24067 Sae Byeok x Ji Yeong

V. Hurry

Written by Ava and Paige
Edited and published by byeoks (Summer )
©️All Rights Reserved
PLEASE VOTE

Enjoy!

Player 67

I knew today was the marble game. It was too much of a risk going in there with no assurance that we would both come out alive. I knew there was a way out. I saw it. In the vents. After I passed over the neighborhood where I would play the marble game, at the end, there was a ladder. A narrow, long, dark escape. It was a major risk, but if both of us could survive, that's all I wanted. That dream, well more like a nightmare, scarred me, and there was no way I was letting her die again.
I heard a clatter and quickly sat up, my heart racing. I sighed, seeing that it was the red men with our dinners. They wheeled out the carts and lined up. Everyone sprinted, shoving each other down to get there first. The men stood there, unbothered. Finally, the crowd thinned out. I didn't bother getting anything. I sat up in my bed. My stomach growled. I decided to get something. If I'm leaving, I'm going to need to be filled up before. I walked slowly but surely to the cart. There were a few sausages left. I took a patty and sank my teeth into it. I noticed Ji-Yeong sitting on a bunk already eating one. I looked around, then walked over. I could feel Heo-Sung Tae (Number 101)'s eyes boring into me. I knew I shouldn't go to her. I seemed dependent on her, and maybe I was. But, I still went.
I sat down on the mattress next to her. The mattress was stale and barely moved to adjust to my weight. I broke off another piece of the sausage and put it in my mouth. Finally, I finished my sausage. I licked the grease off my fingers.
"One minute until lights out." The woman announced over the PA system. I looked over at Ji-Yeong, she smiled lightly. I looked back down. I was a bit scared. I hadn't been scared throughout the whole game, but now our lives were endangered. Her life was endangered. The lights flickered off and everyone's voices were hushed. I laid my head against my torn pillow, fiddling with the loose threads. I closed my eyes for a few minutes, deep in thought. I knew we had to leave, but I didn't know how. What would we do once we got out the vents? Where did the ladder even lead? I sighed and pushed my hair behind my ear. I sat up and reached over to Ji-Yeong. I tapped her shoulder and she turned around and looked at me. I got out of bed and began to walk to the bathroom. She got up and followed close behind me. Step by step. I got closer to the door leading to the corridor with every step. Suddenly, someone grabbed my shoulder. I gasped and turned around to see Heo-Sung Tae. He was smirking, and his arm was wrapped around Ji-Yeong's neck.
"What the-" I grimaced and tried to punch him, but he punched my eye. I grabbed my eye trying to dismiss the splitting pain and stumbled back. Blinded in one eye, I fell towards him and he shoved me to the ground. I felt my ankle twist around and I groaned. I felt my dagger in my jacket pocket cut into my side. I grunted and quickly covered my mouth before I let out a scream. I climbed up and limped over to him. "Let her go," I said, gasping for breath.
"Give me a reason why I should let her go and not kill you both right now." He said, tightening his grip on her neck. I searched my mind. I needed to think of something quick. Then I realized, I knew exactly what he wanted.
"I-I know what the next game is," I whispered. He loosened his grip on her neck and raised his eyebrow. "It's played with marbles. It's you against your partner. Y-You have to take all of their marbles." I stammered. He dropped his grip on her neck and grabbed my shirt collar.
"If you're lying, you'll pay." He said, spitting on me with each word. I nodded, looking vulnerable, but knowing if our plan succeeded, I'd never have to see his pathetic face again. I could've lied, but I'd let him have this win, just this once. He spat at us one last time then walked back to his group and they cheered him on. I scowled and turned back towards the door. As soon as I stepped, I felt a searing pain in my side. I clutched my side and Ji-Yeong looked at me.
"Hey, are you okay?" She asked. I nodded and took a deep breath in, shakily. I continued to walk, feeling the dagger shift in my side with each step. After what seemed like eternities, we got to the corridor door. I reached my arm up to knock and felt the dagger push into me. I quickly lowered my hand, holding back the urge to cry out. She understood and knocked. A masked face opened the metal slate.
"You again." He said.
"We have to go to the restroom," Ji-Yeong said. He stood there, motionless. "Hey, if we were going to do something we would've done it last time. Now let us go, will you?" She ranted. He shut the slate and the door was pulled open. I walked through the doorway and reached my hand into my pocket to hold the dagger, permitting it from pushing deeper inside me. We finally got to the bathroom and a man opened the door. I staggered inside and tried to rush over to the fourth stall.
"Sae-Byeok." The door shut. I stopped and turned around. "What happened?"
"Nothing," I responded, trying to remain calm. She reached over and unzipped my jacket. I looked down to see my white shirt had a bloodstain with a knife sticking out of it. I looked up at her. I slowly pulled out the dagger, groaning. It was small at least and hadn't made a large cut. She put her hand out and I handed her the dagger.
"I'll get help."
"What, no," I said, trying to pull her back, but in too much pain to stop her. She pushed open the door with one hand and the bloody knife was in her other. She came back with a first-aid kit and a blood-stained shirt, her lip quivering. She opened it and handed me a white cloth. I took off my jacket and wiped my side with the cloth. When I was done, it was stained red. She took gauze and wrapped it around my side. "Thanks," I said.
"Let's get cleaned up." She said, I washed the blood off my shirt in the sink as she washed the blood off her hands. After a minute, the blood was fairly gone. "We need to go. We don't have much longer before they notice that. . ." she trailed off. I twisted the faucet off and shook the water off my hands. I walked over to the fourth stall and creaked the door open. I climbed on the toilet and took out the dagger. There was a small brown stain from the dried blood, but we didn't have enough time to wash it off. I pushed the dagger into the middle of the screw, unscrewing it. I did the same to each side and then removed it. I took the vent lid and placed it on the tile floor. I climbed onto the top of the toilet and pulled myself into the vent. Once I was in, I reached down to help pull Ji-Yeong up. I grunted, pulling her with all my weight. Finally, she managed to pull herself up. When we were up, I realized immediately there was a fault in our plan. The vent was still open, they would notice sooner or later that we were gone and check the bathroom where they last saw us. I just hoped they didn't notice soon. I crawled quickly down the way I went before, careful to not make too much noise.
When we got to one of the openings in the vents I looked down and held the sides to hover over it, climbing over. I noticed men working in the kitchen. Still in their work attire. Ji-Yeong must've not paid attention when she saw me climbing over because she accidentally crawled over the opening. Her wrist hit the vent lid and as soon as she pushed her body weight, the lid snapped. One of the screws came off and there was a loud clatter as it fell to the ground. A man immediately looked up, I grabbed her hand and quickly pulled her over, another screw came loose. I crawled quicker this time, making not very subtle thumps as I made my voyage to the end. Finally, I got to the narrow tube-like area with the ladder. I took out my small, dagger-like knife and used it to help me twist the screw out. One screw down. Three to go. My hands trembled, becoming sweaty. I unscrewed another screw and it clattered down the passageway, bouncing on the walls. The vent lid drooped. I unscrewed another nail. I wiped the sweat off my hands on my jacket. I unscrewed the last nail and then before I could catch it, the lid fell down the passageway. There was a loud bang when it hit the bottom.
"We have to go," I said, I quickly swung myself down the hole, my feet hanging a few feet above the ground. I jumped down, barely catching myself on a bulky, rock sticking out of the wall. Ji-Yeong jumped after. I quickly started climbing down the ladder, my hand slipping on the rungs.
I finally reached the bottom and jumped. I slipped and felt an aching pain in my side.