Echoes in the forest | Minsung

Whispers and shadows

Han Jisung's sleep was fitful, plagued by disturbing images that lurked in the shadows of his mind. The forest outside seemed to bleed into his dreams, twisting and distorting into something far more sinister.

He found himself standing in a dark clearing, the tall trees encircling him like silent sentinels. The air was thick, heavy with the scent of earth and decay. His heart pounded in his chest as he turned, sensing something—someone—nearby. In the dim light of his dream, he saw a man kneeling on the ground, his shoulders shaking with quiet sobs.

As Jisung approached, the figure became clearer. The man was dressed in tattered clothes, his hair disheveled, and his face streaked with dirt and tears. He was cradling something in his arms—a body, lifeless and cold. The sight made Jisung's blood run cold.

"No... please, no..." the man whispered, his voice broken with grief. His hands trembled as he brushed the hair away from the face of the body, revealing a pale, lifeless boy. The boy's eyes were closed, his skin unnaturally pale against the dark forest floor.

Jisung tried to speak, to ask who they were, but his voice wouldn't come. He felt rooted to the spot, paralyzed by the overwhelming sense of sorrow that emanated from the man. The man looked up suddenly, his tear-filled eyes locking with Jisung's. There was something familiar about him, something that sent a jolt of recognition through Jisung's heart.

"Help me..." the man whispered, his voice echoing in the stillness. "Please..."

But before Jisung could move, the scene around him shifted. The trees blurred, and the man and the body in his arms dissolved into shadows. Jisung was left alone in the darkness, the echo of the man's cries lingering in his ears.

He woke with a start, gasping for breath. His heart was pounding, sweat clinging to his skin despite the cool night air. He looked around the tent, trying to shake off the lingering dread. The others were still asleep, their breaths even and calm. But for Jisung, the night's rest had been anything but peaceful.

Morning came slowly, the forest bathed in the soft light of dawn. The smell of coffee and breakfast filled the campsite as the group gathered around the fire once more. Jisung sat quietly, poking at his food with his fork, the nightmare still vivid in his mind.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Bang Chan remarked, handing Jisung a cup of coffee. "Everything okay?"

Jisung hesitated, then sighed. "I had the weirdest nightmare last night. It felt so real..."

"What happened?" Changbin asked, looking up from his plate.

"There was this man," Jisung began, trying to find the right words. "He was crying... over a dead body. A boy. It was so strange, and the grief... it felt so intense, like I could actually feel it."

"That's messed up," Seungmin said, shaking his head. "This place is getting to you."

"Probably just a bad dream," Bang Chan offered, though there was a hint of concern in his voice. "This forest has a way of playing tricks on the mind."

"Maybe," Jisung muttered, taking a sip of his coffee. But deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to the dream, something that connected to the unsettling presence he had felt in the woods the night before.

After breakfast, the group decided to hike up the mountains that loomed over their campsite. The trail was steep and rocky, winding through dense forests and across narrow ridges. The higher they climbed, the more breathtaking the view became, with the river snaking through the valley below and the horizon stretching out endlessly.