Ghoul

Warning(s): none.

••••••

Y/n finishes brushing her wet hair from the shower she just took, pulling out a blow dryer right after. The night was very calming and the only thing on her mind was the four days off she managed to snag. All she wanted to do at the moment, though, was chat with her friend through the internet.

"I wonder how he's been doing. I haven't spoken to him in days." she mumbles to herself, threading through her hair in hopes of not finding another annoying knot. Luckily, her fingers run smoothly through her hair.

Placing the blow dryer down and turning it off, she twirls around and walks over to the nightstand to pick up her phone. Upon turning it on, she's met with a blank screen, not even one notification appearing.

"Should I text him. . . or. .? Would he think I'm being clingy or something?" in the end, she decided to text him a simple 'hey'. After her hovering, trembling thumb sends the message, she throws the phone onto the bed and squeals.

Oh my god. Why did I do that?

Internally freaking out, Y/n didn't hear the small 'ding' coming from her phone. "What if he leaves me on read or worse, what if he blocks me for disturbing him late at night?" she paces around her room, fingers tapping her chin, her heart rapidly racing and her cheeks a light pink dust.

After what feels like an eternity, she finally decides to check her phone, seeing a new message- no, two new messages. They were sent almost ten minutes ago.

Y/n's eyes widened in surprise before she unlocks the phone and eagerly opens the messages.

The first one was a simple reply to her greeting while the second one was them asking her how she's been doing with a smiley face.

With a deep breath and a small smile, she begins to type out her answer. After sending it she lays down on the bed and turns on the television to distract her bothered heart.

That doesn't last long when he replies within a minute and she quickly picks her phone back up. Calm down, Y/n. You're acting like a love-sick puppy. Ah, who am I kidding.

Reading the message, a look of worry surfaces Y/n's face, her eyebrows slightly furrow.

"I haven't been doing too well. My friends left so I don't really have anyone to hang out with. I spend most of my time in the room because there isn't anything to do. Sometimes it gets lonely here." That was their response. It was odd because her friend was always doing something new.

Y/n didn't necessarily know how to answer that but she tried. "Why not explore a new place?" Quickly that was rejected, claiming it would only make their loneliness worse because they weren't accompanied by someone else.

She proceeded to tap her chin in focus, trying to come up with some other ideas but it became futile when they changed the topic.

They had asked how work has been or if there was anything new in her life.

Of course, the reason as to why they knew so much about her was because they had been conversing for three years now.

On a boring, drizzling night, Y/n had nothing to do and was looking for some form of entertainment. She had browsed through countless social media platforms, played games, even read for a bit but that wasn't enough to satisfy her boredom.

Then, she had spent an hour cleaning the already almost dirt-free house, watched a movie but nothing. It didn't help that she had consumed a huge amount of coffee because she was supposed to do an all-nighter but she had completed all the work needed within the work hours.

In the end, she felt like a clown for drinking all that coffee. Somehow - in the end - she ended up on a platform where one could speak with strangers.

She didn't think much of it, clicking on the first profile that appeared. The person was under the name of "Im Jaebum". The man's photos were mostly of a set of cats but there were the occasional ones of him and she couldn't help but gush at the dark locks of hair that perfectly fit his face.

That itself intrigued her.

"It wouldn't hurt to message him, right?" And right off the bat, the two hit it off. It started in somewhat of an awkward way but they quickly became comfortable talking to each other.

Throughout the years, the two managed to learn a lot of one another, from happy memories, sad memories, even their darkest secrets. Whenever one was feeling down, the other was there to comfort them.

When good news came their way, they'd be quick to congratulate each other. There were even a few times when he'd sing to her through the phone, taking it as a form of comfort whenever Y/n was on her period.

Jaebum definitely had one of the most angelic voices Y/n's heard in her life.

Luckily, fights almost never occurred. Really, it was only two times but it was over what season was the best.

But despite the friendship that was blooming, the pair never got the chance to meet each other face to face. It was always through the photos and/or videos sent to each other. Both had their share of busy lives, their schedules always clashing with one another.

Y/n told Jaebum about her few days off along with the small raise given to her for outstanding performance. He was quick to congratulate her with a silly picture of himself.

"Why are you so cute?" She speaks to herself, fangirling over a simple picture. She'd be lying if she denied having even a speck of feelings for the man.

Her phone rings one more time, this time, in the form of a call.

He... he's calling me!

"Calm down, Y/n. It's just a simple call between friends. Nothing more." Putting the phone on speaker, she mumbles a quick 'hey'.

Jaebum chuckles through the line, a bit of shuffling heard before he clears his throat. "You might call me crazy but I just had an idea and it might interest you."

Y/n raises an eyebrow and asks, "what is it?"

For a few seconds he doesn't say anything before rapidly saying, "how about you come visit me in my hometown? You're free for the next few days and so am I. It would be the perfect opportunity to meet each other face to face."

Without another second to waste, Y/n agrees. "I would love to!"

"Great then-ah!" he gets cut off by a blood-curdling scream heard in the background. Y/n jumps in surprise, "is everything alright?"

"Y-Yeah, it's just the kids playing with each other. As I was saying, I'll send you the address tonight and hopefully tomorrow we can see each other?"

A silly grin is plastered on her face, "I can't wait."

••••••

"Excuse me, do you drive to this village or is it another bus?" Y/n shows the middle aged driver the address displayed on her phone. The man visibly stiffens in surprise but also what seems to be fear. You don't question it though because the next second, he's back to his tired look.

"Yes, but-"

"Oh, thank you so much! Please take me there!"

The man raises an eyebrow and with a low, almost harsh, tone asks, "are you sure you want to go there?"

Y/n smiles and nods, holding a small bag of clothes to her chest. "I am one-hundered percent sure, sir." The driver sighs and gestures for her to get on. "It's going to take a while to get there."

When she steps in and begins to scan the area for an open seat, she's surprised by the emptiness of the place. There was literally no one but her and the bus driver. The man seems to sense her confusion and quickly explains, "rush hour was a few minutes ago. It gets empty for a few hours."

With that, she plops down on an empty seat and closes her eyes, knowing it was going to be a while before she even arrived.

"Miss, we're here." The old man loudly says. Y/n jumps at the sound and looks around with a confused look on her face. "Where am I...?" she grabs her bag and takes careful steps to the door, her eyes never leaving the eerie place outside of the windows.

Y/n takes slow steps down and steps out, looking around at her new surroundings. A heavy mist coated the area, very faint street lights illuminating, no sun in sight. The chilly wind harshly brushes against her body, pushing her whole body to the side.

But other than the wind, it was completely quiet.

"A-Are you sure-" she turns around to ask the bus driver a question but the bus is no longer there.

H-How did it just disappear like that? I would've heard the door closing or the tires against the gravel.

Y/n pulls her phone out, tightly clutching her bag in fear. It rings three times before it's picked up. "H-Hey, I'm here." she says, a bit unsure. "Really, where are you?" Jaebum asks, putting his shoes on and leaving the house he was in.

The woman looks around a bit, not really knowing what to tell him. "I'm not too sure. I can't see much with the fog." He hums, "okay. Just stay where you are. I'll come find you." He hangs up the phone.

On the other hand, Y/n is shaking in her spot, not liking the area at all. She could feel something crawling up her leg and slithering around her body, wrapping its arms around her figure and tightly squeezing in a death grip. She gasps, struggling to release whatever it is but when she looks down, there's absolutely nothing.

With that, the presence disappears.

"It's so creepy here," she says, speed walking in a random direction, ignoring Jaebum's previous words. Being beyond scared made it worse when she felt a hand tap her shoulder. "Ah-!" she jumps, preparing to run off in another direction when a soft chuckle comes from behind.

"Is it you? Y/n?" The soothing voice makes her calm down. She twirls around and meets the eyes of the man she had been speaking to for three years; jaebum.

She gasps, feeling relieved that she finally found someone and most importantly, her friend. "It really is you!" she grins, ignoring the mist that seems to swarm around his body.

Jaebum nods and holds a hand out, "I'm glad I finally got to meet my friend after three years." Taking his hand in hers, she agrees.

"Come on, i'll show you around. It's a bit foggy but I've been here my whole life so it shouldn't be too difficult to navigate around. Just stick with me." he takes her bag and gestures for her to follow him.

The tour didn't last long because the fog had begun to get thicker, only intensifying Y/n's worries but every single time she'd voice her thoughts, Jaebum was there to reassure her.

"I got a hotel a few minutes away from my home. Would you like me to drop you off or would you want to walk around a bit more?" Y/n thought about it but she really wasn't in the mood with the lack of sight.

"I'd like to rest for a bit. After all, I did wake up a bit too early and I really couldn't sleep last night." Jaebum chuckles, "to the hotel we go, then."

Upon arriving, Jaebum turns to look at her. "Let me know if you need anything else. I'll be at home." he states, holding the door for her to step into.

Unlike the outside, the hotel looked like a regular one, in fact, like a very expensive one. Y/n lets out a light gasp, mouth agape at how wide the area is. "H-How expensive is this?! Are you sure we're in the right place?"

"Don't worry about it. I asked you to come so I wanted to be in charge of your shelter. It's not much but I hope you like it." he rubs the nape of his neck, a light tint brushing his shoulders.

Y/n gestures to the fancy lounge chairs, the bright chandelier, everything within her sight, "this-this is too much! It's so expensive. . . "

Jaebum blinks in surprise, "really? I thought it was simple."

What's his definition of simple?!

She was too busy gawking at the man to realize that he had already registered in and had a room key ready for her. "Y/n?" he waves a hand, snapping her out of her trance.

"Sorry, I drifted off." a tiny chuckle leaves his lips, finding her antiques adorable. "I'll take you to your room and then i'll leave."

Luckily, nothing out of the ordinary happened after, giving Y/n a sense of calmness.

••••••

Elegant, calming music plays in the background of the small restaurant. Y/n can't help the shaky sigh that leaves her lips. She scans the area. It was empty with only her sitting there and it was making her feel uneasy.

Something was just. . . off about the whole thing.

"Did you wait for long?" Jaebum's voice comes from the side. She turns her head and shyly shakes her head. "No, I arrived a few minutes ago." she responds. Jaebum takes a seat and smiles.

"Sorry about that. I had to take care of something back home. It's my fault I asked you out for dinner but I ended up being late." Y/n waves him off and tells him it's completely fine.

When Jaebum dropped her off at the hotel, he didn't bother her knowing she needed to rest. But roughly an hour ago, he called and asked if she was up to going out to eat. Y/n wanted to decline because she was feeling fatigue but her grumbling stomach made her choose otherwise.

She didn't have time to think of an outfit and ran out of the hotel in the first thing she saw. Luckily, it wasn't anything that would embarrass her.

An awkward silence falls as Y/n awkwardly sips her drink. Jaebum fiddles with the glass cup and then asks, "did you get to rest a bit?" Y/n slowly nods, a soft hum leaves her lips.

"Yes. I feel much better now." She says when she feels a presence approaching them. She turns her head and sees a waitress come with two menus. "Sorry for not handing them out when you first arrived. I was busy. My apologies." she bows and places the two menus down.

Busy. . ? With what? The restaurant is empty.

Her choice of words didn't sit right with Y/n but she brushes it off. Maybe she was referring to another time during the day where it was busy.

"Y/n?" She jumps and looks up at Jaebum, who looks at her in worry. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I just drifted off. That's all." She says and nervously laughs. Jaebum chuckles and shakes his head. "What do you want to eat?" He gestures to the menu.

Y/n looks down and can't help but knit her eyebrows. What even are these things? She couldn't recognize any of the dishes. They all seemed foreign. As her eyes continue to scan, she finally sees something that she recognizes. A small set of mandu.

"I want this," She points at the dish and shows Jaebum. The waitress, who had been standing a few feet away, looks at her and asks, "are you sure you don't want anything else?"

Before Y/n could reply, Jaebum cut her off. "That's all she wants. I'll have the same thing she has." The waitress closes her mouth and nods, though she looks confused.

"It'll be ready in a few minutes," she says and bows before walking away.

The food came in roughly five minutes later. It was silent and no one uttered a word. Only the music could fill in for the silence. Y/n kept her head down as she chewed on the food, and by the time she looked up, she only had one piece left.

"Why-Why are you looking at me?" She asks upon seeing Jaebum stare at her. "You look cute when you eat," he blurts out. Y/n doesn't know what to say but smile. Her eyes fall from his face to his plate. He hasn't eaten a single piece.

"Are you not going to eat?" Jaebum shakes his head and leans back onto the chair. "I'm not that hungry. Do you want them?" He gestures to his plate but Y/n shakes her head. "I'm actually full already."

Lies. She just found the whole situation odd and it just wasn't sitting right with her. It naturally made her lose her appetite.

Jaebum hums, stands up, and holds out his hand. "Let's go. I'll pay the bill." Y/n could only agree and waited for him to pay the bill. As they walk out into the street, she isn't too surprised to see it's pitch dark, fog coating the area and very minimal light present.

"I-"

"Do you-" Jaebum chuckles. "You can go first." Y/n nods and says, "do you want to go on a walk?" Jaebum apologetically smiles and shakes his head. "I can't, I'm sorry. I have something to take care of. Do you want me to walk you back to the hotel or. . ?"

"No, it's okay. I'm going on a little walk and returning right after." She waves at him and turns around.

"Message me when you get to the hotel!" Jaebum yells and runs off in the opposite direction.

She didn't have a chance to answer because when she turned around, she could no longer see him. Y/n didn't think much of it and brushed it off. As she walks down the street, she looks around and figures out how to make it to the hotel again.

Good thing she has a good memory when it comes to new places.

The unease in her stomach didn't fully set yet. It was like something was warning her but she didn't understand what. Jaebum was very sweet from the beginning and made sure you were in a comfortable place.

But what was it?

Was it the town that looked nearly abandoned? The bus that disappeared a second after she stepped out? Or the way the bus driver looked at her with worry? What was it?

What makes it worse is the waitress. The words she said didn't seem right.

She huffs and looks around. As she turns the corner, she notices a different area that she hasn't been to. Did I go the wrong way? She looks around and it seems like the area changed.

"This is what I get for drifting off." Y/n scolds herself, and as she's about to turn around, she spots something glow in the distance. It was a yellow glow and she was left confused.

She felt her feet stop and then move in that direction. She didn't want to see it but her legs were moving for her. Before she could realize, she was approaching an area she did not know was so close.

A graveyard. The entrance was a broken door that swung and slightly creeked with each movement. Her feet continue to walk her into the cemetery. A low growl can be heard from the side and it makes her jump.

She tries not to freak out but as she goes further in, she can't help but scream into her mind. With the force she could use, she manages to stop her legs. As she turns around, she sees a figure a few feet away.

Soil was littered everywhere and a coffin was being taken out of the hole. A figure could be seen hunched over, grunting as they pulled the coffin out. There's a grave robber? She didn't want to be spotted. What if that person makes her help out and threatens to kill her if she refuses?

With careful steps, she turns around but before she could leave, a voice calls out to her. "Y/n? What are you doing here?" She lightly gasps and turns around.

The sight made her heart drop. Jaebum stood there, glowing eyes that could easily be spotted. She couldn't see much but she could notice a substance by his lips and down his neck and chest.

"I-I didn't mean to come in h-here. What are y-you doing here?" She asks, slowly stepping back. Jaebum sighs and runs a hand through his hair, taking careful steps towards her.

"What did you see?"

"N-Nothing!" she shakes her hands. "I'm heading back now. Continue what you were doing," her voice fades into a whisper. She turns around (hoping there's another exit on the other side) but before she could lift a leg, she freezes.

"You're not going anywhere." That was enough to make her sprint.