Chapter 2
Heo Narim moved forward. The place where she lived was an old house. She had moved in just a few months ago. This place was part of the inheritance left by her late father.
‘Even though I lived here before, I was too scared to ever go down to the basement.’
It was a mistake to move into this neglected house just because it was close to her workplace. She should have listened to her sister who warned her to find an officetel instead.
The house was located in an alley, and the security wasn’t very good. Baek Yeo-hyun had said he was worried about her every time he came over.
‘He used that as an excuse to sleep here a lot too.’
But now, that was all in the past. Shaking off her thoughts, she headed toward the laundry room.
Although she couldn’t hear footsteps, perhaps because she was on edge, she knew the little ghost was following behind her.
After a brief hesitation, she asked,
“How do you know there’s a basement?”
[Because it’s related to you.]
The answer was even stranger.
Heo Narim stopped walking. There was something unusual about her house.
There was a small door behind the washing machine that led to a basement storage room.
‘I was too scared to ever go in.’
Her sister had also warned her not to go inside since it hadn’t been touched for a long time and might have rats.
‘But only my sister and I knew about the basement. I only told Yeo-hyun when he visited the house.’
And now the little ghost knew that too.
A ghost who knew information only a few people knew and who looked strangely like Baek Yeo-hyun. The strangest thing was that it suddenly appeared right after Baek Yeo-hyun’s suspicious death.
‘No matter what, it must be connected to Yeo-hyun.’
But she was not in a position to leisurely question the ghost’s identity. Now that it was known she was pregnant, she couldn’t risk doing anything dangerous.
Heo Narim tried to push the washing machine to the side, but since she had twisted her ankle, it was hard to even stand properly.
She bit her lips tightly because of the pain. The little ghost saw this and approached her.
[I’ll do it.]
It was really a strange ghost.
The little ghost pushed the washing machine to the side for her.
Not only was it surprising to see a ghost physically move things, but also to have such strength.
It looked like an elementary school kid at most.
“…What’s your relation to Yeo-hyun?”
Her curiosity got the better of her. It was a bad habit she had since childhood—always getting into trouble because of curiosity and being scolded by her sister but never changing.
[I have no relation.]
A lie.
The little ghost answered without making eye contact and finished moving the washing machine.
Then it said it would move the body by itself and went ahead alone. During this, it never once met her eyes.
‘Just like Yeo-hyun’s habit when he lied.’
It was a habit he had when hiding something or lying.
She scoffed silently. How could they have the same habit yet have no relation?
Did it not want to say? Could it not say? Or did it think it wasn’t worth saying?
[Narim, move aside.]
The ghost called her name gently but spoke in a commanding tone, very different from Yeo-hyun.
He had already shown strong strength when moving the washing machine easily.
The little ghost, who dragged the tall Baek Yeo-hyun who was over 180cm, headed straight for the basement door.
An old padlock that hadn’t been used for years was visible.
Suddenly, Heo Narim remembered what her older sister, Heo Naryeon, said when she came to see the house.
‘Don’t even think about opening this. It’s unsafe here, Narim. If you hear strange noises, tell me.’
Naryeon fiddled with the padlock many times. Being tidy, she frowned as she touched the rusty lock with bare hands, feeling uncomfortable.
She must have been worried about her sister living alone after always living together.
Heo Narim, who had listened carefully to her sister’s words, never went near the basement door after that.
This was the first time opening it.
[It’s dark.]
She wondered how the door would open without a key, but the little ghost broke the padlock and swung the door wide open.
And that was all the comment it made.
‘It’s the first time opening the door.’
Heo Narim cautiously peeked inside. The little ghost was still holding Baek Yeo-hyun’s body, and his feet were touching the floor.
There was a corpse, a ghost, and a mysterious basement. She was glad she hadn’t fainted but couldn’t resist her growing curiosity.
The inside was full of spider webs from not being cleaned. There was a stairway down to the basement, but it was so dark she couldn’t see the end.
‘Scary.’
Her instinct made her step back. Her anxious eyes clearly showed she wanted to run away.
[It’s okay, it’s not your fault.]
The little ghost seemed to notice her unease and spoke while diligently moving Baek Yeo-hyun inside.
‘You don’t know anything.’
She swallowed the words rising in her throat. Such words were not enough comfort for this serious situation.
She had no one to rely on. Neither the dead Baek Yeo-hyun nor her cheating sister.
She had to endure this trial alone, but she couldn’t break because she wasn’t alone this time.
[…]
Suddenly, she noticed the little ghost was silent. She looked toward the basement. The ghost had already placed Baek Yeo-hyun near the basement entrance.
Then it quietly looked up at the ceiling inside the basement. Its expression was emotionless, which felt eerie.
[There’s blood.]
The calm voice made Heo Narim’s heart drop.
Then,
Thud.
A strange sound.
Thud, thud.
It almost sounded like footsteps coming from the pitch-black basement below.
‘What is that sound…?’
Her heart pounded loudly.
Though she couldn’t see anything in the darkness, the sound was definitely getting closer.
Like an idiot, she blinked vacantly, then the little ghost who was looking down the stairs shouted with an urgent tone.
[Close it!!]
Only then did Heo Narim realize this was no ordinary situation. She hurriedly grabbed the doorknob. She was startled by the ghost’s shout, but there was another reason.
Thud, thud… patter, patter!!
The footsteps suddenly changed to running!
Even if she closed the door, the padlock had already been broken by the ghost. She shut the door quickly and, unable to react, the little ghost pushed the washing machine against it.
As soon as the washing machine blocked the door, a loud noise echoed.
Bang!!!
“Aaah!!”
A huge sound—whether from a fist or a kick—hit the door hard. Heo Narim collapsed trembling in place.
Clatter, clatter, clatter!
Not only did someone bang on the door, but they also forcibly tried to turn the doorknob. Tears welled up in Heo Narim’s eyes.
‘Why are they doing this to me?’
Suddenly Baek Yeo-hyun’s death, the ghost’s appearance, and all the chaos made her confused, crazy, and scared.
The door, blocked by the washing machine, rattled wildly as if someone was trying to break through.
The sound of forcibly turning the doorknob and pushing the washing machine out was terribly eerie.
“P-please stop…!”
Covering her ears and curling up, her voice broke through the chaos. Then suddenly, the noise stopped. A heavy silence filled the space.
At that moment,
“…Help me.”
It was a cry for help from someone other than Heo Narim or the little ghost.
A woman’s voice, rusty as if just waking from a long sleep, came from inside the basement.
‘Why is there a woman’s voice down there…? Should I open the door?’
It wasn’t a man. Hearing a voice of the same gender made Heo Narim’s fear lessen just a little.
She had no intention to open the door but thought she should at least listen to what was going on. As she tried to get up,
The little ghost mistook her movement as trying to open the door.
[If you open it, you will die.]
The little ghost hung onto her neck like a noose and whispered.
‘Does that mean I’ll be killed by that woman? Or by ghosts if I open the door?’
Heo Narim was frozen with fear.
How much time passed, she didn’t know.
After a long while, footsteps were heard.
It sounded like someone was going down the stairs again. The footsteps faded away, and she instinctively relaxed—but then stiffened again.
Because strange sounds joined the footsteps: creak, crack. Strange noises.
Like the sound of someone forcibly dragging Baek Yeo-hyun’s corpse away.
