Alligator Eyes

Chapter 15

The night of the festival starts as the sun sets, beginning at the temple and going down to the city center. Mark leads the dance with his sister, Eri. It begins at the top of the temple steps and travels down, gathering people as it goes. Mark sees Jinyoung and Jackson talking at the bottom of the stairs when he reaches them. They stop their conversation to watch him but he doesn't stop dancing, giving a small wave as he goes, the singing growing around them.

In just the two days they were able to set up the square and ready the feast. Mark was so busy helping repair surrounding buildings that he saw hardly anything of Jinyoung. He thought for a while that they had left but he was happy to see that they had stayed and found out that they were helping fix up the hospital, and cleaning the royal chambers under the temple.

He dances all the way to the city center leading the festival. A bonfire has been lit and Mark and Eri take the dance around it, finishing the steps with six other pairs of dancers. They spin around the fire as the drums get faster until the drums suddenly stop and they link hands, bowing to the fire. It's a simple summer dance that Mark has done a thousand times, but he feels self conscious, seeing Jinyoung in the crowd.

They move away from the fire as a new song begins and new dancers come out. Normally Mark would join in on this one too. Normally he would dance all evening but he thinks he should see Jinyoung, be with the others since they will leave in the morning. Jackson has gone off somewhere, but Jinyoung is still there staring at him as he walks over.

"You're a great dancer" Jinyoung says, just loud enough to be heard over the drums. "I've never seen anything like that"

"Thank you, I practice a lot" Mark stands beside him, stoically. Wera waddles over and brings him a jug of water to drink from before waddling away to wherever he was. "Where did everyone go?"

Jinyoung shrugs. "Jackson and Jaebum went off somewhere, and I haven't seen Youngjae since the party started, but Yugyeom and BamBam are over there" He points towards a circle of people playing a card game, Mark can only guess how well it's going. It's an odd sight from over here.

"I wonder where Youngjae went off to"

"Well I wonder what Jackson and Jaebum are up to. One minute I'm having a great time, Jackson explaining the words to that song and the next Jaebum is pulling him off into the night" By Jinyoung's tone and the fact that he is smiling, Mark can guess that Jinyoung has a pretty good idea of where they are and what they might be doing.

Mark doesn't say anything. He can't find it in it him to say anything. He just keeps telling himself that they'll all leave tomorrow and everything will finally go back to normal. They can begin rebuilding properly, and scoping out the surrounding jungle. Mark hopes that Uteh will allow him to go. Speaking of, he hasn't seen his brother since the festival started either.

He looks around the fire, focusing intently on the faces. Usually he can pick out his brother from height alone but tonight, the shadows are adding inches to everybody. Without speaking he walks around to the other side, looking on his way. He finds Wan in the card game, their mother standing over him, a funny smile on her face. His father is drinking by the fire, chanting loudly to the drums.

They spot Youngjae sitting on a stool with several people around him touching his hair, asking him about the blonde color. He doesn't respond, probably not understanding, and it seems no one around him speaks Chetka but he doesn't look alarmed, just amused so they leave him there. Eri and Pom are with Wera, dancing outside of the circle by the fire.

"Hey, where is Uteh?" He asks them, spinning in a circle with them when they take his hands.

"I haven't seen him" Eri answers, dropping Mark's hands to pick up Wera.