Acceleration [Book 1]

40: Ticking Clock

⊱⋅ ─ 40: TICKING CLOCK

Almost everyone sat silently in the living room of the house, they could only hear the soft ticking of the clock. It was a bit broken, and the time it told was a bit late to the actual time.

Felix's mother was out to handle the laundry with Chaewon, while Felix's father was with Doyeon to feed the cows and horses, and to clean the stables and the entire barn.

Felix's father insisted that all of them rest rather than help out at the barn.

Tick... Tick... Tick... Tock...

Felix looked at the others, it was as if they were stuck in time, everyone started to be in a daze ever since Chan, Jakob and Gaho unveiled what happened last night. It worried all of them.

Beside Felix was Chan, reading a book. To his left were Gaho and Jakob, both having a conversation that only the two of them could hear, Felix clearly can't hear a thing from them.

Beside Gaho and Jakob were Minho and Jisung, who were napping, hands holding onto each other as they silently snored away. Hyunjin and Changbin were checking out the photos that Seungmin and Jeongin captured the other night, the two slightly sniggering or smiling at the images taken. As Felix fixated his gaze on Seungmin and Jeongin, both males decided to go back to sleep since they had massive headaches from the previous night.

Tick... Tock... Tick... Tick... Tick... Tock...

With a heavy sigh, Felix hoisted himself up and went to the kitchen to fetch something to eat. He saw a note magnetized onto the fridge.

"There's some milky cheese and some bread in the fridge, help yourselves if you get a bit hungry. Chae." The note said.

Felix opened the fridge, its cold air brushing his face as he did. He saw the cheese and the bread and helped himself to it. He sat at the dining table and stared into nothing as he chewed.

Finishing his little snack, the freckled male stood up and decided to go and check on his mother and sister.

"Guys!" Felix hollered as he walked towards the living space, startling Jisung in the process from his nap, "I'll be out to check my mom and my sis." Added Felix, and before he could even put on his shoes, he saw Chan quickly place a book mark at the page where he left off and stand up.

"I'm coming with you," Chan requested, a hinted tone of suggestion in his voice.

An apologetic expression was soon painted over Felix's face.

"I actually need to talk to them, privately, if you don't mind." Felix slowly said, a shade of pink dusting over his dot scattered cheeks.

Felix didn't hear Chan respond, only the older male stepped forth, he gently grabbed Felix's nape, and planted a gentle kiss on his forehead, a warm and lovely smile gracing over his plump lips as Chan looked at Felix endearingly. The pink shade now turning into a darker color at Chan's affectionate gesture.

"Stay within the barrier and be careful." Chan whispered, this time kissing Felix on the cheek by the corner of his lips. Felix could only hum in return, too shy to speak.

"I'll be right back," it was softer than a whisper, but Chan could hear it and his smile widened, dimple on display for the world to see, for Felix to see. Felix kissed Chan's nose before putting on his shoes, and then he set off towards the river.

Soon enough, he found his sister and mother, finishing up, just in time to return to the house, Chaewon carrying a basin, and their mother carrying the basket of the clothes that they laundered.