New World

Chapter 4

Hongjoong couldn't believe it. Was he dreaming? He gave his wrist a small pinch to check, shaking his hand after to relieve the sting. He was very much awake which meant he definitely heard someone on his radio. He stands up quickly, the radio grasped tightly in his hand.

Suwon.

They said they were in Suwon. He had to go and find them. Hongjoong felt frantic, rushing to gather supplies as he ripped boxes off the shelves, leaving them on the ground.

He knew it would take a few days to get there so he packed as much food and water as he could, making sure to grab batteries and a flashlight as well as extra blankets. The chilly air outside meant autumn was coming and all the clothing he had was made for warmer weather.

When he came back inside earlier, it had been bright, the sun beaming overhead. Hongjoong knew that by now, it was late afternoon so he would wait until the morning to leave. He crammed his bag as full as he could before setting it next to one of the armchairs.

The thought of finding other people made him hopeful. Maybe, just maybe his brother was out there too. He decided on his way to Suwon, he would check the city's bunker. Maybe someone had gotten him there on time. Hope flitted through his chest, and he tried to press down on it. He didn't want to get his hopes up and end up having to go through the pain of losing his brother a second time. He didn't know if he could bear it.

Hongjoong tries to sleep, knowing he would need the energy to make the trip to Suwon, but his rest was fitful. He tossed and turned, his mind racing. Finally, after what felt like hours, Hongjoong drifted to sleep. For the first time since being down here, he dreamt. He dreamt of his parents and his brother along with all the happy memories they had made over the years. He heard his mother's voice as if it was right in his ear.

He almost didn't want to wake up, but the dream shifted from joyous to terrifying. He saw his brother stuck in the crowd again, reaching for him. BumJoong was begging him to save him, but Hongjoong couldn't reach him. He watched as his brother was trampled and afterwards, he ran to him. Cradling his brother's bloody body, tears ran down his cheeks to drip off his chin. He took in his brother's bruised and broken face, apologies bleeding from his lips like the blood running from BumJoong's skull.

But then BumJoong's eyes flew open. They were hazy, almost glazed over. He looked at Hongjoong with anger and disgust. In the blink of an eye, his hands were around Hongjoong's neck, squeezing hard enough to crush his windpipe. His voice was laced with hatred as he spat at Hongjoong. "You did this to me. This is your fault. You were supposed to save me, but you watched from afar and let me die. You left me here to die'' his dead brother rasps at him.

The hands around his neck squeezed tighter, so tight that Hongjoong couldn't breathe anymore. He clawed at the fingers around his throat to no avail as the fear of knowing he was going to die ripped through him. BumJoong gave him a wicked smile then he snapped Hongjoong's neck.

Hongjoong sat straight up, his limbs flailing as he gasped for breath. He pulled his hands up to his neck, his heart beating wildly against his chest. It was just a dream. A horrible, terrifying dream. His shirt stuck to his chest from sweating despite the chill in the bunker and he knew he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep after that nightmare.

He shuffles across the room to the stairs, heading up so he can check to see if it was daylight yet. He pulls the door open gently, peering around to glimpse outside. The sky was light, the promise of the rising sun returning colored in the clouds. It was right before sunrise. It was dark but the light was coming. He could leave now and have a few extra hours to travel.

He leans back inside, shutting the door behind him before heading back down to grab his bag. He grabs a tin from one of the boxes and opens it to eat before leaving. After he finishes, he sets it on the coffee table and takes a look around. He may never see this place again and it was bittersweet.