JISOO’S POV: 

Pacing restlessly beside the fireplace, I dialled Chaeyoung’s number for the umpteenth time, getting increasingly worried with every second I continued to hear the aggravating dial tone. What in the world was going on? Only about an hour ago, the four of us had been seated in a circle in this very room, huddled over the Blue Marble board, chatting and gossiping away in high spirits like there was no tomorrow.

It all started with Lisa heading to the restroom. And regardless of how engrossed we were in the game, 25 minutes seemed an awfully long time for Lisa to spend in the toilet, even if she was taking an exceptionally large dump.

“Maybe it was all the chicken.” Chaeyoung had shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. It did sound plausible, given that Lisa had consumed more fried chicken than I did for lunch, which was no mean feat.

“Maybe she's touching herself.” Jennie had raised an eyebrow suggestively, but it didn't really make sense, for we all knew too well that Jennie and Lisa would be up all night long, arms and legs intertwined, and Chaeyoung and I could only hope they weren't unbearably loud.

Jennie had offered to check up on Lisa, cheekily adding, “I might take a while.” And indeed she did. After another 15 minutes, there was absolutely no sign of Jennie or Lisa. The only conclusion Chaeyoung and I could draw was that they were in the midst of yet another passionate love-making session, but despite searching every nook and cranny of the increasingly eerie lodge in an attempt to spoil their fun, we drew a blank.

Chaeyoung had volunteered to check outside the lodge, assuring me that she'd be back in a matter of minutes. She didn't keep her word. And that left me all alone, trying desperately to contact any of my best friends, but my efforts were futile. I could only hope that this was part of an elaborate prank they had decided to pull on me, because the other possibility...was far more unsettling.

“We're going to the lodge?” Chaeyoung looked absolutely horrified.

“Isn't it supposed to be haunted? I'd rather not.” I had assumed Lisa was joking as usual, but her face showed absolutely no traces of a smile.

“Don't you remember that article I showed you a couple of weeks ago? 9 people went to stay in the lodge. 9 people never returned.” Jennie looked at me as if I was crazy.

“You girls really think the lodge is haunted by some old fogy of a scientist?” I burst out into hearty laughter. “Trust me, that's nothing but a myth. In fact, my cousin went to the lodge with his friends one week ago. It's completely safe.” Now that I thought about it though, I hadn't heard from my cousin since...I shrugged that thought from my mind. I must have been persuasive, the girls eventually agreed to head to the lodge over the Chuseok holidays, albeit somewhat reluctantly. 

As skeptical as I had been about the rumours of the supposed ghost of a brilliant scientist eliminating anyone who dared trespass into what was once his haven of scientific experimentation and discovery, it now seemed disconcertingly plausible, why else would my friends disappear without a trace? Waves of regret and guilt coursed through my body as terrifying implications of my happy-go-lucky decision flooded my mind. I was the oldest, I was responsible for them coming here, I put them in danger…

With no sign of Chaeyoung picking up anytime soon, I gave up and tossed my phone onto the couch in frustration. Out of the blue, I caught a fleeting glimpse of sudden movement in the shadows of the floor above. There they are! With my hope renewed, I called out loudly. “Lisa, I’ve seen you! Or is it Jennie? You can forget about scaring me, girls, you’re not gonna get me.” 

“Oh, they’re most certainly not going to scare you, because I’ve already scared the living daylights out of them.” The low, gruff voice seemed to come from my left. Turning instinctively to look, what I saw caused a sharp pang of fear to shoot through my body. I was staring down the barrel of a gun. “You’re next.” 

“When faced with situations which cause fear, anxiety or immense stress, the “fight-or-flight” reaction comes into effect in animals.” Out of nowhere, the words of my Biology teacher resonated within my panicked mind. Not true. I was rooted to the spot, paralysed with fear, practically accepting of my gruesome fate. There was a click, softer than I had imagined. There was a searing pain surging through my neck, rapidly spreading throughout my body. So this is what death feels like...

 As I began to lose consciousness, the final images of a vivid sequence of memories were that of my best friends. I’m sorry…

The scientist smirked as he admired the four attractive girls lying together in a heap on the ground of his highly futuristic lab. From the outside, it looked just like any other average barn. Only he knew that the interior consisted of high-end radar tracking systems, an astounding array of weaponry and of course, the system of squares. It was the