SAVED ☆ Bang Chan [COMPLETED]

20

The short silence is suddenly pierced with an outbreak of cries. Chan yells, snatching his half full water bottle resting against his tent and throws it in a steady stream at the flickering flames. The fire hisses under the water, smoke erupting from the disappearing tent.

I stand there, rooted to the spot with a memory running through my mind as clear as crystal. It's like I can't move, can't do anything but stare into the flames as pictures form in the red, followed by screams.

I’m snapped out of my trance as a particularly loud scream erupts, and with a cry I run from the tents, fleeing. I don't care where I'm going, I just know I need to get to somewhere free from people, distractions and potential triggers.

I collapse once I get to the roof, tripping over one of the board game pieces from earlier and landing on my knees, the gravel ripping through my jeans. My skin starts burning, blood smudged over my knee. I gasp, pushing myself up to my feet to make it to the stone benches and I fall down onto one, looking up at the sky to try and calm me down. Images with high definition quality flash before my eyes, reminding me of something that happened when I was younger.

“Mum! Mum, where are you?” I call, spinning around in the small circle created by the roaring fire dancing merrily around me. I cough, covering my mouth with my charred shirt, my lungs burning with the lack of oxygen. I rub at my wet cheeks, leaving ashy smears behind.

“Don’t worry, sweetie. It’ll be over in a minute. I have to make sure you’ve learnt your lesson.”

I gasp, feeling the searing sting of fire kissing my upper thigh, hearing my groundbreaking scream echoing around the walls. I clench my eyes shut, Chan’s breathing exercise popping into my mind and cutting through the flames like an arc of water. Taking a shuddering deep breath, I breathe slowly over and over again until I'm calm.

I sit on the stone bench with my arms wrapped around myself, forehead resting against my trembling knees, waiting for my heart to stop thudding and making chaos in my aching body.

Then I head downstairs again, legs like jelly as I make my way down the stone steps. I'm just in time to see the boys stomping on the little embers floating on the small patch of burnt ground.

Chan wipes sweat away from his brow, a hardness present in his eyes that I’ve never seen before. He looks livid, but calm, and it’s terrifying. I shiver again.

“Y/N, are you okay? I was going to come after you but I had to help put the fire out,” Chan tells me with worry in his eyes as he reaches out, his hand stroking my hair. I nod against his hand, smiling up at him.

“I’m fine. Thanks for putting it out,” I say, surveying the burnt mess.

“Guess you have no choice but to share a tent with me now,” he says, giving me a goofy grin. “All the others are full.”

“Well, don’t kick me in your sleep,” I say, joking with him.

Chan crosses his arms, pouting. “I don’t kick.”

"Well I bet you snore," i giggle and Minho pipes up from behind, smirking.

"He does," says Minho, and Chan turns around to wack him on the shoulder.

Just before I can reply, we're interrupted by the teachers calling for our attention.

“Okay everybody! Gather around,” our teacher claps her hands, yelling over the hubbub. With a groan, Chan grabs my hand as we follow the crowd making their way to the middle of the field, waiting for her speech.

***

“You know, once I saw a ghost,” Minho tries to convince us, making his eyes so round that the whites are visible all around the iris. I snort, shovelling a toasted marshmallow into my mouth.