Reborn as a Prophet in a Horror Movie

#056Reader Mode

#056

“When I got this toolbox, I thought we were going to be secret agents or something like in a spy movie. But things have been pretty quiet lately.”

The attention on Christina was immense. If someone hadn’t leaked to the press what Richard’s body looked like, things could’ve been way worse. His horrific mangled corpse got more attention than a living beauty. Familiar rooftops started going by outside the window.

“Richard’s funeral got pushed back. Brass was okay once they just fixed his broken neck, but Richard’s body needed a ton of reconstruction and filling in, so it took more time to get him ready. But the funeral home manager didn’t lock up the place good enough, and some reporter just barged in. Must’ve been someone really determined for a juicy story.” Johan said sarcastically.

Unfortunately, the reporter’s sense of ethics and passion were not evenly distributed. He published five carefully chosen pics out of dozens he took secretly. It was enough to cause some drama.

“So, this is…”

Johan clicked his tongue and slowed down. There was a mob of people in front of a house up ahead. Seojun’s one eye widened in surprise. In all his years in Wraithwood, crowds this noisy and big were rare. Johan spoke with a look of disgust.

“Welcome to finally meeting your new neighbors, Jun. Conspiracy theorists, social media addicts, and crazy fans of director Joe Rompelschtizen.”

“Wow…”

The front of Christina and Richard’s house was swarming with people pointing their cameras and acting like they were real reporters, and some holding protest signs and shouting.

“You call this calming down?”

“It was until yesterday, but it seems they’ve gathered again because it’s Saturday.”

“People should be washing their feet or sleeping in on a day off.”

Seojun clicked his tongue too, acting like it wasn’t his problem. But suddenly he felt scared. Could something like this be happening in front of his house as well? His parents and Johan hadn’t said anything, so it seemed okay. But once the anxiety started, it was hard to shake it off.

Johan hesitated before speaking up. “Hey Jun, since things are like this, why don’t you come over and eat dinner at my place? Your parents were worried there might not be food at home for you. I told them I’d take care of getting you fed.” Johan’s shy bright blue eyes glanced hopefully at the man next to him.

Seojun felt bad about how selfish he’d been thinking. But it was hard to say no to Johan’s offer of a hot meal, comfort, and safety. He pretended to be casual and nodded.

“Yeah, sure, whatever.”

“Really?” Johan’s face lit up with happiness.

It hit Seojun then that he’d never actually been inside Johan’s house before. He’d always kept his distance from Christina and her friends, which seemed pretty stupid now in hindsight.

Embarrassed, Seojun pressed his lips together and peeked out the car window, squinting his one good eye like he was trying to memorize the faces passing by. Not that he actually took in any of their features. It just gave him something to focus on.

Then his gaze met that of a boy about his age.

Everyone knew Christina Toolbox was considered the most beautiful girl in Wraithwood. And Johan Gentil was the handsomest guy. So if you had to pick the prettiest boy, that would be Henry Silver for sure.

He was a vision of youthful beauty, with a lithe and delicate blend of baby-soft curves and budding muscles. His small face was perfectly sculpted, with a slender jaw, full crimson lips, a straight, graceful nose, and jade-green eyes that sparkled like polished emeralds. His skin glowed with a dewy radiance, as if he had bathed in moonlight, and his silver hair framed his beautiful face.

Despite his strange birth, his beauty remained unobscured. When Seojun briefly locked eyes with Henry, whom he met by chance, the other boy’s expression was hidden under a deeply pressed down baseball cap. His lips, soft as a girl’s, didn’t spit curses at the crowd gathered in front of his house, nor did they wear that eerier smile rumored about him.

He was simply supporting his mom. Mrs. Silver, known for her slender beauty, leaned heavily on her youngest son with a haggard complexion. She too wore a wide-brimmed hat, maybe to hide her face.

As the car moved past them, Seojun realized only later that Henry had sorta acknowledged him with his eyes. But by the time he looked back, the small figure was just a blur, too late for him to return the greeting.

After parking in the garage, they walked to Johan’s house. Seojun was a little nervous to go inside since he’d only seen the outside before, but the feeling quickly went away.

Johan’s house wasn’t anything crazy. Seojun walked around the living room, stepping on the rough carpet. The furniture was set up different but overall it was kinda familiar.

“Our house has a similar layout.”

“Yeah, Christina’s house is similar too. Most houses here are pretty much the same, aren’t they? Oh, my parents went to see Christina. With everything going on with her, they probably have stuff to talk about. I overheard yesterday they might sue.”

“Hmm.”

Johan, carrying Seojun’s bag, headed straight for the kitchen and shouted, “Jun, want a protein shake before dinner?”

Seojun made a face as he looked around, clearly disgusted. He turned away, only to find Johan leaning against the kitchen island, smirking playfully.

“Kidding. But I’d love for you to try it someday… How about some orange juice instead? The good stuff – organic, no sugar added, 100% real fruit.”

“Sounds good.”

“We’ve got some time before dinner so I’ll grab some snacks. Go on up to my room, Jun. It’s the room on the right at the top of the stairs.”

“Is it cool for me to just walk in?”

“Yeah. I’ve always imagined it, you know, you coming over. I really like it.”

Johan, smiling broadly and showing his teeth, genuinely looked happy. Touched by such pure affection, Seojun felt a warmth swell up inside his throat. He hurried up the stairs, nearly tripping due to the unfamiliar view. He managed to get his body up to the second floor without falling.

Johan’s room was pretty normal – desk, bed, bookshelf, wardrobe. Neat and tidy, like you’d expect for a student his age. Seojun glanced around and thought about his own messy room back home. He shook his head. Even Johan’s bed was neatly made.

“Ah?”

But a corner of something sticking out from under the neatly folded blanket caught his eye. He pulled it out without thinking – it was a photo album.

Seojun plopped down on the floor, leaning against the bed, and opened the album. It was filled with old photos of Johan, mostly as a kid. He looked so proper and serious, nothing like he did now. It was kinda funny seeing little Johan trying to look all dignified.

The album showed sides of Johan he’d never seen before: Johan in a Halloween costume, Johan sleeping back-to-back with Christina, Johan patching up a torn doll, Johan grinning wide with his arm around William, Johan holding a paint bucket and brick with a mischievous look… Seojun froze on a photo of himself dressed up as Snow White and Johan as the prince.

The pic, taken while they were spinning around, was blurry. The colors had faded at the bottom, like it had been handled a lot over time. His mouth went dry. The photo tucked inside the plastic sleeve grabbed his attention. He carefully pulled it out, the crinkling sounding loud to his ears. When he finally got it free, he saw…

“Whoa!”

Thump, Thump, Thump.

Seojun’s heart pounded against his ribs like a caged bird. Sweat drenched his clothes, dripping down his back and forehead. His hands shook and his legs wobbled as if they were made of jelly. His senses played tricks on him – smells looked like colors and sounds felt like pinpricks on his skin. Pain rocked through him, crashing from limb to limb like a pinball. It gathered into a tight knot behind his eyes, building pressure in his skull…

He collapsed to the floor, unaware. His vision faded to black, seeing nothing.

Was this it? Was he dying right here, right now?

Heat flashed through him, then icy chills, his temperature fluctuating wildly as he writhed on the ground. Suddenly, light flooded Seojun’s eyes, both the healthy one and the missing right eye that should not have seen anything. His vision expanded in an instant, bright and clear.

Seojun saw a room – Johan’s neat, orderly room. A younger Johan walked in, pulled a photo album off the shelf. He seemed familiar with the action, his hands moving with a clear purpose. Johan didn’t bother glancing at the other pictures, just flipped to a specific page. Young Johan’s cheeks flushed as he looked around furtively. Slowly, he brought his lips to one photo…

“Jun! What’s wrong?!”

The door flew open and the real Johan rushed in. Seojun’s gaze fixed on one spot; only his left eye moved. From his view on the floor, Johan looked huge. He came in holding a glass of orange juice and a plate of swiss roll cakes, breathing hard. Seojun could only stare at his lips.

“You…you…”

“Yeah, Jun, what’s up? Did you fall? Are you hurt? Should we go back to the hospital?”

“You! Johan!”

“Huh? What’d I do?”

“Johan Gentil!”

Seojun’s shout echoed through the house. His life had been filled with strange occurrences, but right now all he cared about wasn’t the dead Monster X, those murderers in gas masks, or any government conspiracies. The only thing that bothered him more than anything was Johan’s lips.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

It was a dark night when even the moon hid behind the clouds. Hamon Campsite was on total lockdown by the military, and no one could enter without authorization. The place was prime material for reporters and conspiracy nuts, but the soldiers remained steadfast. However, a shadowy presence had infiltrated this site of terrible events.

It was Henry, the boy with starry eyes. Soldiers collapsed left and right as he strolled by and machines went haywire, ceasing to function. Holding a guinea pig, Henry faintly smiled as he sauntered through the grass.

His graceful feet barely bent the blades below. The earth and plants, which should’ve been crushed under a person’s weight, were undisturbed. Henry floated over to the lake, its inky surface blending into the night.

Bending over the water’s edge, Henry peered into the blackness. His guinea pig squeaked excitedly against his chest. Soon, a shriveled tentacle crawled onto the shore. Burned and limp, it was a pathetic remnant of the massive creature it once was.

Henry frowned. He scolded the tentacle, saying:

“Is that all you have to say? You were invited to have a meal here, but ended up imprisoned and barely escaped. Then you found a mating partner and courted him? Get a grip. He’s not your mate.”

Henry’s foot pinned the tentacle down. His gorgeous face glowed in the darkness, his eyes swirling mysteriously with color. He continued sharply:

“Mistaking my brother for one of you just because he smells like me, then eating him on a whim… Don’t cry to me about your stolen spermatophore.¹T/N: ‘spermatophore’ is a packet or capsule containing sperm cells produced by some animals, particularly certain insects, arachnids, and amphibians. The spermatophore is transferred from the male to the female during reproduction, and it serves as a means for delivering the male’s sperm to the female’s reproductive system. You can basically think of it as a p*nis. I’m curious if this was the one that was in Seojun’s mouth and the one Johan was bashing with a rock. Ahahaha. How old are you, anyway? Aren’t your parents worried? My mom worries if I wander off even a little. Now she’s even more upset that my brother’s dead.”

Squeak! The guinea pig chimed in fiercely. The tentacle, so puffed up in defense, now deflated in submission.

“Now, stop bothering Seojun and let’s go back.”

The tentacle drooped sadly as Henry looked up with a strange smile. The moon was hidden, but the stars shone bright.

Certainly, the government knew what happened at the Red Lake Campsite in 1964. Yet the world holds mysteries beyond even them, infinite as the stars that night.

〈To be continued in Arc 2〉

Hooray! Arc 1 is complete! If you enjoyed it, please show some love to the author and leave a rating on NU when you have a chance. I’ll be taking a short break of about a weekish to catch up on some reading and recharge my batteries. I’ll be back soon! (っ´▽｀)っ ♡