Between Footsteps| p.jm

THIRTY-FIVE| -... . .-.. --- .--

It wasn't even 10 seconds later when a quiet creaking sound filled the tent. You all stared as further back behind where the first curtain closed and opened, a panel in the wood floor slid open. 

This was crazy. Jimin looked around as if terrified the ringmaster could see and hear everything, Hun running up behind his legs to take a curious look at the floor.

Your throat was dry as you stared at the opening momentarily, but wasted no time in sprinting towards the area as your heart thumped with adrenaline.

You looked down to see a dimly lit dirt floor far below and an elevator type of system that was clearly used to hoist tanks up on stage.

There were no tanks in sight, but you could make out light tracks in the dirt that must have come from trolleys of some sort that could carry tanks about below stage.

Those tracks led to somewhere you couldn't see, but you'd be damned if you didn't follow them.

"Peanut-" Jimin tried to speak again, light worry in his voice as you swung your legs to dangle into the trap door.

"Jimin, with all due respect, shush," you cut him off, his cheeks turning pink as he frowned towards this. "Have someone keep watch outside the tent and please leave me if it means Hun can escape. There's an elevator down here with a lever that can get me back to the top, so just wait till I come back. If I don't, then," you paused, hesitating for a second as you looked towards Jimin.

His hair was slightly messy and his chest moved up and down from the force of heavy breathing. His slightly upset expression paired with his pink cheeks was both humorous and cute. The darkened number on his neck stood out most of all as he swallowed hard and the sweat on his skin seemingly glistened.

"Uh, l-leave me down there," you stammered, face feeling warm as you bit your tongue towards your own foolishness and used your arms to propel your body through the trap door.

You heard Jimin call your nickname as you fell through the opening, but his voice was lost as the cold rush of air replaced the sensation against your ears.

Thankfully you weren't a complete idiot so bent your knees slightly before colliding roughly with the dirt floor.

You hissed in pain as dust flew up and you coughed; soon recovering and cautiously checking to make sure you hadn't received any injuries. Thankfully, by the stroke of a miracle, you seemed fine.

You didn't waste time in pulling yourself off the floor and dusting yourself off. There was a dim lighting that came from the stage above; streaks of light that shone through the floorboards in lines against the dust.

It was just enough for you to clearly see the tunnel and the tracks on the floor you needed to follow. Much like other aspects and areas of the Between, the physics under the stage made little to no sense. There was no way that the small stage area should be able to house tunnels underneath it, but you decided it was better not to try to make sense of it all.

You puffed up your cheeks in determination and looked down at the floor; cautiously taking steps in the general area you knew you had to go in. The air was cold, and you found yourself shivering as you turned a corner.

There was only a long dark corridor in front of you. You could still see well enough to make out the tracks in the dirt, but it was certainly darker than you cared for.

The odd silence was enough for you to hear your heart pound against your ears. You really didn't like the dark. But, you were growing more afraid of what might happen if you didn't find answers sooner. How stupid you had been thinking it was better to sit and do nothing. But... every time you discovered something, it never necessarily worked out. It only dragged on you, reminding you knowledge wasn't power and innocence was bliss in a place such as the Between.