The Hidden Treasure

~57~

Hyejin no longer smelled the alcohol that was inevitably still on the men sleeping soundly in the RV. She glanced down at the small man resting on her lap and her nose crinkled. She wanted nothing more than to kick him off into the floor. Her eyes grew wide in fear as he started to stir, rolling over onto his back.

Swollen eyelids slowly opened to reveal bleary, bloodshot eyes. The man's hand flew to his head and he groaned miserably. Slowly sitting up, he looked back at Hyejin and grimaced. At least she didn't look harmed. He swung his legs off the low bed and held his aching head. "I'm sure you need to do some things so I'll let you loose as soon as my buddy wakes up," he said to her over his shoulder, almost apologetically.

The bigger man sprawled out on the sofa also began to stir. He bolted up and then immediately sat back down as the hangover pounding away in his head became too much for him to bear. "Yah! Why did you let me drink so much?" he demanded from his companion.

"Me? LET you drink? You're the one who ignored my warnings to stop," said the small man, rubbing his temples.

"You...you...oh nevermind." The tall man groaned and squeezed his eyes shut. The dim light in the RV was even too much for him.

"Now that he's up, I'll let you loose. Bathroom is right there. Make it fast." The short man undid the restraints on Hyejin's wrists and feet. He jerked the duct tape off her shoes and as she feared it left sticky residue all over the bright red canvas. She sighed sadly and the man looked at her.

"What's wrong," he mumbled.

Hyejin was still staring at her shoes. "My shoes are messed up," she murmured, her tingly fingers lightly touching the sticky residue. A frown etched itself onto her face. At least it was only her shoes that were messed up and not her body. Keep your priorities straight, Hyein!

"Get up slowly. Are your legs asleep or anything," asked the small man.

Hyejin was thrown off by his concern for her at the moment. "Y-y-yes." Her legs felt like a thousand needles were being shoved into them.

The small man nodded and quietly stood, holding his hands out to her. Hyejin looked at them skeptically and he nodded slightly, signaling it was okay. Her hands and arms felt just as prickly but she managed to slowly lift them and an aching pain spread through her upper back and shoulders. She grimaced and her arms helplessly dropped down to her lap. Tears threatened to fill her eyes but she somehow managed to hold them back.

"Ah screw it," grumbled the man, he quickly leaned down and wrapped his arms around Hyejin's middle and pulled her up onto her feet.

Hyejin whimpered at the sudden movement and how it made her body badly ache. Her feet and legs became filled with fire as blood quickly rushed into veins that had been deprived of blood flow for a while now. The small man's hands held her arms tightly as one baby step after another slowly led them to the small bathroom.

"Do what you gotta do," he mumbled, shutting the door behind him as he left.

Hyejin struggled to keep upright and not drop to the floor. She was thoroughly confused by his kindness considering what he was threatening to do to her a few hours ago. She stared into the mirror in the harsh light of the tiny bathroom. She looked awful. Her hair was flat and oily. Her skin was dull and dry and her eyes were swollen from lack of sleep. She was a mess.

She finished in the bathroom and slowly exited, looking around quickly for where her captors might be. The tall man was scrolling through his phone and the small man was doing the same. Suddenly one of their phones rang and a short conversation ensued.