["Hello Trouble!"] "Well? I'm waiting!" Mrs Park hissed angrily and loudly so that her voice echoed piercingly across the whole house, unintentionally inviting a confused Arthur into the living room — there, where Travis was standing a minute away from his grandmother, his eyes locked to the floor that was glimmering brightly beneath his shoes. Arthur's bloodshot eyes squinted at both his grandmother and cousin — like a bag of nails, exploring Travis's cheeks that were dreadfully burning. Travis swiftly shot Arthur a detached glance and looked away immediately. His eyes were full of cold nothingness that was entwined with embarrassment he so wished to hide but failed. "Did she…see what…happened? David and I…?" Travis silently interrogated himself, his hand stealthily clenching into agitated fists right in the depths of his trouser pockets. He never removed his eyes from the floor — only listened to his heart as it hammered against his chest. "Is everything ok…?" Arthur questioned
[Bombs Are Falling!]"Good morning!" Mrs. Park greeted immediately when she entered the dining room, a bright smile dangling across her face. She swiftly gave Arthur a brief hug and walked over to her chair, inhaling the sweet, warm smell of the food cluttered on the table. Arthur greeted back with a smile that was shining adequately as his grandmother's and stuffed his mouth with a red berry. "Mmh…! Where's Travis? Has he not come down yet?" The old woman questioned immediately when her eyes landed on his younger grandson's vacant chair. "I don't know. I haven't seen him today, perhaps he is still preparing for school." Arthur shrugged and replied soon when he had swallowed his cereal. There was hollowness wrapped around his features — either from the unending analysis he had made of his cousin's last night's behaviour and how many questions were floating in his head. Arthur quickly released a deep sigh and continued gobbling his breakfast. "He cannot still be getting ready for sch
"One, two, melatonin is coming for you. Three, four, baby won't you lock the door?" There was Travis mumbling and whispering words of a certain song under his ice cold, quivering breath. Every one of his muscles was tight — his body was as stiff as a board.His eyes — so bloodshot and filled with many veins, were intensely staring at the toilet bowl, his head buried deep in a thought that mercilessly teleported him to a world of delicacies — in a world far away from reality; a world that seemed to fill his system with inexplicable dread that spread throughout his soul, filling it with nothingness. Venomous — A giant hole had finally found a permanent home in his heart; surely it was there to stay. He looked like ugly and the heartbreaking consequences that came with its presence. A hideous, prominent shadow quickly took all his strength — he could not speak nor was he able to cry; there was a nameless void in his heart and soul. Travis unceremoniously leaned his head against the doo
"What if I told you and gave you a quivering piece of my heart, would you keep on asking that question? A question that no one has thought of asking? Will that make any difference?" Travis quietly spoke to himself whilst his eyes were nervously staring at the drawing of David's face, which he had made just a few hours ago, at 02:30 a.m when he wasn't able to sleep or he could say, his periodic inability to sleep began again. His veiny, sweaty hands shuddered uncontrollably, making the A4 tremble in his unsteady grip. His wet, red lips rumbled with passion, uncertainty waving in the air that escaped from his mouth. Words hid in the cold midst of the shadows, right in the pointy depths of his throat. There was an aura of hopelessness hanging in the air around him, terribly breaking his faith into tiny pieces that he was discouraged to pick up. There again — his brain was captured and put hostage by a mountain of unanswered questions and rootless thoughts that quickly made the hairs o
[My Heart; Our Broken Souls!]Hushed — completely quiet. Nothing but the sweetness of the muffled sounds that sang softly in the core of their ears — instantly calming their nerves while the gentle breeze mischievously kissed their skin, quickly sending electrified chills throughout their systems. The tiny specks of sparkling dust seemed to dance in the shaft of the morning sunlight that was seen slanting through the windows. As enchanting as they were; the beams of the sun made a beautiful parade that spread throughout the room, dispersing nothing but warmth all over their veins that swiftly tightened with merriment. With just one delicate glance, that was enough to make Travis's sensitive organ passionately, almost hesitantly hammer itself against an unsteady wall of ribs — singing loudly a song with an unknown title while at the same time ensuring to minimise all the possibilities to bring air into his system without a fight. "With eyes so delicate, they shimmer with innocence a
[A Ray Of Sunshine But In The Dark. Are We There Yet]——"Dad's? Man, I have a huge problem with that word. It makes me sick!" ""Yeah? Me too! Actually, I hate those that carry it!" — Soft chuckles! "At least there's one thing we have in common!" Travis said through his clenched teeth. His eyes, as usual, were looking at the sky — thither where the blazing midday sun shone beautifully, bathing the buildings nearby in its excruciating warm light. The roads were shimmering in the heat of the sun — not too much but just perfect for the two boys to enjoy the light breeze that was criminally tickling their cheeks, at the same time helping them blow away the aura of grey that had been enveloping their heads since the last few hours. The two boys; Travis and David were laughing as if nothing had taken place. They ambled across the pavement that was cluttered by dead, colourful leaves that were beautifully smoothed out by thousands of feet that had stepped on them countless times. Steadi
[Guilty As Charged?"]——"What does she want? I have already given her everything she had asked for!" An agitated Martha hissed through her quivering teeth that she gritted with fear. She was so nervous like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Tremblingly, Martha bit her fingernails as she was breathing heavily with suspense, while beads of sweat glistened across her forehead. She anxiously paced across the hushed room — the only sound that she could direct in her ear chambers at that moment was her palpitating heart that was awfully hammering itself against her chest. A minute passed and she was still alone. From time to time, Martha would stalk time on her wristwatch and see that ten minutes had already passed. Her heartbeat rate increased to a point where she could only hear the heart and nothing else. "This better be good! Where are you!? Come…!" "Oh! You're already here? Punctual as always, I love that!" Jiyeon appeared in the doorway, wearing her usual smile t
[ FAIR WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER MAY HAVE A DISPLAY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE, PLEASE READ WITH CAUTION. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED]——A big SUV came to a screeching halt just a few feet away from the entrance of the Park Mansion. Inside of the car was Travis who was quietly taking deep breaths into his dull lungs. He sat uncomfortably in the back, while carefully exploring the proximity of the huge house that was luxuriously built — for the first time it seemed rather strange to him. He silently and unhurriedly examined every closed window and every door, stealthily checking if there was a chance for him to escape whenever he needed to. There was nothing but a bitter feeling that shamelessly undressed itself into the chambers of his heart. Ten minutes had already passed — Travis tightly closed his eyes for almost forty seconds, trying so hard to calm down his heart that was filled with recalcitrance. "She is waiting for you, Travis!" The driver's voice shamelessly
——The golden rays of the rising sun slowly floated into the room and landed on Travis’s face whose sleep was quickly chased away. With a frown across his forehead, Travis unhurriedly opened his eyes and let out a groan. He got up and stood straight on the bed before reaching for his phone. “Nine? I’m late for breakfast!” Travis growled as he sprinted to the bathroom. He quickly washed his face, brushed his teeth, and raced downstairs when he was done. He found his grandmother and cousin, Arthur, already seated for breakfast. Jiyeon was absent from the table, something Travis quickly understood. “Sorry…for being late.” He apologised as he sat down on his chair. His grandmother only nodded, while Arthur smiled. “How did you sleep?” Arthur investigated and smiled widely as he sipped his apple juice. “Well, I…slept like a baby,” Travis replied shortly after clearing his throat. He instantly began to recall last night — his hand’s job and then a conversation with Jiyeon. His heart slo
——Lips painted by a red gloss carefully pressed against each other immediately after withdrawing from the white cup. “How are you feeling now, dear?” Mrs Park investigated shortly after placing the empty cup on the table. Her eyes gently fell on Jiyeon who had been nervously staring at the plaster cast around her arm. She bit her lower lip and nodded, “I am…fine.” Jiyeon replied in a voice that had dropped to a whisper. She slowly raised her head and turned her eyes to her left, where Travis was sitting. The boy had been quiet as he asked himself questions as to how Jiyeon got the big bruise on her face. The bruise decorated itself across the left side of Jiyeon’s face like a big wing of a butterfly. Travis wanted to let his eyes linger on Jiyeon’s face, but he couldn’t, he averted his eyes away from her face to his grandmother who seemed to have a lot to say. “It is late, you guys go to sleep, and we will have a talk tomorrow.” Mrs Park suggested instantly after getting up. The t
Silence — it was absolutely hushed. The wind released a soft cry that left a hole of embarrassment in the two boys' hearts. Their eyes nervously darted from one place to the other. Travis shifted from foot to foot, wearing a glowing, sparkling smile that magnificently decorated his face. David silently fought with his heart, urging to gain control over it, but he continued to fail over and over again. No words could describe the amount of jingling in the depths of Travis’s heart as he was fishing for words to spew, but none came forth. “One, two, three...” He counted as he tried to wipe his smile, but he had no control over it. His eyes gently landed on David’s pale face for a brief while and then they quickly flew away from his face to the dusty nightstand. “S-so…how are —!?” “I need to use the bathroom,” David whispered with a hiss when Travis was speaking. The boy quietly nodded and carefully watched David as he hurried into his bathroom. “Calm down, breathe!” Immediately after
•••The rays of the rising sun flooded into the space, gently landing on the black island table that separated the two individuals — one wearing a smirk that was carefully spreading across his face and the other with eyes that were dilated with shock. It was very quiet — so hushed, making it easy for Sean to hear how loud and demanding David’s heart was throbbing. “Remember it, David. Remember well how you tightly clenched the sheets, endlessly moaning my name. I did not force you; you were the one who jumped on me even when I was asking you to stop. You were not drunk; we both know that.” Sean murmured, leaning forward and allowing the sunbeams to expose his green gleaming eyes. The man ensured that his gaze strictly fell on David’s face, studying its movements and the change of colour — from pale to red. David closed his eyes and gritted his teeth so hard that an unbearable pain kept his gums hostage for a short period. He did not want to react to Sean’s words, but his body diso
–“Falling deep into blue…! I wish I did not, but I ended up doing it. It is painful and it hurts so much.” A boy who whispered through his clenched teeth lay on a king-sized bed whose sheets were wrinkled. The beams of the rising sun floated into the huge room through the naked window and landed kisses on his pale, nude body. His eyelids trembled when he felt every warm touch from the sun. A smile faintly spread across his dry, chapped lips immediately when his eyes slowly opened and collided with a white, vaulted ceiling. He bit his lip and closed his eyes again. “How many times have I been looking at you? It is still the same and I hate it. Maybe he should change the design…!” David breathed instantly after clearing his throat and never dared himself to move his body, not even an inch. “Maybe we should do it somewhere else. In another room so that I don’t always look at the ceiling. I had to look at it all night.” The boy added with a loud, rough sigh, ignoring the sun’s beams th
DAVID CHWE’S POV CONTINUED…[ I REMEMBER…ALL OF IT!] WARNING: AGE GAP! “Are you willing to do anything, boy?” An unfamiliar deep, slightly husky voice investigated. I vigorously nodded, breathing heavily as I stared at the green eyes that were shamelessly following every movement I made. I stood in the same spot and listened to footsteps walk out of the dark towards me. My hands were shaking but I did not intend to run away because I needed a job. I helplessly narrowed my eyes to catch a glimpse of the owner of the voice that made my heart tighten with fear. A step and another, I saw a tall, pale-skinned man in a very black suit looking down at me. His eyes were mysteriously gleaming with glee as they hovered over my trembling, slim figure.I unconsciously took a careful step back, my eyes still glued onto his, as if under a spell. The unknown man scowled at me with amusement and for some reason, I felt like he was looking directly into my soul — I felt all my secrets, fears, and
[ A PAST AND IMAGES ENGRAVED IN MY HEART; NEVER WILL THEY LEAVE!]DAVID CHWE’S POV: I REMEMBER….“There we go! It started again! The fucken unruly thing!” A dry hiss made a rough escape through my shrivelled lips that I had been trying so hard to keep wet with my tongue until I had no patience anymore. My eyes hastily flew up at the vivid blue sky that was covered by clouds that I instantly caught retiring into an intimate dance with the gentle breeze. I released an oppressed sigh quickly when I felt the sun lay its warm kisses on my red skin. “Another torture,” I whispered to myself, my forehead frowning deeper than it already had. During that moment, I had averted my gaze from the sky to two girls that I shamelessly witnessed as they were burying their heads into an idle talk. Something bothered me or rather, influenced a feeling of envy within me. I know many boys would have widened their eyes with admiration at the sight of the girls, but instead, my eyes widened with envy as I
A clap of thunder rumbled immediately when his now veiny eyes collided with those harvested by treachery — poison and cold darkness. David felt his chest tightening and he could not breathe. The papers in his hands trembled, some falling on the floor with a silenced, pitiful whine. “This…!” “Your new job!”Mr M intruded on David who could not release words from his quivering, dry mouth. The man’s voice rumbled throughout the dining room, making David’s muscles tighten with fear — afraid to even land his eyes on the one speaking. “New job? W-what…why are Travis’s…pictures…?”David calculated and investigated quietly, his trembling voice dropping into a whisper. He was paralyzed to the spot and could not move his body — he felt cold air bite into his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. His tear-filled eyes darted around, landing on anything possible — from his shaking hands to Mr Sok whose face showed no emotions. Confused, David felt his world start to shake — he felt like he
[CHAINS AROUND MY NECK; DELIVER ME FROM HELL]The wind firmly cried as David stood there, his eyes filled with burning fear while he stared at the gigantic house that was covered by pulsating, crimson-red lights — each blinking as if warning him to go back where he came from and if he were to enter, he’d not come out alive. “RUN!” A sonorous voice in the chambers of his head whispered but he could not move an inch of his body. He stood still as he continuously exhaled deeply. His hands were shuddering deep in his pockets — he was now counting past 51. “RUN!” The same voice advised but once again, David dared not to move — he felt his hands heavy and could not lift any of them. He did want to turn around and leave, and never come back but the longer he looked at the lights blinking in his direction, the sweeter the spell became as it travelled through his head and to the back of his skull. He could take a step back and walk away but he knew the consequences that would come with tha