The Hostages

“Will you stop pacing?” Chanyeol asked. “You’re freaking me out.”

“We should be freaked out!” Mark snapped. “If he’s willing to do that to Jeno, what’s he willing to do to the rest of us?”

“That’s an extremely unhelpful line of thinking,” Taeyeon commented.

“Is the pain bad, Jeno?” Wendy asked him. Jeno shook his head bravely. “Not anymore. I’m just a little sore now.”

“Mark, I know you’re upset, but we need to keep our minds clear,” D.O said. “We have to watch for an opportunity to escape.”

“Escape to where?” Mark demanded. “We’re locked in a cave in the side of a mountain!”

“Mark, lower your voice!” Wendy said, alarmed.

There were footsteps and Mark drew back from the door, his chest heaving. The guard arrived with trays of food in each hand. He set them down, opened the door and slid the trays into the cell before locking the door again.

“Finally!” Taemin said, grabbing a sandwich.

“I was beginning to think he was starving us,” Amber said through a mouthful of food.

“Aren’t you going to eat, Taeyeon?” Jeno asked. Taeyeon shook her head. “Maybe later. My stomach’s in knots.”

D.O opened a bag of chips and shoveled them in as fast as he could. “I think these are the best chips I’ve ever eaten,” he said, shaking the bag into his mouth.

Jeno tried to open his own bag, but his fingers were too swollen to grasp it. Mark took it and opened it in one motion. “Thanks,” Jeno said, carefully pulling out a chip.


******


Kai stared at the wall, the blood rushing to his head as he hung upside down off the couch. A pair of legs came into view, followed by a concerned face.

“Go away, Chen,” he mumbled. Chen sat down beside him. “You've been pretty quiet since we got here,” he said tentatively. “Do you wanna talk about it or-”

“No,” Kai said flatly.

“Some of us are going to watch a drama in the conference room,” Chen tried again. “There's popcorn.”

“I don't want to watch anything,” Kai said, turning away from him. Chen sighed and went back to the conference room.

“Did you talk to him?” Sehun asked.

“He wasn't feeling very chatty,” Chen replied, closing the door behind him.

“What was he doing?” Luna asked, stacking some pillows against the wall. They had moved the tables over to one side and made a pallet on the floor, creating a makeshift movie room.

“Staring at the wall,” Chen replied, sitting between Renjun and Joy. Luna rolled her eyes. “Boys are such idiots,” she said, getting up quickly. “What did I do?” Chen asked.

Luna ran down the hallway and knocked on the door gently. “Kai? It's Luna. I'm coming in,” she said, opening the door. She saw Kai laying on the couch, sobbing quietly. “Oh Kai,” she whispered, kneeling in front of him. She put a hand on his back and laid her head on his arm, rubbing his back as he cried.


******


“Why hasn't anyone come to get us?” Taeyeon wondered. “Isn't it time for one of his little games?”

“I don't like it,” Mark said decidedly. “This is different, and different is bad.”

“Maybe he doesn't feel like playing,” Wendy suggested.

“Or he's planning something else,” Amber said grimly. Taemin started pacing the cell. “SM could be negotiating with him right now,” he mused. “Maybe he's too busy to mess around with us.”

“I hope so,” Jeno said fervently.

Taemin stumbled suddenly and caught himself on the wall. “Taemin?” D.O asked, getting up. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I just… got dizzy,” Taemin mumbled. He shook his head slowly, like he was trying to get rid of a fly. “I feel weird.”

“Sit down,” Chanyeol suggested, putting a hand on his arm. Taemin yanked his arm back. “Don't touch me!” he hissed. Chanyeol released him immediately. “Okay, okay,” he said, taking a step back. “No need to get defensive.”

“Just leave him alone, Chanyeol!” Amber snapped. Taeyeon raised her eyebrows. “That was a little unnecessary,” she commented. “Are you alright? You're sweating,” she said, putting a hand to Amber's head. “Do you feel sick?”

“I feel like getting out of here!” Amber yelled, throwing a cup at the bars. Taeyeon fell backwards, alarmed.

“Amber, calm down,” D.O said, approaching her cautiously. “Take a deep breath.”

“Stop lying to yourself! We're going to die here!” Amber snarled.

“Will you shut up!” Jeno yelled, getting up. “You're not the only one who's scared!”

Amber shoved Jeno and he fell to the floor. Mark grabbed her shirt and slammed her against the wall. “If you touch him again-”

“Mark!” D.O cried. He dragged Mark off of Amber. “What are you doing?”

“I'm not scared of him!” Amber hissed.

Taemin threw up in the corner, bracing himself against the wall. Chanyeol tried to go to him, only to collapse on the floor. “My legs… my legs won’t…” he stammered, trying and failing to get back up.

“What’s going on?” Wendy asked fearfully. “I… I can’t see!” Taeyeon went and sat beside her, putting a comforting arm around her. Wendy lurched forward and vomited, her body spasming painfully. Taeyeon looked at D.O, fear flashing across her face. “What’s wrong with them?” she whispered.

“Jeno!” Mark cried out. Jeno lay on the floor, shaking violently. Mark tried to help him, but his arms wouldn’t obey. “Why can’t I move my arms?” he demanded. “Why can’t I-” he trailed off, slowly sinking to the floor. “Why...why…” his eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped against the wall. D.O shook him hard. “Mark, talk to me. Mark!”

“Is he dead?” Taeyeon whispered. D.O put a finger to his neck. “No, he’s in some sort of daze. I can’t rouse him.” He went to Jeno, still thrashing on the floor. “Jeno? Can you hear me?” he murmured, putting a hand on either side of Jeno’s face. Jeno muttered something and D.O bent down to hear. “What? What’s he saying?” Taeyeon asked, coming over to them.

D.O straightened up. “He called me ‘dad’,” he whispered. “He’s hallucinating.” The two of them got up and looked around the cell. Taemin was sitting against the wall while Amber paced frantically, tearing at her hair and muttering under her breath. Wendy was in a stupor too, her breathing labored and shallow.

“Why aren’t we sick?” D.O wondered, staring helplessly at his friends. Taeyeon grabbed his arm. “The sandwiches! Neither of us ate any!” They looked over at the nearly empty tray and D.O knew she was right. “That sadistic…” he didn’t finish. “He poisoned them!”

“Do you think it’s fatal?” Taeyeon asked, watching Taemin’s eyelids droop. D.O shook his head. “That wouldn’t serve his purpose,” he replied.

“We don’t even know what that is, D.O!” Taeyeon snapped. “Maybe the next picture he takes is of their dead bodies!”

“Taeyeon!” D.O said sharply. They heard crying and they looked up immediately. “Chanyeol?” D.O asked softly, picking his way around the others. He knelt down by his friend and put a hand on his shoulder. Chanyeol leaned into him, crying pitifully. “Don’t let them get me,” he sobbed. “Don’t let them get me.”

“Who? Who’s trying to get you?” D.O whispered.

“Don’t let them get me!” Chanyeol repeated with increasing alarm. Taeyeon knelt beside them. “I don’t think he can hear you, D.O,” she said softly. D.O pulled him close and cried silently as Chanyeol begged and wept and clutched at him like a child.

All through the night D.O and Taeyeon cared for their friends as best they could. All of them were tormented by delusions, trapped in waking nightmares they couldn’t escape. The pleading and wailing echoed off the walls and multiplied, creating a cacophony of tortured voices. Taeyeon looked up at D.O as Taemin sobbed into her shirt, but no words came. D.O looked up at the window and prayed for morning to come.

Notes