Summer Camp (Taegi)

23$

Bang!

I flew back at the impact of the bullet hitting my chest, smacking the wall, knocking the wind from my lungs.

Bang! Bang Bang!

It burned. That was the only way to describe such a feeling. Hot sleek silver spiraled its way through me, tearing flesh and severing arteries . Tendons snapped under the pressure and bones cracked from strain.

Bang!

Bang!

I've seen blood before, but not to this quantity. Red as a rose the scolding liquid gushed from the wound in sprays tainting my pale skin. Soaking the rug, smudging the walls.

Bang!

I can't imagine how gruesome this seen must look.

Children sprawled out on the floor. Faces contorted in shocked and frozen. Blood crusting under their finger nails. Skin still and luminous, cold to the touch.

Dead.

As another child, same as them, glared down with satisfaction and triumph. Happy with what they had done. Glad to rid the world, rid families, of these seven, who'd caused them such pain.

As I was writing that I realized how it might be a trigger for some, but then again 'guns' is a tag in the book so,

"Jesus Yoongi, you don't need to be such a drama queen!" Taehyung pouted lowering his water gun "save all that for the real thing."

The real thing. Leaves the question standing. Had Tae ever actually saved any lives from these horrible outcomes? Or had he just figured them out. The time , date, place and curled up in bed. Rocking back and forth waiting it out , and got up the next day to check the newspaper.

Absentmindedly I rub my chest where the spray of water ,or imitation bullet, hit me.

A circle of stuffed animals surrounded me, or a representation of the guys.

Taehyung tried to look menacing standing above us with the toy. He was wearing one of my black hoodies, which was a bit baggy, and a black face mask to imitate the shooter to the best of his abilities. It wasn't working.

The blonde looked more cute than scary. Stopping every other minute to push up the sleeves to grip the gun properly. When he shot at me the shake in his hand was more than obvious along with the quiver of his bottom lip. Guess the scene was pretty close to home.

"I have a question for you"

"Shoot" he said then caught how ironic that was. " sorry" he mumbled lowering his gun with a rare timid smile. "Go ahead"

My hand came away from my chest damp. I imagined it as blood instead of water and rubbed my fingers together. Imagined them being sticky and warm with the red fluid.

My blood type is O+ and so is my mom.

I never want that to become a reality.

"Have you ever saved any of the victims before?" I asked watching him carefully.

The blonde faltered. Stumbling back and scuffing the carpet ending with him falling smack on his bum. "What?"

I'd never intended to ask him about this, but we have so much time to kill for now.

I caught him watching it when we woke up from our nap. Staring at the window watching with unrelenting focus. Now we were rehearsing. As weird as that sounded, to add in the new details. Now we know the order of when we get shot.

Bam Bam first.

"I mean, we know nothing happens when we don't stop them from happening. The visions continue" I crawled forward to sit in front of Tae "but we don't know what happens if the victims live. If we prevent the tragedy."

Is this a lot to process? No, right? Then why does he look constipated?

" I mean I would understand why you've never tried before-"

"I have!" He blurted suddenly , eyes blown "I have tried!"

Oh

"I tried ,once"

"It was the first one wasn't it? The one that broke you"

Taehyung set down his gun in his lap, playing with the nozzle, and nodded.

I waited patiently for him to elaborate.

Waited and waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

The I got impatient.

"What happened?" I pressed.

"I-I-I-" He croaked. Licking his lips he tried again. "My mom was a single parent for me and my older brother. It was always just us three against the world for as long as I could remember. So we always tried to stay out of trouble, get good grades, be good so she wouldn't be stressed, you know?"

I nodded even though that was a lie. I was always giving my parents attitude and acting spoiled. My grades were shit and I got in trouble a lot for lack of attention in class. But for the sake of the story I know!

"She had to work late a lot so she would tell me walk home right after school and my brother would look after me. One afternoon when I was walking home I was cornered by this gang. They beat me up when I told them I had no money because they thought I was lying and beat me up more when they found out it was the truth."

He took a breather. " I thought I was going to die that day. I was sure, but right before my vision faded completely, this guy came out of nowhere with a weapon and sent them scurrying. He didn't even stay to see if I was okay. He just ran away with a smile on his face after calling the police .He looked relieved."

" I was on bed rest after that. That's when I met Jungkook, he was my tutor to make sure I didn't fall too far behind in school, that's also when the visions started. "

Taehyung hides his face in his hands.

"It was your mom?"

He sniffs

"She got in a car accident on the way home from work." He sobbed "I knew it was going to happen! I saw it! I tried to stop it but he kept distracting me! I couldn't do anything with him around! I was always scared and helpless to him. Couldn't move out of bed, didn't have enough balls to protest "

"Nobody ever knew except Jungkook, he's still the only one that knows."

I just sat there listening, comprehending. Still not the full story.

"Hey, are you okay?" I whispered, my voice full of remorse.

He doesn't answer me at first, but then he said

"I-I'm just freaking out a little bit."

Say it! Say it! You know you want too! Just do it! Jungkook did it! You know what to do!

Slowly I pulled Taehyung forward until he was almost straddling my lap. I removed his hands from his face and cupped his damp cheeks in my hands rubbing them gently.

"You're such a crybaby" I cooed "save all that for the real thing."

Off what is this shit that I have written? Any ideas? Same.