Dream Me a Sonatine

23 - Impossible

As the others disappeared, Sooyoung found herself lingering in Hintze Hall. The shadow of the whale's ribcage fell onto the floor in long stripes, and Sooyoung imagined each shadow was a crack she could fall into.

Yeah, she really wanted to disappear right now.

Yerim clearly had no social skills, or she wouldn't have left Sooyoung with her friend's murderer and her... friend? Girlfriend? Enemy? Sooyoung's head ached every time she tried to figure out her feelings.

Neither Jiwoo nor Heejin had said a word; Jiwoo kept glancing towards the exit and Heejin was becoming increasingly interested in a hangnail on her index finger. No one knew what to say, but they wasn't time to waste. An innocent girl was in danger, and Sooyoung refused to let anyone else die.

So instead of talking, Sooyoung stalked towards the 'Creepy Crawlies' sign. She didn't care if the other two followed her or not, but the vast emptiness of the hall was beginning to make her uneasy. Not to mention the incessant scraping sound coming from the ceiling.

'Uh, Sooyoung?' asked Jiwoo tentatively. 'Do we need to t—?'

'Nope.' She continued, slightly wary at having her back to Heejin.

scrape.

'Right. Um.' She could picture Jiwoo's crestfallen face without seeing it.

scrape.

In hindsight, Sooyoung should've focused her mind elsewhere.

She blinked, and the air was choked with dust, falling into her eyes and stinging. She wasn't sure when she'd ended up face-down on the ground and it took her several seconds to realise the thunderclaps reverberating in her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her hands over her ears, barely muffling the splintering cracks and earth-shuddering booms.

And then someone grabbed her arm and pulled her upwards. Sooyoung opened her eyes, meeting Heejin's, as half a rib the size of a longboat collided with the ground where she'd been lying moments ago.

'Run,' yelled Heejin, and Sooyoung didn't need to be told twice. Her legs moved before her brain could catch up, and she threw a quick glance over her shoulder just in time to see the last of the whale skeleton hurtling to the ground and shattering.

'Where's Jiwoo?' yelled Sooyoung over the commotion, heart lurching in her chest.

'She's ahead!'

Thank fuck. Sooyoung quickened her pace, almost knocking into several fossils. Some of them seemed to watch her with hollow shells instead of eyes. Once her chest ached and her breath became shallow, she slowed, entering dim room filled with bug models, cases of bugs, and well, just lots of bugs. 'Creepy Crawlies' read a sign.

'You're okay,' said Jiwoo breathlessly, hugging Sooyoung before she could react. Despite herself, Sooyoung melted into the hug, whispering a small 'thank you' to whoever or whatever had saved Jiwoo.

'Heejin saved me,' she muttered, more to herself than Jiwoo. She hadn't processed it yet and wasn't planning to any time soon. Nevertheless, she couldn't help the tiny sigh of relief that escaped her when Heejin stumbled into view.

Relief twisted into horror when she saw the shard of bone lodged in Heejin's shoulder.

'Shit...'

'Someone was on the damn ceiling,' murmured Heejin, leaning into the wall. 'Cut the wire.'

Jiwoo stammered, 'H-heejin you need help, we need to call an ambulance or get first aid or—'

'They also threw down these,' continued Heejin, holding a pack of antiseptic wipes and bandages. Sooyoung took them and opened the pack of wipes. She owed Heejin for at least this.