Echoes in the forest | Minsung

Unveiling Shadows

Jisung paced restlessly in the small, dimly lit café, his friends clustered around him. Chan, Changbin, and Seungmin sat at the table, their faces a mix of concern and disbelief as Jisung recounted the nightmarish events from the forest.

"I'm telling you, something is seriously wrong out there," Jisung said, his voice trembling slightly. "I saw shadows, heard screams—I know what I heard. And then there was that news report about the woman's death. It wasn't a coincidence."

Changbin leaned back in his chair, his expression one of shock. "I can't believe this," he said quietly. "You really think Lee Know knows something about this?"

Seungmin, who had been silent for most of the conversation, finally spoke up. "It's hard to ignore the signs. If Lee Know is connected to this somehow, we need to find out what's going on. If he knows something, he has to tell us."

Chan nodded, his brow furrowed in thought. "I agree. We need to go back to that village, find Lee Know, and get some answers."

Jisung looked at his friends, relief washing over him at their support. "Let's go then. We need to talk to him. Something doesn't feel right, and I think he's our only chance at figuring out what's really happening."

With a determined nod, the group packed up and set out for the village. The drive was tense, the air heavy with anticipation and unease. The familiar landscape of trees and rolling hills passed by in a blur as they approached the small, isolated community.

When they arrived, the village was eerily quiet. The streets were deserted, the houses dark and still. Jisung's heart raced as they pulled up to Lee Know's house, the same place where they had been before.

"Let's go," Chan said, leading the way as they approached the front door. He knocked firmly, but there was no response. The silence that followed was oppressive, adding to their growing anxiety.

Changbin frowned and glanced around. "Maybe he's out. We should check around the back."

The group walked around the side of the house, but there was no sign of Lee Know. The backyard was just as quiet as the front, the garden overgrown and neglected. As they searched, Jisung's eyes were drawn to a small window at the back of the house.

"Hey," he said, pointing. "That window's unlocked. Maybe we can get inside and look around."

Chan hesitated, then nodded. "Alright, but be careful. We don't want to get caught."

Jisung climbed through the window, followed by the others. Inside, the house was dark and musty, the air thick with the scent of dust and disuse. They moved cautiously through the rooms, their footsteps echoing in the silence.

In a small study off the main hallway, Jisung's heart skipped a beat as he noticed a wooden desk cluttered with various papers and photographs. He approached it slowly, his curiosity piqued. The desk was covered with eerie photographs of the forest—pictures of people in various unsettling poses, doing strange rituals, and scenes of the woods that made Jisung's skin crawl.

Changbin, looking over his shoulder, gasped. "What is this? These pictures... they're creepy."

Seungmin examined the desk drawers and found several hidden compartments containing old, dusty rifles and handguns. "What's with all the guns?" he wondered aloud, his voice tense.

Jisung's mind raced. "We need to find Lee Know before he comes back. There's something seriously wrong here."

As if on cue, the sound of a key turning in the lock echoed through the house. Panic surged through the group, and they quickly scrambled to hide, ducking behind furniture and into dark corners.