Dead or Alive

14: Kidnapped in an Apocalypse

Hwanwoong woke up feeling strange. His head is pounding and he can't move his arms nor feet. Instantly he started breathing heavier, panicking. Upon opening his eyes his vision blurred, revealing tones of grey around him. He couldn't remember where he is or how he got there.

Then everything clicked once his vision returned.

His eyes scanned around a giant empty warehouse. On the opposite side of the building two black vans are parked by barricaded shutter doors. More-so in the center are two couches facing each other, a fire pit lit in between them. Other furniture surrounded that area, and against one of the walls are stockpiles of food, drinks, clothes, weapons. Almost an excessive amount of supplies given the situation.

Hwanwoong realized he is laying on his side then, deciding to actually evaluate himself. He lifted his head slightly, but stopped when the room spun. His wrists are zip-tied together behind his back and his ankles are tied together by a coil of rope. He began shaking from being cold and fear, his breathing still irregular.

Then he realized that Ravn was no where in sight. His eyes sporadically looked around the open room again, looking for the older. Though he found no sign of Ravn, only the eight men that attacked them lingering around the fire.

Tears began leaving his eyes, a feeling of complete hopeless spreading from his heart. Hwanwoong tried moving, sitting upright, breaking out of the zip-tie, but everything he tried ended in vain.

Screaming stopped him from moving around, pained sounds echoing around him. He recognized that voice, and never wanted to hear that sound again. But it continued on, the agonizing sound bouncing off of the walls filling Hwanwoong's ears.

"Hey! Keep it down in there!" One of the men angrily marched away from the center of the warehouse towards a door Hwanwoong didn't realize was on the opposite wall.

The man banged on the door numerous times, silencing the person behind the door only for a few seconds.

Hwanwoong was so focused on the door and man that he didn't realize that someone had approached him. It was when the giant crouched in his line of sight that he instantly snapped out of his thoughts. The giant stared at him in silence for a few moments, Hwanwoong doing the same thing back towards him.

"Mingi?" Hwanwoong asked in complete shock, not even processing he spoke until the giant responded.

"Yeah, I figured you'd recognize me." The taller responded monotonously, glancing away from the miserable looking boy.

"You—what? How? Why would you—" Hwanwoong sounded so confused, slightly lifting himself up.

This person was not the one he knew in high school. The Mingi he remembered, was friends with, was a soft-sweetheart, would never hurt a fly. The person crouched in front of him was the complete opposite, he looked menacing and soulless. This person acted like he wouldn't hesitate to kill.

"Don't take it personal." Mingi mumbled before standing upright again and walking back towards the other men. "Pipsqueak is awake!" 

Half of the eyes landed on Hwanwoong, and he's never felt more threatened in his life. The men seemed to be talking amongst themselves for some time before their attention turned elsewhere.

The door was thrown open, causing a loud bang that echoed around the space. Hwanwoong's heart dropped to his stomach when two men dragged a resisting body out of the room by the underarms. The men seemed to be struggling with the mass resistance being put up, but eventually reached the opposite side of the warehouse.

Hwanwoong watched with wide, tear filled eyes as Ravn kicked and screamed in efforts to break out of the men's grasps. His wrists are zip-tied together with three different zip-ties, but his feet were completely unbound. As they got closer, Hwanwoong realized the nasty bruises that colored Ravn's arms, along with cuts and blood stains.