slowly placing his books into his maroon knapsack, baekhyun glanced at his silver wristwatch, closing his eyes in anguish as the time was only a quarter to three, meaning that the boys were still prowling around, waiting for him to show himself. huffing quietly, his knuckles turned a paler shade of white as he gripped the back of his chair, grudgingly sliding his backpack over his shoulders. stepping out of the school and into the calm weather outside, he tugged on his dark locks gently, his inky eyes glancing around cautiously. a cruel laughter was heard and his shoulders slumped, his eyes trained onto the concrete steps of the school.

of course they'd still wait for him, what was he thinking? he rolled his eyes slightly as he recognized the giggles, pushing his bangs back with a shaky hand. three figures emerged from the ghastly shadows, lips now pulled into atrocious smiles. "are you excited, baekhyun?" sehun teasingly inquired, a familiar sharp object clutched in his right hand. as he started the razor, baekhyun shuddered, defensively holding his hair with one hand. "come on, baekhyun, let's show you where you're headed." the three boys began walking forwards, their tall figures precariously teetering. baekhyun cursed under his breath, wondering what kind of luck he had in order for all of this to take place.

begrudgingly following them, a worried look flashed across his face as they neared their destination, a tall manor with cracked windows and cobwebs coating every visible surface. the manor loomed over a cul-de-sac, a bone chilling wind passing by. quivering, baekhyun hastened his pace, trying to catch up with sehun and his posse. the sky seemed to darken with each heavy step, a darker shade of blue mixing in with the previous, painting the sky in a gloomy array of midnight blues and charcoal greys. the large wrought iron gate in front of the house stood tall and proud, gazing over the driveway. sehun and his two friends walked confidently, his rings clicking gently against the surface of the stainless steel razor.

"here we are," the second one announced breathily, tossing a blond strand over his forehead. "excited, baekhyun?" he cooed, wrapping his bony hand around baekhyun's pale wrist, their skin tones clashing in a hot mix of tan against a waxy white. baekhyun's eyes widened in fear, his long eyelashes veiling his ebony eyes from the boy's line of sight. his long nose wrinkled in disgust as he pushed baekhyun towards sehun, who was awaiting him.

"i can't wait," he squeaked out, a slightly sarcastic tone laced into his words. sehun stepped forwards, tucking the razor into the pocket of his pants before easing baekhyun's backpack off of him. he flipped it over, spilling its contents onto the muddy ground, his books and pens in a large heap at his feet.

as baekhyun opened his mouth to protest, sehun had already spoken, effectively silencing the boy. "it's so you can fill it with whatever loot is inside," he explained, handing the maroon bag back to him. baekhyun shakily nodded as he was pushed towards the sinister manor, an eerie breeze floating about. "go on, now. we'll be waiting right here when you get back." baekhyun began to walk forwards slowly, thoughts attacking him mercilessly.

will he make it out? what if they leave him here? is all of this worth it?

taking a small glance over his shoulder, he saw the three boys give him a collective thumbs up, toothy smiles engraved into their faces. he turned back, facing forwards reluctantly, his eyes landing on the manor. go in, grab anything that looks expensive, and come out, he repeated in his mind, a rather sour look crossing his face as he struggled to push the gate open.

after moments of agonizing silence, the gate swung open grandly, allowing him to walk through and swiftly close it behind him sitting closed with a click. as he trudged forwards, he couldn't help but to feel like someone was watching him, the gaze burning into him. the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and his eyes darted around in a haste, but he didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. a small shiver slithered up his spine, causing him to look back at the three boys who were smiling encouragingly at him, false hope evident in their glassy eyes.

it wasn't long before baekhyun reached the front doors, the large wooden slab standing scornfully. he glanced back one last time before pushing the door open, a loud creak resounding through the empty home. he skimmed his surroundings, noticing the dark hallways and shattered mirrors perched on the walls. the house wasn't anything special; dusty hardwood leading up to a flight of stairs, a snake of carpet across each individual stair. again, he felt the same feeling; his hair rose, standing on edge as he hesitated, halfway into the house.

taking an unsteady breath, baekhyun fully stepped into the dismal manor, his heart beating erratically as he continued to walk forwards, the door left open behind him. holding his backpack to his chest, he leaned forwards, peeking around an opening to see if anything was worth taking. the house seemed to be awake; dancing shadows performed seamless brisés and pirouettes under the pale orange glow of the setting sun. a large grandfather clock was set near the stairs, the glass cracked and filthy from years of dust buildup; just how old was this home? baekhyun continued to fearfully explore his surroundings, until the front door slammed shut, sending a wave of terror through his tall frame. jumping from the sudden loud noise, baekhyun's pale skin turned a shade of pink as he hurried back to the door, tugging at the doorknob with desperation. his heart leapt out of his chest when the door didn't budge, leaving him punching and clawing at it in rage and fright. he was breathing heavily, dark eyebrows knit together as he continued to fumble with the doorknob to no avail.

"no," he shook his head, tears blurring his vision. "please, let me out." his voice cracked and so did the window to his right, making him pause his motions and back up against the door, hands behind him. "hello?" he shook his head once more, eyes glued to the broken window, stupidly pinching himself in hopes that this was a dream. the action of his skin creasing and a small bolt of pain racing up his finger made him realize that this horrific dream was actually reality, panic setting in as he decided to walk ahead, albeit hesitantly. his irises darted left and right, yet he saw nothing but ghastly shadows mocking him as he shrewdly stepped up the stairs, each one groaning under his weight.

he continued his way upstairs, turning a corner at a painstakingly slow pace, pushing his ebony locks back as the hallway echoed his footsteps. the hallway forked into two locations, the frigid temperature of the manor causing baekhyun to shiver slightly. deciding left, he turned, following the hallway to the end, seeing a closed door. he swore he heard a whisper, a gaunt insinuation as a warning for him to leave, to never return; but he couldn't heed it, as his only escape had been shut. the pale door was littered with small nicks and scratches, little rust coloured splotches that looked peculiarly like blood, and messy writing engraved into the wood.

"who is in control?" baekhyun read aloud, running his fingers over the engraved letters. grasping the handle, he twisted it and pushed the door open, holding his breath at what he would possibly find inside. it was a small bedroom, the wallpaper peeling from the top, an ancient yellow hue to the edges as it curled downwards. a large bed was in the middle, an old fashioned white four poster with messy sheets piled on top, a small dressing table towards his left. there was a door to her right, similar to the one he walked through, with engravings and scratches covering the surface, which he assumed lead to a closet or bathroom. near the ceiling, out of his reach, there was a small window, just barely big enough for a person to fit through.

one thing caused baekhyun to freeze in his tracks towards the bed, his breath hitched uneasily in his throat.

mirrors; antiques, modern, and even hand mirrors, were arranged to face the bed in an semicircle, small smears of maroon on some of them. baekhyun grimaced, his handsome features crinkling as he resumed advancing towards the bed, his various reflections gracefully imitating the movements. he sat on it, the plush fabric welcoming him with open arms. he sunk into the bed, eyes closing slightly as he took several deep breaths, drawing each one out slowly to calm himself.

it wasn't long before the bedroom door slammed shut, and baekhyun was left frightened once more.

an;
anotha one bc i hit half k followers