Mental

20

Jungkook collapsed near the huge oak tree, leaning up against it and spitting out more blood. He decided to not show up to any classes for the rest of the day. Not after what happened.

He convinced the school secretary to let him have a pass home, saying that he wasn't feeling well. Obviously they let him go, they were scared shitless when he came into the office. He looked like a corpse.

Jungkook wanted to go home, but he was too weak. Where did he go then? To the place Yoongi showed him not too long ago. It didn't take that long to get to the field, but it felt like hours to Jungkook.

Any movement from his body, and he'd wail out in pain. He rested his head against the deep brown bark from the tree, breathing heavily. Still, he was crying. Crying the hardest cry he's ever cried.

He very shakily lifted his hand, seeing his skin painted with crimson blood. His clothes were all red now, his face was red, his hair looked awful due to the blood drying up in it. God— he couldn't even imagine what his throat looked like. It probably looked like the inside of Satan's ass. That's how bad it was.

Jungkook's eyes were vibrating too, as they rolled around in irregular directions to focus on something— but they couldn't focus on anything. They.. felt loose in his eye sockets. He felt like they were too small to fit in his skull. He swore they felt like they'd fall out at any moment. He decided to keep his head tilted up just in case.

"W-....," He tried to talk but damnit, his throat. He was in agony. Sehun beat the living shit out of him. Jungkook really did feel like a corpse. "W-Why........?" He cried. What did he cry to? An empty sky. He cried to the trees, he cried to the wind. He cried to the beautiful flowers rooted in the soft ground. He cried to the sun.

Jungkook looked at the tree and its colored leaves, seeing them inch forward and cover him in shade to shield him from the blazing tempered sun.

Don't worry, soul.

Jungkook heard the tree talk. He didn't question anything in the moment. "W-Wh-Why...?" He gripped onto the tree, pressing his cheek against the bark. The tree was his friend now, he knew the tree befriended him.

Shh.

The wind quietly blew in his ears.

Be still. We're here.

Jungkook nodded.. listening closely to what the wind told him to do.

He closed his eyes and hugged onto the tree so tightly, feeling the tree return the hug.

Someone was there for him. He wasn't alone. He wasn't left behind. The tree was there for him, the wind was there for him. He knew they were. All along he trusted in human beings.. and the real ones who'd be here for him always have been outside this whole time.

He heard the tree speak again.

What's your name?

"I-I'm...Jungkook..." He gulped, crinkling his nose up since he swallowed a good chunk of sour blood.

I'm Nine.

The tree said, cooing to the boy.

Nine? What kind of a name was that?

"Tree...nine?" Jungkook asked curiously.

No, just Nine.

Jungkook nodded softly. "Nine...." He said, as if the tree was an actual human. "Thank you..." The younger boy started calming down some now. His crying lessened.

I'm Three.

He heard the wind speak.

"Wind... wind three?"

No, just Three.

Jungkook nodded once more, actually able to smile a bit. "Will you stay with me?" He forgot how bad his throat hurt because his mind was in... a wonderland.

Always. You'll never be alone ever again. Promise.

That made the boy have hope. Somehow, he had this weird urge to text Yoongi all about this experience. He had to tell Yoongi about his new friends!

Jungkook slowly and painfully pulled his phone out, his thumbs turned into 90 year olds when tapping the phone screen. They eventually made their way to the text message app, clicking on Yoongi's separate chat.

The last time they texted was December 25th, 2014.

Don't tell him.

The wind quickly spat.

He doesn't need to know. He won't get it.

Jungkook tensed up at the sudden hateful voice.

Stop.

Don't scare him yet...

But-

Stop.

He'll find out.. don't say anything.

Really, he won't understand.

Jungkook heard so many voices whispering at once that it got confusing. "Nine...?" He called out, but then everything went dead silent. So silent. It was as if no one spoke a word at all in that time frame. The wind stopped. He felt the sharp bark from the tree pierce into his cheek. Why was he hugging a tree?

He looked down at his phone, his keyboard up and ready for him to type a message to Yoongi.

He stared at the screen, starting to type something.

'Hey...'

Backspace.

'Hi.. um.. I-..'

More backspace.

'Hyung..?'

Another backspace.

'I wish you were here with me, today was really bad.'

Almost sent.

Backspace.

'Can I see you...?'

Backspace...

Jungkook exited out of his messaging app, turning his phone off.

He decided not to bother Yoongi. The older boy probably didn't want to see him anyways, or talk to him. Yoongi was probably busy with something and didn't want to be disturbed. Nine and Three were right. He wouldn't understand.

Emptily, Jungkook stayed in his exact position.. waiting for his body to just calm down even more from the shock of being tortured like that. He decided to stay outside. How long would he be in that field? He knew he couldn't stand up right now.

Guess he was going to have his own little sleepover in the outdoors tonight. He forgot it was calling for thunderstorms.

A/N: Wonder who Nine and Three are?