Author's Note: I was going to do America this week, but the podcast, Myths and Legends, did an episode of Korean mythology. I was inspired to check in on Im Yong in his new surroundings. Plus, I had a saved Facebook post that helped me to combine this together. I love how this match turned out. I think next week I'll check in on Alfred and his little baby. For now, enjoy this week's match.
Match Eight: Dokkaebi:
They hadn't seen Im Yong in months. He's not been in school, and he's not been talking to his friends or classmates. It's not like he's avoiding them on purpose. Im Yong wants to tell them. His sister and his new boss won't let him say a word.
"Why can't I tell them?" he asked one night. Mi-Soon put her arms around him from behind.
"Soon," his twin whispered. "I promise." She rested her cheek against his back. Im Yong reluctantly patted her on the head.
He had gotten used to daily life now. Im Yong still went to school, but it was mostly night classes at home. It wasn't the same, though. They didn't have any computer labs or clubs. He didn't have the time to do that anyway.
They drafted him into the army. He started off doing manual labor. But then he moved up to more of a technical job.
"It pays good money," Im Yong reasoned. "I get to work with computers. It's quiet and no one distracts me." His siblings aren't convinced. They talked about saving him. They tried to help, but he turns them down.
"I want to stay here," Im Yong said. They couldn't understand it. He had his reasons. This came after what he saw a few days ago.
Im Yong had to work the night shift again. Every member of the military had to do patrol duty at some point in their career. It was his turn tonight.
"What do I have to do?" Im Yong asked.
"You just patrol the area until morning," one of the soldiers said. "I will stay with you until you get the idea."
"Okay," the younger boy said. They would be covering the southern area of the base. Not much to look at out here. Just night and the woods. Im Yong shifted in his uniform. He could never get used to the material against his skin. What was this crap? Cheap cotton? They weren't allowed to complain.
They had to get going.
"We will circle around to the gate and come back," the mentor said. "I will be staying with you until halfway into our shift. If you see anything strange, call it in over the radio. And whatever you do, don't stray off of the path. You got it?"
"Yes," Im Yong said.
"Yes what?" the older soldier asked.
"Yes, sir!" the boy shouted.
"Very good," his mentor said. The soldiers headed out on their walk. The only comforting sound around was the crickets. Im Yong looked around at the sky. Not a single star in the sky. The soldiers had their flashlights in hand. There were streetlights along the path. His mentor led the way. Neither boy spoke.
Im Yong pressed his lips together. He had heard stories about nights like these. Would the mentor turn around and stab him? There would be plenty of places to hide a body out here. Sure there were cameras watching the base. But what about the blind spots? Would the footage be able to catch any clear footage? How many cameras were out here?
"You okay back there?" the mentor asked. Im Yong lifted his chin.
"Uh… yeah, yeah," he said. "How big is this base?"
"Huge," the older soldier said. "That's why there are many units that have to patrol the area at night."
"Of course, uh…" Im Yong said.
"Kyu," the other soldier said.
"Right…" the recruit said.
A little more of the patrol took place. So far, there was nothing out there. Im Yong looked around in the darkness. Maybe this first night on patrol might not be so bad. If it was going to be like this, then what did he have to lose?
That's when they came to the point where the paths diverge.
"Alright," Kyu said. "You will go to the right and I will go to the left. We will meet back here. Always keep your radio on you at all times. You got it?"
"Yes," Im Yong said.
"Good," his mentor said. "I will see you in a little while." He turned and walked down the path.
"Bye," the younger soldier said, waving. He turned and looked down the dark path. This should be no biggie, right? Im Yong began his walk. He kept his flashlight sweeping around. The Korean boy wished that he had some music playing. He would stop every few seconds, looking around. There wasn't supposed to be anyone out there. How long was he supposed to be out here?
This would be one of the times that he would hear a sound and turn to see a shadow running by. That's not what happened.
Im Yong froze. He trained his ear for a listen.
"Hello?" he asked. He narrowed his eyes. Was that… singing? Was somebody singing? Before he knew it, Im Yong found himself wandering off the dirt path. The singing sounded faint. It could just be the wind. He probably should turn around.
Im Yong looked up to see lights in the distance. Huh? No one else was supposed to be out here. The lights usually didn't go out there. What was that?
His footsteps started moving closer. The soles of his boots stomped on the grass. Im Yong's eyes shifted back and forth.
"Hello?" he asked. "You're not supposed to be out here! Please leave the base! If you don't, I will report you!" The singing led him further into the woods. It never got any louder. The melody always sounded like it was far away. Im Yong felt the frustration building up. He took in a deep breath and walked forward. The song might now have been getting louder, but the hazy green light slowly grew brighter. Im Yong slowly found himself walking faster towards the direction of the lights.
Pretty soon, he stopped in his tracks. Im Yong's jaw dropped. Was it possible for a massive Hanok to be hidden this far back? From the outside, it looked like it had seen better days. The walls crumbled and the windows looked like they were cracking. The hazy green lights came from said windows. Im Yong tilted his head.
"What the hell is this?" he asked. The soldier walked up the grassy path. He could hear the singing luring him closer. Im Yong pretty soon found himself standing in front of the door. He reached up and knocked. What was he doing? Part of him had a bad feeling about this. But isn't this part of the job to investigate anything suspicious on the base? This house was probably built illegally here. It wouldn't hurt to check things out.
No answer. Why would there be in a place like this? Oh well, Im Yong guessed that he could just report this and move on.
He was about to turn and leave when the door creaked out behind him. Im Yong turned his head. This looked like the set-up for a horror movie. He should just run. But it was his job to investigate.
"Hello?" Im Yong asked as he poked his head inside. He slipped his flashlight inside. Only a small amount of furniture in what looked like in the living room. A low sofa took up one side and corner of the room. The cushions and the coffee table looked newer than the room itself. Im Yong felt around for a light switch on the wall in vain. The soldier slowly walked further inside.
"Is anybody here? Hello?" he whispered. The sound of low chattering caught his ear.
"Hm?" he asked. Im Yong walked further across the room. He came across a large sliding door covered in paper. He pressed his ear to the surface. It sounded like a party in there. Strange, he hadn't heard anything from the living room. Why didn't anyone respond to him when he called? Im Yong stood up straight and counted down in his head. He took a breath and opened the door.
The chattering grew louder as he stepped inside. Im Yong had his hand to his radio. They didn't issue him a weapon. He slowed down his steps as he walked down the narrow hall. Gayageum music filled the air. Glasses clinked as chatter and laughter buzzed down the hall. How many people were in this ruined house?
Im Yong made his way to the sound of the source. He came up to another sliding door. The noise was loud enough to be heard from across the door. The Korean boy clutched his flashlight. Okay, here it was. Im Young walked up to the door and slid it open a crack. He looked inside. A more confusing sight greeted him.
They all sat at the table, motionless. No one said a word. They all looked like wax figures in a museum. The traditional fancy clothes didn't help much either. Their hair looked like stiff wigs on their heads. All of the food on the table looked rotten. The mold made Im Yong want to vomit.
"What are you doing here?!" a voice hissed. The soldier whipped his head around. A woman in a black maid outfit stood across from him, holding a tray of fly-covered drinks. Her face looked like a mannequin's with waxy, red-painted lips and glass eyes. Even her eyelashes looked fake. Im Yong wondered how she was able to talk like that.
"You can't stay here," the maid hissed.
"What?" the Korean boy asked.
"It's not safe here," the maid whispered to him. "You should leave before the house learns your name."
"What do you mean?" Im Yong asked.
"Please leave!" she pleaded. She started to pull him away down the hall. The soldier didn't have a chance to ask what was going on. He happened to take one look into the room. He noticed the little girl mannequin at the head of the table had her head turned to him. Her face was craved to have normal features, but they weren't painted in.
"Oh no! She's seen you!" the maid said. She pushed the Korean boy down the hall as fast as her stiff body would allow it. The girl mannequin started to "open" her non-existent mouth. But before she could speak, Im Yong was already out the door.
Im Yong ran all the way back through the woods. He didn't look back. Only the sound of crickets stayed with him. The Korean boy didn't stop running until he made it back to the path. Kyu greeted him with an angry on his face.
"I told you not to go off the path!" he snapped. Im Yong struggled to get his breath back.
"Where did you go, man?" Kyu asked. The younger soldier pointed off behind him towards the woods.
"There's a strange house in the woods!" he blurted out. His mentor's face went pale.
"What did you say?" he asked. Im Yong broke down and told him everything. Kyu didn't say anything as he pulled out his radio.
"Come in, commander! Come in, commander!" he shouted. "It's much worse than we predicted!"