BROKEN BONES

What Sponge decided to bite on, was the sleeve of her hoodie. She slipped her uninjured hand off the fabric before biting down, her breath stuttering in both fear and pain as she blindly grasped her leg. 

Pain shot through her whole body, and she let out a pained hiss, closing her eyes and resisting the urge to slam the back of her head against the stone wall.

"Calm down, Spongey," Ji-Ho hushed, her voice soothing. Sponge gritted her teeth on the fabric, both hands tightening around her leg. It was now or never. If she failed to correct her knee, there was a high chance she wouldn't be able to walk again—or she would limp for the rest of her life.

Sponge let out a shaky breath, her body going clammy with fear. She could feel Ji-Ho hovering beside her, one warm hand on her shoulder and another on her thigh. "On three," Ji-Ho said, and Sponge nodded, bracing herself as she applied gentle pressure to her leg.

She needed to pull it, to straighten her leg and force the bone back into place. "Three, two—" Ji-Ho counted down, but before she reached one, Sponge yanked her leg. A scream tore from her throat as she bit down hard on her sleeve. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she leaned back, slamming the back of her head against the wall behind her.

A loud static noise filled her ears as she unconsciously released the sleeve from her mouth, her breaths coming out in frantic pants, her body shaking. "Spongey, breathe, breathe with me," Ji-Ho whispered, placing a hand on her chest. Sponge trembled, letting out low groans, certain that her vision had whitened in pain despite the darkness surrounding her.

"Sponge, breathe," Ji-Ho urged again. Sponge finally exhaled the breath she had been holding, opening her eyes to find Ji-Ho watching her, worry etched on her face.

"I guess I got too excited," Sponge joked, forcing a pained smile and a chuckle.

"I was counting for a reason," Ji-Ho replied, running a hand over Sponge's sweaty forehead and pushing her hair back. Sponge let out a shaky breath as the pain slowly dwindled away; her leg felt much better than before.

She could wiggle her toes, though they felt slightly numb. Now, she could probably bend her leg enough to walk. Sponge exhaled harshly, relishing Ji-Ho's cold hand on her overheating forehead. God—she felt like shit at that moment.

"Spongey, don't sleep. We have to keep moving, okay?" Ji-Ho whispered. Sponge opened her eyes again, blinking in confusion—when had she even closed them? God, she was just so tired.

"Okay," Sponge murmured, pushing herself up against the wall, ignoring the tinge of pain in her leg. Ji-Ho quickly assisted her, using herself as a crutch once more.

"Careful," Ji-Ho cautioned as Sponge hissed, slamming her fist against the wall, her face scrunching in pain.

"Sponge?" Vvh's familiar voice echoed, causing Sponge to raise her head in surprise, looking around.

"That's Vvh!" Sponge exclaimed, turning to Ji-Ho, who looked just as excited. "We should move then!" Sponge nodded, and they both hobbled together, resembling a three-legged monster.

Sponge might have giggled at the scene if she weren't in so much pain.

She let out a series of pained groans and grunts as they tried to quicken their pace. Ji-Ho had to remind her to slow down several times. "I'm sure she'll be there. You don't need to rush; you're hurt," Ji-Ho said gently, and Sponge nodded shakily.

Honestly, she just wanted to get out of there.

At the same time, she felt hesitant to find Vvh, considering what she had just done. It was the dust—Sponge could understand that—but still, the wounds in her stomach and arm were proof of how dangerous Vvh could be, how easily she could turn against her.

But it was just the dust, right? Sponge thought, her feet slowing down. The excitement of getting back to Vvh had transformed into a heavy pit in her stomach. It was fear—she was scared. She wasn't fit to fight at the moment; Vvh could easily kill her.

Sponge turned to Ji-Ho, who was focused on looking ahead, her face serious and determined. "I want to sit down," Sponge said before she could think it through, the pit in her stomach growing heavier as she felt cold all over.

Ji-Ho turned to her, confused. "We're getting closer, aren't we?" she asked, but Sponge pulled away from her, stumbling toward the wall and sliding down with a pained moan. "I just need rest," she said as Ji-Ho sat beside her.

"Okay," Ji-Ho replied.

They fell into a deep silence, Sponge staring at the ground, biting the bottom of her lip.

"Is Vvh the reason why you're hurt?" Ji-Ho asked. Sponge blinked for a moment before glancing at her. "Aren't you supposed to already know? You're a figment of my imagination," Sponge replied, and Ji-Ho smiled wryly. "How cold! I thought we were friends," she teased, elbowing Sponge lightly.

Sponge turned away, wrapping her arms around her torso, nodding shakily. "We are…" she whispered. Ji-Ho let out an amused breath. "You're scared, aren't you? Scared that Vvh might hurt you again."

Sponge lowered her head, feeling ashamed.

Then Ji-Ho placed her hand over Sponge's and smiled. "There's nothing wrong with being scared, Spongey," she said. Sponge offered no reply—she didn't even know what to say at this point. Ji-Ho was right; she was scared to face Vvh.

"I'm sure she's searching for you right now. She must be so worried," Ji-Ho said as Sponge licked her chapped lips. "How'd you know?" Sponge asked, raising her head to meet Ji-Ho's gaze. "I just do—you know it too, right?" Ji-Ho tilted her head, her eyes squinting as she smiled.

Sponge swallowed hard.

"Why are you still here, Ji-Ho?" she whispered, watching Ji-Ho's face fall before she smiled again, this time with a hint of pain. "If I wasn't here, you would never save yourself," Ji-Ho whispered. Sponge flinched, blinking wildly at her. 

"Am I right?" Ji-Ho asked.

Ji-Ho is dead—and Sponge knows she's alone in this tunnel right now, talking to a ghost. No one is really there.

Sponge flinched when Ji-Ho held her cheek, her thumb wiping away the tears that had fallen. "Don't cry, Spongey," she murmured, her voice pained as Sponge let out a sob.

"Why did you kill yourself, Ji-Ho?" she whispered, lowering her head as the other woman pulled her into her arms. Sponge let herself be embraced, burying her head in Ji-Ho's shoulder while the other ran her fingers through her hair, shaking away the dust.

"Living has always been a pain," Ji-Ho replied, prompting Sponge to laugh softly. "What a stupid reason," she said, and Ji-Ho giggled. "Is it? I thought it was a good one," she joked.

"I like to think that you were just saving yourself from the pain," Sponge mumbled, laying her cheek on Ji-Ho's chest, ignoring how the position hurt her leg.

"Maybe I was," Ji-Ho replied, and Sponge nodded weakly.

"You did… I miss you," Sponge whispered as Ji-Ho hummed a small tune. "You'll have to move on anyway," Ji-Ho said.

"And if I don't?" Sponge raised her head, meeting Ji-Ho's gaze.

Ji-Ho met it head-on, her eyes serious. "You'll only hurt yourself."