Reborn as a Prophet in a Horror Movie

#012Reader Mode

T/N: Graphic Violence: May contain scenes of violence that are graphically depicted, which may upset sensitive viewers. Ψ(｀▽´)Ψ

#012

As they joked around, William couldn’t take his eyes off Airi, feeling a twinge of regret for not joining the conversation sooner. He scolded himself silently. Seojun, who noticed this, let out a quiet sigh amid the group’s casual chatter.

“Anyway, let’s stop imagining such creepy things.”

Christina shuddered, rubbing the goosebumps on her arm. The lodge that Seojun called a “mountain lodge” was not far from their mountain cabins. Christina glanced at Johan while rubbing her arm.

“Richard wasn’t a bad kid when he was young. I don’t know how he got mixed up with such a bad crowd. Don’t you agree, Johan?”

Johan looked at his childhood friend who had just talked about smashing the once innocent Richard’s head with tongs with a conflicted expression. But he soon shrugged and gently patted Seojun’s slouched back.

“People change. And I doubt even Mrs. Silver could have predicted Richard’s extreme reaction to having a younger brother.”

“That…”

The mention of Richard’s sibling brought a cold silence to the cabin. Even the usually chatty Bobby seemed at a loss for words. Everyone knew about Henry Silver, Richard’s younger brother, and his bizarre birth story. Even Seojun, who was not from Wraithwood Warren, knew about Richard’s sibling.

Seojun’s eyelids trembled. His mind went back to the first day he arrived in Wraithwood Warren…

Six-year-old Seojun, clutching a teddy bear as big as himself, was locked in his room in their new home.

“Welcome to Wraithwood Warren.” He wished he could erase the echoing phrase from his mind. How happy would he be if he could crack his still small skull open, take out his brain, and wash away that haunting welcome.

But all young Seojun could do was bury his face in the teddy bear’s fluffy belly and cry.

Sob…

He curled up on the bed, crying endlessly. Despite his severe distress, Seojun’s parents thought he was just having trouble adjusting to the new environment. Fortunately, while Seojun was suffering from his new reality, various guests came to greet the new neighbors.

Among them was young Richard, holding his mother’s hand. She had brought a homemade cake and was said to be very kind. That day, Seojun didn’t come out and greet them. He just quietly watched Richard and Mrs. Silver going back home from his second-floor window. Mrs. Silver, with her slender figure, walked at a moderate pace, smiling warmly at her son.

That day was memorable. Four-year-old Christina with her chubby pale cheeks met Seojun, who at six had experienced despair. He met kind neighbors and saw a meteor shower.

But the next day, a blood-curdling scream shattered the peace of Wraithwood Warren. Mrs. Silver’s belly had grotesquely swollen overnight, as if she had swallowed a star.

“It was quite the scandal. They even did a paternity test, didn’t they?”

Bobby’s casual voice brought Seojun back to reality. In the dim mountain cabin, there were no shooting stars, and no boy with mature features to comfort him.

Soon, Bobby started to gossip confidently about the neighbors.

“Henry doesn’t look anything like Richard. Richard is the spitting image of Mr. Silver.”

In fact, the ‘Henry Birth Incident’ of the Silver family was so well-known that it was no secret. And the test results proved that Henry was indeed the biological son of the Silver couple.

And while rumors persisted about Henry’s ability to levitate, guess card flips, or the eerie glow of his eyes at night, at least the genetics didn’t lie.

Henry, with his mysterious birth origin, had a somewhat otherworldly and hollow personality, unlike the normal Richard. Whether for this reason or another, Richard kept a distant relationship with his younger brother. Airi looked annoyed.

“Is Richard still whining about his younger brother at his age? If he hangs out with immature brats, then it says a lot about him.”

“That’s true.”

Johan agreed solemnly. Their slight bond from childhood was fleeting, lighter than fallen autumn leaves. William, also an outsider, cautiously spoke up.

“I had no idea something like that happened.”

“It happened when Willy wasn’t in Wraithwood Warren. Wow, looking back, when was that exactly? It’s already been over 14 years.”

Airi’s voice was filled with astonishment. At the same time, Seojun felt a chill. To think he had been trapped in this damn cheap movie for 14 years! All he had gained in Wraithwood Warren was the skill to arrange convenience store items, drive trucks, and use contact lenses.

I need to escape soon.

Seojun shot Johan a nervous glance. Johan, catching his gaze, returned a reassuring smile. Unable to resist his bright face, Seojun awkwardly smiled back.

This unexpected fondness evoked an unfamiliar fear, but it was hard to question someone you depended on for immediate survival. Whether Seojun was lost in thought or not, Airi continued her admiration.

“This town, being small and remote, has its fair share of events. It feels like there are more incidents here than in a city.”

“True. Wraithwood Warren has many incredible stories, from Hannah O’Lantern to the legendary director Joe Rumpelstiltskin, the famous actor Dolly Lee, and even the Guinea Pig legend!”

“Could you not casually mention someone else’s grandmother’s name, Bobby?”

Christina responded coldly to the enthusiastic Bobby. Normally, he might have replied cleverly, but being scolded in front of Seojun, Bobby quickly became quiet.

Seeing Bobby’s gloomy face, Christina put her hand on her forehead. Her eyes showed signs of fatigue.

“And what’s this Guinea Pig legend? You just made that up. It’s just a blown-up story about Cynthia’s guinea pig outrunning a car.”

“But Christina, that’s really amazing.”

Bobby argued, thumping his chest in frustration. Seojun was curious, but unlike Bobby, he had tact.

“Enough already. I still like the quietness of Wraithwood Warren over big cities. How can anyone feel safe in places like New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago? Remember those child abduction cases from our childhood? Terrifying. This place feels safer in comparison.”

“……”

Seojun kept silent. In a land where serial killers with gas masks and flesh-eating monsters roamed, he found it hard to not reply to the protagonist’s words.

Suddenly, Johan gently touched Seojun, who was shivering. He was careful not to touch any injured areas. For someone so imposing, Johan’s touch was surprisingly gentle. Just as Seojun started to relax, Bobby, undeterred, voiced his disagreement.

“No, Christina! Wraithwood Warren is a hotspot of incidents, no less than big cities!”

“Really, Bobby? Would you rather have a real murderer show up right now?”

People call reckless bravery a bluff. As Bobby sank like a deflated balloon, Johan remarked,

“You need to know when and where to speak, Bobby.”

“Hold on, Johan.”

William, usually the quiet type, drew attention with his low voice. He looked unusually troubled.

“My cellphone isn’t getting any signal.”

He held up his phone, its screen showing a lack of signal. Christina rummaged through her pocket and took out her phone. Soon, a look of dismay appeared on her face.

“What’s going on? It was working fine earlier today.”

“I can’t access any apps or even social media. It seems like there’s no internet connection at all.”

Airi quickly tapped on the apps on her mobile phone. But just like the call function, nothing connected. The realization that they had lost their means of communication with the outside world brought an even heavier silence than before.

The atmosphere, previously tense, now felt oppressively heavy.

Airi, trying to lighten the mood again, pulled at William’s sleeve. “Haha, maybe it’s just bad reception because of the forest. But there’s a phone at the guardhouse, right?”

Christina nodded in agreement and shoved her non-working phone into her back pocket.

“Right… I made the reservation over the phone, so there should definitely be one here.”

Airi’s voice wavered as she tried to sound cheerful, “Then it’s settled! We’ll all go together.”

“Airi, I’ll protect you.”

“Ah, Willy!”

The two smiled at each other sweetly, while Seojun thought about their situation.

The identity of Gas Mask is the campsite’s chef… We should be safe as long as we avoid him, right? And having more people around means less chance of being his next target.

Seojun was sorting out his thoughts when he felt a gentle touch on his hand. Johan was inspecting it carefully.

“Uh… Johan, it’s fine now. I already wrapped it up.”

“Actually, I just wanted to give you these gloves, but it might be uncomfortable with your injured hand.”

“Gloves?”

Instead of answering, Johan glanced at the spilled contents of his bag. Seeing the unopened latex gloves, Seojun was confused. He wore them often, but it was strange to see them in Johan’s bag.

“You’re one of those germ freaks, aren’t you? You think we’re all filthy!”

Before Seojun could ask, Bobby chimed in with a sneer. Annoyed, Seojun replied honestly.

“No, Bobby… I just don’t want to touch you.”

Just as Bobby’s cheeks flushed crimson in preparation for a fiery comeback, a sudden thud came from the roof. Everyone fell silent immediately.

“……”

They looked at each other nervously. Johan, who had been kneeling, raised his head to the ceiling. But he couldn’t see what had fallen on the opaque roof. The atmosphere grew thick with unease.

Airi was the first to move. She shifted her legs awkwardly, trying to shake off her fear.

“It’s probably nothing. Maybe an owl dropped dead or something.”

“Airi, don’t!”

Christina whispered urgently, but Airi moved even faster. She was near the door of the cabin, which made her react quickly. She let go of William’s hand and opened the door stiffly, letting in a cold night breeze. The wind that should have been refreshing felt chilling.

There was nothing outside.

“What?”

Airi stepped out of the cabin and looked around. She turned back and smiled nervously.

“See, there’s nothing… huh?”

Airi blinked as something wet landed on her eyelashes. The liquid blurred her vision.

She wiped it off and saw a stain with a horrible smell. Drip, Drip. The liquid kept falling. It didn’t smell like rainwater at all. The awful stench twisted her face.

Airi looked at Seojun, who was still sitting on the bed, looking exhausted. But what Airi saw wasn’t him in the present.

She remembered something. The scorching sun at noon. Seojun’s ominous words that made no sense. Blood raining from a cloudless sky…

Airi instinctively looked up. On the roof of the cabin, she saw a body. Only the lower half was visible, as if it had been brutally severed at the waist, and blood spurted from it. Some of it found its way into her open mouth.

“Aaaah!”

Her piercing scream tore through the air. Before her horrified cry could fully subside, the precariously balanced lower half slid off the cabin’s rooftop. It landed with a sickening thud at her feet, bringing a nauseating stench with it.