Annihilation

Congregation

They didn't force me to talk, giving short acknowledgements before Namjoon turned his attention to business. "I need everyone to have the map of the prison and grounds memorized. Yoongi and I will head down to work on the generator first thing tomorrow. We have more corpses to burn, but let's make sure to keep the fire as low as possible. Jin I know you're excited to start looking at the grounds more so do another sweep for security of the fences. Once we know the prison, we'll work our way through clearing the sections that the undead are packed into." He wasn't short of breath or tasks, only stopping when Jin interrupted.

"Isn't that enough for tomorrow?" He joked, a few of the others laughing along with him.

"Fine, let's meet for a few minutes tomorrow morning to confirm everyone's tasks." He responded, the group nodding in agreement.

I wondered where I'd find myself tomorrow, Jin leaning over to me as he sensed the overwhelming feeling of the debrief plaguing me. "Don't worry, if Namjoon is good at anything, it's making sure he has a plan. He'll have one for teaching you too."

They picked up with separate conversations, creating a light chatter in the room while I kept quiet, basking in the first moment that I hadn't felt afraid of the noise that filled my ears since it all started.

Namjoon checked in on me one more time before bed, everyone heading into the separate cells they claimed once we finished dinner. With no more sunlight to shine through the small windows close to the ceiling, the unit was nearly pitch black. I closed my eyes but was unable to sleep, my mind whirling with the events of the past two months.

I sat up at the sound of another person nearby, Jungkook stepping to the door of my cell with enough noise that I wouldn't be startled. "I heard you tossing and turning." His dark clothes would have camouflaged him if not for his fair complexion. "I need to apologize, if I scared you when we first saw you."

I thought back to the moment he squatted in front of me and the visceral reaction he had. I imagine he'd been scary to the prisoners just seconds before shooting them, but it was the first time I felt undoubtedly protected and safe.

"You didn't. Thank you, for what you did." I wondered how I could make it up to him, my mere expression seeming unworthy.

He pondered his response. "Is there anything else I can do?"

Though I initially shook my head, there was one feeling I wanted to get rid of, the tightness in my chest that made breathing with ease a challenge. "It can wait until tomorrow, but I'd like to go outside. Fresh air would be nice." I requested, watching his lips spread into a bright smile that held a bit of mischief.

He lowered his voice more, turning his head to peer at the other cells and listen for noise. "I can take you now, but we'll have to be quiet. Namjoon is a light sleeper." He waited for me to stand from the bed before carefully pulling back the door to my cell, pausing when it creaked to make sure no one woke from the sound. He tugged it open just enough for me to slip through and held out a hand to guide me through the dark building.

He moved expertly even in the dark, light on his feet and sure to pause at every corner, listening for any unexpected noise. I could attest to him having the place memorized well, and when he stopped at a ladder that was secured to the wall my brow furrowed, suddenly feeling stupid for running off in the middle of the night with a guy I barely knew.

"I should mention before we go up that the air isn't exactly what you'd call fresh." He added before starting to climb the ladder, twisting the mechanism that opened to the rooftop with a loud clang.

I followed him up, the metal making more noise than it did with him, and he offered me his hand at the last few steps, pulling me onto the roof with ease. My nose turned up at the smell that sat in the air, the humidity mixing with an aroma of death that covered the earth.

Everything was different. As I stood near the edge of the rooftop with Jungkook looking out quietly beside me, I thought of how pointless everything had been. Stressing about adulthood, getting an education, and every relationship I built lost all of its meaning in the new world. There were no more bills to pay, no more diagnoses to make, and everyone I loved was probably dead.

"Talk about something." My breathing quickened with my thoughts.

"What?" He replied, his brow pulled together as he took in the change in my body language.

I looked down, stretching my neck to see the distance to the ground from where we stood. "I need you to talk about something, distract me. I know you want to keep me safe for some reason, and right now my mind might be more dangerous than anything beyond those fences." I confessed.

He grabbed my hand, keeping me in a firm hold that I knew served to stop me from stepping over the edge. "Do you want to know how seven Korean boys ended up here in Virginia in the middle of an apocalypse?"

I let out a genuine chuckle, the question being one that crossed my mind over dinner. "Definitely." I answered, sitting across from him as he recounted their journey.