Stand by Me

Chapter 36

"H-Hoseok..." Jimin's voice shattered like his window, breaking with disbelief and fear.

Hoseok sneered, a crazed smirk plastered across his pale features. His bloodshot eyes locked onto Jimin, sadistic pleasure dripping from his unwavering gaze. Jimin's body froze like a deer in head lights. His breathing stopped, his heart skipping a beat as pure, unadulterated fear coursed through his veins. Tears blurred his vision, obscuring the predator before him. In his moment of panic, Hoseok moved, brandishing a knife as he leapt onto Jimin.

Jimin let out a bloodcurdling scream as Hoseok's knife dug into his left leg. The searing, blinding white hot pain dragged his mind from it's petrified slumber, throwing him back into reality. He slammed his hands up against Hoseok's shoulders, screaming through his pain as he shoved Hoseok off. Hoseok rolled to the floor next to him, grunting in pain. The shattered glass of Jimin's window littered the floor around them and dug into Hoseok's bare arms. The shards jutted out at odd angles, drawing fresh blood that trailed down to Hoseok's clenched fists of anger.

Jimin forced himself up, his breathing coming in strangled short bursts as he clutched the side of the couch. His vision blurred and black dots danced across it as he attempted to pull himself to his feet. He looked down, gritting his teeth in pain as he put his hand over the handle of the knife lodged in his left leg. He had to get it out. It hurt far too much to leave in and he needed a weapon. 

Jimin wrapped his fingers around the handle, forcing a deep breath as he gave the knife a little tug. He let out a shriek, his legs trembling as he nearly collapsed from the searing pain of simply tugging on the knife. 

Hoseok recovered quickly, brushing the glass off his arms as he stood up. He smirked, growling in sadistic satisfaction as he grabbed the back of Jimin's hoodie and threw the smaller male onto the coffee table. Jimin crashed through the glass coffee table, landing with a hard thud and a tortured scream. He gasped for air, struggling to breathe after having the wind knocked clean out of him. Stars danced across his vision as Hoseok towered over him amongst the shattered remains of the coffee table. 

Hoseok reached down, smirking at Jimin and holding his gaze as he wrapped his fingers around the knife buried in Jimin's leg. Jimin's eyes widened, a strangled cry of protest leaving his lips as he reached frantically for Hoseok's wrist. Hoseok twisted the knife in his leg, laughing as fresh blood seeped through Jimin's pants in time with his tortured screams. Jimin's arms dropped, his mind spinning as screams clawed their way out of his throat. The adrenaline seeped into his veins, flooding his mind and blocking out the pain long enough for his fight or flight instincts to kick in.

He swung his right leg up, cocking his foot back as he slammed his foot into Hoseok's face with every last bit of strength he could muster. Hoseok stumbled back, howling in pain as he fell back over the couch, landing with an echoing thud on the floor. Jimin shrieked in pain, yelling out in anguish as Hoseok took the knife lodged in his leg with him over the side of the couch, ripping it clean out of Jimin's leg.

Jimin stared for a moment and when Hoseok didn't immediately stand from behind the couch, he began to crawl. He fumbled through the glass of the shattered coffee table, frantically forcing himself to his feet. Tears poured down his cheeks, mixing with the blood dripping down his forehead. He grabbed onto the wall, leaning against it as he limped down the hallway to the nearest room with a lock. 

He slammed the bedroom door behind himself, locking it with shaking hands as he collapsed on the floor in a puddle of his own blood. His frantic movements had aggravated his stab wound and it bled uncontrollably onto the carpet beneath him. He sat up enough to yank the blanket off of his bed behind him. He pressed it against his leg, groaning in pain, mouth open in a silent scream. He curled in on himself, biting back his strangled sobs.

The bedroom door shuddered on it's hinges as Hoseok pounded on it, slamming his body into the door repeatedly as he tried to break it down. He'd come with murderous intentions and a door wouldn't be enough to stop him.

Jimin whimpered, sobs strangling his breathing and choking his screams, leaving them to die in his throat as he listened to the screams of anger from Hoseok. He dragged himself to the farthest corner of the room, curling against the wall in a bloody heap. His sobs echoed through the room, infuriating Hoseok more as the male kicked at Jimin's bedroom door.

Jimin flinched and whimpered with every kick and punch Hoseok landed on the door. A door could only hold so long, and even if it held, Jimin had no way of escaping before he bled out. He felt the dizziness wash over him, his skin turning pale and his breathing becoming labored as he bled out. 

Tears rolled down Jimin's ashen cheeks, dripping down to join the puddle of blood under him. His gaze danced with black dots and blurred, fading in and out of focus. As the minutes dragged on, his mind began to fade and his thoughts wandered. He was going to die at the hands of Hoseok without getting to say goodbye to Yoongi. As the first thought of Yoongi worked its way into his mind, it quickly drowned out the rest of his thoughts of death. All he could think about was Yoongi. All their lost time. All their missed opportunities. All their pain. All the years he was going to lose with Yoongi. All the pain that he would leave with Yoongi by dying here. 

Jimin's eyes closed slowly as he struggled to hold them open, his head dropping against the wall. He was barely conscious, and even Hoseok's insistent banging and screaming couldn't keep him from fainting from blood loss. As his mind dimmed, he saw it. A beautiful creamy white light that filled his mind, drowning out the pain of leaving Yoongi behind. It was just as people described it in all the cliches. A beautiful white light so bright that you could hardly stare at it. It seeped into the crevices of Jimin's mind, tangling with his memories and bringing them all to the forefront. 

They danced along the back of his eyelids in beautiful technicolor, flooding him with the emotions of every memory. His parents. His first day of school. Meeting Jin and Taehyung and Jungkook. Their favorite ice cream parlor. Hours at the local playground. Racing through fields of flowers. Trips to Jeju Island in the summer. The first time he wore a skirt. His first crush. Coming out to his friends. Teaching Jungkook to swim. Discovering his hobbies and passions. Jin's surprise party. Dying his hair secretly with Jin. Meeting Yoongi. 

A small smile spread across Jimin's face slowly as the memories flooded his mind with peace and joy and love one final time. 

His first kiss with Yoongi. Their first date in the music room at school. Their hidden romance. Sneaking off to the back of the track field to eat lunch together. Falling in love with him. Making love for the first time, letting Yoongi take his virginity. Telling their friends about their relationship. Telling Yoongi I love you for the first time. 

A few stray tears of joy rolled down Jimin's cheeks slowly, leaving little trails in the blood dripping from his forehead down his face. His breathing slowed, deepening as the love and happiness of his short life filled his heart so he could rest in peace. 

He didn't register the crack that echoed from his bedroom door as Hoseok's endless kicks finally broke the door's hinges, allowing his murderous rage to penetrate the room.