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Chapter 1

"Going out?" Seonghwa asked, eyes moving away from his phone and over to his roommate. He was sitting on the couch, the TV playing some movie that wasn't being watched and Hongjoong was putting his shoes on by the front door.

"Yeah. My friends and I are going to an abandoned amusement park. Wanna come?"

Seonghwa shook his head and turned his attention back to his phone. "Nah, I don't want to possibly get busted by security and get fined for trespassing on government property."

Hongjoong shrugged and grabbed his jumper lying on the back of the couch.

"Okay," he checked his pockets to confirm he had his keys and phone before leaving. Just as he was about to enter the elevator, his phone started ringing and he pulled it out of his back pocket. "Hey, I'm on my way. I'll see you in a minute."

———

The three stepped out of the car and grabbed their bags from the boot. The vehicle was locked as they headed into the abandoned showgrounds. There was graffiti on the ground, the buildings and smashed windows, doors busted down or hanging on by a hinge.

"Did we have to come so late in the day? Sunset is in a few hours," Yunho said and jumped when he heard something which was only the wind causing a door to creak.

"We won't be long, so don't stress," Mingi smiled and lightly punched his friend in the arm.

"I swear if we find human bones, or blood or—"

"Yunho, please, don't talk about human remains," Hongjoong glared back at his tall friend and played with the sleeve of his hoodie.

"We're not gonna find something like that at showgrounds, chill," Mingi sighed and shook his head.

The three had split up, going on their own to explore the large area, planning to meet back at the park entrance in 15 minutes.

Hongjoong was walking up to a rusty carousel and took a few photos before sitting on one of the animals; a horse. One of the animals was lying on the ground and there was a large hole in the roof so the sun shone down on Hongjoong.

He took a couple more photos. His eyes scanned the area again then got off a few seconds later to continue exploring. He walked into a building, tripping on the raised tiles. His heart rate picked up and he put his hands out to catch himself, his phone slipping from his hold. It slid to a stop next to a life-size pirate made from clay. He crawled over to grab it but when he stood up, the mannequin startled him, making him jump.

He sighed, placing his right hand over his pounding heart as he glared at the dummy. He tapped on the parrot resting on the pirate's shoulder and looked closer at the smiling mannequin, both its eyes missing. It looked creepier this way.

He walked over to an empty bubblegum machine. He looked at the coin slot, eyeing a coin sitting in it. He grabbed it, lifting it to his eyes to observe it closer, then put it back and turned it, the machine making a loud clunking noise.

Hongjoong left the building after not finding anything else interesting and stopped by another that was a little smaller with curtains covering the doors. He noticed a stilt poking out; the ones people use to make themselves taller.

As he got closer, a foul stench hit his nose and he grimaced as he covered his mouth, his fingers pinching his nose to block the smell. He thought it was just a dead animal decaying. He pushed the tent open and looked around. He reached into his back pocket for his phone to use the torch since it was dim inside. He stepped over the mannequin lying on the ground wearing a costume and the stilts were attached to it.