Fireflies

58

THE DAY THEIR KNOTTED FATES HAD BEEN WRITTEN: ONE

(Before the Abduction)

| 3 YEARS AGO |

When Melody disappeared, it was clear that Mark was in pieces. Every walk in the neighborhood resembled her shadows, every patter of rain mimicked her soft calls, and every moonlit night emboldened her fading presence, the warmth of her little hands.

The evergreen vastness of the compelling forests surrounded him. It had been a constant trail of the unknown, of any hint, to reach her.

"Come out, Mark. You should go with me," Johnny mumbled as he sat beside Mark on their rented vacation house. "Angie has bugged me to take you out because you're always inside, you don't even write anymore."

Now, as Johnny asked him for the third time that week, he somehow thought it was better to opt for something that could help him escape his thoughts.

"Where will we go in this place?"

Johnny shrugged. "We'll drive around. Jaemin is bound to arrive here tomorrow so why not we give it a shot? You might enjoy yourself more than you expect."

As they shuffled into the convertible the next day, Johnny's excited whistles echoed for as long as he could fathom. Jaemin managed to stay silent at the back while Mark sat on the passenger seat, getting full access of Johnny and his immense enthusiasm for a guy's day and night out.

"Can't you match your mood to the weather?" Jaemin said as soon as the engine took off, the tires screeching on the asphalt as soon as they reached the highway.

"It's a downpour outside, that I know," Johnny mumbled in between sips of his iced coffee. "But the weather won't stop me from having a blast later tonight, fellas."

The uneasy Mark craned his neck towards Johnny. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere fun."

He furrowed his brows. "And where is this fun that you're talking about?"

"Yeah, where is it?" Jaemin added as he shifted forward while sitting at the back.

Johnny placed a smirk on his lips. "You'll be in college soon, right? Better to know how to have fun. I'll take you to that new circus in Manila."

"Circus?"

Jaemin's eyes widened. "Manila?! That's so far away! What are you thinking?"

"Where is Manila, Jaemin?" Mark turned to Jaemin, now starting to be alarmed.

"It's where your plane first landed, you silly," Jaemin poked at him. "It's so far from here."

It was only then that he finally realized where Johnny was headed.

"Are you nuts?! Why would you take us to Manila? We need to board a plane to get there."

After enduring the few-minute frantic complaints of the two, Johnny finally allowed himself to speak.

"Calm down, guys. I know how we'll get ourselves there."