"What is happening? Mother... when are you coming back?" Estadey said to herself while crying, over the screeching cries for playtime.
"At... this rate, my ears will bleed out from these sounds," she shouted out in anger. The invisible presence heard, and silence invaded the room as a sign of compliance.
She opened her eyes in shock. "It finally listened to m—" Estadey was cut mid-sentence when a crushing force pressed down on her spine, bending her back outward as she hit the wall opposite her bed. She screamed in pain from the impact of the hit."It hurts... my back is broken," she cried out while bending backward abnormally.
The invisible pressure came back with a louder screeching cry. "More playtime! More playtime!" it cried out again, louder.
****************
Koff was speed-walking through shortcuts down the streets leading to Jin's place. "This time I'll catch him. And when I do, I'll make sure to find out what he's been up to. How can he just miss a day like this? And he didn't even bother meeting me the other day."
Koff stopped in her tracks when she saw Jin crouching on the porch. "It's about time you showed up,and not here, but at the restaurant," she said in a teasing tone. But Jin didn't move a muscle, as if he were completely unaware of her presence.
"Hey, Jin," she called out. She slowly neared him, reaching out her arm with an expression of concern. "Get up. Let's get a better place to sit, okay?"
The creature did not move a muscle or reach out its hand towards Koff. It just crouched there, motionless and silent. But Koff could feel it,the presence and power radiating around Jin." What is wrong? Is this kid not feeling alright? Did he have a fight with his friend?" she thought.
And then Koff felt it, an invisible, heavy presence behind her, with a cold atmosphere around it. It exuded a very dangerous aura, which left a chilling coldness running down her spine. The hair at the back of her neck stood up, and goosebumps spread around her body."What on earth is..."
She turned, but nothing was there, and that presence had immediately vanished without a trace.
"Why did that child die? Do you know the reason behind it?" the creature asked, its voice coming out colder, more distant and unlike his usual tone. "You know what happened, but you just don't want to show it, right, Koff?"
When she turned, that creature in Jin's body did not have a face. It tilted its head abnormally lower than usual.
"Why are you pretending?" the creature asked.
Koff froze. "How do you know about that child's death?" she asked, her facial expression becoming dead serious. "What are you? Where is he?"
"Koff, you're here. What are you doing talking to yourself?" Jin interrupted.
She turned. "Jin, is that you?" She awkwardly smiled.
"Of course, why would you say that? Do I look different? Oh! maybe I look tired. I haven't been getting enough sleep lately, but it's me. I'm all right," Jin said. "I just want to check on the clothes I washed this morning down the hill to see if they're dry, but we can head straight to the restaurant right now without any delay since I'm completely ready."
"Who was that on the porch?" Koff asked.
"What? I mean who? I'm not seeing anything. Are you trying to trick me again, Koff? Because we are not in time for jokes," Jin said.
"Maybe I shouldn't tell Jin about what I just saw because it won't make sense,"Koff thought. "He already looks tired. I shouldn't put this kid under pressure."They went down and checked the clothes, and after that, they came back up.
"You've been busy. I see your friend is taller than you and that makes both of us short." Koff said.
"What do you mean by taller than me we are almost the same height,he just wears bigger clothes than me." Jin said, looking amused though exhausted.
"I was just saying. By the way, where's your friend right now?"
"Oh, they called him for a meeting from the village doctors. I don't know exactly, but he just said that they called him for a meeting, so he left."
" Anyways, the restaurant must have missed me."he said.
"Oh, especially the dishes. All the dirty dishes missed you," Koff teased.
"Okay, okay, I get it. That was the main reason you came looking for me,just the dishes. You didn't even miss me, not even a bit."
"Of course I did! How can a mother not miss her son? If I hadn't missed you, I wouldn't have come looking for you. The dishes were just an excuse."
Jin laughed at Koff's terrible joke.
"By the way, have you been noticing anything strange or out of place?" Koff asked.
Jin's eyes widened slightly and his smile dropped, then he quickly regained his composure. "No, I haven't. What do you mean?"
"What was that?"she asked.
"What?"he said.
"I saw that. What are you hiding?"Koff demanded.
"Nothing," Jin replied.
Then the sound of shattering glass echoed from somewhere near Jin's house. Koff turned around in alarm,facing the house. "I thought your friend had left,so whose in the house when it's locked from the outside?"she asked. Jin still had his back facing her. He didn't even look back.