marionette | pjm

16| Alone

Jungkook chuckled, finding it amusing how he'd encountered two of like that before in the last fifteen minutes. It's just like the one before, so he thought. Took another step and forgot about the piece of metal again, deciding it wasn't much to think off anyway.

Everyone was just as lost in their own thoughts as he was. Eventually scanning the arounds was Namjoon's duty, as he side by side took care to the number of men behind him to ensure none of them had been abducted behind his back. So far, abduction was zero, na-da.

Then when he slowly remembered how Jimin and Y/n, the most important assets of the group were snatched right under his nose, his emotions would go down flat again. But then, being the leader came with a responsibility and that meant hiding his own breakdowns and motivating the clan. Sometimes he wished that night never happened, he always felt too undeserving the title of a 'leader', it was and would always be the heaviness on his shoulder that'd never subside.

If only the actual leader was here.

Someone beside him muttered words incoherently, and he shifted the focus to them, putting his mental state aside. Yoongi was confused—much rather perplexed, is how one could describe his expressions in the most simplest way. This time Namjoon paid more focus to the brunette as he whispered something again. "Lights"

He repeated it again and again and again, the mantra rolling of his mouth smoothly without any thoughts. Like he was in an obvious trance. "Lights" this time more clear and louder than the last.

"Lights?"

Yoongi snapped out of his shifted reality and suddenly stared at the younger. "What?"

As confusing and frustrating as he was behaving Namjoon kept his calm. "What lights?" He clarified his words further. As those words flowed through the man's mouth yoongi's faced twisted in a perplexed expression. "You..were repeating it. The, word?" The more longer he was stretching his sentence, more his tone started to sound like a question rather than a statement.

"Uh..no?" Yoongi answered just as confused.

"So you weren't repeating lights, lights, lights, lights?"

"Why..would I?"

As Namjoon decided to respond, he was interrupted by Jin, who was weirdly—"Lights"

Yoongi and Namjoon turned around. Like a stance, they stopped walking right there and then. They, being all of them, six people, out of which, four bored a strong stare right into the others two's eyes. What? A question which crossed both of their minds. It was weird to say the least.

None of it looked like anything close to the normal Namjoon was used to. Lights. Oddly in tune they repeated it in a foreboding manner.

"Guys.." Yoongi was the first one to actually say something mundane out of all in the last few minutes. "Lights" Taehyung pointed to a cottage like housing on the familiar pathway, an exact replica that of they encountered earlier. The brightness of a white flickering tubelight shone through cracked windows as a medium.

Their steps followed to another, as they slowly shifted their direction to a what seemed like a treacherous unending, infinity of road to the leader.

"Lights."

Yoongi, all of a sudden mesmerised by them, flowed along. Leaving Namjoon as baffled as ever.

Namjoon watched them parading towards their supposed destination helplessly as he stumbled on his knees.

His hands yanked of Yoongi's. "We need stop them!" His screams echoed, hitting his own eardrums again after going all around.

Hitting him, no none was listening anymore.

And probably never will. An abrupt blockade appeared around their bodies, all except Namjoon. Keeping him out. The translucent sheild slowly when forged up to it's place, the surface became as solid as ever. Confirming Namjoon's suspicions.

They were stuck in an infinite loop, no way out.

The sound of a synchronised stepping overpowered his ears. He tried to yell out louder, yet nothing. Nothing would even go in his ears anymore. His shoulder's felt weaker than before. His feet tried running towards them as he harshly made a messy grip of Hoseok's shoulder. His bleary vision searching for any sign of humanity reflected from Hoseok's . None found.

Next he sprinted towards Taehyung, dragging him far away from the members, by now dangerously close to their destination.

The helpless one screamed on and on, making no absolute sense but just a string of gibberish and cuss words. Anything that could bring them back, he didn't care what but neither did the deluded one. Still as stiff as ever.

Namjoon took a hesitant step back, as he dashed away once he realised it wasn't that Taehyung wasn't listening to him, the loop brought him in the condition not to.His flickering hope extinguised but he'd continue to run from one to another. Just one. Just someone by his side would be enough. Anyone.

But. No one.

His screams would fall to deaf ears, however he couldn't give up, and that's what broke him. He just needed a stop. A break.

Unaware of his breakdown, the others strolled into the darkness and out of his sight. At last, he finally felt all alone. There were none that could be there with him. And that's when he felt his shoulder's buckle along with his knees. He felt himself fall on the ground. Weak and pained.

What now?
He would finally give up, forever. Then maybe, he could be happy? Alone?

Did he want to be though?

——

Your shoulders were heavier and weaker than before, but still managed too pick up a reddened piece of pebble that you could use to draw or mark on the wall, lest with unfortunate luck, it crumbled into thin dust.

It's remnants spread into the air. You covered your nose in an instant reflex and coughed. The lack of normal air had already made you suffocated, both physically and mentally.

The thought of soon dying haunted your consciousness more then your body, which was already showing symptoms of dehydration. Hands looking around for more such rocks and you followed their sense of touch blindly, literally.

It was just a plain concrete flat, as far as your hands could go. That was, before they reached another set of fingers, curled up in a fist.

Your hands jerked away, sacred out of your wits, the first thing your mind told you to do was to open your eyes, and make it visualise the setting. Which you did and instantly regretted.

A draft of air flowed past the contacts of your eyes, leaving an itching pair of eyelids behind. Those irritated eyes still managed to give a weak vision of what was in front. And suddenly the urgent priority of water and comfort faded into the background, being the least of your concern right about now.

Jimin lied at the corner of the dulled room in a foetus position. His weak form troubled your heart which was already counting the last it's
days.

What happened? Why? Your lips quivered, wanting to let out so much. But at the moment, nothing was of your concern except the unconscious state of the man ahead of you. Your eyes stumbled on the scribblings drawn roughly on the walls.

Day 9. He's dead.

Day 9. You are alone.