Short Stories-Kai Ships Only! Volume 3

🧶TXT- Change for Me- Part Four

Hours passed while Beomgyu drove towards an unknown destination. Hyuka had been giving him directions yet refused to say to where. All he knew was that they were definitely away from civilization.

Long grass fields gave way to patches of trees by rusted silver railroad tracks. The air felt quiet. Only a handful of other vehicles were traveling along their path. Oncoming headlights nearly blinded them between passings. When they weren't around, only a sliver of moonlight enabled them to see. Hyuka peered hard into the darkness, searching for a depot he felt they should've arrived at by now. "Pull over."

"Okay?" Beomgyu watched his boyfriend shift into the form of a great horned owl. "Where are we?"

The owl tapped the window with it's beak.

Beomgyu hesitantly rolled it down to let it escape.

The owl took off the second it had enough space to. It soared into the clouds, circling the valley for a little building lost in time.

Music played in the background while Beomgyu attempted to call his friends again. Neither Taehyun or Soobin answered. On a desperate whim, he decided to try Yeonjun next. Unsurprisingly, he didn't answer either.

The owl flew back into the car. It's big eyes glowed when they met his own. Those eyes continued to glow when Hyuka looked like a human again. "We're close. Keep going forward then turn right at the first exit."

"Sure... but only if you tell me what your plan is."

"I promise I will once we get there."

"Fine." Beomgyu continued to follow directions until they reached a building from a century ago. The wooden exterior could've been pulled straight from a western while the tin roof surprisingly looked brand new.

Hyuka lead the way up the platform's steps. His shoes creaked beneath him from the boards thinning over time. He took a deep breath then knocked. A single light illuminated inside. The door then opened to reveal shapeless shadow with piercing white eyes. "Hey. Long time no see."

Beomgyu watched the shadowy figure change into a teenage girl with blue eyes larger than life. Her long silver braids hung delicately at her side. She looked like an anime from her moonlit complexion to her upbeat enthusiasm when hugging his boyfriend.

"Kai! It's been so long! I know you're probably in trouble if you're here but I'm so glad you're here!" The girl hugged Hyuka tighter then twirled around until she saw the second person on the steps. "And who is this?! He's so cute!"

Hyuka plainly said "this is Beomgyu and I need to keep him here for a little while."

"Sure! I'm assuming you found one?"

"Before summer started. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't saw him bleed in person."

"I'll let the others know. Seriously though. I love your little friend! He's so cute!"

Beomgyu found the entire interaction strange. Here he was panicking for the past few hours and she was acting like nothing was wrong. More importantly, he was annoyed Hyuka didn't mention her earlier. "Sorry, who are you?"

The girl whispered "what's the name I usually give humans? It's been so long since I've talked to one!"

Hyuka complained "I don't know! Just make something up!"

"I'm Bella!"

"Nice to meet you..." Beomgyu turned around when his boyfriend passed him down the steps. "Wait! Where are you going?!"

"To find Yeonjun and save your friends."

"Your plan was to just leave me here?!"

"This is the only place I could think of where I can get to you quickly and you'll be safe."

"But I don't know this person!"

Bella boasted "I'm harmless! Trust me! I can change my form if you don't like this one! What would make you more comfortable Beomgyu?"

Hyuka teased "see? You'll be fine."

Beomgyu ignored the girl like she wasn't there in the first place. "And how long will you be gone for?!"

"I'll check on you between findings like I did before."

"And what am I supposed to tell my parents?!"

"I don't know. You've lied to them before." Hyuka kissed the shorter's cheek then continued his way down the steps. "I'll be back in a little bit. I promise."

Without another word, Beomgyu watched his boyfriend soar into the clouds until he disappeared into the night.

Bella placed her hand on the stranger's shoulder and watched the black sky with him. "It'll be okay. Kai is strong. This will all be over soon."

"I hope so..."

Taehyun wanted to cry after watching Soobin scream for someone to find them. They had been trapped for days in an abandoned motel. Yeonjun was nowhere to be found. He seemed to only visit at night to bring food and to let them call their families. This night was weird though. Yeonjun hadn't come yet and he should've by now.

"HELLO?! FOR FUCK'S SAKE! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME THEN CALL FOR HELP! PLEASE!"

The door opened. Taehyun jumped from seeing Yeonjun walk in with clean clothes and a fresh towels. One of the shirts in the pile he recognized as Beomgyu's. "Where is he?"

Yeonjun tossed the linens on the bed then grabbed their phones from his pockets. "Not at his parent's house."

Soobin caught his phone after it was thrown to him. Like every night since he had been kidnapped, he told himself to call the police. The threat of his family being harmed had always held him back. They only got one phone call each night. He had always chosen to call his parents but this time, he called Beomgyu back. "H-hi..."

"OH MY GOD! YOU'RE OKAY! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

"I don't know!"

"Did he hurt you?! Are you okay?!"

"We're fine... are you?"

"I- I guess? I don't know where I am either and Hyuka is who the fuck knows where! I want to go home!"

Yeonjun mumbled "Hyuka isn't with him?"

Taehyun looked up from his phone when he heard that too.

Soobin asked what they were all thinking. "He isn't with you? Where is he?!"

"No! He left me a while ago with some girl!"

"Some girl?!"

Taehyun quickly apologized to his father and hung up after seeing Yeonjun's right eyebrow arch upwards. One look at each other made them realize Soobin unintentionally lead him to another shape shifter. At the top of his lungs, he screamed "HANG UP! NOW!"

"What?" In the blink of an eye, Soobin had his phone snatched out of his hand.

Yeonjun began searching through it until he got Beomgyu's location. Through a smirk, he taunted "got you. See you soon little Choi. If Hyuka won't come for these two then he's certainly coming for you."

Beomgyu's heart dropped. He hid his fear by confidently bragging "you won't find us!"

"Awe... you can't leave without telling your little boyfriend goodbye can you? Choice is yours but you better think fast because I might find you before he does."

Taehyun had his phone swiped from his hands. Next thing he knew, they were locked in again. Silence followed. His stomach rumbled from not being delivered his daily meal. Starving and terrified, he looked towards his best friend and wondered the same thing he asked himself every night after Yeonjun left. How bad would it be if they escaped on their own?