CHAPTER 11
Journal #1: Yang Jeongsun
I see the city is nice but I'm sad because I live mother. Father is happy that I choose him but he's also sad. Father told me that mother is unstable and he needs me to get away from mother. He took me to the city, made me study there. Everything is so normal, I almost love it, everyone loves me. I made so many friends and my father is so proud of that until I meet a certain boy who have black hair and freckles on his face. He's cute. But he looks so distant. I want to be close to him.
Yang Jeongsun? Isn't this master Yang?
I noticed the note peeking through the pages. I take it and read.
'I'm afraid for the people who will end up here in the future.
Number one is dead. Number two is dead. Number three is dead. Number four is dead. Number five is dead. Number six is dead. Number eight is dead. Number nine is dead. Number ten is dead.
I, number seven am the only one who survives and the masters so crazily with. They thought that I'm the guy they looking for. After seeing my freckles, they assume that was me but I'm not. I swear I don't know them! I don't know any one of them! I'm scared but my fear can't help me. I need to get away from here as possible. Please if you are not the boy they are looking for always wear your mask!
- Woojin'
I flip the pages until I found my picture glued on one of the pages. It's my high school ID picture. So, I am that guy they are looking for but I don't have any idea of how they know me. I'm supposed the one who always wears my mask.
I flip the pages again and what's next I saw shocked me to the extent. It's a photograph and from it, I can see long arms, nails, and pale skin full of stitches. The face is somewhat horrible and he has many marbled eyes. His neck is long and he-s crawling like a spider. In the other photo, it's a face of a cat but the body is human and the arms and legs are like a wolf. It has a long tail of a wolf too. The last photo was of a huge snake. On the bottom, there's something written on it.
'I photograph master Bang, master Lee and master Hwang. They hate flashing lights and so I took that as a weapon to fight them. Anyway, they do take the wrong person!'
Wait, is this them? Aren't they human at all for real? I froze and quickly closed the journal. I took it and run out of the room. If they are not human then what are they? A real monster? My head start to hurt as I made my way out but I guess I can't go back to the library right now. I noticed a vent and I crawled there. I don't know where this is headed but I need to get out of here. Just thinking that we are not dealing with ordinary people but dealing with a monster. A real monster. I'm sure that photo was real. I saw it in my own eyes that their nails can grow longer, the same as their hands and the way they leaked whenever they are stressed out.
I saw light illuminating the dark vent. I turned off the lights and hurriedly crawled to that light. I peek outside and see the guards, guarding the area. I heard from Beom that these guards are dangerous. Once they caught me, they going to take my tongue I guess.
I carefully remove the plank that blocking the way, trying to be quiet as possible. I crawled out from the vent and I assume that I was in the living room. I crawled behind the couches as they walked in the same places. I keep the book and the lighter with me, making sure to not let the objects go. I carefully sneak to the stairs, avoiding their eyes. Once I finally made it into the second floor I run to my room but someone grabs my arm and pinned me on the wall.
"I don't know that you have the guts to ditch me huh?" It's master Yang.
"I-I'm sorry. That won't happen again." I quickly apologized.
My body tensed up once he lean his face close, sliding his pointed nose on my neck. "Really? Why do I have the feeling that you will do that again?"
I bit my tongue and sighed. I open the door of my room and throw the book and lighter in there before closing the door again, hoping Jaemen will hear it and wake up. I stared at master Yang, thinking that he was not a human makes my skin crawl. I sneak my hands on his neck. "How about the deal then?" I asked and kiss his cheek.
I'll let him claim me but I'll make sure that this is the last. He smiled and without a second, he immediately pressed his lips on mine and carried me. He bring me to his room, the room where I hide and was almost caught by master Hwang. The toys are still there but most of them are already dead. The smell of rot lingers in the air causes me to gag. Master Yang carefully laid me on the bed while looking into my eyes.
"I can't wait to claim you." He said with excitement.
He lean to close the gap between us again and I was forced to close my eyes and wait for his lips to press mine but the door suddenly swung open. I heard a low whine.
"Hyung! What the?! I'm supposed to be the one who claims him not you!" Master Yangs protest before walking to me, grabbing my arm, and making me stand behind him.
"You can wait your turn."
"Heck? I'm almost dying in there! Wait," Master Yangs faced me, looking at me with his adorable eyes. The eyes are just like the eyes of a little kitten. "Teddy told me that she just been ordered. Do you know who is it?"
I looked down at my hands. If I tell him, they'll probably kill Barbie. Even she wants to kill me, she's still human. She doesn't deserve to die and I understand her. I understand why she did that. She just wanted to be loved by the masters. I shook my head. "No," I answered shortly.
"Well...doesn't matter. The important thing is you're here all along. We thought that you escape." Master Yangs said with a smile but even he have a smile on his face, I can tell that he was mad. "How about punishing while claiming you?"
"Ya, ya. No way. You can't claim Sunie if you acting like a bitch again." Master Yang pulled his brother away from me.
"Hey! I am not! He hides from us! He deserves to be punished! That's the rule! And he needs to be punished more for leaving us before!" His brother shouted, glaring at me with blazing eyes. "Hyung! You can't be nice to him after what he did!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know so please get out of my room, and don't you there interrupt the claiming!" Master Yang said while pushing his younger brother out of the room.
"You seriously greedy right now!"
Master Yang slammed the door in front of his brother. I watched him sigh. He looks stressed and I have no idea why. Is he affected by his brother's words? Is he going to hurt me? He turned around to face me. His face is sullen even he smiled. I can still see the sadness in his eyes. I can still feel that he still hurting. Did I do wrong back then? How bad I am before.
"I'm sorry," I mumbled. If I do wrong, I am truly sorry.
Master Yang marched closer to me and embrace me. He buried his face on the crook of my neck. I can't help but hug him back. I hear him sniffling against my neck. Wait, is he crying?
"I love you so much Sunie, I love you but why?" He pulled me from the hug. "Why did you leave us?"
Is this my time to explain myself? To speak my side and my reason? Maybe, for master Yang. "I'm sorry because I don't know you. I leave not because I'm hurt from Hawon, I leave because my parents migrated to Sydney and we need to fly there first thing in the morning. That's the truth."
I gasp when master Yang suddenly grabs my chin, so tight to the point I'm already wincing in pain. He pushed me hard on the bed and hold my neck now, choking me. I cough, trying to remove his hand on my neck. "Are you the imposter?!" He yelled out, so loud that my whole world seemed to spin all of a sudden. I see his eyes turned all white and seemed glowing. With a flashing light from his eyes, I felt my body freeze as if I was stunned or something. I can't hear anything just a long beep inside my ear but I can hear muffled noises.
My world is spinning as my whole body seemed to freeze. I can't move, I can't think. All I could do is stare at the ceiling while began crying. What is that made him mad all of a sudden? Did I say wrong? And who is the imposter he talking about? I am not an imposter. Is he talking about the previous maids that looks like me?
I tried to move my arms but I can't. What is that? Is he Chika from the Joy of creation? He can stun me like this? I can't...I can't move.
I began to cry messily out of fear. I tried to look at master Yang and see him staring blankly at me. He crawled on top of me and rip the coat I'm wearing. He cut open my stitch and I screeched in pain. He opens me, even more, my wounds and I can feel the blood flowing out from it. It hurts so bad. I feel my whole body burning in thousands of flames. It's hurt so much that I can't take the pain anymore. Tears stream down from my eyes as I keep my gaze locked on master Yang. He peeks inside it and soon he smiled.
"I can see the lock, so it's really you." He said with joy in his voice. "This lock is very important. If I remove it right now, you'll be dead. It's connected to your heart so this is critical."
The next thing I know that he inserts his finger inside and the familiar pain rush through my veins up to my heart. Before I could scream, master Yang quickly closed the gap between us. He pressed his lips hard on mine. Moving his lips in dominance, inserting his tongue inside my cavern, and tasting every single inside of my mouth. I gagged because of the horrible taste of his saliva along with his rotten smell. Master Yang moves his finger inside like unlocking the padlock. A clicking sound ringing through my ear, hurt my head. Pain immediately rush up along the way in my heart and I scream in agony, sobbing messily between the kiss. I can't speak and my drool keeps on rolling out from my mouth.
I can feel a thick liquid roll down from my ear. Is my ear is bleeding?
I cough once master Yang pulled out his finger. I cough of blood and master Yang hurriedly helps me. He stood up and grab what seemed like a wooden box. He set it on the bed beside me. I still coughing blood while crying ugly in front of him. I can't move, I am still stunned and I don't know when I can able to move normally. He open the box and I see that it was a needle and black thick yards with different colors.
"Don't worry. This will hurt so much so endure it." He said and I watched him grab the black yarn and a big needle. My eyes widen in horror, I tried to move but I can't even flinch.
I watched him inserting the edge of the string on the ring part of the needle. Moving his hand up then tangled the string together. He sat on my tights, griding slightly on my crotched. I whimpered in fear. I feel his warm hand touch my wounds that continue bleeding. Without a word, he start stitching me up and I would scream in horrid pain. Squeezing the sheets under me as tears nonstop rolling down on my face. I can hear my sobs echo through this room.
After an hour of agony, master Yang stopped and cut the remaining string. All I thought, as he was done and that I could take a break from the pain but I'm confused because he take another black thread, looping it around the ring. After then, he get back to me and tilted my head to the side. My body began to tense again. Why, why he would stitch my fine neck?!
I winced once master Yang start stitching up my neck. Every time he would stick the needle in my neck it will draw blood as more blood will come out after that. The feeling of horrid sensation of a thick needle passing through flesh is horrifying. I whimpered, trying to hold back my screams. I felt as my dark, thick blood ran down from the holes of my neck, dripping off causing the white sheets to stain with my blood.
I only did was cried while wincing in pain. He stitches around my neck, looping the thread in my skin. Master Yang also stitch my both wrists and ankles. I'm twitching in pain once master Yang is finally done with his works. My whole body is stinging.
"There, every one of the hyungs asked for it. I'm the only one who is good at stitching you know. Anyway, that thread is cursed by us so if ever you run away, you can't because this thing will pull you back to us." He said and laughed like something like this is funny.
Master Yang stood up and carry me. I don't know where he take me but the last thing I see was the maids I was with.
-
The sun arisen dotted through the beige, stained curtains, sprinkling on my tired, swollen eyes. It was now morning, and my malnourished, thin, and pale exhausted body longed for sleep. Everyone had bags under their eyes, and I would jump at the slightest of sounds. I was becoming unstable, and I was afraid I would snap out. I don't know if my sanity will hold longer in this sick place.
I immediately jumped out of my drowsy state once I felt the burning pain sooth my entire body. I winced, trying to get up, and sat on the bed. I noticed that I'm finally fully clothed.
I winced again once my neck soothes pain. I touched it and realized that it was sewed. I looked down on my wrists and ankle. It's all sewed, black strings looped around my neck, wrists, and ankles. It seemed like I'd been chained up. I can't cry anymore, my eyes stung from all the crying I did last night.
I need to bandage it but I can't find one. I still have fresh wounds on my back from the multiple stabs I receive from Barbie's companion.
"You awake." I looked upon Jaemen. I just realized that I was back in my room.
He removes his mask before closing the door. He runs to me and brings the journal to me. I almost forgot about it. "I read that last night. I guess the masters are obsessed with you. I even see a couple of notes from the previous maids who have the same fate as you but died in the end."
I open the journal and see a couple of notes placed on the first page. I didn't read it and flipped over the pages until another photograph captured my attention. From the first picture, there's a huge dragon, no, it's the body of a dragon and its face is the upper parts of a human. The human is pale, his arms are long, the same as his nails. His hair is long and it seems like little snakes but has a face of a dragon. I can't see the face very well because the photo is kind of blurred. In the second photo, I can see the huge two wings of a butterfly. It's only the wings. Maybe he didn't photograph the body because maybe he is in hurry.
There's a note at the bottom of the photo.
'It's master Han and master Leelex this time!'
So, it's master Han and master Leelex. I flip the page and read something that piqued my interest.
'Don't say the triggering words to the masters. It will make them so mad. The words are I don't love you! I rather die than love someone like you--'
I frowned, the letters is ripped off. But I think I get what it was trying to say.
"I think the masters are lacking out of love that's why they easily become obsessed with someone," Jaemen said.
I closed the book and hide it in the drawer. That journal, I'll bring that home to me. I'll show that as evidence. "Or are you trying to say that someone is me?" I asked and he slowly nodded.
"Where did you get that journal?" He whispered.
"I found a secret room in the library and went there. Just when I saw that and bring it to me."
"Did you find the way out?"
I shook my head and I whimpered when the stitch on my neck began to hurt. Jaemen quickly help me.