Intro: Piper ✔️

Today

The cave was Yoongi's happy place. The place where no one else heard his sobs and he could be alone. His cries reverberated off the stone walls, creating melodies that normally lulled the boy to sleep.

But, one night, even his cries couldn't calm the boy's convulsing body. His entire being made of tears that landed on the cave floor with a splash that stirred up the stone that was nearly turned to sand.

The night was silent as everyone was already in bed. Ready for the Piper to come. Yoongi didn't care if the Piper came for him. Wherever the Piper took the people who went with them, it had to be better than Hamelin. 

xXx

"Yoongi," his mother said, her eyes full of panic. "Stay in the house. It's dangerous."

The young Yoongi did listen to his mother, but in a small act of rebellion dug his fingernails into the wooden windowsill and glanced at the neighbor's house which was in flames. A rogue firework from the celebration had landed on their roof. The boy had watched it happen. The fireworks in the sky erupted against the black sky in bursts of orange, pink, and yellow before fizzling out and returning the sky to it's darkened state. Instead of exploding against the sky, one blew up too early, his neighbor's house now lighting up the sky.

Yoongi watched as his mother poured water on the flames, trying to put the fire out. Trying to prevent the flames from spreading to her house. 

But it was no use. 

The flames ruptured in through the windows. They were like the fireworks. One second there was nothing, and the next, the house was filled with flames and smoke. 

Yoongi coughed as he crawled towards the door. He barely felt the flames that lapped at his body like a dog's tongues at water. He heard his mother's voice, but he couldn't make out her form.

Her hand grasped his and he felt as she lifted him off the ground, the flames nipping at his feet, wanting nothing more than to devour him.

The smoke cleared from his eyes and he was suddenly outside, in the arms of someone different. He didn't remember letting go of his mother's hand. All he remembered was seeing the house collapse in on itself, taking everything he loved with it.

xXx 

"Hello?" a voice floated along the cave walls.

Yoongi looked up and caught sight of an old woman near the entrance of the cave. She looked friendly enough, but he didn't recognize her from the village.

"What's a boy like you doing here so late? Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I don't have one," he said. 

The old woman's face shifted. Her eyes looked down at the boy with worried eyes and reached out to the boy's shoulder. 

"You must have somewhere you can go?" 

Yoongi shook his head.

The old woman pulled the boy into her chest and kept there for a few moments before releasing him. "I can't stay long," she said. "But, I will come and check on you every year on my way to the village. Stay safe." 

The boy's eyes widened in recognition. "You're the Piper?"

The old woman nodded. "Not always," she said. "But, you needed me tonight."

"Are you going to take me?"

"No," the Piper said. "I don't take children. They're too strong."

xXx