-Bottom of the river-
Delta Rae
01:43 ━━━━●───── 03:50
⇆ㅤ ㅤ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤㅤ↻

Water rolled forward in gentle waves, slipping over moss-covered stones and twirling between the roots stretching into the river. A few curious waves tangled around the unmoving body lying against the riverbank. The pants clung onto the boy's legs and one of his shoes had started to slip off in search of a new owner. The breeze, like an exhale from life itself, blew into his face, slipping between his parted lips and prodding at his wet cheeks.

The boy's chest jerked and a stream of water splattered past his lips, another jerk and more water was coughed out. He continued coughing and choking, his lungs desperately trying to squeeze out the water invading his body. The last cough was replaced by wheezing breaths and shivers so deep it rattled his bones. His eyelids were heavy as he peeled them apart and as he blinked, he couldn't tug away the veil of blurriness that covered the world.

The first thing Jungkook felt was the cold. It had seeped beneath his skin, consuming every inch of him until his heart crusted with snow and the bones that once bent to the commands of his mind were now carved of ice. A blanket of needles was tossed over him and not even his clothes could prevent it from prickling his skin. His body trembled and his lips turned blue, he knew they were wobbling yet he couldn't make them stop.

The second thing he felt began as an ember in his chest, gradually it grew larger and warmer until his lungs were burning and filling with smoke. The flames wrapped around his ribs and spread through his chest until his breaths turned into harsh wheezes and his throat started to ache to the point where he couldn't swallow. Tears clouded his vision and rolled down his cheeks, he could taste the saltiness on his tongue.

The next thing he felt was the wet gravel beneath his cheek, the waves lapping against his legs and the wind gliding across his back. He felt his shirt cling onto his skin and pants wrap around his thighs like a noose, he felt his shoe slipping off his foot and the lack of weight from a backpack on his shoulders. The sound of rushing water invaded his ears, followed by the howling laughter of the wind and cicadas croaking in the bushes.

I'm alive.

His first thought felt as light as a feather, only for his next thoughts to gradually sharpen until they stabbed into his skull and made his head pound. A rush of memories played out like a movie behind his eyelids, filling him with so much emotion that he dared to part his lips, "Tae." The measly croak made his throat ache and chest burn yet he fought against the pain to lift his head.

The turn of his neck was accompanied by a prickle of pain yet he still tried to look around. His heart fell into the pit of his stomach when he couldn't see the man he called out for. Jungkook sucked in his cheeks, blinking past his tears as he shifted his arms to sit up. As soon as he started to move his left arm, pain shot through his body like lightning, it was so fast and sharp, pain like nothing he'd ever felt before. It felt like his bones were cracking and veins were bursting apart, his muscles seized and his head became numb to the point where he was about to faint. His lips parted and an ear-piercing scream tore through his chest, it was immediately followed by wet sobs and a rush of tears.

Through his cries, Jungkook dared to twist his head and look down at his arm. His shoulder was twisted unnaturally, he could see the bone press against his skin and muscles pulse, yet his arm lay limp and unmoving. Jungkook gagged and snapped his eyes away, panting as he stared at the ground with panicked eyes. Tears rolled down his cheeks in a continuous stream and snot clogged his nose, he kept biting down his sobs yet some slipped past his lips in a wet exhale.

Jungkook had an inkling that his shoulder was dislocated but understanding the injury didn't even ease the panic wreaking through his chest. He was terrified of moving and experiencing the pain he had just felt, he knew he didn't have a choice but he still couldn't force himself to shift an inch. Now that he was aware of the injury, it had started to pulse and the tenser he became, the worse the pain got.

Jungkook squeezed his eyes shut and sucked in a deep breath, holding it hostage for a few seconds before slowly exhaling, "Okay, okay, okay." He mumbled and opened his eyes, he started moving his right hand until his palm was pressed into the ground by his chest, "You can do this, just breathe." He whispered through shaky breaths, sitting still even though he knew what his next move should be.

A deep groan rattled his chest and crashed against the back of his teeth, "Fuck, come on!" He spat, curling his fingers against the group, "Come on, come on, get yourself together." He blinked down at the ground once, twice and with the third blink, he cleared his mind and pushed his body off the ground.

The rush of pain made his head spin, his legs gave out with a weak tremble and he crashed down on his knees. A choked noise deep in his chest was followed by a sharp cry. Jungkook tilted his head back and stared up at the sky, panting and shaking from the pain. He gritted his teeth and dropped his head back down, he stared at how hard he gripped onto his thigh before casting his eyes onto the limp arm hanging by his side.

"Fuck." Jungkook breathed in defeat, slumping as the realization started to set in. He didn't know how to set a dislocated shoulder in place and he was certain he wouldn't be able to do it alone even if he did. He was fucked. Alone, with no supplies, and a fucked up arm. He was defenseless and absolutely useless, it was a surprise he hadn't been eaten while he lay there like a sack of useless meat. He didn't know where he was and most importantly, where was Taehyung?

Jungkook sniveled, licking the tears off his lips before shifting his right leg until his foot was firmly against the ground. He twisted his body forward, cringing as his arm shifted, and dug his working arm into the ground between his legs. He puffed once and twice before pushing himself off the ground with a guttural grunt. He stumbled and swayed - eyes clouded as he stared off into space. He was sure if anyone found him now he'd be shot dead with how much he resembled death itself.

He took a cautious step forward, then another until he started to shuffle forward on weak legs. With each step he took, his dislocated hand kept swaying and bumping into his hip, sending sharp stings of pain through his body and causing his mind to cloud with the urge to vomit. He knew if he wanted to survive he had to move forward despite the pain. And so he did, he shuffled forward inch by inch until he could lean against the first tree he reached.

Jungkook tried to tame his loud pants in fear of attracting walkers and bit back the tiny whimpers threatening to slip through his gritted teeth. The forest was silent yet the paranoia crept up on him and started whispering scenarios into his ear - telling him that there could be a walker behind every tree, hiding in the bushes and even a horde of them coming his way. His heart raced and his thoughts were scattered, all he knew was that he was scared. He knew all it took to kill him right now was a single walker, he wouldn't be able to hold the walker away and stab it in the head, he would suffer the same fate as Dale had - stomach torn open and organs spilling onto the ground.

"Okay, stop." Jungkook squeezed his eyes shut and sucked in another sharp breath, clinging onto the tree as he tried to tame his thoughts and force his fear away, "You can do this, you can do this, you can do this." He repeated in a hushed breath, hoping those words would work as an antidote to his poisonous thoughts.

Jungkook peeled his eyes open and slowly released his breath before pushing off the tree and moving into the forest. His eyes flickered around, glancing from tree to tree and between the bushes to make sure nothing could sneak up on him. As he tumbled forward, a sudden thought hit him, and his hand flung towards his weapon belt. His fingers came in contact with the knives and gun strapped to the belt, and he couldn't push away the tears of relief that rushed to his eyes.

As he walked, he unclipped the sheath and pulled out one of his daggers, gripping it so tightly that his fingers became numb. Every little sound he heard made him freeze and swivel around with the dagger raised. He would wait a moment, would swing his eyes around until he was sure nothing was stumbling towards him before finally lowering his knife and continuing forward.

His dislocated arm felt like it was burning from constantly swaying around but Jungkook tried to convince himself that he was getting used to the pain. The continuous stream of pain made him wonder if he should pull it into a sling, he didn't know if that was what people usually did with a dislocated arm, but what he knew was that he wouldn't be able to move the limb without fainting.

The pain wasn't his only worry, Jungkook's clothes were sopping wet. They clung onto his body, weighted down his shoulders, and stained his skin with water. His boots were filled with the river he had left behind and with each step he took, his socks sloshed. The layer of water left him vulnerable to the cold, it dug into his skin and gnawed at his limbs. As the breeze whisked through the forest, his bones began to rattle and his teeth chattered, he curled into himself, panting and wincing.

Jungkook decided to move forward despite the pain and cold, constantly reminding himself to breathe and take small breaks to rest. He never sat down, scared that something might sneak up on him and that he might not be able to get back up in time.

Around an hour later when the sun had gone down a bit more, he saw a glint of something through the trees. Jungkook came to a halt, flinching as the light reflected off a metallic surface and shone into his eyes. He debated following the light, understanding how vulnerable he was at the moment but because he was vulnerable, he had to take the risk.

With that in mind, he shuffled towards the thing, slipping between the trees and pulling away a few overgrown bushes until he stumbled upon a trailer. The trailer was parked next to a trail and a sign that read 'Whispering Woods Trail Park'. Jungkook rolled his eyes at that but allowed his lips to stretch into a rare smile when he twisted around to face the trailer. He approached it, cautiously walking up the steps leading to the door and raised his working arm to slam the hilt of his knife against the door.

His heart thudded in his ears as he waited for the measliest sign of someone being inside. Anticipation and fear bubbled in the pit of his stomach with each passing second but when no sound followed the knocks, he exhaled the poisonous fumes of fear. Jungkook glanced between the knife he held in his hand and the handle of the door before shoving the knife back into its sheath and reaching out to crack the door open.

The door opened and he stepped inside, making sure to lock the door before allowing his eyes to dart around. The front of the trailer had two leather seats, a rosary dangling from the rearview mirror and as Jungkook stepped closer, he noticed a picture placed against the dashboard. He picked it up and saw a man in his fifties holding up a giant grouper, he was laughing at the little girl standing next to him. She was staring at the fish with wide tear-filled eyes and wobbling lips, clearly scared of the fish.

Jungkook exhaled a breath and placed the picture back where he found it. He turned around and walked deeper into the trailer. A fishing rod leaned against the wall next to the door, right beside a raincoat. There was a kitchen to his right and a table with seats stretching against the wall to his left. The kitchen cabinets were made of oak, and even the countertops and ceiling were oak. On top of the seats, he saw an opened box with fishing gear inside.

Jungkook faced the kitchen, pulling open the first cabinet he saw. His face lit up when he found a box of crackers inside, he immediately pulled it out and threw them on the counter next to the stove. He continued to pull open cabinet after cabinet, pulling out two litre bottles of water and coke, bags of pasta and rice, a bag of sour cream chips, and even a granola bar with pieces of chocolate inside. He saw a bottle of ketchup and vinegar but knew he wouldn't be able to do anything with that.

Jungkook stepped up to the fridge, "Should I open it?" He whispered under his breath, throat still aching from nearly drowning, "Fuck it." He winced and opened the fridge, only to immediately regret it when the stench of rotten vegetables and meat smacked him in the face. He slammed the fridge shut but not before bending over and retching, he swallowed down the vomit in the back of his throat and blinked away the tears rushing to his eyes.

The younger man straightened out and peered down at the back of the trailer. He started approaching the first door to his right, he cautiously slid it open and only relaxed when he saw that the bathroom was empty. It had a porcelain toilet, a sink with a mirror above it and a bath mat with fishes on it. There was a window above the toilet, Jungkook spared a glance outside before stepping out and approaching the door at the end of the hallway.

He pulled it open and came across a bedroom. The room was tiny - he was barely able to open the door because the bed was placed horizontally in front of the door. The door hit the side of the bed and Jungkook squeezed himself inside. He cried out when his injured arm hit the doorway, shifting the bone and causing his pain to flare. He flinched away, tearing the door further open and stumbling inside until he was able to fall onto the bed. His knees trembled and face scrunched, he wanted to tear his skin off and leave his body behind from how much his arm was burning.

Jungkook tried to sit as still as possible as he waited for the pain to ease. His fingers clenched around the mattress and breaths became heavier, his chest started to feel tight and head was starting to numb. The eery silence didn't help his increasing panic and the curl of grief in his belly. It felt heavy around him, slowly crushing him to the point where it felt like he was being smothered. The silence was meant to be calm and soothing but to Jungkook, who felt a storm raging through his chest, it only pissed him off.

Flashes of images and whispers of voices echoed through his head, everything blending into an unrecognizable mush until he couldn't decipher what he was thinking or feeling. He couldn't pick apart a single emotion, yet all of them felt like they would tear through his chest and squash him like a grape.

Jungkook's leg started to bounce and his chest heaved, his eyes darted around the empty room and his ears burned from the silence encasing him. He pushed off the bed and squeezed himself out of the room when he could no longer sit still. He paced down the hallway, lifting his good arm to brush his wet hair out of his face. He couldn't stop moving around - tugging the cabinets open with trembling hands as though they would suddenly be filled with food, pacing down the hall, rummaging through the box of fishing supplies even though they were useless to him, he even stepped up to the coat hanging by the door and shoved his hand inside the pockets to check if there was anything in them.

His breathing had grown labored, eyes were blown so wide open he looked like he had snorted a line of coke, his head was empty, actions no longer being purposeful but rather fuelled by the emotion simmering beneath his skin. As he stepped up to the kitchen and tore the cabinets open for the hundredth time, his eyes latched onto the glasses and plates inside, and he finally broke.

A loud sob tore through his throat and hit the back of his teeth as he grabbed the first glass he saw and threw it at the wall. The glass shattered and sprinkled across the ground, shimmering under the sunlight. Jungkook only whirled around and grabbed the next glass, throwing it at the ground before grabbing the plate. He hurled it at the door, watching in satisfaction as it shattered. He grabbed the next plate, hurled it and reached for the next one.

He continued to throw the plates until the cabinet was empty and the floor was covered with broken shards of glass and porcelain plates. He stood among the chaos, heaving with tears running down his cheeks and soft sobs slipped past his trembling lips. His eyes latched onto the toolbox on the couch and he marched up to it, yanking it off the couch and onto the floor. The box fell with a thump and the fishing gear scattered onto the ground.

Jungkook glared down at it before reeling his leg back and kicking it across the floor. He then ripped the lower cabinet open and lifted his leg, slamming his foot against the door until the wood cracked and it fell off the hinges. He whirled around and marched up to the front of the trailer, ripping down the rosary hanging off the rearview window. The rosary's chain broke apart, causing a few beads to fall to the ground but all Jungkook did was glare down at the cross in his palm with so much hatred it threatened to consume the entire world.

He squeezed his fingers shut, ignoring the ache from the cross digging into his skin, and stomped over to the bathroom. He ripped the door open and marched up to the toilet, he threw the cross inside and slammed the lid shut before whirling around to leave. As he walked past the mirror, his reflection caught his attention. Burning anger was stitched into the crease between his furrowed brows and narrowed eyes. His eyes were bloodshot and filled with tears, purple bags darkened his gaze and the paleness in his cheeks made him appear gaunt. His lips kept wobbling with each pant, pulling Jungkook's attention to the cut on his lower lip and the scratch marks stretching across his jaw.

Jungkook glared at himself through the mirror, watching as the tears spilled out of his eyes and rolled down his cheeks. Something in his chest pulled tight and then snapped, and before Jungkook knew it, he was reeling his fist back and slamming his knuckles against the glass. His knuckles throbbed, while the mirror shuddered and a small crack appeared. Jungkook parted his lips and released a guttural scream, grabbing the corner of the mirror and tearing it off the wall. The mirror slammed into the ground and Jungkook lifted his foot, slamming it down on the glass repeatedly until it cracked into thousands of tiny shards.

As his feet slammed into the mirror for the last time, a loud bang echoed through the trailer. Jungkook's head swung up and eyes narrowed at the doorway, he hissed out a breath and marched out of the bathroom. His eyes zeroed in on the door as a walker slammed against it, trying to break it down and get inside.

Jungkook stomped towards the door and as soon as he reached it, he lifted his leg and kicked at the door repeatedly. The door rattled, threatening to break down under the force of the kicks. Jungkook's actions only riled the walker up, causing its growls to increase in volume, "You want to get inside?" Jungkook screamed, lifting his working arm as if to taunt the thing, "Fuck you!" He started to pace around, listening to the walker outside before whirling back around to face the door, "Leave me the fuck alone!" He shouted to the top of his lungs, causing his throat to ache and voice to crack.

"We did everything right!" Jungkook screamed, "We took in the Governor's people, gave them a home and protection, we fed them and took care of them! We even took in the people we found on the road! Dale didn't deserve to die, Lori didn't deserve to die, Hershel didn't deserve.." Jungkook's words were cut off by a heart-wrenching wail, he stumbled until his back hit the cabinets, "He didn't deserve to die, none of us deserved what we got, I don't deserve this!" Jungkook yelled through his sobs, sliding down until he was sitting in the broken glass, "I did everything right, why do I deserve this?" He cried out, pulling his legs up to his chest and pressing his face into the crook of his elbow.

"Taehyung and I did everything right, we didn't deserve this." Jungkook croaked into his elbow, blabbering between his cries, "Maybe I deserved to nearly drown, maybe I deserve this shoulder and being alone but Taehyung..," Jungkook choked, biting down on his sleeve, "He doesn't deserve to be alone, he's better than this."

Heart-wrenching sobs rocked through his chest and tore through his vocal cords, they were fuelled by the pain, confusion, anger and fear aimed at the entire situation. He felt lost, like a family dog being abandoned on the side of the road and he didn't know if he had the strength to find his way back home. The thought of the past, even before the prison, sent a sharp pang through his chest. He could still remember the day he had found the group, how Hershel was the reason he had found them. Their first conversation about having hope, then meeting Glenn and Rick, immediately being accepted and protected by them. Staying at the farm where life had seemed quite simple and almost innocent.

Then the prison happened. After the winter on the road and the Governor, he didn't think the group could regain that innocent happiness and comfort they had back at the farm but they had created it again, together. Jungkook had savored every second of it, had participated in every aspect of building the prison into a sanctuary. For a second, he thought they could live there for the rest of their lives, only to have it all ripped away in the blink of an eye. But unlike when they lost the farm, Jungkook lost so much more, he lost the group and now he lost Taehyung.

Jungkook sniveled and lifted his head out of his arm at the thought of Taehyung. The man was alive, Jungkook just knew it, he knew he wouldn't let himself be killed like that. Taehyung was alive and heading to Terminus, just like they had agreed to do. He needed to find Taehyung just like he promised before he fell into the river.

Jungkook wiped his snot away with his sleeve and pulled himself up to his feet with the help of the counter. His puffy eyes bounced over to the door the walker was still rattling against. He eyed the limp hand hanging by his side and then observed the trailer - thoughts whizzed around his head in search of a way to get out of this situation. They latched onto the table and he quickly marched up to it, grabbing the edge of it and shaking it to see if it was movable.

The table stayed rock still and Jungkook immediately bent down to look at the screws keeping it attached to the ground. He pulled out his knife and started unscrewing them, only standing up when all of them were undone. He sheathed his knife and grabbed the corner of the table before pulling it over to the door with one arm. Jungkook groaned and grunted, his veins strained against his skin and limp arm throbbed from all the movement, yet he pushed forward until the table was pressed against the door.

When that was done, Jungkook pulled out his knife and dug his hips into the table before reaching out and unlocking the door. As soon as it was unlocked, the walker was pushing it open and trying to squeeze itself inside. The corner of the door hit the table and the walker shoved one of its arms and top of its head through the gap. Jungkook grunted and pressed his hips against the table to hold it against the door before raising his arm and stabbing his knife into the walker's head.

The growls were cut off and the walker slumped against the door, allowing Jungkook to pull himself away from the door. He sheathed his knife and grabbed the table to pull it back. As soon as the table was pulled back, the door swung open and the walker slammed into the ground. Jungkook approached it, grabbing the back of its shirt and heaving its body inside with a grunt. He slammed the door shut and locked it, glanced down at the walker before stepping over it and marching up to the bedroom.

Jungkook squeezed himself inside and stepped up to the dresser by the foot of the bed. He tugged the drawers open, rummaging through them until he found a black poncho with a crocheted hood and fringed hem. He pulled the garment out and rushed back to the walker. When he reached it, he dropped down on his knees and rolled the walker onto its back. He didn't even look at its face as he pulled its shirt up to its chest and pulled out his knife, didn't flinch as he plunged the knife into its stomach and began cutting its belly open.

The stench of its rotten organs made his nose prickle and face scrunch but it didn't deter Jungkook. He fought off his gag as he dropped the knife and dug his hand inside its belly. His fingers slid through its organs and brushed against its ribs, they felt slimy and cold against his skin and the sensation only made his stomach twist in disgust. Jungkook choked, turning away for a moment before curling his fist around one of the organs and pulling it out. He pressed the organ against the poncho, smearing and rubbing the blood onto the material before shoving his hand back inside the belly and repeating the action.

Jungkook did it multiple times, to the point where his hand was stained with the rotten blood of the walker and the back of his throat was filled with vomit. He only stopped when the poncho was drenched in blood and he was sure walkers would no longer be able to detect him. He grabbed the poncho and carefully slipped it over his head, making sure not to jostle his injured arm too much.

The material reeked and Jungkook could no longer hold back his gags, the gags turned into retches and dry heaving until his stomach twisted and his mouth filled with vomit. He tilted over and spewed up stomach acid, he heaved once more before clamping his lips shut and sucking in a deep breath. He squeezed his eyes shut to hide his teary eyes and forced himself up to his feet. He waited for his stomach to settle down before opening his eyes and walking over to the kitchen counter.

Jungkook grabbed the granola bar on the counter before turning to leave, not caring that he was abandoning the rest of the supplies. He was sure he would regret it in the future but his arm was aching to the point where he wouldn't be able to carry a backpack. He also felt too tired to look for alternative solutions. So, he just shoved the granola ball into the pocket of his wet jeans and threw the door open. He stepped out of the trailer and sucked in a breath of fresh air before stumbling down the steps and walking away from the trailer and into the forest.

As Jungkook was walking through the forest, he heard the sound of creaking wood. He paused and twisted his head to the side, stilling in his steps when he saw the man from the picture hanging from a tree with a noose wrapped around his neck. His neck was twisted unnaturally and his skin had become grey with veins popping out of his forehead. The noose carved into the skin on his neck, tearing it apart and staining the rope red. The man opened its eyes, revealing the yellowish hue tinting the whites of his eyes.

Jungkook was speechless as he stared at the swaying walker. He couldn't utter a word or weave a single thought through his mind, all he felt was pity towards the man and determination to not end up like him. And he wouldn't, not when he finally had a goal and fickle hope which was tied to a single man waiting for him at Terminus.

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Welcome to the first day of my writing challenge hehe, I'll try to keep up with the updating and I hope you enjoy this week

I know some of you thought Jungkook was dead but how can I kill my darling Jungkookie when him and Tae are in loooooove, oh sweet sweet love