#we all float

The yell for help disappears every second, and the blood-curdling screams ripple through the forest. The intention to run and seek safety was impossible at this point, especially when she was right at the hands of the masked killer.

Red, abraded cheeks, muddied hands, smothered all over her beautiful ripped, ragged clothes, the wet soil sank into her fingernails, and the painful twist that came from her ankle obviously meant more than a gruesome warning.

She whimpered when the masked person, oh so deadly, inched a foot or two, only to crouch down to her eye level. Their eyes searched hers, fear consuming those innocent orbs that would soon no longer blink.

Her hands moved backwards, pulling her body with all the strength that she had left which had only lasted seconds.

It was a clear, audible scream. A bellowed howl that had a tremendous impact, shaking the nerves of creatures who were hidden, awakened by the high-pitched shrill.

The regular kitchen knife that had now sunk deep through the girl's left hand dripped with fresh blood, coating the reflective silver material. It had gone through the soft ground, her hand pinned painfully when the warm tears sprang out of her begging eyes.

The knife now pulled out, like ripping out a bandage left a silent gasp on the girl's lips. She brought out her bloodied hand to her chest weakly, the red colour continuing to stain the girl's dirtied dress. It was not just bright enough though.

Her sobs were caught in her throat, repetitive broken cries that couldn't escape properly like broken melodies with their broken notes. It was music to him though, a lullaby he could listen to all night and sleep without any disturbance.

He shuffled towards the girl, whose breaths became hot and heavy, the beads of sweat that trickled across her forehead, in other words, a quivering figure.

Or soon be the victim.

He scrutinised the crying girl, her eyes following the knife that was lightly tracing the features of her face.

"I don't know what to do with you," the man paused "should I start here?" The knife smears the blood on her dry lips, slowly getting wet by the substance, as it made its way to the tip of her tongue. A salty, metallic flavour drove through her hard-bitten taste buds, not even close to soothing the sting which had popped everywhere.

"Or here?" This time the knife points to her chest, right at her fast- beating heart. The man puts a little pressure on the spot, digging the tip of the knife into the girl's skin to receive a response from her.

She squeezes her eyes shut out of agony, her hands scraping against the ground, making it even ten times worse.

"P-please." The response is so gentle it makes the man rethink his choices. But. But it seemed so fun, no, it was really fun. This was his excitement, his happiness, his relief, his way of living. No one could stop him, and no one would be able to save this poor little, pathetic girl.

He removes the knife before it drives deeper into the skin. The man groans, standing up as he circles around the helpless girl who could not do anything but cry.

He goes to crouch again, his noxious breath fanning over the girl's ear.

"Do you want to see my face before you die, my little girl?" Her widened eyes meant so much to him that the glee shown on his face would have been horrific to even consider. His hands grab the mask he wore, lifting it off to reveal his true identity.

"Surprise."

The girl's eyes enlarged in a stupor as she scrutinised the man in front of her. Pale cheeks with sharp cheekbones, chocolate hair that fell on their eyebrows, and that scar. That faint scar ran against his eye to his eyebrow. The scar that she created.

"Does this ring a bell?" The man chuckles, his cold hand reaching out to the girl's wounded one. She struggles to move hers away from his but the grip he had on her was immense. And at this state, this girl was soon about to die.

The man hums, his fingers drawing vague circles around the red splotch that was formed on the girl's palm. In a flash, before the girl knew it, a wet thing made her palm sting. She hissed and realised that the wet thing was actually a tongue. Disgusted, she pulls her hand away as it thuds on the ground.

She watched those rosy lips now drowned in crimson red, a deranged smile that made her sick in the stomach when he said the next words.

"I'm sorry, I was just thirsting my hunger."

The man beams with his teeth out and the knife in his hand prongs at the girl.

"Aw, don’t be afraid. Dying is much easier than living."

She knew what was going to happen next, she knew, but she attempted her last opportunity of staying alive.

"P-please, please d-don't do this."

The man draws in a breath, muttering a 'no'. The knife plunges deep into her chest, the dark blood soaking her dress as her hands also held onto the knife. She stared him in the eyes, final words choked from her bloodied throat.

"Why?"

The man observes her breathing as her hands drop onto the ground, those pretty eyes of hers stay open, and that voice he could never get tired hearing of was clamped shut. Gone forever.

He inhales her dead scent and replies thickly, "Because.. you never loved me, my love."

The man stood up before wearing his mask again, viewing his lover one last time in satisfaction. Now her dress was bright enough.

The screen goes completely black, and a loud whine erupts from your friend.

"Y/N! I was up to the best part!" You put the remote away, as you held a bowl of colourfully wrapped lollies. Black and orange for the packaging, obviously.

"Eden, please get your ass up and stop getting distracted for god's sake." You motion your friend to follow you, an irritated moan coming out of her mouth.

"But, I was up to the best part, the best part Y/N!"

"What is this? The new ghost face movie or something?"

"It's called 'Scream, Baby', and yes it is new."

"Imagine actually having a psycho killer boyfriend." You mumble to yourself before talking to Eden again.

"Good thing I stopped you or else you would've spoiled the whole thing to everyone."

"But-"

"We have the last bit of decoration left, come on, once we're done with this we can get ready to go to the carnival."

The cold air hits you both as you go to the front of the house to help each other hang the streamers and fairy lights.

"I thought your mum said she wasn't letting you go?" Eden asks, grabbing less than a handful of lollies as she pops one into her mouth, dropping the rubbish onto the ground.

You fiddle with the lights, untangling the mess that was situated.

"Did you really think I was going to listen to her?" You shake your head disapprovingly (well, actually sarcastically) finally undoing the knot.

"I think she's scared, like other mums'."

"Yeah, I get what you mean, with the drastic news and all." Eden sighs, grabbing one end of the fairy lights while you grab the other.

"Can't believe people are going missing in this small town. This shit-town, Derry." You almost scoff in disbelief as Eden silently agrees with you with a nod of her head.

You both finish off the remaining decoration, satisfied with how it turned out. Bright, flashing lights danced vibrantly, the purple neon light that hung at the door made it look extra cool. And the Jack O' Lanterns. How could anyone forget those?

Those funny, supposedly scary-looking pumpkins glowed by the warmth of candles, all of them menacingly staring at the neighbourhood. The fake cobwebs stretched over the windows and fence. Skulls at the side of the entrance sat there with the grim reaper, its skeleton dangling.

It was not the best, but at least the house looked spooky enough for little kids. You check out the other houses on the street, some almost looking like haunted mansions while others left theirs unbothered with only one Jack O' Lantern and a bucket of candies. The regular sign says, "Please take one."

"Didn't the Jefferson's give away toothbrushes instead of chocolate last year?" Eden points to the last house on the street, which was not decorated at all.

"They're not here, heard they went to Hawaii for vacation a week ago."

"Dang, wanted to pull one last prank at them, and how'd you know?"

You snort, covering the laugh with your hand.

"You've always said that Eden, and word spreads fast here, especially with the internet and all."

You stretch, the moonlight shining on the darkened roads as clouds block the wonderous image in the night sky. Oh boy, today was going to be a fun night.

"Now, who's ready to attend the carnival?"

The cheers of exhilaration and laughter surge far from the entrance of this year’s Halloween extravaganza, and more than hundreds of people had attended to deem the levity chills of fear and excitement. The air had never felt much colder than when you and Eden just arrived at the town's biggest festival.

Even though you wore a black, puffy jacket with the fluff tickling your neck, you could still feel the subtle breeze singing along with you. The black shirt with shoulder cuts made your skin shine gloriously beneath the night sky. Your dark blue jeans glistened from the shiny stones that were neatly attached.   

A great outfit for a great night.

“Where are the others?” You ask as you glance around for your friends.

Eden glances at her watch, the time ticking away slowly.

“They should be here, let’s go in and see if we can find them.”

An arch was made just for this festivity, painted red words dripped displayed, 'The Carnal Fear'.

The carnival was bombarded with people, stalls of all types of games set up, the aroma of fresh food just swinging by, and oh my, the prizes. How could anyone forget the prizes? Bright lights and music filled up empty lanes as more people started to come in.

"Y/N! Eden!" Young voices yell from afar, two people running like if it were the end of the world. A pair of arms wrap around your shoulders, the wispy air already replaced the warmth that was radiated by the touch.

Min-ho and Jina smiled at you and Eden, their cheeks widened every second.

"Oh my god, I can't believe we finally got to meet up!" Jina exclaims, her giggles wandering around your ears.

"Don't tell me you guys started without us." Eden folds her arms across her chest, a fake scoff erupting from the corner of her lips as they quirk up.

Min-ho rolls his eyes jokingly, his fluffy hair being swept away in the chilly weather.

"Of course not, we were just looking for you guys."

You squint your eyes at him as they trail down to his shoulder.

"You sure you didn't play any games without us?" Min-ho follows your gaze, an 'o' expression formed on his lips.

Startled, he tries to send a signal to Jina, confusion taking over.

"Nice bear, there's one that looks exactly like it, right over there." You point to a water gun stall, little kids crowding the line as each of them were frantic for a prize. And one received the duplicate teddy bear Min-ho had darned on his shoulder.

“Alright, we did play, but it was only one!”

The giggle that abrupted from your lips fluttered in the air, a tingling sensation that flew into his ear. A wonderous, unhinged smile paved its way out of control. He stared across at you and your little gang, worthless in fact, but he just knew that the four of you were going to make his night the best. A night he would never forget.

Your steps on the pathway walked in every direction out of excitement as screams and joyous laughter mixed in delight- out of order. Your eyes fall into fascination with the decorative rides, and the food stalls- just the festival itself was amazing.

You viewed common games that are played on Halloween every year, like the classic 'Apple Bobbing'. Red apples were floating in a brown barrel, usually used for beer, and the spectacular green water rose up and down whenever a person was participating.

"How's it green?" You ask your friends out of curiosity.

"Not sure, they probably got lights in there or they actually coloured it." Jina replies to you as her fingers point towards a specific fun ride.

The Merry-Go-Round

"You want to go on a kids ride?" Minho says.

"Why not? Unless you want to be a loser and not reminisce childhood memories!" You stick your tongue at Minho, laughing as you and Jia run to hop onto the ride.

Minho gawks at Eden as they both share an awkward silence.

"Well, they're not wrong." Eden mentions as she goes to join them. Minho's ready to go but a loud whisper and slight yelling prevented him from taking a step further. He finds a couple pulled into a quiet area, both of them arguing.

"I told you not to talk to him!"

"I ain't lying, I didn't even talk to him!"

"Fucking whore, knew I shouldn't have brought you here."

"What did you just say? What the fuck did you just call me you son of a-"

Whack

Silence pours in like a waterfall, and a surprised, light-hearted gasp turns into a tremble. Hot air starts to burn onto the marked skin, too hot for breathing. Angry eyes turn into frightful ones, and they soon turn into a puddle of tears.

"Go act like a pretty bitch and wipe those fucking tears off your face." The man spits at his girlfriend's feet, walking away with a hot head. Her sniffles slowly die down, as she walks out too, her eyes landing on Minho.

He's frozen, gazing at her red cheek and puffed, eyes. He doesn't move, doesn't utter a word but is stuck. His breath hitches, taking a step back before the woman trudges away.

Fucking helpless.

"Minho! Hurry up!" He hears your voice, and it's filled with so much pleasure, it's something he hasn't truly felt in a while. Minho joins as he sits on the galloping horse. A clear, distinct white color reflects light and the red and blue patterns disguise its true beauty. The ride begins and fun-like music tunes in, the galloping horses going up and down as your laughter and cheers are in unison with your friends.

Except for Minho.

He's lost in his personal thoughts, gazing at the ground. The woman that looked at him, he thought about her eyes. How they were deceiving, bewitching and untrustworthy. Sure she had fat tears in them, everybody cries though. That woman could have simply, or even possibly tried talking to him. Had she needed help? Of course, she did, she was just scared, frightened. That was all.

Well, maybe she did not need to talk to him but could have told security or gone to the police. The woman seemed shocked at first, the slap had gotten her startled, yet quiet. It was a physical act that put her in her place. It was a toxic relationship. Perhaps it started as verbal, continuous arguments. Then those arguments altered into the man calling his girlfriend indecent names. Financial problems or blackmailing could be part of the list too, and this list could go on forever.

Minho knows all about this. This kind of stuff. It was hard to tell if he suffered in his life, but he was living way better right now. But back in the past? The most important time of living life? It was his precious childhood/teenage days that were too fragile for anything. Especially graphic.

Everything was going well.

Minho was halfway through high school, an A+ student, healthy, and athletic, his mother got a job, and his dad was working as an architect. The family was rich and financially great and Minho's life was normal. Just like everyone else.

Everything was going well.

It was just one fucking night that changed everything.

From normal to chaotic.

"Minho, try calling him again." His mother's panicked voice rang through the dining room as she paced back and forth.

Minho pressed the numbers, but the call didn't go through.

"Where could he be?" Her mellow voice was shaking in worry and fear for her husband. She knew he had an important, huge meeting and that he was supposed to be back by 9 or at least 10.

But it was fucking 1 in the morning. Minho remembered the time perfectly. The more he thought about the scene he just witnessed, the more he travelled back in time.

Minho was 16, he looked a little skinny, but had a fair look. In fact, he recently found out that one of the girls in his class had a crush on him. But now was not the time to think about that. He observes his mother still pacing back and forth, biting onto one of her nails as she gnawed on it. It wasn't a good habit of hers, and Minho smiled at that.

The door clicked, and heavy steps were taken into the house. Minho's mother jumped as she ran to see her love. She hugged him dearly, relieved that nothing serious had happened to him.

She was gently pushed off by him, her questions following her.

"Where were you?" Yes, where did his father go?

The response comes out as a grunt as he takes off his coat, loosens his tie and gulps a glass of cold water. Minho doesn't know if his mother took notice, but his dad's hair was a little messy, a little too messy for his liking.

"Honey, is everything okay? I was worried sick about you."

Minho's dad ignores her again, it's until she tugs his hand. It was this strong, bitter smell that she whiffed at. Alcohol and a mix of perfume, a perfect combination like chaos.

"Where the hell were you?" His mother says sternly, eyes narrowing within a second as her voice grows loud.

"Whose perfume is this? Who the fuck did you meet?"

"I was at the meeting."

"No you did not, you told me the meeting ended at nine to be exact and that you would be at least an hour late. What were you doing in that one hour that made you come home so late?!"

"I was at the god damn meeting!" Now his father's voice grew as he intimidatingly went up close to his wife.

"You fucking liar! I can smell the perfume, it's a woman's perfume. Just tell me who you were with!"

"You said it yourself you bitch! A woman."

Minho stared across at his parents, the tension growing and growing further like poisonous roots. He blinked and the next thing he saw made him sick in the stomach like his worst nightmare on a happy day.

His father's hands were around his mother's neck, her face swelled red and her eyes were tearing up. The nails that dug into her neck were crushing her fragile throat and she felt the world around her closing in.

Without any control or sense, Minho grabbed a vase and-

"Minho!" He's out of his thoughts, and they withered away like blowing a candle. You stare at your friend in concern as the ride had stopped and he just happened to zone out.

"Everything okay? You wanna do something else of your liking or-"

"No, I'm good." The response comes out as bitter as death, wicked like hell. You could tell something was wrong. A change in his expression, coupled with an uneasy tone, that gave it all away.

Was he not enjoying himself? Or was there something beyond this? Something out of your hands? The four of you stroll around, looking for something else to enjoy as you tell your friends to go ahead and that you would catch up to them soon.

Your hands fiddle around the white laces on your shoe, groaning as you bump into someone.

"I'm so sorry, I did not see you there." You gape at the tall person in front of you, their Halloween outfit as black as the devil's blood, and their little hat on top looked exactly like a jester hat but just black. Its silver balls illuminated in the night, chimes ringing here and there. The man in front of you gave a light- tipped smile, grinning with his teeth out.

"No, it's okay, I'm just glad I bumped into you."

You open your mouth but the words get stuck in your throat once you process his response. Glad I bumped into you? What the hell was that supposed to mean? You catch him still staring at you with those endearing eyes, dark circles underneath them until you notice something off about his right eye.

It was a very faint, red line that stretched across his eye. A scar.

"I don't mean to creep you out, even though that's what everyone in Halloween is doing," he muttered, still giving you the exact light-tipped smile from before, "but I what I mean is for you to come over to the circus that will start soon in about fifteen minutes."

Oh, he must work here.

"A circus? Well, that's new."

"Yeah, it's a new addition you know? Be there by the way and bring your friends along too. You'll seek thrills there."

"Right, uh thanks."

Suddenly someone grabs your arm from behind, staggering you as you see Eden.

"Y/N, what's taking you so long? Jina and Minho are waiting for you."

"Sorry, this man here was talking to me." You turn around only to find him gone. Huh.

"Yeah, let's go."

You gotta be careful you know,

It's like dust falling into snow,

You won't notice it for a while,

It just so happens right before you go.

"Oh my lord, why is the line so long?" Jina frowns with her hands across her chest. She was so pumped to experience actual jump scares from her point of view, but it had been simply crushed by the number of people who also wanted to do the same thing as her. A sign had been nailed to the ground, wet paint displaying, "One Pair at a Time."

"Are you kidding me?" She grows irritated, asking one of the workers why it was only one pair at a time.

"Too many people ma'am, worried a fright can turn 'em into a stampede. Don't want history to repeat itself do we?"

Right, the 1980 'Death Joke'. Like any other Halloween, the haunted house was a classic for everyone. It was until a mysterious actor decided to scare the crap out of everyone that was in there. Realistic screams rang through, and wails of pain ruptured within the walls. The people outside had stopped their personal conversations only to see a pack of people running out of the frightening house. There were so many of them that some had died by being stepped over or just simply their heart jumping out of their sockets. The blood was the true witness of all.

But, the most shocking thing was the way some died. Ripped arms, punctures all over the bodies, so many of them headless. Blood had dripped down the walls, splattered, dried out. Those who came out alive spoke the unspeakable.

It was a giant spider. Bigger than a human with legs as pincers, and terrifying teeth. They were all pointed outwards, with sharp edges with a ton of them in spirals. The only thing that was so unnatural about it was the head. It was a human head with deep, red scars, scathed along its eyes. It was a human that turned into the spider, the actor.

They didn't know what to call it, so they called it, IT. The media had labelled them as crazy and psychotic. It was bullshit that no one would ever believe, a fake tale just to get the suspicions of murder away. Some of the survivors were either convicted or sent to asylums. Months later, all of them died by committing suicide. Stabbed, jumped out of a window or hanged themselves to death.

No one wants history to repeat.

Loud sighs drew from your friends, Eden spoke, "Let's get some food first? My stomach is growling and that's a sign of 'you're gonna die if you don't eat'," she laughed sarcastically as the others followed her. You're tagging along until you hear a whisper.

"Pst."

It was almost a stern whisper, nothing electrifying or hot, it felt like ice. Like dead bodies.

"Pst." It repeats again, and the same feeling is there again. The wisp of cold air, but when you turn around you find no one. Those large pair of eyes that narrowed, glowed dangerously.

Oh, Oh, you were so so stupid.

Such a pathetic being, yet so distinct and beautiful.

If Hoseok had the opportunity to snatch you away right now, he would.

But, he can't do this in front of everyone, after all, for the first time in years he's revealing himself to a group.

And that was specifically yours.

Only then, you noticed the floating balloon that sat in the quiet alley. As red as a cherry, the bright colour flashed in front of you. Alluring, hypnotic thoughts drag you in there. You get a hold of the string, not thinking much about it.

"Boo!" You don't know if it was the same noise but they both happened at the same time. You jump back, the popped balloon now flat on your hands as you stared at the glowing eyes that glare at you.

The person comes to light, and it's the same man from earlier.

"I'll give you a tip," he chuckles deeply, "go to the circus, and the line here will be gone, once it's done come straight here and I'll allow you and your gang to go in."

"W-wait, you work as an actor here?"

"A professional actor, professional enough to scare you." The man winks as he walks out of the alley. And then, he's gone.

You somehow managed to convince your friends to head over to the circus as it turned out that the man was right. Nearly everyone had gone to see the show and most of the rides had no lines. You all jog in whatsoever, a man with a black jester hat-

Him again?

He smiles gleefully at you again, but it now felt a little off to you. It wasn't just the way he smiled but also how you took his words into consideration. Go to the circus, and the line here will be gone, once it's done come straight here and I'll allow you and your gang to go in.

Hang on, if the lines were going to be empty, why couldn't you go now?

"Take a mask, take a seat and enjoy the show!"

You glance around and find the massive tent you guys are in had enough space to fit everyone that came. Solid, brown wooden benches smelt like fresh pinewood and mint. Red and yellow stripes licked the tent in all directions, and the rainbow lights lit up the place.

It's deafening to the crowd, but the audience settles down when dramatic music starts to play. The lights dimmed, and everyone hushed as the show was about to begin.

"Ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys, welcome to this year's Carnal Fear Circus!" Whoops and cheers surge in the air, thunderous clapping now softened.

"Stay in your seats, eat up your food and feel amused and overwhelmed by this show as it's not one to miss!" Magicians play fantastic tricks, the audience going 'ooh' and 'ah.' They bring monkeys in and then the monkeys start doing tricks. You see acrobats and clowns doing their own little thing. Everyone claps and laughs in jubilation. But something is off.

It's like time slows down and you can hear ticking. Everything around you is in slow-mo, including your friends who were munching on cheesy hot dogs and corn on the cob. The hairs on your neck stand, anxiety crawling through.

When you think you're alone, someone watches.

And he's staring right at you. No smile this time, but a dead look like he's about to murder someone. Behind him, an object flies into the air. And it's a red balloon, as red as a cherry. It goes higher and higher till it bursts.

"Let's pick some volunteers! Who will help Mick the mysterious in his performance?" Hands fly into the air, and multiple people yell over each other to be chosen.

The magician, Mick, points over to your area. "You two there! Pretty ladies with hot dogs and corn, why don't you come over?" Eden and Jina glance at each other, giggling as they jog off to the pit. You and Min-ho watch silently, and you observe how his mood had slightly gotten better. He finally had a smile on his face.

"May I have your names please?" The mic is passed to them, and both of them speak.

"What gorgeous names! Now, Jina, I have a task for you to do, in fact, you get to work on this one." The magician uses his wand (yes, the wand with the white tip and its black midway) to display the glistening, black rectangular box in front of him.

"I want you to get inside of this box while your friend Eden will be looking for a key. She'll be given clues to get you out, and you'll see the surprise that comes by."

Jina mutters a sure, entering the rectangular box that almost looked like a coffin, the lid shut closed. Eden covers her face with her hands, her ginger hair helping too. Mick hides the key right under the heavy box, slipping it ever so quietly. Inside the box is completely dark, and Jina's breathing was the only thing she heard. Maybe the box was soundproof? It was so dark, dark like on a Christmas Eve night.

"8..9..10, here I come! Ready or not."

The floorboards creak, faint little footsteps stomping around the house. Jeremy was scavenging for his younger sister, Jina. It was a Christmas Eve night, and the adults were all laughing, having sips of rich, bubbly champagne. His cousins, Tim and Tilly had joined them to play hide and seek.

It was Jeremy's turn to seek his cheeky cousins and of course his sister. He entered his room, crept up tacitly and looked under the bed. He found two pairs of eyes peering right at him. Tim and Tilly crawl out of the bed, giggling at the silly idea to hide in the most obvious place. The only person left was Jina. Now, Tim and Tilly could help but they cannot tell Jeremy at all, even if they find Jina themselves. That was part of the rules.

"Achoo!" The noise comes from across the corridor, the trio running right past Jina. She was tucked in the old, dusty cupboard that her mother used to put ancient things in. Like some of the Christmas decorations that were in here, and the wine cups too.

The cupboard was empty this time, and it was enough room for Jina to hide in. When she had run in and closed the cupboard's door shut, it was as black as night. She wasn't scared, she was a brave girl. Time passed, and Jina heard her cousins talking with her brother loudly downstairs.

"Where could she have gone? We looked at all the hiding spaces."

She chortled, tiny hands pressing against her soft cheeks. It felt like forever all of a sudden. Her palms began to sweat, her body feeling uncomfortably hot. Maybe now was the time to get out, and her butt had been aching from sitting the whole time.

Jina reaches to push the door, but it does not budge. She tries again, and again. The door rocks instead as if it were stuck on drying cement. Her heart races, blood pumping ridiculously, grunting as she uses all of her power to push the door open.

Nothing.

Then everything gets too dark, too dark that for a moment she thought she was blind. Her breathing gets heavy, and her forehead is sweaty too with a blistering temperature. The cupboard starts closing in on her and she starts to feel alarmed.

Her hands touch the back of the furniture and it felt incredibly close to her. She does the same with the other sides, her mind striking her that the walls were going to crush her. The space was too compact, feeling like she couldn't barely move at all. She feels her lungs constrict, blood pumping faster, and the oxygen around her slowly dissipates away.

"Mommy? Daddy?" She cries out, tiny teardrops plummet from her green eyes. She can't move her legs, barely an inch to move and it gets much harder to breathe. Jina starts to bang on the door vigorously, screaming for her mother and father.

"Mommy! Daddy!"

In a couple of seconds murmurs and yells come from outside the cupboard.

"Jina, sweetie, where are you?" A silky voice drifts and Jina realises it's her mother.

She hits the door again, sobbing.

There's grunting at the door, and groans of pain as the door swings open with massive power. Jina is lifted off of her feet swiftly, crying as she speaks with broken sobs.

"I c-couldn't b-breathe mommy, it was too dark."

It was too dark.

Abruptly the memories wash in and Jina starts to find herself in the same situation. Her vision blurs, getting clammy and her breathing becomes rapid. Rapid short breaths as she's wondering what might be taking Eden so long?

"Ooh, you're hot..cold...ok now warmer.. extremely hot." Jina can hear them, her hands sticking onto the black box's lid, trying to push it open. But it's locked. She starts to experience the exact feeling, the dark walls closing in, she might be locked in here forever.

She endures the space surrounding her, feet touching the very edge of the box. She clangs the lid, hoping to get a response.

"You're right there!" Jina makes out the comment, and her heart pumped briskly. It was starting to get suffocating and she couldn't take off the jacket she was wearing. Jina bangs at the lid again, yelling to get out.

"Open this! Open this shit right now!" She begins to pant as her vision starts to lose focus and witnesses stars in front of her. She tries kicking with her legs, but she's so weak, the oxygen getting harder and harder to reach her lungs.

"And she did it, ladies and gentlemen! A round of applause for these two." Roaring claps swell in the tent and the crowd cheers. A wave of chilly air brushes against Jina, and her eyes flutter. She recognises Eden pulling her up as she stumbles against her. She gazes to find you and Minho on the benches, but a twisted feeling punches her stomach.

Right behind you is a red balloon, bright and smooth, floating with a white string. It twirls around and black writing is formed on there.

"Jina."

It pops and Jina cowers out of nowhere, frantic eyes probing whether or not the crowd saw that at all. And it seemed like you didn't too.

You notice Jina's red cheeks, her sweat shining across her forehead. You watch Eden comforting her as they reach the steps to talk to you and Minho.

"Jina, oh my god, what happened?" She sits with a huff, slithering off her jacket.

"Just got a little conscious over tight spaces, again."

"Let's go outside and get some fresh air, we can just chill-"

"Dear ladies and gents, the mask you have brought in, please wear them for the next act!" The speakers' screech from corners, everyone whispering and teasing each other when they wore their masks. Except when you rummage to look for yours, it is not there. And it's the same with Eden, Jina and Minho as well.

The masks everyone put on looked horrendous. There were the classic X eyes and lined smiles, hollow faces with white teeth, fake blood splattered on fake bandages, and the word 'god' and the cross were written on it. They reminded you of purge masks, just like the ones in movies.

Promptly the lights switch off, and everyone is dead quiet. Your friends eye behind you, and you do the same. The masks start to glow, all of them staring at the black pit. No one moves, and no one talks until a red light glows. And you see him. You don't see the magicians or the acrobats, but him.

The man is grinning again, presenting a wide smile that can charm anyone.

"Eden...you don't look too splendid today." He draws out her name, and it echoes in her ear. She widens her brown orbs, parting her lips as she looks at the jester man.

"Don't you remember? Eden, you better not come to homecoming."

It’s the gasp that reminds her.

"Eden, you fat doll! You better not come to homecoming you ugly piece of shit." Spit falls on her brand-new, polished shoes by the bully, Sophie. Her blond hair swishes and she gives Eden a nasty stare, pushing her aside as her gang snickers.

Eden doesn't know what's wrong with her. Is she that awful? Is she that bad looking that everyone in her class makes fun of her? Didn't her diet help her? Probably was, and it made sense. No one liked her anyway, not only her looks but her personality too. She was too shy or extremely weird, not sporty or athletic. Life does take a lot of turns for the worst.

Homecoming was near and the endless threats that were sent Eden’s way made it an obvious decision to not attend the party. Even though she had prepared a beautiful dress, it wasn't worth it.

She sighs at the beauty she created, a dark navy blue ball dress attached with stick-on diamonds, faint silver glitter and the pale ends of sky blue. Fake blue carnations were affixed to the corset and golden linings were hemmed along the way. God, she even had matching jewelry too.

“Why aren't you going?” Her mother had asked her as she cleaned the dishes.

“I don't know, I just don't feel like going.”

"Nonsense, you will prevail homecoming with that dress. And it doesn't matter if you don't go out with a guy, as long as you're having fun then it's okay." Her mother optimistically said, hoping it would convince her daughter to go.

"I seriously don't know mom, and my dress is not that appealing either. I feel like it's going to be tedious." Eden's mother raises her eyebrows at her, and the delicate dishes clang as she takes off her wet gloves.

"You better wear that dress in five minutes, and I don't want to hear it from you." She points a wooden spoon at her, sipping a bit of hot chicken soup she had made. Eden whined, stomping to her room and grabbing her dress. She slips it on easily, fixing the ends of the dress and did a little twirl. She glanced at the mirror, her ginger hair curled at the ends and never minded- her dress actually looks gorgeous.

A knock is heard at the door, and Eden's mother comes in with a smile on her face. She started to help Eden with her hair, added a couple of extensions and did her nails. Eden giggled when the makeup brush tickled her eyes, the blue eyeshadow sprinkling. When they were done, Eden's lips parted, an 'o' shape formed and she was in shock.

"You look like Cinderella." Her mother told her, and Eden replied she wasn't in a fairy tale and that she was all grown up now. The drive to her school didn't take too long, and the blast of music thundered when they parked their car.

"Have fun, and if you need anything call me okay?" Eden's mother gave a swift kiss on her daughter's cheek. She waves and enters the school, and Eden discerns laughter and conversations in the hall. It was bright, a disco ball shimmering its sparkles and people were dancing. As if they were hypnotised, the conversations ceased and everyone stopped to look at her. Whispers and murmurs rang through Eden's ears and for a second she thought they were gonna tease her again.

"Jesus Eden! You look beautiful." A girl complimented her, and then a lot of people started to do the same. Eden never felt this type of appreciation in her life. People invited her to dance, to eat with them and she had proper chats too.

"Dear students of Drightfall High, thank you for voting and we hope you all are having a great time. We have calculated the votes to announce this year's homecoming king and queen!" Hoorays and clapping were occurring and a slap of drum rolls happened.

"This year's homecoming king and queen are-" the announcer pauses, opening the envelope in their hands, "Noah and Eden!" The room yells in congrats and hugs are given. To experience the feeling of the homecoming crown on Eden's head was truly an honour.

Once the party was over and everyone was saying their goodbyes, someone pulls Eden into a quiet corner.

"You bitch!" A slap smacks Eden across her cheek, and she stumbles.

"I told you not to come to homecoming, and you just took my fucking win."

"You disgusting whore, what is this piece of shit anyways? Made it yourself from the dollar store? Bet it couldn't compare to my designer dress." Sarah simpers, her friends following her too.

Rrripp.

"Woops, my hand slipped." A tear in Eden's dress and pull on her carnations- it was too much to handle.

More rips and more delirious moves were made and Eden pushed them off. Her salty tears wiped the makeup off of her face, and she wobbled on the road.

Fuck.

Fuck.

How the fuck did he know?

Within a second Eden runs away, her sobs loud and clear when she exits the tent.

"Eden wait!" You yell after her, and then they snap their heads toward you. Your heart thumps against your rib cage. Every single individual stares at you with their purge masks and Jina and Minho halt too. Your eyes trail to the pit and the jester man that stood there cackled wickedly.

"You better run." He said in a sing-like way, and he vanishes. The red light continues to radiate and there's an ear-splitting grind. The audience stands up, hands forming into fists and weapons come out of nowhere.

Your breath hitches as you and the others take slow steps.

"Run."

You all hop off of the benches, feet pressing against concrete and you look for Eden to leave.

"Eden! Eden where are you?!" You stick with Minho and Jina, their voices colliding.

"What the fuck is happening?!"

"I don't fucking know but there's fucking murderers coming after us!"

"We need to find Eden, right now so we can get out of here." You inform them, and instantly a pack of heavy stomps carry on the ground.

You all turn around in sync and it's the audience cracking their necks, holding axes and knives.

Shit.

You sprint as fast as you can while Minho shouts.

"Where do we go?!"

"We're on the opposite side of the exit, it's gonna take us longer if we take a detour." Jina mentions, your breaths are in sync.

What's one place that will be hard for them to find you?

Your eyes broaden and you have an idea.

"The haunted house- let's go there!"

"Are you insane? It's going to be easier for them-"

"It's the biggest ride to easily hide, and we need to find Eden right now."

They look at you with hesitation set in their eyes, but with no choice, they agree and follow you.

You all huff and pant when you enter the house, and it's perfectly decorated. The dark wood, with carvings and cobwebs, barely any light escaping through. Various stairs and corridors are planted, old dry paintings hang on the walls and a wail erupts upstairs.

Eden.

The three of you run up to find her, hearts racing faster every time you thought about dying at the hands of these people.

"Eden! Where are you? We need to leave right now-"

"Y/N in here!" Jina shouts, and you hurriedly go after her. You identify Eden sobbing quietly, her eyes red and swollen from whatever she beheld.

"Eden, we need to leave right now. You're not gonna believe it but there's a like a whole fricking mob coming after us."

"What?"

"Y-yeah, we have to get out now." Eden teeters on her feet, and finally, the four of you prepare to leave when-

"FUCK!" A yowl erupts from Minho, and behind him stood one of those masked people. A knife was stuck deep in his shoulder, blood coating his denim jacket. He can feel the weapon drive deeper and deeper into his skin, the tendons and muscles- it's all pain. You dash to him but Jina gets a hold of your wrist, pulling you back. Behind Minho, there's...more.

No, no, no.

"Minho!" You scream and he wails in agony. You, Eden and Jina trip out of the room and the door shuts close. You grab onto the door handle, unable to open it.

"Leave him alone! Don't you fucking touch him-"

A head-splitting slice hangs in the air, and you're mute.

No...

"Y/N, let's go. I-it's too late." Jina murmurs, and hot tears sprang from your eyes. Eden peers downstairs and even more arrive.

"We need to get up higher." She tells and you obey.

You're all panting again with contended hearts and clammy clothes, pushing yourself into the first room you find.

It's wide and massive, and dust reeks from the ceiling-

Oh lord. The ceiling.

Like an ancient movie, sharp spikes are pointed, as white as day. In front of you were solid, cobblestone steps and one mistake could result in death.

You catch Eden pulling the doorknob but the door is locked.

"We're all going to die at this point." Jina whispers to herself, never feeling this scared in her life.

You ignore the disastrous emotion, and carefully observe the steps in front of you.

"Y/N, what are you doing?"

You step on the first stone, and nothing happens yet.

"Just follow me, and don't step on any stone that is raised a bit higher. It'll trigger the trap."

They silently stick with you and you're halfway there.

"Woah!" You snap your head, looking at Jina who had accidentally stepped on the wrong stone. It goes deep into the ground, grinding against it and everything goes soundless. The ceiling begins to shake like an earthquake and it was getting extremely difficult for you to keep your balance.

"Just go!" You yell, jumping on every random stone just to get out of this death trap. You get out of the horrendous room, and the lights start to flicker. Eden comes out too, panting when she sees you.

"Where's Jina?"

A scream bellows, and you see the walls closing in on Jina.

"Y/n! E-Eden, fuck help ME please." She chokes out, her body getting squished by the rough walls. The ceiling starts to drop closer and closer to her, and you both can't do anything. There's no button to turn it off, nothing.

You wince when you start to hear cracks, and her screams echo in your ear. The spikes sink into her forehead, and her skull gets demolished. Blood splattered, some of it landing on you. The walls oppose each other, and Jina's body was stuck on the spikes. She hung loosely, and nothing of her was noticeable anymore. Her face was completely gone and bones were out in all the wrong places. It drops with a thud, more blood spilling and the puddle grew.

You stare at the scene like a dead person.

A dead person.

"Y/N..." You feel Eden heave on your shoulder as she dragged you away. You're both at the end of the corridor, and a glimmer of hope arises. Right in front of you was a door with an exit sign and you and Eden rushed in.

Except, it wasn't an exit.

It was a mirror maze.

You apprehend the door slam and the ground shakes slightly. You and Eden glance at each other, nodding heads as you take steps. It's clear, and blue lights reflect. Copies of you and your friend are at every angle and direction, and you bump into one of the mirrors.

"Fuck." You groan as you soothe your head with your hand.

"Eden, do you know where to go next?" You question her but there's no response. You gaze at the mirrors and your heart jumps out of your chest.

"Eden?"

"Y/N!" You hear her calling you and you start taking haphazard control. You collide into more mirrors until you find her.

"Eden, oh my god, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine, I just got lost, sorry."

"Don't be, come on, I think we're near-" You jolt straight away, your head impacted by the clear wall in front of you.

What the-

You form fists at the door, sweaty palms greasing the clean glass. Eden tries to leave but she also hits her head. Oh god, she's stuck.

And then you hear this disgusting noise behind Eden.

It's the man.

His tongue glides smoothly along the glass, and you start to see his red scar more vividly now. Out of nowhere, he bangs his head on the glass and both you and Eden jump. He does it again and repeats it until there's a crack.

Hell, you were realising what he was doing. You try breaking the glass with your shoulder but pain waves in. The crack starts to get extensive, and you keep trying to somehow fracture the glass from your side.

The banging stops and you look at the man grinning again, with a red balloon behind him.

He opens his mouth wide, and spirals start to form, and so many teeth jagged are coated with blood.

"No! Stop, stop, leave HER ALONE!" You scream, as your fists rap at the wall.

"Don't do this to her! PLEASE, I'm begging you, don't do this to-"

Clink.

Glass shatters everywhere, and fragment of pieces graze Eden's face. A crunch is heard and you see blood explode on the walls and you fall back, not realising the tears had already dropped. The man is gone again.

Your head takes time to process the things you just saw, and all of your friends were dead. They were never going to come back into this world ever again. You manage to exit the room and find a pair of stairs that lead back to the start of the house. You're so tranced in your thoughts that you trip on a step, tumbling down and you hear a twisted crack from your ankle.

The shriek that bursts out of your dry lips tells enough of a gruesome warning. You peek at your leg and you shake your head. Part of the bone is cracked and it pops out, blood enriching the wound. The torment is killing you and you have no other option but to crawl out of the place. You haul yourself out steadily, wincing and hissing every time the bone gnawed at your skin.

You're in the middle of the path, behind you was the exit, but it was sealed with red balloons and a wooden board. Everything is so quiet, and dead. No one was here except for you and the man.

You were so alone.

"Hey Y/N, wanna play truth and dare?" Your friend asks you, wiggling her eyebrows when you say yes.

"Okay... I pick truth."

"Aw man, I had a good dare. Anyway, what's your biggest fear?"

You take time to answer this one, what was your biggest fear?

"Hmm, I think it's being alone."

"Alone? What type of fear is that?"

You try to explain to her, "It's like you're scared of being alone in this world, and you're the only person who exists in a certain place."

"So that's your fear?"

"Yeah, I hate being alone."

You hated being alone, and you were so fearful about it.

Sweet, melodious music dances in the breeze and only one ride smoulders in front of you.

The Merry-Go-Round

The man dressed in all black stands there watching you. Your breath hitches and you see him crack his bones and do weird movements with his body. His legs begin to extend and they become...pincers? The same goes for his arms and the body part that remains normal is his head.

Everything starts to connect... the 1980 Death Joke, and the missing people from previous festivals-

He was the actor.

And he even told you at the beginning.

He's so proud, and he's played such a mind game with you all. And he's finally going to have you, and keep you forever.

"Y/N, my darling, how was the carnival?" The name throws you off, and you whimper when you move back with your broken ankle.

Hoseok catches this and he pouts.

"My poor girl got hurt while trying to survive? Well, isn't that heroic?" He crawls with his pincers, coming towards you, and you try to move backwards. You're slow and weak, unable to move an inch when you move your leg. He, on the other hand, runs at a pace that even you could not muster.

"No!" You scream, hands swatting at him.

He cradles you in his spider-form arms, and brings you extremely close to his face.

"I forgot to introduce myself, forgive me. But the name is Hoseok, or as others like to call me, IT."

You tremble under his touch, as you uncomfortably writhed around. Everything is silent and it feels like it's just the both of you that exist in this world. His world.

"I want you to scream for me."

It all happens in a flash and you screech at the pincer that struck your chest. Blood drips, and crimson floods in. You gurgle and spit out blood when it goes even further. You can feel yourself breathing slowly, the breaths now soft and steady, and your eyes become blurry.

They stare directly into Hoseok's eyes, and he opens his mouth. Three circular balls glow yellow and your eyes fall into his spell. Just right before you get hypnotised, you see the bodies of your friends float in the night sky. Blood dripped from each of them. The amount of fear he consumed from them was fresh, and it was like a full buffet. Hoseok is always in your head and was always inside your friends' heads too. Sure, he enjoyed fear, but the best part of all was death. Just seeing the way they all die.

Hoseok gives you the exact same light-tipped smile from before, and he was right, you did make his night the best.

His lips fall onto yours, capturing the liquid, murmuring to you.

"You're not alone anymore, Y/N."

He chuckles before diving in again.