Chapter Twenty Three - Horrifying Human Being (Part 1)

Chapter Song Suggestion - "When I Lie by Lil Peep"

— Kang Dae

I begin to fret when Aera never returns. Ordering Ji-Hoon to stay put, I call her cellphone, but it goes straight to voicemail. Hastening to the nearest washroom, I see two girls weeping miserably to a security guard. I'm about to turn away when I spot Aera's bag in their hands. I rush over. "Excuse me, that bag belongs to my girlfriend."

"Your girlfriend's been k-k-kidnapped!" One of the girls cry in dismay. "We saw it happen. T-there was a woman in a...m-mask and she was wielding a knife!"

Fear sinks its nasty claws into my heart, my throat turns dry. Gruesome scenarios circle my mind, but I refuse to let them distract me. "Did you see where they went?" When they don't answer fast enough, I roar— a storm of fear and violence. "WHERE DID THEY GO?!"

The girls flinch, shaking their heads wildly. "We d-don't know! Sorry!"

"Fuck!" I swore aloud, making them jump in fright. Primal panic whips through me, knotting my guts and tightening my muscles. Whipping out my phone, I dial for Detective Cha. "We have a problem. Aera's been kidnapped."

---------------------------

— Aera

The van rocks from side to side as we drive along an uneven road in the dark, with two dingy headlights illuminating our path. It's been a long drive, one filled with delicate tension and hostility. Everyone is on edge. If I make one wrong move, God knows what they will do to Nari or me. I hope she's unhurt. How the hell did she get caught? Is anyone looking for her? And Dae…I trust he already knows I'm missing. I'm certain he's searching for me but in the meantime, I have to protect and save myself. For every second that ticks by, my eyes are peeled. I won't hesitate to seize an opening if it presents itself.

Soon, the van crawls to a stop. A man drags me out unceremoniously, causing me to stumble and fall to my knees. I wince at the sharp scrape. Up ahead, I notice an eerie looking warehouse. It's abandoned.

I hold in a snort. How typical. Why do the bad guys always choose such a cliché set up?

"Get up and start walking!" My captor snags me up by the arm and thrusts me forward. Inside the warehouse, it's chilly and poorly lit by a few generator powered lamps. What stops me in my tracks, is an empty glass tank large enough to fit a car. It sits on top of a makeshift platform, with a chair inside. A foreboding feeling creeps under my skin.

Oh fuck. This looks bad. Really, really bad. My survival instincts kick in and I brace to run. I have to get out of here!

A vice-like grip snares me, tearing a cry from my lips. "Don't even think about it or I'll break your legs." The man drags me to the tank, and I dig my heels into the ground, unwilling to obey. His fingers tighten. "Get the fuck in! Now!"

I refuse to move.

"I said get in!" He bellows, pointing a gun to my head.

My breathing escalates. I don't want to die. On wobbly limbs, I climb up the short ladder and land inside the tank. My captor climbs in after me, gesturing with his gun. "Now sit on the chair. Don't make me tell you twice."

Compliantly, I sit, whimpering when he starts taping down my hands until I can't feel my blood flow.

"Get comfy." He spits at my feet and leaves.

Suddenly, I hear footsteps echoing and my heartbeat accelerates with each step.

Ba-dum.

BA-dum!

BA-DUM!!

"I warned you, didn't I?" A familiar, singsong voice shatters the thick silence. "I told you to stay away from him. But you wouldn't listen."