The A.I

Chapter 11

The feeling of waking up is nothing like the previous morning. This time there are no light rays attempting to sneak past the heavy curtains, leaving the room dark and cold. There's no slow and comfortable ride to consciousness. The sensation is heavy and frustrating with screeching alarm sounds startling Taehyung awake. He opens his eyes wide, scrambling up only to double over, holding his head.

"Ow..." His head and entire body aches, as if he's incredibly hungover only, he didn't drink last night. His throat hurts, parched beyond belief. His eyes, stinging when open or closed, flood with a fresh wave of tears because it hurts. At this point he knows that physically he is sound, that it's just his brain manifesting his emotional pain into physical pain. But it feels like he's being punished for something. Maybe for all the drama he caused; pushing Chris away, dragging Jeongguk down, not being good enough. The mental list goes on and on, almost drowning out the screaming alarm, but soon it becomes too much.

The shrill noise continues, the decibels increasing until they're all that fill the space between his ears. Annoyance raises its head, uncoiling and slithering in his gut. It pulls frustration along for the ride, pulling and pushing against each other until a scream builds at the base of his throat. It's overwhelming and he just wants some damn room to think, hell, to breathe, but it just won't stop.

Sitting up, hunched over his knees, Taehyung slams his hands over his ears, squeezing his eyes closed, desperate to block the noise. His head pounds in time with each shrill sound, the pressure building each time until he thinks he'll explode. He pulls one hand away to fumble around beside him to the right: Under the pillow, bedsheets, night table. Unable to feel the offending device, he searches for his phone through watery eyes, still unable to locate it. With a frustrated cry he grabs his pillow and screams into it, brain overloaded with so many emotions that it hurts. He feels neurotic, on the verge of a mental breakdown and god, he just wants the sound to stop!

"Please, please, please!" He cries, barely feeling the cold hands roaming over his arms, his back.

"Tae...Tae...Taehyung!" The raspy and panicked voice suddenly fills the space.

"Turn it off!"

The horrendous sound stops but the buzz filling his ears continues irritating him. It's difficult to breathe but he's scared that the second he pulls out of the pillow for fresh air he'll scream. He hears his name being called out but it's terribly muffled and god, why is it so hot? His heart races as if he's been running hard.

Something solid forces its way between his clenched fingers, rescuing the pillow from his abuse. His muscles are stiff, but the hard touch moves his body so easily. His trapped hands are pushed backwards until they're locked behind his back. The sudden stretch hurts but then his chest hits a block of ice and air rushes into his starved lugs painfully. The cold seeps in everywhere: along his cheek, against his front, and around his hands. It chases the heat away and clears the buzzing from his head but soon, it becomes too much. There's no give against the freezing restraints. Just uncomfortable steel locking him in place as the cold seeps into his bonds, numbing his body and mind until his breathing slows down.

"I-it's so c-cold." His teeth chatter, body shivering and weak as the ice saps all the energy and strength out of him. He hears his name again, only this time it's like hearing it underwater. Soft and familiar, but slightly out of reach. But he can't focus on it and lets it get carried away by winter waves.