Partners in Crime [Bbangsaz]

Parted Ways

Hanni stood in front of the mighty gates. Just a few minutes ago she had tried to drive in with Minji's car but for some reason the gates hadn't opened. She had thought that the system recognized the car and opened automatically but now, as it seems, that wasn't the case. She had parked the car a little further away and walked back here to figure a way in. 

She gazed past the gates and saw the light blue house. It looked gloomy in the dark night. No movement was detected. Hanni furrowed her brows. Sure it was late, but Minji wouldn't mind her showing up, right? They had things to discuss and it was rather risky to do it during daylight. 

Though at this rate, there was going to be no discussion. There was no passing through the gates unless she would climb over and that she was not going to do.

Frustrated, Hanni walked to the right end of the gates and leaned over to observe a small box with numbers. It looked like some kind of code system. If she guessed the code, would the gates open?

But what could possibly be the number combination? 

Suddenly, a low, metallic sound cracked the air. Startled, Hanni took a few rapid steps away from the gates that were, as if by magic, opening. She stared, frozen, as the gates slowly moved until they were fully open to the front yard. She blinked her eyes. Had someone opened them for her?

Hanni inhaled slowly. Despite the situation being a little creepy, she approached the gates and passed them. It was oddly quiet as she walked on the long sand path. Her footsteps were the only sound heard in the night. The road seemed a lot longer than the first time. 

At last, she stopped in front of the big house. She raised her gaze to look at it better. There were no lights in the building, it seemed completely abandoned.

Carefully, Hanni approached the front door. She ringed the door bell. The sound of the bell echoed loudly in the house. Then silence. She waited, but there were no sounds coming inside. No footsteps, no talking. Nothing.

Hanni looked around nervously. Wasn't Minji going to open the door? But she had to be home. Who else could have opened the gates? 

Out of an impulsive thought, Hanni pressed the door handle. To her surprise, the door opened.

Hanni didn't know whether she was more relieved or shocked. Why would anyone leave their door open like this? An ominous feeling crept on her back. Something about this situation didn't feel quite right.

Carefully, she opened the door and stepped in. It was dark. There was no source of light anywhere. She blinked her eyes, trying to get used to the darkness. It took her a while, but finally, she started to outline the room in front of her. And right then, her blood ran cold.

The whole lobby was empty. 

Hanni looked around, in confusion. All the fancy decorations and furniture that had made the house feel cozy were gone. Even the mattress on the floor had been taken away. 

What the..? Hanni started moving deeper into the house. Something in this situation made her feel uneasy, and she placed her hand on the gun that was on her belt. She approached the living room on the left and was faced with the same, odd sight. The living room was empty as well. It was as if everything had been taken away, as if the house had never had life in it. 

It was, in a word, creepy.

Suddenly, there was a sound. In a matter of seconds, Hanni turned around, pulled out the gun and pointed to the door she had just entered.

But there was no one there.

Her heart was hammering against her chest as she slowly moved towards the door, still holding the gun.