Vernon broke down after the encounter with the monster the previous night. Monsters and various creatures of the undead had always freaked him out, but he completely lost his sanity when the monster stared directly through him and practically read his thoughts.
"Vernon, it's going to be okay," Jisoo tried to console the panic-struck boy the next day. "The monster isn't going to come after you."
"The murderer is," Vernon wept in Jisoo's arms. "Wonwoo hyung was right. If you accuse someone, you'll be the next to be murdered. I kept accusing Jihoon hyung. Tonight is my last night."
"No it won't be, I won't let it," Jisoo patted the boy's back and shot a frightened look in Jeonghan's direction.
Jeonghan was with Seungcheol, who was digging through the villa for blankets. They planned on covering all the windows with sheets so that they didn't have to see the monster any longer.
"Why don't I just kill myself now? That way, I won't have to be brutally murdered," Vernon started laughing hysterically in Jisoo's arms.
"Vernon! Don't say that!" Jeonghan hushed as Chan padded into the living room.
"Hyung, where's Mingyu hyung? I can't seem to find him anywhere," Chan murmured as Junhui followed.
"I'm right here," Mingyu called from under a stack of blankets. He seemed to be buried under the large amounts of blankets.
"Seungcheol, aren't these enough? There aren't that many windows," Jeonghan took a couple more blankets into his arms as Chan and Mingyu both sighed in relief.
"I guess. We have to hurry, it's going to get dark soon," Seungcheol looked through the windows and saw the sun setting, Vernon immediately running out of the living room.
"No! I'll jump before the murderer gets me!" Vernon cried as he ran upstairs.
Seungcheol sighed as Jeonghan asked, "Weren't Soonyoung and Minghao fixing the window?"
"Yeah, they'll probably stop Vernon from jumping through another window," Junhui looked upstairs and back at Jeonghan.
"For now, let's try covering the windows. Everyone grab a blanket and duct tape. Cover as many windows as you can," Seungcheol instructed as Jeonghan and Mingyu gave everyone blankets.
It wasn't a good idea, splitting off in different directions of the house as the scenery outside got darker and the sun disappeared into the sea. Within an hour, barely any windows had been covered, and the darkness had settled upon them. Lights flickered on throughout the house as Vernon found himself panicking in a secluded corner.
"Hyung!" Hyung, save me!" Hyung!" Vernon shrieked.
The scattered boys didn't hear him. The corner was very much secluded to the point where no one could hear him. However, there were thuds coming from the ceiling on the first floor. Every boy could hear the thuds and shivers ran down their spines. After several minutes, the thudding stopped and a booming voice spoke up.
"You broke a rule!"
The monster roared and all the sheets covering the windows collapsed to the ground. A binding force held every boy's arms to his sides and they all were forced downstairs to where the monster was lurking and waiting.
"You broke a rule. You tried to cheat. I excused your short friend committing suicide, but covering up the windows is one I cannot forgive."
Chan started crying in the midst of the monster's screaming, causing the monster to suddenly stop and smile in Chan's direction.
"Oh? Are you scared little one?" the monster sneered.
Chan shook his head, tears continuing to stream down his face.
"I bet you would love to see what happened to your friend, wouldn't you?"
Chan violently shook his head and trembled in the bind of the spirit. He bit his lower lip in attempt to calm down his tears, but it only made his chin tremble.
"Go upstairs," the monster's red gaze hardened, and Chan found himself walking upstairs.
Chan would've screamed in protest if he could. The spirit also seemed to control his voice, his breathing, and his heart rate; or maybe Chan was just that scared. He rounded the corner at the top of the stairs and squeezed his eyes shut upon the sight. Vernon laid perfectly still on the ground, his body in a straight line. His throat was severed with two straight knife marks, and his shirt and torso were ripped open by an uneven, jagged cut. Several stab marks covered his arms and chest, the most prominent of the stab wounds being the one right above his heart. It was a gruesome sight that only Jack the Ripper could pull off. Chan wanted to crumble to the ground and cry, but the spirit was still holding strong on his body.
"Did you see it?" the monster whispered into Chan's ear.
Chan nodded and wailed.
"Come back downstairs," the monster ordered, and again, Chan found himself walking back downstairs as to the monster's order.
"You see what happens when you don't play by my rules?" the monster questioned, a hint of ruthlessness in his booming voice. "The more rules you break, the bloodier the murder. I hope you enjoyed seeing the Jack the Ripper style murder."
The monster cackled before warning them.
"Next time you break a rule, the murder afterwards will be my personal favorite."
A flash of lightning struck and the monster disappeared, as well as the spirits binding the boys' bodies. Chan ran over to Jeonghan and wept in his arms.
"Vernon hyung," he cried against Jeonghan's chest. "Vernon hyung."
"Yes, I know Chan," Jeonghan soothed the crying boy by petting his hair.
It seemed as if there was no way to beat the monster at his own game. Similarly, it also seemed as if there was no hope left for the remaining boys.
YOU ARE READING
CHECKMATE → SVT
Fanfiction"this is a chess match. within this game, you all are the chess pieces and i am the player. at the end of the day, the chess pieces are captured and i will be the ultimate victor. i will capture all of the chess pieces and nothing will remain. and s...
