Countdown | Stray Kids OT9✔

Chapter Eight

Minho can kick me in the face and I'll still say thank you.

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Answer this honestly:

How are you, really?

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"Is this it?" I questioned myself, standing in front of a large door. Knocking thrice, I spoke,"Chan? Are you there?"

"Come in,"

Upon hearing that, I took ahold of the doorknob and twisted it, which opened the door and entered the room. Closing it behind me, I peered around the room, seeing a bedroom that somehow, has been converted to a study room. Big bookshelves that extends from the floor up to the ceiling decorated the walls, making it seem like the shelves themselves are the wall. Due to the height of the room, it is divided into two floors, a small ladder connecting the first and second floor, but what enticed me are the massive portrait covered by a black satin cloth above the door and a chained door connecting to who knows where by the corner of the room right by the side of the bed.

Where's Chan?

I looked around and saw a lump of a figure covered by the bedsheets on the bed,"Chan?" I called out.

I walked over the bed, softly and slowly pulling the covers down only to reveal Chan shaking and coughing uncontrollably.

"Why are you late-" His statement was cut off when he coughed once more, but this time it seemed more painful, his hand shooting up to cover his mouth as he sat up. After coughing out, he swiftly looked at his hand and immediately hid it down the covers, but I did not missed the splatters of crimson on his hand.

"Was that blood? Are you okay?" I asked, panicking in concern.

He suddenly turned quiet, looking at me,"What day is it?"

"17th of June," I answered after looking the calendar at the corner of the room.

He gritted his teeth,"Damn it,"

I tilted my head to the right, confused. Suddenly, he snapped his gaze towards my direction, staring at me with such ablaze eyes, I almost made a step back.

It's as if this is a different person in front of me.

Hearing my thoughts, he smirked, chanting my name like how a devil would whisper unto one's ear,"Oh, what an innocent, Little Red,"

"What?"

Then, his face fell expressionless. With empty, dark eyes, he said,"The Woodcutter is coming,"

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I hid under the large set of stairs of the manor on the ground floor, my nerves too shaky to mind the disgusting filth and insects the littered against the wall.

I shouldn't have let my guard down. He's a monster. His eyes are like a wolf's such wildness and ferociousness emitting from it, it sends shivers down my spine just at the thought of it.

"Ah!" I groaned, only realizing by now that I was clenching my fist too tight to the point of my fingers digging into my palm and creating a cut. Looking at it, I sighed. The cut is not that big nor that deep, but it's enough to send pain throughout my body.

"Why can't you be quiet for once?" I jumped at the voice, spotting Seungmin on the other side of the space under the stairs, resting his head against the wall with his eyes closed.

"I'm sorry," I said, but he did not respond one bit, but I knew he heard me clearly due to the vacancy of the area.

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Being in the same space as Seungmin is the same as being alone, he refused to talk, answer my questions, and if he did answer, it's always along the lines of "Do I look like I care?", so I just remained quiet.

What's that noise?

I sat straight, alarmed. I put my hands on the floor beside me, feeling the light tremors of the ground, along with the dusts and chunks of wood falling down from the stairs above me due to the shaking of the ground.

"Uh...Seungmin... Do you feel that?" I asked as soon as the intensity of tremors started increasing, but only to be caught off guard when he remained steady, his hair casting a shadow over his eyes and the darkness of the area making it hard to read his expression, but I did not miss the way he smirked.

I let out a small scream when I felt the tiled floor open up and soil shoot out of it to form into the shape of hands to hold my arms and legs,"W-what are you doing!?"

He raised his head, making me see his eyes glowing both rose and brown,"You should have ran away when you had the chance,"

The huge house plant across the room suddenly grew to life outstretching itself towards me and wrapped itself around my throat, cutting my air circulation.

"H-help...!" At this point, I was gaping for air. I attempted to dig my nails on the body of the plant that wrapped itself on my throat to free myself, but it was useless when it made its grip tighter.

It hurts, I can't breathe...!

Black spots started to flood my vision and I felt my body slowly growing weak, I slowly let go of the tree giving up at this point.

"What in the world are you doing?"

The plant released its hold and I dropped to the floor, coughing and breathing in harshly as I could to get back the supply of oxygen that I lost.

I looked up and saw Jisung.

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I feel like Minho, my bias wrecker, and Jeongin, Woojin, Changbin, Hyunjin hasn't had enough screen time here, so yeah, I think you noticed that too, but wait for it :))

I reserved something for them >:))