Boring.

That's all Seulgi could say that would describe her first day of school. It was all the same. The same breakfast her grandma makes her every day, the same bumpy roads to her friend's house, the same worn out school, the same clicks and bands and the same boring lessons.

Absolutely nothing has changed in Gatlin, the most boring town in South Carolina, the town Seulgi couldn't wait to get away from.

Seulgi pushed her way out of class, the day was finally done, and made way to the parking lot, where her friend Yeri, was waiting for her.

Yeri was a year younger than Seulgi, something that never stopped her from teasing Seulgi. They've been best friends since forever, having known each other since Yeri was practically born (their mothers were best friends too).

"Haven't I already told you not seat on the car?", Seulgi groaned and shooshed a giggly Yeri away from her car.

"This piece of junk you call a car makes a better seat than ride anyway, why be mad about it?", Yeri knew how much Seulgi loved her car (that really was a piece of junk) but it was her first, bought with her money so Seulgi couldn't help but be attached to the very old pick up truck and Yeri couldn't help but about it.

"Keep talking crap and you'll start walking alot more", Seulgi mumbled with what she hoped was a threatening voice (it wasn't) and went around her car to throw her backpack inside, a whiny Yeri following close behind "Nooooo, I'm sorry~, you know this is my favorite piece of junk! It's yours after all", she couldn't help but mock again, it was just how their relationship was.

"Look, just stop being mean and get inside, I wanna get some ice cream before basketball practice", Seulgi ushed a now very happy and cheery Yeri inside the car and they made their way to one of the very few good things about their little town, the ice cream store.

Gatlin was known for three things, amazing right? The annual Civil War reenactment, their "devotion" to God and religion (people that are way too backstabbing and cynical to be actual people of God) and their amazing, locally made, freakshakes and ice creams! About the only thing Seulgi's proud of there.

"Wow!!", Yeri's loud voice snaps Seulgi out of her thoughts and makes her hit the breaks. "What the hell Yeri?? Why did you scream? You scared me!", Seulgi smacks Yeri's shoulder after the car screeches to a halt. "Someone's moving into Boo Radley's home!!"

Oh

Now that is surprising... Boo Radley and his home is what our moms and their moms used to keep their kids in line. "Pull something like that again and I swear to God, Kang Seulgi, I will send you to Boo Radley and then you'll see what's good for you!", her mom and grandma used to yell whenever Seulgi broke something or did something she shouldn't.

Boo Radley's house is as haunted as it gets, the fact that the house is in the middle of the swamp Seulgi died in last night doesn't sooth the cold shivers in her tummy at all...

Now that she thinks about it, she's never seen the old man that lives there, she's pretty sure no one has, which just makes it scarier because everyone in Gatlin knows everyone and that someone is inside. The lack of piled up newspapers (the newspaper boy is forced to throw in there) and of mail proves that there's life inside. Just how it looks is what no one can answer.

"Whoever's actually willing to move into that haunted place is as ballsy as it gets!", Yeri said, still completely in shock that someone would move into a house that looks so... dead.
"Maybe he's moving out!", Seulgi tries to reason, considering, yeah, there's a moving truck outside the house but that's it, no furniture, no no one. "He's probably packing up inside and the moving guys are helping him and then he'll be on his way", there's true hope in Seulgi's voice. Before she had the nightmares she has now, the stories about Boo Radley are what plagued her dreams.
"Maybe, they've already unpacked and are just placing everything inside", and Yeri had to crush her dreams. Seulgi shivers at the thought, because, really. Who in their right mind would move in there??

Not actually wanting to find that out (afraid if she sees someone from there, the woman from her dreams won't be the one haunting them anymore), Seulgi slowly keeps driving until they can't see the house anymore.

"We have to stop driving through Boo Radley's place...", Seulgi mumbles before speeding up through the now more populated area of Gatlin, making way for that ice cream.

The rest of the day goes uneventful, the ice cream still tastes delicious, basketball is still fun and her teammates are still the biggest douches, it's all the same. That is until Seulgi gets home.

Given the time it is, Seulgi hopes the table's already set for her and her Grandma (her parents are both working the graveyard shifts tonight), what she finds instead is dark home, with a heavy, almost intoxicating, scent of burned incense and ash.

"...Grandma?", Seulgi calls tentatively to no avail, she walks deeper into the house, actually scared for herself and her grandma, what if someone took her??, Seulgi shakes her head at the thought and lets out a shaky breath.

"Grandma? Are you h-"

snap

Seulgi stops dead in her track, her heart beating in drum with the fear that's coursing through her veins.

snap

There it is again. Seulgi takes a deep breath and slowly starts walking to the back of the house, where her grandma's room is, where the creepy sound is coming from.

What even is that...? Is it-

snap

... Is it bone crushing?


Seulgi places a shaky hand on the doorknob, the sound (whatever it is) and the scent becoming louder and stronger.

There's a moment of silence with Seulgi giving herself an internal pep-talk, and right before she opens the door, she hears something, whispering??.

She's scared... It's a woman but... Is it her grandma?

Another shaky breath.

Another small, just do it Seulgi!!



"Death as you know it. It's coming for you."


Seulgi's heart almost stops. It is her grandma... Her sweet, sweet grandma, that looks completely... possessed. The old woman is on her knees, facing the door, chanting the same phrase over and over again as she looks Seulgi dead in the eye.

She's starting to feel dizzy, sick. Why does it suddenly feel like she's dreaming? Maybe she is... She hopes she is...

"Death as you know it. It's coming for you.", she hears her grandma whisper before pointing to the mirror behind her kneeling body, there, Seulgi sees it, sees her.

The woman for her dreams... There's no mistaking those dark, piercing eyes, the ones that have watched her die so many times already...

 

Right behind her...





"I'm coming for you, Seulgi."





Oh.




And just like that, Seulgi blacks out.