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kai can barely remember how this trip began. it's like he started driving and then suddenly everyone else was here. regardless, it's been a fun trip. kai doesn't feel so lonely.
the car speeds down an empty road that stretches to who knows where—they will know eventually, they're following it—with dense forest surrounding it wherever kai looks. kai keeps his hands on the wheel, steering the car.
next to him sits yeonjun, claiming he would be the map even though he has no idea how to read one (and is currently sleeping). in the backseats are soobin, taehyun, and beomgyu. taehyun placed between the two to act as a meditator, because god knows they would be at each other throats without him.
"are we almost there yet?" beomgyu questions, peeking over at the map slipping out of yeonjun's hand.
"can you stop asking that every one mile?" taehyun groans.
"feels like we're just driving endlessly here," soobin comments, looking out the window.
"someone should check the map, yeonjun's absolutely passed out," kai tells them.
soobin finally grabs the map, looking over it, "it goes on for miles and miles...until it finally ends."
beomgyu gives soobin a look, "you're reading it wrong. let me see it," he takes the map and stares at it dumbly, "uh....i don't think it ends, maybe its supposed to go around the mountain or something. what do you think, kai?"
"i don't know, but there's a turn coming up guys. decide where we're supposed to go quickly," kai replies. he sees up ahead that the road splits, veering left or right.
"let me see the map," taehyun says, wondering if beomgyu and soobin are both bullshitting everyone right now. beomgyu hands him the map. taehyun eventually points to the left road, "i think we should take this one. it looks less bumpy, and there's no mention of a turn in the next few miles, just straight."
"left it is," kai steers the car that way, he notices the sign 'Road 23' as they pass by.
"what if we should've went right?" beomgyu questions with a pout, "i would've went right."
taehyun shrugs, "we'd have taken a different route. maybe we'll see it next time."
soobin suddenly gasps, "i'm in a car with idiots," he says as if he just now came to that conclusion.
beomgyu reaches over taehyun to smack soobin's thigh lightly, which starts a mini slap fight between the two of them, "you're the biggest idiot!" beomgyu exclaims.
soobin laughs, slapping back, "you're an idiot too, aren't you? what kind of guy gets hit by a truck because he didn't listen to his friend?"
"you said you wouldn't tell anyone about that!" beomgyu yells. taehyun stares straight forward, lips pressed into a thin line, looking like he's about to murder the two of them.
"wait wait wait, you got hit by a truck beomgyu?" kai's eyebrows rise highly.
"yeah...yeah I did..." beomgyu admits sheepishly, "...but don't worry, i wasn't hurt or anything..." he trails off very awkwardly. the air becomes tense for a moment with silence until soobin smiles to himself smugly as if he won the argument.
taehyun rolls his eyes, "didn't soobin get hit by the same truck too?"
"no way! i wasn't even standing close enough to get hit!" soobin denies hotly.
"yes you were you lying bastard!" beomgyu shouts, going to squeeze soobin's ear but taehyun quickly stops him, absolutely done with the two's constant play fighting. he grabs beomgyu's wrist and holds it down between them.
"fine fine, whatever," beomgyu grumbles under his breath, crossing his arms when taehyun lets go of his wrist. the three men are silent for a few minutes before taehyun speaks up again.
"it doesn't matter who got hit by the truck, does it?" taehyun asks sarcastically.
"actually, it does," beomgyu sniffs, "it's not like you've been hit by a truck, taehyun."
"how are you guys even still alive?" kai sighs, shaking his head.
"i'm not sure how i am alive right now," beomgyu chuckles darkly, rubbing his forehead, "but I guess we'll find out soon enough," his voice drops low, becoming serious, "we need to talk about what happened yesterday though."
the car goes absolutely silent when beomgyu mentions yesterday, tenseness filling the small space. kai stares at the road, gripping the steering wheel harder.
"beomgyu, now is not the time," taehyun interjects, but it's obvious he is just as shaken as the rest of them, "we need to focus on getting there safely."
"what? we all know we need to talk about it, so why pretend it doesn't exist?" beomgyu sighs, he frowns at them all then looks out the window. kai shifts uncomfortably.
taehyun glares at beomgyu for a long moment before turning his attention to kai, "drive faster."
"huh, why?" kai questions, glancing back at taehyun in the mirror. he presses on the gas anyways, anxiousness filling him up.
taehyun clicks his tongue, "i'm serious, kai. drive faster."
"what's going on?" kai asks, fear edging his voice.
"we don't have time to argue, kai. just drive," taehyun says firmly, gripping the door handle.
beomgyu doesn't say anything, but he leans forward in his seat. he is just as unsettled as the rest of them, his mind racing. soobin continues to look out the window, the mood is ruined.
kai presses down on the gas, speeding faster down the road. he takes a look behind them in the mirror and sees pitch black darkness, a huge contrast to the forest he sees in front of them. he gulps, focusing on driving.
they continue to speed along the road until finally, after hours of driving, they reach an exit sign. the car slows down slightly as they pull off onto the side of the road. they're now somewhere rural. there isn't much light here, only moonlight shining through the trees overhead. as soon as the car slows down, taehyun speaks directly to kai, "pull off here," he points towards a mini gas station.
kai does as told and pulls into the gas station. part of him thinks everyone is just stressed out, the other part doesn't know what to think. taehyun seems to know something everyone else doesn't. he parks the car next to a pump and steps out after shaking yeonjun awake. yeonjun startles, blinking at him for a moment before smiling sleepily.
taehyun, beomgyu and kai all get out of the car and go into the store.
"what was that about taehyun?" he inquires, following behind the shorter male. they all must've saw the pitch blackness following behind them, he couldn't have been the only one.
"it'll be fine," taehyun says confidently. he turns around to face kai, "we're going to have to take care of our own problems before worrying about others," he smiles at kai. though his gaze becomes far away when he looks behind kai and at the window.
"you're speaking cryptically, taehyun," kai frowns. beomgyu roams around the space out of earshot, picking up random things.
taehyun brings kai away into a corner of the gas station, in front of coolers, "we're not safe here," taehyun explains quietly. he leans in so that there's no chance no one else will be able to hear him, "what we saw back there, it's not natural. it wasn't just wind that knocked down that tree either," he pauses, looking at the car through the shelves. he continues speaking in a whisper, "there are things out there that shouldn't exist."
"you're scaring me..." kai says slowly.
"they can smell your fear," beomgyu speaks from behind the two of them, making them jump. he then laughs, "you guys sound like little kids telling scary stories around a camp fire. what's the big deal?"
"you don't need to be here," taehyun coldly says, looking at beomgyu.
beomgyu's jaw tenses and his eyes narrow, "neither do you," he snaps. he then shrugs, smiling, "but we are, so get used to it," he gives a look to kai before going up to the counter to pay for the things they bought.
kai feels uneasy with the obvious tension between beomgyu and taehyun.
"let's go," taehyun tells kai sternly. he grabs kai's hand tightly and pulls him towards the door. as soon as they step outside, they're shrouded in pitch blackness. taehyun turns on his phone flashlight and walks them to the car. they get in, waiting for beomgyu.
kai buzzes with nervous energy. he taps his fingers against the steering wheel, unsure why it suddenly looks pitch black and why beomgyu is taking so long. when he suddenly sees a figure standing in the now lit headlights. its bones are weirdly placed and it's dripping blood, "guys," kai calls, fear in his voice. but when he turns to look at the other three, they're not there.
the figure stands silently. in the distance, kai hears the rumble of thunder. he doesn't know if it's coming closer or just getting louder. rain begins to fall hard. beomgyu's words rush through his head, 'they can smell your fear,' and then taehyun's words, 'keep driving,' kai grips the steering wheel, trembling. suddenly, something taps his shoulder.
kai whirls around, his heart pounding and his breath ragged.
"i said you can drive now, kai," taehyun's eyebrows are furrowed with concern, yeonjun shares the same look in the passenger seat. kai glances around, everything seems to be back to normal. he can see the gas station just fine and the area isn't pitch black. there's no rain. he tries to calm his breathing as he puts the car into drive, and then presses on the gas pedal.
"yeah, i got us really good snacks," beomgyu holds up a bag full of things. soobin's already munching on a candy bar.
once kai pulls onto the road, he has the feeling someone is watching him. he tries to ignore it by listening to the chatter coming from the backseats and enjoy the ride. but the fear doesn't go away — it's always lurking in the corner of his mind.
yeonjun grabs some snacks from the bag, opening a packet of chips. yeonjun looks at kai, "you good? you look like you've seen a ghost," he asks, eating a mouthful of chips.
"nah, nothing's wrong," kai replies quickly, glancing over at yeonjun. he swallows hard, wondering how much longer they'll be able to stay calm before things get bad again. his hands are shaking slightly as he drives.
"are you sure?" yeonjun presses. he holds up a chip to kai's mouth for him to eat.
"yes," kai responds. he opens his mouth for the chip. it tastes salty and sweet all at once. he chews slowly, savoring every bite. when he finishes chewing, he murmurs quietly, "thanks, just need to focus right now."
yeonjun hums in understanding, "alright, if you say so," he sets the bag of chips between them.
"there's a cabin about 50 miles ahead, we could stop there," beomgyu tells them, peeking at the map that taehyun's holding.
"sounds great," kai agrees. he glances over at yeonjun, noticing the way yeonjun watches him carefully when he thinks kai isn't looking. something feels off about this whole situation, but kai can't put his finger on what it is. maybe it's just nerves...
taehyun frowns, "are you sure we should stop there?"
"i think it would be safer than driving through these woods," beomgyu answers with a shrug.
taehyun stares harder at the map, trying not to let his own nervousness show, "are you sure kai? who knows when someone might try to attack us while we're stopped somewhere safe," his eyes float over to beomgyu before snapping back to the map, "we should keep driving."
"we should stop and stretch," kai replies to him dismissively. the car feels stuffed with all of them. taehyun just nods his head, although he doesn't seem quite convinced. as they continue down the highway, taehyun keeps glancing back towards the woods.
yeonjun yawns, stretching out his limbs in the passenger seat as much as he can, "we should've gotten a bigger car."
"at least you have a seat to yourself," taehyun comments.
"true true," yeonjun laughs lightly, rubbing his eyes sleepily. he stretches again, trying to get comfortable in his cramped position.
quietness falls over them for awhile, kai focusing on the road. beomgyu eventually breaks it, "we should talk about something," he suggests, "i dunno what though. it's just too silent."
kai glances at beomgyu, wondering if he's being serious or joking. he sees that beomgyu isn't smiling anymore, so he decides to take his suggestion seriously.
little whisps of white begin to pass by the car. darkness is all around them. yeonjun turns towards beomgyu in the backseat, looking at the male. blood begins to drip down yeonjun's eyes, "How did you die?" he questions, voice outlined with a deeper one, as if two people are talking.
beomgyu's reply is barely audible, almost drowned out by the sound of the engine and tires rolling along the road. the silence is deafening on kai's ears, seeping into his brain and filling up every part of it.
the silence is loud.
kai focuses back on the road, and immediately screams. there's an incoming truck in their lane, heading straight for them and blinding him with its bright lights.
he blinks, the stars are in his sight. his body is tense from bracing for an impact that never came. the car is off the road, front pushed into a tree. beomgyu, yeonjun, and taehyun are outside with the hood up and shining their flashlights at it.
"kai, kai, listen to me," soobin shakes kai's shoulder softly from the backseat, "are you okay? you went off road and hit a tree. it looked like you were having a panic attack or something."
"yeah, I'm fine. i just got really scared there for a second..." kai rubs his forehead, "...and lost control of my car. that was close."
"it was," soobin agrees. he leans closer to kai, quietly whispering, "did you see a ghost?"
kai shudders, closing his eyes tightly. he tries not to let soobin know how much they scare him, "no, no ghosts. nothing like that. just a few bumps in the road, nothing to worry about."
soobin hums, leaning back into his seat, "okay, good. because if you do...act like you don't."
a chill goes up kai's spine, "nothing happened," he rubs his arm nervously, "just some bumps in the road," he repeats.
"yeah," soobin laughs, "bumps in the road. hope they weren't dead bodies," he stares at the others. beomgyu and taehyun seem to be arguing while yeonjun's more focused on fixing the engine, "what's taking them so long?" he sighs.
kai becomes unsettle at soobin's words. he watches the men work intently, hoping it won't take too long before they finish fixing the car. he glances over at soobin, "maybe we should go check on them."
"do you really want to get out?" soobin questions, eyes glimmering yellow in the darkness. outside of the car, besides the flashlights the others hold, it's dark.
"no, not really," kai shakes his head.
eventually, yeonjun closes the hood. the three get back into the car, "we should be good to go now," yeonjun tells them.
"alright," kai takes one last look around before starting the engine. as soon as the car starts moving forward, he relaxes slightly. once they reach the main road, he begins scanning for any signs of trouble or danger. after several minutes, he finally speaks up, "there's no traffic..."
"nope, we're on a back road. so try not to go off-road again, it could kill you," taehyun says lightly, although there's an underlying warning in his voice.
"right...right. of course," kai responds quickly, trying to sound confident, "gotcha. no more off-roading then."
"going off road is fun though," beomgyu says with a pout that makes taehyun rolls his eyes, "we get to see unexpected things."
"absolutely not," yeonjun laughs, "i don't need to fix the car again while you two argue."
soobin laughs along with him, knowing just what he means. it seems like everyone has settled down from the argument. they continue driving down the dark country roads for another few minutes until they eventually come across a small gas station.
kai's eyes widen, following the gas station for a moment, "hey, we already passed that station."
"i think you went off road," taehyun tries to mask the fear curling up in his voice, "just keep driving."
"uh...okay," kai replies, he continues to drive, passing through the same forest.
it's been awhile longer when taehyun finally speaks up again, fiddling with the map, "we're getting close to the cabin."
kai nods, keeping his gaze on the road ahead of him. he can't shake the feeling that something isn't right. the trees seem to blend together, making it difficult to see what's around them.
"i can't wait to finally sleep in a bed," beomgyu groans.
"that sounds amazing," soobin says dreamily.
"yeah, i'm sure you'll enjoy yourself," kai agrees with a small smile, still focused on the road ahead of him. his heart rate increases slightly when he notices movement out of the corner of his eye. something is following them. he quickly slows down so that he doesn't lose sight of it.
"why are you slowing down?" taehyun demands, "kai, keep driving," his voice edges on pleading tone.
beomgyu glances at taehyun with a raised eyebrow, then looks at kai, "did you see something?"
kai shakes his head, very quickly trying to let it go, "no," he replies, his voice shaking slightly, "i thought i saw something, but it was probably nothing."
"err, it was probably something. the forest is pretty dark..." beomgyu trails off, looking out the window.
underneath his feet, the gas pedal presses down, except kai didn't push it himself. the car speeds up forcefully. kai tries to tap the breaks, but it seems like the car has a mind of its own. he grips the steering wheel hard, confused but also fearful. he looks at the rearview window, catching a glimpse of red eyes that makes his heart drop.
"just keep driving," taehyun calmly speaks, voice almost sounding like it's coming through the radio.
"this is taking so long," beomgyu complains.
"the longer the better," soobin responds.
the car suddenly swerves to the side, nearly hitting a tree. the three in the back scream. kai yells in surprise and fear, trying to regain control of the vehicle. yeonjun quickly reaches over and grabs the steering wheel, steering the car right. it suddenly feels like kai can control the car again when he presses the break to slow down a bit.
"holy fuck," soobin curses, gripping the door, "are you trying to kill us again?!"
kai pants heavily, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. "what the hell was that?" he asks, his voice shaking.
taehyun pats his shoulder from the back seat, he's trembling too, "don't know. you're okay, keep driving. 5 miles until the cabin."
kai nods slowly, his hands still shaking. he takes another deep breath and continues driving. they continue for several minutes without incident until they finally arrive at the cabin.
beomgyu hops out of the car happily, pushing soobin out of the way to do so, "thank goodness!" he exclaims, stretching. soobin complains from the ground about it. kai relaxes upon seeing the cabin. it looks old, but also welcoming. the group makes their way to it, entering through the door.
the space is large and empty, save for a desk, old wooden chairs against the walls, and a lit fireplace. yeonjun, soobin, and beomgyu walk to one side of the cabin while taehyun and kai explore the other.
"this place is empty," taehyun points out the obvious, "wonder where the workers went," he then looks at kai, face a hue of red from the flames of the fireplace they're standing next to, "are you okay though?"
kai takes a moment to regain his composure enough to respond. he takes a deep breath, then looks at taehyun, "i'm fine."
"you sure?"
an edge of annoyance creeps into kai's voice, "i said i'm fine."
taehyun stares at him for a moment before saying, "don't wander off," taehyun tells him before turning around and heading to the others. kai follows him after a second.
"where do you guys think everyone went?" kai asks once they're in the vicinity of the other three.
"maybe they're out for lunch," yeonjun suggests, turned towards a portrait on the wall of a glittering lake with a car in the middle of it.
'or in the lake,' kai hears whispered right next to his ear. his jumps, looking around cautiously, "did you guys hear that?" he questions lowly. everyone turns towards him, a mix of confusion on their faces.
"hear what?" beomgyu raises an eyebrow.
"uh...nothing," kai glances back to the portrait on the wall. it's gone. he becomes uneasy.
soobin shrugs in response to kai, "guess we can stay here for free!" he exclaims with a happy smile, "and do whatever we want too. i thought the woods looked neat, anyone want to explore?"
"nah, i wanna see if there's a kitchen," yeonjun replies.
"don't poison anyone," beomgyu jokes, which earns him a light slap on the arm from yeonjun. beomgyu turns to soobin, "i'm exhausted, i'll stay here."
"we shouldn't go into the woods," taehyun looks at kai, "you don't know what's out there...don't wander."
"we won't go far, we'll be safe," soobin responds.
"he already agreed to go, though," beomgyu gestures to kai. taehyun glares at him.
confusion comes over kai's face, eyebrows furrowing. he wonders if he actually did agree but forgot, "i did? well, okay, i'll go."
"it'll be fine," soobin tells them and then leads kai outside. kai doesn't miss the smug smile beomgyu gives taehyun. they start walking into the woods. the trees surround them, making it a bit difficult to see. it's very dark.
"these woods are nice and pitch black, aren't they?" soobin comments as they go deeper into the forest.
"yeah, they're pretty creepy," kai agrees. his heart rate picks up slightly as they continue walking. he tries to look around them, hoping to find any signs of life. he can't see far. there isn't much light coming through the leaves either way, "this place is eerie."
"very eerie," soobin repeats, branches crack around them as if something may be lurking. the more steps kai takes, the more it begins to feel like he's walking in knee deep thick water. soobin doesn't seem to notice, he just walks forward.
kai looks around nervously, it's too dark, "are you sure we're going the right way?" kai asks, glancing at soobin anxiously. everything around them just seems so eerie and ominous. when he looks down, he suddenly realizes it's blood he's walking in. high up to his waist. it goes on for as much as he can see in the woods. his heart sinks into his chest, he wants to scream.
soobin doesn't answer kai's question, only replying with, "this forest is cool," he doesn't appear to realize that there's blood on his legs or that kai has noticed it. soobin continues to walk without stopping, smile still fixed on his face. he keeps talking about how cool the forest is.
"wouldn't it be fun to die here kai?" soobin questions joyfully. the darkness only becomes darker, if possible.
kai pauses in his step before continuing, staring at soobin in shock. soobin has never talked like that to him before. kai tries to play it cool despite his surprise, "yeah, i guess it would be," he remembers soobin's words from before, 'if you see a ghost, act like you don't see it,' kai gets a feeling he needs to apply those words to now.
"would you want to try it out?"
kai doesn't reply, stunned once more. he desperately tries to act like he doesn't see the blood or the horror that surrounds them, even though it's impossible to forget.
when kai doesn't respond, absolute silence surrounds them. though there's only silence, the forest is loud with the way it creaks. almost as if there's something being slit open. soobin's smile is gone, replaced with a blank look. his skin seems to be steadily turning pale as they continue walking. the cabin with the others isn't in sight.
kai doesn't know what to say or do. the forest is louder than he imagined. every twig cracking under their feet seems to echo and resonate. he tries to think of something to say. soobin's change in demeanor is alarming.
the forest grows darker. there are no more trees around them. only darkness. nothing moves. it's almost like time itself has stopped. kai can feel his heart beating faster. what happened? why did everything stop moving so suddenly? wasn't this supposed to be fun? now he's scared.
soobin suddenly stills in front of kai, making kai walk into his back. the blood has begun dripping from the trees. far away in the distance, there's a pair of two bright headlights highlighting their figures.
kai looks slowly up to soobin, who stares right back at him. their eyes meet for several seconds before kai finally speaks up. "...what?" he asks quietly. his voice sounds shaky. did soobin stop because of how dark it got? or maybe...
"wouldn't it be nice to die here? you can do it yourself," soobin says, voice so quiet yet so loud. the lights in the distance are unmoving. kai looks down and notices a knife in his hand. blood drips quicker around them from the trees.
kai's mouth hangs agape. his breathing is shallow. he swallows hard. he looks down at the ocean of blood and then back up again. finally spotting the deep slash dripping blood across soobin's throat. kai takes a step backwards, trying to get some space between himself and soobin. "...no," he whispers.
soobin turns towards kai, "you should die," he says, blood pouring out of his neck, "just do it," kai faintly hears his name being called in the distance.
kai's eyes widen in horror. his heart is thudding hard against his chest. he tries to catch his breath, but he can't seem to get enough air into his lungs, "no," he whimpers. right as kai begins to bring the knife up to his own neck, his eyes suddenly shoot open, and he sits up on a bed.
"kai? are you okay?" yeonjun's besides his bed, looking at him in concern. yeonjun places his hand on kai's forehead, "no fever," he mumbles.
kai looks around, trying to figure out where he is. he's disoriented and feels like he might be sick, "i had a nightmare," he says, voice shaky. he finally looks at yeonjun, "i'm okay," he coughs a bit and puts his hand on his chest, feeling his heart still racing.
"wanna tell me what it was about?" yeonjun asks softly, "soobin brought you back, saying you passed out. he wasn't sure what happened."
kai hesitates, unsure if he should even say anything. it truly felt real, "it was just...a dream," he replies, hoping that will be enough and that yeonjun would let it go.
yeonjun doesn't let it go, "it's not just a dream if it's bothering you so much," he affectionately pushes a strand of kai's hair back behind his ear.
"yeah..." kai whispers quietly, closing his eyes again. his mind wanders off for a moment before snapping back into reality, "...it does bother me," he admits finally, "but there's nothing we can do about it right now anyway."
"you could tell me what happened, it might make you feel better," yeonjun offers.
"alright then," kai agrees reluctantly. he takes a deep breath and begins telling yeonjun everything that had transpired during his nightmare. from him normally walking with soobin in the woods, to there being blood everywhere and soobin asking if he wanted to die. when kai finishes speaking, he sits silently for a few minutes afterwords, letting himself process everything he told yeonjun.
yeonjun looks at kai sympathetically, "that sounds pretty scary. no wonder you woke so worked up," he softly thumbs at kai's jaw, yeonjun's skin is iced cold, before letting his hand go back onto the bed, "do you feel better after talking about it?"
"a little bit, yeah," kai smiles weakly, leaning against yeonjun. he rests his head against yeonjun's chest. it feels nice resting here for a moment with yeonjun comforting him, especially since the nightmare was so intense. yet, slowly, a sickening realization dawns on kai that makes him pull back from yeonjun: yeonjun's heart isn't beating.
"glad it helped," yeonjun pets kai's hair. when he sees how kai pulls back from him, he asks, "what's wrong?"
"nothing...nothing's wrong," kai lies. his mind races as he tries to figure out why yeonjun's heart isn't beating. he slowly presses a hand to yeonjun's chest to see if he can find a pulse this way.
yeonjun's skin begins to look blue, especially his lips and fingernails, "no? nothing?" he questions softly, concern over his face with how kai's acting. he softly grabs kai's wrist.
"nope! just tired," kai mumbles, looking down at yeonjun's hands which are gripping his own wrists. he doesn't want to admit it, but something inside him tells him yeonjun might be dead right now. he starts shaking again, tears welling up in his eyes.
"alright, i'll let you sleep then," yeonjun says, he lets go of kai and stands up, tucking the younger back into bed, "don't stay asleep too long," with one last look over of kai, he exits the room.
"yeah..." kai mutters in reply, too worried about yeonjun to care about his own fatigue anymore. he wraps his arms around himself tightly to control the shaking that still hasn't stopped since earlier.
kai takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. he's aware that he's being ridiculous, but he just can't shake the feeling that something bad has happened to yeonjun. he tries to tell himself that it's probably just exhaustion, but he knows that's not the case. below him, kai is able to hear the quiet murmurs of voices. it almost sounds like arguing.
he decides to get out of bed and head downstairs while trying to keep his breathing steady. everything seems to still as he walks down. until there's suddenly movement and a voice, "it's not my fault it broke," beomgyu's sweeping up a vase.
"no one else touched it," taehyun sighs.
kai watches in shock as they argue over the broken vase. his heart sinks at what he sees, there's sharp shards all over the floor. he wonders if the same thing will happen to him now that the others are upset. he feels sick to his stomach.
"blah blah blah," beomgyu childishly pouts at taehyun as he gets the rest of the shards on a dustpan and then throws it away, "i fixed the problem."
yeonjun's sitting in a chair at the window, looking at his phone. he looks completely fine, full of life. kai wonders if he was imagining things, "oh, hey kai, you up?" soobin greets, noticing the younger, which makes everyone else look at him.
kai tries to smile, "yeah, I'm up," he swallows hard, feeling like he's going to throw up.
"good, we're gonna leave soon. it's been a couple hours," soobin returns the smile, "hope you're feeling better. it was freaky when you passed out," taehyun's standing by the door, looking uncomfortable.
kai nods, unable to look any of them in the eyes. he doesn't want to be here right now, "yeah...yeah i am..."
"you look a bit sick, kai, driving will make it better," taehyun speaks up. yeonjun agrees with a hum, slipping his phone into his pocket. beomgyu sighs heavily but doesn't say anything.
they leave the cabin together after a moment. kai glances back at the building one last time before getting in the driver's seat of the car.
"alright, let's go!" beomgyu cheers happily. soobin laughs and pokes beomgyu's side, which makes beomgyu giggle. yeonjun looks bored, staring out the window. taehyun seems agitated.
kai drives off into the night. he watches the road carefully, not wanting anymore accidents to happen. as they drive along, the tension between him and taehyun grows thicker by the minute even though the general mood in the car seems very light. he thinks about checking in with taehyun once he gets a chance.
"does the radio work?" beomgyu questions curiously.
"if it does will you play the same song over and over?" soobin teases him.
kai tries to fight the urge to look at taehyun, but his eyes keep being drawn to the male sitting behind him. sometimes when he looks in the mirror, he almost thinks no one's there.
"maybe," beomgyu laughs.
"this car doesn't have bluetooth," yeonjun lies, beomgyu makes a sad noise in reply. yeonjun begins fiddling with the radio. most stations are static until it finally lands on one.
the music begins to play a song that kai recognizes. it's an old song he used to listen to with his ex. the beat is strong and the lyrics are fast paced. beomgyu claps in time with the music, soobin hums along. yeonjun taps his foot. meanwhile, kai just keeps focused on the road.
even as he begins to hear whispers that slowly drown out the music.
it seems like no one else can hear this as they all continue humming along to the music. the whispers become more audible as time passes. kai is frozen, unsure of what to do except hope that the voices will disappear. unfortunately, the voice becomes louder, 'Drive into the lake,' it tells him.
and then he sees it, the glittering lake shining underneath the hull of the moonlight. kai's heart begins to race, remembering the scenery from that painting. he attempts to ignore the voice, everything. however, it seems like even though he has his foot on the gas, the car isn't moving. instead, the lake becomes closer and closer.
'Drive into the lake, drive into the lake, DRIVE INTO THE LAKE,' the whispered voice repeats, nearly screaming. kai grips the steering wheel hard, fear coursing through him. quickly, kai begins to smell something foul from besides him. when he looks, he sees yeonjun limp against the door. his skin is blue and damp, and his eyes are white.
kai's eyes widen in shock, he looks around, trying to find a way out of the situation. he shortly registers that he's in the middle of the lake with the water rising quicker and quicker by the second. yeonjun's words repeat in his head, 'drown in the lake, drown in the lake, drown in the lake.'
water begins to fill the car from every side. kai can do nothing but wait for it to drown him as the car slowly sinks to the dark depths of the lake.
"kai, kai! you're going into the other lane!" taehyun yells from behind him, snapping kai back. they're on the road, driving forward. there isn't a lake, the car isn't sinking, the music is playing normal, yeonjun is looking out the window bored as ever.
"what?" kai asks confusedly, glancing back at taehyun. he feels dizzy he can't think straight anymore. everything seems so far away, everything feels wrong. he turns towards the front again, staring out the windshield. the scenery outside blurs past.
yeonjun leans forward, steering the car into the right lane, "keep focus," yeonjun yawns tiredly. his fingers are still ice cold when his skin touches kai's. yeonjun leans back and turns down the music.
"yeah, just keep driving," taehyun adds.
kai continues driving and the scenery is still passing by in a blur. kai clenches his fists tightly, trying to hold back the fear and the anxiety. he breathes in deeply to calm himself down. in the back, beomgyu and soobin are asleep, beomgyu's head on soobin's shoulder. taehyun's frowning, looking through the map.
as kai keeps driving, the sun begins setting. it's getting dark outside now. confusion washes over kai, because he knows its been night forever. they pass through another town; its lights twinkle from afar behind the car.
"should we stop at a reststop?" taehyun suggests, they've been driving for a couple of hours now, "there's one coming up."
kai and yeonjun nod in agreement. it would probably be good if they stopped. there's nothing else around for miles now except the reststop. eventually, kai sees the sign for the rest area and pulls off into the gravel parking lot.
yeonjun takes to waking up soobin and beomgyu, while taehyun and kai get out of the car. the air is crisp and cool, the darkness making everything seem so much more intense. they walk into the rest stop, there's a small building with vending machines and several benches. kai follows taehyun to a vending machine, "are you alright?" he questions.
taehyun knew kai would follow him, he stares at the vending machines, "if you want to stay safe, don't wander off," his eyes drift off to the other three far away at the car, "don't wander," he repeats.
kai frowns, "i'm not going to wander off," he replies, a bit annoyed. taehyun is like a broken record, saying the same things over and over. he notices taehyun's gaze go towards the car, "what's wrong with them?"
the light flickers above them, a branch breaks in the distance, "nothing's wrong with them," taehyun's voice is uneasy, he stops looking at the three of them when he notices beomgyu look back, "don't stare, kai."
"oh...sorry," kai apologizes quietly. he watches taehyun for a moment longer before turning his attention to the car once more. beomgyu, soobin and yeonjun are all talking about something, laughing lightly. their voices carry through the wind, yet their words cannot be made out. even with the three talking, beomgyu seems to be staring right at kai, making deep, unwavering eye contact. it's there that kai notices his eyes glimmer with redness, and his reflection in the car is nonexistent.
taehyun steps in front of kai's line of sight, "i said don't stare."
"yeah, i heard you," kai's eyes fall to taehyun's. he tries to not let the unease sinking into his stomach show, "but...why?" he faces the vending machine with taehyun. there's nothing inside of them.
"just don't," taehyun's answers without emotions. he frowns at the machines, "there's nothing in here."
"right," kai nods. he takes another glance back at beomgyu who's still staring. the way he looks makes kai nervous. like beomgyu knows exactly what's going through his head. and yet, there's no reaction from beomgyu. just an empty, expressionless face. it feels wrong.
the vending machine's glass suddenly cracks, taehyun looks unfazed, "i can't help if you don't listen," he then walks away, leaving kai underneath the flickering light.
"wait!" kai calls out after him. but taehyun keeps walking without stopping, or even giving him a glance. there's only one thing left for kai to do; to follow him. however, if he does, will it make things worse? will it change anything? all these questions swirl in his brain. the lights around the building begin to pop, leaving each portion in complete darkness until the only lighted path is where taehyun walked. kai is completely alone, one light bulb above his head.
"no! please!" kai pleads. no one hears him. he begins to walk forward, hoping taehyun will stop, hoping to catch up with him. he has to save himself. the last light bulb pops, plunging kai into complete darkness. the only form of light is the stars above.
"taehyun," kai calls. his voice echoes in the empty space. he doesn't receive an answer; he's completely alone in this darkness with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company.
a hand suddenly grasps kai's wrist, "i told you, don't wander off," taehyun's right in front of him. the lights overhead are dim. kai somehow walked to the back of the rest stop. he stares at taehyun in disbelief, he struggles in taehyun's grip, trying to make the male let go of him. his heart races faster and faster, his mind is in a tailspin. kai can't make sense of what's happening anymore.
taehyun lets go of kai's wrist quickly, "what's wrong with you?" he snaps, glaring at kai.
"nothing!" kai yells. tears swell up in his eyes. he feels helpless against taehyun's anger. it makes him feel small. weak. like he has no control over anything anymore, as if there's no other choice left except for him to continue suffering through whatever happens next. taehyun scoffs, turning around and walking back to the vending machines.
there's a large rock right next to kai's feet, it would be so easy to pick it up, raise it, and bash taehyun's skull in. over and over until taehyun can't scowl at him anymore. until he's dead. kai won't be helpless then. the rock gleams in the light. he should go back to the car, but something inside of him won't let him do that. it's like he can't help it when he bends down and picks up the rock. he has to protect himself.
kai's hands are shaking as he holds the rock, but he doesn't hesitate to quietly come up behind taehyun—who's back is to him—then swing the rock down onto taehyun's head. taehyun makes a grunt as his head is hit and then falls down to the side, eyes rolling. kai quickly straddles him and starts to repeatedly bash taehyun's head in. he cracks taehyun's facial bones, splitting open taehyun's head on the pavement with the rock. each hit only becomes messier as blood splatters against the wall and ground, bits of brain matter mixed in.
when taehyun's head is reduced to a mess of blood, bones, and brain, does kai finally stop, panting heavily. kai drops the rock and stands up with a stumble. he stares in disbelief, yet he can't deny how good it felt to do that. he looks down at his hands, which are covered in blood.
he can't recognize taehyun anymore. what the fuck did he do?
"kai, what do you want?" kai looks up, he's still in front vending machine, except yeonjun stands next to him staring at the snacks inside of it. yeonjun rocks back and forth on his heels, deep in thought about what he wants. kai looks around panicked, he quickly spots taehyun with soobin and beomgyu at the car. beomgyu's still staring at him.
kai slowly pulls himself together, trying and failing to erase the memory of what he just did. did he even do it? or is this all fake? his hands are clean but he's shaking. his heart thuds loudly in his chest. yeonjun prompts kai to respond by nudging him gently with his shoulder, smiling at him as if nothing's happened, "i don't know..." kai quietly says. everything feels surreal, he's dizzy.
yeonjun shrugs, "okay," he puts a few dollars in the machine and then retrieves a couple of snakes. he holds out one for kai to take, who grabs it without saying anything. kai takes a bite; he tries not to remember but he can vividly picture and feel taehyun's blood on his hands as he hit him with the rock.
"you look as pale as a ghost," yeonjun comments casually, chewing on one of the snacks.
kai nods, taking another bite of his snack, "yeah...i'm fine though," he swallows it nervously.
"remember, you can tell me anything," yeonjun tells him. kai recalls how comforting yeonjun was when he told him about his dream, regardless of what he imagined about yeonjun afterwards.
"i know," kai takes a deep breath and exhales softly, "i'm just not sure if i did it or not," he looks over at yeonjun, hoping he would understand.
"did what?" yeonjun questions, gaze attentive and on kai.
"hit him with the rock," kai answers honestly. he tries to make eye contact with yeonjun but fails miserably. his eyes are drawn to taehyun instead who continues to stand at the car with beomgyu and soobin.
"maybe you did," yeonjun shrugs, still chewing on his snack.
kai feels his heart skip a beat as he hears yeonjun's words, "what do you mean? what are you implying?" he asks quickly, desperately trying to keep his composure. he's never thought of killing anyone on purpose before.
"i mean...you did bash taehyun's head in, didn't you?"
kai's eyes widen. there's no way yeonjun could have known this, as kai didn't tell him all those details or who he was talking about. kai tries to hold back the tears that are welling up in his eyes, "no, i didn't do it on purpose. i don't know what to say, i'm so screwed up right now."
yeonjun tilts his head, "you pushed beomgyu in front of the truck too, right?"
kai starts to shake uncontrollably, "i...i...it was an accident!" he stutters out, "it was a mistake, i didn't mean to!" he looks at yeonjun, pleading for the older to believe him.
"then you watched while soobin committed suicide," yeonjun's eyes are lifeless and gray, staring at kai. the dim light above them buzzes.
"please stop saying these things..." tears begin streaming down kai's cheeks, "i swear they're not true! please believe me!" he begs. he's helpless against yeonjun's accusations.
"and then you gave me sleeping pills before dumping me into a lake," yeonjun finishes.
kai begins to hear whispers, composed of, 'you'll know soon enough. keep driving. did you see a ghost? drown in the lake. how did you die?' he grips his head, wanting it to stop, "no! that's not true!" he cries out. he feels scared at what yeonjun is saying. the whispers become more louder and more persistent. kai can feel himself shaking even more now, his heart racing from fear. he doesn't want to admit anything, but he knows there's nothing he can do about it. he just wants this nightmare to end already.
he screams, "stop it! just stop!" but no one hears him. all he wants to do is get away from yeonjun, but he can't move. he has nowhere to run. he can only cry. the darkness surrounding the rest stop is overwhelming. the night is never-ending. yeonjun gives him a look before silently walking away to the car. kai is left alone, the whispers still echoing in his ears. he sobs, feeling like he's about to go crazy.
the car lights turn on. they're waiting for him.
kai doesn't move, crying harder as he realizes the only way out of this is to get in the car and keep driving. this is all his fault. he's so scared right now he thinks he might pass out. his mind is going blank. he can't think straight at all, "i'm sorry," he cries softly, looking up towards the night sky. he closes his eyes tightly. it hurts. everything hurts, "please stop," he begs quietly to no one, sniffling. nobody says anything. nobody cares. they're all gone.
"no! no more!!" kai screams hysterically, bending and grabbing his head. his heart feels ready to burst through his chest. every muscle aches intensely. he has no energy left. nothing matters anymore. he should've listened.
the car sits menacingly in the parking lot, the only brightly lit object. kai doesn't want to get in, but he knows he has to. he takes a deep breath and walks over to it. he gets in the driver's seat, sinking into it and feeling extremely nervous. he sobs silently as he starts the car, minding racing through everything that's happened so far. he's never felt so trapped before. no matter how hard he tries, he can't escape. they're haunting him. he can hear their voices in his head.
"finally," beomgyu complains, there's blood dripping down his head. his body is unnaturally shaped with bones protruding from his skin; broken.
"what took you so long?" soobin questions, there's a deep knife slit across his neck, along with tentative cuts around the mark. his skin is pale with bruises all over his body.
yeonjun is silent besides him, body bluish and wet. he doesn't breathe. taehyun is quiet too, limp against the door with his disfigured head, brain poking out and blood staining the window.
kai's mind races. he can't seem to stop thinking about everything that's happened. every time he closes his eyes, he sees their faces. fright, blood, death. he can feel himself slipping, the voices in his head are getting louder. kai starts driving.
it won't stop. even as kai drives.
the four are still in his backseats, evidence of what he did. beomgyu and soobin joke around. taehyun huffs in annoyance. yeonjun yawns quietly in his seat. they're dead. all of them. kai's driving becomes more erratic. he's not sure what he's doing, but he's desperate to escape this. he begins speeding down the road, not caring about the danger he's putting himself in. as he drives, the whispers stop.
"you're driving so recklessly kai," yeonjun points out, squinting at him.
kai doesn't respond. he doesn't acknowledge yeonjun's presence. he's starting to lose it. it's eerily quiet in the car, none of them saying a thing. beomgyu breaks the silence, "we should talk about what happened yesterday," the car is tense.
"yeah," kai agrees, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, "we should talk about it."
"what did you do yesterday?" taehyun questions. the car is empty, waiting for kai's response.
kai takes a deep breath before answering. he wants to tell the truth but knows there will be consequences if he does, "i...i didn't do anything," he hopes they'll not question him further.
"what did you do yesterday?" yeonjun says now, gazing out the window.
kai goes silent for a moment. it takes him a minute to muster up the courage to continue, "i...i did something. i can't-i can't talk about it right now. but i did something."
"what did you do yesterday?" soobin repeats.
"it doesn't matter!" kai yells, his voice cracking slightly from being so loud, "just drop it already! just stop asking me these questions!"
"what did you do yesterday?" beomgyu now asks, lifelessly.
"stop!" kai snaps angrily, "why are you all just sitting there? can't you see how much pain i'm going through!" he slams his fist against the steering wheel, tears streaming down his cheeks. he can barely breathe anymore. everything hurts.
yeonjun raises an eyebrow, "your pain? then just kill yourself, it'll be over easily. soobin would know."
"hey! fucking asshole," soobin hisses at yeonjun.
"i can't die yet! not until i've had my revenge on you guys!" kai screams, he starts pounding on the steering wheel again. he knows that he should calm down, but he can't help himself. all of his pent-up anger has been building inside of him since the beginning of the trip, "because of you fuckers, my life is ruined!" kai yells, "i can never go back to fucking normal life now! you all ruined everything for me!"
"just keep driving," taehyun's voice comes statically through the radio.
kai sniffs and wipes his tears away, "fine," he says through clenched teeth, "i'll keep driving," he tries to focus on the road but his mind is spinning.
beomgyu leans forward, half of the skin on his face looks like it was scrubbed off, "you should kill yourself too."
"fuck off," kai growls angrily. he turns around to glare at beomgyu, eyes briefly widening when he notices the skin gone. he looks away, taking deep breaths, "no, no more talking right now," he tells himself sternly.
"we should talk about yesterday," beomgyu says.
"stop saying that! what does that even have to do with anything?" kai snaps once more, glowering at beomgyu, "don't bring that up ever again or else..." he trails off, eyes filled with rage.
"or else what? you'll push me in front of another truck?" beomgyu taunts. yeonjun snickers.
kai clenches his jaw, "you're pushing your luck, beomgyu. don't make me hurt you again," his voice is low and threatening. no one speaks for a moment. the tension in the car thick.
beomgyu then laughs, blood clumping on his corpse as he does so, "isn't killing me enough for you? do you have to take more?"
the sound of beomgyu's laughter makes kai see red. he turns around, letting go of the wheel to grab beomgyu's collar, "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" he shouts. he quickly lets go, eyes widening when he realizes he's just holding a corpse and yelling at it. all that's in the car with him are corpses. he turns back and grabs the steering wheel, correcting the car before it can fly off the side of the mountain. the car smells foul, flies flying around the bodies of his friends. he breathes heavily, gripping the wheel tightly.
yeonjun leans forward, setting a hand on kai's forearm, "what did you do?"
kai takes in a deep breath, "i-i killed them. i killed all of them," he admits. he begins to cry once more, sobbing.
"why?" taehyun asks.
"because you guys were getting in the way!" kai yells. he wipes the tears away from his face, "i'm not going to let anyone get in my way. i'll do whatever it takes!"
"did we not matter to you?" beomgyu frowns.
kai shakes his head, "of course you mattered. i just, i got scared. you were asking too many questions and..." he trails off.
"lets talk about yesterday now," soobin's voice edges with anger.
"okay," kai agrees quietly, "what happened?"
"no. what were you trying to protect that made you push beomgyu in front of the truck?" soobin redirects the question. for once, beomgyu is quiet, staring down at his lap.
"it wasn't anything intentional, it was instinctual," kai replies softly, "but when i saw how hurt you looked after i did it-" he pauses for a moment, eyes watering as he stares at the road ahead of them, "-it broke my heart. and then there was yeonjun and taehyun..."
more anger fills soobin, "after killing beomgyu. you made me kill myself because i saw you push him. do you not remember kai?"
"i-i didn't mean to make you do that!" kai protests, "he just kept asking too many damn questions and i panicked! i swear, i didn't want to hurt anyone. but i couldn't let you or him get away alive either," kai's voice trembles, "please believe me, please."
"yeah, so you drowned me and then bashed taehyun's head in with a rock," yeonjun scoffs.
"yes," kai nods shakily, "that was an accident too. i'm sorry, please forgive me. i didn't want to hurt you two. you just got caught up in a bad situation, please understand. i never meant for this to happen. it's just...it's...i'm sorry," he starts crying again.
"do you want to know how you can make this better?" yeonjun questions, putting a comforting hand on kai's shoulder.
"how? how can i make it better?" he asks through heavy sobs, "tell me what i need to do. just tell me," he looks at yeonjun pleadingly, whole body shaking.
yeonjun lean in close to kai, "kill yourself," he whispers. kai hears it in both ears and through the radio. the words go all throughout his head.
kai stares at yeonjun in shock, his eyes widen with fear, "what?" his voice becomes extremely quiet.
"kill yourself. you took our lives, now take yours," yeonjun leans back against the passenger door.
kai looks down, he's never been so scared in his life, "i-i-i can't," he sutters, "i can't. i just can't."
"yes you can," beomgyu speaks up, "you did it four times. what's one more if you're actually sorry?"
"no..." kai shakes his head, tears rolling down his face, "please don't ask me to do something like that," his breathing becomes shallow and labored. he closes his eyes tightly, trying not to think about anything else.
"just keep driving," taehyun repeats emotionlessly.
"i can't. i-i-i can't do this," kai's breathing becomes more and more rapid as he begins to hyperventilate, "i can't keep driving," he begins to sob loudly. his heart beats wildly within his chest, pounding painfully hard. his entire body trembles violently, sweat dripping off him. he squeezes the steering wheel until his knuckles turn white, "FUCK! FUCK!!" kai screeches, slamming his fists into the dashboard repeatedly, so much his hands begin bleeding.
his whole body shakes, every muscle tense and quivering, "PLEASE STOP! LEAVE ME ALONE! DON'T DO THIS TO ME AGAIN!" he screams, "NO! NO!" he grips the wheel harder, "DON'T LISTEN TO IT! NO!" he tries to drown out the voices in his head that only get louder. but it's no use, "i won't listen anymore. I WON'T LISTEN!" kai yells. he swerves around a tree that suddenly falls and flies right off the side of the mountain, breaking through the wooden fence barrier. the car goes barreling down the side, rolling and crashing against trees. a branch breaks through the windshield that pierces kai right through the head and pins him to his seat.
blood splatters everywhere as the car slowly comes to a stop, broken and busted. kai's vision fades away quickly after that. nothing makes sense anymore. everything is blurry. only silence and darkness surround him now. no more voices whispering in his ear. no more pain. nothing but peace and quiet.
except, when kai opens his eyes, he's driving his car. he can barely remember how this trip began. it's like he started driving and then suddenly everyone else was here. regardless, it's been a fun trip. kai doesn't feel so lonely.
the car speeds down an empty road that stretches to who knows where—they will know eventually, they're following it—with dense forest surrounding it wherever kai looks. kai keeps his hands on the wheel, steering the car. yeonjun softly snores in the passenger seat next to him.
"are we almost there yet?" beomgyu questions, peeking over at the map slipping out of yeonjun's hand.
"can you stop asking that every one mile?" taehyun groans.
"feels like we're just driving endlessly here," soobin comments, looking out the window.