haunted // nct.dream [1]

{16}

Hyunji's P.O.V

My arm wrapped around Mi-Cha's body. Her head fell limp to the side, resting on my shoulder. Jueun had taken the other side to help. From shock and exhaustion, we stood there, watching the roaring flames consuming the skeleton. Sweat ran down our faces, limbs, and backs from the heat it gave off.

"We can't just leave it," Mark whispered. "If we don't watch it, what if it got through the cracks where the walls and ceiling meet? It would spread throughout the house."

I loosened my clenched jaw that I didn't even know was tensed. "The cool concrete with limit it from getting any bigger. The fire will die down soon."

We stood in aching silence, until Jisung started turning out. The rest of us followed. Everyone, excluding Jueun, unconscious Mi-Cha, and myself, went out in search for Jaemin and Johnny. We carried Mi-Cha's body towards the stairs, stopping abruptly to see two figures sprawled out across the floor.

"Guys!" Jueun called to the others. "We found them!"

Jaemin and Johnny's bodies looked beaten. 'Mi-Cha' must have let out a real battle against them to be able and take the two guys down. Fortunately, they weren't unconscious. The second Jaemin looked up and saw Mi-Cha, he was on his feet. A red wound was opened on his forehead, and a light line of blood trickled down. Jaemin's hair was a huge mess; ruffled all over the place. Johnny groaned, rubbing his temples. A bruise was forming under his right eye, and his lip was split and starting to swell.

"Why isn't Mi-Cha awake?" Jaemin asked, sliding in to take Jueun's spot.

"We don't know," I replied. My words came out quiet, but rough.

We all shuffled out into the hall, escaping the basement. Renjun closed the door, sealing away the horrors we experienced down there.

"Chenle," Jueun started, taking a couple steps towards the boy. Her eyebrows were furrowed, but the expression wasn't clear. "You were the one who burned the skeleton, right?"

Chenle nodded, looking worried.

Jueun pulled Chenle's arm, causing him to stumble forward into her outstretched arms. They wrapped around the year-younger boy, who had a couple inches on Jueun. Chenle's eyes widened in shock from her sudden embrace.

Jueun let out a chuckle, pulling away. "Good work, soldier." She ruffled his hair, and Chenle smiled shyly. "You're the reason we're all making it out alive."

"Well, maybe all of us." Mark glanced in Mi-Cha's direction.

"Plus, we're still not out of the house," Renjun added.

Jaemin took all the weight of Mi-Cha — which wasn't a lot — and carried her. I led the way to the blocked door, as an option to at least try. When I tried flipping the lock, it wouldn't budge.

What a surprise.

Johnny gently moved me out of the way, then slammed his heel against the lock. It seemed to have jiggled something loose, so Johnny brought back another blow. This time, the latch fell to the red carpet, causing the door to open by itself.

The giant object blocking the door looked like black metal. Since Johnny was closest, he began to push at it. The object wouldn't move. Not even a small area around the door frame showed an opening, it was completely blocked. Jueun, Jeno, and Haechan all found a spot and pressed their shoulders against it. Using all their strength and weight, they gritted their teeth, leaning in.

The object creaked, as if it was giving in. I slid in between Jueun and Haechan, helping with the process. It was excruciating, straining all my muscles. The object finally gave in, falling off the steps that led up to the door. I winced at the thunderous crashing noises it made. Random items were scattered about that had apparently been stacked on the giant metal bookshelf. There was a bare spot on the other wall, hinting to where it came from.