REMNANTS | JIKOOK ✔

Chapter 10. Need

It was two days before Jungkook was back on the base and he had barely set foot in the mess hall before one of his men were standing breathlessly in front of him. 

Jungkook sighed. His eyes were scratchy and sore from too long in the sun, too much sand and the smoke that was billowing across the desert. “What is it?”

A young private stood straight backed in front of Jungkook. He brushed his sweat damp hair back off his red face. “Thank gods you’re here, sir,” he said. He was fidgeting, his eyes wide and cheeks flushed. 

“What?” Jungkook barked. He wanted to shove the soldier out of his way so he could get to the food desk. It might be unappetising slop but he was starving. 

“The... the thing,” the private stuttered. “The danachi—”

Jungkook’s head shot up. “What about him?”

The private hesitated and ran a hand through his hair again. “We don’t know, sir,” he said. “Is he sick or something? You told nobody to go into your cabin. We haven’t,” he added quickly. “But that thing... it’s been making a heap of noise. You might want to be careful going in there.”

Jungkook pushed past the soldier, his hunger suddenly forgotten. “You’re sure nobody went in there?” he called over his shoulder. He didn’t wait for a reply, but could hear the private following him as he hurried through the metal corridors to his cabin, heavy boots clunking on the metal grill that made up the floor.

As he got closer to his room, Jungkook could hear an unnatural screeching noise. It cut through his stomach and made the hair on the back of his neck rise. There was a loud crash and the scrape of metal.

“What the fuck?”

“That’s it, sir,” the private said from over his shoulder. Jungkook glanced back and saw the boy had a strange gleam in his eye and his lips were wet. “He’s been yelling stuff since about this time last night. Maybe... are you sure you should go in there? Maybe I should go.”

A sudden realization flooded over Jungkook that Jimin must have been releasing some sort of pull over the entire base. Why else would the boy look like he was about to trip over his own feet to land in a puddle of drool to get to Jungkook’s room?

With narrowed eyes Jungkook stepped away from the private, saying coolly. “No, thank you.” He watched the boys face drop and the blonde almost grimaced. He jerked awkwardly at the heavy belt that held up his combat pants as if they were uncomfortable.

From inside the cabin there came a strained, drawn-out cry, “Fuck!”

They both jerked.

“Are you sure nobody’s been in there?” Jungkook asked, watching him carefully.

The private nodded, stiffly. “Yes, sir. That thing was asking for someone— for you. It was screaming and I don’t know… breaking stuff. I wanted – we wanted to go in but you said not to.”

“Good,” Jungkook said. “You’re dismissed, private.”

The soldier was clearly reluctant to leave, his head straining to see around Jungkook’s shoulder to the cabin where Jimin was still screaming and crashing around. To Jungkook it sounded like he was ripping the walls apart.

The private still hadn’t moved.

“Dismissed!” Jungkook snapped at him and the boy jerked, saluting Jungkook jerkily and turning away. He cast one last look back down the corridor as Jimin screamed again but disappeared quickly down the way they had come.

Jungkook approached the heavy door to his cabin with trepidation. He could hear a strange noise like rasping, heavy breathing though how the sound would make it through the walls he didn’t know. There was another crash, and a low wail that sounded to Jungkook like a desperate animal. He’d never heard anything like it and the sounds made him afraid. What was waiting for him on the other side of the door? His mind was suddenly filled with a different scream and a man, stained with infection and blood lunging at him.