[S1]Nothing is What it Seems

Chapter 11: Vertigo

[TAEHYUNG'S P.O.V]

I don't know where I was... I don't know what happened to me...

But, awoke in the same place I had just been in. In the same long, bright, colorful hallway where I found Jungkook's phone. His phone which displayed some very peculiar things.

Most importantly, it was the place where I had run straight into that... man. Wait... was he a man? Was he a thing? Sure, he looked like a man, but there was just something about his eyes that rubbed me the wrong way. It shook me to the core.

《•••》

I lay there on the floor, opening my eyes slowly to adjust to the illumination of the last minutes of sunlight that lingered.
I flinched and brought a hand to cover my face, slipping out a groan of agony as the light burned my retinas.

"Aish. what happened?" I slowly sit up and look around me. Everything looked as though it were back to normal. "I remember running into that man but, what happened?" Taehyung lifted a hand to his forehead and rubbed it.
"I feel like my head is being stabbed." I groaned out, picking myself up off the floor and back onto my feet. I had to use the wall as a guide so I wouldn't end up falling down again.

"I feel so...dizzy." I sigh and brush myself off.
As my hands graze my pockets, I realized that I no longer had possession of Jungkook's phone.
"What?" I scramble around, trying to find it but to no avail. It was nowhere to be found.

"Shit. There goes my only lead!" I run a hand quickly through my silvery brown hair.

"Oh well. I guess I should try and find Y/N or the others. I wish I could text them, but I lost my phone too." I rolled my eyes.

"Dammit, Taehyung. You had one job and you blew it. Why did I bring them here?" I shook my head and rubbed my face.
"What the hell was I thinking? Then  again..." I lowered my arms and looked around. Everything stood still. No noise, no wind, no creaking of the walls.

"I had no idea it was going to turn out like this. I just wanted to go and hang out with some friends. Damn. Poor Y/N. She must be frightened. I need to find her!" I took off running down the hallway the same way I came but the aura around this area changed. Everything glitched black and red, causing me to freeze in my tracks. Chills creeped down my spine and the back of my arms.
"W-what?" I whip around to take a deeper look. The walls begun to warp, expand, and ripple.

It made me sick to my stomach. I stumbled and fell into the wall, desperately clawing to find a balance in my stature as I lost my bearings.

"Fuck!" Before I knew it, everything was back to normal again as if nothing even happened. I blinked once and the hallway went back to the way it was before.

"What the am I on?" I look around once more, trying to find an answer.
"What the hell is messing with my head!?"

I clutch the sides of my head and close my eyes tight, kneeling down onto the ground. My emotions took over, as tears couldn't help but spill out down my face. I felt like I was going crazy.
I was seeing things. I was hallucinating. But, why the fuck couldn't I wake up?!

WHAT WAS KEEPING ME FROM WAKING UP, GODDAMMIT?!

I get back up on my feet and try and walk, but my legs would not allow it. I stumble again and fall back into the wall as the lights begun to flicker and black spots appeared on the ceiling like corroded film tape. I swore I could hear faint dark laughter.

I whimper. "What's happening to me?" I sob, bawling my eyes out.

I cover my ears and lower my head down, pulling my kneels to my chest. It felt as though the whole world was spinning.

"M-maybe if I don't look, it w-wont happen. It w-will go away."

The noises and the laughter continued, piercing my eyes and becoming closer. Pretty soon, the noises ceased. Silence reigned over my head and I was being shook by a gentle hand.

I gasp out, opening my eyes to see who was touching me. I instinctively threw a fist out of reflex, and it unfortunately collided with Jin's cheek before I had time to pull away.

He fell back and landed on his side, holding his face. I realized that I made a mistake and hurt the eldest.
"SHIT! Hyung! I am so sorry!" I sob, crawling over to him to make sure that he was okay.

"Ouch. Geez, Taehyungie. I had no idea you had such a strong right hook!" He laughed, slowly sitting up. I took his hand away to inspect the wound.
"I'm so sorry. Looks like you are going to have some bruising." I frown, sniffling.

He looked at me sadly. "No need to apologize. I was just worried about you. I saw you leave after Jungkook, and you were both gone a while. Namjoon had told us so. But when I went to retrieve you, I just found you aimlessly stumbling around. As if you were..." Jin stopped speaking and cut himself off.

"As if I was what?" I squint at Jin. He cleared his throat and rubbed his head.
"As if you were... drunk or something. I don't know."

I sigh, slumping back against the wall.
"What the hell is going on here, Jin? Why is this happening to us?" I began to tear up once more. The elder man noticed my sudden mood change again and wrapped his arms around me in a warm embrace. "H-how long was I even gone??!" I yelled out in utter frustration.

"H-hey, Tae! Shh... don't cry. I promise we will get though this. Okay? Calm down. It will be okay." He rubbed my arms up and down to try and soothe me. I sniffle and nod my head shyly.

He was right. We shouldn't let our guard down like this and be so vulnerable. We have to stick together and be headstrong.

"Y-yeah...I g-guess you're right. Th-thank you, Hyung." I sniffled and looked up at him. He smiled and stood up, offering his hand. I took it without hesitation and he pulled me up.

"S-so, what now? W-where is everyone else?" I ask, but afraid to know the answer.

"Well, Hoseok is back in our room. I saw Yoongi run off somewhere. I don't know. It's been really quiet since then." Jin sighed.
"So where is Y/N?" I say.
"I haven't seen her in a while. Not since Jimin was taken back to our room to rest."

"Maybe that is where we should go. To find out where everyone else is and to figure out what exactly is going on in this place."

"I agree. Let's just hope everyone is still alive." I gulp, my heart sinking down to my stomach.

"Y-yeah. Let's not go there just yet." Jin chuckled nervously as they start walking together toward the staircase to go upstairs.

《•••》

[END: CHAPTER 11]