𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀; nct dream

twenty

Chapter 20: Beyond What He Saw

Donghyuck sucked in a deep breath, his heart painfully against his chest in an unpleased manner. The fluttering he would feel around Mark was a comforting sensation, one that told him he was still human despite how he was treated, but this? This was agonising, and he didn't know how to stop it.

His words became caught in his throat as he pointed wearily into the darkness, his eyes widening immediately as he saw the figure of a 'man' crawl from the shadowed area.

His scream broke through the air, his eyes screwed shut in utter disgust as he felt a cold - ice cold - hand squeeze his shoulder in a menacing way.

His heart, which had already caused him enough pain, thumped even harder. He couldn't cope with this, he couldn't do.

The young boy squirmed under the scrutinising stare he was receiving from 'the man'.

"Stop!" He screeched, his hands raising to cover his ears from the quiet but seemingly amplified whispers that fell from the other's mouth. The words that were spoken were incoherent, but terrifying all the same.

Donghyuck could feel the hot breath fan against his ear in a less-than-comfortable way. His squirming increased, and his breathing became ragged and unmanagable.

The nurses had locked him in his room, claiming that he needed to face his fears in order to get over them, so all Donghyuck could imagine was them listening to his broken sobs while sipping a mug of tea. Unbothered. That's how they all acted. How could they be so nonchalant while working in a house full of kids who had issues?

He felt utterly broken in that moment as he stood up and stepped away from the figure.

He was numb, his heart rate having slowed, his breathing calmed, and his mind blank in a sudden turn of events.

He trailed towards the window, standing on his tippy-toes to see beyond the barred windows.

He was willing to jump. It would end this hell, wouldn't it? It would stop 'the man', and it would make him happy.

That was all he wanted, to be happy.

His upsetting thoughts were interrupted by the cracked voice of Mark who ran towards him.

"I was so worried about you. You scared the living day out of me!" Mark mumbled brokenly while back-hugging the numb boy.

Donghyuck shrugged the older's touch off and turned on his heel to see that his shambolic bed, where he once sat, and where the man once stood, was completely bare.

There were no signs of life other than his and his boyfriend's.

"Where did he go?"

He voice was weak and almost incoherent, but due to the blanket of silence that lay thickly over the couple, Mark heard it.

"He's gone, Hyuckie. Your safe now."

Was he though? Was he ever going to be safe in here?

For all he knew, it was the breeding ground for all of his hallucinations and plaguing nightmares.

"I want to leave," he hissed aggressively while turning back to Mark. "I want to get out of here, and I don't care what it takes!"