Caged (Jimin BTS)

XII = Under the Dryer

"And..." The scraping sound from the bag Namjoon dragged on the floor intensifies as he approached me. "This, will be the last one. For the day, at least."

"Gotcha. Hit it up, Suga!" Seokjin shouted, and Yoongi yawned before turning on the switch.

The giant washing machine, all ten of them, roared to life. I wiped my detergent-caked hand on my apron and sighed. "Next time, leave the laundry to me. Or we have to use this place for months again."

"I'm just trying to wash them all up. I'm sorry, Naomi." Namjoon stared at his feet, looking crestfallen. This really hit me in the chest.

Why do the Kim's boys did this to me?

Namjoon has dysfunctioned our washing machine at home while trying to wash the sheets that I 'showered' my pancakes on. And now we have to use Omelas' public laundry for the week, because the usual technician is out of the town. And Yoongi injured his right ring and pinkie finger from a plumber job,so he cannot fix it for us.

Seriously, I'm living in a warzone.

"You know I cannot get mad at you. Stop doing that face." Pushing his pouting face out of my vision, I collected the laundry bags and piled them in one corner. "Hoseok isn't here today, huh?"

"Got busy at his stable." Yoongi shrugged, but I can see that he's lonely without that sunshine by his side. Need to send him on an errand.

"Okay, boys. Do all of us a favour and buy burgers from the McDonalds at the next block, can you?" I pushed Namjoon at Jungkook and Seokjin. "Joonie's paying. And buy me a chocolate fudge sundae when you're at it."

"Wait, am I going too?" Jungkook gave me a incredulous look, but Seokjin and Namjoon is already dragging him away. Taehyung who was nodding off on a dryer snapped awake and gave the disappearing group a half-lidded glance. "Guyssssss... Wait for... meh..."

And Jungkook reentered the laundry to hoist Taehyung on his shoulder, firemen-carry style, and carry him out into Yoongi's pickup truck. Tae gave me a sleepy wave as the truck drove away.

Taehyung had been the most anxious one out of the group when they started with this 'thing', whatever they started. Namjoon didn't tell me even one tiny slip and I finally respected their decision to keep it shush from me. It looks like Jungkook is also interested in this 'thing'. He now can be seen loitering around my house when the group came over to hang out.

After my 'little accident' last week, the guys had been worked up for no apparent reason. And Taehyung had a bad case of insomnia for that. His parents has allowed him staying at my house for further inspection and for now, there's nothing much that changed. For except that he kept dozing off in random places.

"Is the top of this dryer really that comfy?" Climbing onto the slightly humming dryer machine, I let the steady hum relaxes me. Maybe it's a side psychological effect from Taehyung or the tense atmosphere when everyone's around, but my heart is always at unease. I don't know why and that ticks me off the most.

It feels like a massaging chair. "This is really nice- Aaaaah!!"

Don't mind the screaming. WHY AM I FALLING BACKWARDS????!!!

"Ugh!" Great. That hit home. I opened my eyes and saw a faint strip of light on top of me.  I... fell?

Rolling onto my front, I squinted my eyes against the darkness. Where is this place-

"Water?" And it's flowing too. If I walked downstream, maybe I'll find a way out.

But this is not water from a stream. I'm inside a gigantic concrete cylinder. That's not where rivulets come from.

Need to go upstream. So I began my crawl on the opposite direction of the water flowing. I think I saw some lights from up ahead, but that could be some reflection from the water-

What am I talking about? There's no freaking light source for the water to reflects on!

I finally got to my feet in the vast space and looked around. "Hello?" And my voice echoes around the place. Who made this place? Looks like some water reservoir tank- Is that... bars? And what's that lump in the end corner-

I tripped and fall on my back. That is no lump! There's someone in that cage! "Hey! Can you hear me? Hey!"

The lump stirred, before sitting up and turning around to face me. I felt as if my heart was jammed in a paper shredder.

He looked as if he was beaten everyday, with cuts and bruises colouring his bony limbs and faces. The rags that he wore was threadbare and his lips were blue from the cold. Under his fingernails was grime and dried blood and his eyes... He looked like the saddest person on earth.

He probably is.

"Hey." I called out softly to him, but the boy flinched like he had been whipped. "No, no, it's okay. I'm not here to hurt you. My hands are empty.  See?"

I held up my hands and the boy stared at me from the floor. "Can you get up? Can I have your hand?"

The boy made no move and in his bloodshot eyes I see no recognition. So I held out a hand to him, slipping my arms between the bars and he stared at it. "Come on, take my hand. It's okay, I won't hurt you."

He blinked at me from the shadows, and raised a blue, furry arm. My gut clenched when the realization kicks in, at the same time when he slips his soiled digits into my palm. "Jimin? Is that you?"

His brown eyes brighten in recognition and Jimin squeezes my hand. I pulled him at me but his hand looses its grip and Jimin returns to the shadows. "Wait! Jimin, please."

"It's me. Naomi, don't you remember?" A lump rose up my throat when his bloodshot eyes searched my face. But the boy didn't do anything. He just stared back at me.

And just as a tear slipped from my eyes, the sound of footsteps approaching us echoed in the place.

=×=×=×=

*le gasp* What the hiccup! Yow, yow, yow! This is your author speaking, and she is back on business, baby! Sorry it took so long, I was afraid it had to be longer, though. But things happen and now I'm back~ Gosh, it feels so good to be back. So regular update on Sundays continues after this, thank you for waiting and putting up with me. I really love you guys. #^_^#

Your author, who needs a hair wash.