𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍

1 * PUZZLE-PIECE BOY

9 years ago

jeongguk slumped against the damp walls of the dark alley as his innocence seeped out of the deep chocolate pools in his eyes.

he had seen enough.

mama and papa silenced by rounds of bullets, shoved in a bag and dragged out the door. all while he peeked through the balcony window, cradling his binkie as his tears dried to salt on his cheeks because of the violent winds.

their blood had sunk through the pure oak floorboards of the extravagant sitting room. as jeongguk emerged from hiding the smell was putrid and vile, laced with the musk of rust.

on his way out, he had spotted a shelf, with its belongings littered among the bloodstained wood. one of which was a 10th birthday card, the writing changing as his parents argued over what to put.

happy birthday son.

i cannot believe you're ten already!! seeing your face get less and less squishy has made me sad :(

but at least you're becoming a man. congratulations.

me and your father hope you enjoy all your presents, especially the ones from your friends!!!

your mother and i hope you find the presents useful.

we love you.

always <3

jeongguk chuckled at the irony. even at his age he found it funny how they had used the word 'always'. they were dead now, it simply wasn't possible. he thought, if there were a god, why would he let this happen to them? while staring dejectedly at the card, he felt any sense of faith drain out of his soul.

he had seen enough.

the alley mirrored his heart; freezing, dismal and empty. no one to fill it, or surround it with. that was just fine for jeongguk. he was like a machine that only took old coins, those coins were rare and no-where to
be seen.

he had basked in that alley for weeks upon weeks with no bother or aid except scraps of food. just alone. he liked it, as he grew accustomed to watching the bustling life in the street the front of the alleyway connected to.

the back of the alley was... different.

at that end, there was no street, but it turned right to places jeongguk had not ventured due to his contentedness with his part of the alley.

as mentioned, it had been weeks since the killings, and everything was the same until-

"mama!!" the shrill voice resounded against the mossy walls. jeongguk shivered from the unfamiliarity, intrigued by the voice. It was a dark sunday, silenced by the closed shops and restaurants.

"ma-!" in front of jeongguk stood a skinny little kid, smothered in a white fleece jacket. his hair must have been dyed because his due-for-a-cut purple locks had black roots sprouting from the scalp. he must've been the same age as jeongguk, short in stature, eyes curious and lips parted in wonder. how strange to see a boy with purple hair.

"you're not mama." a pout formed on that round face of his, but it quickly changed to a frown as he studied jeongguk. being stared down like that was awkward, yes, especially if it was this inquisitive puzzle-piece boy who doesn't fit in the alley jigsaw.

but jeongguk scrapped the funny business and finally responded, "who are you?"

"have you seen my mama?" he finally stopped peering at jeongguk and stood up straight, black boots pointing inwards at the toes as his fingers looked like they were going to knot into a celtic heart from all the fidgeting.

jeongguk began, agitated, "answer my question first-"

"she's tall, super pretty, and she has hair like me!! purple's actually my favourite colour! oh and-"

jeongguk could not bear to hear this brat ramble on. he simply could not find enough sympathy in his heart to concern himself over a mother-son duo with matching hair.

"jesus christ, shut up! i don't care about your mama."

"b-but-"

"i don't care, i don't care, i don't care! at all. so leave."

the kid looked like he took quite the beating from jeongguk's words. he started shaking, undoing his knotted fingers and clenching them to his side.

"no. i'm not leaving." the kid mumbled, eyes fixed on his shuffling boots. "here i am going on about my mama, when you've obviously been here for a while." his cheeks reddened. he was kind of pretty. "i'm sorry,"

he changed quick, jeongguk's once-permanent frown quickly changed into a look of gratitude for the purple kid. maybe someone giving a damn was all he needed. the verbal exchange was the first in weeks and jeongguk bit his lip in frustration that he was so hostile at first. A genuine, warm smile pulled at his features and was returned by the cute grape-head, his eyes forming tiny crescents.

he didn't feel so cold anymore.

"so, what are your parents like?" the grape-head asked, sitting down next to jeongguk. the gunk from the damp, mossy tiles was bound to stain the white jacket.

jeongguk's breath hitched before plainly stating "dead,"

"...i think i found him," both boys locked gazes in alert.

the voice wasn't theirs.

soon more voices, all male and aged, enclosed them on either side, inciting more fear and panic for the two.

the voices had bodies, suited in defensive clothing and armed with lethal weapons.

guns.

"take jeongguk. deal with the other." spat one of the vile men.

as gloved hands restrained him, jeongguk roared muffled screams as a figure pointed an assault rifle at the kid's head. he squeezed his eyes shut, too unstable to witness it.

he had seen enough.

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