What's Broken Can't Be Fixed

29

     Chris lies down with his back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. What was Seungmin doing right now? Was he sad? Upset? Did he miss him? All these thoughts were circling through his head, and it made him tired. But he couldn't sleep. He closes his eyes, and eventually drifts off to sleep.

     When he opens his eyes... he's back at home. He's sitting up in the bed with no shirt and the covers pulled over his legs, an open book in his hands. Suddenly, the door opens, and Seungmin walks inside. Quietly, he sits down beside Chris, resting his head on his shoulder. Why was this happening? Why was he being tortured like this? He knew that this was a dream so why did this have to make it harder. Harder to endure being away from him. "Seungmin-"

     "I love you," His voice was... strained. He sounded frustrated, like he was holding back angry tears. "So come back to me."

     Chris' eyes shoot open, and he's back on the small bed. Hyunjin was sleeping on the bed beside him, and on the other side Keeho was as well. Except Soul was sitting on the floor between Chris and Keeho's bed with his headphones on, staring at the wall across from them. "Soul..." He whispers, and the boy looks up at him. "Why are you still awake?"

     "Did you have a bad dream?" Soul ignores Chris' question and asks one of his own.

     "It wasn't... bad."

     "Then why do you seem so sad?" The question had Chris thinking for a moment. Soul seemed genuinely concerned despite the fact that they just met some hours ago.

     "I guess I just wish it was real." Soul nods, and stands up, sitting on the side of Chris' bed.

     "You miss your boyfriend, right?" Chris looks at him, confused.

     "How did you-"

     "It's obvious. But not a bad thing," Chris sighs, he didn't know what to do. "There's still a long time left before morning. You should get some more sleep. The test is tomorrow." Soul slips his headphones back on and walks back over to his own bed, leaving Chris thinking. What if he never gets back?

     The next day, they are all awoken to people in their simple white shirt and dress pants walking down the hall. They were grabbing people and taking them somewhere. Chris remembers what Soul had said last night. The test is tomorrow. Suddenly, he feels a tap on his shoulder. Keeho had his hand on his shoulder. "They're going to take you." He says.

     "What-"

     "They're going to tell you to walk silently inside the room. They'll tell you a set of rules, pay attention to them."

     "Keeho what are you talking about?"

     "The test is a trick. Two people will come inside the room. If anything happens that doesn't follow the rules. You will need to kill them." Keeho hears a yell and then his eyes dart over to Soul being dragged away from his bed. Then, a man comes out of nowhere, grabbing Keeho, Chris, and Hyunjin.

     Chris is thrown into a bright room with white walls and windows, Hyunjin is thrown into a room with grey walls and no windows. It seemed to be the same room that he was in when he was first brought here. Suddenly, a man speaks through the small speaker on the wall.

     "Two men will come inside your room. One man will wear a white shirt with black pants. The other man will wear the opposite. They will carry no weapons. The man will not touch you. The other man will. They will speak. None of the words will start with H. There will be no profanities. Answer their questions honestly"