- After all the breath, and the dirt,
and the fires are burnt -
"Hey, by the way, they found out who murdered that girl at the party," says Jimin as we go down another unending flight of stairs.
"Who was it?" asks Taehyung in my back.
"The boyfriend! Can you imagine!" announces Yoongi, turning to smile at us, and Jimin shoves him in the back, pressing him to go down faster.
"I would never have guessed," whispers Taehyung in my ear, low enough so that I'm the only one to hear and I grin at the irony, a shiver going up my spine when his hot breath fans over my neck.
"When is the trial?" asks Jungkook.
"Why? You want to go?" inquires Yoongi.
"Yeah, it could be fun..."
"We definitely don't have the same definition of fun," states Jimin, "Boring lawyer crap sounds awful."
"I would come with you, but I'm afraid the guards at the door will arrest me if they see my face," states Taehyung.
"Why? What did you do?" I ask, and the four of them look at each other knowingly and smirk while I'm left in the dark.
We arrive at the basement and Yoongi, who is in the front, takes his phone out to illuminate the space ahead of us. It is wide and empty, probably used back then as a warehouse to stock the bricks.
"Does it have to do with the fact that you were suspended the second week of school?" I ask.
"How does she even know that!" exclaims Yoongi to Jimin, then he turns to me, "How do you know he got suspended? We told everyone he was sick!"
"I just..."
I just know him.
That is what I was going to say, but I hold it in, because it's not true anymore. Instead I decide not to say another word, and hope they change the subject.
"You just what?"
Jungkook's tone is frigid and he turns back to look at me, hostility leaking from his hard gaze.
"I – It was just a wild guess," I stutter, and he doesn't seem satisfied but turns around nonetheless towards the darkness.
There are some forgotten broken bricks laying on the ground and my foot slams into one that I didn't see previously, making me topple over and crash into Jungkook's back.
"Fuck! Watch where you're going," he mutters, and I hold back a nervous laugh.
My toes hurt and I feel like a disgrace.
"Sorry."
Finally, we reach the end of the basement, and Yoongi points at a very rusty-looking door in front of us.
"And here we are," he says, opening up for the rest of us, "Welcome to my humble abode."
Jimin nudges him in the ribs at this, giggling, and I follow them, finding myself inside of what looks like a tunnel. The only problem is that a part of the ceiling has crumpled down and that a big pile of rocks is obstructing the way.
"So... that's your tunnel?" I ask, approaching the pile of gigantic blocks of concrete.
"Yeah, that's our tunnel," confirms Jimin, crossing his arms on his chest, "He only has one problem, the poor thing has a blockage."
Indeed, the pile of concrete is completely closing the way.
"And you want me to do what, exactly?"
Taehyung reaches my side and points with his cellphone light at a space above the pile of rocks I didn't see earlier. On the left corner, a hole is open, enough for a thin person to get through. I don't think I will fit, but I might.
"Can you get through that space?" Taehyung asks at my side.
"Maybe..."
"Yeah... she's not that skinny, you know," declares Jungkook, eyeing me up and down and I ball my fists.
"It's a compliment," adds Jimin, noticing my furious gaze, "He thinks you have a nice ass."
Yeah right.
That's clearly not what Jungkook meant, but I'm not here to start a fight. I face the tunnel again, looking at the cramped space left in between the rocks and the ceiling, then looking at the gigantic pile of stones that seems to be crumbling down from the right side.
"What if the whole ceiling falls on me and I die?"
"That's the dream," says Yoongi, and I turn around to see him huddled in the shadows, the flashlights creating horror-like patterns on his face.
He pushes raven strands away from his face and I see the top of his ear appear, just like I remember it, burnt and looking like melted plastic.
"That's the dream?" I repeat.
"Dying young and beautiful, becoming the perfect martyr, a legend in death."
I raise an eyebrow.
"So if I die tonight, I'm going to become a legend? That's what you're trying to say?"
"Everyone remembers the ones who lived fast, died young, and made beautiful corpses," says Taehyung with a cryptic gaze towards me.
Jungkook huffs, face even more somber than usual.
"So, you're going or not?"
I take a deep breath.
"Of course I'm going," I announce, but then I turn to Yoongi, "If I die, will you make it a heroic story, just to make sure I do become a myth?"
He smiles, mischievous grin gleaming green in the lights of his cellphone.
"I got you, princess."
There is a silence in the tunnel as I step towards the pile of rocks, trying to find the best way to climb over without scratching my knees. Finally, I start my ascend one step at a time, and make sure the rocks are solid under my feet before I step on them.
The concrete feels cold and dusty under my sweaty palms and I sneeze when a cloud of specks tickles my nostrils.
"Bless you," says Jimin in my back.
I soon reach the top of the pile, and glare through the hole, seeing nothing but darkness.
"Can I have a flashlight?" I ask, unable to reach for my own phone, and Taehyung is the one to approach, handing me his device.
"Don't drop it!"
I take it and reach with my arm inside of the hole, illuminating my way and trying to see further in. Still, I can't see a thing and begin hauling my body, squeezing my two arms in the hole and slithering in my shoulders.
I feel the ceiling against my back and my stomach tensing against pointy rocks under me and I know I'm going to be all dusty when I come out, but I don't care.
I'm living an adventure.
I feel like everything is possible and just like Ali Baba, I might find a treasure of gold and diamonds on the other side.
I manage to pass my shoulders through, then my waist, but I let out a frustrated huff when my hips get stuck.
"Argh!" I groan, trying to kick myself further.
"Told you she has a big ass," I hear Jungkook in my back and I want to scream in annoyance.
"Wait, this is already good! It's a lot further than we could ever go! Sage, what do you see?" asks Taehyung.
I try to go as far as I can and look up. My arms are getting tired and my neck is cramping. I'm also pretty sure my skirt is riding up and they all have a good view of my panties, and I'm really glad I'm wearing black plain underwear and not my pink granny briefs.
"Huh, I see... water," I tell them, narrowing my eyes.
"Water?" Taehyung asks
"Yes, the tunnel goes down further in the ground and from what I can see, it looks filled with water."
"Fuck!" exclaims Jimin, "That sucks! We will never know what's on the other side..."
I squeeze my torso back in the hole, being careful not to drop Taehyung's cellphone. Shimmying out of it is harder than I thought, and I almost fall down when my shoulders finally pop out on the other side. Taehyung is there to catch me however, and I grin at him before coughing up some dust.
I gaze down at my clothes and they are covered in grime. I look like I rolled in flour and laugh at the sight.
"Wow, I'm gross!" I exclaim, trying to brush it off my skirt.
I know I probably have some all over my hair, but I have no regrets. Maybe I didn't find a treasure in there, but I'm really glad I could help. I'm still trying to get rid of all the dust when my cell phone rings and I curse, because I know it's my dad.
I take it out of the elastic waistline of my skirt where I hide it because I don't have any pockets and answer quickly, while the four boys all stare at me.
"Hello?"
"Sage, where are you? Dinner is ready, I've been texting you!"
"Sorry, I'll be there soon."
Without any explanation I hang up, or I know my dad will start asking questions, and it's already embarrassing enough that he's calling me right now in front of the school's royalty.
"Daddy wants his baby girl to come home?" says Jimin playfully and Yoongi cackles in response, leaning against the tunnel wall.
"I'm not allowed to go out because I'm punished. I told my dad I was at Crystal's to study, but I should be home by now," I explain.
"You got punished? What did you do?" Jimin snickers.
"I went to a college party and was found alone in a house full of drugs and alcohol, and there was a cadaver on the second floor."
That shuts them up and I grin. I exit the tunnel and they all follow, passing the basement and going up the stairs. The fluorescent arrows guide my way, and I soon arrive on the first level of the factory.
"I'll go home too," says Yoongi, looking at his watch, "My mom is making lasagna."
"Fuck, can I come?" chimes Jimin, "Your mom's lasagna is tasty."
"Yeah, sure."
Then he turns to Jungkook and Taehyung, whispering so that Yoongi doesn't hear.
"But not as tasty as his mom's buns."
Taehyung rolls his eyes and I bite the inside of my cheek to try not to laugh.
We near the entrance and I soon recognize the broken window that serves as a doorway. I go out first, then the four boys follow, landing in the gravel behind me.
"I'm staying," decides Taehyung, leaning against the wall and taking out a cigarette.
"Yeah, me too," adds Jungkook.
"Yoongi, you will take care of her?" asks Taehyung, pointing at me with his chin.
"Why not me?" asks Jimin.
"Because I don't trust you."
"I don't need someone to take care of me," I mumble, shaking my head at Taehyung.
What is his problem? Now he's acting like I'm some kind of object they're sharing? He was the one to bring me here in the first place, the least he can do is to see me out of the quarry.
But okay, whatever.
I turn around promptly, taking the lead and climbing up a giant pile of stones to get to the other side. I know the entrance through the fence is in that direction and I want to prove I don't need anyone to babysit me out. I know where I'm going.
"Hey Sage!" Taehyung calls, and I turn around.
I stand a lot higher than him on my pile of rocks and suddenly feel powerful, the sensation of freedom invading my chest the same as when he first showed me how to climb them up.
"How are you going to explain to your dad all the dust?" he asks, pointing at my clothes with his cigarette.
I smile.
"I'll tell him one of the funeral urns wasn't shut properly."
I hear him laugh heartily and I jump down the other side of the pile of stones, beaming as I disappear from his sight.