haunted, the forest // nct [3]

{8}

Doyoung was in front of his group as they walked around the campus. His head looked from side to side as he scanned around the limited people walking around at this time. The sun completely disappeared and the bright moon had emerged in the black sky. This heightened everyone's concerns because the darkness will make it even harder to find their missing friends.

"What if something bad happened to them?" WinWin asked, lowering his eyebrows with worry.

"They're going to be fine," Yuta reassured him. "We'll find them."

"Hopefully not mangled from the cult ghosts in the forest," Haechan teased in a deep tone behind WinWin.

WinWin turned his head the other way and frowned, uncomfortable with the talk of ghosts.

"Cut it out," Yuta told Haechan as he sent him a serious look.

Haechan only shrugged. "You know what ghosts can do. You were at G-Dragon's Halloween party."

"Can we not assume the worst?" Doyoung put in, not even looking back at the three.

"Or talk about ghosts?" WinWin added.

Not too far away, Doyoung could make out Jihwan's group approaching. Chanmi, Chunja, and Jungwoo were nowhere to be seen. From the left, Johnny's group was coming out of the dormitories. The three groups came together, all with the same confused look.

"Where the hell are they?" Doyoung asked everyone standing around.

"We can't find them," Johnny replied. "They won't answer their phones, it goes straight to voicemail, no texts." Johnny's words started to jumble together as he could only think of the worst-case-scenarios. "I don't know what happened to them, I can't help but think it isn't good."

The last group was making their way to the others, Kun leading the pack. "Nothing! We have nothing!" Kun emphasized with his hands, then let them fall against his legs as he let out a sharp exhale. "I'm starting to get really stressed here!"

"Guys..." Mark started in a hushed voice. "What if they really are in the forest?"

The group simultaneously turned their heads to the right to face the towering trees. Their stomachs fell; it was the only place around campus they haven't checked.

"What harm will come if we all go to look as a group?" Lucas questioned.

"You're an idiot," Jihwan muttered. "If that Vernon guy is right, we could all die."

"At least we would die trying," Doyoung put in. "Plus, I think Lucas has a point."

"We're all gonna die anyway so I mean... yolo, am I right?" Jisoo shrugged.

"It's for our friends," Daerin added. She looked at Taeyong, who was giving the group a nervous look. She took his hand and gave him a reassuring smile.

"I-I don't want to encounter it," WinWin whispered. Taeil moved closer and rubbed WinWin's back comfortingly. Though, Yuta pulled WinWin closer to him to put an arm around his shoulders.

"'Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself,'" Kun told WinWin, then whispered, "Hermione Granger, The Chamber of Secrets."

"So, it's real? We're actually going in?" Ten asked.

Johnny nodded. "We have to try."

X X X

"Admit it, you don't know where you're going," Chanmi told Chunja, who was still making an effort to lead the three out of the forest.

"We're not lost!" Chunja shouted, trying to hide her fear. Though, her defensive yet shaky voice wasn't much good for convincing.

"We passed that same tree three times now," Chanmi went on, eyeing a large, dead looking tree with a crack near the roots. "We're going in circles."

"Are we gonna die?" Jungwoo asked in a soft voice.

"We're not going to die!" Chunja stopped walking and turned to the two behind her. "Stop talking like that, you're going to freak me out!" Chunja bent down to the forest floor and covered her face with her arms.

Jungwoo and Chanmi glanced at each other, surprised by her sudden break. Jungwoo took cautious steps in her direction before kneeling down next to her. He placed a gentle hand on her back.

Chanmi bit her lip in thought. She pulled out her phone, searching for Johnny's contact. After an attempt of calling him, she realized that there was no reception. Her phone was completely cut off from any connection.

"I can't contact anyone," she told the other two. "How are we going to get help? What if we can't get back?" Chanmi pushed up her glasses and crossed her arms. She was terrified of the thought they would be stuck in the forest.

"What is we just continue in one direction?" Jungwoo suggested. "The woods have to end at some point."

Chunja sniffed from under her arms. She lifted her face to reveal tears running down her cheeks. "I'm scared. It's dark out and who knows how long it'll take or what even is in this forest?"

Chanmi bent down with the two as Jungwoo wiped tears off Chunja's cheeks. "Listen, we're going to make it out. It didn't take that long for us to get in, so it shouldn't be much longer until we get out."

"What if I was leading us deeper into the forest?" Chunja frowned. "And I thought I was walking in a straight direction, but like you said... we passed that tree at least three times."

"Come on, let's just keep going," Jungwoo stated. He and Chanmi got to their feet and gave Chunja a hand to help her up.

~ ~ ~

(Ya girl is happy to be back ♡ I missed you all lots!)