𝐌𝐀𝐃 ᵗᵃᵉᵍᵍᵘᵏ

xviii.

everything was spinning.

      taehyung's panting was heavy and loud, blinking quickly as he rubbed his hands over his sweating forehead, staggering down the dark streets, each step feeling like he was walking with shoes made of cinderblocks, fingers trembling as he held onto the knife. it felt cold in his hands, like he was holding onto a piece of jelly. he raised his burning eyes to jimin's house, staring at the dark windows, feeling like the house was vibrating. he gulped harshly, a mix of nausea and pain cycling through his system. he climbed the steps, slipping the knife in his pants, taking out his phone and opening his messages. he paused, dissociating as he stared at his phone.

      'what are you doing?' a voice in his head whispered. 'don't stop.'

      he texted jimin, asking him to open the front door. his limbs felt like they were trying to drag him into the ground, feeling like he was having a battle with gravity. it all felt so... dream-like. he looked at the door, touching it gently. taehyung exhaled slowly, trying to distinguish if the door was real or not. the wood was pulled away from his fingers, meeting eyes with jimin, his hair disheveled and dark bags under his eyes. "taehyung?" the male scratched his face, "what are you doing here?"

      "c-can i come in.." his voice came out hoarsely, "i don't feel good.."

      "s-sure.." jimin looked at him, eyebrows curving in slight confusion at his deathly appearance, "go upstairs, i'll bring you some water." he shuffled towards the kitchen, taehyung keeping his eyes on him before climbing the stairs, gripping tightly onto the railing to not topple over. he walked slowly to his room, feeling everything move in slow motion. it felt like he was in the matrix, or the inception, he couldn't tell anymore.

      he found himself on the bed. he touched the covers, breathing shallowly, the feeling of the fabric resembling silk. he blinked, trying to remember how he got here. his head was throbbing so much, spinning like somebody was scrambling his brain with a fork. he heard the door creaking, staring at jimin as he held a glass of water, nearing taehyung hesitantly. "are you okay? you're all hot and sweaty." he tried passing his friend the glass of water, both males letting go of the glass, letting it fall and smash on the ground, the sound of shattering glass reverberating through taehyung's ringing ears.

      he noticed jimin on the floor, beginning to pick up large shards of glass, grimacing slightly. taehyung breathed shakily, staring at his back. he could see jimin's spine through his shirt. he eyed the bones as they moved against the shirt, feeling his neck heat up. spines were such an important factor in the human body; they gave the human body structure, gave it support. it was funny to taehyung, how the spine was so crucial- so vital- yet was always so exposed. how it could snap like a twig in the forest.

      'what are you waiting for?' the voice spoke again, encouraging him. 'do it.'

      "i'm sorry, jimin." he mumbled, standing from the bed with clenched fists, "one day, i hope you'll forgive me."

      jimin's head turned around slowly, skin going pale as he noticed his best friend looming over him, watching as his foot was coming down. it wasn't until an agonizing pain shot through his back did he realize what was going on, his muscles achingly tensing, losing sensation in his limbs and landing face first on the ground, voice choking in his throat, the pain preventing him from even screaming.

      "t-taehyung.." he gasped softly, breath hitching from the oncoming sobs. he whimpered loudly as his body was picked up and turned over, all the air leaving his lungs from the pain of being on his back, like some sort of ragdoll. he shut his eyes tightly, body cramping when taehyung placed a foot on his sternum, pressing him into the ground.