The lighting that filled the room with life had vanished. I could no longer see my best friends. He was gone.

“Mark?” I said, my voice shaking in fear.

This was one of my worst fears. Being surrounded by darkness. It wasn’t because it was dark. It was because I’d never know what was in the dark or what was coming to get me.

“Jisung?”

I started slowly shuffling my feet around the large empty arcade.

“C’mon Mark and Jisung,” I nervously laughed. ” You know this isn’t funny.”

I suddenly heard a loud noise come from close by. I froze in place.

Should I ask if one of them is by me? No, I shouldn’t just stay in place and whatever it is will go away.

I stood in place as the thing laughed psychotically while it passed me. My heart raced faster and faster with each step it took past me.

I gotta find Jisung and Mark.

I started shuffling until a touched a wall. I kept my hand on the wall and followed it. It might lead me to an exit where some light is. Maybe that’s where they are. I traced my hand lightly along the smooth wallpaper. I heard someones shaky breath in front of me. I froze. I felt our faces inches apart.

“Ariel?”

“Mark?”

“Oh my God you’re okay!” He pulled me into the biggest and warmest hug I’ve ever received from him.

I rested my head on his chest and cried. I felt him wipe his tears with his sleeve.

“Hey Mark, we should try and find Jisung.”

“Oh,” He laughed a little while sniffing. “Heh, right.”

“Here hold my hand.” I grabbed his hand and slowly started moving along the wall again.

As we continued along a flicker sound was heard.

“Ariel, did you hear that?” Mark asked stopping which made me get pulled back.

“Yeah, I did.”

“I think we should keep going Jisung has to be here somewhere.”

“No Mark, we should wait to get murdered.”

“That’s not what I meant!” He playfully hit me giggling a little.

I smiled a little at him.

“Alright this is the end of the wall. There might a light switch here. Do you have a flashlight Mark?”

“No, I checked my pockets earlier for my phone for one, but it was gone. Check yours.”

I began checking my pockets frantically.

“Mine is gone too.” I began panicking.

“It’s okay, we’ll find them after we find Jisung!”

Mark started touching around the wall to see if he could feel a light switch.

“Oii! I found it!” He giggled.

“Alright flip the switch!”

Nothing happened.

“Dang it! Is it broken or somethin’?” He asked.

“Methinks it might be.”

Suddenly the blue lights along the ceiling came on one by one. Mark swiftly grabbed my arm. It was now a dim blue in the arcade. We stepped away from the soft walls.

“Good job Mark! Now we have enough light to find Sungie!” I giggled smiling at him.

“Let’s stay close by though, I don’t trust this place.” He said.

“That’s the plan!”

We started walking away from the wall that felt safer than our own beds.

“You see Jisung anywhere Ariel?” Mark looked over at me.

“No, I can’t seem to find-,” my eyes widened as I saw him crying in a corner. “Mark he’s over there!” I let go of Mark and ran towards Jisung.

I kneeled down next to him and hugged him. I fixed his hair and started hugging him again.

“Sungie are you okay?” I said, my voice shaking almost as bad as him.

Mark sat on the other side of Jisung and started patting him on the back.

Jisung grabbed my arms and made me look into his tear filled and terrified eyes.

“A-ariel you, you saw him right.”

“I-I Saw who? Who?”

“He wants me dead Ariel, he wants Mark and Jaemin, and J-Jeno, and Chenle, and, and Donghyuck dead, dead!”

My heart sank and he cried harder hugging me tighter. I looked over at Mark whose face was completely struck with fear and anxiety. I felt tears coming down my face as I held Jisung tighter.

“Jisung, w-who is it?” Mark asked.

Jisung calmed down a little.

“What do you mean?”

“Who wants us dead?”

“And why?” I piped in.

He leaned in and whispered, “The new kid.”

Mark and I looked at each other with wide eyes.

“We gotta get out of here.” Mark said monotonously.

“What’s wrong?”

“Now.” His eyes widened even more than before.

He got up as fast as possible picking Jisung and I up. I turned to looked to where Mark had before he got us up. I tightened my grip around Jisung’s hand as we were running everywhere looking for an exit. My thoughts were racing. We searched everywhere running from the boy. We then reached a dead end.

“What are we gonna do?” Jisung asked out of breath.

My mind only said one thing to me in that moment.

Protect your boys. Keep them safe.

“Mark you and Jisung stick together I’ll be right back.”

“No, Ariel!” Mark and Jisung yelled.

I started running as fast as my legs could carry me, even though I was tired and out of breath I still got an adrenaline rush  and was ready to destroy whatever came in the way of my friends and family. I stopped in the middle of the dim lighted arcade.

“C’mon loser fight me. You won’t coward!” I yelled.

“What, you don’t wanna fight a girl? Scared you’ll lose?”

I began getting frustrated and yelled with more anger.

“COME ON AND HIT ME! I”LL RIP YOU TO SHREDS!”

The sound of nails on a chalkboard were getting closer to me. I covered my ears and winced at the noise that pierced my ears. A shadow from behind the broken Walking Dead game. I backed up a little as it came closer. He looked up at me with the creepiest smile I’ve ever seen.

“I don’t wanna hurt you. I want you to myself.” He laughed.

“Not happening. I’m someone elses.”

“Whose? Your mine. Ohh, can I guess? This is fun!”

He began to walk closer and started circling me like a shark does it’s prey.

“Hmm, it couldn’t be Jaemin he’s all over those other girls and you definitely aren’t his type right?” He admired his knife for a minute then looked back at me.

“Maybe it’s Mark? No, that’s too obvious! It’s so sad Mark really likes you, but you so oblivious to it it’s funny. It makes me happy because that gives me a chance!”

“No, no to all of it. We’re just friends!” I felt my body start tensing up.

“It can’t be Chenle, he’s too obsessed with being around Jisung 24/7. Same with Jeno to Jaemin. They’re a funny pair ya think so?”

“What?”

“Ugh, your no fun! No humor what-so-ever! I should’ve chased a girl who would’ve understood my humor!”

Well, that only leaves Donghyuck right? No, it couldn’t! He’s just as obvious as well as Mark! Always around you, making sure your okay, you L-O-V-E him sooo much don’t you? He takes care of you? You feel special around him,” His eyes became darker than before as he came closer to me.  “Well don’t. He won’t be around much longer.”

Tears were falling from my eyes.

“What did you do to Donghyuck.” I said anger slowly growing inside of me.

“Nothing my love.”

“What did you do to Donghyuck!” I yelled at him.

“So persistent! Well since you’re so nosey, I have him locked away and if he ever came any, and I mean any, closer to you I’d have to get rid of him.” He caressed the knife smiling.

“Let him go, let him go, let him go, let him g-” I was shaking out of rage.

The tall blonde male came up behind me covering my mouth and putting the knife on my neck. I inhaled deeply.

“Hmm, should I let you see him or not? Ugh, I’m never good with decisions! If you see him I’ll never see you again!”

My blood was boiling. I felt that I was no longer in my body and someone else was controlling me. I grabbed the knife and twisted his arm; getting out of his grasp I kicked him in the shin. He fell in pain.

“Ahh, wow you’re good. You learned that one from your boy toy right? I forgot about that.”

I repeatedly kicked him with all my might. He started groaning from the pain and dropped the knife. I picked up the knife and I put it up at him.

“Show me where Donghyuck is,” I said with malice in my voice. “Now.”

“Of course! But it’d be such a pleasure to die by you.”

“SHOW ME NOW!” I yelled at him.

“Don’t know if I want to.”

“Ariel, we found Donghyuck here!”

I shook out of it and dropped the knife running to Mark’s voice.

There was Mark, Jisung, and Donghyuck. I ran up and hugged Donghyuck.

“Oh my God you’re okay!” I cried.

“You’re okay.” He smiled a sad smile.

“Guys we need to get out of here first.” Mark said. Jisung nodded in agreement.

“Right.” I said.

“Hey, look over there! There’s a exit!” Donghyuck exclaimed, pointing at the door across the arcade.

“Alright, no time to plan just run!” Mark exclaimed.

We all started running to the door as fast as we could. The light was getting brighter and brighter and then everything turned white.

“Ariel, you’re awake!” Jisung smiled at me.

“Yeah.” I groggily said.

“That’s great! Donghyuck just finished breakfast!”

“Oh, awesome!”

Mark then burst into the room.

“Hey, we’re going to the arcade do y’all wanna come?”