The Raven Hotel | Jikook |

Chapter 21: He's a Monster

       Jungkook held onto the rhythmic knock and kept replaying it in his head. Making sure his memory remembered such a knock that normally no one else would do when knocking on a simple door. It was almost as if it was an actual passcode establishing how close Seokjin and Hoseok were as friends. With that, Jungkook heard slow footsteps making its way to the door when he heard a chime of the elevator and Seokjin was gone in an instant.

        "I hope Jimin won't give him a hard time..." Jungkook thought. Just then, the door in front of him swung open and there stood Hoseok.

      The pale man looked weak to the point where he looked as if he would fall asleep once and never wake up again. He wore a plaid flannel over his exposed chest and a loose black sweatpants. As he stood at the door, he looked at the boy and finally made a weak smile, yet with any smile he could muster, it was enough to shoot a bright light all around him.

       "I was begging to think you died by now. It's been a while, Jungkook..." Hoseok spoke and allowed the boy in. "I'm glad to see that you're still alive. Things like that do not come that often, but yet again, I shouldn't be shocked. You're one special boy to the 'master'..." Hoseok mentioned and that moment was enough to make the many questions in Jungkook's mind float up to the surface.

       "Hoseok... you don't look so good. Has staying in doors for so long really left you knocking on death's door?" Jungkook wondered and suddenly heard Hoseok let out a laugh before dropping onto a singular couch seat close by.

      "This isn't the effect of staying indoors for so long, Jungkook. This is what it looks like when you're drained.." Hoseok answered and rolled his hair back right after. "Anyway, I'm surprised to see you here... I thought you weren't allowed to travel outside the room he put you in... did he finally give in to you? Did he finally become weak towards his little raven?" Hoseok wondered and laughed once more. "I'm only teasing... unless, you did manage to seep into his mind and allow him to let you wander around."

      "No... I escaped. I wouldn't say it's my first time escaping the room. I tried it before, but he caught me in my old room on the third floor," Jungkook answered and found a singular couch seat right across from Hoseok.

     The boy took a moment to observe his surroundings. The hotel room had dimmed lights, a cold temperature and an eerie feeling coexisting with Hoseok's calm aura. Something was written along the walls, but Jungkook just couldn't read the room at all. So, he asked further questions to satisfy his hunger for the truth.

     "What did he do to you when he found you?"

      "He... he just took off his gloves and placed his cold hand over my throat.... then, he dragged it down to my upper chest. He had me held against the bed as well!" Jungkook spoke and felt embarrassed to tell the other man about his punishment.

       "Wow, that's nothing..." Hoseok scoffed and looked up at the ceiling. "What is he going to do next? Put you on time out? Ah, I would love to be special to him if that means I won't get drained again."

       There the words filled Jungkook's mind once more. He was curious to know what Hoseok meant by that and wanted to know more. Without even caring to think about how little time he had left to know as much as he could.

        "Where are my manners... Do you want anything to drink? I have wine, soju, vodka, whiskey... anything really. I keep these hidden since it's not very healthy, but it helps in the long run. Atends to keep the draining away; is what Seokjin would tell me so he snuck a few drinks out of the hotel kitchen and gave them to me," Hoseok spoke in riddles as he got up and approached his bed where underneath it, laid many bottles tucked away. "I drink most of the time to avoid getting drained... healthy is what he wants, so I tend to avoid giving myself a healthier lifestyle here to avoid getting another visit by Seokjin..."

       "What... what do you mean? What do you mean by draining?" Jungkook asked as Hoseok took out a pack of soju bottles and made his way over to the table where he dropped it before the boy and offered him one. In which, Jungkook took so suddenly, not really realizing that his problem associated with drinking, was crawling back into his life the moment Hoseok offered him one bottle of Soju.

     "Draining... oh, where do I begin..." Hoseok spoke and opened the cap to his bottle. "Seokjin, he's the attendant for the hotel and also, Jimin's right hand man..." Hoseok spoke into a whisper as Jungkook already began to drink. "So, Seokjin not only organizes the ball or mans the front desk, he also serves Jimin and fulfills his personal tasks behind his actual job.... of course, draining guests is also a part of his job," Hoseok spoke and noticed how Jungkook was almost down the middle of the bottle already, leaving Hoseok to slide over another bottle to the boy. "So draining... it's the worst punishment anyone could get... it's absolute torture when it happens but I doubt you didn't go through it either.."

       "I don't know what you're talking about..." Jungkook continued as Hoseok became shocked to know how much Jungkook didn't know.

     "When you wake up weak and pale... that's how you know you've been drained... of blood..." Hoseok spoke and watched Jungkook tilt his head. "That's what it is, Seokjin walks around dragging a cart of syringes and blood packages inside a blue container when he's draining someone. Not completely though, just a bit... I've had one today in the morning and I wouldn't be surprised if my body gave out the next second..." Hoseok mentioned as Jungkook finished his first bottle and was onto the next, listening to the man continue on.

       "What? Draining blood? Why... why would anyone need blood from helpless guests?" Jungkook wondered and clutched tightly onto his bottle while Hoseok laughed once more.

        "Jungkook... how naive can you get? Can't you see what's happening here? Haven't you read the room already?" Hoseok asked as Jungkook remained silent and only continued to drink and shake his head as a response to all of the questions.

        "Then, I guess you don't really know what Jimin is yet. He must be a complete angel to you. Seokjin told me all about how similar you look to someone Jimin was close with before. So I guess he hopes to avoid telling you in the long run..."

       "Telling me.. what...?" Jungkook questioned, already feeling dizzy as the second bottle of soju in his hands were almost finished.

        "Haven't you noticed by now? The red eyes... the cold touch... the lack of breathing gestures in the way that he walks or stands in one place. You may not believe it, but once you've seen what he truly is... you wouldn't doubt what he does. The reason why Seokjin is forced to drain guests at times is because Jimin feeds off of it... can't you see what I'm hinting at now?"

       "Jimin... is.. is a cannibal?!" Jungkook asked into a shout as his mind was already spinning.

       "No... he's much more worst than that..." Hoseok mentioned and leaned his head in to Jungkook. "Don't tell him you know this... but... Jimin is a vampire..."

        "A... vampire...?" Jungkook asked and tilted his head. "Are you... kidding me? This... this must be a joke..." the boy sputtered as the alcohol began to seep through his system and intoxicate him further while he finished the second bottle and tried to hesitate on moving to the next bottle, but his addiction pushed his arm forward to grab another. He just couldn't contain himself when alcohol was sitting across from him, tempting him every second.

       "I wish I was only teasing, I thought it wasn't true when Seokjin told me all about it. I thought everyone was insane and longed to escape until... I watched Jimin with my own eyes... tear apart a lifeless body with his own sharp fangs like a wild animal. Drinking the blood and feasting on it like his prey," The pale man continued. "The sound of flesh ripping and being devoured still plays on in my mind even if that was only one year ago. You don't have to believe me, Jungkook.. but please, take it from me and understand it when I say, don't you ever get on his bad side... I can't afford to hear Seokjin telling me one day that Jimin couldn't help it and gave into his nasty instincts," Hoseok concluded and closed his teary eyes, shaking his head while a tear escaped so suddenly.

"He's a monster..."