Pandemonium | Hyunjin

Normalcy's boring

"Hyunjin!" Bang Chan's voice cut through the silence of the train car. "Hyunjin, get up! Come on, we have to rehearse stuff." 

Hyunjin was sprawled out on his stomach. His arms slung in two different directions with his face curled up into his pillow. When he didn't stir, Chan sighed and stepped into the train car. Each of the performers had their own cars, but the staff members weren't as lucky. They were forced to share bunks in a few back rail cars. 

Hyunjin's burgundy hair sprawled out in every direction. The layered sections only added to the rat's nest on his head. Chan grumbled beneath his breath and reached a hand out to his back. "Hyunjin, get up." 

"Hmm?" 

"Let's go." Chan whacked his back a few times. He shifted onto his back with a loud groan. His face scrunched up and tipped to the side. "Hyunjin, I'm not telling you again. Get up or so help me, I-" 

"I'm up!" 

"Get your ass out of the bed!" 

With a huff, Hyunjin's body jerked forward. He grabbed one of the feathered pillows behind him and sent it towards Chan's head. Chan dodged it with ease and sprang back upright. "You're an asshole when you're tired." 

"And you're a pain in my ass, even when I'm not tired!" 

A smirk tugged at Chan's face. His dimples poked out and he shook his head. "Oh, Hyunjin, you never learn, do you?" Without another word, he spun around and headed back outside. He didn't bother shutting the car door. 

Cold air rushed in and caused Hyunjin to grumble. He grabbed one of the fleece wool blankets and wrapped it around him. He shifted to face the wall, but after only a few moments, he let out a loud whine. It was so cold outside, the blanket wasn't protecting him from anything. 

The heat was on, but it was about impossible to maintain warmth with the open door. It took him a bit, but he finally managed to get the door shut. A hand rubbed his face and he turned back to his bed. Sleep still clung to his bones, so it was rather difficult to put together today's tasks. 

Tonight, the members were supposed to perform again. A fresh audience full of new faces. How exciting. Today, he'd be with Felix again and they'd run through the performance. It changed every so often, but they'd been doing the same routine for the past week. Nothing about it would change. 

Until then, he was stuck in his trailer. A large beige rug sat beneath his bed and filled nearly half of one side of the train car. The sides were decorated with a few different kinds of storage. His clothes were tucked away in an oakwood dresser. Two similar shades of bookcases were positioned nearby filled with books. 

He took it upon himself to design the place by incorporating different circus elements inside. Paper mache masks were turned into clown masks. Red noses, painted smiles, and small bundles of diamonds sat beneath the eyes. An old black and white Pandemonium circus poster was framed and hung above his bed. 

Carefully crafted clay figurines hid among his bookshelves. He spent hours taking the time to mold and shape the clay. Another few hours were spent painting them with a small brush filled with horse hair. They were one of his favorite pieces of art that he created. 

His other favorite thing was the small fortune teller booth that sat in the corner. He found it at a random flea market in Germany. Despite it being found in Germany, the fortunes were spit out in English. The guy he bought it from spoke broken English, but he managed to get the gist of what he was saying. 

The machine was old and glitchy. The woman's porcelain skin inside the glass was peeling. The pink blush probably looked beautiful the first time the teller was used, but it faded over time. Her body was strewn in a royal pink flowing shirt and entangled with golden necklaces. When a coin was inserted, the movements were jerky. The voice would crackle and it never worked properly. 

Despite it all, Hyunjin loved it. A turquoise scarf was tied around the woman's hairline. Synthetic black curls fell past her shoulders and the unnaturally blue marbled eyes always studied him. No matter where he went, he always joked that she was watching him. It used to creep him out, but then he got over it. 

Practicing with Felix meant finding something tight fitting. As much as he would have loved to wear sweatpants, if something happened and Felix accidentally grabbed them, he'd be exposing everyone while they practiced down below. It wasn't something that he wanted to risk. 

His arms stretched above his head and a loud groan tumbled past his open lips. After a bit of movement and some stretching, he began to dig through the top dresser drawer to find a shirt. It was cold outside, but the circus tent would be heated. 

Staff members would always bring in portable heaters before practice and make it warm. This time of year, you needed a good heater. He was pretty sure Felix said something the previous day about a snow storm. 

He shimmied into a pair of tighter athletic gray shorts and pulled the drawstrings tight. If Felix accidentally grabbed them, hopefully, they'd stay up. A black tank top followed and after adding his shoes, he was pretty much set. He pulled a hoodie from another drawer and headed to the door. 

A soft whirling and clicking caused him to stop. His heart began to short circuit and his head jerked behind him. It took a few moments before it registered that the noises were coming from the maroon box beside his bed. 

It was the strangest thing about the fortune teller. Every so often, it'd come to life on its own. The German guy hadn't warned him about it, so perhaps he had no idea. The machine whirled to life, despite not being turned on. Gears creaked and the worn voice box whined occasional static. There was a feminine hum and a soft whirl.

Hyunjin dropped onto the edge of his bed with a bounce. Dark eyes studied the fortune teller's face, but she didn't react. Another faint click and a piece of paper shot out of the fortune slot. He hadn't even put a coin in the machine this time around. 

"I love you, but you are so creepy sometimes." He leaned forward and pulled the slip out between two fingers. His eyes scanned the words and his eyebrows furrowed. "What the hell does this mean?" 

Caution: Tread carefully; for an unknown future can easily mirror the past.