dohyun

dohyun didn't know anything. he didn't know where taeyoon was, he didn't know who was sending these creepy messages.

he didn't know if anyone of them was going to die.

chunghee:

[ it must be taeyoon doing this...why would he want to go along if he was really searching for wonshik and hwan? ]

dohyun was angry. taeyoon had offered to go in the creepy house first, if it wasn't for him, they might would have turned back and left, with none of this happening.

dohyun

[ where is he? ]

hwan:

[ we better find him now the lights are on. ]

hwan didn't look any better after his breakdown. although dohyun couldn't bring himself to trust the maknae fully again yet, he had to admit with another message written, hwan seemed less suspicious, or even innocent.

but hwan was a great deceiver.

not knowing who to trust anymore, dohyun grasped junghwa's wrist and began running, while dragging the other along, through the hallways, peeking into every room to check if the missing older was there.

for a spilt second dohyun thought maybe taeyoon had left the haunted place, until he heard sounds coming from the little storage room he was standing next to.

junghwa:

[ did you hear that? ]

dohyun:

[ what do you think I am, deaf? ]

junghwa shrugged, getting a sudden burst of rare courage from somewhere to push open the door.

the sounds stopped immediately. suspicious, dohyun pulled junghwa behind him, peeking inside warily.

the last thing he expected was a hit from a dusty bat to the chest.

yelling out in pain, dohyun stumbled back, clutching his chest and crashing into junghwa.

taeyoon:

[ dohyun? ]

taeyoon frowned as he stepped out, bat out and poised to strike. junghwa's expression got more confused.

junghwa:

[ what were you doing in there? ]

taeyoon:

[ figuring out why the lights were on. ]

dohyun:

[ why did you hit me? ]

junghwa only then seemed to realize he was still there, sending glances between dohyun and the bat in taeyoon's hand.

taeyoon:

[ i thought you were somethi-someone else. sorry. anyways. any luck finding hwan and wonshik? ]

taeyoon:

[ why were the lights even on in the first place? i've been searching, there's not one light switch in this place. ]

dohyun paused at taeyoon's sentence.

dohyun {to himself} :

[ yeah we found them, but not for you to finish wonshik off. ]

taeyoon's expression became colder as he stepped towards dohyun, throwing the bat on the ground.

taeyoon:

[ what did you say? ]

dohyun:

[ wonder why you wanted to search for those two alone. in the dark. In a 'haunted place'. ]

taeyoon:

[ why not? it's not like i did this to hurt them. ]

dohyun:

[ the message says otherwise. ]

dohyun would have questioned his life choices if taeyoon picked up the bat to hit him again, since that was exactly what the older looked like he wanted to do. thankfully, he did not.

he was prepared for taeyoon to look confused, or to ask him what message, then he would have to lead taeyoon to see it, only to have him say it wasn't him who wrote it.

he didn't expect the complete opposite.

taeyoon:

[ oh, you mean the message on the stairs? ]

junghwa inhaled shakily, his breath getting louder and uneven.

taeyoon:

[ you think i wrote it? ]

his expressionless face wasn't making it any better.

taeyoon:

[ you think i would kill wonshik? ]

his voice was getting louder, junghwa pulling dohyun to step back further.

suddenly feeling the presence of a person other than junghwa, dohyun whipped around furiously, only to relax a bit at the sight of the other four.

youngsoo:

[ what's going on? ]

dohyun:

[ taeyoon knew about the message on the stairs. ]

the most scared of out all of them was wonshik. he had been silent all along after seeing the message, as if one word would lead to his death.

taeyoon rushed forward, pressing his hands on wonshik's shoulders.

taeyoon:

[ you know i would never hurt you, right, won? ]

the younger was shaking violently, refusing to meet taeyoon's eyes.

dohyun:

[ drop the act, hyung, only you've been wandering alone in this place. who else would have the opportunity to write that shit? ]

taeyoon was surprisingly calm. But dohyun knew that it was him getting angrier.

taeyoon:

[ if you think i would kill one of us just because i like to be alone, then you're very wrong. ]

taeyoon:

[ and why are you all acting as if I'm the only one whose initials were under the messages? ]

taeyoon:

[ why aren't you questioning them? ]

horrified, dohyun slowly turned to see who taeyoon was pointing at.

his fingers were aimed steadily on chunghee, junghwa and wonshik.

dohyun {confused} :

[ those three? ]

junghwa:

[ me? what have i done? ]

taeyoon's eyes narrowed, making dohyun doubt him and his own sanity at the same time.

taeyoon:

[ you didn't see the messages with their initials? ]

wonshik:

[ i...didn't write any message...? ]

youngsoo:

[ how many messages are there? ]

taeyoon ignored youngsoo, his black pupils steadily trained on dohyun.

taeyoon:

[ i would never lay a finger on any of you. ]

someone was definitely lying. dohyun just wasn't sure who. the dead leaves swirled underneath their feet, making crushing noises when someone moved.

the windows were sealed tight, or so as dohyun thought, but...where did the leaves come from?

chunghee:

[ what reason do you have to make us believe that you wouldn't hurt wonshik? ]

youngsoo:

[ hwan's not that innocent either. ]

hwan turned around to stare at him, his eyes getting more frantic as tears started pooling in them.

hwan {stuttering} :

[ hyung, you...you don't believe me...? ]

youngsoo didn't answer, his eyes trained on the ground.

hwan:

[ taeyoon...hyung may be innocent. ]

dohyun:

[ easy for you to say, you're pretty suspicious too. ]

taeyoon:

[ just because i was the only one who saw the other messages doesn't mean that me and hwan are the ones who wrote them! ]

wonshik:

[ have you guys ever considered that the messages may just be a prank or something? it shouldn't all be real! ]

the silence dragged on as everyone turned to glance at the boy.

wonshik:

[ it shouldn't be real...right? ]

without any warning, the lights blew off, with junghwa letting out a shriek. wrapped in darkness once more, dohyun closed his eyes briefly to get used to the sudden darkness.

taeyoon:

[ great...i was looking forward to getting out of this place fast. ]

dohyun:

[ stay close together if you don't want another round of hide and seek in this place. ]

as if dohyun's words had some kind of effect, chunghee immediately yelled,

chunghee:

[ Where's youngsoo?! ]

hwan:

[ wasn't he with you? ]

chunghee:

[ i don't know, he let go of my hand! ]

after a few moments of fear and worry, dohyun felt a small body lean onto him. with the bond from the years of friendship, dohyun could tell who it was straight away, even though the dark was messing with his mind.

dohyun:

[ hyung! youngsoo's here, don't worry. ]

dohyun:

[ youngsoo? ]

not hearing a response, dohyun kneeled down to grip the younger tightly, only to have youngsoo put his full weight on him.

wait what?

dohyun:

[ y-youngsoo? no... ]

wonshik:

[ hyung? what's happpening? ]

out of everyone's expectations, the lights flickered open again, with most of them falling to the ground due to their eyes unable to handle the sudden brightness.

taeyoon:

[ not again...what's wrong with the person who's doing this? ]

taeyoon:

[ makes me wanna- ]

dohyun's attention was on somewhere else. he turned his gaze to where he had last remembered where youngsoo was standing, then forced his eyes open.

with light streaming into his eyes, he managed to make out the younger lying on the floor.

something was wrong.

He heard a scream from wonshik. he wasn't going to complain though. he would have screamed too.

jung youngsoo was lying on the floor, with a noose tied tightly around his neck, his hands brought up to his neck as if he was trying to pry the rope off. eyes bulging, lips and face already turning purple, dohyun's worst fear had come true.

he couldn't see the rise and fall of youngsoo's chest.

another message was on the floor.

do you believe that hell exists?

cause I'm going to make your life exactly like it right now.

~ C. H.

p.s. too bad youngsoo didn't scream, maybe you'd save him in time if he did.

jung youngsoo was dead.