The Demon's Residence •|• p. jm + k. th

8

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Hoseok asked as he, Jungkook, Jin, and an elderly priest walked up to the door of the building where Jimin had been taken hostage. "Shut up and open the door!" Jin yelled at him. "Jimin is our friend. He needs help. I don't care what that monster said, we're going to help him if it's the last thing we do."

The door loudly creaked open as the deep moonlight invaded the house. "Father, you're going to help our friend, right?" Jungkook asked, his eyes growing in size. "I'm going to do everything in my power to free him from this entity's grasp." The priest replied. The boys each gulped before entering the house. "You boys stay together. Protect each other. I'm going to bless the house starting from upstairs." The priest said, walking up the stairs and out of sight.

"Hoseok you better not be fucking with us." Jin said suddenly. "Why the hell would I do that?" Hoseok asks defensively. Jin sighs. "I'm sorry. I'm just worried like you guys. Do you think we should help look for Jimin?"

"No, Father Kim told us to stay together." Jungkook says quickly. "We can look if we're all together." Hoseok said before leading the way around the lower level of the building. "Jimin?" Jin calls out, earning a slap from Hoseok. "Are you insane? He'll here you! Shut up!"

______________________

Jimin trembled in his spot. He wanted to run and run and run. His friends were just outside of the door. Should I run? Should I yell for them? What do I do? Several thoughts ran through Jimin's mind before he heard the faint
sound of footsteps near his door. His eyes widened. Could this be his salvation? His end to this nightmare? "Jimin?" Jungkook whispered faintly from outside of the door. Open the door, Jungkook. Please open the door. The handle moved slightly and Jimin could feel his heart beat out of his chest. He was saved. He could leave. He would finally be free.

"Boys?" Jimin heard a different voice call out from elsewhere in the building. "Father Kim?" Jungkook said softly. Then, Jimin heard the sound of footsteps departing from outside of his room. No. No, no, no! Come back! Jungkook!

___________________

"Father Kim?" The boys all rushed over to the priest as he walked down the stairs. "I've blessed the upper level of the house. You're friend isn't there. He has to be down here somewhere." The man stated. "We've searched everywhere. We can't find him." Jin states. "Maybe he escaped?" Jungkook asks shyly. "I suppose it's a possibility. Perhaps we can-"
The father's suggestion was cut off by the creaking of the floorboards opposite of where they were standing. The boys' heads all shoot over to that spot.

"Boys, get behind me." The priest says softly, ushering them behind him. The boys all stare into the direction of the eerie sounds. There were constant creaks and snaps from that direction, which only caused the fear in their eyes to grow. "What is it..?" asked Jungkook, fear filling his quavering voice.

They all stand for a moment, watching the dark corners of the downtrodden house. They were completely stationary; not a single one moved. Their ears were fixed on these noises like a deer's eyes focused on headlights.

A few creaks sounded once more before the sounds stopped completely. The boys look first at each other, then back to the dark corners. "Is it gone?" inquired Jin.

"Oh, I'm far from gone."

Each of them could feel their heart stop as a tall, slender figure entered from the shadows. His eyes scanned over each of them, stopping at Hoseok. Their eyes locked, and Hoseok knew that this was going to have a bad ending.

"I told you to stay away, boy. Yet here you are." It spoke darkly. "Father?" Hoseok said, turning to the man who was as in shock as the rest of them. The Father quickly glanced over to Hoseok, nodding his head. He was quick to open what appeared to be a Bible and began reading verses from it.

This figure, however, seemed unfazed. He slowly made his way to the group of boys and grabbed the book, causing the Father to stop mid-statement. The figure leaned closer to the Father, growling lowly. "We don't speak those kinds of words in my house." The figure stated, crushing the book in his hands and turning it to ash.

Father Kim's eyes widened as his heart raced. "Oh, don't look so frightened, Father." The figure stayed maliciously. "Isn't this what you wanted?" A devilish smirk creeped its way into the figure's face. "To be helpful? To shed light onto evil? Wasn't that your goal?" The figure asked teasingly. Father Kim, as well as the rest of the boys, remained silent. He hung his head in shame and terror. "No answer, hm?" The figure asked. "Well then," he began, "I think I should teach you on how to use..." The figure's hands clutch onto Father Kim's shoulders and yank him up off of the ground, pulling him closer to the figure's face. "...your manners."

With the force of an angry animal, the figure launches Father Kim across the room, and into an old wooden cupboard, leaving him to lay in pain. He turns to the three other boys, grouped together and terrified. "Who's next?" he asks intimidatingly.

Jin stands in front of the other two boys. "Guys, stay behind me." he says shakily. The figure chuckles at his sudden burst of confidence. "Oh? Are you going to protect them?" He says, chuckling once more. He begins to approach the eldest boy. "And what makes you think you can do that?" He stops, only inches from Jin's face.

"You couldn't even protect Jimin."