"OH MY GOD!" Eldric's voice cracked with terror as he bolted out of his house, the creature's laughter echoing behind him like a twisted symphony of nightmares.
"FUCK ME." Eldric rushed ahead in the darkness as fast as he made a desperate attempt to get out of the scene. His entire body was gripped in panic, making it hard for him to breathe.
"Shit... shit... shit..." Eldric's voice grew more panicked and frantic as he tried to get away from that damned thing.
[Bang]
Midway through his running, he tripped, crashing to the ground.
"AAAH..." Crying out in pain, his palms scraped against the rough pavement. Pain shot through his hands, but now was not the time to stop and treat the bruises and cuts. There is a saying that fear is the strongest motivator and right now, this thing couldn't have been more true to Eldric who was trying to escape.
Scrambling back to his feet, Eldric ignored the blood that smeared across his palms and kept on running. In his panic, he didn't even notice he had dropped the knife and flashlight back at the house.
The darkness swallowed him whole, an abyss of nothingness that stretched in every direction. Eldric could barely see his own hand in front of his face, yet he ran blindly, driven by the primal instinct to survive.
"HEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHE..." The world around him seemed to blur, the only constant thing was the sinister laughter that trailed behind him, growing louder with each passing moment.
Eldric didn't know why, but the creature seemed to be playing with him. Its footsteps were slow, deliberate as if it was enjoying the hunt, savoring the terror that gripped its prey. With its huge size, it could catch him if it wanted to. Eldric knew that... but that damned thing seemed to be dragging out the chase as if greatly relishing in his fear.
[Thump...Thump...Thump...]
Eldric's heart raced, his breaths coming in short, ragged gasps.
Running through the darkness, he felt like there were countless eyes on him, watching him silently, observing his every move.
"I am definitely going to die." Feeling a chill coming from the bottom of his heart, Eldric was sure that there were numerous creatures like that thing staring at him from the darkness. He didn't see it, but he could feel something constantly moving around him at a rapid pace as if avoiding him. As for the matter of why none of them attacked him... he didn't have a clue.
"Huff...huff...huff... Huff." Taking deep breaths, Eldric felt like hours had passed as he stumbled through the inky blackness. His muscles burned with exhaustion, his legs threatening to give out beneath him.
Just when Eldric thought he couldn't run any further, he saw the scenery changing in front of him. He didn't even know when he managed to get out of the darkness.
"This... this..."
"Oh God... Thank you... Thank you so much." The moment he saw the scenery in front of him, Eldric wanted to kneel on the ground.
As the darkness faded and was replaced by a warm, golden glow, Eldric found himself gazing at a lively, bustling town. The streets were teeming with people, and their laughter filled the air, mingling with snippets of conversations that floated by.
"Mom, look! I want to ride the Ferris wheel!" a young boy shouted, pointing excitedly to the small Ferris wheel turning gently in the corner of the square. His mother smiled, holding his hand tightly as they made their way over.
Nearby, an elderly couple strolled slowly, the man telling a story in a voice that wavered with age.
"Remember that Christmas in '52? The one where the snow was so high, we had to dig our way out of the house?" His wife laughed softly, squeezing his arm as they passed by a row of brightly lit stalls.
Children raced around, playing tag and dodging between groups of adults who chatted excitedly about holiday plans.
"I heard they're putting on a special performance tonight," one woman said, her eyes shining with excitement. "We should get there early to grab a good spot!"
Street performers dotted the area, adding to the festive atmosphere. A juggler stood on a small stage, tossing colorful balls into the air while a group of children clapped and cheered.
"Do it again!" one of them shouted, eyes wide in awe.
A mime, dressed in a classic black-and-white outfit, mimicked the movements of passersby, drawing laughter from a group of teenagers who were taking turns posing for pictures.
Nearby, a man in a Santa suit sat on a large chair, listening to a little girl's wish list.
"And I want a pony, and a new dollhouse, and....."
The buildings were dressed in their holiday best, with garlands of greenery and red ribbons wrapped around the doorways. Strings of twinkling lights crisscrossed above the streets, casting a soft glow over everything. The windows of the shops were filled with displays of toys, sweets, and ornaments, each one more enticing than the last.
In the center of the square stood a towering Christmas tree, its branches heavy with decorations. A group of carolers gathered at its base, singing classic holiday songs in perfect harmony. "Silent night, holy night…" their voices blended beautifully, creating a sound that resonated through the town.
Children lined up to take a ride on a brightly colored train that chugged along a miniature track.
"All aboard!" the conductor called out, as parents waved to their children from the sidelines.
Underneath the tree, families gathered to take pictures, capturing the moment of togetherness and joy. The scent of roasted chestnuts and cinnamon filled the air, making the whole scene feel like a warm, comforting dream.
It was a scene brimming with life, each small detail adding to the overwhelming sense of warmth and festivity.
Eldric didn't hesitate. With a cry of relief, he pushed himself forward, running toward the safety of the town. The creature's laughter seemed to fade, replaced by the comforting sounds of the festival.
While rushing forward, he didn't hesitate to turn around and look at the creature behind it, but the moment he did, he was stunned for a moment.
"It's scared… It's scared of the light!"
Looking at the creature that had now stopped its pursuit and was looking at him from the distance. At this moment, on its face, instead of its usual twisted smile, there was an expression of grief.
Its lips were curled down as it looked at Eldric. Within a few moments, it opened its mouth and let out a sad howl.
"UEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW."
It was a twisted, sad sound that seemed to be carrying the grief of countless people. The moment Eldric heard it, a shiver ran down his spine. In his seventeen years of living, he had never heard such an inhumane howl before.
"Fuck you."
Ignoring its howl, Eldric kept on running as the distance between him and the town shrank rapidly. But it was at this moment that he felt something amiss. The disturbance caused by both him and the creature wasn't small. With such a loud screeching, the people in front of him should have listened to it.
But..... Looking at the people who weren't disrupted in the slightest, a chill ran through Eldric's back. It was as if they didn't even see or hear him and the creature chasing him.
Holding his breath, looked at the festival in front of him carefully, once again. At a casual glance, he could make out men, women, and children of all ages, but when he tried to focus, their faces blurred, and their forms seemed to shimmer as if wrapped in a layer of fog.
"Damn it."
Eldric's heart sank. Something was terribly wrong.
Eldric's pace slowed as he tried to make sense of the scene in front of him. But the more he looked, the more he found himself at a loss. He didn't know what he was looking at, but he knew it was certainly not good.
Looking around, Eldric wanted to cry. In front of him was a strange festival, behind him was an inhumane creature, and at his sides was an endless darkness.
In his childhood, Eldric often wondered what the term 'out of the frying pan into the fire' meant. Well... Now he could answer it clearly after such a personal experience.
"Forget it." Gritting his teeth, Eldric made up his mind. He wasn't going to enter that damned festival. Earlier he thought it was the light that made the creature chasing him afraid. But now that he saw it clearly, he knew it wasn't the case. Something that could terrify that damned creature... Eldric was in no position to face it.
Making up his mind, he turned around, wanting to head into the darkness once again. But the minute he turned around... To Eldric's horror, his body seemed to be no longer under his control.
He wanted to walk away from the festival, but the more he wanted to go away, the closer his body got to it. If one were to look at him from the distance, they would see that there was a twisted smile on Eldric's face as he was constantly jumping up and down while clapping his hands and walking towards the festival.
"No! Stop!"
Eldric's mind screamed, but his body refused to listen. The closer he got to the festival, the more his body danced in grotesque joy. His movements were erratic, his limbs flailing as he drew closer to the eerie crowd.
"I am dead."
Tears welled up in Eldric's eyes. He had lost control, and now all he could do was hope for a swift, painless death. The thought of dying like this—trapped in a dance he couldn't stop, rushing headlong into a nightmare—filled him with despair.
Inches... by inches... he got closer to the festival.
But just as he was about to reach the edge of the crowd, a sudden, cold grip wrapped around his wrist.
"Huh!?" Eldric didn't know when, but there was a thin slender white arm poking out of the darkness, holding him tightly.
"OH COME ON." How could Eldric not recognize those damned hands? These were the same hands of that inhumane creature that was chasing him just a moment ago.
Eldric's breath caught in his throat as he was yanked backward into the darkness. He barely had time to register what was happening before he was pulled into the shadows.
Soon the town disappeared from view, as if it was a mere illusion.
In the pitch-black void, he caught a glimpse of the creature that had been chasing him, except now it was different. It was smaller, half the size of the monstrosity that had pursued him before. Its pale, gaunt face stared at him without any emotions.
Soon, both its white pale body and Eldric's body were covered by a thin layer of dark before merging with the surrounding darkness. And then... everything was gone.
"UWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"
The last thing Eldric heard was the distant sound of festive music and the horrifying mournful cry of that damned creature in the distance before losing consciousness.