The Aura Echoes | Sa Mun (The Uncanny Counter)

prologue

"not from around here are you?"

Nighttime distractions. 

I was all set to tackle the task of unpacking in my shiny new apartment and getting my life in order. But my plans were swiftly thwarted by the relentless forces of distraction of snacks.

I mean, who can blame me? With so many exciting possibilities lurking around every corner, it's a wonder I even made it through the front door without getting sidetracked. So, instead of conquering the chaos of unpacking, I found myself embracing a battle of my wandering attention span.

If you haven't noticed, I have a problem keeping myself concentrated on things.

And now here I was, a beacon of snack-seeking enthusiasm, ice cream, and snacks just out of reach.  But of course, it had to fall into nighttime—because what better time to thwart my snack cravings than when the world is shrouded in darkness and mystery?

But the most important thing is do I regret it?  The answer is no.

I'll just turn a blind eye to my bank account number, no worries.

A burp came out of me. "Ugh, I feel so gross."

Okay, maybe a little regret.

I let my legs walk freely as the narrow alley stretched before me, shrouded in an eerie darkness that sent shivers down my spine. Every step I took seemed to echo off the grimy walls, amplifying the sense of foreboding that clung to the air like a suffocating fog. I hugged my jacket tighter around me, the faint glow of the streetlights offering little solace in the gloom. Despite the warnings echoing in my mind, I pressed on.

"Okay, who's an idiot for choosing a dark freaking alleyway home? That would be me, thanks, no need for a standing ovation. No don't clap for me, everyone– why is it so dark? Jiji would kick me in the head right now." I muttered to myself, my voice echoing softly off the cold, damp walls. I have a habit of talking to myself, a desperate attempt to ward off the creeping sense of fear. Yet, even my own words failed to reassure me as I quickened my pace, each step echoing loudly in the silence of the deserted alley.

As I ventured deeper into the ominous alley, I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. I shook off the feeling, I would like to imagine that I was just being paranoid.

"Where are you off to?" a chilling voice pierced the silence, causing me to freeze in my tracks.  The words slithered through the darkness, sending shivers down my spine. I turned slowly to see a figure emerge from the shadows, his form obscured by the dim light.

Part of me yells to keep walking, but a part of me responds that would be dangerous because walking would mean walking past him.

"Leave me alone please." I stammered, I hated that my voice was barely above a whisper.

The man stepped closer, his features contorted into a sinister grin. "Oh, but such a pretty little girl, all alone?" He laughed. "You, my dear, you're in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Even when I showed nothing on my face, my heart pounded in my chest as I backed away, the man's words sending a wave of dread crashing over me. I knew I needed to run, but fear rooted me to the spot, I begged my legs to move, trying not to show fear to a man that's this pathetic of a being.

The man's eyes glinted with an unholy light as he took another step forward. "Don't worry, sweetheart," he whispered, his voice dripping with malice. "I'll make sure you never leave this alley alive."

I tried to say sternly, "Get away from me." As the man closed in on me, his menacing presence suffocating, I felt a surge of panic grips my heart.

With all my might, my legs finally moved and ran the other way. I was new to this town so I was very unfamiliar with the paths that I'd been running in, I kept running anyway, hoping I'd never hit a dead end. While my legs were running as fast as they could, I took my chance looking back and surprisingly he was close, he was freaking fast. I resorted to finding help desperately, "Please! Stop! Somebody help! " I heard my own voice cracking as I yelled. Surely there's somebody around.