Reborn as a Prophet in a Horror Movie

#084Reader Mode

#084

4. Real Life Situation! The Cursed Video

Seojun’s eyelids fluttered open, and he squinted against the unfamiliar weightlessness that enveloped him. The crushing burden that had been pressing down on him for so long was finally gone, leaving him feeling surprisingly light and free.

As he slowly blinked away the haze, he took in the dimly lit room, his curiosity piqued by the unfamiliar ceiling above. His gaze wandered, taking in the quirky details of the space— the musty scent of the pillowcase tickling his nose, the messy arabesque wallpaper in shades of purple and green, the fluorescent light humming overhead with a cluster of dead insects trapped inside, and the old CRT TV silently gathering dust against the wall.

“Ah…”

His eye finally came to rest on the empty space beside him, and a dry, rasping sigh of relief followed, a sound that was both cathartic and exhausting. The realization that he was just in an ordinary motel room, where nothing strange happened, was like a refreshing breeze on a sweltering day. No ghosts, no monsters, no lurking horrors. Without his splitting headache and with his vision clear for the first time in ages, this dingy motel room felt like a five-star suite.

How long had it been since he’d woken up feeling this refreshed?

With a bright smile, Seojun propped himself up and looked out the window, ready to take on the day. But instead of the morning sun, he was greeted by the lingering darkness of night.

“Hmm, I guess it’s not morning yet. At least the weather looks good, though…”

The instant his words were spoken, the heavens above seemed to mock him. Dark clouds rolled in, snuffing out the once-twinkling stars, and the distant rumble of thunder echoed through the air like a sinister chuckle. The first big drops of rain began to fall, quickly turning into a torrential downpour that pounded against the ground.

“……”

Seojun’s shoulders sagged with an exasperated sigh. Reaching for his backpack, which he’d tossed carelessly beside the bed, he started rummaging through it, his fingers itching for the familiar comfort of a cigarette. As he dug around, a lightning bolt struck nearby, its jagged shadow on the wall resembling the spindly legs of a giant spider, casting an ominous atmosphere in the cramped room. Seojun’s gaze was drawn to the fleeting flash of lightning in the distance, its golden thread reflected in his dark eye for a moment before it vanished with the afterglow.

Seojun’s fingers deftly fished out a cigarette from the pack, his other hand sparking up the lighter with a satisfying flick. The bluish flame burst to life in the dark room, casting a faint red glow across his features. The sharp, smoky scent tickled his nose as he took a deep drag.

He pushed open the window and dragged the room’s only chair over, plopping down with a grunt. His long legs dangled awkwardly over the edge of the low, cushy seat, but he didn’t seem to mind. Leaning against the window frame, he lounged back, letting the damp, salty breeze mingle with the curling tendrils of smoke that escaped his lips.

The cigarette burned down quickly as he puffed away, white wisps swirling and vanishing into the rainy night sky. A contented sigh came from him again, his breath brushing cool against his cheek. He rested his chin on the sill, sticking his head out slightly, the cigarette tucked between his fingers as raindrops peppered his skin.

Across the street, a neon sign blazed like a pink jewel against the moss-covered bricks, its vibrant pulse like the rhythm of a lively opera. The light from the sign reflected in his eye as he clenched the cigarette between his teeth, the vacuum tubes flaring brightly in the darkness.

Decoy Motel. That’s where he’d ended up. The name hung in his mind as he pushed his damp hair back, raindrops clinging to his eyelashes. Somewhere in the parking lot, hidden from view, he imagined his pitiful truck getting drenched in the relentless downpour.

It was only now that he realized he’d narrowly escaped disaster. Seojun’s fingers drummed absently against the window frame, his gaze drifting off as his mind replayed the events of the previous day.

As he’d fled Utahpia, he’d faced a harsh truth: his mental toughness was just as lacking as his physical strength. Drool trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his already strained single eye grew heavy, blurring his vision. If he could, he would’ve just closed his eyes and passed out on the spot.

But with no one to take the wheel, passing out was just a fantasy. Seojun’s gloved hands gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white with tension. Dark circles under his eyes stretched down to his cheeks, and bulging blue veins popped out on the backs of his hands, his nails a sickly pale. The road ahead was infuriatingly empty, with no cozy spot in sight to rest his weary body.

The spacing of these streetlights is just fan-freaking-tastic.

It was obvious that someone had embezzled the maintenance funds for highway Route 444. Seojun clenched his teeth, trying to distract himself, but his mental and physical exhaustion was eating away at him like a never-ending nightmare.

But maybe, just maybe, god hadn’t completely abandoned him after all. Before he turned into a carbon copy of the truck driver from his past life, a tall building came into view. His blue truck crept closer, as if magnetically drawn to it. The closer he got, the more details he could make out. It wasn’t some shady research facility conducting secret human experiments or a hospital wing taken over by a crazed serial killer. No, it was a legit motel, complete with a restaurant next door. A spark of hope flickered in Seojun’s eye, and his dry lips quivered with excitement.

“I-I hit the freaking jackpot!”

His ridiculous whoop echoed through the truck’s cab. The blinding neon sign, which he’d normally find annoying, now looked like a stunning work of art. Decoy Motel, even the name was impressive. Truth be told, Seojun, half-delirious from fatigue, was ready to rave about any name that didn’t sound as lame as ‘Hamon Motel’.

As Seojun approached, the bean pods in his eyes felt like they were growing harder by the second. It was as if this place was tailor-made for him. But deep down, he knew that was just wishful thinking. The Decoy Motel was actually designed to serve travelers on a nearby highway that intersected with Route 4-4-4, not directly on the route itself. Still, Seojun was desperate, and he chose to ignore the obvious.

The road to salvation was smooth and hassle-free. Seojun parked his truck in an empty spot and felt joy as his weary hands released the steering wheel. Desperate for some shut-eye, he reached over to grab his crumpled backpack from the passenger seat.

“Got my key? Check. Phone’s in my pocket… Wallet’s in there too…?”

But just as he was about to step out, Seojun’s body froze. No matter how hard he dug through his jacket pockets or shook it out, his wallet was nowhere to be found. He still had his main wallet with his cards and large bills safely stashed away in his bag, but the smaller wallet he kept for cash had vanished.

His face went pale, twisting into a fierce scowl. A stream of curses ran through his stubborn mind, as if cursing the world for his misfortune.

“Where the hell did I misplace it? Okay, I remember paying for dinner…”

Seojun racked his brain, trying to recall the last time he’d had his wallet. He was pretty sure he’d had it when he paid at that restaurant in Utahpia. The problem was, they made you pay upfront, so he had no idea what happened to it after that. And to make matters worse, he’d run into a devil on his way out, which had left him totally shaken.

“Ugh.”

He rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. How was he supposed to find his wallet when he couldn’t even remember where he’d lost it? And even if he wanted to go back for it, he’d have to trek all the way back to Utahpia, which was basically devil central. No way was he going back there. Seojun decided to just cut his losses.

“But if I lose this one too, I’m screwed.”

Seojun stroked his long, worn crocodile leather wallet, feeling a pang of anxiety. This one had all his savings in it, unlike the lost wallet, which had only had some loose change. As he gazed at his tired reflection in the rearview mirror, his eyes landed on the fluffy bear keychain dangling from it.

Wait, how did that keychain end up on his mirror? He’d initially turned it down when Johan had eagerly offered it to him. Seojun’s face grew hot as he cleared his throat a few times, trying to play it cool. He detached the keychain from the mirror and attached it to his wallet instead. The soft, fuzzy fur looked ridiculous next to the sleek leather.

As Seojun climbed out of the truck, he muttered to himself, “I guess I won’t be losing this chunky thing again anytime soon… hopefully.” His words trailed off, heavy with foreboding.

From that moment on, he was a man on a mission. He walked with laser-like focus, ignoring everything around him like a racehorse with blinders on. This single-minded determination stayed with him as he checked in, rode the elevator, and sprinted down the 9th-floor hallway like a man possessed.

The moment he entered his room, he kicked off his shoes and collapsed onto the bed. The creaking springs were the last thing he remembered before drifting off to sleep instantly.

Now, as Seojun gazed intently at the moisture beading on the window frame, he reached over to grab the jacket he’d carelessly tossed onto the bed earlier. His phone, safe inside, had survived the rough landing. The blue glow of the screen illuminated his pale face, revealing that although the time was the same as when he’d stumbled in the day before, an entire day had passed. He’d slept for 24 hours.

Seojun groaned, but strangely, his mind felt clearer than it had in ages. His thoughts were more lucid than they’d been when he was half-crazed, running around Wraithwood – okay, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration.

As Seojun exhaled a lungful of bitter smoke, his latex-gloved left hand trembled faintly against his skin, fingers splayed out like a fan.

To be honest, he’d been a bit too full of himself about his psychometric abilities. Despite his attempts to be cautious, his own mind had betrayed him. Unlike the sudden, fleeting glimpses of the future he’d experienced in Wraithwood, psychometry had seemed more within his control. He’d thought it would give him more context, more concrete answers, but Utahpia had proved him wrong, showing him that his own biases and preconceptions could distort his visions.

Blind faith, he’d learned, was a recipe for disaster.

If he’d recklessly pointed to Doade as being the living person after uncovering the surreal history of the devil, he’d probably be enjoying a gruesome experience of his guts being rearranged by now.

“……”

Seojun’s lips, wrapped around the cigarette, twitched at the thought, sending a shiver down his spine. He brooded gloomily about why his trip to visit his uncle had to be so fraught with difficulty.

It was a surprise to himself, but Seojun had a reputation to maintain. No matter how loose-lipped he tended to be, it was unthinkable to slink away in shame after saying embarrassing nonsense to Johan. So, he used his uncle as a convenient excuse. The perfect alibi was to embark on a long trip to visit a relative he hadn’t seen in person since childhood. His uncle lived in Georgia, a world away from the quaint California town of Wraithwood.

As he leaned against the wall, his slender back arched slightly, the chill of the outside air radiating from the surface. His relaxed body pressed against the wall, quickly cooling his rosy cheeks.

His gaze drifted off into space, lost in thought. He was on his way to deliver a carefully wrapped gift, hoping it wouldn’t get crushed before he arrived. But was he really pushing his luck? Seojun let out a familiar sigh, muttering to himself.

“They say leaving home brings hardship…”

His slim stomach growled suddenly, protesting the emptiness beneath his skin. He gave it a gentle pat, feeling the effects of his forced day-long fast. A small fridge hummed in the corner of the room, next to the bed, but what could you really expect from a motel mini-fridge? A few bottles of water, probably.

Seojun took a long, slow drag on his cigarette, his cheeks sinking inward as he inhaled deeply. As he exhaled, a soft, doughnut-shaped cloud of smoke puffed out. His mouth, which had been curled up in a smile, drooped again as he crushed the cigarette in the ashtray. He thought about closing the window, but since it was already cracked open, he decided to leave it that way for some fresh air.

Seojun slipped on his jacket, adjusted his eye patch, and slid into his shoes, almost ready to head out the door. He stuffed his wallet into his pocket, and the teddy bear keychain popped out. He tried to squish the bear’s fluffy head flat with his palm, but it refused to budge. The more he fought with it, the more absurd he felt. As his hunger pangs grew, he finally gave up, admitting defeat to the stubborn bear.

With a spring in his step and the keychain swinging from his hip, Seojun rushed towards the front door. Just as he was about to turn the handle, something on the floor caught his attention.

“Huh, what’s this?”

He bent down to pick it up, discovering a stiff, laminated piece of paper.

「Welcome to the Decoy Motel! We want you to have a pleasant and enjoyable stay! To ensure the safety and comfort of all our guests, please take a moment to review our guidelines:

1) Do not cause a disturbance after 10 PM

2) You’re welcome to enjoy the complimentary beverages in your room’s refrigerator.

3) Do not stick your head out the window

4) Housekeeping will visit your room daily. Please let them in.

5) Do not lift the carpeting under any circumstances

6) Do not go underneath the bed

7) Do not write on the bathroom mirror

8) Please note: The hot and cold faucet labels are reversed. Use caution to avoid scalding water.

9) Do not flush any foreign substances down the toilet

10) Do not tie or hang heavy objects on the shower hose

11) Do not attempt to remove hair or objects from the drain yourself

12) The bathroom door is broken. Do not close it.

13) Press 0 on your room’s landline to reach the front desk.

14) If you pick up the phone and do not hear a dial tone, please hang up promptly

15) Please note: TV channel DULC233E is currently experiencing technical difficulties.

16) Do not unplug the room’s TV and telephone

17) If the VCR player is not working properly, remove the cause

The motel is not liable for any injuries.」

What’s with the ridiculously long list of rules? Even college dorms aren’t this strict.

Seojun skimmed through the list, blown away by the sheer number of instructions. Too bad for the motel, he wasn’t the obsessive type who pored over every single detail of his stay. With a dismissive shrug, he let the flimsy paper slip from his fingers, and it floated to the floor as he walked closer to the door. One thing that caught his attention, though, was the surprising absence of a ‘no smoking’ rule.

Trying to stifle a satisfied smile, Seojun locked the door behind him and stepped out into the hallway. It was only then, a little late, that he noticed the room number.

Room 999.