Start A War (Joshua Hong)
Pairing: Joshua Hong x Female!Reader
Synopsis: Getting stuck in a town with no way to escape was not a part of your plan—getting trapped in a town where monsters come out at night to hunt and rip you apart was not your plan either. It was as if living in a nightmare where you were not able to escape but despite all of that you managed to find a small place of comfort in a person who helped you throughout your chaos filled thoughts and anxious queries with his sweet and gentle eyes which always held warmth in them.
Genre/Warnings: A From AU, angst, fluff if you squint, strangers to lovers, kissing, apocalyptic kind of au since it revolves around monsters, major character death, graphic description of a dead body, cursing, sheriff!Seungcheol, Chan and Woozi appearance, a bit of a description of torture, supernatural things happen but none of it is explained how,
Tagging: @kstrucknet @kflixnet @tokitosun @metaphorandmoonlight
Sana: So happy to finally put out my from au fic hehe. This is also my submission for @eclipsaria 100+ followers event <33 (congratulations yu baby). A huge thanks to @shinysobi @supi-wupi and @nerdycheol for beta reading this! Thank you @bella-feed for listening to me yap yap and also beta reading it. Banner made by @eclipsaria
Word count: 10,628
Teaser
Opening my eyes, I looked around the area in confusion. All I could see were trees and nothing else. As far as I can remember, there should not be any forest to reach my destination. “Excuse me, are we going in the right direction?” I asked the bus driver once I stood up from my seat.
“This is another route I had to take, dear. There was a tree blocking our way earlier but don’t worry, we will reach the highway soon.” I nodded at her words and diverted my attention to my phone only to furrow my eyebrows in confusion when I saw that there was no service or network.
“Well that’s just great.” I said to myself in frustration and looked outside the window only to see a town, it had this eerie feeling to it which made me shudder. There was no one outside, which just made it worse.
“Didn’t we just pass through here?” I turned around when I heard a girl say that to herself in wonder. “What do you mean?” I questioned to which she shrugged. “I swear, we just passed through this same town a few minutes back, it’s as if we’re going in circles.” I opened my mouth to say something but decided not to.
Are we just lost? But that is not possible, right? How can one get stuck in a town out of nowhere? I stood up from my seat once the driver stopped the car and told us to stretch our legs and to relax while she inquired for the road which would lead us to the highway.
I got down from the bus and looked around the place, it felt as if we were waiting for something bad to happen. “Hi…” I looked to my side to look at the guy who just greeted me. I smiled softly before muttering out a small ‘Hey’.
I turn around, when I heard some commotion only to find our bus driver arguing with a lady. “I cannot let you go on that bus again! What is there to not understand when I say that it is fucking dangerous to go out alone!” I tilted my head in confusion as I looked behind at the guy. “What is she talking about?”
He sucked in a deep breath when I asked that question, he opened his mouth to answer but pulled me back when that woman shot one of the bus tires. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” The bus driver yelled in anger and panic. “It is my responsibility to keep you all safe believe it or not–and god forbid if you guys get killed by those fucking creatures at night.” The woman said calmly as she motioned for everyone to enter the diner.
I looked at the guy for a moment as he nodded his head and motioned for me to enter the diner behind others. Once settled down, the woman from before stood in front of us with a serious expression painted across her face, “This place…is not what it looks like. To put it in simpler words, you all are stuck here–and if you want to survive, you better listen to me.” I scoffed in disbelief when she said that.
“Why can we not go out at night?” I questioned when I realised that none of the people present were asking the most obvious question.
The woman heaved out a sigh as she sat on one of the chairs. “There are monsters who roam around at night. We keep the windows, doors–and almost–everything closed at night to ensure safety.” I felt my throat go dry at her words.
Monsters? Is this really where I am stuck now? I slumped back in my seat, stuck in my own thoughts when I felt a presence taking a seat beside me. Turning my head, I tried to smile when I saw the guy from earlier but just couldn’t bring myself to give a real smile.
“You don’t have to force yourself to smile, I know it’s a lot to take in and definitely not what you were expecting.” I nodded my head grimly and brought my legs closer to my chest.
“You never introduced yourself.” I mumbled softly as I tried to make conversation with the guy. He chuckled in return and nodded his head. “I am joshua.” I couldn’t help it when a small smile took over my face when I heard his name. Nice name. I thought to myself and introduced myself to him as well.
“So…where were you heading?” I looked at Joshua when he asked that. I puffed my cheeks with air, tears brimming my eyes when the reality about my situation sunk in. I was stuck in this godforsaken place with no way out.
“I was going to surprise my family…I had a few days off from my job.” I nodded my head, mostly to myself. Joshua let out a small ah in acknowledgement.
“It’s starting to get dark out…” I said the most obvious thing, my gaze looking out of the diner window. “Do those…things come out every night?” I questioned to which he gave me a small nod.
“Every single day…it is as if they enjoy tormenting us. No matter what you do, they would always have this smile on their face–as if taunting us.” I gulped in fear when Joshua said that.
“Is there something to eat?” I asked when I felt my stomach growling. Joshua gave a small nod and stood up from his seat to grab something for me.
I took this as a chance to look around the diner, the people present all looked stressed, anxious and of course scared. Scared about the situation they were caught in unknowingly. I looked outside the window again and realised that the sun was already down and it was nighttime.
“What the fuck was that?” I heard one of the guys from the bus demand when we heard a loud growl from outside. I knew him as Jihoon, we were heading to the same destination. “Lady, are you sure we are safe here?” I turned my attention to the lady to hear her response when Jihoon asked that.
“That talisman hanging by the door would keep the monsters out. We are safe but that is if you don’t open the door or windows.”
“Hey you, wanna come out and play?” I flinched and turned my gaze towards the window when I heard a creepy yet sickenly sweet voice knock on the window. All I saw was a woman, in a nurse outfit standing before me with a wide smile across her face.
“Y/N!” I looked behind and saw Joshua approaching me in panic as he immediately closed the curtains before I could even reply to that woman…or a monster.
“Aww, don’t be like that Joshua. Come outside, let’s play. I don't bite.” The woman said from outside as she knocked on the window again. After a while, we heard her leave and only then did I realize I had been holding my breath.
“First nights are always the hardest.” I turned my attention to Joshua as I heard him say that. Taking a seat beside me he placed a bowl of cereal in front of me,
“We’re out of milk and this was all I could find.” I let out a small chuckle and nodded at him muttering a small ‘It’s okay’ as I started eating the cereal out of the bowl.
“How do you get used to something like…this.” Joshua looked up from his lap when I asked him that. He sighed again and rubbed his face with his hands as he opened his mouth to answer my question.
“You don’t…you just accept the reality as time goes by and if you don’t this place will drive you crazy. Trust me when I say this that these monsters aren’t the worst part you would find in this fucked up place.” I stared out of the window as Joshua said that. “Hey, how about I show you around this town tomorrow?” I smiled at his suggestion and agreed.
A small tour would be nice I guess. “You should sleep for some time, it would help you keep your mind off these things.” Saying that, Joshua stood up and left the place beside me but soon came back with a blanket in his hand.
Stirring in my sleep, I looked outside the window as soon as I peered my eyes open. Rubbing them with the back of my hand, I slowly sat up straight, the blanket Joshua gave me yesterday still clinging onto me.
“Good, you’re awake!” I looked up when I heard Joshua’s voice. Giving a small wave, he approached me and placed a warm cup of tea in front of me, “I was just about to wake you up. You can freshen up in the colony house and then we can walk around the house.” I furrowed my eyebrows at the word colony house.
“Colony house? What’s that?” I questioned once I took a sip of the warm tea. Heaving out a satisfied sigh, I looked at Joshua again.
“Colony house is where everyone lives together. People get to choose between the colony house or in the town in one of the houses.” I nodded in understanding, “I live in the colony house.” Joshua said with a smile.
–x–
Walking down the stairs, I looked around the colony house. It was like a mansion, filled with people who chose to live together. It had a warm feeling to it which made me feel welcomed in a way.
Entering the kitchen, I saw Joshua helping a few people with bringing the boxes inside. Upon noticing my presence, he waved at me and approached me once he was done placing the box inside the storage room.
“Are you ready to leave?” I nodded with slight enthusiasm at Joshua’s question. Seeing my enthusiasm, Joshua chuckled and walked ahead of me towards the main door. Upon reaching, he opened it and gestured for me to leave first with his hand forward, acting like a gentleman.
I chuckled at his behaviour and gave a curt nod, playing along with his act. “So as you already know, this is the colony house on top of the hill and a bit ahead we have a barn.” I nodded in acknowledgement at his words and looked around the place, observing it silently.
“Can I ask you something?” I asked with slight hesitation which made Joshua look at me with a gentle look in his eyes. “Before you found those talismans or stones, how did you survive?” I asked curiously as we both continued walking down the road to reach the town.
“We would hide. There are hiding spots all around the town, some underground, some in the houses itself. Our town sheriff, Seungcheol, managed to find the talismans when he was busy exploring the forest at night.” I let out a small ‘oh’ at his words, “And we reached the lake.” I snapped out of my thoughts at his words and looked around the place.
It had this magical feeling to it, a small pond with a few tires in it for fun activities, “This is the only fun place we have here. Something which doesn’t remind us about the nightmare we’re living in currently.” I nodded in understanding of his words.
“What else do you do here?” I stared at Joshua as he jumped inside the lake to take a swim. After taking a short lap, he swam back and stopped in front of me.
“There isn’t much you can do here? We are hoping to find a way out of here. That is also one of the reasons why Seungcheol went out in the forest again with Chan. Apparently Chan can hear voices or something. We’re hoping that they come back with the answers which are helpful.” I hummed in acknowledgement again and stared at the lake for a moment.
“Are they safe in the forest?” Joshua nodded at my question. “Well they have a talisman with them so they should be safe at night. Come on, I will show you the rest of the town.” I stood up from the ground and stared at Joshua as he came out of the lake, drenched in water.
“Do you not want to get changed?” I questioned when he started walking in the direction of the town instead of the colony house.
Joshua looked back at me and shook his head, “It will dry soon enough plus we are surviving on a limited amount of clothes sweetheart, cannot change them twice a day.” He said with a chuckle.
It must have been over a week since I was stuck in this town which was possibly the worst nightmare for anyone.
Standing beside Joshua, I stared at him as he used the stove when I suddenly realised something, “Where does the electricity come from?” I asked which made Joshua stop whatever he was cooking as he pondered over the question.
“I honestly don’t know…it’s just always been there I guess.” I looked at the stove for a moment and turned around soon after to see if there were any cables or wires connected.
“Joshua…why is there no cable to this wire?” I asked hesitantly, my hand gripping the bulb which was stuck on the ceiling a minute ago. He looked at me for a moment and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
“That’s odd.” He trailed off, his gaze still on the bulb and the wire.
RING! RING! RING!
I looked at Joshua with wide eyes when the telephone suddenly started ringing. “It’s never done that before.” Joshua mumbled, his breathing uneven. Taking staggering steps towards it, I looked at Joshua once again and picked up the call when he gave me a small nod.
“Hello?” I stuttered out and waited for someone to speak from the other side but gulped when I heard nothing but just shallow breaths. I pulled it away from my ear and was about to hang up when someone from the other side finally decided to speak up.
“Is this Y/N?” I gasped in surprise and shock when I heard that person say my name, it felt like a man's voice, hoarse and breathy. “Who is this?” I questioned, my hands shaking with fear.
Noticing my shaken form, Joshua stepped forward and gently took the telephone from my hand, “Who is this?” He questioned angrily meanwhile I took a step back and tried to steady myself.
“Joshua…you better tell your girl to stop whatever she is thinking of doing and while at it, you might as well check up on your little sheriff. He’s been through quite a couple of rough nights. Gotta tell you though…he really fucked up by not shutting off the music box.” Saying that, the man laughed and hung up before Joshua could reply.
The telephone immediately slipped out of his hands when he heard the threatening words from the man who was at the other side of the call. Turning around, his gaze became more gentle when he saw my shaking fear.
Approaching me, he pulled me in a tight hug, my hands wrapping around his waist as if it was a natural instinct, “That person knew my name.” I said with a sob. Joshua nodded, his chin on top of my head as he gently patted my head. “I am scared. He knows our name!” I yelled in panic, my body trembling with every sob I let out.
“Hey, hey calm down. You are okay, okay? I am there for you.” I shook my head at Joshua's words and slowly pulled away from the hug.
“You don’t fucking get it, Joshua! That man knows our name! He knows us but we don’t know anything about him!” I yelled at him, panic setting in as I suddenly felt as if I could not breathe.
Noticing my panicked reaction, Joshua held my arms and made me look at him, “Hey, take deep breaths. Look at me.” I looked up at Joshua, my eyes glossy because of tears. Following his lead, I started taking small deep breaths in, slowly feeling like my chest was opening up and as if I could breathe again. “There you go.” He said softly before pulling me in for a hug. “Good girl.” He mumbled as we stayed in that position.
His embrace feeling oddly safe and familiar, as if that was the only thing I needed. I sniffled and tightened my grip around his waist when he was about to pull away. He let out a small chuckle and relaxed in my arms again, his chin placed on top of my head. “What did that person say to you?” I asked, my face still pressed against his chest.
Joshua’s grip tensed around me when I asked that question, “Hmm…nothing important. I will tell you later.” I didn’t press him any further and just nodded at his words.
It had been a few days since Joshua and I got that weird call. Currently, I was sitting beside Joshua as he talked with Seungcheol about what he encountered in the forest with Chan,
“So you are saying that you ended up in some kind of dungeon when you jumped into the tree trunk? Do you realise how insane that sounds right now?” Joshua said to Seungcheol with a silent hiss at the end of his sentence. Seungcheol simply nodded at him and opened his mouth to speak again.
“Look I know that whatever I am saying makes me look insane but there are answers out there in the forest! I just need some more time to figure this out.” Seungcheol tried to reason with Joshua. Hearing his words, Joshua shook his head in disbelief and stood up from the couch to pace around the room.
“Seungcheol you barely made it out alive from that forest! Your arm is injured and honestly speaking you look like shit right now. You cannot go out there again…it is messing you up.” Joshua said as he looked at Seungcheol with a concerned gaze all over his features.
“You don’t get it, Shua. I even found this musical box at the dungeon although the man who was tied up there told me to shut it off.” Joshua and I turned to look at Seungcheol sharply when he mentioned the music box and the man.
“Man? What man? And what do you mean by the music box?” Joshua asked in panic as he approached Seungcheol and stood in front of him but before he could even answer Chan stormed inside the room, his hair disheveled as if he just ran across the town to get here.
“Sheriff, come with me right now.” Was all he said before turning around to leave with us following behind him.
Sharing a look, we followed Chan and soon stood outside the residence of one of the townspeople. People were already gathered around, whispers coming from one place to another.
Without saying anything, Seungcheol walked inside the house and went upstairs when he heard someone sobbing. Upon entering the room, I couldn’t help the soft gasp which escaped from my throat.
On the bed–laid a woman with her mouth open but her insides were ripped apart and blood was everywhere. Her eyes were almost popping out of her sockets as her mouth hung open. I averted my gaze towards her son who was sobbing and shaking while looking at his mother.
Chan soon entered the room and went towards the son to comfort him. Taking in a deep breath, I looked away, feeling uneasy.
Feeling my insides churning, I turned around and stormed out of the room with Joshua calling out my name from behind.
Entering the bathroom, I slid down the wall and started sobbing hysterically when I realised just how fucked up that looked. I couldn’t stand to be in this place for another second but no matter how hard I tried there was no way out.
“Y/N!” Joshua exclaimed as soon as he opened the bathroom door and entered the small cramped area. Seeing the state I was in, he heaved out a small sigh and kneeled down beside and pulled me in his embrace without me having to verbally say it to him.
“Joshua, I don't think I can do this. I think I am going to go crazy, I am starting to see things, I hear voices in my head and I don’t like it.” I mumbled in his chest, my fingers curling into a fist as I held on his shirt as if my life depended on it and in a way it did.
Once I had calmed down, Joshua pulled away from the hug slowly and sat on the floor in front of me, “Well Seungcheol said that we cannot sleep tonight. Whatever happened to that woman happened in her sleep so he said it is better if we stay awake as a precaution.” I stared at Joshua when he said that, a hint of disbelief evident in my eyes.
“For how long do you even think we can stay awake for? We are all going to die in this fucked up place in one way or another.” Joshua didn’t deny when those words left my mouth because nothing was guaranteed here.
Everyday was like a new challenge and another What if? About our chances of survival.
“Let’s just see what happens for now, yeah?” I stared down at our hands when Joshua slowly reached out for them to hold them in his grip. It was firm but not overbearing. I entangled our fingers tighter and looked into his eyes.
It held this warmth in them, saying ‘You don’t have to worry, we are in this together’ which just made it all the more better. Although no words were engaged, I knew that the one person I could trust in this place with my life on it would be none other than the man right in front of me.
“This noise is so annoying.” I said to Joshua while munching on the apple he had bought for me.
“What noise?” He questioned, his eyes focused on the knife in front of him as he continued sharpening it. Hearing no response from me, he looked up and raised his eyebrow in confusion. “Is everything okay?” I shook my head, my face a bit drained out due to lack of sleep.
“Do you not hear the noise of those insects?” I questioned again, my hands trembling as I tried to be calm despite the growing unease. The more I forced myself to keep my eyes open, the more I felt the noise of those insects growing louder and closer. I felt my throat becoming dry when Joshua shook his head. I looked around the room–my eyes widening when I saw a bunch of cicadas on the window.
Following my gaze, Joshua became more confused. “What are you looking at?” He asked and stood up from the chair to look outside the window. “There is nothing here.” I closed my eyes and tried to focus on my breathing.
After a while, I opened my eyes again and breathed out a sigh of relief when I saw no cicadas on the window anymore, “I must be seeing things–lack of sleep I guess.” I said with a small chuckle, Joshua still looked concerned.
Walking towards me, he placed his hand on my forehead to check my temperature, “You don’t seem to be down with fever, that’s good. I will get you some water then.” I opened my mouth to stop him but stopped myself.
I watched Joshua exit the room and close the door behind him. Once he left, I felt as if the temperature had suddenly dropped. The noises of the cicadas started ringing in my ear again, making me place my hand on my ear tightly, hoping to drown out the voice– but it felt as if the insects were closer to me by each passing second.
I opened my eyes when I felt something crawling on my leg. Looking down I let out a gut wrenching scream when I saw the cicadas entering the room through the window which was somehow open.
Standing up from the bed, I tried to get the cicadas off of me but they just kept on climbing on me. In no time they were all over my body, I could feel them entering my mouth and that was what I remembered before I lost my consciousness.
Entering the room, my eyes widened when I saw Y/N lying on the ground. Rushing towards her limp body, I placed her head on my lap and tried to wake her up by tapping on her cheek lightly, “Y/N, Y/N, wake up, hey…” I felt the tears brim in my eyes when she did not respond.
“Seungcheol!” I yelled for him, I didn’t even try to stop the tears from flowing from my ears as I continued tapping Y/N’s cheek, hoping she would open her eyes.
Sitting in Seungcheol’s office, I stared at him pace around the room while biting onto his nails nervously, “Do you remember that guy on the bus?” I nodded at his question, “Jihoon…” He whispered that boy's name under his breath and messed up his hair in frustration.
“I heard Jihoon was unconscious as well, just like Y/N.” I mumbled at which Seungcheol gave me a small nod and heaved out a sigh and took a seat on the chair in front of me.
“Fuck,” He cursed and placed his head in his hands, “This is all my fault!” I furrowed my eyebrows when Seungcheol said that but before I could even ask him he continued, “I should have destroyed that music box when that man told me. You know what? I am going back to that dungeon.” I stared at Seungcheol as if he had lost his mind.
“Are you crazy? No way in hell are you going back in that forest!” I yelled and stood up from the chair to follow Seungcheol.
Turning around, he stared at me for a moment and stood in front of me, “Shua, trust me on this, we don’t have much time and we will have to act soon. I either go in the forest and destroy that music box or we watch Y/N and well Jihoon lose their lives.” I inhaled a shaky breath when Seungcheol said those words, “I am leaving the town in your care, make sure no incidents take place.” I gave a small nod and stared at Seungcheol leaving the room.
It had been a day since Seungcheol went into the forest to destroy the music box. Y/N and Jihoon were still unconscious and the town doctor said their pulses were getting weaker with every passing second.
Sitting in front of Y/N’s bed, I washed her face and hands with a wet cloth. I could feel my heart aching at the sight of Y/N laying like a lifeless doll on the bed with no movements. Her eyes were fully white, and she would get a seizure every other minute.
“Y/N!” I exclaimed when her eyes opened out of nowhere. Circling around her bed, I handed her a glass of water and tried to calm her down when she started taking deep breaths as if she was having trouble breathing.
“Joshua!” Seeing me standing in front of her, she instantly engulfed me in a hug and started sobbing, “It was so fucking scary–I was in that dungeon, tied to the wall and…” I wrapped my arms around her tighter when she stopped speaking, unable to contain her cries.
“Shh, it’s okay, you’re safe now. I am here.” I said with a small, gentle voice and placed a kiss on her temple while moving my hands through her in a slow, comforting manner.
“Wait, where is Jihoon?” She asked once she calmed down. Her breathing was back to normal and her eyes were not plagued with that white colour anymore which made her look as if she was in a trance.
“What about him?” Instead of answering me, she stood up from the bed and walked out of the room with me following behind her.
“He’s not on the bus, he was unconscious just like you so we moved him in one of the rooms upstairs.” Hearing my words Y/N turned around and took hurried steps up the stairs. “Hey, slow down!” I yelled after her.
Standing outside the door, I watched her sit beside Jihoon as she waited for him to wake who was still unconscious, “Why is he not awake yet?” I shrugged at her question when I couldn’t think of the right answer.
“The town doctor should be here any minute, she can take a look at Jihoon. Meanwhile, you should go and get some rest in your room. I will bring some food for you.” I chuckled when Y/N refused to stand up from her seat.
Approaching her, I made her stand up from her seat beside Jihoon and guided her towards the door, “You can come and check up on Jihoon as soon as you get some food in your system, hmm?” Knowing she had no way out of this, Y/N gave a small nod and left the room with me.
It had been a few days since I woke up from the coma I was in. Although instead of being in a coma, it felt like I was in some kind of nightmare where no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get myself to wake up.
I still hear the screams of agony I let out when I was tied to the wall in the dungeon. It felt all to real–as if I was actually going through that torture instead of just experiencing it in a nightmare.
The bloody walls, that skinny man tied to the wall across me who looked like he had been starved to death and those torches which were hung on the wall and also the only source of light.
I stopped walking when I saw the bus I came in this town with and which was also the place where Jihoon had been staying ever since we were stuck in this town since he could not get along with the others.
I took a deep breath in and started walking towards the bus so that I could talk with Jihoon about what we went through. I was going to talk with the instant he woke up from the coma but never got the opportunity to do so because he had left the colony house the moment he woke up.
“Hey, can we talk?” I asked while standing outside the bus, hearing my voice, Jihoon looked up from whatever he was doing as his eyebrows shot up in mild surprise at my sight.
“I believe we don’t have anything to talk about.” He said and stood up from his chair to look through his back. Instead of answering him, I entered the bus and took a seat on one of the chairs.
“Don’t act as if you don’t know why I came here. Jihoon, we both went through the same thing and believe it or not, it was terrible.” Hearing my words, Jihoon’s hands stopped midway and sucked in a deep breath to steady himself before he opened his mouth to speak.
“Y/N, look, you’re nice and all but honestly speaking, I really don’t want to think about those days again. I still hear those damn insects and it feels like they’re coming after me.” I stared at Jihoon as he stood up from his seat and paced around the bus,
“I can hear my screams and that bloody room where we were tied to the wall. You have Joshua with you who can look after you but I don’t have anyone to turn to, okay?” He turned around and stared at me, his eyes red as he stopped his tears from escaping his eyes. “It gets so lonely here at night and those fucking creatures keep on mocking me every chance they get and I know that if I open that damn door at night…I am done for and I am fucking scared of myself at time cause what if, what if I lose myself in the moment and open the door?” By the time Jihoon was done speaking, his shoulders were shaking as he sobbed into his hands.
Seeing the state he was in, I took slow and cautious steps towards him and knelt down beside him. I hesitantly wrapped my arms around his shoulders and pulled him in for a hug, hoping it would give him some kind of comfort. “Hey, it’s okay. You can talk with me anytime, we came here together on this bus either way so we’re not total strangers, yeah?” I said in a lighthearted manner and patted his back.
After a while, Jihoon calmed down and pulled away from the hug. Moving away, he leaned against one of the chairs and brought his legs closer towards his chest, sucking in a deep breath, he stared at me for a minute and offered me a small smile, “Sorry you had to deal with that–I normally don’t breakdown like this, especially in front of strangers.” I smiled softly at his words and sat opposite of him as I gave his hand a small pat.
“Hey, I told you that we’re not strangers right?” I replied in a playful voice at which Jihoon laughed softly and shook his head, “Yeah? We’re not strangers? What are we then because I don’t think you know anything about me.” I looked outside the window for a moment when he said that, thinking about what to answer him.
“I know that we were on the same bus so our destination was perhaps the same and we don’t have to total strangers you know? We could be something…” I replied at which Jihoon raised his eyebrow and looked at me as if gesturing for me to continue, “We could be bus buddies!” I exclaimed in excitement and clapped my hands as if I just discovered the best thing in the world.
“Bus buddies you say?” He nodded and shook his head in amusement. “Let’s call ourselves bus buddies then.” I smiled and nodded when he said that.
Standing up from the floor, I offered my hand to Jihoon so that he could get up. “What?” He questioned and just stared at my hand instead of grabbing it.
“Let’s go to the diner to get some food.” I said casually, my hand still reached out to him. “And what makes you think I will agree to come with you?” I gave him a small smile, my hand still stretched out, “I know you’re hungry. Let’s just go.” Mumbling something under his breath; Jihoon nodded his head and got up without the help.
Scoffing at his behaviour, I threw a playful glare in his direction and started walking ahead of him.
“You should try these scrambled eggs, they’re good.” I said while placing some scrambled eggs on Jihoon’s plate.
“Can I ask you something?” I questioned, poking at the piece of broccoli I had on my plate with slight disgust. Giving me a look once, Jihoon took the broccoli and motioned for me to continue. “Why do you not live in the colony house like most others? I mean don’t get me wrong but everyone who came here on the bus is living in the colony house with the others.” Jihoon chuckled at my question and placed his fork down to give me his full attention.
“Ah well..I am not someone who gets comfortable with people easily and that place was just not it for me. Honestly speaking, I never really liked anyone and they weren’t that fond of me either. I was a bit aggressive at first so I understand why they did not like me.” I nodded at his words, understanding his point of view.
“But you were just as scared as the others, this place is a nightmare.” I stopped speaking for a minute and stared ahead of me, “What do you think about going into the forest tomorrow?” I asked and looked into Jihoon’s eyes to make eye contact, hoping he’d agree to this.
“Are you crazy? We’re not going into the forest no matter what. It’s dangerous.” I scowled at his answer.
“We will leave in the morning and come before the sun sets! Come on–you must be wanting some answers as well.” I mumbled and played with the leftover food on my plate, hoping he would agree.
“I will think abo–” Before Jihoon could finish his sentence, we turned around at the sound of the bell ringing.
“Joshua?” I mumbled under my breath and stood up from my seat to walk towards him but he beat me to it by approaching our table as soon as he saw me. “Hey, what brings you here?” I asked and sat down again.
“I should be asking you that, what are you doing here with him of all people?” I looked at Joshua in confusion and slight offense when he spoke so harshly about Jihoon.
“Y/N, I will get going and thank you for inviting me to eat.” I raised my hand to stop Jihoon from leaving but hesitated when I realised how uncomfortable he looked the moment Joshua came here.
“What did you talk about with him?” I stared at Joshua as he took a seat in front of me. Instead of telling Joshua about what we talked about, I just shrugged and decided to keep the conversation we had just between the two of us.
Standing by the window, I stared outside and grimaced when I saw those monster-human looking creatures walking around the streets, although occasionally they would glance up and would wave at me mockingly with a smile on their face.
I just wish I could put an end to this but at the same time, I knew it was impossible. Gosh, the things I’d do to escape from this place which makes every passing day harder than the previous.
Closing the curtains, I turned around and sat on my bed again, still deep in my thoughts. I am not going to miss this opportunity, no matter what I am going to make Jihoon come with me into the forest. I know we would find something there.
“Hey, sleepyhead, wake up.” I said while poking Jihoon’s cheek with my finger who was still fast asleep. It was only 7:30 in the morning and everyone else was half asleep–including Joshua.
This was the perfect time to leave and explore the forest, “What the, what are you doing here?” Jihoon murmured as he rubbed his eyes sleepily. “How did you even enter?” He asked once he sat up straight.
“Through the door.” I said as if it was the most obvious thing and even pointed at the door. Hearing what I said, Jihoon scoffed and rolled his eyes and stood up from the seat to stretch.
“What do you want?” I smiled sheepishly at his question. “Well, as I said we’re going in the forest to explore!” Saying that, I walked out of the bus before Jihoon could decline. I chuckled quietly when I heard Jihoon groan in annoyance but told me to wait for him nonetheless. “Come on! Hurry up! We don’t have all day!” Saying that I turned around but froze when I saw Joshua at a distance, approaching us, his hair still messy.
“Come on, let’s go…” Jihoon trailed off once he spotted Joshua standing in front of, “What is your little lover boy doing here?” Jihoon said snarkily which resulted in me nudging his side to shut him up.
“Joshua, what are you doing here?” I asked carefully. Joshua stared at me for a moment and opened his mouth to speak but closed it immediately as if decided against and shook his head.
“I am going wherever the two of you are going.” Saying that, Joshua leaned closer towards me to whisper in my ear, “And I don’t trust Jihoon.” Jihoon cleared his throat behind us.
“I heard that you know?” Jihoon said and glared at Joshua too which Joshua simply shrugged.
“Well good, I don’t trust you, one bit.” Saying that Joshua grabbed my hand and started walking ahead off Jihoon on purpose.
“Why did you want to come to the forest?” Joshua asked as the three of us walked. I pondered on his question for a minute, not really knowing what to answer.
“To find answers, of course. Do you even know what your girlfriend went through?” Jihoon said from beside me as he scowled at Joshua.
Unknowingly. I felt my cheeks flare up at the word ‘girlfriend’, I mean, it’s not like we’re together or anything but it still feels nice, to be called something and I felt my cheeks deepen in colour more when Joshua didn’t try to correct Jihoon.
“Could you just mind your own business?” Joshua said to Jihoon. Looking around the place, I stopped walking when I saw a dome looking thing which was no longer in shape.
Walking towards it, I stared at it for a moment as Joshua and Jihoon soon followed me and looked at it. “What is this?” Joshua questioned to which I just shrugged and took a step forward to stand inside it only for Jihoon to grab ahold of my hand to stop me. “I am not getting a good feeling from this.” He said hesitantly, “How about we head back for now?”
I shook my head, ready to protest when Joshua spoke up, “Y/N, I really don’t think this is a good idea. Let’s just go back and it is going to be dark soon.”
I heaved out a sigh and started walking side by side with Joshua and Jihoon only to turn back around and sprint in the direction of the dome. I could hear Joshua and Jihoon calling out my name in panic but I drowned out their voices and entered the dome.
I gasped as I looked around, I was no longer in the forest–instead I was in the dungeon where I was trapped with Jihoon. I placed my hand over my ears when I heard screaming.
“What the actual fuck..” I mumbled under my breath in disbelief when I saw myself and Jihoon tied to the wall, except our eyes were pure white and they were constantly screaming. Crouching down, I ducked my head between my knees and closed my eyes–hoping the screaming would stop.
I slowly opened my eyes when the screaming stopped and soon noticed the old man tied to the wall, just like us but I could no longer see Jihoon nor my body on the wall. “Hey kid..” I took a step back as an instinct when the old man started speaking.
“Could you do me a favour and throw that rope down the hole?” I blinked in confusion and turned around to the place the old man was pointing at.
“Seungcheol?” I mumbled to myself when I saw Seungcheol down that hole–calling out for help. “That man has been calling out for help for who knows how long. I would have helped him myself but well..” The old man stopped talking and started coughing violently.
Was this the dungeon Seungcheol told us about? Was Jihoon and I supposed to die like that man who is tied to the wall? I looked around the place once again and felt goosebumps all over my body. “You can go back to where you came from but just help that poor man.” I stared at the old man with slight hesitation and then at the rope.
Sighing softly, I grabbed the rope and threw it down the hole. Once I did that, I turned around to ask the old man a few questions but he was no longer there and I was alone in the bloody dungeon.
“Y/N!” I opened my eyes and slowly took the surroundings in–I was not in the dungeon anymore and was laying on the ground in the forest.
“Are you okay?” I looked at Joshua when he asked me that question and gave him a small nod–still trying to grasp the whole situation I was in.
“What happened?” I asked and slowly sat up straight. Jihoon came and sat in front of me silently, a serious expression on his face. “I told you not to enter that dome, didn’t I?” Jihoon said in a firm voice. I didn’t open my mouth to answer him and decided to just stay quiet. “Well, once you entered that dome–you suddenly passed out. Joshua and I decided to take you out of the dome and lay you on the ground. You soon woke up once we settled you down on the ground.” I nodded quietly and looked at Joshua when he opened his mouth to speak.
“I think it’s best if we stay in one of those huts we saw on our way here. It’s going to be dark soon and we won’t reach the town before the sun sets.” I looked around the forest when Joshua said that. He was right, the sun was starting to set and the town was way too far for us to reach before those monsters came out.
“But we don’t have the talisman stone with us.” Joshua chuckled when Jihoon said that and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jacket, taking out the talisman stone he had.
“How do you have this here?” Joshua shrugged his shoulders casually at my question and helped me stand up. “I figured I should carry it with me just in case, you know?” I nodded at his words.
Jihoon started walking ahead of us, Joshua and I followed in his footsteps soon enough. “I don’t know how sturdy these huts can be but we should be safe with this talisman hanging by the door.” Jihoon said while entering the hut–closing the door once Joshua and I entered the hut.
“I should start some fire.” I mumbled.
–x–
Sitting beside Joshua, I leaned against his shoulder as he talked with Jihoon about when we should leave in the morning, “I think it’d be best if we both took turns sleeping. Just in case.” Jihoon nodded at his words and immediately laid down on the floor to sleep.”What do you think you’re doing?” Joshua asked, his voice firm as he stared at Jihoon’s sleeping figure.
“What does it look like genius? I am obviously trying to sleep.” Joshua scoffed when Jihoon said that and stood up to wake Jihoon up.
“Who says that you can sleep?” I stared at Joshua and Jihoon as they both argued. Joshua kept on trying to wake Jihoon up, saying he should be the one sleeping first since he recommended this plan while Jihoon continued ignoring–occasionally shoving his hands away.
KNOCK KNOCK
Jihoon and Joshua stopped their banter when they heard the sound of someone knocking on the door. Jihoon sat up straight and took slow and hesitant steps towards the door to keep the talisman in place and to ensure that it does not fall.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
I flinched when the knocking grew aggressive, distant screaming in the forest could be heard as well. Turning around, Joshua looked at me and stepped away from the door to approach me. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. Everything is going to be fine.” Joshua said as he sat down beside me and pulled me in a hug,rubbing small circles on my back to help me calm down.
Once the knocking stopped, Jihoon quietly came and sat in front of us, “I think…those things are something different than those monsters that come out at night.” He mumbled, his voice distant, as if he was trying to comfort himself.
Sighing softly, I grabbed Jihoon’s hand and pulled him in a hug. His shoulders instantly relaxed as he let out quiet sobs in my embrace. I shared a look with Joshua as he soon joined the hug, “We will leave the forest thing tomorrow morning.” I nodded at his words and continued hugging Jihoon till he calmed down.
After a beat of silence, I looked at Joshua and decided to speak up, “You remember the time when Seungcheol went to the forest to find answers?” I asked quietly as Jihoon and Joshua both turned their attention to me.
Nodding at my words, I continued, “Right now when I passed out, once I entered that dome…I saw Seungcheol. I somehow teleported to the dungeon but…” I stopped talking for a moment, thinking of the right words, “I was in the past…like I time traveled or something…and I even saw the time when Jihoon and I were in a coma. It was as if I was living it all over again but instead of experiencing it…I was seeing it happen to the two of us right in front of my eyes.” Joshua carefully entangled his fingers with mine and tightened his grip.
“How is that even possible..?” Jihoon finally said, his voice coming barely above a whisper. Joshua shook his head and heaved out a sigh.
“This place is just…weird and no matter how hard we try we won’t find the answers. Let’s just go to sleep.” Saying that Joshua motioned Jihoon to sleep first, saying he’d look out for now.
Walking in silence, I stared at our surroundings–it had been almost over three months since I was trapped in this godforsaken town with no way to escape. Time just flew by like a whirlwind and it seemed as if I was still stuck in the past–I still had that small bit of hope that I would be able to leave this place.
Turning my head slightly, I stared at Joshua quietly who was walking beside me. He might just be the only good thing which happened this whole time. Heaving out a deep sigh, “How do you think this place came into existence?” I asked while staring at Joshua.
Hearing my question, Jihoon who was walking ahead of us turned around and scoffed slightly, “I think this is all just some fucked up shit made by someone to mess with peoples minds. This is entertainment for those people.” Joshua furrowed his eyebrows when Jihoon said that and stopped walking–his arms crossed across his chest as if he was in a deep thought.
“That still doesn’t answer the question about people ending up in this place from different parts of the world.” Jihoon opened his mouth to revert back but closed it again when he realised that Joshua was right.
“How did you end up here then?” I asked Joshua as we started walking again–our steps slower than before as if we had all the time in the world to reach the town before sunset.
“Well, I was going on this trip with Seungcheol when we came across this tree fallen in the middle of the road–we stepped out to check the road, hoping someone would drive by but no luck and then soon there was this herd of crows in the sky. When we turned around for a reroute, we ended up in this town.” I looked at Jihoon once Joshua finished speaking. He had the same look of surprise and shock itched all over his face.
“The same thing happened to us– we came across a fallen tree as well.” Silence fell over us once I said that, too shocked to even say anything ahead.
“This is fucked up man…” Jihoon mumbled as he ruffled his hair in frustration.
It had been a few days since I came back from the forest with Joshua and Jihoon. Our answers were all still left unanswered– instead they just seemed to increase. I tried to figure out what this place was but it all just went down the drain when I realised that I was just caught in a loop with no definite answers.
I tried to be positive and helped the town people in their daily chores but at the end of the day when I am all alone with my thoughts–I ask the same question ‘Will this ever come to an end? Will I ever escape from this place?’ Which were of course all left unanswered.
I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard my doorbell ringing, “Coming!” I exclaimed and went downstairs to open the door. “Joshua…what brings you here?” I asked in surprise when I saw him standing before me.
“Well…it had been over a hundred days since you arrived here and although I know this place is not the best..I thought about celebrating your hundred days here with you–kind of like a change of mood.” I stared at Joshua as he rubbed the back of his neck in nervousness.
Giggling, I walked out of my room and closed the door behind me, “Let’s go then.” I said a bit cheerfully, forgetting all the thoughts which were occupying my mind before. It was as if there was a switch in me, I felt more relaxed and less nervous now that Joshua was here.
“Wait really? You’re not weirded out or anything right?” He asked hesitantly and started following me. I laughed slightly at him and shook my head because I was rather more touched about the fact that Joshua even thought about something like this in the midst of this chaos we were trapped in.
“I think I’d rather say that I am more touched by you thinking about something so little and taking the effort to organise all of this.” Joshua laughed softly, his eyes becoming in the shape of a half moon as his nose scrunched up a bit.
–x–
“And we’re here.” I looked around the place in awe, “Thought we could come here since this was the first place you visited when you got stuck in the stuck.” I looked at Joshua when he said that. Averting my gaze away from him, I looked around the lake again which was now beautifully decorated with flower garlands and a banner which said ‘Happy 100 days of survival!’
“Happy hundred days of survival indeed.” I said with a giggle while taking a seat on the floor, “Come, sit.” I said with a small smile, patting the space beside me.
Joshua nodded and turned around to grab the basket of sandwiches and fruits which he had prepared for our little celebration. “Here, your favourite sandwich.” I gently grabbed the basket from his hands, our fingers momentarily brushing against each other which sent a small jolt of spark through my body.
Opening the basket, I handed one sandwich to Joshua and took one for myself as well, “Where did you get cherries from? I thought we were short on them…” I asked in surprise when I saw that there was a bowl of cherries in the basket along with the sandwiches.
“I had my ways…pulled a few strings here and there.” I squinted my eyes at him playfully when he said that.
“By strings you mean you begged Seungcheol, no?” I said with a small smile, flicking his forehead lightly which made Joshua move his head while letting out a small laugh.
–x–
Sitting in silence, I stared ahead at the river, my knees brought to my chest as I rested my chin on my arms. Weirdly enough, this small moment felt peaceful and calm–as if we were in our own little world with nothing to worry about.
Moving my head, I looked at Joshua who was looking at the lake as well, his body looking visibly relaxed, “Can I ask you something?” I asked after pondering that thought for a while.
Instead of giving a verbal answer, Joshua let out a small hum as if motioning for me to speak, “Do you ever feel scared? Like always being on your toes, waiting for something bad to happen.” Joshua heaved out a long sigh at my question and slowly sat up straight, as if preparing himself before saying the next words.
“Before when I had no idea what kind of place this town was then yeah..in a way I was always on my toes but I slowly started getting used to it but there were always these small moments of doubt where I think I won’t survive this place. It was all before though, I don’t think about it that much anymore.” He looked at me and slowly smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes fully, it felt forced in a way.
“What changed your perception then? Why do you not think about it anymore?” Joshua chuckled quietly at my question and told me to come closer, as if whispering a secret.
“You want the truth?” I nodded my head eagerly at his question, “You changed my perception.” I blinked my eyes in surprise–not accepting such an answer from him.
Gulping, I tried to stop my heart from beating so fast but it was of no use when I realised just how close our faces were to each. I could feel his hot breath fanning against my cheeks, his breathing uneven like mine, “When you’re with me…those monsters are the last thing on my mind…it feels peaceful when I am with you and it doesn’t even feel like I am living in a nightmare because you somehow manage to cure it all with your presence itself.” I could feel my breath hitch when Joshua said those words–not expecting him to say this. “It might be a bit too soon for this but I like you Y/N…believe it or not.” I chuckled softly when Joshua said that, suddenly feeling giddy all over.
“I think I like you too but I need some time to be sure about my feelings..” Joshua nodded slowly, agreeing with me as his gaze slowly travelled down to my lips. Nodding my head, I leaned in slowly as his hand went to the back of my head to bring my face closer to his.
The kiss was slow and gentle, as if we had all the time in the world. At this moment the only thing which mattered was us and nothing else in our surroundings. I slowly brought my hand up and tangled it in his hair to pull him closer which made Joshua smile in between the kiss.
Pulling away, he stared at me, “I will be courting you from today then.” I nodded and pressed my forehead against his, a content smile taking over my features, “And you know what? Fuck those damn monsters, they cannot control me.” Joshua said playfully which made me giggle.
Pulling away, I looked around the lake, “I think we should head back, it’s getting dark.” I said softly as Joshua nodded and stood while offering his hand to me.
I signed out of nervousness, it was already starting to get dark outside and the screaming and howling of those creatures could be heard everywhere–echoing every step we took. “Hey, don’t worry, the sun didn’t set yet.” I nodded at Joshua’s words and held his hand in my grip tightly, increasing my pace hoping we would reach my house on time.
“Going somewhere, Joshua?” We stopped dead in our tracks when we heard that eerily creepy voice coming from behind us.
Turning my head around, I visibly gulped in fear when I saw a woman in the nurse uniform standing in front of us with a knife in her hand, a huge smile adorning her face as she tilted her head mockingly.
“Don’t look back and run.” Joshua whispered silently in my ear, his grip around my hand tightening as he turned around and started sprinting towards the direction of my house.
“Aww come on you both, let’s play. Joshua I thought you said you didn’t care about us.” A man's voice said from behind us, his voice dripping with mockery and sarcasm as if he was enjoying this little thrill.
I sucked in a deep breath when I saw more of those monsters walking in our direction from front, their steps calm as if they knew that they had the upper hand.
“We won’t make it to my house in time!” I exclaimed in fear and sheer horror, knowing the odds were against us.
“Y/N! Joshua! Come here!” We both turned our heads in sync at the sound of someone calling out our name.
At the corner, we saw Jihoon standing by the bus door, waiting for us, “Come on, let’s go.” Joshua said as he pulled me in the direction of the bus.
Stumbling in my steps, I tried to increase my pace when I felt the monsters starting to come closer towards us.
Reaching the bus, Jihoon helped me get inside first as Joshua soon closed the door and locked it from behind.
“Fuck…” Joshua mumbled as he rubbed his face in frustration.
“Open the door kids, don’t behave like kids.” I stopped breathing when I heard that voice again right outside the bus.
I exclaimed in surprise when those monsters outside started shaking the bus violently. Joshua immediately approached me and held me in place—his hands wrapped around my waist.
“Fuck!” Jihoon suddenly exclaimed in panic. Looking at him, I stopped breathing when I realised that the talisman stone had fallen down due to the violent shaking.
Jihoon ran and tried to hang the talisman again but it was too late, the door was already jerked open with inhuman force.
Those monsters started entering the bus with slow and menacing steps, a mocking smile on their faces as they all laughed. “What did you say Joshua? That we weren’t in control? Guess what?” The nurse said sweetly as she motioned towards the others behind her with her eyes.
In an instant, the others held Joshua and Jihoon in place and pulled them back violently, “Just wait and watch.” The nurse said as she stalked towards me, her face suddenly changing into something inhuman.
I stopped breathing when she stopped in front of me, her teeth sharper as if she were an animal and her nails long and sharp like demons. “This is your punishment for underestimating us, Joshua.” She said with a smile, her sharp nails digging into my skin with brutal force.
I let out an agonising scream, my body thrashing around with force as I tried to pry her hands off my face. “Stop! Please, don’t hurt her.” I could hear Joshua scream in between his harsh sobs.
I choked out a sob when another one of the creatures approached us, his nails digging into my arms as he scratched it—drawing blood.
I felt myself slipping away, my gaze becoming blurry as I tried to hold onto something but there was no strength left in my body, “This is what you deserve.” My eyes were closed as I heard someone say that.
Soon I felt myself being pulled into someone’s embrace, “Y/N, please please don’t close your eyes.” He sobbed while cradling me in his arms.
I smiled weakly and tried to form some kind of words but felt my throat closing up as I spit out some blood.
“Y/N no please…” was the last thing I heard before my body went limp in the arms of the only person I could ever truly get myself to like.
