pumped up kicks

i'm waiting for the right time

But time waits for no one, and the sphere certainly can't wait to sink its teeth into one of them.

Tears are for the deserving and they have not been deemed worthy of grief yet, not when death's jaws are still snapping right behind them.

A loud clunking sound from outside the garage catches their attention and the sphere's as well, as its tentacles disappear from their sight, the chittering noise fading away.

"Quickly, get into the truck!"

She feels the rest of them get into action, with most of them getting into the bed of the truck while Soyoon and Joonhee tries to retrieve the key. She stays motionless in her leaning position, still heaving tearful breaths.

"Hey, you son of a bitch!"

Hyeon hears Jangsoo's usual steady voice filled with rage, fear, and frustration, before its volume diminishes completely.

Hyeon feels a gentle hand on her upper arm, and then a light squeeze around it. It's Sucheol, who, when she looks up, has a grimace contorted onto his face, tears brimming his eyes. She lets herself close her eyes for a few seconds, taking a few swallow breaths, before she straightens her body and climbs onto the bed of the truck.

"Here!" "Get in the truck now!"

The truck revs to a start.

They have to go.

Rubbing at her eyes, Hyeon tries to clear her vision of any tear threatening to.

Stay alive until we come and get you, Jo Jangsoo.

Hyeon is tightening her harness and rectifying her helmet when she sees the apprehensive behaviour of Heerak, who's sitting at the end of the bed with her: he's picking at his cuticles anxiously, he's biting the inside of his cheek almost unknowingly, and he keeps looking out of the truck, body wavering back and forth.

She knows.

Pinching Heerak's forearm, she ignores his yelp of pain, instead staring intently into his eyes. He's initially confused, but immediately understands her look of determination and the mouthing of her lips.

Let's go together.

So, they wait. The truck lurches forward and breaks through the garage door. They wait. It drives several metres forward on the sandy ground. They wait.

The truck turns a sharp corner on the way out of the construction site. Hyeon shoots a last look at the side of Soyeon's face and grabs the front of Heerak's shirt, throwing both of their bodies out of the moving vehicle, landing them safely on a soft tuft of grass.

Once she's made sure that the truck has driven off without stopping or anyone looking for them, Hyeon pulls herself up from lying flat.

"I'll go by the right, you go through-" she whispers, only to be cut off by Heerak's urgent hiss.

"No," he says in a hushed tone, head turning as if looking for something, "I'll go through the right; I need to get something."

Confused, and frankly a little sceptical, but not having the luxury of time to comprehend his words, Hyeon merely nods, and they head off into their respective routes, walking as quietly as their bodies can take them.

The walls are tall and the corners are dark. Hyeon thinks she must have made her way around at least five pathways, but there's still not a silhouette in sight, not even Heerak's. Her heart is beating so fast it's hard to catch her breath.

Then, she hears it.

The cracking of wood, too loud to be natural, too hard to be caused by the wind. She perks her ears to listen harder.