Runaway

Chapter 14: Loop

Opening the door the man he knew as father engulfed him in a hug.
No, not a caring one, a rather suffocating one actually.
Taeyong's eyes fell to the people seated on the couch and then he knew, he had to hug back.

"Taeyong son! Oh my lord, you heard my prayers from above! You're back! You're back! I've searched everywhere to find you! I can't believe in my eyes, you are here son! I love you so much!"

Hyunjin was across the room keeping eye contact with the boy he knew was scared to death. Taeyong's eyes begged for help, screamed the word help over and over again but Hyunjin was petrified after the beating he got a few hours ago and could only watch the scene escalate in front of him, till they left so that the family could talk about what happened.

And Taeyong was left alone without anyone to beg for help but for the beating to stop.

"Now now Taeyong-ah. You're back. Now! Three months later you decided to come back! I made everyone believe you're dead and here you are ruining my plans once again."

Taeyong's father spat out while pushing Taeyong on the wall hitting his head with every word he let out.

"You're back and with no traces of torture too! I think we should change that don't we? Where were you ah? With your little boyfriend? I don't give a shit. We'll just make sure people will be able to see how much your kidnappers hit and tortured you. Then I'm going to pay someone to root in prison for you. Till then however, I'm gonna hit you with no mercy. Got it?"

"Ugh-"

"Cat got your tongue? Oh, no maybe it's because of me constantly hitting your face and head, or is it because of the ribs I'm going to break?"

"AH-"

Meanwhile, Johnny had just woken up from a restless night. He was feeling really guilty for his behavior towards Taeyong.

He remembered Taeyong's glossy eyes meeting his own filled with rage.
The boy hadn't left his room for three days now and Johnny knew if he kept going like that he would have to bury the corpse of someone he loved.

One hour ago he had sent Felix with Chan to lure him out of his room with food something he seemed to love but never had he once eaten without a face of guilty plastered on his face and Johnny would make sure to change that.

"Johnny! He won't come out!"

He heard a distant voice calling for him. Anxiety rose up, his throat clenching.
Was this how Taeyong felt too?
He found the two guys outside knocking on the door while begging for him to come out.

"Taeyong... can you please open up? It's me Johnny, I know I'm the last person you would want to see right now but we just want to make sure you are alright."

And Johnny waited and waited for the click to be heard from the other side of the door, but it never happened the only sound coming from there a soft melody he recognised, Taeyong's favorite song 'Suffocate' by Hayd a loop created by it and Jonghyun's song 'Y si fuera Ella'.

"Chan, is this all you've been hearing for the last hour?"

"Um- I- yeah? Why?"

"No other sound?"

"I- I don't think so."

"Ten! Tell Yangyang to give you the spare key for Taeyong's room and come downstairs. Now! Hey... Taeyong? If you can hear me don't worry I'll soon be there."

"W-what?"

"There are different scenarios that come to my mind right now and I just wish he is being stubborn but this isn't like him so in that case he is either hurt or sick or he self inflicted an injury or he-"

"Here! What happened?"

"He won't open up the door. Hey... Yongie, I'm opening up the door now."

And as Johnny unlocked the door he saw nothing but the empty tidied room Taeyong left behind, no sign of him. His bag was gone, his favorite plushie, even his soft vanilla scented candles seemed to have faded just like him and now Johnny knew that no matter how much he prayed Taeyong wouldn't be back.

As much as Johnny despised this option he had face it, Taeyong was gone.
Taeyong betrayed him but all along Johnny knew and he felt even more guilty for not being there for him, for not stopping him and because his plan at first wasn't to find a way to save the boy but to give him back just to get rid of him, because at first Taeyong was just a burden for him.

Regret.
That's all he felt when the image of a drained and tortured Taeyong came to his mind.
But now he couldn't do anything to make it right... now he could only watch the person he loved lose himself just to save him.
And that's how Johnny was hugging Taeyong's blanket while sobbing in the middle of his once room.
Chan hugging him speaking words of comfort Taeil far behind as he heard the commotion suddenly acknowledging how much Taeyong mattered and meant to not only Johnny but all of them.

Author's note:

I have a friend back in my country, whom I've known for a year and a half. They are studying hard for the exams they are going to have to enter in a college.
And I know that they are super busy, I was too during that time but... they are not answering my messages for a little over a week and I'm worried.
I can't understand if they just don't have time and they've not seen them or if they are hurt or like something happened. And I keep thinking that it might also be bony fault and I could have done or said something I shouldn't and now they are mad. What I'm scared the most about is losing them, I keep losing people and this person seemed so nice I don't want to lose them, sometimes I think that if I hadn't left my country such things wouldn't have been happening:(