Midnight Game [EDITING]

eight - awake

3:33 am.

jin crashed to his knees. a cloud of black smoke curled out the window and towards the sky. it felt like that was his soul leaving, his body now just an empty vessel.

was it really over? his eyes glossed over as he looked around, took in the emptiness; his loneliness. It was then that he noticed his light was out and that he was alive. he laid on the floor and stared lifelessly at the wall.

the game was really over.

jin brought his knees to his chest and suddenly screamed, breaking out into a sob. a game on halloween with his friends turned into a mass murder. what's worse was that hoseok was likely dead on the ground outside of the house and jin would have to face him, although he didn't plan on getting up anytime soon.

the sound of sirens cut through his thoughts and bright blue and red lights leaked through the building. jin simply covered his ears and kept crying. he continued to cry as the men lifted him off the ground and forced his hands behind his back, putting them in handcuffs. he didn't hear them telling him to remain silent. as if he would be able to say a word in that moment. he was too focused on the spots filling his vision as they lowered his head into the car and drove off. then his vision went entirely black.

1 month later

Jin's eyes fluttered open and he stared up at the ceiling, chips of black paint covering it. a single lightbulb hung from the center of the ceiling to emit a soft light in the space. his senses were filled with over-roasted coffee and soggy cereal. he slowly sat up, feeling lightheaded as his face met the same sight he's been seeing for the past month. The bars were sturdy, yet rusty, but they did the job. They trapped him. But justly so!

Have you ever heard the theory that when so many people tell you something, you start to believe it? Jin believed. he believed he murdered them, all of them. it tore him apart every single day.

Two men walked up to his cell and unlocked it. Jin looked at them with confusion, but he didn't say a word. he hasn't spoke since the incident. He was being dragged again. "We're going to get you out of here," they said.

But why was he getting out? He was a murderer after all, right? he couldn't understand why they would release such a monster as he limped down the narrow corridor. again, handcuffs captured his wrists as they let him out. Cameras flashed frantically and he ducked his head, fear filling him as people flooded him with questions. "why did you do it?" "weren't they your best friends?" "how could you?"  his head was spinning as it was once again ducked down under the hood of a cop car. This time there were no sirens, no lights except for the beaming of the sun. he was feeling overwhelmed as the car drove off.

"We're taking you somewhere real nice buddy, okay? you'll be better off there". jin just said nothing and stared out the window. at the passing trees, the strung clouds, and the autumn leaves. he hasn't seen this in a while. he smiled softly to himself.

the car screeched to a stop and thick hands grasped jin's arms, pulling him out. The building was old and gothic looking, and had "Seoul Asylum" written on the outside. He entered the building and noticed that it was flooded with white lights as he was being pulled to the front desk, where one of the guards directing jin signed a form. The lady operating the front desk popped a bubble from the gum in her mouth and pointed down the left hallway. She placed a name tag on Jin and sighed. "Patient 133, suffers from severe depression, insomnia, and delusion. Take him to Room 11". Before he could process anything, jin was being dragged again.

Instead of bars, there were thick metal doors that were securely shut. he trudged down the hall and glanced around, feeling as empty as the colorless walls. there were a couple other people in the hallway: a man was being let out of his cell for some outdoor time. his hair was unruly and stance bent over slightly. jin heard soft sobs escape the man's lips and gasped. He immediately froze from his walking. the man turned around with drooped lids and blinked furiously at Jin, who spoke his first word in weeks.

"H-Hoseok?"