Playing The Dreams // a Dreamcatcher story

Chapter 6

❝ 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥. ❞

~

"Dami, pick it up!" SuA shouted. "That's our maknae! If he, or she, has her, we need to get Gahyeon back!"

"Yeah but how if it's a prank?" Yoohyeon questioned while holding Dami's shoulders. JiU began to move her hands towards the phone. "We're picking it up. If it is a prank, we still need to know where Gahyeon is at, and this person clearly knows she's missing."

"Alright unnie. You speak."

JiU grabbed it and pressed the green button. She put it on speaker mode, but no one spoke until the person did a few seconds after they picked it up.

"Wise choice to follow instructions," a robotic voice spoke up.

"We're not following any instructions! Now tell us what you know, where is Gahyeon?"

Then there was muffling from the other side. Minor banging and screaming, but it all sounded so struggled and unclear. Then a scream came out, "Unnie!?"

"That's.. G-Gahyeon-ah! Gahyeon, where are you?!"

Before she could even reply, it sounded as if her body was pulled backwards. She gave out a spine-shivering shriek. "G-Gahyeon!" Yoohyeon screamed while pouncing on the phone.

"Like I told you, she won't last. Do you want to see her?"

"You dumbass! Of course we do!"

"Then follow instructions. The only way you'll see her is through me. If you call the cops, manager, staff, or anybody to help you, she will be gone. Choose your choices wisely because any wrong step may cost her life." There was another scream of terror, Handong and Siyeon gasped with their hands covering their mouths. Dami then leaned in. "Then what do you want us to do huh?!"

"Gahyeon's phone access will be opened up for you. From then on, you will have a special contact. My contact. Instructions will follow in many forms. Decode, solve, do what you must to get a location. I must remind you to be cautious of everything because I am watching you. I will not harm you unless you violate the given instructions. So if you all are clever or wise enough, you would listen to my commands."

The call ended. Everyone's faces seemed to be now drained in color, mouths opened and eyes widened in not knowing what to do. "We're.. We're not going to believe this.. R-Right?"

"Are you joking?! That was Gahyeon!" Siyeon screamed at Yoohyeon. "H-How are you s-sure?" Yoohyeon stuttered while backing up with her hands shaking, fearing that the elder would pounce at her. "Yoohyeon, that was Gahyeon. You think I don't know what she sounds like?!"

"So we're just going to do what this creep says to us?" JiU asked.

"I mean I was just asking, how if Gahyeon's just---"

"Look, whatever you think about where she is, let's just all throw it in the trash. That was Gahyeon."

"But Siyeon, there are many videos of us as Dreamcatcher. How if they just took it from the---"

Dami then raised a hand and looked up with a bit of glimmer to her eyes. "No." She stood and grabbed the phone back from JiU's hands. "I don't think this is made up. I.. I believe Siyeon, this is Gahyeon. It's not some trick, this is her."

"But then if this is her, they mean it.. Right?" Handong stammered.

They all sighed. "I wish not but.. Yes."

Bzzt. Bzzt.

Siyeon took the phone, unexpectedly unlocking it. She gasped in shock but it did not last long once she opened the "special contact".

Unknown
"Ah I can't believe today's the last stage.."

"The heck does that mean?" Siyeon commented while squinting her eyes at the chat despite the brightness being bright enough to project it and the text being big enough. SuA grabbed the phone. "I can't believe today's the last stage," she quoted under her breathe. "Didn't Gahyeon say this to us?"

JiU shifted beside her. "I don't recall."

"No, SuA's right, she did!" Handong backed her up. Dami put her hand on her head and thought why could this have any relations to where Gahyeon was? It was just a moment, a moment to remind Gahyeon that is was the last broadcast. How? How could this relate? It was so unimportant, how did he even notice Gahyeon said this? Maybe he truly did have eyes around us, but who? When? Where...?

Dami snapped her fingers. "Where did Gahyeon say this?"

SuA's eyebrows raised. "The salon.. I think."

"Well he must've been there with us! Or at least some spies to inform him Gahyeon said that!" Dami said. JiU gulped and gritted her teeth. "T-The salon's not closed yet so me and SuA can just take the company car---"

"No!" Siyeon exclaimed. "If Dami's right, the company's not safe for you guys either. Just.. Just take the taxi."

"Siyeon's right. Please unnies, be safe," Yoohyeon pleaded.

JiU nodded her head and rubbed Yoohyeon's left shoulder. "We'll be safe, don't worry." She picked up Gahyeon's puone from Siyeon's hand. "We'll take the phone too." JiU left with that, leaving SuA to be baffled at JiU's head start to get ready. They rushed to change into something more proper and the minute they knew it, they were already at their doorstep, coated with their padded jackets and masks. "If we're not back by 8 pm..."

SuA looked at JiU before she could finish.

"We'll be back before 8 pm, promise," JiU corrected herself. The two unnies ran out the door.