Chapter 92: CUT. Carnival (1)
by fnovelpia
CUT.
▷19:00 – University festival movie screening event.
▷19:02 – 206 students and outsiders gathered in the auditorium. In the somewhat noisy darkness, the beam projector started, and the video was projected on the big screen.
▷19:03 – The background was a gloomy forest with a lone well. A ghost with long hair and wearing a white shroud crawled out of the well.
▷19:04 – The ghost staggered slowly towards the front of the screen. When the ghost reached out, a giant hand shot out of the big screen. The president praised the 3D effect. But there was no 3D effect.
▷19:05 – The giant ghost crawled out of the big screen. The impressed audience gave a standing ovation. The ghost crushed the president like swatting a fly.
◇The president died instantly on the spot. First casualty occurred.
▷19:10 – Fashion show presented by the Fashion Design Department.
▷19:12 – A woman with a bob haircut walked the runway.
▷19:12 – As she reached the end of the runway, red blood poured from the ceiling. The woman was drenched in blood from head to toe. The shocked audience screamed, and the panel of judges, composed of senior students, awarded extra points for the dramatic performance.
▷19:13 – The eyes of the blood-soaked woman turned red. Her skeleton twisted, ears and a tail sprouted, and she instantly transformed into a werewolf.
▷19:15 – The fashion show turned into a massacre show.
◇Fire broke out. The university building was engulfed in flames. Deranged werewolf vampires and a 15-meter-tall giant ghost headed towards the nearby residential area.
Yeoreum was squatting.
In the room filled with a mountain of VHS tapes and DVDs, a horror movie played on the TV screen in front of him.
It was a film produced by the master of slasher films, Tobe Hooper.
He needed to check the videotape too. It was about time to add scene #15.
But Yuna had borrowed the tape. She begged Yeoreum to let her watch it first.
Though it was Yeoreum’s tape, it was right for Yuna, who had deep knowledge of horror movies, to watch it first.
Reality twisted and ravaged like a movie by ‘W’…
The director role had passed to Joo-Yi.
Given she was a crazy b*tch, it was not surprising whatever crazy sh*t she pulled off.
The worst crisis.
The only breakthrough to overcome this predicament was horror movies.
He dissected the film to find the solution for each situation.
The reason the original Han Yeoreum could survive in a world where madness reigned was thanks to his experience with horror movies.
Before he knew it, the ending credits rolled. He took the DVD out of the player connected to the TV.
He checked the clock. It was 7:15 PM, a time when the campus festival would be in full swing.
But Yeoreum didn’t go. Now, when he thought of festivals, massacres came to mind first.
“Phew…”
He closed his eyes and lay down on the floor.
His eyes needed rest after watching blood and flesh splattering scenes all day.
The narrow room was bathed in a blue hue of silence.
Suddenly, he thought of Yuna.
Long eyelashes, a sharp nose. He unconsciously recalled her doll-like face and her vivid body.
…What could she be doing? Should he text her? No, she was right next door, why contact…
Yeoreum lay curled up, wiggling his toes.
Then, it happened.
He heard a sound from outside.
It was faint, but it sounded like a scream.
He got up and opened the window. He looked out into the dusk.
A woman was running.
She was crying out in terror, as if fleeing from someone.
Streetlights went out one by one along the path she ran.
As the light faded and shadows deepened, something furry quickly lunged from behind, cutting off the woman’s right arm.
“Kyaaaaah!”
The woman screamed.
Blood gushed out. Even with her right arm severed, she kept running.
Once again, the presence in the dark moved. Swoosh—this time, her left arm was severed.
The woman ran down the street with both arms cut off.
Blood sprayed to both sides like water from a fire hose.
“Someone!! Please help meee!!!”
She screamed.
Yeoreum clenched his teeth.
Damn it.
If he called the police or went down himself, it would already be too late.
The presence in the dark was agitated. Having cut off both arms, it would target another part next.
He quickly searched for something to throw. He found a kitchen knife.
Holding the knife, he stood by the window. The street, with its broken streetlights, was dark.
He threw the knife towards the presence in the dark. There was a small sound of the blade sinking in.
The streetlights that had been going out one by one stopped turning off.
The woman who had been running stopped.
Blood poured from the torn stumps of her shoulders, but she was still conscious.
She met Yeoreum’s eyes through the window.
Crying, she tried to express her gratitude.
“Thank y…”
Her head flew off.
The part the presence in the dark targeted after her arms was her neck.
Her headless body staggered and moved. It started running again.
Like a mad chicken, it kept running, crashing into a telephone pole before finally falling.
Even after dying and collapsing, her legs kept flailing as if she was still running.
The streetlights all went out at once. The blood-soaked torso of the woman was swallowed by the darkness.
It was a horrific sight.
Yeoreum couldn’t tell if he was watching TV or looking out the window.
Had he watched so many horror movies that he couldn’t distinguish reality from fiction?
He picked up his phone and turned on the flashlight.
He shone the light outside into the darkness. He saw the furry presence voraciously devouring the woman’s corpse.
Pointed ears, a long tail. Large muscles wrapped in fur. A snout covered in flesh.
It was a werewolf.
On its broad back was the kitchen knife Yeoreum had thrown.
The werewolf looked up towards the source of the light.
He made eye contact with it. Seeing its glowing red eyes, he felt his heart freeze.
The werewolf stopped feasting and headed towards his building.
This was an emergency.
Yeoreum took a deep breath.
That monster had definitely emerged from the videotape.
What horror movie was it based on?
Since it was a werewolf, maybe <An American Werewolf in London>? <I Was a Teenage Werewolf>?
What was the werewolf’s weakness again?
As he was sinking into confusion, someone knocked.
There was only one person who could come by.
“Yu… Yuna…?”
But there was no response.
He stood in front of the door. He heard the knock again.
No, it wasn’t a knock… it was a scratching sound.
Crack—
The door was pierced. Four long claws penetrated it.
The claws slowly sliced down, shredding the steel door like paper.
The werewolf was coming.
There was no time to hesitate. There was only one exit left.
The window.
He climbed out of the window. Holding onto the railing, he slowly crawled sideways. The only thing he could grip was the building’s outer pipe.
He heard the door being ripped apart inside the house.
The werewolf had entered.
“Rrrr…”
Yeoreum held his breath.
If he stayed hidden outside the window, he might not be discovered. He hoped so.
The werewolf walked up to the window.
He saw the long snout and vicious teeth protruding outside the window frame.
“Sniff sniff… I smell human…”
The werewolf flared its nostrils as it spoke.
Yeoreum was plastered against the outer wall. If the werewolf poked its head out, he would be caught immediately.
He considered jumping down before that happened. But if he did, his fragile ankles would shatter.
All he could do was pray for luck.
“…….”
The werewolf by the window went back inside.
Yeoreum let out a small sigh of relief. He was on the verge of slipping because of the sweat on his hands.
He approached the window. There was no one inside the house. All he saw was the fallen TV, scattered DVDs, and tapes.
Had the werewolf left?
No, it was too early to be relieved.
In horror movies, they tighten the suspense, let the audience relax, then show a sudden scene to scare them.
This technique is called a jump scare. It’s an effective use of tension and release.
Now was the perfect time for a jump scare.
Looking closely, he noticed the refrigerator door was slightly open.
The werewolf could be hiding inside, ready to jump out.
Yeoreum carefully climbed back into the house. Of course, he wouldn’t be foolish enough to open the fridge or check the bathroom.
He ignored them and headed for the exit.
The house was dark with the lights off.
He carefully moved towards the broken front door.
There was no sign of movement from the refrigerator or the bathroom.
Standing at the front door, he cautiously peeked outside.
The long corridor was silent. There was nothing but dust and shadows in the cold space.
Yeoreum hesitated for a moment. Should he leave? What if it came back…
Something dropped onto his shoulder.
What was that? He reflexively looked up.
A sticky drop of liquid fell on his face.
Saliva.
Thick saliva.
Something dark was clinging to the ceiling.
“Found you.”
It was the werewolf.
Boom—
The creature that had been clinging to the ceiling like a spider dropped down. Yeoreum was startled and fell backwards.
He needed to run, but his body was frozen. His limbs wouldn’t respond.
The werewolf stood up.
The monstrous strength that tore the woman’s arms like ant legs…
The werewolf raised its clawed hand, and Yeoreum squeezed his eyes shut.
“……Hey, you bastard.”
At that moment, a woman’s voice came from behind.
The werewolf turned its head.
A splash of cold water poured down, soaking its fur.
“Raaaaargh!”
Its tail stood up straight. The werewolf roared loudly, swinging its arms.
It was none other than Yuna who had thrown the water.
Yuna held a steel cross made by combining two steel pipes. It looked about 2 meters long.
She charged like a crusader and plunged the steel tip into the werewolf’s chest.
Its red pupils widened. The steel tip pierced its chest and went through to its back, but Yuna kept pushing.
The strength of a human couldn’t compare to that of a werewolf.
However, thanks to the holy power imbued in the cross, the werewolf couldn’t resist and was pushed back.
Yuna released the steel cross. The werewolf, pushing towards the window, spat out hot blood.
“Argh… I’ll tear out your heart… and eat it…”
“Eat this!”
Yuna charged.
She jumped and brought her feet together, flying like a missile.
A fiery dropkick. It landed squarely on the werewolf’s abdomen.
Crash—
The railing broke as the werewolf fell out the window.
Yuna’s house.
Yuna hugged the stunned Yeoreum, comforting him.
An emergency news report was playing on the TV screen.
[…an unprecedented riot has erupted. The frenzied attackers are indiscriminately assaulting citizens. We have an expert with us. Professor Park?]
[This is Professor Park.]
[Let’s look at the footage. This was filmed by our correspondent. You can see a man suddenly attacking passersby. As the bloody incident progresses, he starts to transform. Doesn’t that look like a wolf?]
[It seems to be a werewolf. It doesn’t look like makeup. It’s quite a shocking situation.]
[Continuing with the video… uh… it seems… he is eating someone, right, Professor?]
[He’s ripping open the abdomen and eating the liver. Such violent actions raise uncertainty in the market.]
[I see. Professor Park, what do you make of the current situation?]
[Despite the bear market, animal welfare stocks are expected to soar. It’s a time to focus and make selective choices.]
-[Yes, that was economic expert Professor Park. Citizens, please be mindful when going out.]
Yuna changed the channel.
Another breaking news report came on.
[…A giant has appeared in the middle of the city. With long hair and dressed in white…]
He turned off the TV.
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