RIPPLE | P.JM

13

SEVEN

"Jimin?"

When I wake up, it's nearing seven. First I think it's the morning, but then my eyes widen in absolute shock when I see the darkening skies outside the window.

I slept through the day?!

Instantly I slide off the bed, dragging my hand through my messy hair. The door's closed, and everything's quiet.
It's so quiet— had the others already left for the North?

I couldn't believe I'd slept for so long.

A terrifying feeling starts to grow in the bottom of my chest when I open the doors to Taehyung and Jungkook's room, finding them both empty. All of them are empty, and everything's so silent.

Am I alone? Had they left me behind?

Even the living room is empty. I stand motionlessly in the center of it, feeling like someone had just hit me straight in the stomach.

Of course.

They'd never planned to take me in the beginning—

"What's wrong with you?"

My eyes go wide at the voice, spinning on my heel to see Jimin come out of the kitchen with a glass of water. He looks up at the clock, and licks his lips.

"Good, at least you're finally awake." He mutters, taking a sip. "You sleep like a damn turtle—"

Then he stumbles back when I crash into him, arms wrapping around his waist. Harsh, relieved breaths thud through my chest, and only then I realize just how terrified I'd been.

I'd really believed I'd been abandoned.

"I knew it. There's something wrong." He says, putting down the water as he pushes me away. His silver eyes flicker across my face, and narrows. "Or are you just messing with me again?"

"Yeah." I say, lying very convincingly. He sighs, turning away after searching my face for a few more seconds.

"We're leaving soon. Get ready."

"How's your arm?" I ask, frowning when he doesn't answer. "Jimin? This is really important, you know."

"It feels fine." He mumbles, and I nod in satisfaction as he shakes his head, pulling a jacket over his shoulders. "Alright, let's go."

"What? I thought we had a bit of time?"

"What part of get ready do you not understand?" He asks, and I just stare at him in shock as he points at an oversized, warm-looking jacket on the arm of the couch. "Just put that on and let's get going. It's nearly seven."

"You know you're such an idiot." I mumble under my breath as I tug it on, quickly running upstairs to slip a knife into my clothes. "Where are you going now? I thought we were leaving?"

"Let me get something." He calls, disappearing into the kitchen. I shrug, before smiling devilishly and yelling at the top of my voice.

"Then I'm going ahead of you!"

Smiling grimly, I pull open the front door when the wind suddenly breaks to my right. My still sleepy mind can't register what's just happened as I look at the doorway inches next to me and see a knife embedded into the wall.

A.....knife?

Then someone pulls on the back of my shirt, and I yelp as Jimin tugs me back into the house. He kicks the door shut, an alarmed look on his face when several more thuds sound from the opposite side.