"Jungkook, I think I'm gonna die."

He had the bloody audacity to roll his eyes, tired steps dragging over dry asphalt, "Don't be so dramatic. You were the one sayin' it'd only be a few hours."

"I miscalculated." You mumbled wrapping your arms around your body.

"I thought yer the smart one." He mused happily, spinning his scythe around in one hand skillfully, making you feel glad that you were walking so far behind him.

You were still on your way back to Seoul, having driven further into the countryside than you'd initially thought. It didn't help that the sun was blazing down on you mercilessly, having your skin feel like it was boiling.

Stopping for a break was not an option. The longer you'd take the closer night would creep - and you wouldn't survive a night in the open like that.

"Jus' so you know, I ain't gone carry you." Jungkook chimed from further ahead, making you throw him a salty glare.

"Look!" Jungkook pointed the tip of his blade forwards, hilt almost hitting you in the stomach, "There's a playground or whatever. Can't be that long anymore."

"Why? Because playgrounds are usually an indicator for a..." Your eyes remained stuck on the spot Jungkook had pointed at, "...capital city..."

A dirty, blue plastic slide, overgrown with moss and grime and a single, black swing over a puny isle of sand. It wasn't much and it really shouldn't have disturbed you as much as it did.

"Kiddo? You good?" Jungkook turned back to you, following your line of sight to the plastic slide, "What?"

"It was the same kinda slide." You muttered, "I mean, when I saw a prowler- uhm-"

"...a prowler what?" Jungkook cocked his head to the side.

"Kill someone." You whispered, voice barely audible as you stared down at your feet.

___

The girl tried to breathe calmly, heart while she brought her knees up to her chest, squished together in the colorful scaffold that had definitely not been made for people her size.

Carefully, she peeked out of the opening, gaze falling onto the small blue slide where the man remained passed out on.

He had dirty clothes and messy hair, limbs splayed over the sides of the slide like a starfish.

Over him hovered a large, unusually bloated Prowler, who had the two limbs that were probably his arms positioned on each side of the man's head.

In utter horror, the girl watched the prowler lean down, gross liquid oozing onto the man while the creature over him opened what she supposed was his mouth wider and wider, until it looked like it was tearing his entire skull apart and then-

crush

The girl whipped her head around, away from the horrifying scene, both hands coming up to slap again her mouth to prevent her from screaming.

She felt sick all of a sudden . She felt like throwing up.

Soon, her hands left her mouth and covered her ears, the sickening sounds of that monster feasting on the stranger fucking with her mind. She pressed her eyes shut, throat burning with held back sobs.

Make me wake up already

After what felt like and eternity the girl dared to look back, purposely trying to avoid focusing her vision on the ripped apart corpse laying on the blue slide.

What she now witnessed was disturbingly odd: The monster arched it's back, spine cracking until it split away from the creature, new limbs forming around that spine in form of black slime growing and flowing out of it. Finally, a second prowler tore itself off of the first one like a cell multiplying.

The girl stared at the second prowler, mind racing a mile.

That's what happened with the people?

That's what happened with her sister, Minnie?

Until now, the possibility that Minnie could be the origin of one of these monsters never crossed her mind. But as she watched the scene the likelihood of her younger sister walking around as one of them seemed very much realistic.

__

"Oh." Jungkook answered very helpfully, walking back over to you, "That like... bad for you? Seeing this, I mean?"

You tore your eyes away from the playground, shaking your head, "No, don't worry."

He seemed rather skeptical, "Want me to uh... hold your hand?"

...

"Huh?!"

He grabbed your hand, promptly turning around to drag you after him, "No need to be scared, Chickie. At least not if we hurry up. If we don't, we'll probably die."

"Wow, you're terrible at consoling people." You dead-panned blandly.

He snorted, his hand around yours loosening for a moment before grabbing tight again, "That's- you have no idea."

You ignored his ominous answer, instead concentrating on the hand holding yours. It was warm and strong, a little rough maybe - which was no surprise considering how expertly Jungkook used his tools.

Your eyes fell onto your hands, body walking mechanically behind the man who was still stomping forwards as if the blazing summer heat wasn't even reaching him.

Your stupid little brain signed out for a moment and you intertwined your fingers, realization hitting you that this was the first time you were holding hands with a guy.

Which was undoubtedly sad, because this guy right here was the maniac who was your only insurance of surviving the motherfucking apocalypse. Not your high school crush. You could never have nice things, huh?

"Kiddo?" He threw a glance over his shoulder when he noticed you slowing down, not reacting to your intertwined hands in the slightest, "What did I tell you about dying if we take too long?"

Your eyes shot up and you immediately let go of his hand, "Right. Yeah." You felt silly. You were being silly.

"You're acting strange today." He puffed out picking up his pace again.

"I- what- excuse you?" You stumbled after him, "I'm acting strange? Me? Pardon me Mr. Way-Too-Touchy."

Jungkook broke out into a fit of laughter, shoulders shaking childishly, "So that's your issue? You don't even gotta worry about that, girl."

You scowled at him, "Worry about what?"

He just laughed, making a dismissive gestured over his shoulder.

You walked faster to catch up with him, glaring him down from the side, "See? You're acting strange. Why're you talking so cryptically?"

Jungkook seemed very delighted by your frustration, hopping down the road happily while not making and attempt to answer your questions, "I'm just saying, I don't see you that way, little one."

"See me what way?" You nudged his side, making him squirm away giggling, like a little school girl who's denying to tell her friends a secret. Your eyes widened suddenly, "Wait- Jungkook. I've never bothered but how old are you?"

Jungkook broke out into laughter again, throwing his head back when you finally started to catch on, "Twenty-Four, Chibi."

Twenty-Four? "Ohhh." You answered, mixture of surprise and understanding in your voice.

Well, that made sense. That's why he always called you stuff like 'Kiddo'.

Almost seven years of difference. Damn.

"Grandpa." You grumbled, nudging his side again when he wouldn't stop laughing.

It's funny how idiotic bickering can overshadow the traumatizing memory of seeing a man get eaten alive.

___