Then I Wake

Chapter 3

Seonghwa

Eugh. I wish I could wash the blood off, but I'd risk waking the others.

Better just to go. I creep out of my room and unlock the room with our weapons, take my gun from the wall and slip it into my pocket.

I'll need this when I find him.

I'm so glad these floorboards are silent. In other places, they only creak when you need them not to.

When I get back to my room, I lock my door and open the window. The night air is bitterly cold on my skin. I jump out and into the streets.

Better stay in the dark until I can get cleaned up. I look like a serial killer.

Stumbling around, the streets barely look familiar. I've walked here so many times, it shouldn't be different now.

Finally, somewhere to rest. I'm probably just tired. I didn't sleep properly, I just passed out. Not quite the same thing.

I walk into an alley, avoiding the broken glass and bottles. At the end of it, I sit down and take my bag off, ready to sleep.

Wait... Water! I don't want to waste the water I'll drink, so even rainwater will do to clean this blood off.

I reach out and touch the water, immediately bringing my fingers away in disgust. That's not water.

I look at my fingers. It's blood.

The alley is dark, but I begin to realise where I am, and why there's blood.

It's Taeyang's blood.

Yunho

2:04 AM. I'm thirsty.

Half-asleep, I walk across the corridor to the kitchen.

Hang on...

I look at Seonghwa's door. Blood is coming from under the door.

Oh my gosh. He's taken this too far. What if...

I can't finish that sentence. I should just go and wake Yeosang...

No. I'll check first.

"Seonghwa?" I knock on the door. "Seonghwa, are you there?"

No response. I knock harder, "SEONGHWA?!"

His door's locked. He was planning this. I begin to break the door down witb my shoulder.

"Yunho, what are you doing?" Jongho comes out of his room, then sees the blood and rushes over.

"Ok, 하나, 불, 셋!" The door breaks, and we walk into the room.

He's gone?

"The window is open. Get the others!" Jongho shouts at me.

"Seonghwa's gone." I wake Yeosang up. "He's run away."

Yeosang and I wake the others and show them Seonghwa's room. Hongjoong begins to remove a loose floorboard in the living room and pulls out a key.

"We should check the weapons. He's probably taken something."

I didn't even know that key was there. I thought Seonghwa had the only one.

"He's taken his gun." Hongjoong calls, "And it could be for himself, but..." He sighs, "I think he's going for Wonwoo."

Grief makes anyone go mad. He won't be thinking. Wonwoo will kill him without a second thought.