SoulTies | MoonSun | Mamamoo

Chapter 4

On what Moonbyul thinks is the third day, Hyejin drops the pills in her mouth and she swallows them without fighting it. There's no point. Hyejin hasn't said anything to her today. Moonbyul waits for the pills to kick in, every fiber in her body alert to the change. It starts in her throat, the tingling sensation before it spreads. She doesn't know what the pills are but she suspects a painkiller and some sort of hallucinogen.

Her mind starts to go and she thinks she sees a dark haired man in the basement with them but he's just a shadow. He stands behind Hyejin and then he's gone. But it could just all be a hallucination. Nothing is real to her anymore.

Moonbyul imagines the crime scene.

She pictures James and Wheein tracing her to the big house that Hyejin had leased. Forensics, media, evidence markers and crime tape. She moves through the crime scene, directing the task force as if it was just another victim. "It's been too long already," moonbyul tells Wheein. "I'm dead."

They are all so desperate, grimly looking between each other. "Lighten up! It's all good. At least we know who the hell she is now. Right?" They stare at her blankly. Wheein cries. Wheein shoves the technician at the door trying to get through. "You have to see this, it's connected to the case," Moonbyul's spirit tells them, her voice full of anxiety. "It's not a coincidence."

"Moonbyul, look at me." Moonbyul hears Hyejin interrupt her thoughts. She's back in the basement again. Reality folds and Moonbyul doesn't want to give in to her but she doesn't really have a choice so she turns her head and gives Hyejin the attention. There's nothing in her face. No anger, no pleasure, no nothing.

"Are you scared?" Hyejin asks.

Moonbyul thinks she sees a flash of emotion in her eyes. She's pretty sure that it's sympathy but then it's gone. "Whatever you think this is going to be like Moonbyul," she whispers, "it's probably going to be worse."

-x-

Day three. No clues, nothing to go on and Moonbyul awoke from an unsatisfying sleep to find Wheein standing over her. The office light was on and Moonbyul was resting back in her office chair.

"You spent the night," Wheein said simply. Moonbyul blinked the sleep from her eyes before looking around her office.

"It's just after seven." Wheein stated before she placed a paper cup of coffee on the desk just in front of Moonbyul. Moonbyul's head throbbed, her teeth hurt and she rolled her neck to one side as it popped. Wheein was dressed smartly as always. She smelled of perfume. The smell filled the air, it made Moonbyul think of summer time.

Moonbyul picked up the coffee and took a small sip. It was strong just the way she liked it but she winced as it went down anyway. "You're here early," Moonbyul said as she looked up at her friend.

"We found a connection to the women, all of them went to the Bronx Academy Senior High School, not as teachers but as student's." Wheein said, watching Moonbyul quirking an eyebrow as she rubbed the grit out of her eyes. "So James wants to go back."

It made sense so Moonbyul nodded in Wheein's direction as she took another drink of the coffee. The caffeine spread a welcoming warmth through her body. There was nothing quite like the first coffee of the day.

"So what are we still doing here?" Moonbyul stated as she stood, her body groaned in protest, she'd been asleep in the same position for too long. She watched Wheein smile at her gently.

"I'll have Era bring you some clothes before she comes in for her shift."

- x -

"Why did they call you?" Moonbyul asked as Era stood in front of her, buttoning up Moonbyul's shirt slowly, she was one of the few people Moonbyul let touch her anymore. It just felt wrong but she could handle it with Era for some reason.