Nadir

Chapter One

Heat waves pool off the concrete parking lot as Yoongi waits, nothing but a large, brown paper bag in his hands. The monotonous buzz of the gate that he had become familiar with over the years seems to ring louder than ever before as the wire fencing slides open. It's a sight Yoongi never thought he would live to see. He swallows the lump in his throat as he wills his feet to move forward, heavy like weights fighting to keep him in place. He takes a step and then another, and another, and another, until... He's out. He can hear the gate rattling close behind him, the buzzing loud and howling.

He's out.

And he's alone.

No one is waiting for him. No one is there to pick him up. No one is there to take him home. He doesn't even have a home. He doesn't have anything. All of his possessions lie in the bag that rests in his hand - his phone and wallet, along with some journals and books. It's all he has to his name anymore. In this bag is all that's left of the Min Yoongi that once existed. The phone isn't even charged and he's pretty sure everything in his wallet has expired.

He stands there for a while. The guard was at least kind enough to call a cab for him, so he waits for it to arrive. It's still hard for him to comprehend that he's on this side of the fence. For so many years he was on the inside, looking out, longing to be out, and now... well, what now? His hands tense around the bag, hugging it close to his chest. His eyes which were once focused down on his shoes rise as he hears the grind of tires against the concrete. His cab is here.

It's an odd-looking car, nothing like the models he was used to before. Things have changed, he assumes. He climbs into the car, avoiding eye contact with the driver as he sets his bag in the seat beside him. He pulls the seatbelt around him and clicks it shut, only looking up when he hears the shuffle of the driver.

"Where to?" The man asks a bit impatiently.

"Oh," Yoongi's voice is soft, barely above a whisper. Where to? He hadn't thought of that. He has nowhere to go. "Will you take me to a local motel?"

The driver looks him up and down with a cocked eyebrow but shrugs, turning back to face the front. Yoongi looks at his lap as the car jolts forward into a steady drive. He doesn't think he can stomach watching as he leaves the place he's spent the last decade and a half. His hands tremble and he tries to keep his breathing steady as he registers the uneven pavement of the parking lot transform into something smoother. Instead of relief he only feels fear.

He wills himself to look up after about a minute of driving. The area looks so different than what he remembers - fifteen years ago there was nothing but trees around. Now there are scattered businesses and residences, appearing more and more the further they drive. Yoongi tries not to notice the almost nervous glances from the driver - he understands the trepidation. He got used to those looks a long time ago.

They pull up to a moderately well-kept building. Yoongi wouldn't classify it as rundown but it's far from being an upscale joint. Still, when you have nothing else, you take what you can get. Yoongi thanks the man, scrounging out enough money from his wallet to tip him and cover the fees before he climbs out of the cab. The driver wastes no time in pulling away.

Yoongi takes a hesitant moment to look around. It's nerve-wracking, how much the area has changed. He didn't grow up here, but he wasn't exactly unfamiliar with this town. Before, there was barely anything here. A small diner, a boutique, a small hardware store, a gas station - now, though, there are grocery stores and a bookstore. There's a bank and a gym and multiple restaurants that Yoongi's never heard of. Apartment buildings and business offices are scattered around and the streets seem packed - too packed . It's overwhelming and Yoongi feels his skin crawl with discomfort.