Smoke and Mirrors |ATEEZ

Nut

You know that feeling when the top of your throat itches. You keep swallowing, thinking that the ridges of your esophagus will reach the itch, or you try to stick your finger as far back as you can trying to just scratched the bothersome itch that haunts you. As you walked down the cracked paved street that lead you home from school, this constant itch pestered you to no end.

The wind was a strong gust with the cool bite. Your hair flew into your face as you persistently swallowed trying to rid yourself of that itch. Your mouth was so dry like you hadn't drank a sip of water in weeks. You swiped the hair from your face.

You started feeling knots twist around your stomach like coiled snakes. Something isn't right. You quickened your pace pushing yourself through the wind. You pulled your jacket tighter around your torso. Your old converses hit the concrete with a soft thud as you pulled around the final corner toward your home.

You rounded the corner. Your head snapped up as your eyes landed on a large black SUV that was parked outside of your home. Your stomach lurched into your throat. A large man leaned against the car staring down at the phone in his hands. You froze in your tracks. Another man opened your front door, stepping out onto the front lawn. Your father followed close behind him.

What is this?

You started to slowly step backward.

"She will be in safe hands," the large man that exited your home said in a deep voice. He reached his hand out, and your father shook it. Your mind was spinning as your eyes dashed from their hands to your father's face.

"Thank you," your father paused and let out a deep sigh, "She needs help." Your heart shattered.

She? Me?

You started walking back faster. You were practically stumbling over your feet. Your heel hit hard against a chunk of raise concrete, and you fell back hard onto your hands. You let out a small screeched as you tumbled back. You looked up toward your home. The men had heard you. The three of them stared at you with practically black eyes.

You scrambled to your feet. Everything around you seemed to stop. The wind froze. Leaves levitated above the ground, and the sound of barking dogs became silent. Your throat no longer itched. Blue mist rose from the fissures in the cracked concrete, weaving around your legs and body. You closed your eyes. A single tear rolled down your cheek.

You opened your eyes, and time returned to the universe. You turned on your heels and ran. 

"Y/n, stop!" you heard your father's voice echo through the empty street behind you. You heard heavy boots hitting the ground behind you. You could only assume that the large men were after you; you couldn't turn to check it would only make you slower.

You pumped your arms, but your short legs couldn't reach as far as theirs. Soon, you felt a hand reach out and wrap tightly around your arm. Your body jerked back, and you landed hard on your knees. Arms wrapped around your waist and you were hoisted into the air. Your hips landed perfectly on the man's shoulder as he carried you back toward your house. You kicked and screamed. Tears rushed down your face.

You fought with everything you had but it wasn't enough. You got closer to your house; you heard a shout over your own, "Y/N!" you looked up and toward the trees. Yunho stood at the tree line with pure terror plastered across his face. "Y/N!" he screamed again.

You reached out toward him, knowing that there was nothing he could do. Suddenly, Wooyoung appeared beside him. Wooyoung sprinted from the trees right as the door to the SUV were opened, and you were thrown inside. Wooyoung ran up banging on the car windows, "Y/n, what do I do?!" he screamed through the glass.

At that moment, you looked over his shoulder. Your heart instantly broke. Your mind became fuzzy, and you became oddly numb and emotionless. Your eyes rested on San's tear-soaked cheeks that stared back at you from your bedroom window. He was banging hard on the glass, and his mouth formed loud screams, but you couldn't hear his cries.

"Take care of, San," is all you could fathom. A large sob rocked through your body. You looked back up at Wooyoung. He had large visible tears that would haunt you.

At this time the large men were opening the doors and entering the vehicle.

"What do I have to do?" you heard his voice penetrate the glass.

You pressed your hand up against the glass; he did the same, "Just make sure they are safe..." your tears got caught in your throat. You felt the vehicle start to move and panic-filled your heart. Wooyoung ran alongside the car never breaking contact with your hand through the glass. "BE BRAVE WOOYOUNG. BE BRAVE FOR THEM," was the last thing you could say before he fell behind the vehicle. You looked back the last thing you saw was San's face pressed against the glass of the window holding him back.

A cage separated you and the drivers. You sat in the back seat with your head leaned back, catching your breath.

"She really is a nut,"