TOXIC

❝ 19 ❞

Silence bounced off the walls of the warehouse where they all sat, their thoughts running circles in their heads. The atmosphere wasn't tense, however, it wasn't comforting either. They all were thinking the same thing, similar thoughts, yet no one dare spoke about what they were thinking. It was almost as if they didn't want it to happen at all, reluctant to face the truth.

"Look, I know we don't want to talk about this, but we're going to have to bring it up sometime," Baekhyun said, eyeing the rest. Despite having spoken out, nothing came out their mouths, their heads hanging and eyes glazed.

"Are we seriously not going to talk about this? Kyungsoo and Crimson are out there risking their lives, and we-"

"Baekhyun stop." Suho spoke, slight irritation in his voice.

"What? Are we not going discuss the matter of our friends here?" He stood, glancing around the room at his friends.

"You have to have hope! Kyungsoo and Crimson are strong individuals, let alone when they get together. I'm pretty sure they'll do fine against-"

"You don't know that Baekhyun." Suho spoke once again, looking up at the male from his position.

"Well, what do you want me to do? Sit around mope around? Life moves on guys! And while we're here contemplating on how they're doing, they're out there moving on with their lives as well as trying to save one." At this, the small crowd before him began to stir, his words planting ideas in their heads.

"Maybe we can talk to them." Xiumin suggested. His suggestion earned him odd looks from everyone.

"The hell do you mean 'talk to them'? They're on Pluto." Baekhyun argued.

"Pluto?" Angel asked, raising her eyebrow at the comment.

"Pluto is another named for the Demon Dimension."

"Okay, but why Pluto?" Angel asked once more.

"It was named after the God of the Underworld." Xiumin finished.

"Ohh. That makes sense."

"Anyway, what I meant was to talk to them mentally, but I can't remember the word for it." Xiumin drifted off into his thoughts, patting his thigh.

"Do you mean telepathy?" Jennifer questioned, the male sprung up in excitement.

"Yes! That's the word."

"One of us can talk to him through telepathy to see if everything's okay."

The majority of the small group silently agreed with the raven haired man, all but one. Suho groaned shaking his head in disapproval.

"Ah I don't think so, that's kinda risky. It calls for a lot of concentration, and if that concentration is disrupted then we could end up seriously injured."

"We don't really have a choice. As much as I really don't want any of us to have to deal with that, I really don't want to be sitting here on edge wondering what the hell is going on." Baekhyun spoke up, looking at the floor.

"I'll do it myself if it's that much of an issue." He spoke once more, earning a nod from everyone but Suho.

"Then it's settled." He said and pulled a small cushion to the middle of the room. He sat there, crossed legged with his hands in his lap and closed his eyes. Whispers of hushes and forced silence filled his ear for a short period of time before absolutely nothing but his own thoughts could be heard. And after a while, those thoughts became quiet, complete darkness surrounding him. Little flares of color decorated his vision, small voices echoed in his head, unclear and soft.

Then silence again, as the energy around him changed. He was no longer inside his own head, but his friend's. His eyes snapped open, black as the night as those surrounding him looked at him with horror.

"Is he okay?" Jennifer whispered to Suho, looking at Baekhyun with a sense of pain in her eyes.

"He's fine. He's reached one of them." Slowly, Baekhyun's eyes changed, his vision cloudy as his body beginning to sway to a non-existent melody.

"Are you sure he's alright? He looks a little crazy to me...." Angel spoke softly, earning a pinch from Chanyeol.

"We all do the same thing when we communicate this way. You'd be calling me crazy too." He whispered in her ear, a blush picking up on her cheeks.

It was then that Baekhyun snapped out of his daze, rolling onto the floor as he panted. Kai instantly ran over to him, rolling him onto his back.

"Baek, are you okay?" He spoke softly, shaking him slightly. Baekhyun's gasps filled the air as he tried to catch his breath.

"I'm..... fine." He finally spoke. Light specks of water balanced on his forehead, his breathing uneven.

There was a slight pause before Baekhyun spoke again.

"They're fine. They managed to get to a small cabin for the night. They head out tomorrow for the Palace. I told him to be safe, take care of Crimson and to come back home alive." His knees began to wobble before he collapsed to the floor again, his hands breaking his fall.

"That took a lot of energy.... out of me.." He tried to stand up again but sunk back down to the floor when his knees gave out once more.

"Lay, please take him to his room. Sehun, help him." Suho ordered as they both hoisted Baekhyun up, practically dragging him to his room. He slumped back onto the couch, burying his head in his hands. Jennifer came and sat down next to him on the couch, her small hands immediately drawn to his back.

"Why don't we take a walk?" She spoke softly, drawing small circles on his back. Suho looked up from his hands slowly, a small smile plastered on his face, he nodded.

"Why don't Chanyeol and I join you guys? We all could use the air." Angel voiced, grabbing her jacket off the back of the couch. They all slipped on their shoes and headed out the door, the sound of the barrier closing echoing against the walls.

They soon found themselves roaming the streets, watching the people as they passed by. Parents chasing their children down the streets, old men and women walking at the pace of a snail. However, what their eyes caught the most were the couples that freely exposed their relationship, the matching clothing and forms of skinship forcing Suho deeper into his thoughts.

What if Crimson never returned? What if Kyungsoo didn't return? What if the both didn't return?

Yet, he was pulled from his thoughts as he felt someone grasp at his hand. Jennifer's small hand was intertwined with his, her delicate fingers rubbing the back of his knuckles.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you two were dating." Chanyeol spoke up, causing both Suho and Jennifer to blush.

"You can't really talk Chanyeol. You've been all over Angel," Jennifer declared in a hushed voice, the tips of Angel's ears growing red.

"And if I'm not mistaken you two are together," she paused, looking at Chanyeol's now tomato red face.

"Besides, he has a lot on our shoulders. We all do. But if I can help Suho remove some of the tension on his, I'll be happy." She spoke suddenly, the tips of her ears growing red as well. Suho looked at her and smiled, tightening the grip on her hand. As they continued on to their unknown destination, time and silence slowly crept in, allowing more thoughts to enter their minds. They all wished for the same thing: for Kyungsoo and Crimson to come out alive.

"So what now?" Angel announced, breaking the ice.

"Now we wait." Suho spoke, his eyes glancing up at the darkening sky.

'And hope.'