Give & Take

Wronged Justice

The nights were always cold since he didn't have a proper place to rest. Sometimes he would sneak into barns and sleep with the animals, other times he would find a run down wreckage and make himself as comfortable as he could but tonight, he didn't have much luck finding for either. His feet were also freezing since they had nothing protecting them anymore and his stomach grumbled from the lack of food after his earlier puking too. He pulled the cape close to himself to try to give himself some form of warmth but the wind was merciless, blowing deep into his bones as he shivered. Afraid of entering the slums to ask for a place to rest since it didn't go so well the last time he tried, he opted to sleep within the forest instead. He walked off the path, reminded of the sound of the neck snapping and shut his eyes. It was fine, it was fine. Everyone meet their ends somehow. It was just a matter of when, where and how. But the more Dongho thought about it, the more he couldn't stop wondering if the man was even given a proper burial. He groaned as he found himself walking towards the cabin from earlier. Come on, Dongho. Even if you're probably going to throw up all over, at least the man's soul would have some form of peace.

The closer he inched towards the cabin, the more his stomach bunched up until it came into view. One good thing about his constant contact with nature was that his eyes adjusted quickly to the dark so even with only the moonlight to light his path, he could still find his way around. There were no more guards, only the sound of crickets filled the air as he made his way to the front door. He pushed the door, expecting it to be locked but it swung open instead. Surprised, he hesitated to enter since he would most likely be coming face to face with the contorted body. He calmed himself down and stepped in, feeling the wooden floorboards beneath his feet as it creaked with his every step. He entered deeper while keeping an eye out for the body. Maybe they did clear it out, he thought.

A squeak in the dark made him freeze up as he spied tiny beady red eyes staring at him. He gulped as he felt fear seize him. Rats! He eyed the door and wondered if he should leave instead. He didn't like rats. In fact, he was afraid of such small creatures but he was also afraid to make any sudden moves now. It scuttled towards the door and Dongho jumped, running inside to avoid the rat until his foot accidentally slid. He fell with a yelp and down he went onto something rather boney. He stiffened as he looked down, seeing the dead body and shut his eyes tightly, telling himself not to scream like a girl and attract more unwanted attention. He took a few deep breaths of musky air before pulling himself up again. Now that he was right beside it, he could see the broken neck much clearer and it made his stomach twist again, regretting his decision yet not wanting to back out now that he had made it this far. Dead things weren't exactly safe from his touch either so Dongho tried to bundle the man's body up without as much as touching it using cloth that he found inside the cabin. He tried not to look as well, knowing he would either start crying for the poor soul or throwing up at how grotesque his death was. Once bundled, he started pulling the other out from the cabin after making sure the rat was not standing charge there. He dragged the body into the forest. He didn't have anything proper to dig with so he used a broken branch to scrap at the soft soil. It would probably take him all night but he had all the time in the world anyways.

The sun was starting to rise and Baekho was exhausted. He sat down next to the little hole he had dug. This was going nowhere without any proper tools of course but he didn't want to give up. His arms were sore and his hands stung from how hard he had been holding the branch. He sighed and got up again, about to continue working on the hole when he heard shuffling behind him getting louder. He turned around in confusion. Rarely anyone would stray off the path, afraid to get lost in the forest. He contemplated hiding but the dead body beside him was yet to be buried. In the midst of his decision making, the shuffling had been given form. A group of men in guard uniforms on top of horses stormed in his way and Dongho gasped. He got up and was about to bolt but ended up being surrounded by the horsemen who had all drawn their swords. Dongho stepped back.