the thirteenth | kim taehyung

chapter 9

[ FLASHBACK ]

The teenage boy stood there, admiring the beautiful angel's face. God sure took his time making you, he thought. Her solemnly pale skin was like a canvas, and her light freckles were the unique, artistic finishes from the painter. Above the bridge of her nose, he could see how her long, batty eyelashes framed her hazel eyes so well. Unfortunately, she was asleep, and Taehyung longed to see them again.

       Looking outside her window, he noticed the stars, blinking in the night sky. The diamond-like shapes were small and looked so helpless, even though they managed to light up the resting earth. A young Taehyung saw the white puffs of clouds ever so slowly drift past the stars. It looked like they were battling for attention, trying to cover each other. How disgusting, he quietly said, careful not to wake her.

         All his life, he would admire them and devote a large portion of his time just gazing at the lovely sight. It never bored him, and was actually what he did in his free time. Taehyung could remember trying to reach for the moon, and even if it may seem silly to others, it was never that way for him. This was one of the reasons he was often bullied throughout elementary and middle school. He was nicknamed the 'star freak', but for some reason, he was proud.

           This puzzled his mind and made him ponder if the stars and clouds were really against each other. He thought about it until his brain began to hurt. He turned his perspective away from the sky, seeing that she was still asleep.

       Before Taehyung could think anything through, he reached for the stars on her face. He traced his finger over her freckles, frowning to himself. His thoughts on the night sky had changed his entire point of view on her. He no longer saw her as dashing, but instead defected and scarred. She was now just a doll, a toy that was no longer considered perfect. His frown turned into a disappointed expression, as if her looks weren't satisfying enough. With one hand on her neck and one searching for a knife, he left a soft peck on her lips. The hunting blade had once belonged to his father, and he was just about to do what he learned from the late Mr. Kim.

       Taehyung then destroyed the shining stars, trying to harm each and every one of them. He took it away from her, practically stripping away her special feature.

       Suddenly, her eyelids flickered open, revealing her charming eyes. However, this time, they weren't the pair that he loved and cherished. They were now filled with horror and grief.  He didn't stop until the only pure skin showing were her eyes. "Not so much of an angel now, are you?" he said out loud, even though he knew she was long gone. Even then, Taehyung still wasn't content with her. But, he knew he had saved the best for last.

        Everything had become so quiet, the wind might've been jealous. He got off her bed with his crimson hands balled up into fists, holding something. Just before he could jump out of the window and continue his life as a murderer, he let go of his grip. Out came her hazel eyeballs, rolling onto the carpet floor.
They were still covered in blood and a trail was left behind them, almost like the footprints of a lost child; a fallen angel.

         At last, a devil was born.