kianyx
He was panting… He could feel the cool touch of the brick penetrating the thin fabric of his white V-neck tee as he sat up against the outside wall of a building for support, while he attempted to catch his breath. They had to run. There was no question to it, but still, Kian couldn’t help but feel entirely guilty for not doing anything to aid the scene they had just witnessed. He knew there wasn’t anything he could’ve done to help anyway, given the amount of intoxication in his system. But still…
He took a glance at Jolee, who was craning her head around the corner they sat at, clearly trying to scope the issue out for any progression. He didn’t bother asking, because quite frankly, if he couldn’t help, he didn’t want to know. As the young male rested his head back against the brick, he gazed out at the faint glint of the river across the street, and wondered how the life he had tried to escape back in the States, was somehow finding him here in Korea as well. Everything he had was on the line: his image, his career… He knew it was incredibly selfish to think this way in such a dire situation, but any effort he could make would be to no avail if he wound up getting himself seriously injured – even, quite possibly, killed. All for a stranger? Kian shook his head, scooting further down away from the corner as he heard the voices in the distance rise to louder shouting. Taking another glance at the girl beside him, seeing she was balancing everything internally just as he was, he knew there was no questioning whether or not they join the fight. So instead, he sat in silence for a few more beats before finally saying, “Let’s get out of here. Completely.”
Kian had only known Jolee for a total of four hours, so whether or not her retort was sarcastic, he couldn’t exactly tell. Regardless, she was right. Karma had a special way of dealing with people who saw bad things happen, and did nothing about them.
Nothing could surprise her anymore. That’s what jo told herself. It was a soft mantra to keep her less anxious and stop her from slipping through ice that was never-ending. Even when she thought she’d begun to walk on land, she was solid and the fear, the prickling anxiety existed, nights like this resurface and she’s clinging to the surface with rubber gloves. She feels it nipping at her feet, not the burn of the run but the ache of falling into the cold trap. She knows with an ironically sinking feeling that if she moves, if she looks back and she moves she falls and that’s it.
The first time she was granted a pass. A life jacket appeared and nails clawed to the top. She admits, she might’ve spent too long in the water before she truly clawed herself out and frostbite left it’s marks in her brain. spots and reminders that she couldn’t ever walk on land. So as she told herself that mantra, as she got comfortable and lost herself to the reminder that the sun would guide her to better days and dryer lands, here she was pressed against the wall and breathing to remind herself she was alive.
Nothing surprised her anymore. It’s what she told herself when she saw the blood. When she saw the brutality and realized a world with humans might not exist anymore. But brutality is human and she’s covered up enough scars to know that’s the truth. When she’d seen a tooth spat out and the tip of a bat cracking against a body. One, two, three. She couldn’t even look away all three times, she didn’t even scream. Her breath feared for it’s last and remembered to keep itself shut. She was more worried about Kian, if her hand would become their savior should the sight of crimson draw him to panic. She didn’t expect much from the male, maybe fleeing but nothing synonymous to chivalry. She didn’t blame him.
“You can go, I----” what could she do. she takes another peek out. a body becomes one with the concrete, his blood will seep into the spot until it becomes washed away by unforgiving time. he won’t have a story. his pain will be forgotten only to stain their eyelids and taint their karma. jo didn’t believe in such bull. but she didn’t believe in turning away. “You go, but I ain’t leaving him.” She didn’t know the fellow, what he did. But three to one was never fair, and she spotted no guns. “We can’t just....we can’t just leave him can we?” Well Kian could, too many parts of jo that’d taste a bat and clung onto hope desperately could not. But she’s moving out and inching closer, looking for something she can use for leverage. a small brick seems to fit perfectly. her arm rears back, she’s up and pretty sure she has a good target in mind. a plan, not so much.
“Kian hide.” the whisper mixes with the whoosh of the brick through the air, and the clunk against a skull.
