Kammon's POV
"See you tomorrow, Ai'Kammon," Nine says as he puts his things in his bag. "By the way, when did you start hanging out with Engineering students?"
"My cousin is in that faculty," I answer, zipping up my backpack, "I met them through her. Why?"
"Nothing," Nine smiles, "I just heard they were crazy, is all."
"They are different, that is for sure," I agree. "I have to go. See you for the next lab."
"OK," Nine nods.
I walk out of the lab wondering why I didn't tell Nine I was dating P'Bright. Nine knows I like guys. Maybe I was just put off by the sudden inquiry. I hadn't realized my classmates knew who I was hanging out with lately. Thinking of lunch the other day, I smile.
Being kidnapped by Maprang's friends was uncomfortable at first, but it did give me a chance to get to know them. And I can't remember the last time I ran through the streets and campus laughing with friends in a mad dash to make it back to class. Maybe they are not so bad, after all.
Talking with those guys, though, had brought up memories I didn't want to surface. They know everything, and yet they didn't offer me pity, and neither were they repulsed.
Maprang always talked to me about what she was learning during SOTUS, and I brushed it off as some weird indoctrination and senior bullying. But when I am with that group, it doesn't feel like that at all, more like an extended family. The seniors are the big brothers, and the nongs the little ones. Just like in a family, they stand up for each other.
P'Bright and his friends took it upon themselves to expose what was happening in my old faculty because when they were trying to protect one of their own when they found out, others were being hurt. He and his friends could have ignored everyone outside their faculty and just focused on taking care of Wad, but they chose not to. Why? Even P'Bright's nongs care about people they don't even know or just met.
I think back to the conversation I had with Maprang's friends at lunch.
"You need to talk to P'Bright. From experience, it is harder for them. Right now, we can only assume what happened to you, and honestly, we don't need the details, but P'Bright deserves them. Believe in him and us. They didn't walk away from me. We won't walk away from you. Trust us. We do the friends thing really well."
Tell P'Bright the details. How do I do that?
"A word at a time."
Could I really tell him? My family doesn't even know what happened to me. I never found the courage. Every time I tried, I was afraid that I would see disgust and shame in their eyes, so I never did. When Maprang confronted me, I wanted to deny it, but she wouldn't let me. Now her friends are urging me to talk to P'Bright even though he hasn't asked directly. The night in the meeting hall, he just told me what he knew and left the rest up to me.
I am so lost, and I have been since that day. I have lost count of the times I have told people I am fine. Fine is the farthest thing I am. I have plastered on this smile for so long I don't even realize I am doing it. I am not fine. Not by a longshot.
Looking up, I gasp to see where I am standing. Why am I here? Of all places on the campus, this is the last place I ever wanted to revisit. I look at the closed doors and empty windows. It really is something out of a horror show. I wonder why it hasn't been demolished yet.
I walk up the steps and tug on the door. When it opens, my heart starts to beat like a frightened rabbit. I look around and don't see anyone. Ducking under the chain that is supposed to hold the door shut, I go in. The logical part of my brain is screaming at me, and the urge to run out of the building is as strong as it was that night.
This building is the place that haunts my dreams. I remember it down to the smell and how the sound would echo. As much as I want to run, my feet are retracing the path I ran that night as they lead me back to where it all began. Room 404.
I always wondered why they chose this room out of all of the ones they could have used. Why not one on the first floor or even the second? Why did they select a room on the top floor? Even that night, this was one of those random thoughts that ran through my head.
Standing outside the door, the urge to flee is even greater than it was when I came inside. I push on the door, making it swing open. Looking down at the threshold, I debate about stepping into the room.
Bright's POV
Sitting on a bench outside of the Architecture faculty, I am beginning to get worried. I messaged Kammon before the end of class, and he said he would meet me here, but that was fifteen minutes ago. He should be here by now. I look at the messages I sent since then and run my thumb over them. None of the messages have changed to Read. I send another one.
❤️Bright❤️: Kammon where r u?
I look up at Kammon's faculty and debate if I should go looking for him. Maybe he got held up in a lab or something. But in the back of my head, there is a feeling that has been growing. The feeling like something bad is about to happen. I have to give it Prem. If this is what he feels about N'Wad, I don't know how he has done it. Kammon, at least, was not a target anymore, unlike N'Wad.
"Fvck it," I growl as I stand up and head into the faculty.
Walking the halls, I am ignoring the strange looks I am getting, and the few girls who have tried to talk to me have stormed off in a huff after I told them I was no longer on the market. And the one who demanded to know who the girl was made me want to punch something. Who it is is none of their damn business. Even if it were a girl, I wouldn't have told her.
I lean against the wall outside of a classroom, figuring out what I should do next. With each room and floor, that sense of dread has grown. Maybe N'Maprang knows where her cousin is.
Bright: Do you know where ur cousin is?
Property of Oak: ?? he is not with u
Bright: ...
Bright: srsly if he was y would i ask
Property of Oak: let me message him
I am making a list in my head of things I need to know about Kammon. His schedule and his dorm are top of the list.
Property of Oak: not answering
Bright: did he even read?
Property of Oak: no
Fvck! Where the hell is he?
Property of Oak: u didn't happen to install the app on him
I stare at the message. I did. The morning I woke up in the meeting hall, he was still asleep. I installed it and have felt bad about not telling him since. It made me feel like a stalker boyfriend. My finger hovers over the app. Should I or should I not?
A message notification shows at the top of my screen. It is from N'Maprang.
Property of Oak: P' i am worried.
That makes my decision for me. I am not the only one worried. Opening the app, I start down the stairs as I watch the screen. Halfway down, I stop and look at the location. Where the hell is that? Kammon is still on campus? I zoom in, and my heart stops when I realize where he is. Why the fvck is he there?
I start running down the stairs as I call Tutah. "I don't care what you are doing!" I shout, "Kammon is in the abandoned dorm! Call the guys!" I hang up as I run through the lobby and out the door.
Stopping outside the old dorm, I lean down, resting my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. I look up when I hear people running.
"Why the hell is he here?" Knott demands as he and N'Tew stop beside me.
"I don't know!" I huff.
"I am glad I was still on campus," Prem says winded. "Wad is studying in the library. He says he and the other nongs will be here soon."
Tutah and Arthit run up and look at the building.
"Do we even know which room?" Arthit asks.
"There are a lot of damn rooms," I growl. "It could be any one of them." I frown when I see the nongs come running. "Why did you bring the girls?" I snarl.
"He is my cousin!" N'Maprang yells at me. "So deal!" I look at N'Oak, who only shrugs before he puts an arm around her waist.
"How did you guys get in?" Knott asks.
"Through the door," N'Aim answers, pointing to the front door.
"But it is chained," Tutah points out.
"It is not chained very well," N'Kongpop explains, "It opens enough for you get through." Arthit punches his boyfriend's arm. "I haven't been back, P'." He whines, rubbing his arm.
"Wait," Prem grabs my arm as I start to head for the door, "We need a plan." He looks at the girls.
"Good try, P'Prem," N'Prae says, "We are going to, so just stop. He is our friend."
"How about we pair up the girls with a couple?" N'Jett suggests. "And I don't think you should be alone either, P'Bright."
"I thought that also," N'Wad puts in. "There are four floors. If we each take a floor, it would be faster."
I hate to admit it, but the nongs are right, and breaking up the floors would be the most efficient way to search.
"I am just going to say this," N'May looks at all of us, "Should we call security?"
"No," I say along with my friends. "N'Prae, you go with Ai'Tutah and N'Jett. N'Maprang and N'Oak, you go with Ai'Prem and N'Wad. N'May and N'Aim you go with Ai'Knott and N'Tew. I will go with Ai'Arthit and N'Kongpop." Everyone nods.
"Who gets which floor?" Tutah asks, looking up at the building.
"Fingers?" Arthit suggests, and my friends nod. I watch as my friends count to three and show a number on their hand. Arthit chose four. Amazingly no one duplicated.
"Let's go," I say, walking up the steps. I pull on the door, and it gives just like N'Kongpop said it would. I look at the opening and back at Tutah.
"You say one word, and you die after we find your nong," Tutah warns. Prem and I pull on the door and watch as our friends squeeze through. I am the last to go in.
"Why haven't they torn this place down yet?" N'Oak asks.
"I don't know," Prem answers, "Why were you stupid enough to come in here?"
"You only live once," N'Aim shrugs. "Come on. The stairs are over there." We follow behind my nong and start up the stairs. Knott, N'Tew, and N'Prae begin looking around the first floor.
When we hit the second-floor, Tutah grabs my arm, "We will find him." I nod and watch as he and the nongs begin to search the rooms on the second floor. Continuing up the stairs, I watch as P'Prem, and his nongs go to search the third floor.
"Let's go, Ai'Bright," Arthit urges. I follow behind him as I look at my phone. The fact that Knott hasn't reported in makes me believe Kammon is not on that floor.
"Ai'Kammon," N'Kongop blurts when we get to the fourth floor, and I look up to see my boyfriend standing in front of an open door down the hall. I push Arthit and his nong aside as I run to him. Kammon looks from the door to me. Why the fvck did you come here, Kammon?
Before I reach Kammon, he sinks to the floor. Running up, I fall to my knees and wrap my arms around him. He is trembling as he takes a ragged breath. I can hear the rest of my friends coming down the hall. Arthit must have messaged the others.
"Why are you here?" I ask as I try to soothe Kammon. He sobs against my chest. "Why, Kammon?"
"I-I-I," Kammon stutters and takes a shuddering breath. "I am not fine."
"Shhh," I hum as I stroke his hair. I look up and see N'Maprang standing by me before N'Oak pulls her into a hug. I can hear him trying to calm her down.
I look into the room we are standing in front of right now. This is where all of it happened. This is where Kammon was hurt. Nobody says a word. The only thing that echos down the hallway are the sobs of Kammon and N'Maprang.
2261 8-19-19
I am back!! Please vote!!
BTW I have only reread up to Chapter 70. Holy shit! I have written a lot! And what do I have to do to get you people to comment?!?