BUTTON EYES [ATEEZ]

Chapter 12

"Hello? Guys? Mrs. Forcible?? Anyone?'' Seonghwa found himself back in the manor, but something about it felt different; it seemed newer, less gloomy. Suddenly he heard the sound of a childs voice and he followed it, this led him out to the backyard where he spotte his younger self being given the necklace by hongjoong. Suddenly the scene faded and he was now looking at his younger self slipping through a little door and down into the rainbow room which had now been familiar to him because of his dream. He watched as little Seonghwa stared around in awe all before a slender woman in a red and purple dress entered the room startling both hima and his younger self. The woman greeted Seonghwa who was all too excited about the room he had discovered.

'You can stay here if you want, put it'll be our little secret little one.'

Once again the scene disappeared and seonghwa was brought to another scene where seonghwa sat stuffing his face with sweets and the woman watched with and inhumane glint in her eyes. As more and more memories flashed before him Seonghwa bgan to look sicker and sicker. It now cut to a memory of him in the hallway with the cat.

'Why would you jump on her? Mommy will be mad at me for having brought a pet, she doesn't like them.' little seonghwa spoke with a pout on his face.

This scene cut in a flash and seonghwa as now in the colorful room once more, this memory in particular being the most recent familiar to him since he had just dreamt it.

As it happened in the dream the colorful walls faded to stone cold cellarlike walls, the toys and sweets all disappeared and seonghwa watched as hiis little self hid beneath the stairwell.

"Hwa you've come back for mommy"

"Why are you hiding from me dear your father was only playing, how playful he can be when he wants to.'' something about her voice changed from the previous memories, it was almost sinister.

"Sometimes, well sometimes we adults change when we're...Hungry.'' it was then that little Seonghwa took the opportunity to run up the stairs, her yelling and cries could be heard in the distance as he continued to run.

'Seonghwa get back here'

'Seonghwa don't leave mommy' they became more desperate

'Seonghwa mommy will die without you'

'Ill die'

But Seonghwa didnt care; he kept running and running until he found himself in the familiar foyer of his grandma's house. As he always had he had gotten out safely but this time he had forgotten something. He forgot to lock the door. He forgot to open the door and there was nothing protecting the house from her having gotten out since the clueless boy had swiped away the salt that aligned the crack of the door.

She got out....and as the boy made his way through the dark woods to rid of the necklace that had burdened him, she had found him and now only was she still hungry but she was angry.

Seonghwa woke up with a cough and a heave, finding that he was laying on the couch in the living room of Mrs. Forcible and Mrs. Spink, only now he remembered everything.

"Grandma, he's awake.'' Wooyoung immediately yells startling a few of the boys with his loudness.

"How long was i out?'' Yunho took a look at his watch before looking back at seonghwa.

"At least fifteen minutes, the tea knocked you out cold.'' The sisters both entered the room, Mrs. Forcible having a book in her hand.

"It wasn't tea, they were his memories.'' Mrs. Spink spoke before taking a seat back on the couch.

"His what now..'' Mingi was the most confused of all of them.

"How are you feeling Hwa? What can you recall?'' Mrs. Spink placed her hand on his forehead making sure that the drink had done his job without having made him sick.

"I- I remember everything. The woman..who is she?'' Seonghwa asks, the sisters nod to one another before placing the book down on the table.