ALLY

We waited for a few minutes. Time was running out…I guess Ji Sung isn't coming…

"Let's go." Melody reaches her hand out to me.

"But…Ji Sung."

"We can go together. We can contact the police and you can get your friends."

I bit my lip. Yes, that was a good idea. If we get through safely I can tell Seven and surely Jumin could use his money to help us. But…Ji Sung would be left alone. Would they hurt him because I left? No. We had to do this. While Melody is distracted I toss the knife that old woman gave me.

"Right." I nod in determination and help her pull Irene through the gap in the wall. It's extremely cramped in here.

My feet are pointed at perfect 90 and 180 degree angles, my breasts are pressed tightly to the dirt walls in front of me, and my back is scraping against the cement wall behind me. I could smell the fresh air from the other. Molding beams above us are bending, struggling to hold the wall above it. As we passed under one there was a loud cracking sound of splitting wood. We all freeze, terrified, of being crushed to death. Some loose dirt falls but…we're safe. We stay silent to busy concentrating on trying to get through safely. The air does feel tighter as I realize how constricted my movement is. Claustrophobia starts to seep into my nerves. Irene nearly tears the pulley system they have off the ceiling and we both quickly grab her hands holding them tightly.

My heartbeat quickens as I start to edge closer and closer to the entrance. It's a narrow gap but I know we can fit through. I step through and feel the grass, pebbles, and dry dirt underneath my feet. I'm out.

I'm out and I want to cry tears of joy. We help Irene through and soon all of us are looking at the outside walls. The walls which made heaven unreachable for us. But now we were here, outside of hell.

Melody looks up into the sky and starts to sob. "My god…we're free… Oh…it's so beautiful."

I start sobbing too. "Thank you…Thank you God." I was free to move. Free to think. Free to do whatever the hell I wanted todo. First I wanted to contact the RFA and get their help.

Melody hugs me and gasps. "Look Irene is-"

I quickly whip my head over to see her. She's crying too, and theirs a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. Even Irene can understand the power of freedom. Well all hug and sob harder when Irene hugs us back.

"We're free."

Free.

Free.

Free.

That word feels like a prayer. Like a miracle. I bring my shaking hands to my heart and I just can't stop smiling. Even my knees feel weak, like I'm in the presence of grace and beauty. And as I look at the clear sky, the open spaces, the wall behind me I can't help but think-

"Ggggluuuh." THMP

I look over to see Irene had fallen face first onto the grass.

"Oh shit! Irene!" I roll her over. "!?" My hands are covered in her blood. Her throat has been sliced open and her vocal cords are hanging out of her throat.

"Melody!" I cry out. "Oh my god Melody!" My voice comes out in strangled sobs. No! No! NO! I was going to help her! She…she would've been okay!

"It's fine." Melody murmured.

"What?!"

"We both knew she was a lost cause."

"You…"

"Hm hm hm…hmm hmm hmm… pffft! Ha ha ha ha!" Melody throws her head back laughing.

"Me-Mel-" I see her holding a thin knife in her hand dripping with blood.

"Haaaah?" She gives me a disgusted look. "Why are you so surprised? It had to be done!" She smirks. "If we want to get anywhere she needed to go. She was nothing but brain mush always!" She brought the knife to her head, widened her eyes, and stuck her tongue out. "You should be thanking me!"

"Mel-"

"I reeaaallly~ love this feeling." She grins widely. "I loo~ve the look in your eyes. Come on…get up."

"W-why?" Did she do this!? Why!? I scramble to get up and back away from her.

"Let me see that face of yours realize that your precious freedom is slipping from your grasp." She pointed her knife at me. My god…the knife I had received. FUCK! "Run…" She swiftly slices my stomach.

I didn't need to be told twice. I sprint away praying that the direction I was going lead to a road or something!

I ran, dodging trees and rocks and low hanging branches. I could hear her in the distance and by the grace of God I found a beaten path leading away from Mint Eye. This was a miracle! It had to be. I sprint with all my might. The blood feels like ice to my stomach. Please, just let me run into a lone shack, a road, anything! Please! I put my hands to my stomach to stop the bleeding. Just because there was no pain didn't mean I was invincible. The roads suddenly winds sharply to the left. I follow it, my heart leaps to my throat. There's a little shack!

I run with all my might and burst through the door. "Hello?" I call out. Since greets me. I can hear Melody in the distance signing and laughing. She must have followed my blood trail. The room is dark and I can barely feel my way around without running into something. Finally my hands touch a wardrobe. I pull the doors open and step in. I bring my hands to my mouth to steady my breathing. I can smell my blood. Please…please…please…

It's quiet for at least twenty minutes. Then the door bursts open and I jump a little. Please…please…please… I want to sob but bite it back.

"Let's see." It's a Priest!? His mechanical voice echoes in the room. A dim light is turned on. I nearly scream. In front of me is mangled body that has yet to start decaying. I…is that Charle?! "Ah here it is." There's a gurgle of noise that comes from the Priest. "Hm~ hm~ you're not very good at hiding you know."

I feel my blood run cold.

"You little scalpel you." There's a clatter of noise and the Priests starts to hum a distorted little tune. "Ah. There now it's all set up perfectly." The Priest chuckles. He walks in front of the closet. "I fou~nd you." The doors burst open and I let out a scream and kick him right in the nuts. Although it's not a him. It's a she.

"Ow? Can't feel pain idiot." The Priest takes off her mask. "Duh."

"Melody…"

"Oh~ Were you expecting that? I bet you were" She shrugs. "I'm not very good at surprises. Ah well." She smiles happily as she looks at Charle. "Like what I did to him?"

"Why…why were you pretending-"

"I was getting tired of waiting for those Descendent scums to reveal themselves. I mean, I knew who they were but I was ordered to wait until a Flock or Arc Member revealed them. Ugh. Good thing Charle did. I was waiting for him to slip up."

"Who are you…?"

She smiles broadly and bows. "I am known as the Mortician!" She says in her usual loud tone. She puts back on the Plague doctors mask. The distorted voice cackles. "And I have been brought yet another body. You are a very special case. One that I would love to play with."

I see a surgical table with restraints. There's a bone saw on the table.

"My dear. Welcome to my Paradise."

Welcome to Paradise: Saeran

After I finished my work and read her letter I looked over again for her. Still she wasn't anywhere to be found. The note said she'd be waiting by the dining hall but I guess things didn't go as planned? Maybe she left without me? I tsked my tongue angst my teeth before walking back to my office. I stopped. The flowers really did look nice, she said…this one was her favorite right? The daffodils? I take one in my hand and feel its smooth petals. Well I guess it's okay. Kind of a shitty flower to like if you ask me.

Still, I'll just keep it for now. I walk back to my ward. What is that? My door is half open. Panicked I break into a run and slam the door open. I was expecting to see someone trying to take my files, or someone on my computer in general…but instead I see her body on the floor. Her arms are twisted in a counter clockwise motion. One of her eyes are missing and what's coming out is nothing but a light rive of blood. Her hair is sticking to her face and…and her face. It's in this timeless state of a silent scream. There's something pinned to her dress. I slowly pick it up.

"Compliments from the Mortician."

I look at my computer. The RFA members are waiting online. They're waiting for more of her instructions. Oh. And V's online too. I look back at her body and take out my phone. I suppose I have no choice but to go with Plan B. My hands are shaking as I take the picture. Finally one comes out good. This…will have to do it. Slowly I plug in my phone into the USB cable. The picture downloads while I log into the chatroom.

Unknown has entered the chatroom.

Jumin Han: No one's hurt you have they?

I watch as the chats fill with their concerns for her safety. I move to type in. I can't hear anything, in fact, I'm not even aware that I'm moving my hands. I just zero in on certain words as they scroll upward.

707 has entered the chatroom
Yoosung has entered the chatroom

707: The place we went to was a fake.

Yoosung: There was…so much blood…
Yoosung: We found some woman with her…with her throat cut open… outside this little shack. And a man…he was all..

Jaehee Kang: Oh my god…

ZEN: W-what?

V: Tell me you two are safe!

707: We are. I saw the Mint Eye building. Defenses are extremely tough to break into but…I just need a moment to recover from what I saw.

: You all have failed.
ZEN: What? What do you mean babe?

V: Is there something we've done wrong?

: There is only one place where you can atone for what you've done.
: Paradise.

I upload the photo.

ZEN: WHAT THE HELL!?

Yoosung: oh my gof…my…hdsaf arew shaejifn….that nort reahlly her is it

707: …

Jumin Han: That's…a fake. It must be a fake.

V: I…don't see any signs of it being fake.

Jaehee Kang: I…I can't feel anything right now.

: Repent.
: And Saeyoung.
: If only you hadn't been so useless.

I move away from the computer and look back at her. "Pfft." I cover my moth. What was that? But… "PFFT! heh…hehheh…heheheh…hahaha! AHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!" Suddenly I hear this sound of scratching. Like something is scratching deep within my ears, a light scratching that's slowly getting louder and louder and louder! "STOP! STOP IT!" I scream as I continue to laugh. It's not funny but I can't help it.

I look into the mirror and suddenly I gasp. "Th-that's not me! THAT'S NOT ME!" I pick the mirror up and slam it into the wall. I can still see myself through the reflection of the shards. "not me. not. me. notmenotmenotmenotmenotme NOT ME!" The person in the mirror isn't me. Those aren't my eyes! That's not my hair! I look nothing like this! Get out! I need the person inside of this body to get out! But how? How can I help him out? I look at one of the shards. Slowly I pick it up. Why can't I feel pain? That's not normal…

I bring the shard up to my eye. And gouge it out. The eye pulls out with a loud squelching noise. "See!? I don't feel anything. That means it's not my body! Get my out! Get me out!" I cup my head in my hands and smash into the wall. "AhAHAHAHA! AHAHAAHAAA! GET ME OUT LET ME OUT! AHAHAHA AAAAAH!" I can feel tears stream down the eye that's still intact. "AAAAH! NO! NO! NO!"

Paradise. Paradise. Paradise!

"NO! IT'S NOT HERE! I NEED! TO GET! OUT! GET ME OUT OF THIS BODY!" I trip over some girls. She has a horrified look plastered to her face. Slowly I scramble away. I need to make another out for me. How? How!?

No…Why? Why am I doing this!? What's wrong with me!? I can't control myself…I can't even think properly.

"I suppose it's only a matter of time. Whether it's next week or next year. Something inside of us is going to snap."

I've snapped. I've snapped.

The door bursts open. Three Arc Members and the Priest, Edwin, walks in. His cane lightly tapping the floors as he steps towards me.

"W-what is this!?" One of the Arc Members look around. They see my blood splatted on the walls and floors. One of them gags at the sight of that girls face. Edwin looks over slowly at the monitor.

"Hmph." He taps his index finger on the jewel of the cane. Slowly I stand up.

"W-we need to take him to the other Hell Spawns!" One of the Arc Members panics.

"Why?" Edwin's distorted voice sounds amused. "Where would we put him? The whole thing is packed."

"W-well."

Edwin laughs. "Perhaps now is a good time to make a new policy for Hell Spawns." He clicks the red jewel on his cane and brandishes a large knife. "Saeran I do hope you enjoyed your useless life."

"Sae..ran? Is that who needs to be let fre- GAH!" I feel my throat fill up with blood and soon I'm clawing at it. Get out! I need to get out! I fall hard on my knees, one of them feels as if it completely shattered, and fall in front of the girl. We're looking at each other. Each of us missing an eye. Each of with the same horrified expression on our faces. Something tells me she likes daffodils. If you ask me, that's a cute flower to like.