Heat-Haze Daze

3

Endlessly, Jungkook would watch over the heated haze as Taehyung suffered, the image bright and warped from beneath the sun's bright rays.

Tae had been dying for the past five years, they were trapped in cycles but the end was never clear.

The labyrinth of clocks was painted red, each highlighted in a ruby splatter to reminisce an eternity of failures. Each clock played like a movie and every time, Taehyung got up to chase that damn cat.

Jungkook had tried everything he could think of. They'd leave the park, take a different route through the city, avoid busy areas, but the outcome was always the same. Whether it be due to open construction, broken car breaks, unsealed manholes, loose railing, there was always something waiting for them, and  Taehyung was always caught in the crossfire.

Every time the black cat would watch Jungkook's reaction before going to join the side of the enigmatic bystander in the puffy winter jacket.

But, a story is a story all the same, and this one, like any, has an ending so to say. One far away and out beyond that scorching summer day...

They sat on the swing set as they had many times before as the unforgiving heat haze continued to viciously roar. As always, Taehyung got up to chase the cat to recreate a horrid vision that was always coming back. The black cat scampered across the concrete path, fur shining the light of the sun as Taehyung stepped off the curb.

The clock strikes 12:30 and Jungkook leaps from the swing.

In a split second, his hand wrapped around the blonde's wrist and yanked him back, Taehyung tripped and fell onto the concrete with a resounding smack. Crashing in, the giant truck came, hitting Jungkook instead of Tae, an empty smile across his face before it went away. Blood splattered everywhere, landing right on Taehyung's shoes as the blonde's eyes widened and he let out a scream.

Even as his vision blurred, Jungkook could make out the look of dreadful shock crossing the bystander's features as the black cat sat at his feet, staring back at Jungkook as its tail whipped from right to left. He didn't hear him say that this wasn't a dream this time. He smirked weakly, meeting his eyes.

"Serves you right."

He wasn't even sure if his voice carried over sounds of Taehyung's screams. The man's plump lips quivered as tears pooled in his shocked eyes, running down his round, chubby cheeks.

Maybe this summer day has finally gone away, Jungkook thought to himself with a fading, bitter smile.

And for once, as his vision went black, the heat was rising.

↻

Taehyung awoke with a yawn, blonde hair askew atop his head. Picking up his phone, he checked the time.

August 15, just a bit after twelve.

He sighed, looking out of the window as the song of cicadas rang in his ears.

"Dammit, Jungkook. Looks like I've failed again."

Heat Haze Daze
[2]
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