BUTTON EYES [ATEEZ]

Chapter 5

Later that night when Seonghwa was finally able to gather his three routy roommates, Hongjoong gathered the other three and they all made their way into town. Along the way Hongjoong had been telling the guys the history of the town, the backstories behind the few buildings that were actually left in the town.

"Wait, so some fire took everything out? How come it didn't take out everything?'' Yunho asks, only getting a shoulder shrug from Hongjoong in response.

"That part I'm not sure of. Grandma only ever tells me bits and pieces since you know..she doesn't really remember much, there also isn't much about the fire or what caused it in the town library files." the others nodded in understanding as they followed along

For the rest of the night the eight of them stuffed their faces and drunk until every word they said was barely audible, well everyone except Seonghwa that was. He kept thinking about the door and the house, something about being there bothered him. Why couldn't he remember a single detail? He remembered crying his eyes out as a child when his mother told him he wouldn't be going back to grandmas but he couldnt for the life of him even remember any memories of having been ther with her. Standing up from his seat Seonghwa slipped away from the group of guys that were now drunkenly yelling at one another over a game of mafia. As soon as he stepped outside he took in a deep breath before taking in the old town, his eyes then landed on the old park and to his surprise a little girl stood there staring back at him.

"Are you lost..? Why are you out here all alone?'' he asked? Worry laced in his tone as he looked around in search for the little girl's parents.

No answer.

"Where are your parents?'' he further questioned, once again being met with silence.

"Who are you talking to?" Yeosangs voice startled him, pulling his attention away from the little girl only momentarily.

"Um i was asking her where her parents were.'' Seonghwa responds, earning a confused glance from Yeosang.

"Who?'' As Seonghwa turned and raised his hand to point into the direction of the girl his eyebrows knit together as he too now grew confused. The girl had been standing right there and it was as if she had just vanished.

"You know what nevermind, did you need something?'' he turns back to yeosang who only shrugs his shoulders at the mans odd behavior.

"Well mafia got out of hand and Wooyoung bit Jongho and now he's chasing him around the pub like a maniac and Mingi is chasing jongho trying to get him to sit down.'' At his words Seonghwa sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Why is it always those two.'' He follows Yeosang into the pub taking one last look back in the area in which the girl once stood.

Their night out ended with them all walking back to seonghwas place, wooyoung with a pout on his face having been turned into a human punching bag by Jongho and Jongho with a smug grin on his after having gotten Woo back for biting him. They each disappeared into their rooms San and Wooyoung sharing one of the guest rooms and Yeosang and hongjoong having their own rooms, unbeknown to them this would be a rough night for each of them.

This was part of the reason Hongjoong hadn't slept in that house and barely stepped foot into it since Seonghwa had left. The night terrors, the nightmares that all seemed to come flooding back due to just one simple visit to the house.

As Hongjoong walked along the garden he could hear faint whispers from the woods behind him. Unwillingly his body moved towards the whispers and they grew louder and louder as he began to close the distance. A familiar black cat circled his feet as if forbidding him from moving any further but he continued on. He found himself looking back at an old memory one hat he thought the pills had helped bury deep.

He and aYoung seonghwa stood shouting and screaming as the woman in black held Seonghwa by his neck, her slick fingers squeezing tight enough to draw blood. Hongjoong bit her ankle making her hiss and drop Seonghwa to the ground before reaching out for hongjoong. It was then that Seonghwa raised the medallion and a loud screech emitted from the woman before she disappeared. It was then that Hongjoongs eyes locked with his younger self and he woke up in a pool of sweat

He found himself quietly making his way down the hall to grab some water from the kitchen, now finding it hard to get himself to sleep again. To his surprise he found Seonghwa sitting at the window with a cup of tea in his hand.

"I guess you couldn't sleep either?'' Hongjoong chuckles and makes his way over to the fridge pouring himself a glass of water.

"Not really haven't really been able to sleep since we got here.'' Seonghwa sighs and pulls his legs to his chest to make room for his friend to sit.

"There are so many details that just arent adding up in my head, so many things I feel like i'm missing being here.'' he sighs and Hongjoong immediately felt guilty he knew why but he vowed to his grandma coraline that if he ever returned he wouldn't speak a word.

"Hongjoong you know something, I'm sure of it. Ever since I came back you've been acting weird and ever since that day you pulled yeosang from the kitchen you've been even weirder. What is it you aren't telling me?'' hongjoong sighs, he couldnt help but grow slightly annoyed at his friends' persistence.

"Seonghwa there are some things just not meant to be remembered, whatever you think it is that you feel you should be remembering do yourself a favor and let it go. It'd be best that you just carry on as if there's nothing bothering you. You're better off not remembering.'' he stood from the bay window with his water in hand and made his way to the door.

"I'm going back to bed, you should try and get some rest." Honjoongs leaves the room with a sigh, leaving seonghwa alone to wallow in his silence.

After finishing his tea Seonghwa silently shuffles back to his room. He thought for sure that Hongjoong would give him something, even the tiniest of detail of what had happened back then but instead he told him nothing, and basically asked him to completely forget the thought of any past memory here.

Seonghwa closed his eyes and tried his best to fall back asleep, it felt like time had gone by so slowly until he naturally found his eyes fluttering shut and soon his entire body relaxed as he finally fell asleep.