Mina swears this was absolutely NOT what she hoped for her future. She was part of the ‘cool kids’, she was a ballerina, she was part of a lot of groups during college, so why is she about to move to a ranch in the middle of Utah to work???? One would think being a biologist fresh out of the University of Houston would get her something better than being a foreman (forewoman?) in the middle of nowhere, but here we are. It was fine, though, the pay was suspiciously high and she had too many bonuses that she should have been suspicious. There was a health plan, a dental plan, a new car for her to drive around the property and wherever she wanted to go, thirty-day paid vacation, plus another fifteen days for paid sick leave a year, she would get her own little house near the main one and she would be provided with anything she might need, Mina would just need to take her clothes.

 

Now, mr Myoui wanted his girl to follow the family business, but his older son was the heir, so he couldn’t make much of a case about it. Mrs Myoui was the ever supporting mother, and was the first to push Mina to send her resume when the girl came to them about the opening. Now, we have the Myoui family and Alex (Kai’s girlfriend) saying goodbye to Mina with teary eyes and telling her she absolutely HAD to be back for Christmas, the youngest promised she would and headed to the gate. In all honesty, Mina never met her new employer, some mr Bigelow that never showed up but she did have a contract with his signature back in her father’s safe. Arriving, Mina was instructed to look for Park, no further information, just that one short text, but the sign with ‘Myoui’ helped.

 

This Park, which Mina thought might be a place, was actually a beautiful woman, tanned skin and curious eyes that seemed to hold many secrets. Said woman was shorter than her, but Mina was certainly intimidated, that was until she was standing right in front of said woman and got a smile that left the sun to hide in shame and herself to be completely dazed when she should be introducing herself. Park didn’t seem to mind much, as she took one of Mina’s suitcases and proceeded to guide them all to her truck. A joke about overcompensating popped into Mina's mind, but she remembered they were ranch workers and this huge pickup was a necessity in their daily lives.

 

“Look alive, Myoui.” Park decided to snap her new companion out of it. “We got three hours ahead of us and you aren’t about to keep dozing off like that. I’m supposed to give you a run down about everything on the way.”

 

“Ehem, ye-yeah.” Mina stutters. “Right, sure.”

 

The other woman chuckles and Mina decides to introduce herself.

 

“I’m Mina, Myoui Mina. It’s nice to meet you.” 

 

“Park Jihyo.” The smaller woman laughs and motions for them to get in the car. “I’m what you could call the supervisor. There are two others that work at the ranch as well and they should be of some help.”

 

“Some help?” Mina thinks she might have heard wrong.

 

“They are very competent at their job, don’t worry. But those two are absolute idiots, and a big part of my headaches.”

 

Mina giggles, this woman looked so serious, she wasn’t expecting a joke like this. “Oh, I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

 

“Oh no, you are being trained by me and I’m getting the idiot out of you.” Jihyo pretends to despair. 

 

Both laugh, and Mina thinks this might not be as catastrophic as she was expecting. Sure, they were headed to the middle of nowhere, but it was a relief to know the people there were fun to be around. At least Jihyo was. 

 

“And Mina?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Next time, land in Roosevelt, I really hate having to drive all the way out to Salt Lake and we could have had a twenty minute drive.”

 

“About that. I wasn’t the one who chose my flight, I got the tickets after I signed the contract. Everything was already decided by someone else.”

 

Jihyo chuckles humorlessly. “Of course they would want me away for as long as possible.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“When we were told about the new arrival, I took the documents to input your data in the system and get all your registrations in order, and told the es to take care of your transportation. Of course they would send me out on an overnight ride to pick you up.”

 

“Oh, and that’s bad?”

 

“Not in the sense you might be thinking, it’s just that they think anytime I’m out is play hookie time.” Jihyo pinches her nose. “Alright, so for future reference, you can just land in Roosevelt and spare us both the long drive.”

 

“Yes ma’am.” The younger responds with an amused smile.

 

They spend the rest of the time going over the technicalities of the job, Jihyo explains in detail that they mostly have to go around and check the ranch for anything that wasn’t supposed to be happening, like people trying to sneak under the fence, cattle being too close to a crack on the ground, sheep being stuck, you know, ranch things. Getting closer to their destination, Jihyo does get a bit somber and something uneasy stirs in Mina’s gut.

 

“Now, Mina I’m going to tell you about the ranch and you can leave if you think it’s too much. I’m trusting you read everything you signed, so you have an NDA and your contract says you have to stay at least for the first month, after that you can ask to be let go and we’ll handle the paperwork, no consequences for you.”

 

“I was fine, but now you got me a bit fearful.”

 

“Good, fear is what keeps us alive. Now, whatever you hear, if you don’t see a person or aren’t talking on the phone, do not answer. Do not stop and try to hear again, do not look for who might be speaking, and most of all, do not answer the call. It’s not the person you think it is and I won’t be able to help you if you do.”

 

“What?” Mina stutters a bit, suddenly frightened.

 

“Just follow the instructions and you’ll be fine. I’ll explain as soon as we are within the property, but I’d like to get to the main house before that, and you’ll need to know a few things before we arrive.”

 

“And why is it that you are telling me not to answer?”

 

“Like I said, I’ll explain better when we arrive. Just follow what I said and keep your curiosity to yourself until then. Also, you’ll probably see a few dark splotches that will look like they are following the car. They are, but they won’t leave the treeline, you’ll be okay, but I’ll ask you to try your best and pretend you see nothing, you can look at them but don’t fixate, don’t let them understand they have your attention.”

 

When Mina was about to question again, they arrived at the ranch. She can see that there are three fences, the gates are automatic and she didn’t see Jihyo press anything so she supposes it’s some proximity sensor, she had been trying to get her dad to put one in their garage for months now. Unexpectedly, there is a foul smell as soon as they reach the second fence, it smells like chemical waste and decay. Jihyo seems used to it, as she closes the windows and turns on the air conditioning. In a few seconds, the stench begins to ease up and there’s a pine smell taking its place.

 

“The air filters on our cars have an air freshener. The mechanic did some adjustments, and don’t hesitate to use it when needed.” Jihyo explains the unasked question.

 

“Alright.” Is all Mina says, she can still taste the smell.

 

All of this happened in the span of a minute or so, the time it took them to get from the second gate to the third. Once they are really within the property, Mina hears a few muffled screams, the voice is eerily familiar, she snaps her head to the woman driving, but Jihyo just shakes her head and brings a finger to her lips, silently reminding her to not speak. Much as she was warned would happen, there are dark figures following the car, Mina does her best to not acknowledge them, but the screams are louder and she can clearly hear her mother. Remembering she was warned about it, the new arrival tries her best to keep herself under control.

 

They drove for a few minutes until a big house came on sight. It certainly was a farmhouse, but looked like a research lab more than a home, and Mina figures it might be just that. Two armed women stand on the fence line, looking behind them and ready to shoot anything that they might have dragged in. It was strange, Mina thought, it was just a low white fence, but the feeling completely changed, she felt safe inside the perimeter. Jihyo parked in what was assumed to be her spot and motioned the other to get out. The two women who were by the entrance were making their way towards them.

 

“Now, do any of you want to explain why I drove three hours away to pick her up?” Jihyo demands, just as the two get to them.

 

Both women look incredibly sheepish and start laughing awkwardly. Mina doesn’t really know what to think, she is finding this very entertaining and these two obviously had some grand plan and got caught, on the other hand everything she experienced from the moment they passed property line has her on edge. 

 

“WELL!” Jihyo raises her voice and startles them all.

 

“You see…” The slightly taller woman tries, but stops as soon as she looks at Jihyo’s eyes.

 

“We wanted to do something for our anniversary and we knew you wouldn’t be on board with the two of us sleeping in today.” The one with the cute teeth blurts out.

 

“Oh, you’d think!” Jihyo is slowly losing her temper. “Now, you both got yourselves tomorrow’s shift.”

 

There’s a groan but neither dares to complain.

 

“Also, this is Myoui Mina, our new girl.” The smaller woman introduces. “Mina, these idiots are Nayeon and Sana, like I said they are es but they are really good at their jobs. Do not hesitate to reach out to them whenever.”

 

“I’m Nayeon, but you can call me anytime.” The one with the cute teeth says and tries to wink.

 

Mina thinks nobody has the heart to tell her she doesn’t really know how winks are supposed to work… She doesn’t know how to wink herself.

 

“Don’t mind her, you call ME anytime.” The taller one intervenes, sweeping Mina up in a big hug. “I’m Sana!”

 

“Alright, enough. Help me get Mina’s bags out of the car and we’ll grab some lunch. We can get her up to speed after we give her a tour inside the fence.”

 

“Sure, but do we take the bags to her porch or just leave it at the big house?” Sana asks, already taking the bag Nayeon passed her.

 

“To her porch would be lovely, thank you.” Jihyo says with a smile. “I’ll just guide her to the bathroom and then we can head to the kitchen.”

 

“Aye aye!” Nayeon salutes, followed by Sana, and they are off.

 

“Come, I know you want a few minutes alone to freak out now.” The smaller one says and walks off.

 

Mina still doesn’t really know what to think, but follows regardless. She does freak out and scream as soon as she closes the door, Jihyo decides to get some water boiling, a camomile tea would do the new kid good right about now. Nayeon and Sana are back in the meantime, neither wants tea, but they do agree that lunch should happen sometime soon. After the youngest came out of the bathroom, things were actually very quiet. They ate among small talk, getting to know the newest team member, and telling little anecdotes about their own lives. It was very nice, though Jihyo was fairly quiet when it came to talking about herself.

 

Once they are done, Jihyo does the dishes as Sana makes some tea for all of them. Nayeon guides herself and Mina, with the tea and mugs to the front porch as they wait for the other two. It wasn’t long, Sana followed quickly after, sitting on her wife’s lap and the three chatted until Jihyo got to them. The smaller woman walked to a certain point closer to the fence and looked to be chanting something, then she burned a bundle of herbs and walked along the opening where the car came through, before heading towards the group and chanting something while spreading the smoke on them. By the looks of the couple, it was normal.

 

“Alright, should we just tell her, show her or go for a ride?” Nayeon asks when it's done.

 

“I think we should tell her first and then we all go on the afternoon and night patrols so we can show her everything.” Sana suggests pensively.

 

“Alright, Mina.” Jihyo breathes deeply. “What do you know about cryptids?”

 

“Mostly speculation? Urban legends and whatnot?” The youngest shrugs but sounds curious.

 

“Well, what if I tell you they are more real than you think they are?”

 

“Then I’d like a bit more information?”

 

“Well, I’m certain you googled this ranch when you read we were hiring. Most stories are true, some are lacking, others are just fabrications on what they read from others.” Nayeon started.

 

“So, all that is rumored to be here really is?” Mina sounds a bit dazed.

 

“Yup, and you’ll see them all in time. I’m sure some of the walkers made you company on your way in.”

 

“You mean that was a sk-”

 

“DON’T!” Jihyo cuts her. “One very important rule is, don’t say their names. If you think about them, they’ll come to you, but if you call them, they will contact you for certain. Don’t call the name of any of them and try not to think of them at all.”

 

“You all know how it’s very difficult to do that, right? Especially now that I know they are really here.”

 

“We know, Minnie.” Sana almost coos. “But it gets easier, just do your very best to follow what Hyo tells you and don’t ever say it out loud.”

 

“Is it that bad to say it out loud?” Mina was very curious.

 

“Well, the person you are replacing said the walker out loud and we couldn’t completely scrape him off his car’s hood, so we had to send the thing to the press.” Jihyo shrugs nonchalantly. “Which brings me to, your truck is brand new so we’ll have to go to town to pick it up from the mechanic tomorrow, I’ll take you.”

 

“We want to go to town too!” Nayeon whines.

 

“Should have thought of that before you sent me to Salt Lake thinking you were slick, huh?”

 

The couple groans, mostly because they couldn’t say anything to that, and Mina giggles freely, noticing that not thinking about the cryptids was easier than expected. They finish the tea, Nayeon was the one washing the mugs, while Sana went to the back to get her car and Jihyo walked Mina around the big house. It was, indeed, a research lab, but the scientists were out on the field for another four days, and she was warned that the scientists didn’t like the forewomen much, so they didn't really mingle. Also, each group makes their own meals and cleans up after themselves, but mostly they eat at one of their houses to avoid having to go to the big house.

 

“So why did we eat at the big house today?” 

 

“Because Nayeon and Sana would come back from patrol too close to our arrival and our own houses are a bit far from the big house.”

 

“But aren’t our houses the ones just behind it?” Mina swears she saw a few little houses in a semicircle just behind the place they were at.

 

“Oh, those belong to the scientists.” Jihyo understands now. “Their houses make about two rows, then there is some space and then our houses.”

 

“Aaaahhh.” Mina can’t really visualize, but she has an idea about what Jihyo is talking about now.

 

They keep some light conversation for the rest of the trip, it’s only a few minutes, Mina likes it a lot. Jihyo was quite the entertainer, you see, an acquired talent to entrance people with her words and some great storytelling skills. The fact that Jihyo was also quite the sight was a bonus, and Mina might very well get used to this, if she’s lucky she could get a little something something in the near future. The garage came into view, a big warehouse-like building that looked pristine and brand new. The japanese would guess it got a new coat of paint in the last month or so.

 

“The kids like to keep up appearances, wait until you see their real work area.” Jihyo chuckles at her companion.

 

They make their way inside, it’s just as pristine as the outside and Mina wonders what Jihyo was talking about. There are three garage doors in the back, it looks like private workshops, maybe that was what the forewoman was talking about. There was a short woman with a clipboard leaning over a car, looking like she was checking something, Jihyo brightened up a bit at that and made her way to said woman. Mina huffs but follows, who is this minx getting in her way to getting on Jihyo’s pants! Err.. She means, who would this distinguished young lady be? Shut up!

 

“Hyun! Come here and give me some love.” Jihyo calls.

 

‘Hyun’ stops what she was doing and runs to her. “Hyo! I missed you very much.”

 

“You know I can’t really come into town that much, kiddo.” The older woman chuckles fondly. “Plus, not my fault you weren’t here when I came to drop the truck. Yeonnie was also very sad she didn’t see you.”

 

“Can’t I just go and visit you guys?” 

 

“You know it’s not that easy.” Jihyo seems to have remembered the other woman. “Oh, Dahyun, this is Mina, the new forewoman. Mina, this is Dahyun, the sole responsible member of this shop.”

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Dahyun.”

 

“Very nice to meet you too.” Dahyun forgoes the hand stretched to her and goes for a hug, slightly lifting Mina off the ground. “Oh, she really IS new.”

 

At Mina’s clearly confused face, Jihyo explains. “You are light and not that strong yet.”

 

“It’s alright, just stick to Hyo and you’ll get better in no time.” Dahyun says and grabs the clipboard again.

“The kids not in yet?” Jihyo asks.

 

“Tzu is at her workshop, I don’t know where Chae disappeared to but I did see her come in this morning. Hold on.” 

 

The smaller woman walks towards a table, slightly to the side, she calmly places her clipboard down and presses a button, it has a hard plastic cover and all. A nuclear alarm sounds throughout the entire place and there is a loud thud and some running. By the looks of Dahyun and Jihyo, this wasn’t something too out of the ordinary so Mina waited to see what was up. Two garage doors at the back open, two figures run towards them, looking very disheveled. A very tall, beautiful and completely covered in grease, and a small, also beautiful and also covered in grease woman show up, both clearly startled.

 

“Chae, Tzu, this is Mina, Jihyo’s new kid. Mina, The tall one is Tzuyu, the midget is Chaeyoung, they are the geniuses behind the magic.”

 

“You and I are the same height!” Chaeyoung protests.

 

“It’s nice to meet you both.” Mina greets with a bright smile that stops the iminent squabble.

 

Both Tzuyu and Chaeyoung were mesmerized, and if Dahyun hadn’t cleared they might have put their feet in their mouths and embarrassed themselves again. 

 

“Right, the truck!” Tzuyu seems to have got herself together. “We did everything we did with the previous ones, but this is a newer model, it has a few perks yours don’t. Maybe try and get them all changed, it would also reduce the maintenance costs and I could do the same thing I did with Mina’s.”

 

“I’ll file a request, but you know how it is with the owners, can’t promise anything.”

 

The trio heads to the back, Mina is faced with a huge truck, silver grey and brand new, there were other several jokes about size swarming her head, but she was reminded of everything she had experienced so far and decided it was definitely needed to have such a vehicle. Now, the mechanics went through everything and how it worked. Mina was a bit confused but figured she could just ask Jihyo later, maybe get a private ride so the older woman could teach her a thing or two. She’s been dry for almost a year already, give her a break.

 

Jihyo hands over the gate control and Dahyun installs it rather quickly, all the preparations were already done, they really just needed the device. She must confess, the thing was rather light, despite its size and weight, very surprising but also very pleasant as she figured she would spend a lot of time behind the wheel. Getting back, however, was hard, she remembered all the instructions but found it ridiculously harder to go through the property on her own, maybe time would help. They passed by Sana and Nayeon on horseback, Jihyo radioed for her to go around the big house and follow behind her, arriving at four houses standing side-by-side. 

 

Mina stopped a bit, not knowing where she should park, Jihyo noticed and hopped out of her own truck to point at where the girl should go. Their houses looked just about enough from the outside, a simple design but completely sealed with metal plates from the outside. The door looked like it was made for a bunker too, she figured that whatever was out there, was supposed to be kept out there and that thought gave her the wrong kind of shivers. She could work with this, it was fine. (She didn’t and it wasn’t).

 

The first month went by with Mina doing her best to learn the ropes, Jihyo dragging her along to absolutely anything that might come up and Nayeon and Sana getting increasingly more annoying, they also took to making suggestive remarks that, quite obviously, went right over Jihyo’s head but not Mina’s. The work itself wasn’t that much, Mina understood the reason for the huge trucks on her second week, when they had to haul six cow carcasses back to the lab. A few gags and a lot of struggling to figure out the jack to lift the carcasses and she was sitting inside her truck and trying her hardest to not puke all over it.

 

By the end of the third month, Mina was convinced that she might have a better chance with one of the mechanics than the whole meal that is Park Jihyo. BUT, things kind of went her way, with a bit of trauma, but it did. She was standing by the cattle enclosure, petting one of the cows that had walked her way. Jihyo was sitting on an upside down bucket, both waiting on one of the scientists to tell them what they wanted so both could just do it and get on with their tasks. Seemingly out of nowhere, a huge canine figure sauntered towards them, it was big and a bit deformed, as if it was trying to be something but couldn’t really decide between a wolf and a coyote. 

 

The figure strutted towards Mina, lowering its head as if asking to be patted, the woman obliged and mindlessly patted the thing, which trotted towards the cow she was patting before and bit the head right off. Blood gushed out of where the head was and both women woke up from their trance, Jihyo had been just watching it all from the beginning. While Mina was too shaken to actually do much but scream and stumble back, Jihyo grabbed her shotgun and opened fire against the creature, which seemed to not even notice it was being shot. Grotesque holes opened where the bullets hit but the creature merely looked on, seemingly uninterested.

 

Once all Jihyo ran out of bullets, the creature sauntered away, back into the thick bushes that circled the big house. The noise had grabbed the attention from all the others, but the scientists wouldn’t leave the big house until they came in and tell them it's safe, security protocols and all. Mina had been looking at everything but remained in her trance-like state, watching the creature reach the treeline, look back at them with a bored expression, and walk away into the woods. Only then a foul smell hit them like a garbage truck left in the sun for a month, both women surrendered their stomach contents, unable to stop until they were heaving air. 

 

Sana and Nayeon arrived just as they started throwing up, both having a hard time not doing so themselves. The couple did a round through the property, checking if something was still out there, and proceeded to give the scientists the all clear before returning to their friends and dragging them to the infirmary. The doctor checked both women but found nothing wrong physically, they were just very shaken, but the psychologist would return in four days and both could talk to him then. While the consultation was taking place, Nayeon called headquarters and reported the incident and Sana was preparing clothes for them both at Jihyo’s house. She remembered how bad the first time facing those things was and knew Mina would need someone to be with her tonight.

 

Once the doctor released them, the couple guided the sluggish women to Jihyo’s house and got them to shower. Mina was so shaken that she was placed in the same shower as a Jihyo and didn’t bat an eye. Nayeon prepared some light food for them and got both in bed to sleep it off, herself and Sana would take over for the rest of the day, maybe once Jihyo was recovered enough she could come and check the wards. If the thing got past them, they should be renewed. Mina fell asleep quickly, Jihyo was really just waiting for the nausea to recede so she could go and check the perimeter. 

 

Nayeon and Sana were guarding the inner perimeter, both on horseback and circling the houses, the rest of the ranch could wait. Jihyo arrives at the big house just as Sana is passing by, she tells her Mina is fine and sleeping and that she would check the wards that protect the inner perimeter and list down everything that would need fixing. If the perimeter was breached that easily, she would most likely have to spend the night redoing the whole thing. Now, Jihyo was of native descent, she may have grown up in a city and pampered by modern technology, but she was taught in the ways of her people and became a very good ‘witch’. Nobody really knew what to really call her because she never revealed where she came from, not that anyone really cared that much, they loved her and that was enough.

 

When Mina woke up, her phone told her it was three in the morning, she frowned when she noticed the woman she had fallen asleep with wasn’t beside her and waddled out. By this time, Jihyo had made her way through half of the perimeter, all the rites she had to perform took a while and she had to be thorough at each point. Mina was a bit confused, but Nayeon was approaching and unmounted to talk a little. 

 

“What is going on?” 

 

“Are you alright now? The first time is always the worst.” Nayeon looks very worried.

 

“I’m much better now, maybe a bit hungry. But what is Jihyo doing? What happened earlier?”

 

“First things first, you go and make something for you to eat. Jihyo is redoing the inner perimeter, she will be done by morning. Try to sleep a bit more and we’ll talk again in the morning. Just keep the door shut and, whatever happens, do not come outside again.”

 

“Are you going to tell me anything at all?” Mina is a bit frustrated.

 

“We will all have breakfast in the morning and you can ask anything you want, just keep the house locked and do not step outside.”

 

Nayeon walks back to her horse and is off before Mina can gather her thoughts again. She lingers around for a while longer, observing Jihyo doing whatever she was doing, but a mysterious orange light emanating from the trees made her change her mind. She quickly went inside and kept looking through the window, she saw Sana pass by but she could swear there were some dark figures running just inside the treeline. Whatever, Mina decides to eat and get some more sleep, it isn’t like she would be able to talk to any of them at the moment anyways.

 

The next morning came before anyone noticed, Nayeon and Sana were done just before eight and headed to Jihyo’s house to start with breakfast, Mina was still sleeping when they arrived. Jihyo herself was almost finished when she saw the couple passing by, but she absolutely HAD to finish this. By the time the head forewoman got back to her place, breakfast was waiting for her, Nayeon and Sana were showered and cuddling on her front porch (she was just thankful that her couch was left alone this time), and Mina was still asleep on her bed. Jihyo decides to shower and change into some comfy clothes before waking up her guest.

 

Mina woke to the sound of the shower running, she was confused as she lived alone, but then the previous day caught up to her and she jolted up, coming face-to-face with Jihyo’s glorious back through the fogged up shower glass. But she heard conversation downstairs and rushed out before she lost the last shred of self control she had. For some reason, Nayeon and Sana stopped talking the moment she came into the kitchen, both leaning against the counter and supporting knowing smiles she really wanted to slap out of their faces.

 

“What?” Mina asked, a bit flustered and a bit pissed.

 

“Would you like some coffee?” Sana asked, looking even more smug, if possible.

 

“I- What?” 

 

“She asked if you would like some coffee, honey.” Nayeon says with the most annoying smirk.

 

“Yeah, sure.” The youngest gives up.

 

Mina huffs and goes around the counter to get something to eat, completely missing the silent conversation between the couple. It wasn’t long until they were eating, with some time at the ranch one gets used to not taking too long with their morning routines. The whole experience was quite traumatic, but Mina is looking at these women and seeing the weight behind their eyes for the first time, she knew they were hard women that held a lot more on their shoulders than they let on, but right this moment, she sees how they were completely broken and rebuilt themselves into such amazing people.

 

“You think too much of us.” Jihyo says with a knowing look.

 

“I a- Did I say something?” Mina gulps.

 

“No, sweetie.” Nayeon offers a comforting smile. “Your eyes are telling us all we need to know, because we’ve been where you are.”

 

“We were all there at some point, and we all know the complete hopelessness and despair you must have felt yesterday.” Sana adds with a warm hug to the youngest. 

 

“Yeah, what was that?” The youngest sighs.

 

“That, love, was a skinwalker. You did see how it looked a lot like a wolf, coyote thing but not really?! Yeah, that’s what they look like.” Jihyo explained. “They resemble something we’ve seen before but, at the same time, not at all.”

 

“A skinwalker?”

 

“You remember the very first rules Jihyo told you about?” Sana interjects.

 

“No matter what I see, no matter what I hear, do not answer.” Mina remembers a bit robotically.

 

“That’s to protect you from them. They will know what to say and who to say it as, to draw you to them.” Nayeon responds gravely. “Just thinking about them could make them come to you, that’s why we avoid talking about them at all, it’s easier to keep it out of our minds like that.”

 

“That thing, I felt like in a trance, I petted it and just stood there.” The youngest sobs. “My mind was urging me to leave, to run as far as possible. But I couldn’t.”

 

“That’s one of the effects their presence has on people, we don’t know how, but they can do that.” Jihyo explains. “I don’t know what it wanted nor how it possibly got past the barrier, but It’s all renewed now and it should keep them out.”

 

“I was wondering about that, actually.” Sana seems to have decided on what to ask. “Did something happen to the barrier?”

 

“Well, I can’t say it did.” Jihyo says, making the face signals for the others to know she did see something and she wanted to tell them. “But it has been a while since the barriers had been placed, it should just be some natural wearing out.”

 

Sana and Nayeon get it immediately, but they would have to go on patrol on their horses to know more, the houses were completely monitored and they knew all would be in very real danger if the scientists suspected anything. Mina didn’t know what was happening, but she did pick up that there was something going on and decided to just go along with anything they decided. 

 

“Now, we have the morning round to do before I can get some sleep.” Jihyo says tiredly. 

 

“How about we do two teams and get it done faster so you can rest?” Sana suggests.

 

“Sure, I’ll go with you and Nayeon can go with Mina, I really need some sleep.”

 

They all agree and rush through finishing breakfast and getting ready. Since there had been an ‘attack’ the previous day, all four of them went out in full gear and carrying shotguns and pistols, Jihyo was also carrying her tribal axe. All are quite quick to settle their horses and head ‘their own way’, don’t get them wrong, they will patrol, but faster than usual and meet at the one place they found the scientists don’t care for. Mina was still curious, but was able to play it off, mostly because she was feeling very badass in full gear. Nayeon herself was quiet, playing the part of the worried friend and mentor. The scientists were convinced, the forewomen did spend the previous evening awake and worried, them being silent and gearing up to hunt the creature was according to their predictions and none really did show any suspicious behavior.

 

The whole reason they knew the horses weren’t monitored was for a conversation Nayeon happened to hear a few weeks into her employment, where three scientists were complaining that the microphones on the saddles were useless and just a waste of resources. Then she conveyed the message to Jihyo, who told her to never say a word to anyone they didn’t trust about it, and proceeded to look for and destroy the microphones on both their saddles. When Sana came, they destroyed the one on hers as well, and then did the same for Mina just recently. It was easy to pass it up as natural damage, they were very poorly positioned and could be smashed with daily use quite easily.

 

Neither team really talked a lot through their patrolling, it was rushed, but they knew what to look for and found nothing of it. The meeting place was easy to find but hard to see from the big house, when Nayeon guided Mina there, Jihyo and Sana had already been waiting. Once they stopped, Mina wondered why nobody was getting down and made to dismount, only to be stopped by Nayeon’s strong hand pushing her back onto the saddle. 

 

“Don’t dismount, never dismount out of the perimeter.” The eldest explained. “We never know when we’ll have to rush away, so be ready to flee at any moment.”

 

“Alright.” Mina agreed and repositioned herself. “Now, what is really going on?”

 

“You caught that, huh?!” Sana giggles. “You see, all the houses are bugged. The scientists hear everything, so we can’t really talk in the house.”

 

“But you explained what a sk-”

 

“DON’T!” Jihyo stops her. “Don’t say their name, don’t think of their name, don’t think about them. It draws them in and they will follow you.”

 

“I’ll try, but it’s hard right now.”

 

“Just don’t speak it out loud, never do that.” Nayeon says with a pat on the shoulder. “So, Jih, what did you really see out there?”

 

“Right, so the barrier was broken. I don’t know who, but it must have hurt them a lot, that barrier can take a huge toll on someone who doesn’t know how to handle them. We’ll probably know soon who did it.”

 

“You think it was an agreement between them all?” Mina wonders.

 

“Good question, I’d say it was, they never really do anything on their own.” Sana sighs. “I wonder if we can all get out of this soon.”

 

“Well, I can make some calls and send some emails.” Jihyo offers. “There have been a few offers to buy, maybe we can all work some retirement plan in the sale.”

 

“If you can do that, I’ll be eternally grateful.” Nayeon agrees.

 

“Well, I’ll have to work it carefully, but I think we can all get a good deal out of it, we’ll just have to hang on a little longer.”

 

“I don’t think they’ll try something again anytime soon.” Sana ponders. “This was already too dangerous as it was, and I’m sure they’ll have to recalculate a lot to be able to pull it off again.”

 

“Actually, the new barrier is a death trap that can’t really be broken by anyone other than who put it up.” Jihyo adds smugly. “If anyone except me tries to remove it, they’ll certainly die on the spot. An old tribe secret, but very handy when you need to be a bit harsher.”

 

“Oh, you little rascal.” Nayeon laughs.

 

“I really didn’t become a biologist to study cryptids, you know. We used to make fun of the ones who even suggested they were real.” Mina sighs.

 

“And now you can apologize and tell them they were right all along during class reunion.” Sana shrugs.

 

“Alright, let's head back.” Jihyo broke the fight she knew was about to start. “Remember to keep acting grimm and silent, they need to believe we are worried and shaken. Also, Mina, remember to come in full gear for our afternoon patrol.”

 

“No worries, you can tell me that later yourself.” The youngest smiles.

 

“Oh?”

 

“We are both sleeping in your bed, c’mon, I’m still tired.” 

 

The couple giggles but says nothing, Mina could be bold when she wanted to, it seems. Also, it was time for Jihyo to date again. Her thing with Tzuyu was, like, three years ago. Not to mention the youngest moved on merely a few months after they broke it off. And they weren’t even OFFICIAL, official either! So yes, they were rooting for Mina and would push their little chief around as much as they needed to for this romance to happen. Mina had already sensed she had support, and she was getting needy, don’t judge it’s been months.

 

The relationship does start blooming after that, they still aren’t together, but Nayeon points out they are dating without the fun parts and she really wasn’t wrong. Jihyo was enjoying the company, Mina was practically living with her by now, her stuff had been slowly being moved in and Jihyo really couldn’t say she was complaining. It was funny, really, how the other three believed she wasn’t very aware of what was happening, but her thing with Tzuyu left her too broken, not that anyone knew, she didn’t think even Tzuyu knew. And Jihyo really didn’t think she could do this again, so she was taking her time, assessing everything as it came and thinking everything through.

 

What nobody knew was that she really did love Tzuyu, but the younger woman never really loved her. It was when the relationship between her, Dahyun and Chaeyoung was struggling and she had broken away from the other two for a while. Jihyo did open her heart, as she was never told it might be temporary and that Tzuyu was just looking for some warmth while the women she really loved figured things out. Jihyo ended up being left behind, heartbroken and lost, but she had to push through and do her job without faltering. Only she knows how long she heard ‘Tzuyu’s’ voice calling for her from the woods after that, only she knows what a bitter taste is left on whenever she has to go to their car shop. Only she knows how hard it is not to throw her full resentment at the younger woman whenever they are in the same environment.

 

But Tuzyu never seemed to think of what they had as anything more than a bit of fun while she waited, and didn’t think that not having been completely clear with Jihyo from the beginning was that big of a deal. It was clear from her attitude, and Jihyo just opted to detach herself from the trio as much as she could, she was still the head forewoman and she would still need to deal with them whenever vehicle repair was needed, but she could just call or email and she knew Dahyun was the one to handle communications. Jihyo also wasn’t resentful towards Dahyun nor Chaeyoung, they didn’t even know her ‘thing’ with Tzuyu was even happening until one night when they called and Tzuyu said she needed half an hour before they dropped by because Jihyo was there, and then proceeded to kick her out right away. 

 

Regardless, this thing with Mina wasn’t something she wanted to give into just yet. Not to mention, there was a rumor of a buyout and she was fairly certain they would all be dismissed right after. The potential buyer was intending to bring in his own team and start anew, if this thing with Mina was to come to anything, she wanted them to be steadier than this when the buyout went through. She didn’t think she could handle another harsh heartbreak and she didn’t know if Mina was just trying to blow off steam or really get together. If it was to just blow off steam, there was a place just outside town for that and she was trying to suggest that to Mina soon. 

 

Now, back to real time, Jihyo and Mina had been cuddling in bed when the younger one sat up looking out the window. There was an orange hue coming from the forest, Jihyo had noticed but Mina was laying on her so she didn’t bother to move. It might be someone who risked venturing in and wasn’t careful about their headlights, but whomever it was would certainly just leave pretty soon. 

 

“What?” Jihyo asked, just to ask.

 

“This weird light, it’s coming from the forest.”

 

“I know, we should be going on our patrol soon. If they are still there when we go, we’ll check it out. But I doubt they’ll stay there for too long.” 

 

“Fine, but don’t you think we should be more careful?”

 

“Mina, sweetie, we don’t get paid nearly enough to care about that like you are right now.”

 

“Isn’t it literally our job to check if people are invading the property?”

 

“Yes, but we should be going on patrol in half an hour, I don’t see why we should leave earlier just because some teens thought it would be funny to come in and take a few pictures of themselves in the forest.” Jihyo assures, also sitting up. “If they are still there when we go, we’ll tell them to go away.”

 

“Fine.” Mina gives in. “But we are patrolling together and we are both wearing our vests just in case.”

 

“Fine by me, now let’s get ready. Might as well start getting ready.”

 

When they did reach the forest, the light was gone and Mina sighed in relief. It wouldn’t be the first time they would have to people out, but it was always dangerous as they never knew if that would be the day they got shot or attacked, Jihyo did get punched in the face one time when some drunk tourists tried to stroll in from the front gates and they went there to tell them to turn back instantly. Luckily they had alerted the authorities and the patrol car was just pulling up when the guy swung at Jihyo for not unlocking the gate and standing in front of him to stop them.

 

The light happened again a couple more times until one day it didn’t disappear when their patrol time came around. They park a little further away, mostly so whomever it is that has been driving around the property wouldn’t hear them, get their shotguns and head towards the light. Mina’s guess was that it could be someone hunting on the property, probably without permission too. But, as they get close enough, she notices there is no sound. If it was a truck, they would certainly hear it from this close, but there was nothing. As they approach, right before whatever was emitting the light, just flies into the sky and disappears. JIhyo suggests they don’t mention it to the scientists and both head back to the truck to finish their patrol.

 

The lights don’t really stop, but they don’t really go after it again. One late afternoon, a couple of weeks after the flying light, Jihyo and Mina are doing their patrol on horseback, through the corner of their eyes, they can see a dark mass just behind the threeline, following them. It looked humanoid, but the lack of sound from whatever it was assured both it was some entity. The humanoid forms start appearing throughout the property, expressionless figures that roam around and mostly observe them. Sometimes Mina could swear she saw the figures walk up to the window and press their ‘faces’ against the glass. 

 

One early evening, the orange light is back to the woods. This time, it was visible from the back porch. Jihyo goes to call Nayeon and Sana, the couple was doing couple stuff, but had been too curious about the lights as well, so they get dressed and follow quickly. What they see doesn’t really make sense, there is this portal looking thing, it was night, but inside it was day. They see a dark figure crawling out of it and then what looks like a small ship, something close to a tiny fighter jet. The four are quick to agree they would remain locked in that night, screw patrolling, they could be fired for all they cared, none was putting a foot outside. Nayeon and Sana run to their house and Jihyo is quick to urge Mina inside and lock up.

 

After that, blue orbs begin floating around the property at night. Not long after that, Sana and Mina find themselves transporting equipment for the scientists, it was mostly because they were the better riders, whereas Nayeon and Jihyo were the better shooters. The cart was tied to their horses and they were pulling whatever was beneath the tarp to some other point at the ranch while the other two were circling around them in a rehearsed pattern. A crew of scientists were also following on horseback with them, mostly to ‘keep the equipment safe’, but really it was just to guarantee they wouldn’t look under the tarp.

 

“I see something in the trees.” Nayeon announces, pointing to the side.

 

They all turned to look, and there it was, the wolf-like creature that they had been seeing, the very one that bit the cattle head cleanly off. It was just standing there, looking at them, and the stench that followed it invaded their nostrils immediately. One of the scientists screamed for them to keep going, and all galloped out of there towards their destination. It was useless to try and go back, as it would take a lot of maneuvering to turn the cart, and the outpost was much closer than the base. For whatever reason, the smell never followed, meaning the creature let them go. 

 

The last event they witnessed before the buyout, Jihyo had received news it was going to happen and the four couldn’t be happier. Their contracts guaranteed a lot of benefits for them in this case, and all would be able to retire after that if they wanted to. Also, Mina had been meaning to take Jihyo back home with her and propose already, she managed to pick a few things up here and there, and something told her it wouldn’t be easy to make anything happen before this dismissal happened. Also, she had learned that Jihyo didn’t really have a family to return to, something about the tribe shunning her, which was not explained nor further asked about. 

 

So, the very last event, about a week before they were set to leave, the orange portal was there again. This time, however, they saw quite a few of those humanoid figures crawling out of it. Only, these figures started running towards them, all four stood perfectly still, and the figures ran right past them and around the houses. As their contract termination was already iminent, all silently agreed to just pretend they saw nothing, go back to their houses and address their packing. Jihyo had quite a few more boxes than Mina thought she did. Most were kept in the spare room, as it was never used anyways, and she vacated her old apartment when she took the job. Mina had the one suitcase she came with, and the additional clothes she bought on another one. The clothes she brought were fine, but not strong enough to last too long working on a ranch.

 

They all were already, mostly, packed up, only waiting to be officially dismissed. Nayeon and Sana would go live with Nayeon’s family for a while, then Sana’s and then get their own place. Both did get married at some point, but they didn’t really get a ceremony nor to spend time with their families, and wanted to do ‘normal’ things and live a little after such a cruel job. Mina had convinced Jihyo to come with her, she was finally clear about what she wanted and the older one agreed to try things out. They decided to get an apartment close to Mina’s parents place and start from there. The negotiations about them being laid off were finished and, instead of four new trucks, as their contracts determined, Jihyo managed to get them two, one for each couple, and get them fully equipped with the money from the other two.

 

Mina was more than fine with it, after so long, she had become used to driving a huge car and thought it would be cheaper and easier to return by car rather than plane. Also, she could surprise her parents and get all Jihyo’s things moved with them in one single trip. The day came, they all hugged each other and bid farewell, it was bittersweet letting each other go, but it was a very happy thing to be getting out of that place for good. Jihyo was to drive the first stretch until Amarillo, they would sleep and Mina would drive the rest. Their trip was fun, they really did get to know each other, without the barriers, without hesitation. Mina understood why Jihyo never acted on her advances, Jihyo got to know more about Mina’s life, and they were much closer than when they started their journey.

 

A little into the second day, they got a message from Sana, saying they’d reached Portland and would likely go off the radar for a while. Understandable, Mina and Jihyo would too once they reached their destination. Jihyo, who was the one texting this time, wished them happiness and told them she would give notice when they reach Mina’s family home but didn’t expect an answer anytime soon. They reach San Antonio a little after dinner time, deciding to stop and eat before they actually reach their destination. 

 

Mina’s parents’ home was huge, to be humble, a row of top tier cars parked in the garage, their new, but very dirty, truck looked absurdly out of place next to them. Jihyo was wondering why the hell did Mina agree to move to a ranch in the middle of nowhere for a shady job opening, but decided to have that conversation at a later time. Right now, Mina was dragging her by the hand to a side door, most likely to sneak in without the staff alerting her parents. It works, they make their way to a door that Jihyo guesses is either a lounge or an office, it’s a private lounge where the Myouis were relaxing and talking after a nice dinner. The whole family freezes when they see Mina, exploding in cheers and light scolding as all hug the woman tightly.

 

“Minnie, who is this pretty girl you brought home with you?” A tall young man, Jihyo guesses this is Kai, asks.

 

When did he get behind Jihyo and laid a hand on her shoulder without her noticing, nobody will ever know.

 

“Oh, mom, dad, Kai-nii, this is Jihyo. Jihyo, this is my family.”

 

Immediately, the Myouis start analyzing her. Looking at her from head to toe, scrutinizing every little inch they laid their eyes on. It would be intimidating if it wasn’t so comical, but Jihyo figured it would hurt their feelings if she burst out laughing at the moment. 

“Mr and mrs Myoui, Kai, it’s a pleasure to meet you all.” Jihyo greets, but the amusement is clear in her voice.

 

“It has been four years since Minnie left us and she comes back bringing you.” Kai adds. “What’s the deal here?”

 

“The ‘deal here’, dear brother” Mina says, stepping between Jihyo and her family. “is that I intend to marry this woman right here and I did not spend four years of fruitless pining for you guys to ruin this for me.”

 

They are all stunned a bit, Mina changed a lot more than they thought she did. She still sounded like the shy and calm girl who left, but her posture and speech right now was of a woman who was sure of herself and what she wanted. This Mina was taller, obviously stronger, if the muscles they felt when they hugged her said anything, the way she talked was still calm, but now it left no room for argument, she also stood with her chest out, when she would slump forward a little before. Their little girl had grown up just fine and came back a full woman. 

 

Jihyo didn’t seem to notice anything, this Mina was what she was used to, afterall, and kept silent, letting the family work things out between themselves as she just slid her hand onto Mina’s and gave it a little squeeze. Mina did decide to step back a little when she noticed the shock, remembering her family hasn’t seen her in years. Might as well ease them into this a bit more slowly. So she cleared and tried again.

 

“Look, mom, dad, I’ve been trying to get together with Jihyo from the time she picked me up at the airport. At first I just thought she was really pretty, and I was still reeling from my college days. But I got to know her, learned to be patient, and we’ve been living in the same house for the last two years, despite me having my own house there. She had her reservations and I respected that, but now we are both free from all our chains and I intend to make up for all the time we were together but not each other’s.”

 

They all soften at that, mr Myoui decides to speak up. “I’m glad you two got together, then. Jihyo, I’d like to get to know you, but also your parents. We have a wedding to plan, afterall.”

 

“About that-” Mina starts but Jihyo cuts in.

 

“Mr Myoui, as Mina intends for us to be family, I think you should know. I don’t really have family. My mother left me with my father right after I was born, she was a native and my father a white man. Dad raised me until he could, but we didn’t have much and being a working single father took a toll on his health quickly, and he passed when I was five. I have no idea who my mother is, and I know for a fact that I would never be able to set foot on her tribe even if I did.”

 

“Oh, honey.” Mrs Myoui moves to hug the other girl with teary eyes.

 

Jihyo lets them. She had already worked through her past, but she knew others needed some time to take it in. And if she was really having a romantic relationship with Mina, her family should know. The parents do notice that this girl’s body is much better built than their daughter’s, and Mina came back a tank. Jihyo certainly went through a lot, her scars and calluses told a long story. Kai just looks on fondly, who knew Mina would be able to find good love like this. Last time the youngest Myoui brought someone home, she moved to another estate.

 

“Oh, right!” Mina exclaims. “Can Jih and I will look for a place for ourselves, but can we stay here for a while?”

 

“What are you talking about? You two are staying here forever!” Mrs Myoui scolds.

 

“Mom, I missed Minnie as much as you both, but I agree they should get their own place.” Kai interrupts.

 

“You say that because my room is just beside yours.” The youngest smirks.

 

“Yeah, and I do not want to share your relationship at all!”

 

They all chuckle, but mr Myoui guarantees they could take their time, just no canoodling out of Mina’s bedroom. Jihyo got extremely flustered and suggested they get their bags so both could shower before they settle down to talk more. Kai is sent out to help and does crack some jokes about the size of their truck, to which Mina responds asking if he understood the size of a cow and how anything less than what he sees would absolutely not carry even a calf. The man shuts up, mostly because he didn’t know the first thing about ranches and figured his sister was right, the huge thing must really be needed.

 

They reach Mina’s room and don’t really bother to unload their luggage, just grab the pajamas they left on top and go shower. For the very first time, Jihyo is the one to initiate something and asks if they could shower together, followed by a very shy but sincere kiss. And what was Mina going to do? Say no? They don’t really do much besides wash, shyly look at each other and trade soft kisses, but it was nice. They get back to the rest of the family and are looked at fondly. Where Mina enjoyed her daring pajamas, Jihyo looked like a little kid on hers, it was adorable.

 

The biggest headache on Mina’s life, and the main reason she took the job, resurfaces two weeks after they arrived, the couple had been walking around town and looking at a few places for them to settle. Mina’s parents had been on a campaign for the two to stay with them forever, Jihyo suggested they look at a few places in the neighborhood, and Mina was thankful that her parents didn’t hear it. They were looking at places closer to the city center, a place calm enough for them to live peacefully, with security good enough for Mina not to worry, but close enough to the main bars and restaurants for them to be able to walk home if they wanted to.

 

Why the security worry? Well, working at the ranch, both did develop somewhat of a heightened necessity to know they were safe. But also, Mina’s ex… Not like ex, ex, but like the youngest daughter of a family that was really close with her own family, Mina thought she had some sort of obligation to date the girl when she was asked out. But they absolutely did not work together and Mina broke things off two months later. The only problem was that Jeongyeon decided, on her own, that after the failed attempt, Mina was just playing hard to get, going as far as to announce to anyone who would listen that they were engaged. They never were, and never would be, but that didn’t stop the delusion. 

 

Mina spent her last year in college doing her best to sneak away from the older girl, back then. But now she was marrying Jihyo, she was also a completely different person, and wouldn’t hesitate to kick Jeongyeon’s if she showed up to bother her again. The thing is, Jeongyeon became more creative with her approaches, she had never given up finding Mina, but the younger seemed to have simply disappeared. So, that afternoon when Jeongyeon was walking around town and spotted Mina talking to some girl, she decided enough was enough and started planning. 

 

The thing was, for financial and legal reasons, Mina and Jihyo decided to register their marriage earlier and do the ceremony later. Today they had been to the city hall to get the forms and find out which documents they would need, and intended to submit everything the next day already. Jeongyeon smirked as she looked at the two women talking in the restaurant and left, before seeing Mina reach across the table and plant a loving kiss on Jihyo’s lips. They wouldn’t hear from her for another week, but by then it would be too late already. 

 

Jihyo decided to take Mina’s surname, she had a talk with the family and explained she wanted to let go of her past, and start this new life with Mina. They were all invited to some afternoon event, hosted by the Yoos, and Mina knew it was time she told Jihyo about her crazy ‘ex’. They were cuddling on the couch, looking out into the night sky, when Mina decided to speak up, they would have to face Jeongyeon the next day regardless. Jihyo picked up on it, however.

 

“Do you intend to tell me at some point?”

 

“Well, I should, since we are meeting the problem tomorrow anyways.”

 

“Oh?” Jihyo perks up a little. 

 

“You see, part of the reason I took the job so readily was because of my crazy ex. I wanted to get away from her for a while and hoped she would understand it was over.”

 

“You never mentioned an ex, though?”

 

“Well, we just kind of went out for two months and I broke things off because she was just insufferable. Any time we went out, she would go on and on about how we were such a great couple, how she was such a catch and I should be really happy that she chose me out of every girl on campus.”

 

“Sounds just up your alley, I don’t see how you ended up at the ranch.” Jihyo laughs and gets rightfully smacked for it. “Alright, so what are the rules for tomorrow?”

 

“No rules for me, but mom and dad do like mr and mrs Yoo, so maybe don’t disfigure their daughter?”

 

“I can do no disfigurements.”

 

“That’s all I can ask. Also, no killing anyone. Now, we are already married and there isn’t anything anyone can really do about it, but Jeoneyong might throw a fit when she finds out, or try to pull some elaborate scheme.”

 

“Well, I’ll certainly be having a lot of fun tomorrow.”

 

“Behave, or I’ll have to punish you.”

 

“Oh, mrs Myoui, I’ve been a very naughty girl.” Jihyo says seductively. “Maybe you should discipline me.”

 

“You two really should control yourselves while still living here.” They hear Kai say from behind them.”

 

“How long have you been there?” Mina asks but doesn’t dare look.

 

“From no disfigurements. Now, please hold off on the kinks until you find your own place, I REALLY don’t want to hear that.”

 

“Not like you really hear anything.” Mina rebbutts, already finding her weapon against her brother.

 

“I came because mom and dad asked if I knew whether you had told Jihyo about Jeong or not, and sent me up to tell you to do it when I said I didn’t know.”

 

Jihyo just chuckles, she got used to the two bickering at all times, and pats the sofa beside them. Kai smiles and takes a seat.

 

“You two are nasty.” Kai wrinkles his nose. “You need Jesus!”

 

Mina rolls her eyes but smiles, Jihyo just laughs. It was nice.

 

“We were just looking at the sky and remembering the nights at the ranch.”

 

“You two never mentioned anything too specific about that place.” The man observes.

 

“It’s not a place that most people would like to hear about.” Mina sighs and takes her brother’s hand. 

 

“But we are open if you’d like to know.” JIhyo adds, not really moving from her position. “You just have to promise to not freak out and be sensible about who you tell.”

 

“Now you two got my attention.” Kai sounds excited.

 

Mr and mrs Myoui pass by the bedroom as they head to sleep, seeing their kids talking and decide to close the door for them and let them be. It was a nice scene.

 

“Well, did you read about the Bigellow guy buying a ranch recently?” Mina baits.

 

“Yeah, he bought some supernatural ranch in Uta- ah-” His eyes bulge as he absorbs the information.

 

“Yup, that buyout was our retirement plan.” The youngest giggles.

 

“You guys worked at ski-”

 

“DON’T!” Both women say at the same time.

 

“What?” He whispers.

 

“Don’t say the name.” Jihyo warns seriously. “Don’t think of the name, don’t think about them. It calls them to you. You might think we are being ridiculous, but we did work at the ranch.”

 

“I never knew. I promise I’ll avoid the name… Even though now I'm thinking about them.”

 

“It takes some practice, but it’s easier than you’d think to keep them out of sight.” Mina chuckles.

 

“Alright, but did you ever really see one?”

 

“Oh, honey.” The shorter woman laughs.

 

“We see them a lot. There was one in particular that did bother us a lot, but we were never directly attacked, I think it liked playing with us.” Mina explains. “I believe it was the one who bit the calf’s head off in my first year there.”

 

“What did what now?”

 

“Oh, do we have stories for you.” Jihyo teases.