r o s e d u s t, prologue
· p r o l o g u e ·
“Kibum ah, get that box under the bed too,” Nicole said softly.
Key nodded silently as she pointed to the single bed in the middle of the room with a naked mattress, its bedsheets striped off harshly and in haste, as if no one was to ever sleep on it ever again. Key surveyed the sight with dark eyes as he placed aside the box full of random items he had collected throughout the room.
The room that once belonged to someone so bright and lively was now dead and empty.
Nicole heaved a deep sigh as she stepped out to put her box of items away, even though Key had his back to her he could hear the fatigue and trauma from having to be the one to clean up like this. But she couldn’t do it alone, and Key… Key who never volunteered for these kinds of things, he couldn’t do it alone either.
There were so many fresh wounds, cutting into the skin just from breathing in the air in this room.
This room.
Crouching down on one knee, Key reached under the wooden bed frame and pulled out a medium-sized box. It was different from the plain cardboard boxes he and Nicole were using to pack everything up. No… it was beautiful, like a treasure box where the most precious jewels in the world were kept, hidden from everything else. Key felt his heart tighten as shaken hands finally dared to lift up the lid, revealing the forbidden content to him.
Photographs.
Photographs of a boy and a girl he once knew.
Key felt his eyes sting as he took the box into his arms, not daring or able to bear touching any of the photographs, and he placed it on top of the mattress. He stared down at it with an emotionless face, his eyes roaming from face to face, to face to face of the two lovers who were frozen in time with their happy blissful smiles and warm embraces.
Key reached into the pocket of his trousers and touched the small figurine made of white porcelain of a knight and horse. He knew that it was more precious than those photographs, even as precious as they were, and that it belonged in that box along with them.
Pain suddenly stabbed into the side of Key’s abdomen, causing him to let out a choked groan and clutch it tightly in his hand, staggering back. His eyes never left the pictures as blood and bile rose up from his throat and gushed out his mouth, his knees giving way.
Nicole came back into the room and immediately saw Key on the ground. Her eyes widened in horror and she dropped the box in her arms.
“KIBUM!!!” she screamed. She rushed over and quickly wrapped her arms around Key’s jerking body. Nicole’s breathing became erratic pants and she frantically looked to the door. “HELP!! SOMEONE HELP!! PLEASE!! GYURI UNNIE, HE’S BLEEDING!! HE'S BLEEDING!!” Her voice broke as she started to cry, grasping Key’s hand still clutched on his side. She cupped his face with her other hand, her tears spilling out. “Kibum ah! Kibum ah, please!!! Kibum!!”
The world was turning without him, Key’s eyes remained open and lingered at the box on top of the empty mattress as the sound of rushing footsteps and panicked cries came from the door. He clenched his teeth from the wound that had yet to heal, hurting a thousand times more from the guilt and shame that suffocated him…
A teardrop fell from the corner of Key’s eye as he stared at the box of photographs, shivering as his gaze then shifted down to the porcelain knight that had dropped out of his hand onto the floor.
“Hara…” he breathed.
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A new couple, this started as a one-shot idea, but it grew. XP I posted this at Karaholic and Soompi, but I want to expand myself on LJ. XD This story is quite dark, expect to tear up in every chapter.
Trailer video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xcY-kEo6PU
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