Sungyeol POV

The ground was slippery from the rain, and darkness surrounds us like a curtain. The only thing I could see was a soft glow that would slowly fade in and out from Woohyun's flashlight.

Stumbling a little, I reach for a nearby treebranch to steady myself. While I was catching my breath, I see two similar orbs or orange light staring at me. They seem to beckon to me as I'm slowly drawn to the liquid orbs or orange. Confused, I'm about to lean in closer when I feel something on my shoulder. Freaking out, I cover my mouth to muffle my scream.

Dongwoo looks at me weirdly as I tried to catch my breath. Removing his hand from my shoulder, he tries to shout something but his voice is stolen by the sound of thunder above us.

I could barely make out his words when attempts to say it again. "Are you okay?" he asks

"I saw something weird..." I trailed off as I turn towards where the two orbs of light were. But they weare long gone.

Shrugging his shoulders, Dongwoo points to a bobbing light that indicated where Woohyun was. Nodding my head, I'm about to follow behind Dongwoo when a crack of lighning makes the nightsky above look like day.

Clapping my hands over my ears, the ground beneath me trembles from the aftershock. When I look for Dongwoo to see if he was alright, I find that I am alone again.

Another clap of thunder alerts me that the storm must be directly aabove us. "Perfect timing." I grumbled. "Can it get any worse?"

As if to answer my question, one of the lightning shards strikes a tree which lights it on fire. The heat of the fire and the rain creates a thick steam making it harder for me to see.

The smoke was suffocating as I hold my arm over my mouth while I begin to frantically run.

I don't know where I'm running, but I do know that I need to get as far away from the fire as possible.

Lightning hits the tallest object, so I should stay in the forest so I don't get struck. Avoid high ground...

As I'm aimlessly running, I whisper a couple of prayers for the safety of everyone else.

I hope I'm not the only one who got separated...

Finally, my breathing becomes uneven. As I slow down to a jog, I notice that the fog around me has become an eerie green. Looking up, I couldn't even see the sky because the fog was so thick. But the rain stopped, which made me happy.

Pushing my wet bangs back, I stopped moving so I could check out my surroundings.

It's okay Sungyeol. You're an adult
...so I should be able to get myself out of this mess.

Suddenly, I am paralized by fear. A sickening feeling swirls in my stomach which makes me both dizzy and nauseous.

Staring right back at me were the oddly familiar orbs of light. Only this time, I was surrounded by the orange eyes as the stare back at me without blinking.

"Ya!" I yelled to scare them into blinking, but only my voice is echoed as the eyes continue to stare.

Watching them closely, I move to the left, only to have the eyes follow my movement without even moving.

This is creeping me out!

I take a deep breath as the world around me begins to slow down as if it is on pause.

Trying to stay calm, I slowly move to the only place without eyes that I guessed was the exit.

I almost made it too until the howl of an unknown animal pierces the silence. That sound was like some unknown person had pressed play to the story of my life.

Everything after that was like a blur or a movie that was sped up on purpose. The first thing that happened was that the owner of one of the pair of eyes leaped out which showed a grizzled beast that was unidentifiable.

Using my long legs, I sprint for my life as I jump over fallen trees and overgrowth and duck over branches that smack my face and scratch at my arms and legs.

Looking behind me, I notice that not only one beast but several of them were now chasing me.

Directing my eyes forward, I ignore the screaming of my lungs for air as I try to run even faster.

I can almost feel the beasts' breath down my neck and their labored breathing as my feet pound against the damp ground.

Can they climb trees?

Since it's not storming anymore, I look for a high place to escape to or a tall tree to climb up on.

In my panic, I manage to find a suitable tree and I begin to mount. Using my arm and leg strength, I scamper up the tree like a squirrel as I reach a substantial branch that could hold my weight.

Trying to catch my breath, I look below me as the beasts seem to surround the tree in confusion.

"Take that, you ugly monsters! Score 2 for Lee Sungyeol. " I yelled as I began to laugh. It must have been my nerves or I must have lost it since my situation was neithers happy nor funny.

As if to prove me wrong, the beasts begin to crawl up the tree with their longs claws that I didn't notice before.

I reach behind me where I had clipped my gun before we left the house and aimed at the beast.

Right before I pulled the trigger, another beast had snuck up on me. Biting my arm, I yell in surprise as I drop my gun.

Standing up precariously on the branch, I begin to punch the beast's head with my other hand until it released its jaws. Both of us were panting as we faced each other. With quick movements, I drop on all fours onto the branch. Using my core muscles, I swing my legs around and knock the beast off of the branch. Before I could celebrate, my heart leaped as I almost lost my balance.

Collapsing onto the branch, I hug it as I look down. Blood trickles down from my bitten hand onto the ground where I saw my fallen gun.

"Seriously!! I am this close to saying a bad word right now!" I screamed at myself.

When I see the monsters begin to climb the tree again, I decided that I needed to go higher. When I started to climb, I saw a claw reach up and swing at me at the corner of my eye before I heard the sound of my clothes tear.

Screaming hysterically, I kick the heavy beast and he falls to the ground, but I almost lose my grip again.

Dangling with one arm on the closest branch that I could reach at the time, I lift my other hand up to grab at the branch, but it snaps at the added weight.

My heart seemed to skip a beat as I fell.

When my body hit the hard ground, I heard a loud crack before indescribable pain spread throughout my body that took my breath away!

Gasping and heaving, my mind must have blocked out most of the pain since the only thing I could focus on was how to suck in with my mouth and breathe out.

Falling in and out of consciousness, I sensed the awful beasts pacing around my limp body waiting to tear me into shreds.

Right before I slipped into the merciful darkness, I see through my cracked lids a staff with electric currents that sparked around it like lightning.

"Myungsoo?" I whispered.

The beasts bared their fangs at the unknown weapon as they tried to claw at it. When one of the brave ones lunged at it, Myungsoo tightly gripped the staff and struck the beast in the chest.

The dead beast fell to the ground as rain began to fall upon us once again. Instead of giving up, the monsters attacked the new prey with passion.

With grace and unknown skill, Myungsoo 's staff whipped around the air with speed as he stabbed each and every beast. The electric shards off of the staff seemed to sparkle whenever it made contact with the rain drops.

When the last beast ran away, Myungsoo braced his hands on his knees as he bent over to catch his breath.

I noticed that the dark trench coat that he was wearing was torn to shreds as his bare skin showed through his wet garments.

I was about to say something before the sudden urge to close my eyes overtook me.

If I ever see Jingshen again, I'll have to tell him how much being an adult sucks....

******

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

The sound of water seemed to keep up with the pounding on my temples.

When I tried to speak, a moan escaped my parched lips. Hearing someone shuffle, Myungsoo held a lamp over my face.

"Are you okay?" He mouthed with concern. Gone was the mask he usually wore. It suits him.

"I should be asking you that question." I tried to laugh but I erupted into a fit of coughing. Stabbing pain seared my sides.

"Where am I?" I whispered as I looked around me. We were in a cave that protected us from the outside elements.

Our bodies were facing the exit or entrance as the sound of rain outside was mesmerizing. I try to look down and noticed that I was covered with Myungsoo's torn trench coat as a blanket.

Slowly, I moved my hand and lifted the trench coat off of my chest.

My whole upper body was stripped bare and the skin looked raw. Claw marks etched a nasty picture across my chest as it was colored in with gloomy purple and green.

Holding his hand up signaling me to wait, he walks outside and comes back with the largest tree leaves I have ever seen with green vine.

Gently, he helped me sit up which made me pant for oxygen from the exersion. Wrapping the leafy bandages around my waist and upper body, he secured it tightly with the vines.

"Thank you." I solemnly said as I looked at Myungsoo in the eyes. Nodding his head, he takes a long stick out and begins to trace on the floor of the cave that was made up of compacted dirt.

You may have broken a couple of ribs. We need you to go to the hospital.

With a heavy sigh, I nod my head. "How did you find me?" I asked

With a smile, Myungsoo bent his head and began to draw again.

I followed the sound of your screaming. I thought it was Meera....

Reading, the message I couldn't help but laugh. "Meera is a lot braver than me. She probably would have beaten those monsters by herself. " I bitterly said as I was nursing both broken bones and broken pride.

We all got separated when the lightning started. I was aimlessly wandering around until I heard a scream.

"Since we are lost, how are we going to find Woohyun so he can treat me."

Shrugging his shoulders, Myungsoo heaves a heavy sigh. Suddenly, he straightens up as if he remembered something.

I passed a house when I ran to save you. Maybe they can give us directions.

Nodding my head, I attempt to get up on my feet. Myungsoo had to help support me, but we were able to stand and walk.

Putting his trench coat on my exposed upper body, we stumbled out of the cave.

Feeling his body trembling underneath me, his skin seemed awfully cool to the touch or I was burning up.

Slowly, we progressed through the forest. The trees weare positioned so close together that we couldn't tell if it was day or night. Eternal darkness.

I held Myungsoo's staff while he held the lantern with the other hand. I tried to not lean my weight on Myungsoo too much because he also looked tired.

Eventually we made it to the house that Myungsoo described.

But it wasn't a house. It was a mansion.
An abandoned mansion.

"I don't know about this... Maybe we should go somewhere else." I suggested.

Rolling his eyes, Myungsoo pokes my waist which caused an explosion of pain that reminded me of the reason why we were here.

"Fine." I gritted out. Banging on the gate, I yelled if anyone was home.

Almost giving up, the metal gates slowly creaked open allowing us entrance to the property.

We both looked at each other with shock. "Did..did..did you..just see that? Or was it just me? I must...must.. be hallucinating." I shook but we still stepped through.

Quickly, the metal gate slammed closed with a click.

Worried, Myungsoo tried to reopen the gate but it was locked.

We're trapped!

Tapping on my shoulder to get my attention, Myungsoo points to the mansion. The front door was opened but only darkness was seen inside. Lights began to flicker on every clouded window as candles were mysteriously lit by an invisible hand.

"Looks like they are expecting us. "

******
Yes, double updates. I thought I should publish this too since the last chapter wasn't that good. Hope you can forgive me after reading this update! What do you think? Is the mansion haunted?