SoulTies | MoonSun | Mamamoo

Chapter 7

"So, how does it feel for you?" Moonbyul asks. The Vicodin has made things better. She is only barely aware now. The wound on her abdomen is red and hard with fluid, she can feel the burning pain of infection but she doesn't mind it. She doesn't even mind the heavy smell of death that suffocates everything around her.

Sweat clings to her and her body feels loose and warm, her blood feels sticky under the surface. There is Moonbyul. And there is Hyejin. And there is the basement. It is like they are in a waiting room for death. So Moonbyul makes conversation.

Hyejin sits in a chair next to her bed, her hand resting on Moonbyul's, her thumb caressing the back of Moonbyul's palm. "It feels intense, and beautiful and deplorable."

A bit like you Hyejin, Moonbyul thinks to herself.

"You're special sweetheart, don't you understand that?" Hyejin's hand flutters in the air for a moment before she picks up the scalpel that's stained a rusty red colour. She holds it against Moonbyul's chest before she begins to carve. Moonbyul can barely feel it.

The blade is razor sharp and Hyejin is not cutting deeply. Moonbyul watches as her bruised skin splits beneath the blade, the blood sticking for a second, oxygenating, and then flowing bright red from the wound. That's the main sensation: the blood running down her side, leaving a trail of crimson that pools under her on the sweat soaked sheet.

Moonbyul watches her, her brow furrowed in concentration as she doodles on Moonbyul's flesh. "There," Hyejin says finally. "It's a heart."

"Who's it for? I thought I wasn't getting out of here? No one will see it."

"It's for you," Hyejin says enthusiastically, "It's my heart for you." She glances wistfully down at Moonbyul's abdomen. "Of course, it is going to get infected. I don't have the proper anti biotics for you, well not any that will slow the infection down."

Moonbyul smiles at the ceiling. "Are you worried about me Hyejin?"

Hyejin nods. "You have to fight the infection Moonbyul. You have to stay alive sweetheart."

"Why? So you can kill me another sadistic way?" Moonbyul asks.

"Yes."

"You're crazy."

"I'm not crazy," Hyejin argues, her voice thin with desperation. "I'm very sane. And if you die before I want you to, I will go after the people you love the most. You will stay alive until I tell you. Got it?"

Moonbyul nods.

"Say it."

"I've got it."

Exhaustion enveloped Moonbyul's body as she made her way into her sad apartment, she locked the door behind her, before flicking the light on. When she looked around she decided that it was better with the light off. There had finally been some movement in the case, they had two people of interest, and she was glad. Finally.

For her first case back, the pace of it had been relentless so far and it was starting to show. Her ribs ached more than usual and her whole body felt tired. Dropping her jacket over the couch she made her way down the hall towards the bathroom.

She began to fill the bathtub with scalding water, it would take a few minutes to fill, so she turned on her heels and made her way into the kitchen. She pulled out two Vicodin from the brass pillbox and popped them into her mouth, the bitter chalky taste coated her tongue. Despite being used to it, she still grimaced.

She stood in front of the open fridge. A look inside revealed a pathetic view of her lack of domestic talents – a box of left over Chinese, four bottles of water, half a bagel twisted in plastic wrap and a half empty large yoghurt pot. She could cook, she had just got lazy recently. She'd had other things to worry about. She grabbed a bottle of water and slammed the door shut.