Merry music played as I drove to the XXX apartment building, my hair flowing freely with the wind. After I parked my car in the garage, I hurried to the apartment. My heart beating like crazy with excitement, I had only one thought in mind at the moment—I've finally done it. I have my own apartment now.
After living under oppression and abuse for so many years in that house, I was finally free. I was finally independent. I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear at the thought. I quickly got to work, cleaning up all the mess that moving here had caused.
After unpacking and setting up the place, I gave out rice cakes to the neighbors. By the end of it, it was already evening, and the first day at my new home was coming to an end. The excitement in my heart didn't die even as I lay down on the bed to sleep. Not having to wake up to quarrels and disharmony in the morning made me anticipate tomorrow even more. I fell asleep with much difficulty, full of expectations for my new life in my new home.
—Knock! Knock!
"Who is it in the middle of the night?" I woke up gruntingly at the knocking and went up to see who it was, cautiously. I looked out through the peephole, my eyes wandering around the hallway, but there was no one there no matter how much I looked around. Just then—
Knock! Knock!
That knocking sound came again. However, it wasn't coming from the door—the sound was echoing from the closet. Muddle-headed from the sleep, I hadn't noticed it at the beginning.
Knock! Knock!
Again. And again the knocks continued, and with each second passing by, the intensity increased—like someone, or something, was getting impatient. I picked up a baseball bat and mustered up some courage to open the closet. Inside, there was a door I had never seen before.
Sweat dripped down my forehead, and my heart leapt to my throat as I kicked open that door. To my shock, there was a hallway just like my apartment hidden behind it. Dim, flickering lanterns were placed here and there. Though it had the same layout as my apartment, this place was strangely damp and eerie.
Ta ta ta tatatatata...!!!
I heard footsteps running toward me—and just then, I jolted awake in bed.
"Haaa… it was a dream…"
Before I could even breathe a sigh of relief, my eyes fell upon the muddy footprints leading from the closet to the bed. I fell out of bed in shock.
"What… what exactly happened? What's going on in this place?"
*ta ta ta tatatatata....!!!*
I heard a footstep running towards me and just then, I jolted woke up from the bed.
"Haaa it was a dream.."
Before I could take any sigh of relief, my eyes fell upon the muddy footprints leading from the closet to the bed. I fell out of bed from the shock. "What... What exactly happened? What's going on in this place?"