thirty one

I shot her right where she had shot him.

"Hoe."

I mumbled after shooting, tucking my guns into their holsters. One wrapped around my waist, the other around my right thigh over the black leather pants I wore. What did she think? She was gonna talk trash right after she killed my family? Killed him?

Family over anything and everything, everytime.

And now my seven boys over anything and everything, everytime all the time.

Because they were all I had. What I'd ever had.

"Bee, can you come untie me please?" Seok-Min asked softly from the other room. I was very much aware of the fact that I needed to rush out of this place but I couldn't get myself to move. I shot her but I also lost two friends, both betrayed me but they were my sense of security at least once. I slowly turned towards the door and my eyes fell on Noah. His body was lying on the floor, the room suddenly too cold and unbearable. I felt my whole body shake, tremble and tears pricked at my eyes.

"Bee, there's not much time, be quick." Seok-Min said, his tone so warm but so urgent. I tried to hold back a sob, choking on it and fastened my steps towards Seok-Min. He smiled sadly at me and I moved my hands shakily but quickly to open the ropes tying him to the chair by his hands. As soon as his hands were freed, he jumped up taking me into his arms. I latched myself onto his neck and he turned picking up my legs bridal style.

"Come on, we're right here for you. let's go." He said running somewhere into the house but I was too in shock to know where he was taking me. He opened some door after a minute and moved out, it was the back of the house, Young-Jae was supposed to be here, waiting. There was nobody here.

"Young-Jae, where are you?" Seok-Min muttered to himself. I wiggled out of his grasp and my feet landed on the ground. We needed to do something quick. I heard several footsteps behind me and saw the guards through the open back door.

"Seok-Min, run."

And we both started running away from the house, no idea in which direction, just running. The guards chased us, just a few feet in betweeen while I ran with all my might and Seok-Min led me. I saw a bunch of trees ahead of me and with utter agility I dived into the trees, cutting through the trees and bushes.

"Bee, do you even know what way we're going?" Seok-Min asked panting heavily and I shook my head.

"Just follow me, we need to be away from them." He nodded and we kept running, it being dark outside was a great help. We both merged completely into the forest but the guards kept following our panting and rustling of leaves. I signalled Seok-Min to keep his feet light and we silently moved forward. The small forest ended where a stream of water opened. The only option was to stay in the water for a minute or so, and then swim towards the other side. The water was flowing in one direction, and it was fast. Too fast, because this wasn't a stream of water, it was a fucking waterfall.

As much as the dark allowed me to see, it was not a tall waterfall but it was tall enough to make the guards lose us. I grabbed Seok-Min's hand pulling him along but he stuck to his spot, shaking his head vigorously. I looked into his eyes, barely possible in the dark and I noticed him tremble with fear looking repeatedly between me and the water.

Oh no, I forgot he was Aquaphobic.

"Seok-Min, look at me," He turned his head towards me again. "I'm gonna be right there with you bub, just jump in before it's too late." He looked terrified but nodded anyway. I intertwined my fingers with him and taking a deep breath, I jump.

The cold water caused goosebumps on my skin but I didn't care, I did't see anything clearly but I felt Seok-Min wiggle in the water and his grip on my hand tightened. I frantically threw my arms around and when I felt the collar of his black shirt, I grabbed it and moved closer. His hands grabbed my shoulder and he clinged onto me.

I mentally sighed in relief, just a minute more, he'll be okay. He kept squirming around and I wrapped myself around his lean figure, hiding his face in my embrace, just a few more seconds, hold on for just a few more seconds. I tried to squint to see the surface but no avail.

I decided to take a chance and swam upwards with my brother stuck to me. He was so scared, so so scared, it was making me weak. I will make sure he never has to be this scared again.

As soon as I was closer to the surface, I released my breath, breathing in again after jutting my head out. I probably looked like a weird fish gasping for air on land.

As soon as my senses turned back to normal, I saw Seok-Min, now a lot calmed down than before. There were no guards, nobody around, just the two of us, moving to the crest of the waterfall, we were gonna fall down any minute. The water current was too strong but we were not moving that fast because the holster of my gun was stuck in a weed in the water.

"Seok-Min, you okay?" He nodded, still panting and gasping, pale with fear.

"I'm stuck, hold onto my hand while I free myself, the water is too fast, we'll have to do something quick or you'll flow away from me." He paled even more and grabbed my hand too harshly but I let it slide, there were more important things right now.

I ducked my head into the water again,using my free hand to get out of the weed's hold. As soon as I succeeded, we both started flowing along with the water towards the end of the stream.

We were gonna fall down.

I somehow came back up, supporting Seok-Min as much as possible. The water was too strong, he clinged onto me again and we get tossed around in the water. My back hit a rock, harshly scraping against it and I felt my skin burn. Another toss and Seok-Min's back turned to a coming rock, he couldn't see it though so I turned around again, just in time to prevent him from getting hurt. My back met the rocky surface again, and this time I felt blood oozing out, sticking to my tank top.

It burned. So much.

I didn't know what time it was or how long we were in the water, the last I remembered was falling down the stream. Now here we were, lying in the mud, me on my stomach and Seok-Min on his back. He hadn't woken up, but by the looks of it, he was not ill or something, except a few bruises while my whole body felt numb.

Even my mind felt numb, I couldn't think what gonna happen or what happened to the others. I tried to get up but my body had no energy at all. I just turned onto my side, facing away from him. When I looked around I noticed it to be a very familiar lakeside. It was the one where I used to come with mom back in high school.

The sky was clear as ever and the clouds were faintly visible but still beautiful. This was the most peaceful I had felt in months. The numbing sensation made me feel less so I thought less, I didn't know why but the comfort in being sad was far greater than the comfort of being happy for a few minutes.

Weeping seemed better than faking your laughter. At least you could let your inner demons out rather than crying over some and laughing on others. After all What was the point of weeping over parts of life? The whole of it calls for tears.

I closed my eyes again but my peace gets disrupted when Seok-Min whimpered in his sleep. My eyes shot open and I sat upright quickly which made the cuts and bruises on my back sting but I ignored it.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked shaking him a bit and he slowly opened his eyes sitting upright.

"I'm okay, are you?" He asked and I nodded, checking his busted lip. When did that happen?

"Lets go home." he whispered standing up and extending a hand to me which I gladly took but my legs gave out and I almost fell before a hand on my back hoisted me up but landed directly on a cut. I whimpered loudly and Seok-Min's ears perked up.

"Are you hurt? What happened to your back?" He asked, concern lacing his voice.

"Nothing." He gave me a stern look and my eyes watered.

"Yes, I'm hurt, I can't think straight and my back hurts like a bitch." I said, tears almost falling.

"Do you want me to carry you?" He asked wiping my tears and I nodded. I really couldn't walk.

"Tell me everything inside you while we find a way alright?" He asked taking me in his embrace and I wrapped onto him like a Koala. It really really hurt.

"Are you okay? You must have been so scared, I'm sorry." I apologized and he shook his head.

"No, I'm glad, my fear of water is no more. Tell me, why does your back hurt?"

"I crashed into a few rocks in the water," I told and he said something along the lines of 'it'll be okay'.

"Seok-Min, I miss Young-Jae." I mumbled sleepily and he chuckled humming a sweet tune.

"It's only been a few hours Bee, You'll meet Young-Jae soon." I nodded and slipped into a slumber.