Then I Wake

Chapter 12

Jongho

Mingi and Yeosang's screams woke the whole apartment up, exclamations of pure horror. What I expected had happened, I don't know, but it certainly wasn't what I found.

Sickening. Completely sickening. Both Taeyang and Seonghwa's bodies together in the coffin, in a tight embrace of death. But it's not right. Not at all.

They're both squished into a coffin made for one, limbs at unnatural angles, bones broken for sure. Taeyang's wounds are still there. Not that I could have expected them to heal, she's dead.

One of the worst things has to be how their mouths are stitched closed, their eyes too. Silenced forever.

"Oh my God." I mutter. I want to say 'who did this' but I think I can already guess. And I hate them. Always have, but this tips it over the edge. Damn psychopaths.

"I can't deal with this... I'm going for a walk." I.N mumbles, his voice quiet and sad.

"Do you want me to come with you? Will you be ok?" Bang Chan steps towards him.

"I'll be fine."

"Just stay away from the shop, alright? And take your phone, so we can let you know if anything happens."

I.N nods, puts his jacket on and walks away.

I hope he'll be alright.

Mingi gets up and signs into Wooyoung's computer.

"Wooyoung once showed me how to access the cameras in the shop. We can keep an eye on the government. Those cameras record audio too." He says, busy at work.

The whole room has a blanket of silence over it as we wait for Mingi to get through to the system. Eventually, he's in.

"Got it. Ok, we need the back camera.... Here."

Han is sitting, slumped on a chair, S.Coups opposite on the other side of table. Jun stands beside Han, whip in hand. Changbin and the others are stood around somewhere nearby, watching.

I can't see S.Coups' face, but Han shakes or nods his head periodically, so he must be talking.

Mingi fiddles with the controls and gets the sound working.

"-perfect time to die. Why don't you fight?" S.Coups' voice comes through the recorder, slightly crackly with static. "That's right. You can't."

God, if you're going to kill him, just do it, don't keep taunting him. He's gone through enough.

"For a half-asleep man, your stitching wasn't half bad. I guess the threat of a whip got you to work, hm?" S.Coups laughs.

So they forced Han to stitch their mouths and eyes closed? Poor guy.

"Now, tell me, Han. You know this shop well, correct?"

Han nods.

"Good. Are there any cameras in here that still work? If there are, locate them for me. Can you do that?"

Han hesitates, then looks at Jun and points to the camera.

"Good boy. Changbin, if you would."

Changbin shoots the camera with pinpoint accuracy.

"씨발!" Mingi curses, "that's our vision gone. Audio should still work though."

"Just a precaution. Can't have anyone watching us. Any audio on that camera?"

"No. No audio." Han's voice is weak, and barely audible.

He's lying to protect us. He's playing a dangerous game.

"Well done, Han." Lee Know mutters under his breath.

We hear footsteps cutting through the silence of the shop, and Han gasps.

"Ah, I.N, you made it. We're just having a little chat with our friend here." S.Coups greets him, a hint of laughter in his tone.

Silence fills the apartment. I.N? Sweet, innocent I.N in cahoots with the government? With Changbin this whole time.

"I.N?" Bang Chan's voice is full of pain. "Not I.N!"

"I.N, how could you? You were one of my greatest friends, I truste-"

We hear a sharp crack and a cry of pain from Han, as he cuts off his sentence.

"Quiet!" Jun shouts at Han, who doesn't say another word.

Poor Han. Betrayed by two friends, and punished for his surprise.

"Why aren't we doing anything?" Lee Know asks, "That's my boyfriend, and we're just letting him suffer?"

"Lee Know, I understand it's hard, but we can't." Hyunjin replies. "It's twelve of us against fourteen of them. And they're the government. We wouldn't stand a chance. I'm sorry."

Lee Know sighs, admitting defeat. I hate to leave Han alone, and it's even worse to hear his suffering. Changbin and I.N's betrayal makes it harder for him, I'm sure.

"Sorry about this, Han. You were always good to me. Not the best way to repay your friendship, but thanks for showing me how to use a gun."

I.N's voice is different to how it used to be, he sounds cold and unfeeling.

Not the I.N we used to know.

The interrogation continues for a while, the crack of a whip audible every so often. No one says a word to defend him, or to make Jun stop. They all enjoy it too much.

"Please, please stop..." Han pleads, weak and crying.

This is scaring me.

"We're not done. I'll tell him to stop when I feel like it. Who is in control?" S.Coups says, finding his suffering amusing. He's a goddamn sadist, taking pleasure in other people's pain.

Han says nothing, but his sobs can be heard faintly through the camera.

Crack.

"I can't hear you. Who is in control?" S.Coups taunts Han.

"You..." Han replies, voice shaky.

"That's correct. We're almost done."

Han continues to evade questions, desperately trying to protect us, though he knows it's only preventing the inevitable.

"Lying isn't going to help you, Han. We're going to step up our game. I.N?"

"Got it." I.N says. "Shouldn't have taught me to shoot, Han."

We hear a gunshot and a cry.

"He can shoot in worse places than your arm, you know. It's in your best interests to tell the truth."

I can't believe this is happening.

Eventually, S.Coups stops.

"That's enough. We're done. You know what to do."

"No, please, please stop!" Han begs.

We hear an awful, sickening crunch, followed by another, and another, and another, each accompanied with screams.

Oh god, I think that's his bones.

"All done? Take him outside."

"Now? It's cold, I don't want-"

"Now, Changbin, or you'll be joining him. Go!"

The last thing we hear is Han's cries for mercy and the door closing.