Namjoon POV:
I hadn't been hit like Ruth has but my wrists were begining to sting from the rope digging into my skin. There were only 2 of these guards by us, 1 kept a hand on Ruth and another on Taehyung.
And a third, the one doing all the talking, had his gun by his side instead.
"Tell me what?" (Y/n)'s voice finally shattered the silence.
The one with a jet black ponytail snickered "Clarissa over here has been feeding us information,"
(Y/n) scoffed, clearly not believing any of it but when her face meets Clarissas guilt-ridden one it changes.
"It's not true," (y/n) blantantly denied but Clarissa kept quiet, merely fidgeting around with her arms.
"Clarissa tell me it's not true," she demanded, trying to wriggle herself upright.
The guy spoke to the walkie talkie "hello?"
No response.
"Maybe a scream would help," he held it in front of (y/n), still struggling to sit up, her shoulder is better than before but still not fully functional so that just makes things harder.
"Clarissa, tell me what's going on," she growled.
He pulled back, grimy fingers fiddling with the buttons once more "I guess thats good enough for now,"he fixed his gaze onto Clarissa now "Tell her Clarissa, she'll scream louder then,"
He brought out a knife and held it against Clarissas neck.
"Tell her," he demanded.
(Y/n)s eyebrows jumped "it's okay Clarissa, tell me," she urged, eyes losing their former cold edge.
Clarissa gulped and looked to the floor "When I got abducted ...I didn't escape from here. They proposed a deal,"
"A deal that they would stop hurting Alice, if I returned every week with information and they would let me see her sometimes-"
He dragged the knife lightly across her cheek, leaving a thread-like cut in its wake.
"Stop it, let her speak," (y/n) glared at him but he just laughed.
"I needed to do something to get some emotion out of you," he waved the walkie talkie in her face keeping it near her mouth "Continue Clarissa,"
"They said they would kill her if I disobeyed. I thought I could free her on my own... so I kept it to myself and told them what they wanted to hear,"
Tears began to stream down her face as she looked at (y/n), filled with regret and guilt but (y/n) herself was just blank. Zero emotion. She always does that, always tries to put up a brave front.
"Im so sorry, I thought I could keep everyone safe on my own. I didn't always tell them the truth just what seemed like it,"
"And she'll pay for it," he spat at Clarissa.
Worry flashed over (y/n)s face for the first time since we entered. Only for a moment her façade faltered but the ponytail guy caught on. He smiled at the discovery.
Clarissa dropped her gaze to the floor, more tears fell onto the space between (y/n) and her.
"I told them you were at the hospital, but I thought you were either dead or had left by then,"
"Not the past, tell her about today," he tapped her cheek with the blunt side of the knife.
Today? Clarissa is the reason why we are tied up like this?
"After you told me... Alice was gone and the uncle thing. I came here to alert your uncle and to speak to this guy-" she glared at their captor "-to 'give him information' to keep him distracted so things would be easier for you,"
His hand fisted the hair on the back of Clarissas head, she yelped in pain.
"DON'T!" (Y/n) raised her voice by alot but it wasn't a full on scream yet. Nevertheless he seemed satisfied, retracting the walkie talkie away from her mouth.
"Necessary measures, princess," he winked at her.
Ew nasty.
I don't understand why he keeps on calling her princess but one thing I am sure off is this guy is insanely sadistic.
We needed a way out.
I kept my eyes on the scene before me to avoid drawing suspicion while my hands fishes for something in my back pockets. Something yoongi hyung gave me that could slit the rope.
"Continue,"
"But he figured out something was off and sent people to patrol. They reported seeing you, ruth, sean and a new face with brown hair. Abduction orders were sent,"
Got it! My hands found it, I subtly started to rub my wrist against it. The guards were so invested in the drama unfolding it's as if they weren't even trying to keep an eye on us anymore.
"Taehyung-ah, I've got something in my hands. I'm cutting the rope with it nearly done, try to see if you can take it from me and cut your own off," I whispered over to him in korean, the guards didn't even bat an eye. All the better for us then.
Blood flooded back into my wrists as the ropes fell lifeless. Taehyung managed to reach over and snatch it from me ....strangely neither of the guards noticed this as well.
Taehyung wasn't too subtle either, it's like they want us to escape.
I remained kneeling, waiting for Taehyung and Ruth to free themselves.
"Incoming from line 4!" The ponytail guy cheered, bringing the walkie talkie to (y/n)s face once more.
I nearly jumped out of my skin from the shock, the exchange had been so quiet like background noises until now.
"(Y/n)? Are you guys safe. I tried contacting Sean but he's out of reach," Scotts static laced voice echoed around our dead silent room.
He holds it in front of (y/n)s face.
"Beg for help," he grits out, the knife going back onto Clarissas throat. Clarissa shakes her head and (y/n) kept silent.
"(Y/n)?" Scott called out again.
Ponytail guy exhaled, tossing the walkie talkie on the floor between them. The knife presses harder against Clarissas skin, a stream of red trickled down.
"I'll talk, just stop," she burst out, her upper body jolted off the floor momentarily but came crashing back down.
He smiled, and pressed a button on the walkie talkie.
"Hey dad, don't say anything just listen to me"
"Dad?" Scott asked back on the other end of the line.
"Yes. Dad we-"
"Scream," ponytail guy lowly said.
"Don't scream," Clarissa quickly interjected.
"Scream or else!" He threatened, waving the knife precariously in the air.
Clarissas hands broke free from their restrainsts.
Oh my gosh, she wasn't fidgeting from nervousness she fidgeted to free herself!
Instantly her hands flashed up and she took the knife, she darted to (y/n)s feet and sliced the restraints around it before ponytail guy could even register what happened.
She leaned over (y/n) working on her hands but the guy pulled out a gun.
"NOO!" I yelped getting up and running to them.
BANG.
Your POV:
Her hair fell infront of her face and went onto mine, I grimaced trying to avoid the ends of her hair that swept over my face and blocked my vision.
"I'm sorry I let you down buddy, now run," she whispered.
BANG.
Warm droplets coated my face.
Something was happening, I heard screaming and the doors slamming and people but the most prominent thing was the ringing in my ears, it almost masked away every other sound.
Clarissas body slumped forwards as she gasped, her hands supporting her.
"Don't be like me," she breathlessly said, before her hands gave in. I scrambled up, barely catching her before she face-planted on the floor.
I carefully flipped her over so that she lay on her back and that her head was on my lap.
Whats happening?
A red splotch grew on her shirt, my now free hands reach out, applying pressure onto the wound.
Its just like mum, she ..there was alot of blood on her shirt too. I couldn't save her then but its okay, Clarissa is in my arms. I can save her.
She won't end up like mum.
My throat went dry, sweat formed on my forehead.
This is fine, I can treat this. It's fine, the cut on Jungkooks foot and this isn't too far apart. It's fine, she'll be fine.
"Learn to delegate," she weakly sputtered out "Can you ever forgive me?"
"Stop talking like you're dying!" I yelled.
She weakly nodded, I watched her eyelids begin to droop and hear her breath become more ragged.
"Fully ride the merry-go-round and tell me-" she gasped a few times, as if there wasn't anymore oxygen left "-and tell me how it went,"
"Are you f*cking serious, now isn't the time! Just breathe, c'mon you can breathe. I'll get you home. Don't worry about anything theres nothing to forgive, you did nothing wrong,"
She smiled, her teeth were all coated with a thin red, more red trickled down the side of her mouth.
"Sorry, I'm going to Alice..." she trailed off.
Her eyes stopped moving, her smile slowly faded. My hands that were applying pressure onto her abdomen stopped moving up and down from her fragile breaths.
"Not a good time for a prank Clarissa. Wake up we have to get my uncle and go home,"
I moved my thighs beneath her, jostling her head slightly.
"C'mon it's not funny right now. Talk about the merry-go-round if you want but don't do this," I pleaded.
A hand placed itself onto my shoulder, I jumped at the contact and whipped my head back.
Sean! When did he get here?
"Don't touch me Sean," my teeth ground together as I yanked my shoulder away from him harshly.
I went back to Clarissa, I don't care if she sold me out a million times over and put my life in danger. She was forced into it, to protect who she loved. Its not fair. Clarissa has to come home, she has to visit Alices grave.
"(Y/n) we need to get out," this time its Namjoons voice, my eyes momentarily flicker to him and the ringing in my ears faded.
All of their faces, hands free from their restraints circled us.
How?
When?
What?
"I managed to cut my own ropes off with something in my pockets and Sean and your uncle there busted through the door the moment the gun went off," Namjoon answered.
Did I say that out loud?
Gun what gun?
Uncle?
He's here?
They parted, revealing my uncle by the door.
I didn't know what to expect when we set off, to find my uncle already dead? Or beaten and battered up and in tattered clothes? On the brink of death from starvation perhaps?
However this is what I did not expect.
He wore a leather jacket and ...cowboy boots? His arms and face were perfectly fine except for one bruise that was already yellowing and faded.
He looked well-fed too, the complete opposite of a worn out middle-aged man.
"Uncle?"
He nodded, tears pooled up in his eyes.
"Never thought I'd hear you say that by your own will little missy,"
My head spun, as I looked around trying to ...understand. The ponytail guy was lying flat on his face at the side in a pool of red.
The other guards ... none of them were here. I don't understand.
"What ...what happened? Where are the evil people,"
"It's a loooooong story. Don't worry theres no rush. Put Clarissa down and we'll tell you,"
Clarissa!
"Unc- uncle you gotta help her she ... she's hurt. You did like a million different side jobs right wasn't one a part-time nurse?"
I watched all the faces look at me with pity. I still hate it, everyone back home looked at me like that for months after mum died.
My gaze dropped to her head on my lap, everything was so still, unlike her usual joyful self. Both colour and heat drained from her as seconds flew by.
She...
I placed two fingers on the side of her neck searching for a pulse but I couldn't even feel body heat let alone a pulse. I checked her wrists too, maybe I missed the pulse on her neck?
If Clarissa dies...
Whos going to supervise me while I make dumb life decisions?
Whos going to listen to all my problems?
Whos going to call me and my attitude out?
Whos going to make perverted jokes all the time?
Taehyung came to my side now, slowly lifting my hands off her body.
I looked up at the 5 faces surrounding Clarissas body. Everyone seemed a little emotional, reddned noses and damp eyes, some with quivering lips too.
To me everything is just numb, like when I read mums diary but worse.
I let him remove Clarisa head off my lap and pull me up to my feet. He drapped an arm over my shoulder and I can only assume he was worried but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the two bodies on the floor.
The second, the one with meatloaf for brains definitely caused something to stir in me, anger overcame the numbness.
He is a classic example of what I meant by the apocalypse has turned us into animals.
"Sorry for my episode just now. Excuse me one moment please, theres something I need to do,"
Taehyung POV:
My own eyes were watering but hers were drier than Jin hyungs dad jokes.
No sadness or mental breakdown like I'd anticipated but its hardly even surprising at this point, she just sounded slightly panicky but mostly lost and fragile, as if even the smallest thing could quite possibly tip her sanity over.
However, she looked like she just finished murdering someone. Her face held splatters of now dried blood, hands and the sleeves of her hoodie were stained and soaked in the crimson fluid.
I swear Namjoon hyung was wearing that hoodie this morning,
"Is he dead yet?" She looked up at the guy with amazing boots, I have to get him to lend me those sometime.
He shrugged his shoulders "we didnt take a pulse yet,"
Whats a pulse?
She made her way over to him, I followed keeping an arm around her at first it was to comfort her but now honestly its more so that she doesn't injure herself if she decides to lash out on the creepy dead guy on the floor.
I thought it was weird when she was completely normal after getting sexually harassed this however is even more unsettling.
Clarissa is her best friend, or so I've been told and she just watched her pass away before her very eyes and now she's leaning over her best friends killer with fingers pressed against his neck as she smiles.
"He's alive" she laughed.
Okaaaaay. She's officially gone crazy.
"Hyung, I think she's gone over edge," I looked over my shoulder and face the audience.
Namjoon hyung is in the middle of conversing with the guy, her uncle with great fashion. He paused to turn my way "he says its how she deals with grief,"
...oh, don't people usually just cry? Crying seems far more convenient.
She moved his head so that he faced her, he groaned faintly, as she pried the gun out of his fingers and held it up to his face.
Oh no, I knew what was coming. She even had that same complacent expression.
"(Y/n)-ah, don't," I patted her non-injured shoulder slightly, she paused with her fingers on the trigger.
It's not going to fix the hole in her heart no matter who she kills, she really needs to learn a better way of grieving.
Her face was back to a blank canvas and she pressed the gun against his neck like how he pressed the knife against Clarissas.
"It wrong. He do mean things. Don't do the mean things. Don't be like him,"
Jungkook POV:
"Oh f*ck,"
I kept my hands on the door, using everything I had to try and shut it but still dozens of other grey and rotting ones manage to push me back.
My feet slid back slowly despite my best efforts to remain put.
My legs and arms were growing weaker.
I can't do this for much longer.