A Day In September - BTS Zombie au

9: Gone

Mara was stuck in place, feet frozen to the ground with nervousness. She feared even a budge with such a bulky and terrifying weapon in her face.

Mara regretted everything coming here, wishing she hadn't lied and that perhaps these were the consequences for lying.

A male stood before her, dark hair partially covering his dark eyes as he stared right through Mara. He looked oddly calm, but Mara figured that anyone with a gun like that would feel safe when up against someone without trustworthy protection. Her rusty machete couldn't possibly be of much use.

The nameless male had a stiff posture, eyes inquisitive and analytical. His stare was outright intense, but unintentionally so. Mara mentally scolded herself for being so occupied with the blood trails to be wary of her surroundings. She'd been so vigilant beforehand, and she could have avoided this situation so easily. However, now Mara was dealing with a stranger that seemed to have appeared out of thin air, a presence that'd stealthily traveled through the shadows casted by the corners and crevices.

"Who are you?" he spoke, voice deep and rumbling that it put Mara in her place — disregarding the fact that she didn't even know she had one. Mara knew she was probably in someone else's territory, so that could have explained it. She was an intruder while he was trying to figure who broke into his turf .

Intimidated, Mara opened her mouth to speak, finding it to have gone dry with nervousness.

"I didn't know this was off-limits," Mara managed, hands in surrender. The stranger narrowed his eyes in skepticism, eyes seemingly reading Mara for any hint of lies. It was a partial truth, more so because Mara didn't know if it was still being searched or scavenged.

The male's eyes traveled down from her face to the sheath at Mara's waist, looking elsewhere as if trying to figure out if Mara had any other hidden weapons.

She didn't. And Mara made a mental note that if she made it out alive, she'd change that.

He returned to staring at Mara, slowly lowering his shotgun. He still held it at his side — a warning Mara was keen to heed on. The skepticism never left, but Mara was glad that the weapon was no longer pointed at her face. He seemed to have realized Mara was no threat, which left it to Mara to decide whether she was relieved or offended.

She would stick with the first one for today.

With a crisis averted, Mara awkwardly stood still, highly intimidated by the enigmatic stranger that stared back at her.

"What were your intentions?" He asked, face stone cold. Mara's heart was still beating through her chest, and she feared that it would echo in the large warehouse with such a deafening silence.

What was her intention?

"I just wanted to find some materials," Mara lied, quietly speaking as to not be too loud. The stranger didn't seem to buy it, eyes narrowing for the second time. Mara felt she shouldn't have said much else, but she did.

It's for Jimin's sake.

"I-I have a friend...he got a little lost. Wanted to help him find his way back," Mara vaguely stated, watching as the stranger paused, only to blink away the curiosity and replace it with its distant precursor.

The stranger seemed to have accepted this answer better, for he didn't narrow his eyes at her or catch a lie with his eyes. He seemed to be able to read people very well.