Reborn as a Prophet in a Horror Movie

#082Reader Mode

#082

The sharp smell of booze briefly made Johan think he had stumbled into a fight between drunk customers. But instead of punches flying and trading insults, two disheveled guys, identical in their messiness and looks, begged for his attention with an air of desperation. They introduced themselves as Harry and Gary. Johan’s eyebrow shot up in sympathy.

“Did your parents have a hard time coming up with names? Even for twins…”

“Oh no, not at all. Look, I’m the real one here, and this twisted imposter is the devil himself, I tell you!” Harry’s face turned beet red as he hopped up and down, practically frothing at the mouth.

Gary wasn’t backing down either. He yanked on his hair like he was harvesting a crop of split ends. “Who’re you calling an imposter? This lunatic’s the fake! I’m the real one, I tell you! Acknowledge my humanity!”

Harry jumped in, his voice rising. “Don’t listen to him! If you’re gonna believe anyone, it’s gotta be me. I’m the human here!”

“Hmm…”

Johan stroked his chin, eyeing the two men who seemed to be performing some sort of bizarre, identical twin tag-team plea. All he wanted to do was fix his car and hit the road, but these two troublemakers, dressed in casual clothes, might know of a nearby repair shop. And since it was already late, hearing them out – despite the strong smell of booze on their breath – might just pay off, especially if they had local connections.

Although it was a long shot, Johan figured that if he got a recommendation from some locals, he might have better luck finding help. Better than winging it, at least.

Johan flashed Harry and Gary a more friendly smile, his eyes sparkling excessively bright despite the dark surroundings. But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t muster up any real trust. Harry noticed and spoke up in a gentle tone. “You may think we’re just a couple of crackpots spinning a wild tale, but I’m telling you, that’s not the case at all.”

Harry faked a cough and glanced up at Johan, still nervously tugging at his hair. He shot a fleeting, terrified look at Gary.

“This crossroads? It’s the devil’s playground. Give a proper answer, and your wish gets granted. But fail to impress, and something terrible comes your way.”

“Terrible how? Like a serial killer chasing me? An idiot taking crossbow potshots? Falling from a building? Tentacles ripping out my guts? Or will an arrow get buried into an eye?”

Harry looked taken aback. “Wh-what are you saying such horrible things for?”

“You’re the one who said terrible things happen,” Johan shrugged. He’d just listed his deepest fears, but Harry’s sulky face made it seem like he thought Johan was mocking him.

“Look, I don’t know either because I’m not the devil, alright?”

It was a sight to behold, seeing a middle-aged man sulking and pouting like a toddler. It would’ve been comical if he wasn’t so annoyed by the whole situation. He didn’t feel the need to show it though. Gary cleared his throat.

“Ahem, ahem. So, what we’re saying is, if you grant the devil’s request, your wish can come true.”

“Is that so?”

Johan was dumbfounded as he stared at the two mentally unstable men in front of him. He ventured a cautious question, “Uh, do you guys have some kind of… genetic thing going on or something?”

But Johan’s attempt at tact only seemed to enrage Harry, who slammed his fist against his chest, his brown eyes welling up with tears. Just as he looked about to explode, he met Gary’s vacant, crimson-eyed stare. Suddenly, a beaming smile spread across Harry’s face, and he clasped his hands together, gazing upward as if in prayer.

“Ah, that’s it! There’s a foolproof way to expose the devil’s true nature! You see, the devil’s got snake eyes!”

Johan raised an eyebrow. “Snake eyes?” He pictured slitted pupils, but the two pair of eyes in front of him looked perfectly ordinary, differing only in color.

“No, no, let me show you,” Harry insisted, his hands trembling as they rummaged through the pockets of his baggy jumpsuit. He upended the pockets, spilling out a mess of playing cards, coins, peanuts, a wallet, and dice. His eyes locked onto the dice, and he hastily stuffed everything else back into his pockets.

In the dark surroundings, eyes deeper than the boundless ocean fixated on Harry’s hand, following every movement with unwavering intensity. Johan’s stare bore into the pocket of that sloppy jumpsuit, unblinking and relentless. The wallet Harry had briefly revealed was all too familiar—an unremarkable, ordinary palm-sized thing that Seojun had received for his 17th birthday.

Johan’s heart pounded, an unpleasant rhythm that echoed the brewing storm within him. It was a rare emotion. When insult and contempt mixed just right, it felt like this. Truth be told, Johan was a pretty simple guy, making this sensation all the more foreign to him.

Oblivious to the dark gaze upon him, Harry placed the dice on his palm, his attitude even more lighthearted than before. “Now, take a look at this. Snake eyes mean when you roll two dice, and they both land on one. I only got one with me right now, but anyway, look.”

The single dot on the upturned face of the die stared back at them, a solitary red eye. Harry’s lips twisted into an uncontrollable laugh, delight dancing in his voice as he exclaimed, “This red. This red is proof the guy is the devil himself!”

He waited expectantly for Johan to declare him human on the spot. But instead, Johan’s skeptical gaze flickered between the die and Harry’s face.

“How can I just take your word for it?”

“What?”

“You’re saying that just because someone has snake eyes, they’re the devil? That’s a pretty weak argument. I need some concrete proof before I start believing in demons.”

Harry’s face turned bright red, then blue, and finally drained of color as the blood rushed out of it. Gary chimed in, “Yeah, he’s got a point. You’re a smart guy, Johan.”

Gary enthusiastically shook Johan’s hand, but Johan remained stiff above the elbow and unimpressed like a statue. Gary, however, seemed satisfied with the exchange.

Johan couldn’t care less about Harry and Gary’s devil dilemma. As a down to earth guy, he saw their sudden talk of demons as nothing more than irrational nonsense. While his encounters with space monsters and serial killers had broadened his understanding of the world, the idea of devils was a bit too far-fetched. He didn’t have time for this. With an indifferent expression, Johan spoke up.

“Why don’t you two figure this out amongst yourselves? I need to call a tow truck for my broken-down car or at least push it out of the way. It’s blocking the road, and I don’t want to leave it here when rush hour hits in the morning.”

He may have sounded considerate, but it finally dawned on Gary and Harry that Johan didn’t believe their story one bit.

“No, forget your damn car!” Harry snapped, his face flushed with anger. “If we don’t grant the devil’s request, we’re stuck at this crossroads. Forever!”

His eyes, now clear of booze-induced haze, burned with a mix of indignation and frustration.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t ask stupid questions,” Gary cut in smoothly, far calmer than his riled up twin. “No matter which way we go, we always end up right back here.”

Johan eyed their surroundings suspiciously, still unconvinced.

“You expect me to believe in some magical crossroads?”

With a frown, he rolled his stiff shoulders. It was just a casual gesture, but for some reason, Harry averted his eyes down. Then, as if drawing strength from the endless shadows around them, Harry spoke up with newfound conviction.

“You can doubt it all you want, but you won’t believe it until you see it for yourself. Go ahead, try running. You’ll just end up right back here anyway.”

Johan blinked, his eyes clear and untainted by the madness around him. He cocked his head to the side, a puzzled expression on his face as he pointed a finger at Harry.

“You know, your approach to this whole ‘request’ thing is a bit…off, don’t you think? If you’re so sure about this, Harry, why don’t you do the running?”

“What?”

“Isn’t it obvious? If you want to prove your point, you should be the one putting in the effort. Why make me do it?”

Harry’s jaw dropped, his mouth hanging open like a fish out of water. Stunned by Johan’s shameless response, he ground his teeth, his yellow-tinged teeth scraping together as he made up his mind.

“Fine, you want proof? I’ll give you proof. Watch this!”

The middle-aged man spun on his heel and took off, his heavy breathing echoing in the air. He thundered down the right path, his chunky frame bouncing with each step. Sweat dripped down his face, the effort taking its toll…

Meanwhile, Johan was thrilled to finally have some peace and quiet. He circled his car, inspecting it from every angle. The tires looked good, and the engine seemed okay. As he pondered the mystery of his stalled vehicle, he heard the sound of labored breathing in the distance. He turned to spot Harry jogging towards him from the far end of the left path.

Harry looked like he was about to collapse, his face twisted in a mix of exhaustion and determination. Despite being drenched in sweat, he managed to stumble back to the center of the crossroads.

“There… huff… you see? Phew, ugh. I gave it… my all. I tried to escape this place, but… pant… ended up right back here. Please, you’re my last hope.”

Tears and sweat mingling on his face, Harry approached Johan with a desperate plea. Johan grasped the pitiful man’s hand firmly, and a faint glimmer of hope sparked in Harry’s eyes, though even he seemed uncertain what he was hoping for.

“Huh?”

Something rough scraped against Harry’s palm. He looked down to see what Johan had handed him. It was a lemon candy, wrapped in bright yellow packaging, its sour smell wafting up to his nose.

“Why are you suddenly giving me candy?”

Johan smiled, his grin appearing almost painted on.

“Well, why don’t you take this and go check out the other paths? Try the one straight ahead. If you come back from a different direction, then I’ll believe you.”

“Wh-what? Why would I…?”

“Hey, for all I know, you could be part of a set of triplets, right?”

Johan shrugged innocently and gave Harry a gentle push, sending him stumbling forward. Harry took off running again, sobbing. Gary, who had been watching the whole exchange, muttered under his breath.

“You really are a terrible person, huh…?”