Jooheon awoke to loud chatter. He analyzed his surroundings and realized everyone else was awake. Bright sun rays slipped through the broken windows of the warehouse. He guessed it was very early in the morning. A heavy sigh escaped his lips.
"Good. You all are finally awake. Hope you slept well. You'll need it."
Jooheon looked at Dawoon, eyes narrowed. The older man sat upon a crate as he ate a large red apple. Jooheon frowned as his stomach growled. On his left, Kihyun rested his head upon Hyungwon's right shoulder.
Dawoon got to his feet, tossing the apple core in a trash bin.
"I'll go tell them to bring you all breakfast," he said.
Dawoon walked away. Jooheon noticed there were a few men and women chatting nearby. He hated that they could never be alone. Jooheon wondered if they would ever be free.
"This is a very delicate situation, so we can't be too reckless. So, here is the plan," Hoseok said, eyes focused on the tiny group of people on their left. "For now, we do as they say."
"So, we're really going to knowingly be bait for aliens?" Minhyuk asked. "That's ridiculous."
"Do you have an alternative idea, genius?" Kihyun asked, voice stern. "I think hyung makes a lot of sense."
Minhyuk glared at Kihyun.
"How about you shut up," he said.
"Hey," Hoseok said, looking from Kihyun to Minhyuk. "No fighting. We have to remain united. It's very important we stay calm and level-headed. We really have to stay focused on what's important right now. Understand?"
Kihyun and Minhyuk nodded quietly. A man and woman walked toward them, carrying large trays of food in their hands. A small assortment of breakfast items rested on the surface of each tray. He spotted something that looked like oatmeal and bread. The man and woman set the two trays on the ground and then joined the group of people watching them.
Minhyuk grabbed a bowl and a slice of bread. Kihyun reached out and handed Minhyuk a small carton of orange juice. The two brothers shared a look before turning away and smiling on their faces. Jooheon smiled softly. He knew they could never stay mad at each other.
Jooheon handed a bowl to Changkyun, Hyungwon, and Hoseok. He grabbed the last bowl for himself and started scooping large amounts of oatmeal into his mouth. He knew the day would be hard, but he didn't want to think about it for too long. Instead, he focused on the warm meal in front of him.
****************
The large SUV pulled up in front of a large grocery store. After a few minutes, they exited the car. The sign on the building read '24 hour Super Market'. A tiny smile formed on Jooheon's lips as he remembered a time when he had accompanied his brothers to a 24-hour grocery store after midnight.
"Alright," Dawoon said, hands stuffed in his pockets. "You all are going to go into the building first. You are going to make a ton of noise. I mean cause a scene in there. It'll serve as a perfect distraction for whatever could be in there. But anyway, get in there. We'll come in shortly."
"I prefer to go in alone," Hoseok said, glancing at Dawoon. "Leave my brothers out of it."
"Are you kidding me?" Minhyuk asked. "You want to be bait alone?"
"No, hyung, you can't," Changkyun said, grabbing Hoseok's arm.
"Well, Mr. Hero," Jess said, moving closer to Hoseok. "That isn't going to happen. We need all of you to go into the store. We want the aliens to have more people to chase."
"Like I said yesterday," Dawoon said. "If you all survive, congratulations. We'll move on to the next store. You mess up then well. That's just too bad. The aliens will just have a good feast. And we'll unfortunately have to find new runners."
Hoseok clenched his fists and then nodded.
"If we make it out of this store, we want bigger meals," Hoseok said. "I know you have more food than you've been giving us. If we are able to survive every store, then we should get more food."
Dawoon cackled, throwing his head back.
"This snot-nosed kid thinks he can negotiate," he said, gesturing toward Hoseok.
A couple of men and women laughed.
"Look," Dawoon said. "I'm not in the mood for bargaining. We're running low on food. Get in there and do as we ask, or else there will be a problem. I mean it."
"Hyung," Kihyun said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Let's just do it. Remember what you said."
Hoseok nodded. After several seconds, he turned toward them, a serious expression on his face. Silence surrounded them as they shared a moment of quiet together. Jooheon closed his eyes and took a large breath in and out.
"What's all this? Don't test my patience. Get in the store right now!"
Jooheon opened his eyes, heart thumping against his ribcage. Hoseok sighed heavily and then walked toward the doors of the store. Everyone else followed closely behind him. Once they entered inside, Hoseok turned toward them.
"Try and stick together," Hoseok said. "They said we have to distract the aliens, but they never said to do it separately. So, we're going to stay together while doing this."
"I agree with hyung," Kihyun said. "Be strong, everyone. We can do it."
Jooheon tried to be optimistic about their situation, but it was so hard. The idea of distracting vicious aliens frightened him. He bit the inside of his cheek, trying his best to calm down. Jooheon hoped everything would work out for them.
"Alright," Hoseok said, eyes filled with determination. "Let's get this over with."
Everyone nodded. The layout of the grocery story was a little bit different from the others. In the middle of the store was a small cafe. Glass shards glittered upon the floor around the cafe. On the left were the pharmacy, health, and beauty aisles. On the right was the grocery aisles.
"On the count of three we run," Hoseok said. "Be as loud as you want. But remember to stick together."
"I'm so scared," Changkyun said. "I don't want to do this."
Hoseok placed a hand on Changkyun's right shoulder.
"I know, but sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do to survive," he said. "Now, are we ready to go?"
Several soft responses of "yes" filled the atmosphere. Jooheon wished they could avoid the dangerous situation. But he knew if they turned around, they would be in even bigger trouble. A heavy escaped his lips.
Hoseok counted down from three. The moment they heard one, everyone took off in a run, screaming at the top of their lungs. Jooheon's heart thumped against his ribcage as they ran through the aisles of the health and beauty section of the grocery.
Jooheon nearly crashed into a display of nail polish located at the end of the aisle. He was glad he was able to avoid it. A deep guttural growl filled the atmosphere. He felt compelled to escape the oncoming danger, but he knew they didn't have the option to run. They had to distract whatever was inhabiting the grocery store.
"Let's start heading for the door!"
Jooheon nodded, happy to hear Hoseok say those very words. They had distracted the beast enough. Their captors should have had enough time to grab what they needed. There was no reason for them to wait around and be captured by the alien.
Wonho gestured toward the entrance of the grocery. Jooheon noticed his brother slowing down. His heart rate sped up. It seemed like Hoseok was purposefully trying to be the last one out of the store.
The vicious growling increased as they ran. Jooheon ran faster, pumping his arms and legs. The memory of running away from an alien entered his mind. He tried his best to push the awful memory to the back of his mind.
A blood curdling scream filled the air. Jooheon looked over his shoulder, eyes wide. Hoseok had his arms around a fallen Changkyun. His younger twin must have tripped as they were trying to get away. He stopped running, eyes wide. Several feet away, a reptile-like creature was rushing down the middle of the store.
Hoseok made eye contact with him.
"Jooheon! What are you doing? Run!"
Jooheon nodded quickly and turned back around. He bolted for the doors where the rest of his family was waiting outside. He knew Hoseok would be able to help Changkyun to the door. At least he hoped his older brother would be able to help him. He brushed the negative thought from his mind quickly. Jooheone knew Hoseok would be able to help Changkyun.
Their captors' car pulled up in front of the entrance. Jess opened the door, yelling for him to get inside quickly. If Jooheon didn't know any better, he would have thought Jess cared about them. But he knew the truth. Jess cared about getting food. She didn't care about them.
Jooheon entered the car and turned around. Hoseok and Changkyun entered the vehicle just as the creature burst through the glass doors of the grocery store. Jooheon headed to the back of the SUV, heart pounding in his chest. His heart broke at the sight of Changkyun crying. Hoseok wrapped Changkyun up in his arms, rubbing circles into his younger brother's back.
"Someone tell the brat to shut up! I have a literal headache!"
Hoseok narrowed his eyes at the back of Dawoon's head.
"He nearly died," Hoseok said, eyes narrowed. "He doesn't have to pretend like everything is okay. He can cry if he wants."
"Yeah, Dawoon," Jess said, amused. "Be nice. He almost died."
"I don't care what he did," Dawoon said. "Tell him to quit it. We've got two more locations left before we can head back. I don't want to deal with unnecessary noise."
Hoseok glared at the older man and then turned to Changkyun.
"Kyunnie," he said. "I know you are very upset right now, but can you take a deep breath with me?"
Changkyun nodded as tears streamed down his face.
"Okay," Changkyun said.
Jooheon watched his brothers breathe in and out. There was something calming about watching them engage in such an activity. Changkyun hadn't stopped crying, but he no longer was crying out loud. Jooheon looked at the back of Dawoon's head. He agreed with his brother. No one should have to silence themselves after experiencing something horrific.
"So, the next location should be twenty minutes away from here," Dawoon said. "I've visited this location before. It has the best stuff, but it's also the most infested with aliens. Consider the other store a warm-up."
Jooheon bit the inside of his cheek, clenching his fists. He wished he could open the door and escape with his brothers. It wasn't fair that they had to risk their lives for heartless people. In the middle seat, Hyungwon, Minhyuk, Kihyun, and Yoonho sat quietly. He turned his attention toward the window. A sudden sensation of nausea washed over him. He placed a hand on his chest and rested his head against the window.
"You okay, Joo?" Hoseok asked, turning to look at him, one arm around Changkyun.
"Yeah," Jooheon said. "I'm fine."
Hoseok gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay if you aren't fine," he said. "What we went through was terrifying."
"Really, hyung, I'm fine," he said.
Hoseok nodded.
"Okay. Just know I'm here for you."
Jooheon nodded quietly as he turned back to stare out the window.
*****************
The car pulled into another grocery parking lot.
"Alright," Dawoon said, turning in his seat. "We are here. Also, let me remind you, boys, of your purpose. You are supposed to distract the aliens while we get food. The keyword here is distract. I don't know what you all were trying to pull at the last store, but I better not see you all do that again. We got less than we normally do. You will not head for the exit whenever you feel like it. There'll be consequences if you try that again."
Hoseok scoffed.
"So you really want us to die then?" Hoseok asked.
Dawoon chuckled.
"Like I said a while back, do well, and you'll survive," he said. "If you distract them well enough and run fast enough, then you should be just fine. Now, we are going to drop all of you in front of the store."
Jooheon chewed on his bottom lip. He wasn't ready for another run. The last experience truly frightened him. He looked out the window and up at the bright blue sky. Jooheon clasped his hands together and silently prayed for a miracle.
The car stopped at the front of the store. They were told to exit the vehicle. Jooheon exited the car with his brothers, a lump forming within his throat. Hoseok kept his arms wrapped around Changkyun as they waited for further instructions.
"Listen to me very carefully," Dawoon said. "You all are a distraction. You better not run out of here like you did at the last store. Now get in there, quickly."
"Look at that," Jess said. "We may have a little competition."
Dawoon looked over his shoulder. Jooheon glanced at the mini-van, pulling into the parking lot. He was shocked by the presence of another car. Based on what Dawoon said, Jooheon didn't expect to see anyone else in the parking lot.
"I wouldn't worry about that. This store is crawling with aliens, remember? I know they won't last a second. That means more food for us," Dawoon said, looking at them. "Now, what the heck are you all waiting for? Hurry up and get inside! We don't have all day."
Jooheon frowned softly as he turned his attention back to the front of the store. He analyzed the frightened expressions on his brothers' faces. Jooheon's heart broke at the sight. As Jooheon followed his brothers inside, he hoped they would be able to survive.
Inside the store was eerily quiet. Jooheon thought he would hear the sound of growling. Hoseok turned to look at them. Changkyun clung to Hoseok's side, eyes pointed at the ground.
"We survived the last store," Hoseok said. "We'll survive this one, too. Don't run too far ahead. I want everyone to stick together like last time. Unfortunately, we can't run for the exit like last time, but we can make sure we stay out of harm's way. So, let's get going."
Jooheon nodded firmly. Hoseok spoke softly to Changkyun, encouraging their younger brother. Changkyun nodded softly. Hoseok and Changkyun pulled away from each other. It would have been hard for them to run if they were joined at the hip. Jooheon tried to swallow the lump in his throat. It was time for them to run.
Hoseok took off running. He kicked a fallen display of toothpaste to the side to create noise. The sound of growling filled the atmosphere. Jooheon tried to ignore the sound and focus on running.
They ran down the office supplies aisle. Kihyun picked up a few packaged staplers and dropped them on the ground. Jooheon's heart pounded against his ribcage as the sound of the monsters increased in volume. He understood they were supposed to be a distraction, but he was afraid. Jooheon began to wonder if they were making too much noise.
Their older brother led them down the juice aisle. Hoseok shouted out words of encouragement, trying his best to be louder than the monsters in the grocery store. Jooheon wondered how much longer they needed to distract the aliens. He was ready to leave the store.
The sound of a gunshot filled the atmosphere. Jooheon's eyes widened as he ran faster. Someone had a gun. He bit the inside of his cheek hard, tasting blood.
Jooheon wondered if their captors were warning them about leaving the store too soon. Moisture was collected within his eyes as he followed his brothers. Another gunshot filled the atmosphere. Several shouts and screams filled the store. Jooheon's anxiety worsened as he tried to make sense of what was happening.
They entered a candy aisle just as a large reptile-like creature rushed past on the other side of the aisle. Hoseok stopped running. Everyone else came to a complete stop. Hoseok turned around, gesturing toward the other side of the aisle. Jooheon turned around, heart in his throat.
A young man with short light brown hair stood by the aisle, placing a gun in his right pocket. Jooheon stopped running. The man had to be one of the people shooting off guns in the heavily alien infested store. The man spotted them, eyes wide.
"Why did you stop?" the man asked. "Keep running. Come on, quickly. Get out of the store right now! This store is swarming with aliens."
"Let's head to the exit," Hoseok said.
Jooheon nodded. If Hoseok said it was time to leave, then it was time for them to go. He started running, focused on exiting the store. Jooheon was shocked to see the young man running ahead of them. He began to wonder if the man was trying to help.
Jooheon's heart stopped when he spotted the creature standing in front of the exit. The man reached in his pocket for his gun. He fired a shot at several 4 pack boxes of cereal in another aisle. The packs tumbled to the ground. He shot at several glass bottles of condiments. The creature growled, running toward the noise created by the bullets hitting their targets.
The man started to run again and then exited the store. Jooheon ran with his brothers toward the exit. He noticed his brothers seemed to trust the man as well. Jooheon didn't know what to expect. All he hoped was that the man was leading them to safety.
The mini van from before pulled up, blocking their path. The window rolled down, revealing a younger man's face. The driver with bright blonde hair shouted for them to get inside quickly. Jooheon didn't hesitate. He rushed into the car, his brothers following closely after. Hoseok shut the door behind them. The young man in the driver's seat pressed his foot on the gas, pushing the car forward.
As the car sped out of the parking lot, Jooheon realized their captors were nowhere to be found. He hadn't seen them in the store when they were running toward the exit. Jooheon looked around the large van, a sigh of relief escaping his lips. The young man from before sat in the passenger's seat. His brothers spread out through the rest of the car.
"Oh my gosh," the young man driving said. "I never thought this would work. I-I was certain we were going to die there, Sungwoo. But we didn't."
"I can't believe we did it," Sungwoo said, voice barely above a whisper.
"Pull over," Hoseok said.
Jooheon's eyes widened.
"Pull over right now," Hoseok said, anger dripping from his lips.
The man in the driver's seat didn't respond. Jooheon's heart rate increased. There was a chance they had been captured again. Honestly, he didn't know if the young men were taking them to safety. All he knew was that they were able to escape the store. Jooheon began to think they may have made a terrible mistake.
"Are you insane?" the young man asked, driving the car down the lonely road. "That's a terrible idea."
"This is some big elaborate scheme, isn't it?" Hoseok asked. "Well, it won't work again. Pull over, or I'll make you pull over. I may not have a weapon, but I can still be a huge problem."
"Hey Chulwoo, we should probably explain."
"Look," Chulwoo said, eyes focused on the road. "We aren't your enemies. I get it. You've been through a lot. I'm familiar with those disgusting people. We heard from some others that they frequent this particular store every once in a while, so we took a chance and came down here. We were hoping to stop them."
"Wait," Minhyuk said, seated next to him. "You came all the way over here to- to help us?"
The young man in the passenger's seat nodded.
"Yes. We had no idea if we would see anyone, but when we entered the parking lot, we noticed something suspicious at the entrance. I could tell you all weren't working as a team," Sungwoo said.
"Actually, we heard rumors that using other human beings as bait for aliens has become popular outside of the base. They like to call them 'runners'. It's disgusting," Chulwoo said. "We were really hoping we'd be able to save some people today. I'm so glad we were able to help you all."
"No," Changkyun said, voice shaking. "No, I don't believe you."
Jooheon turned around, eyes focused on Changkyun. His younger twin sat near Hoseok, tears in his eyes. Jooheon understood the distrust. The last time they got in a car, they had gotten into huge trouble.
The man at the wheel sighed.
"I promise you we aren't your enemies," Chulwoo said. "We came out here to save runners and anyone being forced to risk their lives. This isn't a trap. We're taking you to safety."
"Safety?"Hyungwon asked.
The man seated on the passenger side nodded.
"We're taking you to the military base. There is food, shelter, hot water," Sungwoo said. "This isn't a trap. We came here to help. But if you don't believe us, then you are welcome to leave."
"What?" Chulwoo said. " Sungwoo, why would you suggest they leave? It's dangerous out there. If they leave, they'll die. I'm certain of it. I mean, look out the window. There are several flipped over cars and bodies out there."
"Stop the car," Sungwoo said.
Chulwoo sighed, slowing the car to a stop. Jooheon glanced out the window, eyes wide. The young man was right. There was nothing safe about the outside. However, he was still uncertain they were being taken to the base.
"We believe you."
Jooheon's eyes widened as he looked at Kihyun. Hoseok turned to Kihyun, shocked. Kihyun and Hoseok were the most cautious in their group. He never expected to hear Kihyun say those very words.
"Hyung," Kihyun said, turning toward Hoseok. "I know we made a huge mistake last time, but I think leaving would be an even bigger mistake. I believe them. I do."
Minhyuk turned in his seat to look at Hoseok and Kihyun.
"I believe them too," Minhyuk said.
Silence filled the car. The car sat on the side of the road. The young men didn't say a word. Hoseok ran his fingers through his hair.
"They risked their lives. One of them literally entered an alien infested store," Kihyun said. "Who would go to all that trouble just to trap us?"
Jooheon agreed with Kihyun. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. The last time they were tricked, it had been easy for the captors. There was no immediate danger. On the other hand, the young men drove to an alien infested store.
"Okay," Hoseok said. "You're right."
Hoseok looked at the men seated in the very front of the car.
"We won't be leaving the car," Hoseok said. "We trust you. We trust that you will take us somewhere safe."
Chulwoo nodded. He turned the key in the ignition. After a second, he pulled away from the side of the road and then started to drive. No one spoke. There was nothing else to say. Jooheon knew all they could do was believe.