It was late at night when Dr. Park left the hospital. He drives by the empty road, passing through ginormous trees. The heavy rain thudded at the roof of his car like a rattling of small feet creatures falling from the branches. The stygian skies furnishing nothing but the massive threatening clouds gathered above.
It was almost impossible to see or hear anything except for the pattering of rain and his rough breath in the thick air. There is no lamppost in the street, if there's any, the lights are broken or they just don't work. The puny light from his car serves no worth in the swallowing blackness.
A feeling of incredible unease came over him. Driving further into the brooding darkness, the feeling of wild ablaze eyes watching him from the woods ran through his spades, sending shivers in his back. He's almost close to the address of the trusted priest his friend gave him from where he is right now if he wasn't lost in the tricky avenue, at least it should be only two turns away.
His eyelid quivered; his grip around the wheel tightened. Dr. Park speeds up his car, hoping to find a lamppost and escape the darkness sucking him away.
The wailing of menacing nature echoed in his ears. A strong gust of wind drove the rain toward his window. Dr. Park happens to glance in the rearview mirror—a pair of glowing red eyes appeared behind him, staring at him intently as if saying something. He looked again just to make sure he wasn't imagining things but the ghostly apparition was still there, finally convincing himself he wasn't alone at all.
The disturbing grin on her demonic face sent him into a panic. He stamped on the accelerator sending the car flying at full speed.
The tires tearing apart the ground. A loud popped and emitted hiss of leaked air shrieked. Dr. Park struggled to control the wheel as the tire slowly flattened and the car sways on the slippery road. He was going fast, too fast—each turn was nearly a miss, the car threatening to spin off the road or flip end over end. It wiggled wildly, making aggressive turns on the glossy street and he barely controls the wheel. The vehicle went off the path and before he could even step his foot on the brakes—the car bumped into a tree.
Dr. Park groans in agony, his head was pounding making it difficult for him to open his eyes. He saw a shadow approaching from afar. A strange light coming from him. The shadow appears to be a man wearing a coat and a bowler. He squints his eyes, trying to make out the person's face but he failed. It was too dark to see and the pain in his head only gets worse the more he forces himself to stay awake.
"Please, help me..." The last words he says before his surroundings went dark.
___
He doesn’t know how long he was out. When he woke up it was still dark but the rain had stopped; his entire body ached unbearably. When he could force himself to sit forward, wiping the dried blood from his forehead, he saw what had happened. He remembered everything all at once: The priest, the rain, the apparition, the man—
As the last cobwebs of drowsiness withered in his mind, the thought took on a more familiar form. Dr. Park looks around, expecting to find the mysterious man standing on the same spot he saw him before he lost his consciousness—but he couldn't find him anywhere. He could have just been hallucinating at that time, however, the image was too realistic or it could also be surreal.
He subconsciously held his head, the excruciating pain squeezed a moan out of his searing throat. He's lucky enough for not getting any serious injury. Dr. Park saw the paper with the address. He picked it up and stares at it for a moment, realizing he was close to it now and he could have just walked it.
Dr. Park remembers he'd kept a flashlight in his glove compartment, he could use it to see outside. He gingerly crawled out of the car. The cold wind of the late-night breeze washed over him. Dr. Park began walking down the road, ready to face whatever danger awaiting him behind the dark wisp.
And there he is, strolling underneath the moon. The awry impression clings to the air, but he decided to shake it off, completely forgetting about the accident behind him, as well as the ghostly beast dwindling in his vision. Without him noticing, he had reached the church and is standing on the step in front of a gigantic wooden door. He knocked on the door three times and patiently wait for someone to open it.
He heard a soft click of a lock and a man in his thirties clad in a formal cassock, emerged from the door.
"Hi, is there something I can help you with?"
Dr. Park eyed him from head to toe. He looks younger than he thought, so maybe it's his assistant. No way someone that young does exorcism and faces devils. The priest waits for his response, his tender gaze not leaving him.
"Can I talk to Lee Do-Hyun?"
The priest smiled and replied, "it's me." Dr. Park looked a bit shocked. He felt unsure about it, he couldn't set aside the doubt he'll be much of a help. But he's already here, he'd traveled so far and even got into an accident so there's no turning back.
He cleared his throat before proceeding in his speech. "My friend gave me your address. He said you're a professional exorcist and have done many exorcisms before. So I was thinking if you can help me?"
He let out a heavy sigh. The look on his face, his sharp features, and the hazel eyes that perfectly fit the shape of his eyebrows shadowed in his sparkly color as he was just about to say his saddening statement. "I'm sorry, but I don't do exorcism anymore. But don't worry, I know someone who does. I can give you his address so you can go to him. I'm sure he can help you—" he was cut off amidst his sentence by cold hands grabbing his own. Do-Hyun widened his eyes in surprise. His messy gaze reflects his tangled thoughts.
"I've traveled so far just to get here and even got into an accident. Please, I'm begging you, I really need your help right now—"
"But I told you I don't perform exorcism anymore—"
"Please... I'm ready to pay even if how much it cost. A colleague of mine already died, and I don't want any of my friends to get hurt too. Please, Mr. Lee, I'm asking you a favor." Dr. Park was desperate. He doesn't care even if he already looks pathetic, he just can come back there wasted into particularly nothing.
At this moment, Do-Hyun can't say no to this poor man. There are many excuses he can use, yet he can't bring himself to pick and pull the rug. The lad looks like a mess; He finally made up his choice. Today is not the time to be a hyena when someone needs his help the most. No longer will he hides his head in his pocket.
"Fine, I'll do it. I'll help you."
YOU ARE READING
Inside The Devil | M.yg × P.jm✓
Mystery / Thriller"Your life is worthless, but I'll take it anyway." A deathly fraught and mysteries surround the life of the young boy. A professional psychologist stumbled upon a strange patient, and soon he learns about the disturbing truths and discovers the broo...
