My Heart in the Maple Tree (Taegi Fan Fiction Edition)

Ten

I scream at the top of my lungs, as my stomach does flips and my hair whips around my face.

I can't see a thing.

It's pitch black. I hold onto Taehyung for dear life as we fall deeper and deeper into the hole.

"It's okay. We're almost there." I start to panic.

We're going to the Underworld. A place that is seen to be evil and the scariest place for any living thing. What if I don't survive down there?

"Tae, please promise me something," I say, trying to stay calm.

"Anything." I take a deep breath.

"Don't ever leave me alone down there. I'm scared." I confess, as I feel myself trembling.

He suddenly hugs me tight against his body, kissing the top of my head with his cold familiar lips. Even if he's the bad guy here in this situation, I will always somewhat feel a little bit safe with him. Though of course I'd think that. He used to be my childhood friend.

"I promise." The only problem is, I don't know if I can trust him.

Suddenly my feet hit the ground, and I'm standing. Still holding onto Taehyung, I look around at the area. I don't know how to react. It's like we're in the same place, that we just left. Except there's something really different about it. It looks like death. Everything is somewhat grey, or losing it's colour.

We're standing in the same street, except that it's filled with cracks. There's roots coming out from the ground in the neighbours front door. My grandparent's house is completely destroyed, but still kind of standing. It looks like it was crushed. Branches are going through the windows. Broken glass is spread all over the ground. I didn't notice that I was holding onto Taehyung so tight that I was shacking.

"It's okay, nothing's going to happen to you." I'm so scared. I don't believe him. How can nothing happen to me here? Everything is destroyed and broken.

Taehyung looks down at me and lifts up my chin, so I can look up at him. His hair covering his dark eyes. They're staring into my eyes, showing me reassurance. He takes away his hand from under my chin and places it on my shoulder.

"I won't let anything happen to you." He puts his forehead against mine, as my heart pounds out of my chest. "Don't forget I'm the one who sacrificed my wings for you."

"You never told me why." I tell him as he looks down at his feet.

"Of course I have. Just not directly." He kisses my forehead and pulls away, slipping his hand in mine. I numbly let him, as I look at the church. Taehyung stares at it and squeezes my hand.

We're going in there!?

As I thought, we start making our way towards the grey, almost black building. Not like how it looks like back home. The windows are all shattered. There's a big huge hole in the middle of it, where I can see these creatures standing inside.

They're all staring at us.

"We're going in there?" I whisper to him, as we get closer to the hole.

"Yes. We are."

I don't want to go in there! Is he crazy!? I'm not prepared for this! I don't want to die!

"Before we enter, I must tell you something," he stops, as he stands in front of me. "I know you don't like me right now, but can you pretend you're happy and not scared? Because they'll try to get under your skin, literally." My eyes widen.