bury a friend. ᵈʳᵉᵃᵐ

𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖊𝖙𝖊𝖊𝖓

Mark's POV

My eyes are still closed and I was stilo feeling sleepy when someone tapped me on my cheek. I opened an eye and saw Chenle. "Hyung, wake up." He said.

I rubbed both of my eyes and sat down. Remembering we were in Minsoo's room, I turned my head to the bed and saw the guys swarming Minsoo.

I stood up and walked towards the bed. I was taken aback because Minsoo's hair was cut short. "Are you okay?" Renjun asked her. She nodded. "It just pulled and cut my hair." She replied calmly.

"Who looked like the creature?" I asked. Her eyes dropped to Jeno. He pointed at himself. "Me?" She nodded again. "You didn't scream?" Jisung asked.

"I can't."

"Tell us what happened." Jaemin said. Minsoo slowly told us. "Then it said, 'You're paying? Is the amount cleaning you out? Am I satisfactory?'. I didn't understand the first two but I kind of understand the last one."

"Then what does it mean?" Hyuck shrugged, asking. "Maybe it's also speaking in Jeno's perspective," She started. "Maybe it's about the teasing yesterday. Jeno likes me and maybe.. I'm making him jealous. I'm not sure." She bit her lip.

Jeno sighed. "I admit, I was kind of jealous-" Hyuck scoffed. "More like super jealous." Jeno punched his stomach and continued. "I was kind of jealous but I can't do that to you."

Minsoo smiled at him. "I know you won't do anything to harm me." Jisung and Hyuck scoffed this time. "Like Jeno hyung and Renjun hyung didn't argue while you were unconscious." Jisung said.

Jeno and Renjun immediately looked away. "I know about that. Don't fight again." She simply said and stood up.

I turned to Jisung. "Sungie, let's check your wound." He nodded and slowly pulled the band aid off the wound. I checked it and sighed in relief, seeing it slowly close up.

"What? Is it healing, hyung?" I nodded and removed the band aid. I have one in my pocket and I placed it on the wound.

Minsoo walked towards the door and turned the knob. "I'm not used to your hair." Jaemin said. Minsoo smiled and pulled the door open. "Me, too. Come on, we still have to talk about what's gonna happen to Jeno."

We followed her downstairs and gathered in the living room. They talked about what strategy they'rr gonna use so Jeno can avoid the risk but my mind was on another world.

"Guys," I called for their attention. They looked at me. "I think we should stop with strategizing and more on finding the answers." Jisung pointed at me with his hand. "What he said."

"Why?"

"Because the other me said that we already have nightmare nights yet we still don't know anything. We have no clue. Jisung and I thought there was a monster but it just called us stupid. We should investigate by now."

"The question is, do we have a lead?" I shook my head at Renjun's question. "Not yet, but hopefully, I'm gonna find something related to all of this." They all looked at me worriedly.

"Mark hyung, what if it's not gonna work?" I gave them a determined look. "It's gonna work. Our other selves might tell us stupid or anything, but let's not listen to them. I will start with what happened to me and find something." I said.

"What the hell is that?" Minsoo asked and pointed in front. There was a black smoke. It slowly formed into something. A monster.

Me.

It laughed. "I'm glad that you're determined to get rid of it, Mark Lee. That's it, don't let your feelings get the best of you."

"Why is this happening?"

The other me lost its smile. "We were just living peacefully, until it summoned us to haunt you," It said. It sounded like he never want to be hers in the first place. "We never wanted to disturb any of you.. but it wants us. The more it gets, the more it wants."

"Who is this 'it'?" Renjun asked. "Someone powerful. Someone menacing and threatening. If we don't follow its orders, we're all gonna die. Me, you, everyone inside here,"

It looked at me. It suddenly looked helpless. "Do the right thing, Mark. I will be here to help you, but it can detect me if I ever help you discover everything you should know. I wish you good luck. Remember, I am on your side. But..don't trust the others."

"Can we really trust you?" Hyuck spoke up. "Yes. If you know everything, you would never see me.. us.. it, again." It said before it disappeared.

"Should we really trust it?" Minsoo asked. I creased my eyebrows. "I think so. It also looked determined for us to know.. everything." I replied.

"Then, we should follow the lead of the two Marks." Chenle said. I looked at them. "I would start tonight. Jeno-" He nodded. "I'll be okay, I promise."

I gave him a nod. "I'll find something in my room and report tomorrow. We're gonna investigate and survive every night. I can start now, but the haunt happened at night, so I'll start later."

"I just hope we can find the answers in the end."

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