The door slammed shut behind Kim.
The sound echoed louder than it should have.
For a moment, he just stood there on the porch, chest rising and falling, his hands still clenched at his sides.
How did it even get to this?
His jaw tightened.
Rose.
Of all people… Rose.
A bitter laugh escaped him as he stepped into the quiet street. The evening had already sunk into darkness, the sky heavy and dim like it was about to swallow the night whole. Streetlights flickered weakly, casting long, broken shadows across the ground.
He exhaled sharply.
Should he go back?
Apologize?
"…No."
He turned away.
The alley was darker than usual.
Too dark.
The moment Kim stepped into it, the temperature seemed to drop. The air felt thick—still—like even the wind refused to pass through.
His footsteps echoed softly against the concrete.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
His phone buzzed.
Rose.
He ignored it.
It buzzed again.
And again.
And again.
The sound started to feel… louder. More annoying. Like it was drilling into his head.
On the fifth call, he yanked his phone out and answered.
"What do you want?!"
On the other end, Rose's breathing was uneven.
"Kim… please… you need to come back. We have to talk—"
"I'm not coming back."
"It's the scarecrow—" her voice broke, fear leaking through every word. "Something is wrong with it. It's not normal, Kim. Please—"
Kim let out a harsh scoff. "Are you hearing yourself right now? It's a scarecrow, Rose. A piece of wood and straw. Do you need help or something?"
A shadow slipped across the wall behind him.
Kim stopped walking.
"…Who's there?"
Silence.
The kind of silence that presses against your ears.
"Kim, listen to me!" Rose's voice cracked through the phone. "That thing in the field—it's watching. I swear it's watching—"
"Enough!" Kim snapped. "I'm not playing along with whatever this is—"
Another movement.
Closer.
This time, he saw it clearly.
A shape.
Right behind him.
Kim turned sharply.
Nothing.
But his heart didn't calm down.
It started pounding harder.
"…Okay. This isn't funny."
The alley suddenly felt tighter. The shadows stretched longer, darker—like they were crawling toward him.
"Come out," he said, louder now. "I know someone's there."
Rose was still talking, her voice desperate, almost drowned out by static.
"Kim, please come back, I'm begging you—"
He ended the call.
Silence crashed down.
"…Come out!" he shouted. "I'm not joking!"
For a second—
Nothing.
Then—
Something shifted in the darkness ahead.
Slowly.
A figure stepped forward.
Tall.
Unnaturally still.
Draped in a long, worn coat that hung loosely from its frame, swaying slightly… even though there was no wind.
Kim's breath caught.
It looked wrong.
Not just strange.
Wrong.
Then—
Its head tilted.
Two faint red lights flickered where its eyes should have been.
Kim's vision blurred.
"…What the hell…?"
His foot slipped.
He fell hard onto the cold ground, the impact knocking the air out of him.
The figure didn't rush him.
Didn't speak.
Didn't move.
It just stood there.
Watching.
Waiting.
Rose stormed down the stairs.
Her heart was racing so fast it hurt.
"Mom, I'm going out!" she called, already grabbing the door.
Her mother looked up from the living room, confused. "At this time? What's wrong?"
"I'll be back in five minutes!" Rose rushed out before she could be stopped.
The night air hit her instantly—cold, sharp.
Her hands trembled as she dialed Kim again.
"Pick up… please pick up…"
The call rang.
And rang.
And rang.
No answer.
Rose started running.
Her slippers slapped against the pavement, uneven and frantic. The streetlights blurred past her as her breathing grew heavier, her chest tightening with every step.
Something was wrong.
She knew it.
That scarecrow—
It wasn't just standing there anymore.
It had changed.
And Kim—
"Please…" her voice broke as she ran faster. "Just pick up…"
The call connected.
"Kim?!"
For a moment—
Nothing.
Then—
A faint sound.
Like breathing.
Rough. Uneven.
And something else.
A low… dragging noise.
"Kim, say something!"
Static crackled.
Then—
The line went dead.
Rose slowed to a stop.
Her phone slipped slightly in her shaking hand.
"…Kim?"
The world around her spun—
Her vision blurred—
And everything faded out.
Beeping.
Soft. Repetitive.
Kim's eyes opened slowly.
Bright white ceiling.
The sharp scent of antiseptic filled his nose.
"…Where…"
"A hospital."
He turned.
Rose sat beside him, her eyes swollen, tears still clinging to her lashes.
"I found you," she said, her voice trembling. "In the alley… what happened to you? I was calling you!"
Kim pushed himself up slightly, panic flashing across his face.
"I saw… something…"
His voice was weak.
"Someone… he tried to kill me…"
Rose leaned forward, gripping his arm tightly.
"Who?! Kim, tell me—what did you see?!"
Kim swallowed—
Then winced.
His hand moved instinctively to his throat, brushing against the thick bandage wrapped around it.
"…It hurts…"
Rose's expression shifted.
"Wait—don't touch it—"
But he already had.
She hesitated… then slowly peeled the bandage back.
And froze.
Her breath caught.
Deep, uneven scratches stretched across his neck—
Angry.
Raw.
As if something had tried—
To rip his throat open.
Rose's hands began to shake.
"…Kim…"
Her voice barely came out.
"What… did you see?"