AQUEOUS MEMORIES

Chapter 1: The End

"Memories that dissolve in water, can they be taken back?"

~~~~

All alone, laying on the ground with limbs tied together mercilessly. Silently drowning in my own worthlessness, feeling weakened, sabotaged then broken into fragments beyond amendment. "This is over, let's just get rid of her," I hear one of the devils say, and feel myself crying harder, which I never thought was possible. I'm so scared and terrified and everywhere hurts.

It's silent for a moment, like someone gestured a reply or gave a hand sign as an answer, "but she already saw our faces." I turned my head in time to catch the shadow of someone giving a 'kill' order in sign language, their pointer and middle finger dragging a line across their neck.

The next words I hear are so mocking and hurtful, "kid, have fun playing in the water." With a pull on my hair, and someone's stinky breath on the side of my face, I spit. But I'm also angry, so angry at how unfair and cruel the world is.

There was nothing to feel but pain, pain and more pain and disgust everywhere, yet my anger outweighed it all. I couldn't believe this, What did I ever do to deserve this? Does anyone at all deserve this?

I don't have any answers. Everything was perfect hours ago, everything was perfect. Why now?

The rippling the water when my body hit the surface destroyed the tiny bit of sanity I had left. I open my mouth to scream, but the concentrated particles fail to carry my voice for the ears to hear and I lose my breath instead.

Why can't anyone hear me? Not now and not earlier, how long had it been? Hours, Days? My mentality decides that I can't do anything but try moving again, but soon as the lack of oxygen gets to me, my heartbeats slow down, and my eyes become heavy, it's too hard to hold on.

It's the end. My body freezes between the waves, my shivering hands-- numb, but my mind decides to replay the last memory I saved. The last moment I lived as myself, before everything fell apart. And the flashback reels in my mind with a final show's cacophony.

"Sure dad, I'll be there!" I say through my phone, trying to hide the tiredness under my excitement.

"Don't be late, its an important family dinner!" He warns, making me actually consider that he thinks I don't know it's my parents' marriage anniversary today and that I can't really bail on that anyway.

"Okay, love you... Tell mom to not worry, I'll be there. See you dad!" I say before hanging up. I start collecting my stuff into my bag before exiting my academy, finally.

I walk to a gift shop to pick a present for my parents before going home to change with a cheek-throbbing smile on my face. It's the eighteenth anniversary since my parents got married, mom is finally pregnant and is going to get me my first sibling in a few months. Jolts of genuine excitement spread like wildfire inside me and I fight the urge to squeal in the middle of the street.

At last, I reach the shop I sought and start searching for the candles set I spotted earlier this week. My mom is going to love them. It doesn't take much till I'm checking my watch and hurrying out after paying the bill.

It's already seven at night, I'm going to be late. I jog to our house, deciding on how I should style my long black hair and what makeup look I'll put on. My thoughts get interrupted when I am pulled back, blindfolded and tied harshly.

It always happens so quickly, I try to scream when I register that I'm getting kidnapped, again, but a big hand over my mouth doesn't let me. Lifted up, I fail to see a thing so kicking my legs and moving my arms somehow becomes the only resort, till a strong object hits my head from behind... The world as I know it drowns into an ocean of black where all struggles I could and couldn't imagine await me.

I'm pulled out of my escape for short seconds, slamming the ugly reality into my face before my heavy eyelids shut themselves close, on their own accord.

Is it the end?
Am I going to die now?
On my parents' anniversary-- I really want to see my brother...
Just like that?

I was happy, I was alive.
Now it's all gone.

~~~

Sungyeol

"We need sometime off school. Chill, None of our parents will know if Sungjong keeps his pretty lips sealed," Dongwoo tries convincing me to relax while we sit in our minibus heading to the countryside.

"Hyung!" Sungjong complains, bothered by the indirect blame on him for blowing our cover last time we went on a secret trip like this.

"Be quiet, all of you kids.We are almost there," Sungkyu's voice comes from the driver's seat and Woohyun lays sprawled on a seat upfront, sleeping while the rest of us chat at the back.

"Dongwoo is right, don't say anything to anybody," Howon adds, sounding serious and it's a little refreshing that I'm not the only one carrying the worry. But how his eyes locked a little longer on where Songjong was sitting, I knew what he wanted to say between the lines.

"As if! When did I anyway!" Sungjong retorts, immediately catching up and proving our point. He knows.

"Look at that!" Myungsoo joins, looking quite irked, "You got us all grounded for two weeks. My parents took away my camera and my guitar you lunatic!"

Sungjoon really seals his lips this time and I start to feel bad for him, "Stop! It's okay we are almost there anyway!" I say, knowing that's there is no turning back.

"Wake up Woohyun!" Sungkyu shouts.

"Sungjong!" My mood lightens when I remember my favorite trick, "Did you get it?" I asked for the whistle that comes with his lemon candies.

"Of course! I have lots of them! You take the left ear while I take the right one!" Now this is fun, the worry about getting grounded again fades into the excitement at the very novel way we will wake Woohyun up with.

"Okay!" I start to count in whispers and we blow into the whistles, on both sides of Woohyun's head. The sound is deafening to my own ear and I begin to feel a little apologetic but his reaction makes my laughter outgrow the guilt.

He opens his eyes quickly, screaming and his head hit the bus's ceiling, "You Bastard! That same sick old move again!" He shouts just as the bus hauls to a stop, sending him toppling forward and we laugh harder.

"Get out!" Sungkyu interrupts exiting the bus, laughing a little too.

"I should have came with my love not," Woohyun mumbles, getting out.

"Who calls his car my love even? psychopath," I curse and walk ahead, "doesn't your girlfriend get jealous?" I murmur.

"We are here! Woohoo!!" Dongwoo cheers to himself and we all ignore him. "Yah! Wait for me!!" I slow down, waiting for him while all the rest walk ahead.

"Let's go!" He says as soon as he reaches me. Almost simultaneously, we both hear a horrified shout, I jumped up in worry and run to check.

Please don't let anything go wrong. I plead to no one in particular.

~~~~
V. I. NOTE: All quotes I use at the beginning of my chapters are mine. I own them, unless otherwise stated. Similarities are pure coincidence.
V. I. NOTE 2: this book was being edited because I noticed that the plot was missing some things. I'll add "//edited" at the end of every chapter I finish editing accordingly.

Um, I'm so flustered right now.
I really hope it's good.
Hope you enjoy this ff~

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See you soon.

--010616--

//edited-- 120820
(shooketh, I'm back)