#kconnect

Jinki watched as the light in his son’s room was switched off, and his wife’s footsteps were heard trudging down the hallway towards his and her bedroom.

Earlier that evening, Jinki and Winnie had gotten into an argument. Ever since he had returned from military service back in July, he felt he had missed out on much of his son’s life. He wasn’t feeling as connected with him as he used to be. Winnie argued that Owen always wanted to be with his dad, and now that he’s home all Owen wants to do is spend time playing with him. The ordeal led them in a heated argument, which led to each of them saying hurtful words to each other. Jinki hated himself for it, so he decided to sleep on the couch in the living room for the night in order for the two of them to cool off until morning. Seeing Winnie cry killed Jinki inside. She was four and a half years younger than him, but he always wanted to be gentle with her feelings, especially now that she was pregnant with number two. He wanted to run up there, snuggle her, and rub and kiss her swollen belly; but the last thing he wanted to do was make his beloved wife upset.

After a glass of water, Jinki tiptoed upstairs to check on his little boy. Peaking into his bedroom, the child was fast asleep while snuggling his fox plushie. The only light in his room was his galaxy projector giving a green light show. Once he shut the door as quietly as possible, his foot carried him towards his and Winnie’s room; but something told him not to go in. Was it guilt? A sixth sense? Was something going to happen? He wasn’t sure, but he listened to his gut and returned to his self-made couch bed.

Jinki then turned off the kitchen light after refilling his cup and headed back to the couch. Gently, he set his drink on the cork coaster and rested his head on his pillow. However, he still had to get up in the morning to set out Owen’s gifts from “Santa,” so he set an alarm for 7:45AM before lying down again.

Silence and darkness engulfed the house, the ticking of the grandfather clock near the TV, its hands reading 10:20, was the only noise that broke the dreary silence. Moonlight shone through the windows as snow fell, the Lee’s Christmas tree illuminated by the silver glow. As Jinki closed his eyes, the ticking seemed to grow louder and louder as he drifted. It was only after a few seconds, the ticking stopped at the sound of sleigh bells in the distance, and it was silent again.

When he opened his eyes again, Jinki looked at the clock.

11:55.

How did the time fly so fast? Jinki wondered. He figured it was only because he was going in and out of sleep.

A ripple in his water cup caught his attention. Then, the family pictures began to rattle, and the Christmas tree began to dance a little. Jinki could feel his whole house begin to shake nearly violently. Earthquake, he thought. As he was about to jump out of bed to get his wife and child to safety an old train whistle blew loudly. Through the living room windows, pale-yellow light illuminated the living room, and Jinki could hear a train chugging by. What was going on?

In a haste, Jinki grabbed his military coat from the coat closet, ripping the garment in the pocket as it got caught on the door handle. He slipped on his black boots and dashed outside into the cold night air. In front of him was an old, black locomotive stopped in front of his home. It wasn’t a subway train that he was used to seeing, but a steam powered train that he had only seen at museums and read about in school. Stretched across two cars, gold lettering read “POLAR EXPRESS.”

Just as he moved to check it out, a man’s voice called out, “All aboard! All aboard!”

Jinki turned around to see the owner of that voice standing by an entrance on one of the train cars. As he marched through snow closer, he noticed the man carried an electric lantern, wore a dark blue suit with a hat that said “CONDUCTOR” on gold lettering, square-framed glasses, and a dark brown mustache sat perched on his top lip.

“Well, you comin’?” the man, now identified as the conductor, spoke after a few seconds of silence.

“Where?” Jinki shrugged.

“Why to the North Pole, of course!” The conductor near-shouted as if he should have known ahead of time. He then motioned to the train. “This is the Polar Express.”

“The North Pole?”

The conductor made a “tsk” sound, and gave a curt nod. “I see. Hold this, please.”

He handed Jinki the lantern to hold before pulling out a clipboard from inside the car. He turned it around and asked, “Is this you?”

It was a profile of Jinki with all of his statuses including marital, parental, and career.

“Yeah,” he confirmed.

“Well,” the conductor looked at the profile, “it says here that you’ve had doubts this year, are lacking a sort of confidence, and even got into an argument with your wife this evening. Sounds to me like this is your crucial year. If I were you, I would think about climbing on board.”

Jinki couldn’t believe what he was hearing. A train shows up in his neighborhood, no one else seems to notice nor care about the ruckus noise of the whistle, and now he’s told the train is going to the legendary North Pole. It existed, of course, but the aspect of Santa’s North Pole was just a legend. That’s what he knew. It was too much to wrap his head around, so he shook his head and backed away.

“Suit yourself,” the conductor shrugged as he took the lantern back. Once he stepped onto the car, he waved his source of light, and the train whistled in response. The train lurched forward and began to chug away. Jinki’s mind began to race as he thought about why the train showed up in the first place. It must have been a sign for something, and he had that gut feeling earlier telling him to wait down in the living room. This train had to arrive for whatever reason, so with a change of mind, Jinki jumped on before the locomotive could pick up speed.

Looking out into his neighborhood, he passed his house, and he silently promised to return in a while.

Jinki didn’t notice the conductor standing behind him until he cleared his throat. He turned around and saw the conductor holding the compartment door open for him. When he entered, the interior of the car was stunning. Beautiful red moquette covered the seats, the floor carpet was a dark green with a holly print on it, a light colored wood framed the entire compartment, and large windows were wiped crystal clear with the exception of ice leaving their thumbprints on the outside.

There were already a few passengers inside. Most of them were people who didn’t know, but there were a few idols he recognized or was familiar with: Yoohyeon from DREAMCATCHER, Moonbin from ASTRO, San from ATEEZ, Red Velvet’s Yeri, and even Yanan of PENTAGON. They were all joking around or speaking with the other passengers, but he wasn’t sure why they were on the train in the first place.

Jinki just took the first seat he saw. The seat was comfy, at least.

“Onew?” a woman’s voice sounded from his left.

Turning his head, he found his former labelmate Amber sitting across the aisle from him. Her hair was still in its iconic short cut but dyed a velvet red, and she was dressed in a sweater and comfortable, heather grey pants. Her tattoo sleeve peaked from beneath the long sleeves every now and then.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, sitting up a bit straighter.

“I should be asking you the same thing.”

“Did the train just show up at your house?”

“Yep. As it did everyone else here.”

“Do you know what kind of train this is?” another voice chimed in. Joohoney of Monsta X was sitting in front of him.

“A magic train?” Amber replied sarcastically.

“I know it’s a magic train. Actually, it’s a Baldwin 2-8-4 S3-class steam locomotive, but in 1931 at Baldwin Locomotive Works.”

Someone’s been doing a lot of Googling, Jinki thought.

He leaned in towards Amber and asked her, “Are we really going to the North Pole?”

Amber nodded. “I didn’t believe it either, but trust me, the conductor has been telling the truth.”

“Tickets, please!” the conductor announced.

Everyone scrambled back to their seats as he began to check for tickets. Jinki was the first person he came to and asked for his ticket, but he shook his head. He wasn’t informed of any tickets beforehand.

“Try your pocket,” instructed the conductor.

Jinki checked his right pocket, but it was empty with the tear from earlier. It was about two fingers wide, and he would have to fix it soon.

“Try your other pocket.”

When he inspected it, the feeling of something paperlike caught him by surprise. Pulling it out, he was holding a shining, golden ticket that had a picture of the train on the front. The ticket was about the size of a football, and the gold reflected the light at every angle. Jinki had never seen anything like it.

Still stunned, he handed it to the conductor, who snatched it up with a thank you. Using a hole punch, he began making holes in the ticket at such a rapid pace Jinki thought it was automatic at one point.

The conductor gave him back the ticket before thanking him and moving on to the next passenger. Jinki’s ticket had the letters “H” and “R” punched into it. What kind of train was this?

“That guy sure likes to show off with his ticket punch,” Joohoney scoffed as he held up his ticket. “Look what that wise guy punched in my ticket. ‘L’ ‘E.’ What the heck does that mean?”

The conductor made an announcement over a PA system, stating the train would be making another stop at an address.

“We’re heading for the other side of the tracks,” Joohoney whispered to someone.

Jinki rolled down his window to see what was happening. The train had stopped at a beautiful white house that was two stories high. It was decorated for the holidays with a wreath hanging on the door and multicolored lights wrapped around two columns. A small snowman in a purple bonnet seemed to greet the train, and the front porch was covered in snow. Through a large window on the first floor, Jinki could make out a Christmas tree that was illuminated by white lights.

The conductor stepped off the train to greet a tall, young man standing outside and dressed in warm pajamas and a black robe and slippers.

“It’s just another pickup,” Joohoney said before turning to Jinki. “That’s weird. I thought you were supposed to be the last one.”

Jinki was paying attention to the scene outside. The conductor gave him the same speech to the young man about where the train was going and all, but just like Jinki, the young man got cold feet and backed away.

“Suit yourself,” said the conductor. He hopped back onto a car and waved his lantern. The train whistled and began to chug, the center of gravity forcing the passengers back a little.

As the locomotive passed the man, Jinki seemed to recognize who he was as they got closer. He had jet black hair, idol-like features, and was about five feet and eleven inches tall. His dark eyes looked up at Jinki, and the older man gave a small wave.

Minsung, it clicked in his mind. Minsung of ROMEO. Minho had appeared in one of their music videos a few years back, so that’s where he remembered him from. He looked the same, but a tad bit older.

To Jinki’s surprise, the young man began to run after the train. However, despite Minsung’s long legs he was lagging to catch up to the train. The snow was making it difficult for him, and it didn’t help that the train was beginning to pick up speed.

“We have to stop the train,” Jinki concluded as he pulled himself back into the compartment.

“I don’t know how to stop a train,” Amber panicked.

“Pull the emergency break!” Joohoney pointed to a red, stirrup shaped object hanging in a cylindrical cavity in the wall.

Without a second thought, JInki rushed over and ranked on it with both hands. Almost immediately, the train halted to stop, but the force pushed the passengers over. Jinki, Amber, and Joohoney all were thrown to the floor, the wind being knocked out of the older man for a few seconds.

Once he caught his breath, he stood up again. Minsung’s head appeared on the other side of the car door’s round window. He looked in at everyone else, but turned the other way to enter the caboose. Jinki concluded he was just shy. Jinki was about to go invite him to the other car when another door slammed open.

“WHO IN THE BLAZES APPLIED THAT EMERGENCY BREAK?!?!” the conductor screamed.

“He did,” Joohoney tattled as he pointed to Jinki.

“You.” -The conductor furiously marched towards him- “In case you didn’t know, that cord if for emergency purposes only!” -he moved over to the open window to signal to the driver of the train- “And in case you weren’t aware, tonight is Christmas Eve. And in case you hadn’t noticed, this train is on a very tight schedule.”

The train whistled as the conductor got close to Jinki’s face.

“Now, Mr. Lee,” he lowered his voice. “Christmas might not be important to some people, but it is very important to the rest of us!”

Jinki tried to explain, but Amber stepped to defend him. “He was just trying to stop the train so that guy could get on!” she raised her voice.

The conductor looked out to where she was pointing and saw Minsung taking a seat in the caboose. “I see. Mr. Lee, is that what happened?”

Jinki nodded quickly.

Smacking his lips, the conductor calmed down, and told them, “Let me remind you, we are on a very tight schedule” -he checked his golden pocket watch and nearly had a heart attack- “And I’ve never been late before! And I am certainly not going to be late tonight.” He then rushed to the front door of the car and instructed everyone to return to their seats.

The Polar Express began to move again. Picking up the microphone for the PA system, the conductor announced, “Your attention, please. Are there any Polar Express passengers in need of refreshment?”

Everyone who was a passenger shot their hands in the air. The conductor slid the door open, and about eight waiters dressed in black vests and pants with white clothes wrapped around their midsections came tap dancing into the car. Music started to play as every other seat was turned towards the ones behind them, creating a sort of booth with at least three or four passengers sitting together. As the waiters and conductor sang about hot chocolate, the white clothes were tossed into each booth and made a sort of floating table. A few chefs entered on a trolley cart and began to toss out cups and saucers to each waiters’ tray. Jinki was surprised none of the dishes shattered upon impact despite being made of porcelain.

Some more chefs entered with a giant, bronze pot that was steaming with some boiling substance in it. A lever was pulled, and shots of the burning brown liquid landed in each cup. The beverage was then passed to each passenger, and as soon as Jinki tasted his, he couldn’t believe how delectable it was. He wished his son was there to try it as well, but he hoped to try to find something similar to make for him.

The power was still running thankfully, so for the last three hours the two of you had enjoyed – and critiqued – a variety of Christmas movies that Netflix offered. Despite them all being similar, there was no desire to exit out and find something different. It hadn’t felt like Christmas at all this season, and after a rough breakup last year around the same time, you were desperate to find the love and joy for the holiday that you once had.

Fate must have been against you however, because as Hongjoong picked up the remote to press play, a loud boom echoed outside, and the power shut off, cloaking the two of you in darkness. You waited to see if the TV would turn back on, but when the house remained silent and the only light suddenly appearing was the flashlight that Hongjoong turned on from his phone, you sighed, feeling defeated once more.

“This isn’t good,” Hongjoong said.

Even without the light on, or looking in his direction, you felt his lingering gaze on you. He knew how rough the last year had been for you, which is why you figured he offered to come out and help with decorating. There was no fun in doing it alone, and with your best friend by your side, it would at least be entertaining.

“It’s going to get cold,” you said instead, leaning forward, to set the hot chocolate on the coffee table. “Sit tight, I’ll get us some extra blankets.”

“Do you need some help?”

You shook your head, momentarily forgetting that he couldn’t see. “No, I’ll be fine.”

Turning on your own flashlight, you pointed it towards the floor and walked down the hall to the bedroom. You kept the best blankets in your room of course. Out of habit you glanced up at the ceiling, half expecting the white fairy lights that Hongjoong had helped you tack along the crown molding to be on. The plan was to keep those up all year long, because there was no way in hell that you were going up and down a ladder a hundred times every November, only to take them down at the end of January. Even standing on chairs, both you and Hongjoong had to stretch to reach the top.

As expected though, the lights were off, and you sighed once more while disappearing into your bedroom, beginning to gather the blankets. Setting the phone done to fold up the blankets, your mind wandered away from the present and took a trip down memory lane.

Christmas used to be your favorite holiday. From the bright lights, to the small village displays, even hanging up stockings and dealing with relatives who you had long forgotten where still alive, there was never a moment about it that didn’t make you smile. The entire season was full of magic, and as an adult, it felt like there was a secret law that made it forbidden to make it known that you still liked to believe in something that was considered so childish.

But when it snowed and suddenly the entire world fell silent, the fresh snow glittered under the moonlight, and the stars danced brightly in the night sky, magic felt like it was the only possible answer to it all.

You had been dating Hyunjin for almost two years, and at one point, you swore that he was going to be the one. Up until him, relationships never seemed to last, and the fact that you were getting ready to celebrate your second Christmas together appeared to be a promising sign. The only issue had been that Hongjoong never cared for him. Sure, he’d listen when you talked about him, or asked for advice. He wasn’t going to tell you no. But that didn’t mean he didn’t keep it to himself whenever Hyunjin messed up or didn’t do the right thing.

“I don’t think he’s the one,” was Hongjoong’s famous line. And every time you asked who he thought the one was, he’d just shrug and change the topic before adding in a quiet, “someone who’s always been there, who doesn’t make you cry,” afterwards. You always heard it, and while you knew he never did it to hurt you, it always felt he was trying to focus on only Hyunjin’s not so great side.

No one was perfect, and that included Hyunjin and his tendencies to go out drinking with his buddies and come home drunk either by his own methods or someone driving him. Or that he had a habit of flirting with anyone who talked to him, and his gaze always lingered on someone else for too long. Sure, he had his flaws, but being with him was to love a bottle of whiskey. The more of him that you had, the easier it was to swallow back the sting and forget about the broken shards he left in his wake.

You had loved Christmas, and had loved Hyunjin, but you didn’t love walking in on him playing bareback roulette with one woman, while another sloppily kissed him as she got satisfied by woman number one at the same time.

It was the girl who had been kissing Hyunjin that noticed you, and when he looked over his shoulder at you, there was no explanation. No excuse. No apology.

“Are you going to join or just stand there?” Hyunjin had asked instead.

Despite it being your house, you were the one who left and spent the night at Hongjoong’s, crying your pathetic self into his chest because you had given Hyunjin your entire heart, and he returned it smashed into tiny shards in a Ziploc bag. When you went back a few days later, all of Hyunjin’s belongings were gone, all except for a red thong that didn’t belong to you, was left on the floor by your bed.

The neighbors must have thought you were crazy when you stomped outside with sheets and pillowcases being dragged in the snow as you threw them in the trash bin in only leggings and a shirt that Hongjoong had let you borrow. The Christmas lights were yanked out of the light sockets, and you nearly threw out the tree as well, but it was heavy and when you plopped on the couch to try and warm your feet up from walking in the snow, the tears came out again.

When you woke up the next day, it was Christmas, and the magic was gone.

“Please don’t think about him,” a soft voice suddenly said.

Flinching at the sound, you looked up to see Hongjoong standing at the doorway, his phone held up to let him see what was holding you up. You dropped the blanket you had been folding as he entered the bedroom, his footsteps quiet as he reached out and slipped his hand into yours. It was a gentle and quick tug, one that allowed him to wrap you in a hug against his chest before you had a chance to pull away.

“I didn’t want to,” you whispered, fingers curling into the brown flannel he wore.

He leaned his head against yours, choosing the better option of not saying anything. Instead, his arms tightened around your waist for a brief moment as he sighed. “Come on. Let’s go back out to the living room. Your hot chocolate is waiting for you.”

With one arm remaining around you, Hongjoong grabbed the blankets with the other and led you back out to the living room. He had been over so many times that he didn’t need light to see where he was going. The path had been memorized long ago. Since the breakup, it wasn’t usual for Hongjoong’s touch to linger, and when the two of you sat back down on the couch, he pulled you into his side before layering the blankets on top. It was only when he was satisfied that he relaxed with one arm on the back of the couch as the other laid over your waist, that he turned to face you. Thanks to the light coming from the snow and the flashlight on the coffee table, you were able to see him.

His tongue darted out to wet his lips. “Do you miss him?”

“No.” Leaning the side of your head back against the cushion, you felt fingers smoothing back your hair before they slipped through the locks. You lightly hummed at Hongjoong’s caress, eyes briefly closing as you leaned into his touch, his soft scoff making the slightest smile appear on your face. When you opened them again however, you looked at the white light coming from his phone. “It’s just…hard to forget when the memories are tied with the holiday.”

“Sounds like you need new memories.”

You laughed then, focusing back on his face. Brown bangs covered his forehead and the sides of his undercut were starting to grow out, but even in the dark his eyes held a softness that you had been told he only had for you. His friends said he never looked at anyone else like that, and while you denied it, you couldn’t help but notice the warmth and tenderness in them this time.

“Guess I’ll have to go buy new memories next time I go grocery shopping,” you teased.

Hongjoong rolled his eyes, lips curling into a grin as he shifted once more. You were all too aware of how close he got when his arm settled around your shoulders. This wasn’t out of the norm for him. He was always touchy and a cuddle bug just like you, but right now with no power and sharing about half a dozen blankets, you were all too aware of his warmth that seemed to envelope you and the sudden butterflies flying around in your stomach. Coaxing and full of promises, all you had to do was trust it.

“You know what I mean,” Hongjoong said, leaning towards the coffee table to grab his mug. “One good memory will help lessen the pain of previous ones.”

Yours was still sitting where you left it, untouched, but after drinking what he wanted, he held it out for you to take like he knew what you had been thinking about. Not wanting to disturb the blankets too much, you carefully slipped your palms out from underneath to cradle the mug.

“Who?” You asked, tracing the rim of the mug with a finger. It wasn’t burning hot to the touch, a little more than warm, and when you looked up to see his curious frown, it was like that same warmth spread all the way up and down your body. All because of just one look from Hongjoong. “You always said he wasn’t the one for me. So, who is?”

He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it right now.”

“You never liked him, or any of my exes,” the hot chocolate was rich when you took a sip, the mini marshmallows that he had added to his were long since melted and resembled long, thin white clouds. “Someone who’s always been there. You were always talking about yourself, weren’t you?”

He didn’t meet your gaze. Instead, he focused on the window that was behind you and the thumb that had been running along your shoulder stilled. The fact that he wasn’t answering you, in a way, answered the question by itself. Hongjoong pressed his lips together and when he finally looked back at you, you got to see for yourself the way his expression softened and how despite his little secret coming out in the open, he sheepishly smiled.

“They weren’t right for you,” he simply said.

“Then why didn’t you ever say anything?”

His thumb began moving again and he took the mug away to set it back on the table. “Because you loved them. It wouldn’t have been fair to drop such a thing when you were dating other guys.”

“It wasn’t fair to you.” With nothing to hold on to, you started to lace your fingers together when Hongjoong gently swatted them away. When he slipped in his hand into yours and ran his thumb against the back of your palm, you swore you all but melted into him.

“I mean, from where I’m sitting,” he started to say, even lifting your intertwined hands to tilt your chin up so you were looking at him, suddenly much closer than before as he gently pressed his forehead against yours. “It seems pretty fair now.”

He spoke softly, and despite his confidence over his actions, he hesitated.

With only a tilt you leaned forward, closing the distance to kiss him. His lips tasted sweet from the hot chocolate and even as he kissed you back, he started to smile, forcing the two of you to lean back with matching grins. Hongjoong made up for it though, going back another, and then a third, until the kisses finally melted together. It was only when the audio from the TV filled the room that the two of you broke apart to see that the power had come back on.

“I guess there’s still some magic out there,” you softly spoke, glancing around the room to see that the tree was once more lit up.

Hongjoong merely smiled as he shut the TV off and reached over, turning you back around to face him. “The magic’s always been there,” he promised, “you just didn’t know where to look for it.”

You weren’t sure if he was talking about the magic of Christmas, or this, but when he brought you closer and kissed you again, taking his sweet time to show how much he loved you, you liked to think that it was both.

Outside the window, the snow had slowed down, but it was too late to go out and begin digging out cars and clearing driveways. That could be done in the morning, or even the afternoon. As Hongjoong cupped the side of your face and sweetly kissed you like he had been destined to do so all along, the tainted and painful memories of last Christmas melted away as new ones took their place.

“Who said I was tattling?” the younger male defended as he followed Mark into his room, “I was expressing how I was being left out.”

“By going to Taeyong to call Johnny a jerk without saying it to his face?”

Jisung just crossed his arms and huffed. “I’m just tired of being treated like a baby around here.”

Mark patted his shoulder. “Then, don’t act like one, and Johnny was messing with you.”

That reply earned him an eye roll. He meant well, but Mark didn’t always say the right thing correctly.

“By the way,” the older boy added, “since Sierra and Alex are coming, you’ve been assigned to bunk with Alex for tonight.”

“I’m aware,” Jisung shrugged.

“You didn’t let me finish. Alex is scared of the dark, and knowing you don’t have a nightlight for him, don’t be surprised if he wakes up screaming and crying.”

Mark walked off without another word to go help another member to pack.

“Pizza’s here!” Jaehyun called from the kitchen.

Immediately, everyone dropped what they were doing and headed towards the kitchen, Jisung trailing behind them as he was still moody from his members rejecting them. He loved them dearly, but being the youngest of twenty-three members proved to be wrong sometimes. The only two members closest to his age were Sungchan and Chenle, but even they weren’t babied as much as he was.

As he crossed the front entryway, he noticed a cop by the door somewhat taking a look around the house and wanting someone to speak to. No one robbed them as far as he knew, but he really couldn’t be bothered.

Most of the members had sat down to eat already, plates full of two or three slices of their favorite kind. Despite having eaten some ramen earlier out of frustration from not being able to see his girlfriend Sunhee, Jisung grabbed a plate and anticipated having just a slice of cheese.

“Daddy, what time are we leaving tomorrow?” Alex asked Johnny.

“Early,” he replied, “we’re leaving at eight in the morning.”

“Sweetheart, the pizza boy needs 133000 won,” Taeyong’s wife Savannah told him as she was feeding Hayden some bite-sized beef slices.

“For pizza?” he replied as he was getting some milk.

“Ten pizzas times 12000 won.”

“You want us to pay for it?” Johnny offered.

“Nope, we’ve got it,” Taeyong shook his head as he searched his wallet.

Jisung opened a few boxes of pizzas, but couldn’t find any cheese. The boxes were either empty or had some sort of topping.

“Did anyone get a plain cheese?” he asked.

Lucas, who was standing by and shoving slices into his mouth, smirked and said, “Well, yeah, we did. But if you want any, someone’s gonna have to barf it all up.”

If anyone knew how to mess around with people, it was Lucas, but it was always out of love. He had a younger brother himself, so he was somewhat of an expert on picking and poking at people. However, he had no knowledge of Jisung’s frustration, yet it was no excuse for the joke he was pulling on the maknae.

“Jisung,” Lucas cried as he made a shocked face, “quick grab a plate!” He slumped over mockingly and made gagging sounds before chuckling at his own joke.

This, mixed with the worry of Alex’s midnight banshee screams and being left out all day, triggered Jisung’s anger and pushed him over the edge. In one swift motion, he balled up his fist and punched the older boy in his face. Hard.

Lucas ended up stumbling backwards, his elbows hit the cups filled with sodas and water; and it all spilled onto the-

“Passports!” Taeil cried as he and Johnny worked quickly to rescue them.

The other members helped with drying them, and Kun and Jeno pulled the fighting boys apart. Lucas’s nose was bleeding, but thankfully it wasn’t broken. Alex was startled by the chaos and started crying, and Sierra took him out the kitchen to calm him down.

Taeyong, in full dad mode now, finally stepped in and raised his voice at Jisung. “What is the matter with you?”

“He started it!” Jisung snapped. “He knows I don’t like the other toppings.”

The maknae knew it wasn’t just Lucas’s antics that made him lash out, but rather everything from that day. However, there would still be consequences to his actions.

“Look what you did, dummy!” Ten snapped as he was trying to dry his soda-stained jeans.

Jisung looked around at his members. It was all silence, except for Alex’s sniffles in the next room. Everyone else just had a look of disappointment on their faces as they stared back at him.

“Jisung, just go to your room,” Taeyong finally sighed.

“Why?”

With a huff, Taeyong pulled the maknae by his elbow. He complied and Taeyong was able to let go of him as he knew that Jisung wasn’t Alex’s age.

“Why do I always get treated like trash?” Jisung demanded.

The police officer and pizza boy were still standing by the door.

“I’m sorry,” the leader chuckled as he pulled out the money for the delivery boy. “With so many people going on a trip, it’s a little crazy. Some of our members have young children, so the chaos escalates a bit. It’s just nuts.”

He paid the pizza boy, and the young man wished them a Merry Christmas before walking out of the door.

“Having a reunion or something?” the officer asked.

“No,” Taeyong replied. “The group has some time off for the holidays, and some of us have families of our own, so we want to spend Christmas and New Year’s with them. Paris is where we’re heading.”

“To Paris, you say?”

“Yeah, We hope to leave tomorrow morning.”

“Excellent.”

Jisung just rolled his eyes. Why was the officer here in the first place?

“If you’ll excuse me, this one’s out of sorts. I’ll be right back.”

Taeyong guided the maknae by the shoulder, and the officer called to them, “Don’t worry about me. I spoke to your wife already. And don’t worry about your home. It’s in good hands.”

NCT’s leader marched the boy up the stairs as the man left the premises. “There are twenty-three members in our group, and you’re the only one who has to make trouble.”

“I’m the only one getting dumped on,” Jisung shot back.

“You’re the only one acting up. Now, get in the room.”

He had led them to the guest room instead of Jisung’s bedroom.

“The guest room?”

“Go.”

“It’s scary in there.”

Taeyong didn’t buy his guilt trip. “Don’t be silly. Alex will be up in a little while.”

“I’m not sharing a room with Alex. You know about him. He screams in the middle of the night.”

The leader sighed and massaged his temples. “Fine. We’ll put Alex somewhere. Just get in there and cool off.”

Jisung had already chilled out by now. He tried to apologize, but Taeyong shook his had and said, “It’s too late. Go.” If a frustrated huff, he stomped into the room.

“I don’t want to see you again until tomorrow morning,” the leader said just before closing the door.

Plopping face down on the bed, he pulled out his phone and texted Sunhee, who wasn’t able to join the group due to her having plans with her family for Christmas. She was quick to respond. Sunhee was one of the sweetest people anyone could ever meet, and Jisung was happy she was his. His career did make it difficult to see her sometimes, but he always tried to make time for her. It was just as frustrating for her as she was about to graduate high school and working hard to stay on top of homework and final projects. Jisung ranted about how he felt he was being pushed around by everyone and just wanted to stop being treated like a baby, as he was eighteen years old. Sunhee was very understanding as she was one of the youngest of her cousins, but she said something similar to Mark in a much more kind manner. He knew they were right, but it somehow stuck with him more than the way the older boy had said it.

After they talked, Jisung put his phone down and got ready for bed.

-

Silence.

The only sound Jisung woke up to was silence. Not a word, a child’s babbling, or even a footstep could be heard from outside the bedroom. Maybe everyone was in the kitchen eating breakfast before heading to the airport. He didn’t bother checking his phone before stepping out into the hallway.

The lights were on, so that was a good sign, at least. Some of the doors were open, some were closed. He peeked into a few of them, but they were empty with piles of mess of some sort in each room.

“Taeyong?” he called out as he made his way to the kitchen. “Taeyong? Mark? Johnny? Lucas? Savannah? Sierra?”

He continued calling out everyone’s names, even the ones who were just starting to talk. After calling for Jeno, he gave up. Was he alone in the house? He sat down at the table and remembered everything he had been jabbed with the night before.

“Tattling is for six year olds. That should have died out for you twelve years ago.”

“…if you want any, someone’s gonna have to barf it all up.”

“There are twenty-three members in our group, and you’re the only one who has to make trouble.”

“Look what you did, dummy!”

Now, Jisung didn’t feel so bad. He realized that the members had left and possibly forgotten him, but now he had some freedom for a while before they could realize anything. Soon, he was dressed, danced whatever choreo around the house to whatever music he desired, and even went through the other members’ personal stuff as well.

Lucas’s, however, was a gold mine. He had some things from his family such as a letter from his parents and a picture of him and his younger brother, and a white Louis Vuitton purse with Sydni’s (his girlfriend) name tagged on it, which must have been a Christmas gift for her. What hit the jackpot was some firecrackers hidden beneath some magazines. Jisung wasn’t sure how Lucas sneaked them in, but there they were.

Once they were placed in his room for the time being, Jisung decided to make a huge ice cream sundae for himself with a side of snacks. He put in an old drama titled Filthy Souled Angels. A mafia piece, he thought. Interesting.

The drama began with a man in a trench coat and fedora entering an office of some sort.

“It’s me, Weasel,” the man told an older gentleman sitting at a desk. “I got the stuff.”

“Leave it on the doorstep,” the older man shouted at him, “and get the hell out of here.”

“All right, Junseo, but what about my money?”

“What money?”

“Acey said you had some for me.”

“Is that a fact? How much do I owe you?”

“Acey said 10%.”

The older man, Junseo, smirked. “Too bad Acey ain’t in charge no more.”

As he watched and snacked in the living room, he called out, “Guys, I’m eating junk and watching a mafia drama. You better come out and stop me.”

“He’ll call when he gets out of prison,” Junseo continued, Weasel looking defeated. “Hey, I’ll tell you what I’m going to give you, Weasel’ –Junseo pulled out a rifle from under his desk and aimed it at Weasel- “I’m going to give you to the count of ten to get your ugly, yellow no-good ass off my property before I pump your guts full of lead.”

“All right, Junseo, I’m sorry,” Weasel backed up. “I’m going.”

“1, 2, 10.” Junseo opened fire at the Weasel, cackling as the man dropped to his knees and died on the spot.

This surprised Jisung, and he was quick to cover his eyes as it scared him so bad. He kept his eyes covered until the last bullet was fired and Junseo said, “Keep the change, you filthy animal.”

Emily (Em for short) was about mid-fifties, her golden-washed hair pulled back into a low bun, revealing the wrinkles on her careworn face. She was a kind and gracious woman in town, but when she was working on the farm or busy in the kitchen, there was no stopping her. When she wanted something done, she made sure to get it done. Her husband Henry was her age, maybe a couple years her senior. He had a few more wrinkles than Em and was balding at the top of his head. Like his wife, Henry was kind and caring, but he was a little more laid back when it came to busy work. However, he was still a hard-worker and had established the farm from scratch.

Y/N had come to live with them after her parents passed when she was ten years old. It was an adjustment from the city into life in the country, but Em and Henry were gracious to let Y/N to come live with them.

“Auntie Em!” Y/N called as she rushed in, Toto following close behind her. “Auntie Em! Uncle Henry!”

“22, 23, 24,” Em counted each chick.

“Auntie Em,” Y/N was now right next her aunt, “you’ll never believe what Mrs. Gulch did to Toto. She-“

“Now, Y/N,” Em sighed, “can’t you see we’re busy? We’re trying to count.”

Y/N didn’t listen as she ran over to her uncle. “Uncle Henry, I was on my way home-“

“Did you not hear, your Aunt, dear?” Henry interrupted. “The incubator’s broke, so we’re trying to make sure we didn’t lose any babies.”

“Oh, the poor little things.” She managed to stroke one of the chicks’ fuzzy, yellow head with her fingertip. “But Aunt Em, Mrs. Gulch hit Toto right over the back with her rake, because she says he gets in her garden and chases her nasty, old cat every day.”

Em took that chick and said, “Why don’t you run along, and we’ll talk at supper?”

Y/N ignored her. “But he doesn’t do it every day,” she continued her rant. “Just once or twice a week. And he can’t catch her old cat, anyway. Now, she says she’s gonna get the sheriff-“

“Y/N, please!” her aunt begged.

With a defeated sigh, Y/N knew she wasn’t going to get her aunt and uncle’s attention right now. Instead of trying again, she decided to try to console to the farmhands, Toto trotting behind her.

All three of them were friends to Y/N. Kevin was the comedian of the group. He always got his work done, but he also new how to make others laugh while doing so. He was once caught dancing with a pitchfork when Uncle Henry played his record player to pass the time. Jacob was the gentle father figure; maybe it was because he was a dad himself. He and his wife had moved into to town about a year earlier, and Auntie Em had helped her deliver their daughter. As a farmhand, he always made sure to work hard at whatever task he was assigned. The youngest of the bunch, Eric, was Y/N’s best friend, but he always tended to act like it was something more. He was a sweetheart, but like the other two, he was a hard worker.

Most days, Eric always had a smile on his face, but now, with a smashed finger, he was not in the best mood.

“There goes my finger,” he groaned.

“Better your finger than your head,” Kevin said as he started carrying food to the pigs’ feeding trough.

“Kevin,” Y/N went up to him, “what am I gonna about do Mrs. Gulch? Just because Toto chases her old cat-“

“Listen, honey,” he interrupted her, “I’ve got the hogs to feed.”

“Now, listen, Y/N,” Eric chimed in, “you’re not using your head about Mrs. Gulch. Think you didn’t have any brains at all.”

“I have brains.”

“Then, why don’t you use them? When you come home, don’t go by Mrs. Gulch’s place, then Toto won’t get in her garden, and you won’t get in no trouble. See?”

“Oh, Eric,” Y/N scoffed. “You just won’t listen, that’s all.”

Eric began on another task before replying, “Well, you’re head’s not made of straw, you know?”

Y/N rolled her eyes and walked away from him. She wandered over to where Kevin was rounding up the pigs into their pen.

“Come on,” he commanded them. “Get in there before I make a dime bank out of you.”

Out of boredom, Y/N climbed onto the wide fence and started to walk across them, keeping her arms out to maintain her balance.

“Listen, kid,” Kevin said before filling the pigs’ trough. “Are you gonna let that old heffer mess with you? She’s nothing to be afraid of. Have a little courage, is all.”

“I’m not afraid of her,” Y/N justified as she continued her walk.

“Then, the next time she squawks, walk right up to her and spit in her eye. That’s what I’d do.”

Kevin was also the most reliable to talk to when you had a problem. Even the smallest of issues you would be facing would be met with advice from Kevin, even if it came of as a joke or a bit of sarcasm.

Y/N started to laugh, but it ended up making her lose her balance. She flew down into the pigpen as they began running around in fear of what just dropped into their living area.

Afraid of getting trampled, Y/N cried for help.

“Kevin, help!” she screamed. “Get me out of here! Help!”

Within a split second, Kevin had booked it over to her, scooped her out of the pen, and carried her to safety. Eric and Jacob helped her stand, and poor Kevin sat down with his hat off and a hand over his heart.

“Are you alright, Y/N?” Jacob asked with concern laced in his voice.

“Yes, I’m okay,” she assured, her voice trembling a little. “I fell in, and Kevin-“ She noticed the farmhand shaking; sweat beginning to run from his dark hairline. “Why Kevin, you’re just as scared as I am.”

“What’s the matter?” Eric teased. “A little pig make a coward out of you?”

“What’s all of the jabber-whopping when there’s work to be done?” Auntie Em’s voice disrupted the laughter. The other four immediately went silent. “I know three farmhands who’ll be out of a job before they know it.”

“Well, Y/N was walking along-,” Jacob chuckled as he tried to explain, but was interrupted by Aunt Em.

“I saw you tinkering with that contraption, Jacob,” she shut him up quickly. “Now, you and Eric get back to that wagon.”

“Alright, Mrs. Gale,” Jacob sighed as he began to walk away, be he almost immediately turned back around. “But someday they’re gonna build a statue of me in this town, and-“

“Well, don’t start posing for it now.”

Eric laughed, and then Aunt Em gave them some dill pickles to snack on.

Kevin took one and tried to explain what had happened, but Em put her foot down.

“It’s no place for Y/N around a pigsty,” she informed. “Now you go mind those hogs before they worry themselves into anemia.”

“Yes, Mrs. Gale,” Kevin nodded.

Em and Y/N began walking away, and Y/N took the opportunity to try to talk to her aunt again.

“Auntie Em, really,” she whined again, “you know what Mrs. Gulch said she’s gonna do to Toto? She said she was gonna-“

Em just shook her had and told, “Now, Y/N, you must stop imagining things. You always get yourself into a fuss over nothing. You just help us out today, and find yourself where you won’t get yourself into any trouble.”

She scurried off, leaving Y/N standing in shock. Her aunt was always there to help her when she needed it, but Y/N had a tendency to exaggerate things at times. She guessed that her aunt thought this was one of those times, but she understood. Maybe Mrs. Gulch was just threatening her and Toto out of spite as usual, but the look on the old grouch’s face said otherwise.

“Someplace where there isn’t any trouble,” Y/N sighed. She looked at her furry friend, who was sitting on the ground and looking up at her as if taking in her every word.

“You think there is such a place, Toto?” Y/N asked, her mind wandering as she strolled over by the old tractor. “There must be. It’s not a place you can get to by a boat or a train. It’s far, far away. Behind the moon, beyond the rain.”

She then remembered a song Aunt Em would sing to her whenever she felt sad and began to sing.

“Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high

There’s a land that I’ve heard of

Once in a lullaby

Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue

And the dreams that you’ve dared to dream

Really do come true

Someday I’ll wish upon a star

And wake up where the clouds are far behind me

Where troubles melt like lemon drops

Away above the chimney tops

That’s where you’ll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly

Birds fly over the rainbow

Why then, of why can’t I?”

Toto jumped up on the seat of the tractor, and Y/N snuggled him for a second before listening to a few birds chirp. She looked up and gazed up some rays of sun pouring into a tear in the clouds, lighting up the gloominess of the farm just a little bit, almost giving a sense of hope.

Y/N then finished her song.

“If happy little blue birds fly beyond the rainbow,

Why oh why can’t I?”

-

“That dog is a menace to the community!” Mrs. Gulch barked. “I’m taking him to the sheriff to have him destroyed.”

The forty-something year old woman sat up straight in the chair across from Em. Her raven locks were pulled into a tight bun, and her hat was perched on top of her head as if it would fly off at any given moment. Mrs. Gulch had dressed in her Sunday best, but she wasn’t here for a church sermon. She had come for something sinister.

Her words were like punch in the stomach to Y/N. “D-Destroyed? Toto?”

Mrs. Gulch gave a slight nod.

“Oh no, you can’t,” Y/N begged. “You mustn’t! Auntie Em, Uncle Henry, you won’t let her take him, will you?”

Uncle Henry gave her a reassuring smile. “Of course we won’t, dear,” he promised. “Will we, Em?”

Y/N turned to her aunt, who now had a conflicted look on her face.

“Please, Auntie Em,” she begged. “Toto didn’t mean to. He didn’t know he was doing anything wrong. I’m the one who should be punished. I let him go in her garden. You can send me to bed without dinner.”

“If you don’t hand over that beast,” Mrs. Gulch threatened. “I’ll bring a damage suit that’ll take your whole farm. There’s a law protecting folks against dogs that bite.”

“How about if she keeps him tied up?” Em suggested. “He’s really gentle, with gentle people, that is.”

Mrs. Gulch was taken aback at her neighbor’s words. “Well, “ she huffed, “that’s for the sheriff to decide.” –she reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper- “Here’s his orders allowing me to take him, unless you want to go against the law.”

Auntie Em took the sheet and read it, and Uncle Henry came over to take a look at the order as well.

“We can’t go against the law, Y/N,” Em shook her head as her voice began to shake. “I’m afraid poor Toto had to go.”

“Now you’re seeing reason,” Mrs. Gulch scoffed as she opened her basket. “Here’s what I’m taking him in, so he can’t attack me again. Just put the little rat into the basket.”

This triggered Y/N’s anger even more. “NO, I WON’T LET YOU TAKE HIM!!!” she screamed as she forcefully pushed the basket away. “YOU GO AWAY, OR I’LL BITE YOU MYSELF!”

“Y/N!” Em snapped.

Y/N didn’t take her angry eyes off of their grouchy neighbor. She could feel her tears start to push through.

“You wicked old witch!” she spat as her tears started to fall. “Uncle Henry, Auntie Em, don’t let her take Toto.”

Mrs. Gulch tried to grab Toto out of Y/N’s arms, but she fought against her.

“Henry, just put Toto in the basket,” Em sighed as she massaged one of her temples.

As much as Y/N wanted to resist, she wouldn’t fight her beloved uncle. He was a gentle man, not a fighter. Unless matters got too out of hand, then he would take the appropriate action to settle a dispute. This being why Y/N froze the moment he gently pulled Toto from her arms. The same man who had given her a best friend when she was fourteen was now the one taking him away from her. Sorrow even began to grow on her uncle’s face.

The water works flowed as she watched her best friend being put into the wooden basket. Toto even started to whine a little. Y/N’s heart felt heavy, her head dizzy, and she felt sick. Her feet ran her to her bedroom. She slammed the door and threw herself on the floor and sobbed. She was heartbroken.

For about ten minutes, Y/N cried on the floor, not caring who heard. Toto. Her sweet little dog. Y/N had only tried to let Toto run around to exercise, but why the old grouch’s garden of all places, she’ll never figure it out.

Once she was calm, she sat up and leaned against her bed, beginning to accept that Toto was gone for good.

Two little barks interrupted her thoughts. She looked up and Toto jumped through her open window and onto her bed. He licked her face as if to say, “I’m never leaving you.”

“Toto!” she cried before embracing her pet. “Oh my gosh! You came back!”

Y/N held Toto for about a minute before she realized, “They’ll probably be looking for you once they discover you’re gone.”

Although he was only a dog, Y/N always knew he was smarter than the average canine. If he somehow escaped Mrs. Gulch’s basket, he could possibly escape bigger situations than that.

However, Y/N wasn’t about to let anyone take Toto away from her again. She pulled back, looked at Toto in the eye, and said, “We’ve got to run away.”

As soon as she had packed all that she would need and could carry such as some clothes, shoes, and some of her own money stash from under her bed, she and Toto escaped out of her bedroom window. The two of them took the back roads and headed south. Y/N didn’t know where she was going, but she wanted to be as far away from all of her troubles as much as possible.

After a few minutes of walking, Y/N and Toto came across a large caravan painted in blue with gold and red lettering declaring, “Professor Lee! Acclaimed by the Crowned Heads of Asia.” The closer Y/N got, she could hear a man’s voice singing random tunes.

The owner of the voice then rounded the corner of the caravan and immediately spotted Y/N. He was fairly tall, young man of Asian decent and wore a dark green suit and chocolate brown dress shoes.

“Well, a house guest,” he greeted her with a smile before crossing over to sit by a fire pit that Y/N just now noticed was burning. “Now, may I ask who you are? No, don’t tell me. Let’s see.” –He scanned Y/N up and down- “You’re…going on a visit.”

Y/N shook her head.

“No, that’s not it.” The professor thought again. “You’re traveling in disguise. Nope, wait, you’re running away.”

“How did you guess?” Y/N asked with a smile.

“Professor Lee Sangyeon never guesses,” he claimed with a chuckle. “He knows. Now, why are you running away? No, don’t tell me. Uh…They don’t understand you, or appreciate you. You want to see the world. Cities, oceans, mountains, everything.”

Y/N nearly jumped out of her shoes. “It’s like you could read what was in my head! Oh, please, professor, could Toto and I join you and see all of the crowned heads of Asia?”

“You know any?” Professor Lee asked, then realized what she was talking about. “Oh! Well, I don’t do anything without consulting my crystal first. How about we head inside and I’ll show you?”

Sangyeon guided Y/N to the entrance of his caravan, allowing her to step in first. The inside of the caravan was full of all sorts of treasures. A skull sat on top of the doorframe, colorful paper lanterns lined the ceiling, small jade figurines of various gods lined the walls, and suede furniture sat in the center of all of his collection of treasures. Wax candles sat on each side of the chairs. The furniture surrounded a small wooden table with the most sparkling crystal sphere Y/N had ever seen perched in its holder.

“Have a seat,” Sangyeon motioned towards one of the chairs. When she did so, he began lighting each candle. “This is the same magic crystal used by the priests of Isis and Osiris in the days of the Pharaohs of Egypt in which Cleopatra saw the approach of Julius Caesar and Mark Antony and so on and so forth.”

Y/N watched in awe as the professor prepped the room for his reading. She knew it was probably all an act for a circus somewhere, but she still wanted to see what he was doing.

“Now, you’d better close your eyes, my dear,” the professor instructed. “Just for a moment to be better in tune with the infinite.”

With a nod, she did as she was told. What she didn’t realize was Professor Lee was looking through her basket to find some sort of picture of her and her family to better set up his act. He found one of her, Uncle Henry, and Aunt Em taken in front of the farm the previous summer.

“We can’t do these things without reaching out into the unknown,” he continued before putting the picture back in the basket. “Alright, you can open your eyes now, and we’ll gaze into the crystal.”

Y/N opened her eyes again and watched as the professor stared the crystal ball as if he were studying it very closely. She couldn’t see anything happening, but the act displayed in front of her was making her believe it was real.

“What’s this I see?” he asked to no one in particular, his eyes glued to the crystal. “A house with a picket fence, and a barn with a weathervane. And also, a running horse.”

“That’s our farm,” Y/N pointed out.

“And there’s a woman with graying hair at the temples, a striped dress, and she has a careworn face.”

“That’s Aunt Em.” Is he really seeing everything? She thought.

“Short for Emily?”

“That’s right. What’s she doing?”

Professor Lee’s face twisted into a confused expression. “I can’t quite see. Oh, she’s crying. Someone has hurt her. Someone has just about broken her heart.”

Y/N’s own heart was about to break just hearing this. Of course she was angry that Toto had to be taken away, but was running away the best option?

“Me?” she asked.

“Well, it’s someone she loves very much,” Professor Lee shrugged. “Someone she’s been very kind to and cared for in times of sickness.”

Y/N was getting anxious. “I had really bad pneumonia once. But she stayed right by me every minute. What’s she doing now?”

He had figured she was running away out of some sort of anger, and just from the picture he could tell she was close to her family. Y/N was the first young person to come to him in hopes of finding something better, however, he knew he should at least try to help them make amends with their families. Y/N was no different.

Seeing how upset Y/N was getting, Professor Lee had one last trick up his sleeve. Glancing at his crystal again, the professor’s face displayed a look of shock. “What’s this? She’s placing her hand on her heart, and dropping down on her bed.”

“No,” Y/N began to sob.

“I’m sorry, my dear, but the crystal’s gone dark.”

She couldn’t stay any longer. If her beloved aunt was having a heart attack or stroke, then she needed to go home and try to help her or call a doctor.

“You don’t think she could really be sick, do you?” Y/N suggested as she hastily stood from her chair. “Oh, I’ve got to go home right away!”

“What’s this? I thought you were going to travel with me.”

“Oh, no, I have to get to her right away. Come on, Toto.”

The dog immediately followed Y/N out of the caravan. Professor Lee also followed her out and waved good-bye to her.

“Good-bye, Professor,” Y/N called back to him. “And thank you!”

Professor Lee noticed the drastic change in the weather. What began as a sunny autumn day quickly turned into a mighty windstorm. A tornado was approaching, and he needed to get himself and his horse to the nearest shelter possible.

“Woah, there, boy!” he instructed his horse, Gold Foot, as he caught hold of his reigns. “Better get undercover. There’s a storm brewing up. Poor kid. I hope she gets home alright.”

Back at the farm, chickens were running around panicked, horses were neighing in fright, the cows didn’t seem to care, but the pigs squealed in terror. Kevin and Eric were busy getting the animals to safety as much as possible. Jacob had rushed home to join his wife and baby daughter in their tornado shelter. He helped as much as he could, but Em and Henry told him to go home and protect his family. However, it was still chaos.

“Hurry up and get them horses loose!” Kevin shouted orders to Eric over the loud and wailing winds. “Where’s Jacob?!”

“He has a wife and child to protect!” the younger farmhand reminded him. “So he’s gone into shelter with them!”

Kevin looked up at the sky as Eric went to release the horses from the barn. No longer was it just a partly cloudy day. The sky was covered in a thick black, blanket as a cylinder of wind and dust violently pirouetted though neighboring fields.

“It’s a twister! A twister!” Kevin cried.

Em and Henry gathered everything they needed for the shelter such as food, lanterns, and a few blankets, and Em had gone to get Y/N. To her horror, her niece was missing. She thought Y/N had been in her room, but it was empty. Panicked, she ran around the house and farm, calling out for her every few seconds.

“Y/N! Y/N!” she screamed her nieces name over the tornado.

“Come on, everybody!” Henry rounded everyone up. “In the storm cellar!”

“Help me, Henry! Y/N’s somewhere out in the storm!”

“We can’t look for her now! We have to get in the cellar!”

Em was terrified she wouldn’t see her precious niece again. All she had to do was hope she would be okay once everything calmed.

The wind used all of its might to knock Y/N down as she and Toto made their way back to the farm. The dog began to bark, not wanting to brave it by standing on his own two feet. Y/N was quick to scoop him up and carry him back; leaning forward as she marched to she wouldn’t be knocked over.

“Auntie Em!” she called out. No answer.

The gate was jammed as she fought it open, breaking the lock as she did so. She had some leverage as the house blocked some of the winds force, but Y/N still had to fight her way in. She got the screen door open, but it immediately broke off and was carried off into the storm. However, Y/N was able to get herself and Toto into the house and shut the main door.

“Auntie Em! Uncle Henry!” she called again.

When she went out back to try to open the shelter, it was too late. It was closed and locked. She kicked and screamed for her relatives, but there was no chance of her getting in. She would have to brave the storm alone with her dog and hope for survival.

Y/N retreated to her bedroom, told Toto to hide, and she set her basket down.

“Auntie Em!” she called again just before her bedroom window broke off and knocked her in the back of her head. The impact knocked her out, the darkness consuming her as she fell.

-

When Y/N opened her eyes, she had no idea of how much time had passed. Toto was licking her face as to wake her up, and Y/N pet his furry head. However, the house was…moving? The wind was blowing, but it wasn’t violent. It was more like a windy day right before it rains. Wind howled much louder until a rooster’s crow broke the silence.

Looking out the window, Y/N couldn’t see anything but a dark gray wall. However, she spotted what she guessed was the roof of the farm’s chicken coop with the rooster standing on top of it. A cow floated around in the air, mooing without a care in the world. A wooden rocking chair floated up, and Old Mrs. Ahn was sitting in it and knitting a quilt. She looked up and waved hello. Confused, Y/N waved back before the old woman floated away again. Two fishermen in a rowboat were next to be in Y/N’s line of sight. They made eye contact with her, tipped their hats, and she waved.

Out of curiosity, Y/N looked down and nearly lost her balance.

“We must be up inside the cyclone!” she shouted over the wind so Toto could hear her.

When she looked back, she saw a familiar face riding her bicycle in the tornado.

“Oh!” Y/N cried out in disgust. “Mrs. Gulch!”

Then, without warning, the grouchy neighbor morphed into something horrible. She now had an ugly, green face, and was dressed in all black with a pointed hat. A large broom was now her choice of transportation. It was a witch. Frightened by the sight, Y/N retreated back to her bed and covered her eyes as the witch released an ear-piercing cackle.

The wind began to pick up. Toto jumped into Y/N’s arms and started to whimper. The house spun more times than Y/N could count. She screamed out of fright and sobbed as she didn’t know what was happening. Was she about to go out like this? She began to regret everything she had done earlier that day from the time she allowed her dog to run around in the neighbor’s garden to running away.

Then, everything stopped. The house seemed to land, and everything went silent. Her room was a mess, but that could be taken care of later. All Y/N cared about was if her family was okay. Some thick trees blocked her outdoor view, so she couldn’t see what was going on outside. She figured the house landed in the nearby woods.

“Are you okay Toto?” Y/N asked her dog. He licked her chin as if to reassure her that he was fine. She then picked him up, gathered her still intact basket, and exited her room.

The house was dark, but Y/N could make out the outlines of the furniture with the help of some light peaking through the curtains. Everything was either broken or knocked over, and a few family pictures were smashed. The important thing was that Y/N was alive, and so was Toto.

Holding Toto close to her, Y/N carefully opened her front door and almost fainted. On the other side of her front door was not her farm, but rather a new world on display in front of her eyes. Colorful plants and flowers surrounded a small duck pond and a stream leading away from it and under a bridge. Next to it was a spiral imprinted in the ground made from yellow and red bricks. In the surrounding area, small, white cylindrical houses with straw and burlap roofs populated around the pound and brick paths, but there seemed to be no one in sight. The sky above was the most gorgeous shade of blue Y/N had ever seen. It was as if she had jumped into a storybook.

“Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” Y/N said to her dog as she wandered around. “We must be over the rainbow.”

After setting Toto down, Y/N glanced up at the sky and noticed a spherical object floating towards her. Was it a bubble? It looked like one, but it wasn’t your average bubble. As it got closer, Y/N noticed it was changing colors and getting bigger. Stepping out of the way, the bubble, now the size of a horse, turned a bright shade of pink as it landed on the brick path.

The bubble dissolved away, revealing a beautiful woman with velvet red, shoulder-length hair and an extravagant silver crown resting on top of it. She was dressed in a sparkling periwinkle dress with glittering butterflies decorating various spots. The skirt part of her gown was almost as wide as a dinner table towards the bottom, and her sleeves were puffed as large as egg crates. In her hand, she carried a long wand with a diamond star at the top.

“Now, I definitely know we’re not in Kansas.” Y/N was speechless. It was the first sign of human life, and all she witnessed was a woman with a wand fly in inside a bubble.

The woman makes eye contact with Y/N and approaches her, her skirt flowing behind her.

“Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?” she asked.

Y/N was taken aback by her question.

“Me?” she asked, and the woman nodded. “I’m not a witch at all. My name is Y/N, and I’m from Kansas.”

“Oh,” the woman replied, and then motioned towards Toto. “Well, is that the witch?”

Y/N just giggled. “Toto’s my dog.”

“Well, I’m a little muddled. I was informed by the munchkins that a new witch has just dropped a house on the Wicked Witch of the East.” She turned towards the slightly damaged house. “There’s the house, and here you are,” –she pointed towards a pair of dark burgundy legs with opalescent shoes on the feet sticking out from underneath the house- “and that’s all that’s left of the Wicked Witch of the East.”

Y/N was in shock. She had accidentally killed someone. She felt bad, but from the tone of the woman’s voice it sounded like it was a good thing.

“And so,” she continued, “what the munchkins what to know is, are you a good witch or a bad witch?”

“But I’ve already told you I’m not a witch at all,” Y/N reassured. “Witches are old and ugly.” A plethora of giggles sounded from behind her. “What was that?”

The woman chuckled. “The munchkins. They are laughing because I am a witch. I am Chungha, Witch of the North.”

Y/N eyes nearly popped out of her head. “You are? My apologies if I’ve offended you, but I’ve never heard of a beautiful witch before.”

“Only bad witches are ugly. The munchkins are happy because you have freed them form the Wicked Witch of the East.”

“Well, if you don’t me asking, what are munchkins?” The laughter sounded again.

“They’re the little people who live here in Muchkinland, and you are their national heroine, my dear. It’s alright, now.” Her attention was on someone else. “You can all come out and thank her. Come out, come out! Wherever you are, and meet the young lady who fell from a star.”

From everywhere in the greenery and behind the small houses, small people no taller than about three feet high began to come into the light of the circle. Their clothing was just as bright as the flowers. The men wore colors of blues, greens, and reds, while the woman wore lighter shades of greens and blues with purples and pinks. Most of them wore hats, their curls sticking out from underneath, and a few of the women’s’ bonnets were decorated with various kinds of flowers such as roses, marigolds, and daisies.

“She fell from the from the sky,” Chungha sang, “she fell very far, and Kansas she says is the name of the star.”

“Kansas she says is the name of the star,” the munchkins repeated as more of them began to appear and surround the new faces in town.

“She brings you good news, or haven’t you heard? When she fell out of Kansas a miracle occurred.”

Y/N was lead to the center of the town, and she began her story. “It really was no miracle. What happened was just this: this wind began to switch, the house to pitch, and suddenly the hinges started to unhitch. Just then the witch, to satisfy and itch, went flying on her broomstick, thumbing for a hitch.”

“And oh, what happened then was rich,” a man in a tall gray hat hopped out.

A few of the woman munchkins joined in on finishing the story. “The house began to pitch, the kitchen took a slitch. It landed on the Wicked Witch in the middle of a ditch, which was not a healthy situation for the Wicked Witch, who began to twitch and was reduced to just a stitch of what was once the Wicked Witch.”

The citizens of Munchkinland performed a small celebratory dance in their freedom from the witch’s clutches, and a horse drawn carriage pulled up. Y/N was guided into it before two citizens approached her with some candy a bouquet of yellow and blue roses.

“We thank you very sweetly,” the first one said with a smile, “for doing it so neatly.”

“You’ve killed her so completely,” the second one said, “thank we thank you very sweetly.”

“Let the joyous news be spread,” Chungha declared, “the Wicked old Witch at last is dead!”

As the carriage began to move, the munchkins cheered wildly and chanted their victory:

“Ding dong, the Witch is dead

Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch!

Ding dong, the Wicked Witch is dead

Wake up, you sleepyhead

Rub your eyes, get out of bed

Wake up, the Wicked Witch is dead

She’s gone where the goblins go

Below, below, below

Yo ho! Let’s open up and sing

And ring the bells out

Ding dong, the merry-o

Sing it high

Sing it low

Let them know the Wicked Witch is dead.”

The carriage stopped in front of a larger homestead, where three trumpeters came out and blew a fanfare as a large-bellied munchkin in a bright blue suit approached Y/N with seven council like people followed behind him.

“As mayor of the munchkin city,” he announced, “in the county of the land of Oz, I welcome you most regally.”

“But we’ve got to verify it regally,” and officially stepped in. “To see…”

“To see.”

“If she…”

“If she…”

“Is morally, ethically, spiritually, physically, positively, absolutely, undeniably and reliably dead.”

Y/N wasn’t sure what was happening at first, but she realized that the council wanted proof that the witch was, in fact, dead. She hadn’t heard anyone scream in fear or seen a dead corpse try to squeeze itself out from under her house, so they must be in the clear.

A munchkin in dark purple robes and holding a scroll approached the council and gave his two cents. “As coroner, I must aver, I thoroughly examined her, and she’s not only merely dead, she’s really most sincerely dead.” He then unraveled the scroll, revealing a certificate of death.

“Then this is a day of independence,” the mayor stated happily, “for all the munchkins and their decendents. Let the joyous news be spread, the Wicked old Witch at last is dead!”

With another wild cheer, the citizens sang their chant in celebration. Y/N was then given thanks from three girls in pink tutus and three boys in colorful suits, both presenting her with candy and a song. Chungha then guided Y/N back to the square where the rest of the people continued their welcome.

Everything then came to halt, when a cloud of bright red smoke exploded from out of nowhere. Munchkins screamed in fright and began to either hide or drop down in fear, and Toto began to bark at who or whatever was unwelcome. Y/N was quick to pick up her dog, but he still growled in protecting her. As the smoke dissolved, the witch Y/N had seen earlier was revealed to be the uninvited guest to the party. Upon seeing her in person, she was more horrid in face as she wore all black clothing and held a broomstick.

“I-I thought you said s-she was dead,” Y/N whispered to Chungha, confused.

“That was her sister, the Wicked Witch of the East,” the Good Witch explained. “This is the Wicked Witch of the West, and she’s worse than the other one was.”

The ugly hag examined the two legs sticking out from underneath the house, and a look of pure wrath shadowed her green face.

“Who killed my sister?” she growled, her voice an unsatisfying pitch. “Who killed the Witch of the East? Was it you?”

“No,” Y/N answered immediately as the witch approached her. “No, I didn’t mean to kill anyone. I promise it was an accident.”

“Well, my little pretty, I can cause accidents, too!”

“Aren’t you forgetting the Opal Slippers?” Chungha asked, unfazed by the witch’s anger.

“The slippers. Yes!” An unsettling smile had appeared on her face as she began to go back to her dead sister’s feet. However, the shoes in question disappeared, and the legs and feet curled up and snaked underneath the house.

“They’re gone!” the witch cried before returning the pair. “The Opal Slippers. What have you done with them? Give them back to me or I’ll-“

“It’s too late,” Chunga stopped her. “There they are, and there they’ll stay.”

Y/N looked down to where the Good Witch was pointing to and realized the slippers were now on her feet, matching beautifully with her pink socks. When did they slip onto her feet? Not that she was complaining about having beautiful shoes on her feet instead of the plain red converse she wore, but the slippers didn’t belong to her.

“Give me back my slippers,” the Wicked Witch demanded. “I’m the only one that knows how to use them. They’re no use to you. Give them back to me. Give them back!”

“Keep a hold of them,” Chungha whispered to Y/N. “Their magic must be very powerful, or she wouldn’t want them so badly.”

“You stay out of this, Chungha, or I’ll break you, as well!”

Chungha just laughed and told her, “Rubbish! You have no power here. Be gone, before somebody drops a house on you, too.”

The witch glanced up at the sky before announcing her departure. “Very well. I’ll bide my time.” Her attention went back to Y/N. “And as for you, young lady, it’s true, I can’t attend to you here and now as I’d like, but just stay out of my way. I’ll get you, my pretty, and you’re little dog, too!” With a cackle, she dashed into the square and disappeared in a thunderous cloud of red smoke followed by a small explosion of fire.

“It’s all right,” Chungha reassured the munchkins. “She’s gone.”

“What just happened?” Y/N asked.

“I’m afraid you’ve made rather a bad enemy of the Wicked Witch of the West. The sooner you get out of Oz altogether, the safer you’ll sleep, my dear.”

“I’d give anything to get out of Oz,” Y/N sighed. “But which way is Kansas? I can’t go the way I came.”

As beautiful as the land was, Y/N just wanted to be back home with her family and friends and bring Toto back with her. She didn’t know if her Aunt was still alive, or even if everyone else was looking for her. It didn’t help that a wicked witch had basically threatened her life over a pair of magical shoes.

“No, that’s true,” Chungha agreed. “The only person who might know would be the great and wonderful Wizard of OZ himself.”

The munchkins immediately bowed at the mention of the man’s name.

“The Wizard of Oz? Is he good, or is he wicked?”

“Very good, but very mysterious. He lives in the Sapphire City, and that’s a long journey from here. Did you bring your broomstick with you?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Then, you’ll have to walk, I’m afraid.”

Thanks, Captain Obvious, Y/N thought.

“The munchkins will see you safely to the border of Munchkinland,” Chungha reassured her. “And remember, never let those slippers off your feet for a moment, or you will be at the mercy of the Wicked Witch of the West.”

“But how do I start for the Sapphire City?” Y/N asked.

“It’s always best to start at the beginning, and all you do is follow the yellow brick road.”

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