MAKNAE [twd] *editing*

【108】

"If you trust us, we will trust you," Natania begins as she walks toward us.

"Is this a test?" Tara asks.

"Of sorts," she nods.

"Have at it," I urge.

"Hana will stay here. Tara will go with Beatrice and Kathy to find the rest of your people. If the three of you as well as your group return- all unscathed, we will be able to be more at ease."

"Honestly, I'd switch that if I were you," Tara advises.

"Why's that?" Natania questions.

"It's her family," Tara motions to me with her cuffed hands, "Her boyfriend and all. They would be more up to coming if it was her."

"Or, they would be more up to coming knowing she was here," Natania redirects.

"Either way," I voice, looking over to Tara, "Just tell Taeyang that I'm okay. Mention the sun- he'll understand."

"The sun?" Tara repeats.

"Anything about it. He knows," I assure.

Tara nods and Beatrice helps her stand.

"Three hours. After that, we come looking," Natania warns.

"Got it," Kathy nods, uncuffing Tara.

I felt my nerves spike a bit as the three women left, leaving Natania and I alone in the house. It's quiet as she grabs a water bottle and my bag before sitting back down. She hands me the water bottle, setting my bag on the floor between un.

"Won't find anything useful in there," I inform before taking a drink.

"Will I not?" she asks.

"I'm not saying you can't go through it. I'm just saying that to the ordinary person nowadays that it's all useless. Useless to anyone but me," I explain.

She nods, unbuckling the bag and shuffling through it. She picks up my music player and headphones, humming an amused sound before setting it on the table beside her. Then, she picks up the CD wallet and unzips it.

"Only thing in there is emotional baggage and my tragic backstory," I warn.

"Maybe I'm trying to understand that backstory," she offers.

She flips through the CDs before landing on the final pages that entailed my pictures. She takes them out, flipping through them.

"Family? Your people?" she asks, holding the stack up with the photo of Hershel on top.

"Both," I answer, pointing up to the photo, "My brother's father in law. He's no longer with us."

Curiously, she turns in her chair so I could see the pictures better, "This?"

"My brother's wife. She's not with us, either," I say, not lying and not telling the entire truth.

She flips to the next and I smile nostalgically as the pain dares to spike up.

"Brother on left, boyfriend on right," I name.

"Both here? Tara mentioned this one," she taps Taeyang's face.

"Just him. My brother.." I shake my head, forcing the pain down.

"I understand," she assures.

I was happy as she sets the photos back in the case. She didn't find the picture of Daryl, Julie and James, or others.. Perfect stoppage.

She zips the case back up, shuffling through the bag once more before pulling out the zip lock bag.

"Letters from people that aren't here anymore," I answer as she looks to me.