Chapter 11
Night came in an instant. When the seeping light disappeared, everything changed. There was no life in the forest except for trees, so no sounds could echo. The only sounds the forest held were at most the collision of dew and the rustling of leaves. But as the night deepened, the sounds drifting through the forest increased.
Woooooo.
A sharp sound scratched my ears and clawed at the air. The eerie sound made my drowsy eyes snap open. Seeing me rise, Kim Doyun raised his index finger to his lips. Having just started to feel sleepy after somewhat satisfying my hunger, I felt like I’d been doused with cold water. I carefully lowered my body and looked down through the gap in the windbreak.
The undergrowth was shaking. A tree that had been swaying with a creaking sound toppled over. Scattered leaves shot up into the air and then fell. Beneath them, dark figures were moving slowly but busily back and forth.
It’s them. Not just one, but two creatures appearing suddenly from both sides began scratching the ground and sniffing. With eyes that flashed like embedded lanterns, they seemed to be searching for something.
I thought that what they were looking for might be us. Hadn’t they raised their heads and sniffed like that yesterday under the tree where we were? When I saw their exposed sharp teeth, I was certain. The creatures were hungry.
I clutched my goosebump-covered arms and trembled in fear that they might climb up the tree. However, the creatures only sniffed the air and showed no intention of moving. Are they unable to climb trees? As I tried to observe their behavior more closely, I suddenly noticed something strange. The creatures, which I thought were of the same pack, seemed to have just discovered each other, as they sniffed with their noses and crouched down.
That wasn’t the behavior of greeting or seeing a member of the same species. Rather, they seemed to be guarding and measuring something. Why are they acting like that? As I lowered my head to see more clearly, the atmosphere suddenly changed.
Sheek- sheek!
Kuk kruk!
There was a sound like fierce wind escaping through a small hole. One creature raised its body and overturned the surrounding undergrowth, while the other crouched with its claws raised, scratching the ground. And in the blink of an eye, the creatures were rolling on the ground. Screams erupted and flesh flew. The creatures tore at each other with their sharp teeth and claws.
Every time the creatures rolled on the ground, the undergrowth sagged and was crushed. Just yesterday, I had been glad that the forest, though dark, was visible enough due to the light from the sky, but today I resented that light. Though the exact colors weren’t visible, I could guess what the black things flying through the air were.
I covered my mouth. I suppressed my throat that seemed about to release a groan, and clenched my sweaty fist.
The sound of bones breaking and the ravenous tearing of skin—the silent forest transmitted these sounds as vividly as if the creatures were right in front of us. I raised my head while enduring the foul smell of blood wafting up to the tree. Beside me, Kim Doyun was grimacing as he looked down. It seemed quite painful for him to watch as well.
“They’re just the same.”
“Pardon?”
Kim Doyun released his words faintly, like a sigh. But his voice was so low that I couldn’t easily understand what he had said. On the ground where he gestured, a creature was still having a noisy meal. Without unfolding his furrowed brow, he continued speaking calmly.
“Since there are no animals in this forest… I thought they only hunted humans, but it seems monsters are also among their prey.”
Hunt. The eeriness conveyed by the word made my hair stand on end. And the image of the hospital flashed through my mind. The worry I had temporarily set aside began to drip black ink into my heart.
“…Doyun-ssi.”
I looked at Kim Doyun anxiously. His eyebrows rose slightly. Only after speaking did I realize it was the first time I had called him by his name, but there was no time to feel awkward.
“The hospital, I mean the hospital.”
“Yes.”
“Will… will it be okay?”
My hands trembled. His gaze, which had been on me, fell downward. Kim Doyun rubbed his forehead, sighed, and then patted my back.
“It should be fine. The hospital has an emergency generator, so they should be able to hold out reasonably well. If they’re lucky, the creatures might not know about the hospital, and if they don’t go outside when it’s dark, they should be okay, but…”
“If they’re lucky, you mean.”
I looked at the creature that was rummaging through the undergrowth after devouring everything. Every time it walked, there was a sloshing sound from the blood-soaked ground. Its teeth, exposed enough to show the gums, were larger than two of my fingers combined.
Still seemingly hungry, the creature, after rummaging through the undergrowth, clung to the tree we were hiding in. It began to dig its long claws into the tree and scratch. Every time it swung its hook-like hands while sniffing with what remained of its nose, the tree made a creaking sound. Kim Doyun held me as I startled and backed away. He gripped my arm with his solid hand, shook his head, and whispered.
“Stay still…”
Having never suffered from following his words until now, I obeyed. But even though I quietly sat down, the hand holding me showed no sign of letting go.
I calmed my startled heart, feeling the warmth on my wrist. Kim Doyun’s large hands were as fair as his face. The joints weren’t thick, and the nails were neat and pretty, quite a contrast to my hands, which had been frequently injured during part-time jobs. As if enchanted, I stared at Kim Doyun’s hand and spoke.
“…Should we go back?”
I raised my gaze from his hand to Kim Doyun’s face. I saw him tilting his head at my sudden question.
“No matter how I think about it… we have no options here, and I’m worried about the hospital…”
I wanted to see with my own eyes that they were safe, and if they were still unaware of this anomaly, I wanted to inform them. Besides, expecting a rescue team in this situation…
I abandoned any further expectations. With monsters rampaging, wouldn’t it be better to seek solutions from a safe place rather than wandering through dangerous areas?
“You don’t have to come with me. You can do as you wish, and I’ll be fine going alone.”
But then Kim Doyun’s hand, which had been holding my wrist, enveloped my palm. With a thoughtful expression, he glanced at the creature still clinging to the tree and said:
“Going alone is dangerous.”
“It’s okay. My leg is almost healed now…”
I demonstrated by moving my leg. Though it pulled and stung when bent or stretched, it wasn’t in such bad condition. Shouldn’t it be enough to walk? But Kim Doyun touched my leg and shook his head.
“If you strain it here, it will get worse.”
“But…”
“Besides, two is safer than one.”
“Excuse me…”
“And I’m very strong.”
“……”
I couldn’t understand what he was saying. Facing me as I stared blankly, Kim Doyun smiled quietly with curved eyes.
“I said I chose to help, remember?”
“…Yes.”
“Leave it to me.”
Suddenly, my palm in Kim Doyun’s grasp felt ticklish. My nape was also itchy, and a different kind of goosebumps from when I saw the creatures rose on my body. Unable to bear the itchiness, I scratched my nape vigorously. I heard Kim Doyun laughing behind me. A low, soft breath and voice. Now even my eyes felt hot. What’s wrong with me?
“You’ll get hurt if you do that…”
“Ah, it’s just a bit itchy… Maybe there’s a small insect?”
Of course, since entering this forest, I hadn’t seen a single insect no matter how hard I looked. After speaking, I realized the error in my words and could only open and close my mouth, but Kim Doyun, far from pointing it out:
“It would be a problem if an insect bite got infected.”
He said the same thing and gently rubbed the area I had scratched with his fingertips. I felt soft and firm flesh. Now even my neck was burning. I shook my head, saying it was fine, and pulled my captured hand, and Kim Doyun easily let go.
Finally free, I rubbed my itchy palm and the neck he had touched while turning my head. It was nothing special, just him showing concern, but I couldn’t understand why it felt so awkward. I stole a glance at Kim Doyun. And as soon as I rolled my eyes, our gazes met. Kim Doyun opened his mouth with a gentle smile.
“Are you okay? If it’s still itchy…”
“No, no! I’m fine. I must have been mistaken!”
Fearing that Kim Doyun might approach, I hurriedly turned my body. There was no sign of him approaching, but the back of my head felt itchy.
He’s probably staring, wondering why I’m suddenly acting like this. I bit my lip restlessly. But unable to explain my current state, I looked down through the windbreak to both hide my embarrassment and check the situation.
Just then, the monster that had chilled my spine was looking around and slowly backing away. And then it hid in the shadows and disappeared somewhere, seeming quite urgent unlike yesterday. It looked as if it had seen something frightening. I wondered what could be scary to such creatures, but that’s how it appeared to me. And a moment later.
Thump.
The ground trembled.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
