F A L L E N I D O L S [COMPLETE]

C A P T U R E D

Youngseo woke up to an all surrounding blackness, unsure of whether he was alive or dead. Maybe this was what death was like, unseeing and unmoving, just darkness. As he gulped desperately for breath, he realized he was still very much alive. The tiniest traces of light became apparent in the lower boundaries of his vision and he moved his head from side to side, trying in vain to get a clearer view. The realization that he was blindfolded came quickly.

The last thing Youngseo remembered was running through the woods with his bare feet. He was running as fast as he could, away from the garden where he left Ji Chul and towards the strange house they had seen in the distance. The closer he got, the more he slowed his pace, trying to blend in with the foliage around him. Pressing his body against a large tree, he stopped only feet away from the house, peering over his shoulder back at it. It had a primitive look to it, moss growing along its roof and walls, the area directly around it unpruned and wild.

His heart had sank in his chest as his chance of finding help evaporated. It looked abandoned, unlived in, but maybe he could stay there, hiding, until he could figure out a way for the group to escape. Maybe supplies had been left behind, or there was another radio he could use to contact someone, anyone, from the outside world.

But he had promised Ji Chul ten minutes. Ten minutes until he came back. He turned, facing the house head on and staring at it.

He didn't feel the noose tightening around his neck until it was too late. Suddenly he had found himself struggling to breathe, and trying in vain to pry the constricting cord from his neck. He was coughing and choking, his vision blurring from the tears that sprang into his eyes and the lack of oxygen. Then everything began to fade, and he thought for sure he was dead. There were no last thoughts, just desperate potent fear.

But no, he had lived. He had survived, again.

"You awake over there?" A voice, deep and hoarse, said from somewhere nearby.

Youngseo froze. It was only when he tried to remove the blindfold did he realize both hands were locked behind his back, tied wrist to wrist with coarse, thick rope.

"No use playin' dead now, I saw you move," said the man's voice.

There were footsteps now, heavy and slow, coming towards Youngseo. His heart thudded in his chest like an unrelenting jackhammer. He was up against a wall, standing with the help of more ropes slung underneath his armpits.

"Not used to strange people on my property, that's why I had to choke you out," the man continued, sounding much closer now. "Used to use that little contraption when I was a dog catcher. Guess I'm still pretty good with it."

The blindfold was peeled down Youngseo's face and left loose around his neck. He blinked, adjusting his eyes to the room, soft light filtering in from windows covered in newspaper. The man's face filled his field of vision, thick glasses taped in the middle with black electrical tape and a dark mustache hanging on either side of lips shiny with moisture. He eased away, surveying Youngseo like a prize before stepping out of view. Youngseo took the opportunity to strain against the ropes that bound his wrists, but it was no use.

The man returned to view, brandishing a pair of shears from his back pocket and tossing them from hand to hand as he continued to approach Youngseo. "You some kind of spy, huh, boy?" He put his hand on the wall next to Youngseo's head and leaned in closer. "The government parachute you in here to check on me?" he said in a low voice, pressing the shears against Youngseo's chest. "If that's the case, I should just go ahead and gut you right now."

"No!" A desperate will to live rushed into Youngseo. "Please." He cursed himself for not listening to Ji Chul. Why did he have to take off on his own?

The man eased back a little, frowning as he stroked his pock-marked chin thoughtfully. "You're not from around here, are you?" he murmured. "You got a wire on?"

"A wire?" Youngseo repeated unsteadily. He didn't know what that was supposed to mean.

The man licked his lips, stepping forward as he opened and closed the blades of the shears. "You wouldn't tell me even if you did," he said. His hand shot out, grabbing a fistful of Youngseo's shirt and stretching it out as he lowered the shears, beginning the snip away at the fabric. "So let's see what you got under here."

Suddenly, there were shadows on the outside of the windows, and a voice bellowed, "Edmund!"

A large palm clamped down on Youngseo's face, covering his mouth and nose. The man glanced behind him with wild eyes before narrowing them at Youngseo. "You're gonna be real quiet right now, understand?" He pressed the blade of the shears against Youngseo's stomach. "If you make a noise I'm gonna stick these in you and I'm not gonna stop 'til I hit the wall."

"Edmund!"

"What?" the man shouted, heading towards the door but not opening it.

"You gonna open up?" asked the other voice. It sounded like the man from the other house, August.

"Nope." Youngseo's captor, who must have been Edmund, replied simply.

"What you got going on in there?"

"I'm trying to have some peace and quiet, but now I've got the likes of you trying to pound down my door. I thought I moved out here for some privacy," Edmund said.

"Privacy, sure," August murmured. There was a pause. "You seen somebody new running 'round here?"

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Young. Male. Chinese or something like that."

Edmund turned back to Youngseo, a grin spreading over his face as he pointed from him to the door. "Nope," he called out to August.

The voice on the other side of the door was quiet. Youngseo's mind spun out with indecision. If he tried to make a noise, would it be heard? Or would they be left alone again, August taking Edmund's word, and then he would really be in trouble. Fear, and the control that came with it, wasn't a new feeling for Youngseo, but it never got any less terrifying.

"Alright," August said finally. "Well, keep your eyes peeled."

Nothing more was said but Edmund stayed close to the door, seeming to be both waiting and thinking something over. Finally, he turned back to Youngseo, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose and spinning the shears in his hand. "Now," he said. "Where were we?"