Dark Paradise - Chapter 3 - Carmen
If it hadn't had been for your insatiable hunger, you probably would've declined – you tell yourself. There's something just not right about him, he's of such a strong presence, yet his everlasting grin leaves nothing but a twist in thought. You curl your tongue for a moment, it wasn't Jasmine this time, but a grizzly earl grey, you always hated when it became Luke-warm, chambers of sand sticking to the roof of your mouth. You notice yours and Mark's plates were the same, a simple fried egg and toast, a croissant each covered in a tangy raspberry goo; Jungkook's is much different though. A simple lump of meat accompanied by a strand of sundried tomatoes; their sangria skin pruned due to a substantial amount of oven heat. He catches you looking, laughing animatedly. "My, I decided some protein would do me well for today." He drags the knife across the meat, throat clearing at its toughness. If it weren't for his overpowering visual, godlike features, you most definitely would've gagged at the way his eyes rolled back in pleasure of the taste, tongue tickling at his bottom lip as if to feather the flavour one last time.
Mark is visibly disgusted, his legs writhing beside yours. "What are you doing today?" His question is debatable poison, almost turning stale on the air before Jungkook snaps out of his wonderland, eyes hooded and intrigued. "It seems you've forgotten already." He moves his cutlery in a jaunty manner, brow puckering ever so slightly. "I'm going to set my skills to the test on that unfortunate accident you had, of course." You blast an awkward smile, nudging Mark's side as he sips his tea in displeasure. "Ah, buttercup, you told me about that last night, didn't you?" You can tell he's becoming presiding over you, his hand running down your shoulder protectively. "I did." You reassure him, turning back to Jungkook. His lips are quirking, contorting in the queasiest of fashions. "I'm sure she did." There's unforsaken tension shivering between your trio, his awkward accomplice to the side-track conversation you and Mark had been having making you recoil. It lingers for a moment, before he thumbs his bottom lip, licking the underside of his teeth. "Why don't you and I try our luck on it?" He chortles, arm reaching out to squeeze Mark's bicep rather briskly. "You seem to have quite a deal of strength."
Mark tuts, grinning at you. "She has twice the knowledge I do on fixing things." You nod in agreement, giggling at the time he had called you over to assemble the shelf he bought out of impulse at an ungodly hour of the morning. "Oh heavens!" Jungkook exclaims. "How blasphemous of I to ill-credit the power of you." His cheeks are distorting, eyes plucking towards the table as a layer of glass coats them. "I apologise." He seems caught up in something, a web of pestilential past. You struggle to kindle a smile on your lips, stopping an ill-mannered face from swerving your features. "It's fine." Your voices' finishing product sounds more of a whisper as you bite your inner cheek, going off the last corner of your toast as you feel the now ice-cold morsels on your tongue turn tasteless and bland. "So-" Jungkook raises a glance, left eye with an unforsaken twitch. "What do you say Mark?" The sound of your boyfriend's name on his throat is alien, he hides his scowl at the word itself as if it tastes rather unfavourable, his lips practically puking up the strength to hide his views. "I suppose I can come along." Mark is finished on the topic; you decide by his tone. "Lovely and you-" Jungkook gives you an uncomfortable feeling with the smirk playing on his mouth. "You can find something to amuse yourself here." He chuckles forcefully. Mark rolls his eyes, Jungkook doesn't notice it though.
You are rather delighted as breakfast is adjourned, stealing Mark away in a hurry, dragging your feet across the aged staircase. "Are you seriously going to leave me here?" You pout, crossing your legs as he plays with your hair, wafting it like a fan across his face. "The faster we fix those tires, the faster we can get away from this place." He shudders, scooping you up like vanilla ice-cream. "I really don't know..." Your gaze fits against the window pane, a slight rattle of water spraying at its designated design. "There's something off about him, Jungkook." You confirm, interlocking your hand with Mark's as he shuffles behind you, his other drawing out heart shapes on your dainty shoulder line. "If you're worried, I'll run away and marry him instead of you, I won't." Your chuckles are warm as they leave your frames simultaneously. "I see the way you look at him." You turn, your tone a jest as you shoot him a wink, watching him roll his eyes. "Very funny, buttercup." He notes your scent as you use his thigh as a pillow, the thing he craved most had always been you. You run your hands along the chest of his plain white T, pressing your facial silhouette against the familiar feeling. "Don't forget your coat." Your voice a reminder as you push his arms through, the action seemingly innocent – coming with ease.
"I love you." His voice is an emerald ocean, surrounding your thoughts with a cherub's arrow, flecking your heart. "I love you Mark." You stand atop your tip-toes, his hand twirling your frame as if it were a ballerina, waist drawn in like the waves you'd viewed with him as a child. Jungkook's attire is much different, head-to-toe in a midnight jumpsuit, you'd remembered the design vividly from your mothers' old job as an engineer. "I hope you don't mind; we have to carry these out to your car." He runs his tongue along his bottom lip, smirking. Mark shies his glance, "That's no problem." His words a dry haze, a loathsome look in his eye for none other than the peculiar man stood before the two of you. You run the tips of your fingers along the item of clothing Mark had lent you, feet swirling with the increasing droplets of rain. As soon as they are out of sight you feel enclosed, trapped. Your spine cracks normally as you stretch out your limbs, growing curious to the tangled phone cord behind Jungkook's desk. Despite knowing there's nobody else present, you feel suffocated, as if someone's got their eye on you, hunting you - secretively.
"Hello?" You're voice a tinted whisper, the apricot colour had long faded into a shaded lotion tone, the sound waves bare and concealed, ringing a haunted static. You hood it back upon the stand, ensuring the wires are still knotted the way that had been beforehand. It had been around an hour before the inquisitive kitten itching at your rib-cage couldn't hold back any longer, the underside of your fingers grazing the must layered leather, you wondered the detail of reviews, spirals of opinions on such a place. Your eyebrows twitch in confusion, a blur filling your peppering thoughts – it couldn't be. It seemed every person who had ever checked in, had never checked out again. This is odd, tugging at your sixth sense. Flags of vermilion waver, merging in your mind, a pit forming as if to be a black hole in your stomach. "Mark." You slam the book shut; eyes panicking for the word you had summoned. You told yourself, he is abnormal, anomalous, there was something ticking like a time bomb around your perception of him. Jungkook. You begin to wander, 'Who is he?' 'Is that even his real name?' Your questions remain unanswered as you contort at the movement of jagged metal through a keyhole, feet dragging yourself over back to where you had stood before just in time for the ordeal.
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Dark Paradise | Jungkook
Mystery / ThrillerA storm can stir more than just thunder, a deer can do more than stop your little getaway home. What happens when you and your high school sweetheart have to hike under the approaching night, set that you where in the middle of nowhere only to find...