Crazy Baby

Chapter 15; Kim Seokjin

"...I think you look good now. Much better." I mumble to myself as I fix Jimin up. He's still in a coma but alive...I think. I gave him a bath and changed his dirty clothes. He looks so cute like a fluffy plushie!
I've been alone with Jimin since yesterday. I don't know where daddy went but I know he'll come back eventually. I paint Jimin's slowly blue turning lips with red chapstick. Perfect. He's starting to smell a little bit I don't know why. I just gave him a bath.
Huffing, I smack his chest hard and glare at the Jimin across the room smirking at me. Narrowing my eyes, I chuck Rosy at him but whine when it hits the wall right behind him. "Stupid." He laughs in his soft normal voice.
I grab the blankets and throw them over his prone, silent body on the bed and get up to pace. I'm so bored and this Jimin doesn't do anything but mock and watch me.
"Like you could do better!" I growl and toss the makeup back at his head. Which promptly hits the wall also.
He looks at the bed with a tilted head. "Most definitely. You suck, Jinnie." He rolls his eyes. "Trying to make me look like a freak!"
I fist my hands. "I'm trying! What's wrong with you!" I say, exasperated.
He looks at me like I'm stupid. I don't get it. "Hey Jin?"
"What?" I pout.
"Let's go hang out in the tunnels again." His eyes widen in excitement. I hate those tunnels. They put us in this position in the first place. I hadn't meant to hurt him and now look!
"No thanks." I mumble glumly.
"Come on. It's not good for you to stay cooped up in this room. It stinks. You need fresh air." He suggests.
I laugh. "You want me to get fresh air by going under the house into a dark underground tunnel?! You're so stupid." I whine.
He pauses. "You should go outside then."
I gasp. "Daddy would kill me!"
He laughs and gets a wicked glint in his eye. "I don't think he would. You should go. I dare you to go outside." He crosses his pale arms as I deliberate nervously. I don't know...
"W-will you come with me?" I ask quietly. Scared. The outside scares me. People scare me. A lot.
"Of course. It's the tunnels or outside." He chuckles.
I glare. "I think I'd rather take my chances with the monster in the tunnels." I sigh.
He stops moving and looks at me seriously. "There are no monsters, Jin. All monsters are human, you know. I don't think you have to worry. The fact that I'm here right now is proof you'll be fine."
Guilt hits me once more. He never lets me forget my mistake. "I said I'm sorry."
He nods and recovers his good mood. "I forgive you now...go outside. Now." His voice turns urgent and scares me so I hesitate no more and run out the door in only my pajamas and socks. As soon as I exit the house, I hear the back door bust open and someone scream 'police'!
My eyes widen in terror and Jimin urges me to run. We run as fast as we can down the alleys farther towards downtown. "W-where is d-daddy?" I gasp out while running.
Jimin only frowns. "I don't know." He turns right. "This way, Jin!" He can't grab my hand so I follow after as best I can, tripping. He leads me to an abandoned warehouse in the industrial part of the city.
I collapse inside and fall to my knees, trying to catch my breath. I peak up to see Jimin perfectly fine, gliding to the windows and looking out. Tears fill my eyes as I wrap my arms around myself. "I'm s-scared, Jiminie." I whimper. I want daddy.
He sits beside me but all I feel is cold. His presence is still comforting, however. "It'll be ok. We will just find some place to go for now. Until he finds you."
I frown, sniffling. "You mean us."
He reluctantly nods, looking away. "Hey look over there!" He stands and practically materializes before an upper floor window. I trudge behind him much slower and exhausted. He points to a large house on the hill across the lake from the warehouse.
It looks vaguely familiar. And also abandoned. He raises his eyebrows at me and I huff out a breath, reading his mind. We could stay there...

"I c-can't walk anymore." I groan as I fall back onto the dusty floor of the house. I had to break the door open while Jimin just annoyingly watched and teases my weaknesses.
"This place is cool. I wonder why it was abandoned." He muses, wandering around the dark rooms. I drag myself to my feet and can't help feeling a little creeped out and yet...at home at the same time. Weird. I stumble spin him in the kitchen bending down to look at a broken picture frame.
He looks up at me in shock. "Jinnie! It's you!" He points and I pick up the picture to see a older man and woman with a small boy. I swallow hard as emotion comes over me and I trail my fingertip softly over the woman's face. Eomma...
"Wow. This was your house?" He asks, amazed. I walk over to the kitchen pantry and wonder if there are still candles and matches in there like eomma used to keep them. I find them dusty and abandoned just like everything else. I light several candles and leave some in all the rooms.
I sit down on the plastic covered couch and stare blankly at the black television. Memories run rampant throughout my mind while Jimin continues to roam around everywhere...drifting farther and farther away from me....

Flashback

"Eomma! I don't want to go to school. I don't feel good." I sniffle, coughing a little. She smiles down at me and runs her manicured nails through my hair.
"Alright, sweetheart. Just this once. Mommy has to go out for a little while, though. Can you be a big boy and sit and watch tv until I get back?" She asks.
I nod and snuggle under the blankets on the couch. She kisses my head before grabbing her purse and keys and leaving me alone, sick and aching. I turn on the tv and turn it to my favorite cartoons.
I end up drifting to sleep soon after only to be forced awake by the front door slamming and appa stomping into the house. He scoffs at me as I sink lower into the blankets in fear. His shrewd eyes narrow at me then looks around.
"Where's your Eomma? Why aren't you in school, boy?" He demands gruffly.
Swallowing hard, I clear my throat. "I'm s-sick. She w-went out. Said she'd be back soon." I whisper as he shakes his head and laughs, unamused.
"Let's just hope the whore doesn't come back. That way we can spend some good quality time together, yeah?" He smirks, sitting down on the couch and placing his hand on my covered thigh. I shiver as bile rises in my throat.
"P-please...Eomma will be b-back soon." I whimper as he tosses the blanket aside and jerks me up by my shirt, tearing it a little.
His dark eyes trail over me making me feel disgusting while his hands slide around to my back under my clothes. "You look so much like her, you know? I don't know if that's why I love you or hate you." He sighs.
I open my mouth to beg him to stop touching me but before I can the door opens as Eomma finally returns. I'm released and immediately hide back under the blankets while appa stalks towards her and slaps her cheek. I flinch from the sound and begin to sob quietly.
He begins calling her awful names again and she reciprocated by screaming back at him. I wrap my blanket around me and rub upstairs to hide from it all. I bury myself under the sheets in my bed while the loud sounds of hitting and sobs can be heard.
I shudder as everything goes silent before appa throws my door open. He takes his blood covered hands and begins slowly removing his belt. I squeeze my eyes closed as his foot steps move closer and closer...

"Jin? Jin! Jiiiiinnnn!"
I wipe my eyes and look over to see Jimin frowning down at me. I choke back a cry as the visions of violence assail me. I hate it here. I want to leave.
       "What?" I ask, still years away in my mind.
        He looks at me with understanding. "We need some food. I know you're probably starving." He smiles happily, disappearing into the kitchen. My eyes trail slowly up the stairs and I have the sudden urge to run and hide back under my blankets in my old room. I wonder if it still looks the same.
       My feet move of their own volition and lead me up the stairs towards my bedroom. I stare into the blackness as I'm assaulted by memory after memory of all the horrors that took place in this very room. I suppose Jimin is right. The only monsters are all human.