Vampire's Bride

Chapter Eighteen

I sighed, scrolling through the TV channels as I tried to think of something to do. Everyone else had left to go to school, and like every other day, I remained at home.

They would be back in a little under thirty minutes at most, so I had some time to kill. However, things seemed to go slower when I was waiting for something.

My stomach rumbled. I sighed again and put down the remote. Jin probably had something prepared for dinner and would be upset if I ate so soon, but it was an emergency. Into the kitchen I went, set on the leftovers in the fridge.

I stopped when I was halfway there, narrowing my eyes.

Everything smelled sweet, and unnervingly so. Sugary, rosy, almost honey-like. I sniffed, and looked around for the source. What's going on?

I shook my head. It was just my mind playing tricks on me, and even if it somehow wasn't that, I doubted that it was dangerous. With new determination, I walked over to the fridge and looked through the contents.

The scent continued to invade my senses, completely turning off my desire to eat.

"Okay, screw this," I decided, closed the door and looked around. I hadn't been in the kitchen since the previous day, and it was possible that Jin had left something in a slow cooker.

But like the last time I checked -less than a minute ago- there were no pots or pans out, and the scent hadn't been stronger in the fridge. Where could it be coming from?

Maybe there was a gas leak?

I walked over to the wall, and the scent grew even stronger. "Really frickin weird," I mumbled, and let my hand travel up the tiles.

My fingers brushed by one, and it lit up like a Christmas tree. Bright light stretched down and to the side, outlining a rectangle. Purely by instinct, I pulled my hand away. The glow vanished.

After a minute of calming myself, I touched the tile. This time, I pushed, laying all my weight on the rectangle. Cracks appeared slowly, and the thick door swung inward to revealing the dark entrance to what had to be a basement.

The scent grew nauseating, and I nearly gagged. It smelled like sirup and musty air - probably the worst combination in the world.

The others would return soon, meaning that my time was limited. Not once during my stay had I heard of a secret basement, so whatever was down there was secret even from me. I don't want to be kept in the dark, I thought, narrowing my eyes with determination.

Each step was cold, the steps made of pure stone. I didn't want to touch the railing, so I kept to the wall, trying to find my way in the dark. The scent tore at the inside of my nose and throat despite my attempts at keeping it out.

"Hello?" I asked, voice muffled slightly. In the dim light of the first floor, the silhouette of a light switch was barely visible. I flipped it on, electric humming all around me.

No. No.

There was a body on the ground.

A corpse.

It was lying on its side, curled up and noticeably stiff. There was a green-yellowish liquid all around it, and the skin that was visible was completely red-

Dad.

My eyes widened, my mouth opened, but then my muscles went slack. Please. God, no.

I sat down on the steps after a few minutes, covering my mouth. Everything was blank; my heart, my head, my vision - but still, I was screaming. My entire body was screaming.

Several minutes later, the front door opened. "We're home!" Jin announced cheerfully, and the sound of them filled the house.

The feeling in my stomach was indescribable. I just stared at my dad's back. His red and blue shirt. His favorite denim jeans. The socks with Winnie the Pooh on them he'd gotten from me when I was seven years old.

Dad.

Dad.

You...

I stood up.

I walked up the stairs.

I shut the door behind me.

I walked into the living room.

"Hey, Y/N!" Hoseok smile faltered when he saw my expression. I stared at him like I was seeing him for the first time.

Namjoon came in next, and he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw my face. I wasn't even sure what emotion I was portraying. I wasn't sure what I was feeling or what I was thinking.

I think I lost a little bit of my soul today.

I swallowed. I wanted to speak, but I couldn't think of anything to say. My knees were weak, threatening to give in under me. I wanted to curl up and cry, and at the same time, I wanted to...

It could not be described. It should not be described.

The rest of them entered the living room. It was so quiet one could hear a drop of water hit the ground.

My hands were shaking. My entire body was too, probably. I stared at them, at their faces. They knew that I knew. They knew that I'd seen dad.

And, based off their reactions, they hadn't even imagined I would figure it out. Had they ever thought about telling me? Were they going to lie about dad forever?

Cowards. Fucking cowards.

It all hit me at once.

I was not even twenty years old, and I was an orphan. I had seen both of my parents' bodies, and both times, I'd been completely unable to prevent their deaths.

I had been lied to. I had been so tricked into believing that dad had been kidnapped, when in actuality, he'd been rotting away beneath my feet for days. Had he been dead all along? Had there been no chance of saying goodbye?

Jungkook stepped toward me. I looked at him. "P-please," I stuttered, my voice threatening to break off completely. He stopped, but I could tell how much he wanted to keep walking.

"This... He... It's a mistake, right? You didn't..." I covered my mouth. "Please tell me that I'm wrong. Please, tell me I've misunderstood."

I didn't know what I would do if they admitted it.

If these people that I had believed to be my friends were really my father's murderers, I had no idea how I would react. I didn't even want to know.

"Just, please..." I was heaving for air, tears pricking my eyes. The emotional reaction had set in, and I doubted there was much I could do to stop it. "This isn't true. This is a dream. This can't be happening."

I had never seen Yoongi cry, but there was a first time for everything. His eyes were filling with tears, but he didn't look away. It's the second time he's killed and lied about it. "I'm so fucking sorry, Y/N."

It's true.

My anger blazed, and tore through my body like a knife. Pure lightning surged along my veins, ripping my bones and nerves to shreds. It happened too quickly for me to stop it, but I didn't want to stop. I felt it come, and I let it. It was a destructive light; concentrated rage with one purpose; to kill and destroy.

I heard the smashing roar before I saw it.

The final thing I saw was Jungkook's face; eyes wide and guilty. Just like how I didn't stop myself from becoming a human thundercloud, Jungkook didn't try to get away. Or maybe he didn't even register that it was happening before the light shot from my body, ripping the world apart.

And I disappeared with it.

Oh HOLY SHIT WHAT DID I JUST WRITE.

Okay, I'm sorry, but I promise I'll make up for this short chapter with the next one.

Also, MAP OF THE SOUL: 7 IN LIKE A FEW DAYS

yours truly,
bodacious baekon <3