Mark

I ran my hands through my hair frustrated at the scene in front of me. The bandits were preparing for a rage. The meeting room- I room I found out was only used during meetings- was packed with bandits. Some weren't even here, they were training. I was suppose to be but Yugyeom told me he had to be at the rage meeting. So we are here. Most people stood in front of Jb, questions poring out if them, "What section will I be in?" "Jb can I lead a group?" "Who's going can I go?", and the list just kept going. Only a few people stayed to the side, near where I was leaning against the wall. I was still clueless to how rages worked and I really didn't want to know. It's basically a routine, a cruel, sick, routine.

"Everyone gather around!" The loud voice of Jb ordered. Almost at once every bandit was standing in front of their leader,"It's time to tell you who will be going on the rage!" He announced, everyone cheered. They want to go. I looked at the crowd, seeing three faces I knew, cheering. Jackson, Yugyeom, BamBam. Searching for a little longer my gaze rested on a male that had separated himself from everyone, Junior. Did he not want to go on the rage? I shook my head, all bandits love going on rages, killing. Maybe he just knows he will go.

  I flinched when Jb started shouting out the names of the people going,"There will be two groups! Group one will be lead by Jungkook. He will take BamBam, V, Jhope, and B.I!" The said people moved to the front of the crowd, excitement was clear in their eyes,"You guys will go to the seventh street." All the males nodded. The youngest looking boy, Jungkook, motioned for them to follow him as he started to run out of the room. To the village.

  "For group two." He continued, scanning the crowd until he rested his eyes on Junior. I didn't know why but the boy didn't seem to be happy about it,"It will be lead by Junior." Gasps escaped the other bandits, why are they so shocked. Wishing I had someone to ask my questions to I just sat back and watched as Junior shook his head,"Sorry Jb but I'm not going." My eyes shot to Jb, was he going to let Junior say no? Everyone seemed to be paying attention to Jb as they waited for his answer. After a few minutes of silence he nodded,"Okay. It will be lead by Jackson." I looked back at Junior, searching his face for some type of answer to everyone's questions but he stayed emotionless. I'll have to get him alone. Which shouldn't be too hard with everyone on the rage.

   I tuned out Jb as he started listing off the second group of people to go, making my way towards Junior. When I reached him he didn't even spare me a glance, and it angered me,"Why aren't you going on the rage?" I tried to keep my voice calm, maybe he won't sense my overflowing curiosity. Junior just shrugged, turning his head to stare at a wall instead of me,"I just didn't want to." I frowned,"You think I believe that."

Junior sighed in return and shook his head,"Not really but it's worth a try right?" This time he looked at me and smiled a little. I smiled a little back,"Can I ask you something?" Junior fell silent, I took it as a sign to continue,"I don't really know how to ask you this to be honest." Scratching the back of my neck in embarrassment I stared at the ground as if it was the most interesting thing in the world,"I was wondering if you could........be my friend?"

I heard another sigh and moved my head to make eye contact with the now looking at me male. Is he upset because I asked him that? "Let's go to the living house, everyone is already gone." Disappointment filled me as he started to walk away from the wall we were leaning on. I quickly replaced it with realization. Remember Mark, you don't belong here.

"Are you coming or not?" The voice startled me from my thoughts. I ran to catch up with Junior, who was standing by the door out of the room. He stared at me, obviously annoyed,"Can you take any longer?" He asked matter of factly,"Yes. Did you want me to?" I smiled wider than I had in a while when Junior laughed at what I had said. Finally happy with something I had done. Before he could see me smiling like an idiot I stopped smiling and quietly followed him outside.

  The walk from the meeting room to the living house was in two words: all trees. The forest seemed endless, almost as if I had ran for days I would still only see trees. The idea made me wonder,"Um, how far into the woods are we?" Junior stopped walking to observe the trees around us,"Well all I can say is, not as far as you think." The answer angered me, just a little,"Why don't you answer any of my questions?" I needed an answer from him that I could actual use or just find some type of closure in. The whole thing just irritated me.

  Junior shrugged,"I guess I just don't want to give you the answer you don't want to hear." Then he kept walking, not seeming to care I hadn't followed him. Watching Junior walk until he was out of sight I turned towards the trees. Could I run? How far would I go? Where would I end up? How long could I survive? Which way could the village be? So many questions raced through my mind but I knew if I didn't make a run for it soon Junior would come back looking for me. He was probably ordered not to lose me for god knows what reason.

   Taking a deep breath I checked to see if Junior was walking back this way, but I saw no one. Nodding to myself I bolted into the trees. Who cares if I die out here, at least I won't be a bandit. I knew that always pushing away what seemed to be my new life was wrong. Who can help it? I went from a normal commoner to the lowest of lows. I hadn't even gotten a choice and to make it worse all family I'd known was killed. At the moment running just seemed to be the answer, it always is.

   "If they come tonight Mark-" My mother stared at me with such intensity I knew this was important,"-you must run. No matter what. You are a worker, you don't stay and fight you run! You hear me boy?" I nodded,"Yes mom. I know."

  Shaking off the shiver that went through my body I took a break from running, my lungs feeling like they were about to burst. Sweat trickled down my body, and my breath came out in loud huffs. I sat against the back of a tree, looking around in hopes of finding something familiar. Just trees. With nothing to do but rest my mind went back into its thoughts. You left the only shelter you had, idiot. My mind seemed to be torn, two sides. I made the right decision, I mean I just can't be a bandit. The thought of killing people for fun when they hadn't even wronged me just made me sick. A picture of my own hand driving a knife into a mans chest and ripping him open made me lean to the side and throw up the only food I had eaten. It had been lunch.

  "You don't look to good Mark." I flinched in surprise before jumping to my feet and reaching for the knife in my side pocket. Thank God Yugyeom made me bring it to training today. I pointed it's tip towards, Junior,"Junior?" I whispered in disbelief,"H-How?" The said boy just laughed,"You need a lesson on learning when you're being followed. I was watching you ever since you decided to run into the damn forest. Do you even know how many animals there are in here? You could get killed!" I tilted my bed to the side, I hadn't even thought of the dangers,"I mean I was told to make sure you don't die." I scoffed, annoyed with him,"There was no use in following me. I'm not going back to whatever the hell you bandits call home." I sat back down against the tree and started carving random lines in it with my knife. A minute later Junior sat down next to me, I didn't even spare him a glance.

   I wasn't sure how long I sat there carving into a random tree with Junior just watching me, but I started to get worried when the forest got darker,"Uh, it's getting dark." I stated, making Junior smile,"Wow, you noticed." I couldn't tell if I was amused or irritated so I decided to ignore it,"Well don't you need to get back to the living house?" Junior nodded,"Well I could. But I was thinking of staying with you."

  My eyes widened in surprise at his boldness,"That is if you even want me to stay." No I don't. Well, I'm not sure. Just thinking of spending one night alone in the dark, quiet forest scared me and I knew I had to admit that. But did I want to admit that to Junior,"Why didn't you want to go on the rage today?" I hated how I was acting like what I said was an everyday conversation starter,"I'm not that cold hearted." Junior's eyebrows furrowed and his lips pressed together in a hurt kind of way,"I don't like killing for no reason. In fact, I don't even like being a bandit." What is that suppose to mean?

   Sticking my hands in my lap I tried to find a way to not seem too curious,"Why not?" Junior bit his lip, thinking about an answer,"Because I never wanted to be one." I opened my mouth to ask another question but he motioned for me to be quiet,"I was shunned when I was around eight. I think it was because I wasn't a good enough worker, my parents never thought I was any use to the house. Along with that no one in town was willing to buy me. I was shunned and I ran when they chased me out. I ran and ran until Jb found me." He laughed,"Jb was only nine. He saved me, and I owe him everything."

   We sat in silence again, for a long time. I gritted my teeth together,"I guess you can stay the night out here, with me." Junior laughed again, and then I laughed, and then we were laughing together. He stopped and smiled at me,"Then I guess we can be friends."

I could have sworn that at that moment I felt free from the pressure that seemed to surround me. Junior made me happy in that moment, and I knew it wouldn't be the last time he did.