haunted // nct.dream [1]

{9}

      I heard a whimper from behind me as Mi-Cha sucked in a breath. "We're gonna die, we're gonna die," she whispered, wrapping her arms around her head.

      "We're not gonna die!" Jueun yelled. She let out a shaky breath. This was the first time I've ever seen Jueun actually look this scared. "Can't we open any windows?"

      "The... the fall would hurt since this house is build a couple feet above the ground, and that doesn't include the windows being higher than the floor," I explained. "If they can even open. I think that locks are broken."

      Johnny cursed under his breath. "The front door?"

      I shook my head. "Remember? The handle is broken. We sealed the door so it wouldn't open at any gust of wind."

      "Can we please just go try the windows?" Mi-Cha asked, harshly.

      Jaemin ran out of the room. We all glanced at each other before following him to try and open the windows.

      Jaemin picked the closest window while a couple others picked the free windows in this room.

      "Locked," Mark and Jeno confirmed about their windows. Jaemin tried messing with the lock. He gritted his teeth, using everything he had to unlock it. When that didn't work, he tried lifting it up anyways.

      "Jaemin, there's other windows," Jisung told him. "That one's locked."

      Jaemin back off of it, deafed. We started to turn when we heard a huge bang. I gasped, whipping back to see Jaemin hugging his own fist. He winced and stumbled back.

      "What did you just do?" Mi-Cha asked. "Did you punch the window?"

      Jaemin sucked in air through clenched teeth. He nodded while flapping his hand to try and make the pain go away.

      "You're not going to get though these windows," I told him. "They're too strong."

      "Why did you do that?" Mi-Cha asked.

      "I'm just frustrated," Jaemin admitted. "We're all scared and something is out to get us. I just want us to get out of here."

      "Come on, let's go check out the other rooms with windows." Renjun pat Jaemin on the back, coaxing him forward. Mi-Cha watched Jaemin with concern.

      Next was the office. Two windows; both locked. No matter what room we went into, the windows were locked and the locks were broken, or the windows were sealed shut.

      Mi-Cha backed into the corner of the room, trying to catch her breath. I placed a hand on her shoulder.

      "I hate this so much," she whispered. Mi-Cha directed her eyes to mine, shaking her head.

      "There's nothing we can do!" Johnny roared, swinging off his backpack. He fell to the floor, hanging his head low.

      "Hyunji," the small voice of Jisung started. I turned to face my little brother. He was staring towards the window, rubbing the side of his arm. His mouth was in a pout and his eyebrows were pushing together. "I'm scared."

      I pulled Jisung into a hug, squeezing his shoulders. "Me too, bud. Me too."

      "Tell me we'll be okay."

      "We'll..." I paused. But will we be okay? I asked myself mentally. Jisung always tried to act like a tough guy. Seeing him actually admit to being scared made my worry heighten. I have to be the strong one now. "We'll be okay, Ji."

      "What are we supposed to do now?" Jueun asked us. "We can't get out."

      Chenle suddenly gasp, ripping his phone out of his pocket. "I'm calling someone."

      "Chenle," Jueun began, grabbing Chenle's wrists. "You're a genius." She dropped his arms. "How in the world did that not cross my mind?"

      Chenle smiled sheepishly, typing in some number. He put it on speaker, and we all crowded around the phone to wait for an answer. The phone rang once, then the line was cut off.

      We all looked up in confusion.

      "Try again?" Haechan suggested.

      A few others pulled out their phones as well. Maybe someone can get through.

      "It's not working," Renjun spoke up. "It keeps cutting out after one ring."

      "OhmyGod," Mi-Cha said, so quickly I almost thought it was gibberish. "Tell me you hear that! TELL ME YOU HEAR THAT!"

      Mi-Cha brought her hands up to her head, burying her fingers under her long hair. She backed off, throwing looks in all directions. She gasped for air, looking like she could go off any second.

      "What are you talking about? What are you hearing?" I asked. I felt like I could start hyperventilating any second as well. "Mi-Cha, what do you hear?"

      She squeezed her eyes shut and cupped her hands over her ears. "SHUT UP!"

      Jaemin rushed over to Mi-Cha, who was starting to slide down the wall. Tears were streaming down her face and she started to sob. Jaemin pulled her back up onto her feet and held onto her shoulders.

      "Mi-Cha," Jaemin started, making his voice as soothing as possible. "You need to tell me what you're hearing."

      She opened her eyes, her hands still cupping her ears. She slowly removed them, trembling so bad I could see her shaking from where I stood.

      "It stopped," she shuddered. "The voice, it's gone. The scratching. The crackling of fire." An after-shock of what just happened hit her hard. She started sucking in huge breaths of air as more sobs left her. She buried her face against Jaemin's chest, seeking comfort.

      Jaemin hesitated at first, but his arm slowly snaked around Mi-Cha and also placed a hand on the back of her head.

      I glanced at everyone else in the room. They were as lost as I was. 'Voices, scratching, fire?' I mouthed to them. All I got were shrugs.

      "Mi-Cha, can you tell me what the voices said?" Jaemin asked. He stroked her head, like he was telling her it's okay to talk.

      Mi-Cha took in an extra big breath before she started. "I couldn't tell. Most of it didn't make sense. 'In trouble' and 'walls' are things I could make out. There was also 'disappointment' and 'mistake'. It... it was all in whispers, but the whispers were so loud it was like they were screaming. God, it was awful. Everything else was so jumbled and unclear."

      Jaemin looked back at us with eyes that showed he was terrified. I didn't blame him, I could feel the same in my own.