.
Wonsik made a rude noise. ‘If you’re lucky, you’ll get left with a normal sized nose, so stop complaining.’ He dodged as Jaehwan lunged to slap him.
Looking like nothing so much as a bundle of padding with arms and legs, Hakyeon put his hands on what were probably his hips and sighed. Between the bright red beanie and scarf, only his eyes were visible, but no one could mistake the glare he levelled at them. ‘You should all stop complaining. This won’t take long, and we’ll keep moving so you won’t be too cold. Now, do you all have your baskets?’ One by one, they indicated the red plastic baskets at their feet. ‘Good. Now, come along.’ He bent and picked up his own, turned and led the way between the rows of trees.
‘Hey, Bean. Whose idea was this, anyway?’ asked Sanghyuk. He poked at an overhanging branch, and yelped as it dumped its load of snow almost on his head.
Hongbin, trudging along beside him, shrugged, the movement nearly lost in the layers of his clothing. ‘I asked eomma about that this morning. He just gave me one of those I-know-something-you-don’t smiles. So my guess is, this is all his fault.’
From far ahead, the subject of this accusation called to them to hurry up. Sanghyuk muttered, ‘Think anyone would notice if I just buried him up to his ears in snow?’
Hongbin’s laugh choked off into a coughing fit. ‘Dammit,’ he wheezed. ‘I hate it when Taekwoon’s right. How about we bury them both?’
‘Deal.’
The plan was simple enough. Wander through the orchard, pick satsumas and clown around for the cameras whenever they saw them. Pose for the occasional still. Maybe even - but only if they felt like it, Hakyeon stressed - maybe even have a snowball fight. The two youngest exchanged glances at that comment, in perfect agreement. They definitely felt like it, and they’d already chosen their first, and possibly only, target. Each was given a few pieces of fruit to make it appear they were being ‘discovered’ while taking part in a perfectly normal, everyday activity. They were waved off in six different directions. ‘Normal,’ scoffed Wonsik, ‘yes, because normal people always freeze their butts off prancing around a fucking orchard in the snow’. With the ease of long practice, he dodged the neck chop Hakyeon aimed at him.
Just before he walked away, Taekwoon said quietly to Hongbin, ‘Are you feeling all right? I’m sure you could go back to the van and get warm, everyone would understand.’
Hongbin rolled his eyes. ‘I told you, I’m fine. Go away and look interested in fruit-picking, or I’ll start a snowball fight right here.’ Taekwoon shrugged and turned his back. Finally, thought Hongbin. He sneezed suddenly, explosively. Without looking, the vocalist reached into one pocket and retrieved a large handkerchief, which he held out. With an irritated sigh, Hongbin grabbed for it and yanked down his scarf to wipe his nose. He watched as Taekwoon moved off, unable to see his face but convinced he was smiling. This day cannot get any worse.
Despite having feet like iceblocks and noses that dripped constantly, most of the group soon found they were actually enjoying the day. As irrepressible as ever, Jaehwan threw himself into the fruit-picking, displaying his finds proudly for the cameras and pointing out how superior they were to anything the others were able to gather. Hakyeon broke into spontaneous dance solos which, while not exactly graceful, were funny enough to draw laughter from the camera crew. He also drew fire from Sanghyuk, who proved a deadly shot with a well-packed snowball. As the end of their first hour approached, the director called a break and waved them all back to an area at the edge of the orchard where staff had set up chairs, hot drinks and blankets.
Taekwoon was the first to wrap himself up and commandeer an entire thermos of coffee, hugging it to his chest. One by one the others trickled in, until only Wonsik and Hongbin had yet to appear. ‘We only have ten more minutes,’ fretted Hakyeon. ‘Who was the last to see them? Where were they?’ They looked at each other blankly.
‘I thought Hongbin was with you,’ said Taekwoon, looking at Sanghyuk. The maknae shook his head, nose buried in his blanket.
‘We’d better find them,’ said Hakyeon. ‘Come on, everyone grab another blanket. I’m sure they’ll be freezing.’
‘That’s not all they’ll be,’ promised Taekwoon darkly.
They fanned out through the rows, calling the two missing members, voices ranging from exasperated (Taekwoon) to mildly concerned (Hakyeon). Pausing every few minutes for an answer, they were met with only silence. Where could they be? thought the leader. This had better not be some sort of prank. The back of his neck prickled. Stop it, nothing’s wrong, don’t be ridiculous, he scolded himself. ‘All right, everyone come here and we’ll regroup!’ he called.
Jaehwan arrived almost immediately, Sanghyuk on his heels. Both of them were flushed from exertion, and more than a little annoyed. ‘No sign of them,’ reported Sanghyuk. ‘Bet you anything they're already back at -’
‘Where’s Taekwoon?’ asked Hakyeon. Sanghyuk looked over his shoulder.
‘What? He was right behind me …’
‘I’ll go get him,’ offered Jaehwan, and headed back the way they’d come. The two left behind stood looking at each other, waiting.
Nothing. Not even the sound of someone crunching and sliding on the snow, or the staff at the edge of the orchard chatting to each other. The only noise came from their own breathing. There’s a simple explanation for this, Hakyeon told himself. ‘Something’s wrong,’ said Sanghyuk suddenly.
‘Of course there isn’t,’ said Hakyeon sharply, tension bleeding into his voice. ‘We would have heard if anything had happened.’
‘Really, hyung? Because I can’t hear anything except us.’ Sanghyuk gestured in a broad sweep around them with a shaky arm. ‘You think they’re all out there sneaking around? Not hearing Taekwoon, I might accept, but you don’t really expect me to believe Jaehwan is being deliberately quiet, do you?’
He’s right, thought Hakyeon. Nothing’s moving out there. Even the wind’s dropped. He shook his head briskly. ‘Calm down,’ he said, more to himself than to Sanghyuk. ‘They’ll be here soon.’
‘I’m telling you, something’s wrong. Can’t you feel it?’
‘All right, all right. Stay here in case the others come,’ Hakyeon ordered him. ‘You can explain to them how much trouble they’re in. I’m going to get the staff and start a proper search.’
‘Hyung, wait -’ but Hakyeon had already disappeared into the rows. Sanghyuk stared after him, hugging himself. I’ll wait five minutes, then I’ll go back. Eyes on his back, watching him; he spun around, nearly slipping over. Nothing. Of course, nothing. ‘Hello?’ he called, and immediately rolled his eyes at his own stupidity. Stop freaking. If it was the others, they’d call out. He waited. Okay, screw this, I’m going back now.
Off to his left, a noise. A high-pitched, almost hysterical giggle, weirdly familiar. It almost sounded like - ‘Bean? Is that you?’ The laugh came again, now seeming to come from somewhere in front of him. ‘Come on, stop fucking around, everyone’s really pissed at you and Wonsik.’
A frightened whisper: ‘Sanghyuk?’ The maknae swallowed, heart suddenly racing, because that sounded like Taekwoon, and the vocalist didn’t play this sort of game.
I’m not scared, I don’t get scared … I’m just going to go back and then they’ll all laugh at me and ... and he couldn’t make his feet move. It seemed darker suddenly, the rows closer together, not happening, the sun went in, that’s all, move, just start walking, stay calm, just walk, just -.
‘Hyukkie, run!’ Hakyeon, screaming, and Sanghyuk threw himself forward, scrambled for balance, fled without a backward glance deeper into the orchard, ripping his scarf away from his mouth to drag in sobbing breaths, crashing into branches that tore at the skin of his face, nothing in his head but go go go get away go.
Sharp, bright pain in his stomach knocked the breath out of him. He doubled over, smelled something sour and meaty that pulled bile into his throat.
He knew he was falling, never felt himself hit the ground.
When the staff and camera crew came looking, twenty minutes later, they found only churned-up snow, overturned baskets with inexplicably rotten fruit spilling out of them, and Sanghyuk’s scarf caught on a bare branch.
*****
where
dark
toodark openeyesopendark
boneshivergooseflesh
dripdripdripdrip throatscratch water
getupmove
movemove
can’t move
who’s there
don’ttouchmedon’ttouchmedon’t