"We're almost there. Just stand by the gate." His smile stretched widely, butterflies filling his stomach at the thought. He began to move a little faster, giving a small jog with Monggu at his side. It wouldn't take long before Jennie was in sight. Kai ended the call and put in a better jog as he ran into a hug, giving them both a burst of energy. The hug radiated with energy that the two needed, both just looking to get a refill of energy that had depleted from the day. Monggu was not fond of being ignored and began to bark until the two separated.
"Monggu, this is Jennie. Jennie, this is Monggu. My dongsaeng." He smiled, and she knelt down to pet him.
"I remember you." They both thought back to the morning that Monggu wanted to say 'Hi' to Jennie, and it made Kai laugh a bit.
"Isn't she a lot nicer?" He winked at her when they locked eyes before kneeling down next to them both. "Shake her hand, Monggu." The dog reached out his hand and waited for her to take it. Jennie took his paw and began to shake the tiny paw. "Monggu, popo." The words were simple, but it would fill Jennie with excitement as the dog kissed her hand.
"He's so adorable." She smiled and looked up to Kai, who was just entranced by their connection and absorbing the moment that he was in. Kai watched the moment continue, smiling and thinking about the feeling that ran through his veins. Jennie looked up at Kai once again, looking at the strength she gained from him.
As her hand continued to brush over Monggu, Kai felt a wave of sleepiness fall over him. He tried to ignore it, thinking of the events that unfolded and how exhausting the entire day had been for him. The feeling continued to grow, soon signaling for him to yawn when suddenly his head began to grow fuzzy. He was sure this was not normal since there was never a time he would become this drained, this tired, and this lethargic. He tried to act normal, moving his body to the brick wall as he tried just to admire her. He just wanted to watch her for a moment. The way that she smiled, pushed her hair back, and muttered to Monggu was charming and definitely pulled him under her spell. He thought about what he knew so far about her, conversations flashing through his mind, and the thought of changing it. Changing everything. He wanted that for her, and he needed that for himself. With one final look at her, he watched her stand before moving to the wall next to him. He smiled, placing his hand over hers.
"I.. think," The words came out in such a breathless manner, being similar to a pant as if he had been running for hours. "I.. think," the moment stopped, and that was when everything began tumbling down.
-
The chaos that followed was shocking, to say the least. The lights, the screams, the cries, and even the barks were waking up the whole neighborhood. The bystanders, who were just trying to see what was going on out of concern, were forced behind the yellow police tape. The officers and first responders were working diligently, but they continued to show no effort of much being done. The home was now taped off, and they were looking at each other with genuine concern about how they were going to solve this one. The sirens in the distant signaled for all cars and pedestrians to split, giving a runway for them to use. The intense wails that broke hundreds of hearts, filled the night, and planned to haunt everyone echoed in the ears of all who stood by watching.
The night was almost gone at this point, the sun soon breaking past the horizon. The transition from street lights, sirens, and flashlights illuminating the place was now lit naturally. As the sun came up, the beautiful light that painted the skies also illuminated a scene from a horror film. As the officers continued to walk in and out, their facial expressions were cold and full of grief for the scene that had been uncovered. The teams of forensics and crime scene investigators filled the home, walking out with packed bags before returning with empty ones. Inside, photos were being taken of the blood that was splattered against the walls and on the floor. One officer who had been completely submerged in their work looked up and, to their amazement, stood stunned at the blood that lined the roof.
Outside, the bystanders stood and watched the paramedics load the ambulances one by one, gasping at the gurney that carried each person as they appeared from the home. The first gurney was rolled down the sidewalk, a hand being adjusted and stuck under the white sheet as murmurs began to grow amongst the crowd. The gurney was loaded into the ambulance, and paramedics stepped inside before closing the doors to the public eye. As this ambulance pulled off, another replaced it. The paramedics stepped out and were ready to load the next gurney, traveling up as the murmurs continued.
The police officers stood guard, listening to the noisy whispers among the older women who held on to each other for comfort. As the second gurney was pulled from the door, the next screams that were heard were blood-curdling and frightening, even to the officers on the scene. The body of a woman was apparent from under the sheet, the shape of the body being outlined as it aid in a resting position. The screaming woman fell to her knees, grasping at her heart in confusion about why the scene had occurred in the first place. The gurney was on its way to being loaded into the ambulance before the screaming woman attempted to run for the person who was lying under the sheet.
The screaming woman held on to the shirt of the young paramedic, begging for information on what just happened. He ignored her, pushing her off as an officer pulled her aside. As the doors of the ambulance closed, the woman stared at the back of the truck as she listened to the officer. The moment the ambulance pulled away, the face of the woman shifted as the police disclosed the events. As she collapsed, the police held out his arms for support, preventing her from falling completely to the floor. As the final ambulance pulled into the cleared runway, the officer led the woman to the house. His arm wrapped tightly around her as he guided her into the room and tried to prevent her breakdown from occurring once again.
As the woman navigated through the room, she found herself crashing continuously into the arms of the officer. The blood that littered the scene, the holes that pierced the floor, and the dust that silently followed their bodies. The next scene sent the woman into pure insanity as the next body was carried from the room, and its shape shook her every being. The small body that she knew perfectly well who it belonged to. The officer called for one more officer to his aid as the woman shook from pure sadness and fear.
She held on to her chest, gasping for air, prompting the officers to carry her to the next ambulance. They lifted her from the ground, holding on to her as she sobbed for the last family she had. As the morning air hit, she took in a small breath before being placed on a bed. The oxygen mask was placed on her face as she shook from the horrific scene that she had just witnessed. The officers spoke, but her ears could not hear anything. The night was silent; her wails were loud, and her body was completely numb.
As time slowly ticked by, the scene had been cleared, civilians were forced to leave, and time continued to go by slowly. A boy who stood on the opposite side of the street stared at everything, his hands balled into fists. This small boy had been standing there from the beginning, watching the scene unfold. His face was pale, staring off into the distance, his gaze at the door that was propped open. The young boy wasn't sure why he moved. He had not moved for the past few hours, his body being weighed down on the sidewalk. Now, his body was moving on its own, and it was headed for the door.
With his fists still balled up, he walked through the few people that remained, passing any officers that were nearby. The yellow tape that stood before the young child did not stop his body, and his mind knew that he shouldn't. His small body let him go under the yellow tape with ease, evading the officer who was preoccupied with the ambulance. As the young boy got closer to the door, his legs began to speed up. The little boy's legs were now outstretched and forcing him to dash closer to the door. On guard, an officer nearby spotted the young child, taking off behind him the closer he got to the door.
The young boy, without even thinking, had completely avoided capture. He continued to run, his feet not stopping as he passed every officer who had been collecting evidence. The little boy's feet squeaked as he paid no attention to the floor and continued through the home. He soon found himself slipping as he walked through the hallway, falling on the floor before standing up once again. He pushed open the door to the room on the left, looking around frantically for something. The young boy's eyes went to the closet, seeing a small crack in the door. His feet carried him to the closet door, pulling it open before falling to his knees. Tears began to fall from the young boy's eyes as he looked into the empty closet, his hands opening and closing as they reached out. The officers who had fallen behind the young boy watched him, his face staring into the closet. The room had yet to be processed, but they waited as the young boy reached.
His hand stumbled through the clothes as it reached for the vent that hid behind them. One small, shaky hand reached to the right of the vent, followed by the other. Both hands shook as they tried to squeeze their little nails into the small cracks. The small, shaky hands began to pull as hard as they could, prying the small vent from the wall. It finally made a small pop, indicating to the young boy to slide it up next. The small vent covering detached from the wall, the boy throwing it behind him as he climbed inside. His breathing shook as tears streamed faster, his knees hitting the metal as he climbed through.
He would bump into something as he took his 4th step inside the vent. The boy put his hand out, taking hold of whatever it was. His hand fell as he pulled; the sweat and tears completely left his grasp unsteady. His hands quickly went to his pants, drying his hands so he could pull one more time. Unheard were the yells and screams of the officers calling to the young boy. Unsure of what he had come into contact with, the young boy knew what he was looking for. Unknown were the events that were taking place in the vents as the officers yelled for backup in rescuing the young boy.
With a final attempt, the young boy finally took hold of the thing that stood in his way, and he attempted to back out as he held on to it. The boy's feet were soon grabbed, being pulled from the closet with his arms wrapped tightly around the object. Feet paraded the floor as the officers rushed to the ambulance, jumping in the back and slamming the doors. The sirens wailed as the truck began to take off, driving as frantically as they could.
-
The hospital walls were bare, the fear of ghosts looming around the hall while families waited on updates about their loved ones. The tears that they all shed in the anticipation that their loved one would be okay, and holding on to hope. The doctors rushed in their white coats, hurrying to the aid of those loved ones. The nurses paced the rooms, communicating and ensuring the care of the patient and their families. Then there were the ones who were just waiting. Waiting to hear the news, waiting to see a nurse make eye contact, waiting for a name call, or anything. That night, it seemed there had been a storm of bad luck that had rained in town. The waiting room was almost full of family members, and there was no way for any of them to know anything yet.
The double doors rushed open, and two nurses walked out to approach the desk, grabbing their clipboards before moving off to their families. One nurse turned to the left side of the waiting room, approaching a small family as they held one another. The nurse quietly looked to pull one of the members aside, a boy taking the responsibility as he walked off to the side with her. Her mouth was soon covered by her hand as she whispered to the boy. Tears grew in his eyes as he nodded in understanding, allowing her to whisper once more before walking away. The boy stood still for a moment, collecting himself before looking at his family, who were looking curiously at him. His head shook from side to side, prompting the family to burst into hysterics as the mother collapsed. Her cries soon filled the room as she wailed for her husband, who she had just learned had passed.
The next nurse would go to the right of the waiting room and then towards the middle. She approached the young girls who were seated, whispering to one of them before walking away, back towards the double doors. The first stood, leaning down to tell the other what the nurse asked of them before she rose from her seat as well. Both girls hooked themselves arm in arm-as they followed the nurse's movement and met her at the doors. She would open the doors and guide the two girls to a room, where they would see a closed door. The nurse turned to confirm their presence before opening the room, showing them the body that lay on the bed. The two girls walked in, seeing the body of the boy in front of them, who lay sleeping peacefully in the bed.