Reborn as a Prophet in a Horror Movie

#139Reader Mode

#139

Camry nudged Seojun gently, prompting him to brush his fingers against his throat. He hadn’t really noticed until she mentioned it, but now he realized he was actually pretty thirsty. He appreciated her thoughtfulness. But he’d only had water all day on an empty stomach, and adding coffee to the mix didn’t seem like the best idea.

I’m not as good about eating regularly as Johan, but I should still take care of my stomach while it’s healthy.

He gently pushed the thermos back towards Camry. “Thanks Camry, but I think I’ll pass for now. I’ve only had water this morning and coffee might not agree with me.”

Seojun’s voice grew even softer. “But I appreciate you looking out for me.”

“Oh, okay. Well, just let me know if you change your mind later. I’ve got plenty to spare.” Camry’s words were warm and soothing, like a gentle spring breeze, but there was a slight raspiness to her voice that made Seojun worry.

“Actually, you’re the one who sounds like you might be getting sick. Why don’t you drink some while it’s still warm?” he suggested.

For a fleeting moment, Camry’s expression became very peculiar… her mouth forming a little “o” shape and her eyebrows shooting up, as if Seojun had said something completely unexpected. But in a flash, the expression was gone, and she was back to her usual unruffled self.

“I’m good for now too,” she said breezily, brushing off his concern.

The sound of footsteps from the hallway abruptly cut off Seojun and Camry’s quiet conversation. They both instantly fell silent, their mouths snapping shut tight like clams. Crouching low, they held their breath, barely moving a muscle. Their eyes locked, sharing urgent, wordless messages as they waited.

Whoever it was seemed to be on the heavier side, their weight causing the wooden floor of the hallway to groan with each step. The sound passed by their door and slowly faded away down the hall.

As soon as the footsteps completely disappeared, Seojun let out a sharp exhale, his weak lungs burning from holding his breath for so long. His chest heaved with short, ragged breaths as he tried to recover. Camry reached over and gently patted his back in a slow, calming rhythm. Only when his breathing returned to normal did he raise his bloodshot eye to glare at the door.

“Should we crack it open and sneak a look?” he muttered under his breath.

Camry’s face clouded with uncertainty. “I don’t know, Seojun… This door is really stiff. It’ll probably make a loud noise if we open it. And if that happens… wouldn’t the woman with the knife that Leimia warned us about come back this way?” She frowned deeply, clearly having second thoughts about the idea.

Seojun understood why she was hesitating. Honestly, if it was up to him, he’d rather just stay hidden away in this room until it was safe to leave.

But who knew when that would be?

If only there was a window, they could’ve made a break for it, no question. But the only light seeping into the gloomy room came through the tiny crack between the door and the frame.

Seojun’s thoughts started spiraling into crazy worst-case scenarios… what if they stayed cooped up in here so long that they suffocated from too much carbon dioxide? It was a ridiculous idea, but it just showed how trapped and hopeless this whole situation felt.

Hiding out here isn’t going to solve anything. That coffee is probably a bacteria farm by now anyway.

His gaze drifted over to Camry’s shadowy profile in the dark room. It didn’t take long for him to make up his mind.

Even if they did run into that knife-wielding psycho out there, there were two of them. 50/50 odds—one of them might get unlucky. He wasn’t going to shove Camry into danger, but when it came down to it, the risk was the same either way.

In his head, Seojun quietly apologized ahead of time.

“Listen, Camry, if we just keep sitting around wasting time, that person with the knife might finish up whatever they’re doing and come prowling back around here. I think we need to make a move before they do.”

“Hmm…”

“Plus, we need to find Leimia too, right? Once we do, it’ll be three against one,” Seojun pointed out.

He knew that numbers wouldn’t mean much against a weapon, and if he was being honest, Leimia’s safety wasn’t exactly his top concern. But he needed to say something to convince Camry.

His argument must have done the trick, because Camry, who had been worrying her lip between her teeth, finally nodded in agreement.

As soon as she gave the go-ahead, Seojun grabbed the handle and pulled at the door.

It didn’t move an inch.

“…….”

“Seojun? It’s alright. I’m with you on this. We can’t hide in here forever.”

Camry placed a comforting hand on his back, patting lightly to snap him out of his daze. He turned to face her, his cheeks burning with embarrassment.

“Camry, don’t you think it’s a bit… unfair for only one of us to open the door? I mean, as a symbol of our teamwork, our trust, our solidarity… we should do this together!”

Seojun’s words sounded sincere, almost heroic. Camry looked at him for a long moment, then tucked the thermos under her arm and leaned her weight against the door. Her eyes met his, filled with warmth and understanding.

“It’s hard for you to open, isn’t it? The door’s pretty stiff.”

“……”

The door groaned as they pried it open, releasing a sudden rush of air that felt almost… clean. The hallway was no less eerie than the dark room they’d came from, but there was something in the atmosphere… a hint of freshness, like opening the door had somehow cleared the suffocating feeling from their lungs. Seojun rubbed at his still-burning cheeks and cautiously peeked out into the hallway.

It was deserted. Quiet. The kind of quiet that felt almost alive, like it was waiting for something.

The walls of the hallway blocked their view of the first and second rooms, so they had no idea what—or who—might be lurking inside. But that cut both ways. If someone was in there, they wouldn’t be able to see Seojun or Camry either.

Seojun couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or a disaster in the making.

He stepped out first, signaling silently for Camry to come with him. She paused, her eyes scanning up and down the hallway before she carefully followed. Leaving the door wide open would look way too suspicious, so as soon as Camry was through, Seojun gently pulled it closed behind them.

That’s when he saw the door. Its surface was a crazy patchwork of nails, packed tightly together and sticking out like vicious metal teeth.

Seojun’s face twisted in discomfort. A ghostly echo of pain shot through his palm, like his body was remembering the sharp jab of that rusty nail from before. He balled his hand into a fist, fighting the urge to shiver, and quickly checked his gloves.

The bright blue latex was unbroken and smooth.

What is this, some kind of twisted haunted house aesthetic? Like, ‘Throw your physical and mental health out the window and just go wild with the decorating’?

He made a silent vow: if he ever got his own place, he was investing in a heavy-duty adhesive gun. No way was he dealing with nails. Never again.

While he was busy making completely pointless plans for the future, Camry had plastered herself against the wall. Seojun followed her lead, copying her careful stance. Then, super cautiously, he peeked towards the fourth room—the same one where that loud noise had sent them scrambling to hide.

And right then, Seojun regretted not keeping his mouth shut.

“Mmhp.”

He bit down hard on his tongue, the sharp sting of pain choking back the scream that clawed at his throat. Tears blurred his vision as he blinked them away, his body going rigid with the effort to stay silent.

The knife-wielding psycho wasn’t in the fourth room. But what was waiting for them was just as horrifying.

Dolls.

Dozens and dozens of them, lined up in creepily perfect rows, every single one missing its head.

The sight alone was enough to make him seriously question the sanity of whoever owned this house. Unlike the dark, cramped fifth room where they’d been hiding, this one was flooded with sunlight pouring in through a big window. But the warm light did absolutely nothing to make the room feel less eerie. If anything, the contrast between the cheery sunshine and the creepy doll display only deepened the sense of dread, raising goosebumps on his skin.

Maybe it was because he couldn’t tear his eye away from the headless dolls, but Seojun completely missed the thing on the floor. His foot snagged on something and he stumbled.

“Ah—!”

His arms windmilled and his legs wobbled as he fought to keep his balance. By some miracle, he managed to grab onto a nearby shelf, steadying himself just before he face-planted on the ground.

Camry was by his side in a second, her voice a frantic whisper. “Seojun! Oh my god, are you okay? Did you get hurt?”

“I-I’m fine,” he reassured her, still a little shaky.

Seojun glanced down. A long, black rod lay right where his foot had slipped. He crouched and nudged it gently with the toe of his sneaker. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what it was. The corner of Seojun’s mouth twitched.

“It’s a tripod,” Seojun muttered under his breath. “Looks like the top part broke off and someone just ditched it here.”

As the words left his mouth, realization hit him—this ominous haunted house with its eerie atmosphere used to be a hotspot for all the paranormal enthusiasts out there. It was almost funny that he and Camry were now trapped in this place, trying to dodge some knife-wielding maniac in what was supposed to be just a fun spot to explore.

But then something else caught his eye, half-hidden under the tripod. It was small, not even as long as his index finger, and slightly curved. Before he could get a better look, Camry grabbed it. Her eyes went wide and her breath caught in her throat.

“This… this is Leimia’s heel.”

“What? Are you sure?”

“Positive. I know this brand like the back of my hand. I used to wear their shoes all the time.”

Camry’s eyes narrowed as she lost herself in thought. It looked like she was piecing something together.

Unlike her, Seojun’s face brightened, a flicker of hope sparking to life in his chest. Finally, a clue about Leimia. Sure, it didn’t mean their whole situation had magically gotten better. But still, it was something.

Holding onto that tiny shred of hope, Seojun ventured, “So… you think Leimia could’ve been hiding out in here? Maybe she was the one who made that loud noise before, or the person we heard walking in the hallway?”

“I don’t think so.”

Camry paused, tapping a finger against her chin, deep in thought. “Leimia’s steps are lighter than that. And if it had been her, we would’ve heard the distinct clicking sound her heels make.”

“Oh… right.”

“I think she might’ve been in this room at some point, but then she probably moved somewhere else to hide.”

“If that’s the case… why didn’t she go into the room we were in?” Seojun pointed at the fourth room, the one closest to them with the most disturbing decor.

Camry shook her head. “Remember how heavy and hard to open that door is? If it had been left open, maybe. But since it was closed, there’s no way Leimia would’ve been able to open it easily on her own. She’s not particularly strong.”

“So that only leaves one room then…” Seojun said slowly.

“Yep, that one…” Camry confirmed softly. They both turned to stare at the sixth room at the end of the upstairs hallway. Seojun nodded, and they tiptoed forward, hearts pounding.

Unlike the other doors, this one had a nameplate hanging on it. Just a simple, plain plate with the number [ 1 ] etched into the smooth surface. The edges were a bit worn, but the glossy finish still shone brightly, looking weirdly out of place in the run-down old haunted house. It seemed too shiny and new to belong.

Seojun squinted his one good eye at the bizarre plate. “Huh? What’s this thing? Were we supposed to start numbering the rooms from here instead of the stairs?”

Camry looked at it thoughtfully for a minute before shaking her head. “I get what you’re thinking, but no. Probably just some prank. People who visit haunted places sometimes leave little things like this for fun. Those types of prank videos get a lot of views.”

She gave him a sly look. “Speaking of numbering the rooms… Seems like you know an awful lot about the legends and rumors around this haunted house, Seojun. What’s up with that?”

“Oh, uh,” Seojun stammered, feeling caught off guard. It wasn’t like he was trying to hide anything, but her probing question still made him feel weirdly exposed and nervous.

An unwanted memory surfaced in the back of his mind, that hitchhiker he’d picked up once who couldn’t stop yammering about this kind of paranormal junk. He quickly pushed aside the grosser parts of that particular encounter before answering Camry. “There was this hitchhiker I gave a ride to one time who was obsessed with all this occult stuff. What was that dude’s name again…? Started with a T, I think. Tim? Tom? Something like that. Anyway, I just happened to hear about the room numbering thing from him.”