corridor.

It was during a break between the shooting. Krit was walking around the temple, waiting to be called back for the shooting to begin. He walked alone while trying to learn his script. From the classroom to the temple. The place was quite beautiful. Well, not really that beautiful, but it was a quite nice place. But of all the places in the temple, there was one place that he would avoid as much as he could. Yes, it was the one and only shortcut to the temple, the tiny corridor. The corridor that Oh-aew would have to pass through to avoid Teh.

 

Krit was claustrophobic. He didn’t know when it started, but his mind would go blank, his breath shortened, trembling hands, and even feeling nausea when he stayed in a ******all space for too long. And even if he didn’t have to stay for too long in the corridor, for the entire series, they would need to retake it over and over. So that one very short scene actually kind of made him anxious.

 

‘Should I try and get myself used to the corridor? Stay in the corridor for awhile? I can’t just get scared and refuse to do the details of the series that everyone needs…’

 

Krit made up his mind. There was still time before the shooting in the classroom began, anyway.

 

The boy slowly headed to the door of the corridor. That place was strangely empty. Almost no one was there. Krit actually found it odd, but he brushed off the thought and opened the door. The door was left unlocked as it would be used later for shooting. He entered the dark corridor and felt around the walls, looking for a lamp switch. The darkness started to quicken his heart beat. He tried to take a deep breath, trying to prevent a panic that was accumulating inside his stomach.

 

“You’re okay, Krit… This is nothing. You can do this.” He whispered under his breath.

 

But the second his head finally calmed down, he heard the sound of the door closing and locked.

 

Wait, locked..?

 

Oh gosh, is he really trapped in this dark closed corridor on his own?

 

He could feel the held back panic now rising, choking his throat that he couldn’t yell for help. His limbs went stiff and he couldn’t move an inch just to approach the door or even bang it. Krit just stood still in the middle of darkness that surrounded him. His breath began to shorten. Wild thoughts filled his mind. He couldn’t think straight.

 

No no no no no! 

 

This is too dark! 

 

Too suffocating–

 

I– I can’t breath!

 

His eyes went wild, glancing left and right looking for any sliver of light just to bring him back to the ground, but there weren’t any. It was oddly pitch dark in the corridor that was supposed to be a shooting location. His pupil dilated so wide it started to hurt his head but his fear took the lead and he couldn’t think of anything but being lonely and scared.

 

Krit bumped his back against the walls. He hugged his knees and tucked his head deeply. He tried to catch his breath. His brain worked hard, searching for any breathing method he could remember but it wasn’t enough to calm him down. Not long after that tears began to drip down his cheeks. Sobs rushing through his throat, making it even harder to breath.

 

In the midst of his breaking down, suddenly his cellphone rang. Krit didn’t even realize he brought his cellphone with him. So, he reached into his shorts’ pocket slowly and took his cellphone, the screen showing the caller’s name.

 

Kin 🙈

 

He blinked several times to make sure that it really was his partner calling him. Kin never called him. He preferred to text rather than call so it was really rare of him. The call was suddenly hung up before Krit could answer it, so he immediately unlocked his cell phone and called his partner back.

 

It didn’t take long for Kin to answer him.

 

“Krit, where are you?? We’re going to begin shooting!” Kin said in no time. His voice was hurried but full of worry. Krit bit his lower lips, holding back another sob to leave his lips.

 

“Kin..” Krit whispered quietly. And the very quiet voice of Krit increased Kin’s concern of the boy. “Krit? Krit, are you okay? Tell me where you are, please.”

 

“Kin…”

 

Realizing Krit’s shaking voice and uneven breath, Kin’s heart began to beat faster. “Krit, can you hear me?”

 

Krit silently nodded his head before he realized Kin wouldn’t be able to see him. “Yes..” He whispered again.

 

“Good. Are you hurt?”

 

“No…”

 

“Tell–“

 

“But it’s so dark.. Kin, it’s too close.. I can’t breath–“

 

“Krit– Krit! Listen to me. You’re okay. You hear me? You’re okay. Breath with me. Take a deep breath…”

 

Krit closed his eyes, focusing on Kin’s voice and following his lead. He choked once, but Kin said that was okay. Kin was there and he would always be. He could take his time.

 

“Exhale… Good job, Krit. You feel better now?” Kin asked softly.

 

“Yeah..”

 

“Think you can talk, now?”

 

“I guess..” 

 

“Now, I need you to tell me. Tell me where you were going before, so we can find you, and save you. Okay?”

 

“Okay.. I was going to the shortcut to the temple.. Wanted to get myself used to the close space in here.. but then the door was locked before i got to turn any lamp on…”

 

Kin was surprised. The crew and him had gone through the corridor over and over that day and it was not locked at all. Neither of the doors was. And there was definitely no Krit anywhere around the corridor. So where were Krit??

 

Kin covered the mic in his cell phone and told the director beside him. “P’Boss, Krit said he’s in the corridor to the temple.”

 

The director lifted one of his eyebrows in confusion.

 

“But he also said that it’s dark. The corridor’s doors were not locked at all and there is ventilation above the door so there’s no way he’s there.” Kin continued to explain. “We need to find him soon. Krit is claustrophobic.”

 

“Oh Lord. Okay. Let’s head to the corridor first.” 

 

Kin nodded his head and immediately brought his cellphone to his ear again.

 

“Kin? Kin? Kin don’t leave me. Please I’m scared, Kin.” He could hear Krit begin to sob again in the call. So he quickened his pace to the corridor, not wanting the boy to feel anymore scared.

 

“Hey, hey, I’m here, Krit. Sorry I was talking to P’Boss. You’re still with me?”

 

“Yes…”

 

“Okay, don’t worry. I’m heading there. I’m coming to you. Don’t be scared, okay?”

 

Hiks , “okay..” Krit said softly between his tears.

 

Kin now stood in front of the corridor and as he remembered the door was totally unlocked. And there was no one inside.

 

“Krit, you’re still there?”

 

“I am..”

 

“Krit, I’m going to sing, and you have to sing with me. Okay?”

 

“W-why would I do that..”

 

“To help you distract yourself. Okay? Follow me. Wànlǐ tiáotiáo jiāngshuǐ wèicéng néng bǎ wǒzǔlán. ..” Kin started to sing slowly, hoping Krit would sing with him. He didn’t ask Krit to sing just to distract him, he was hoping he would be able to hear the boy through his singing.

 

“ Wànlǐ péngpài jiāngshān zhǐ xū wǒ zhuǎnniàn yī shǎn… ”

 

But Kin didn’t expect he would hear his partner’s beautiful voice from the door next to the corridor, the green door he didn’t notice before.

 

“ Wànlǐ guāngyīn wǒ guīxīn sì jiàn,”

 

Kin checked the door to find that it was locked from outside. The janitor probably didn’t know that someone was inside. So he turned his step to find someone, anyone, to help him unlock the door.

 

“ Wànlǐ xīnghé mìngyùn wú wǒ bù rènshū gāi rúhé…”

 

Head turned left and right, looking for the janitor, he finally found him. So Kin approached the janitor.

 

“ Rúhé ..”

 

“Excuse me, Sir, but do you have the key to the green door next to the corridor? My friend was inside and I think you accidentally locked him inside there.” Kin asked the janitor in a hurry.

 

“Oh God, I’m so sorry, young man. That was the storage and no one was supposed to enter! So I didn’t think anyone would be there. Now, let me take the key first.”

 

“Thank you, Sir.” Kin said politely. ******ile emerged from his lips. “Krit, I know where you are, we’re going to take the key first then let you out immediately. You’re okay there?”

 

To his surprise, there was no sound from his cellphone. He found the call was already hung up. Kin tried to call him again but to no avail. 

 

Was Krit’s cell phone out of battery? Why didn’t he pick up??

 

“Sorry, Sir, can we hurry please? I’m worried about my friend, he’s claustrophobic and he didn’t pick up my call.” Kin said hurriedly to the janitor. 

 

“Oh, okay, okay, this way.” The janitor said.

 

They picked up the pace and after they got the key Kin and the janitor went back to the green door. There were a bunch of keys in one circle and all of them were similar. And Kin’s rising panic didn’t help. If anything, it made the janitor grow anxious and kept choosing the wrong keys, instead.

 

When the key finally matched and the door unlocked, Kin stormed in to find Krit hidden beside a tall cupboard, crouching, hugging his knees and a tucked head. Seemed like Krit didn’t hear the opened door. Kin rushed to be in front of him and carefully touched his arms.

 

“Krit.. I’m here.”

 

The boy lifted his head, showing the tears streaked across his beautiful face. “Kin…” He whispered softly. Relief appeared on his face. 

 

Kin quickly hugged the ******aller. “You’re okay, you’re okay now. I’m here, Krit. You’re okay..” He whispered over and over in Krit’s ear. Kin rubbed Krit’s hair over and over, wanting to calm the boy down. But Krit was too overwhelmed and tears couldn’t stop dripping from his eyes. His eyes would be swollen later for sure.

 

The janitor turned the lights on. P’Boss rushed in, wanting to check on his main actors’ condition. “God, I’m so glad you didn’t get hurt, Krit.. I wouldn’t have known what to do..” He said in relief, hands patting the two boys’ heads. “Come on, let’s get out.”

 

Kin nodded at that and took a look at his partner. Krit seemed out of it. Too tired of feeling scared and crying. Kin rubbed his head and back, telling him that he was okay now. He was safe. And deep down Krit knew he was. He was safe as long as Kin was with him.

— End.