Reborn as a Prophet in a Horror Movie

#083Reader Mode

#083

Johan took the candy back.

“Looks like we’re not getting out of here anytime soon.”

“That’s what I’ve been telling you all along…” Harry grumbled, his body splayed out on the ground like a starfish, his voice as weak as a whisper. Johan’s booming clap right next to Harry’s ear snapped him out of his daze.

“Well, congrats on officially proving we’re stuck here. Nice work.”

Clap clap clap…

The sarcastic applause echoed through the crossroads, with Johan clapping away. Once he’d finished, he tapped his chin thoughtfully.

“Alright, let’s get to the point and make a decision so we can get out of here already.”

His words caught Gary and Harry off guard. Harry sprang up like a jack-in-the-box on caffeine, bouncing over with clenched fists and barely contained skepticism.

“Now hold on, I’m obviously the real person here, but maybe I haven’t made my case strong enough yet. Don’t you think deciding now is a bit too rash?”

“Yeah, I’m a real person too, and I haven’t had a fair shot at proving it,” Gary said, not wanting to be forgotten.

“Do I need to overthink this? From what I get, this magical crossroads thing is about granting the devil’s request and getting your wish, right?”

Harry and Gary nodded in casual agreement. With that settled, Johan fired off another question.

“Is the devil’s request always the same deal?”

Gary shook his head, running his fingers through his little patch of luscious hair as if trying to cover up a secret hair transplant. “From what I’ve heard, it changes. Might be choosing the living person, the real one, or some other weird requirement.”

“And how the hell would you know that?” Harry accused, his voice sharp as a knife. Sweat dripped down his face, his nostrils flaring. “You! You’re the devil, so you’d know everything, right?!”

Johan’s eyes sparkled with amusement at Harry’s forceful tone. “You really think only the devil would know that, Harry?”

Harry nodded frantically, sensing a chance to prove his humanity. He launched into a lengthy, explanation that Johan hadn’t even asked for.

“I’m telling you, it’s impossible for a normal person to know that stuff! I only knew some vague rumor about the hardware store owner’s second son granting a request for a twin here. Most people in Utahpia have no idea about the crossroad’s devil. So if Gary’s a walking encyclopedia on the subject, he’s gotta be the devil himself!”

Johan nodded thoughtfully. “I see. Thanks, Harry. So Gary, what kind of wishes can the devil actually grant?”

Harry’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head as Johan dismissed his passionate argument. His breathing turned ragged. Meanwhile, Gary shamelessly puffed out his chest with a smug grin.

“Pretty much anything, except maybe hatching an unfertilized egg, I suppose.”

“Surprisingly modest of him.”

Gary snorted. “Modest, my ass. Snakes can hatch eggs. It’s just common sense. And I’m definitely not the devil.”

“Alright, that’s enough.”

Johan’s disappointment vanished like a wisp of smoke in the wind. A broad, cheerful grin spread across his face as he pointed at Gary. “I’ll acknowledge Gary as a person. Isn’t that what you really wanted?” His voice dripped with a sickly-sweet cheer, lighter than a feather in a vacuum.

Harry’s lips quivered, his entire body trembling with rage. “No, no, no! You heard me loud and clear. I’m the real one, the actual human! How can you not see that?!”

“Yeah, I suppose you are.” The burly young man shrugged, his tone as nonchalant as if he were discussing the weather. Harry’s existence seemed to be nothing more than a minor footnote in Johan’s mind.

Harry was stunned. Was that really all there was to it? Could Johan really dismiss someone’s existence, their very being, without even a hint of remorse?

“Then why are you making such a huge mistake? This is absurd. Absolutely crazy!” Harry’s voice exploded, his words punctuated by the pounding of his feet against the hard asphalt. His heels bloodied and his throat grew raw, but the screams persisted, a desperate plea for recognition.

But Johan’s words fell like a guillotine, ruthlessly severing Harry’s final shred of hope.

“This isn’t a mistake, Harry.”

Harry’s haggard face turned upwards, his head shaking vehemently, as if the very motion could negate the reality before him. “If it’s not a mistake, then why? Why are you doing this?”

“Isn’t that what the devil does? Grants wishes? I just happened to need one.”

With a casual flick of his hand, Johan gestured towards his car, and Gary strolled over, a carefree smile plastered on his face. Gary’s hand landed on Harry’s shoulder, the weight of it like the final nail in the coffin of his existence.

“Thanks for granting my request. So, what’s your heart’s desire?”

“If you could just fix my broken-down car, that’d be great.”

Gary chuckled, shrugging at the surprisingly modest request.

“The only reason your car broke down is because we’re standing at the crossroads. Make a wish, and this place will go back to normal in no time, and your ride will work as usual. Come on, make another wish. I’m not that stingy.”

Johan’s face lit up instantly, his eyes sparkling with excitement. He leaned forward, his words tumbling out in a rush as if he’d been waiting for this very moment. “Well, in that case, I’d love to know where to find my friend. Can you mark it on the map for me?”

As Johan rummaged through his car, pulling out a map book, Gary raised an eyebrow. In Gary’s opinion, Johan’s wishes were consistently modest and bordering on downright cheap.

“That’s it? You could’ve figured that out yourself, you know.”

“True, but it’s kind of awkward to call this late at night. Plus, it’s just not polite.”

Suddenly, a scream pierced the air, raw and primal. Harry’s face burned a deep shade of red, like a boiled octopus. His fury, a palpable force, aimed not at Gary, but at Johan.

“Are you out of your mind?! Making a deal with the devil? You’re okay with burning in hell for all eternity? Doesn’t the thought of eternal damnation scare you?”

Johan’s calloused fingers scratched his cheek, a small sigh escaping his lips. He paused, carefully weighing his words before speaking. “Honestly, I’m not really religious. My parents don’t know, but the whole concept of heaven, hell, or purgatory… it just doesn’t really resonate with me.”

Johan seemed genuinely puzzled by Harry’s intense reaction.

“What’s got Harry so worked up?”

Gary’s explanation came with a casual shrug. “Well, he’s being held captive by the devil? It’s a whole separate issue from my request.” He turned to Johan, a glint of possibility in his red eyes. “If you wish for this man’s release, that’s an option too. Someone’s made a similar wish before.”

Gary’s voice carried across the crossroads, reaching Harry’s ears. Harry’s gaze darted between Gary, who shared his face, and Johan, tears welling up in his eyes and spilling down his cheeks.

“Please…I’m begging you, save my life! I have a family… a young daughter and a wife waiting for me at home. Without me, they’ll starve. No, they’ll definitely end up in poverty and die!”

“You have a family, huh?”

At Johan’s question, Harry nodded, his head bobbing up and down like a buoy in a stormy sea. He clung to hope, his knuckles white with the force of his grip. The plea in his eyes was the kind that would normally melt even the coldest of hearts, but the person before him was no ordinary man.

“But they’re not my family… right?”

Johan’s brutally selfish words sliced through the air like a razor, cutting off Harry’s desperate gasps. The devil’s mouth split into a wide gleeful grin, reveling in the pain Johan inflicted. Harry’s voice trembled as he made one final attempt.

“You don’t believe in an afterlife? Then what about the devil? What about all the terrible things he’s done?! Are you really that dumb? Can’t you see that if the devil exists, the afterlife must too?”

Harry’s words trailed off, his voice nothing more than a whisper. His fierce gaze flickered and died, like a candle snuffed out by the wind. Despite the middle-aged man’s pitiful state, Johan’s voice remained smooth and kind, a stark contrast to the cruelty of his words.

“Harry, let me ask you something. Is this hell?”

“What?”

“Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that the devil is real. Let’s assume this guy is the evil serpent from the Bible or whatever. But look around. Even with the devil here, this place isn’t hell. So, couldn’t the devil just be some creature living on earth, just like the rest of us?”

Johan’s voice echoed in the space between them, deep and slow like the drip of water in a cave. He spoke not to persuade, but to share his thoughts, uncaring of their impact on others. The cold, heartless young man continued.

“I’m not sure what happens after we die. If my brain and heart stop working, it doesn’t seem like I’d still be ‘me.’ Does the soul have a brain? Can I really consider something without a brain, heart, or muscles as ‘me’? I don’t know. Or rather, I just can’t bring myself to believe it. Think about it, Harry. If I got in an accident and my arm got ripped off, would anyone consider that arm as ‘me’? No, Harry. It’s just a detached part of me. We don’t consider shed hair, dead skin, or flushed feces as part of ourselves.”

Johan’s eyes bore into Harry’s, intelligence and reason glinting within their depths. The chill of his gaze seeped into Harry’s bones.

“So, I’m gonna do my best to be happy with the one I love while I’m still breathing. While my heart’s still pumping blood. And to make that happen, I’ll do whatever it takes. I’ve realized how precious and beautiful life is. Shouldn’t we be faithful to the present?”

Despite the smooth flow of his words, Johan’s message was clear. For his own selfish, trivial wishes, he disregarded Harry’s life. He didn’t believe in the afterlife, but he had no problem throwing Harry to the devil, whose power rivaled it.

“Ah…”

Harry’s mouth opened, but no words came out. His eyes widened as the realization of Johan’s true nature sank in like a heavy stone in his gut. There was no changing a man who was like this – a ruthless, self-centered egoist. The lines on his face deepened, and his shoulders slumped in resignation. The once-proud middle-aged man stood there, deflated and silent, as Johan approached him. With surprising speed, Johan snatched the wallet from Harry’s pocket.

“I’ll be taking back what doesn’t belong to you.”

Gary, who had been watching the scene with glee and fascination, held out the map book to Johan. “Thanks for the entertaining show. I’ve marked the location with a pen,” he said, tapping the cover with a finger. “And I’ve jotted down the phone number, just to be safe. Wouldn’t want you to end up at the wrong place again, would we?”

Johan took the map book, his face an unreadable mask. He had expected Gary to use some sort of demonic powers, but he refused to let his suspicions show.

Gary’s friendly gaze never left Johan as he muttered, almost to himself, “I think it’s time for me to move on too. Making the same old requests gets stale after a while. Meeting someone like you was a breath of fresh air when I was needing some excitement, but I suppose it’s natural for people’s reactions to change when I switch things up.”

“I see,” Johan replied, his attention already focused on the map book in his hands. He’d lost interest in Gary the moment he got what he wanted.

However, Gary just grinned, his crooked smile spreading even wider. “Well, aren’t you a cold one?” He rubbed his hands together. “I’ve got a friend who’s been raving about home shopping. They’ll be thrilled if I bring along an extra hand.”

“Best of luck with your business,” Johan said flatly, not bothering to look up from the map book. The pages rustled as he flipped through them, the only sound in the sudden silence.

A cool breeze picked up, and when Johan glanced up, Gary and Harry had vanished. The wind intensified, whipping around him in a fierce gust. The pages of the book fluttered wildly, the thin paper rapidly turning over as if possessed by an unseen force. The sound of the fluttering pages filled his ears, drowning out everything else.

As abruptly as it had begun, the wind ceased. The pages settled, and Johan’s eyes landed on a set of neat handwriting that stood out with perfect clarity.

Decoy Motel.

His destination was set.

T/N: The ends justify the means for Johan, and if that means shaking hands with the devil to stalk his love, so be it – just another Tuesday for our loveable simp. (￣y▽￣)╭