Echoes of the Forgotten

Echoes of the Unspoken

      Soojin stumbled into the early morning meeting, half-awake, groaning as she took in her friends' serious expressions. The early morning light barely cut through the tired haze that hung over them. She rubbed her eyes and sighed, her irritation slipping through. "Girl, what is it that you needed us up at the ass-crack of dawn for?" She pressed a hand to her temple. "Your message was so vague it felt like it was pounding around in my head, giving me a headache just to figure  it out."

      Minji and Jinwoo exchanged a look, one that held more than just a bit of hesitation — there was something dark in their eyes, a weight she hadn't seen before. Unease stirred in Soojin's gut as her gaze shifted from one to the other. It was like they were carrying a secret she wasn't sure if she wanted to know. Why were they being so cryptic? Hoon plopped down beside her, yawning, and muttered with a smirk, "I skipped Grandma's breakfast for this. Better be good, or I'll be holding this against you for life. 

      Jinwoo remained silent, reaching into his bag to pull out an old, worn book. The cover was faded, the spine cracked, and the edges were frayed as if it had endured years of harsh handling. He laid it on the table, letting it sit there in front of them like some ominous artifact.

      "What... is that?" Soojin asked, eyeing it with both curiosity and apprehension. "This is our project," Minji said softly, her voice barely more than a whisper. There was something unsettling in the way she said it, like it wasn't just any project but a revelation they weren't prepared for.

      Hoon let out a disbelieving snort, folding his arms as he glanced between them. "Uh, hate to break it to you, but this is a journal." He gestured at the book with a deadpan look. "We're supposed to get excited over some random, beat-up diary? Did you drag us out here for this? What are we supposed to do with someone's journal, write a book report or something?"

      Minji glanced at the journal, her expression conflicted. "You guys... don't understand." She let out a sigh, finally sinking into a chair beside them. Her fingers traced the edges of the cover as if she could feel the stories trapped inside.

      Soojin felt a chill run down her spine as she watched Minji and listened to her words. She leaned closer, peering at the journal with more curiosity now, the mystery of it pulling her in. "What don't we understand?" she asked, her voice softer, more cautious.

Minji leaned forward, her voice low. "Do you two remember the rumors?"

Soojin tilted her head, her brows knitting together. "Rumors? About what?"

Minji glanced around, lowering her voice even more. "The rumors about that house. You know, the one that's supposedly haunted? The one everyone talks about?"

      Soojin's stomach clenched. She knew exactly which house Minji meant — the story that'd spread like wildfire since freshman year. "You mean... that story all the seniors tell the freshmen to freak them out?"

      Minji nodded. "Yeah. I don't know how much you guys know or have heard...but they say it's more than just some haunted house. They say it... does things to you. Messes with your head, dredges up things from your past... things you might not even realize you're hiding." Her eyes darkened, as if reliving those rumors made them feel all the more real.

      Jinwoo nodded solemnly. "This journal... it belonged to a group of boys who went inside that place. They went in trying to prove the rumors wrong...just something to do after school. You know, to show everyone it was just some story to scare people."

Soojin felt a chill crawl up her spine. "And?"

      Minji's face twisted, a mixture of horror and something close to sympathy. "Most of them came out... broken...ruined. And one of them..." She swallowed hard. "One of them didn't make it out. As awful as it is, they decided to tell their stories about what happened to them 10 years ago."