The First Encounter
rating: +12+x

"지갑"



Danielle had always felt nostalgic about returning to her mother's hometown. The times she'd spent with her mother at her grandparents local farm, the times when she'd sneak out of the house to hang out with the neighboring kids at the creek, her mother taking her out to ice cream, and visiting wildlife reserves around the country. They were happy memories, and they occupied her dreams as she slept through the flight.


Her father was able to save up enough money for a trip to visit her grandparents in Korea. After her mother died and due to financial difficulties, her dad, who was an American citizen, decided that they should move back to the U.S. When Danielle found out about the trip, she was ecstatic and excitedly packed her things that night. She had missed the house they once lived in and the happy memories that were created there. It would also be nice to spend time with halmeoni and harabeoji again. 


When they arrived, they were greeted by her grandparents and her aunts, uncles, and cousins, where they welcomed her with open arms, and she spent hours catching up with them, recalling better days. 


Eventually they asked how long they would be staying, and her father replied, stating that they would be in town for a week. Her father had some business to attend to, so she was left at their grandparent's house for a few days.


After a while, Danielle noticed the picture of her mother and her sister. This got her thinking of her younger cousin, Kwang. When she asked how he was doing and why she hadn’t seen him since she arrived, they apologized on his behalf and explained that for the past few months he’d been aiming to get accepted at SNU (Seoul National University). That night, a call came from none other than Kwang. All that studying paid off when he told his parents that he accepted. The next day, her uncles told him that Kwang would be celebrating at a friend’s place downtown. They told Danielle to show up as a surprise.

Danielle Kim's cousin had invited her to a party, promising her a night of fun and excitement.
It turned out that the true location of the celebration was at a private nightclub. So far for being at a friend’s place. As Danielle entered the building, she made her way through the dimly lit corridor stairs, which then ended up in a dark, cramped hallway. As she continued to walk through it with her flashlight on, the sound of music growling louder could be heard with each step. As she finally entered the main room, she was immediately met by a sea of people, all dancing and laughing. Bodies pushing against each other, rowdy cheers, and obnoxious drinkers loaded with won as light-skinned women in skimpy dresses with heavy make-up and extensive plastic surgery on their faces continued to follow them for a taste of their fortune that night. The room was lit by flickering neon lights, and the air was thick with cigarette smoke.


As Danielle arrived at the party, a random person bumped into her from behind. He was wearing a brown overcoat, black pants, white shoes, and a white baseball cap that had fallen to the floor. after stumbling back a bit as Danielle noticed, unfazed.


"어디로 가는지 조심해…" muttered the man as he bent down to pick up his cap from the floor.
[Watch where you're going…"]


"죄송합니다…" replied Danielle in remorse.
[I'm sorry…]


The man simply ignored her as he left to join the rest of the party.


Suddenly, a short, well-dressed young man ran up to her and gave her a big hug.


"형제! 오랜만이에요!" her cousin exclaimed, said Kwang out of habit.
[Older brother! long time no see!]


"For the last time, I’m a girl. You haven’t changed a bit,” said an annoyed Danielle.


"아, 미안미안,ㅋㅋㅋ"
[ Ah, Sorry hahaha]

"It's been a while since I've seen you!" replied Kwang, switching to English.


"I know, it's good to be back in Korea," Danielle replied.


“It’s been many years, and you still look like you want to beat me and take my allowance,” said Kwang, jokingly reminiscing old memories.


“Imagine getting beat by a girl. Congratulations by the way.”


"I'm good. I feel good. Oh wait, follow me. Let me introduce you to some people."


As Kwang led Danielle through the crowd, introducing her to his university friends, she tried her best to speak Korean and talk louder so that she could be heard, as she was truly annoyed by the loud music. The party went full swing when a K-pop group showed up at the party. Apparently one of Kwang's batchmates had connections in that industry and was able to pull a few favors since he lost his bet that Kwang wouldn't get accepted into SNU. Kwang must have made new friends in high places.thought Danielle, as more and more people poured into the abandoned building as word got out that a private concert was being held publicly at the location.


After the show ended and the crowd started to disperse, Kwang said his goodbyes to the rest of his other batchmates and was accompanied by Danielle and Kwang's closest friend Seong-min. Kwang had too many drinks and at this point was being carried by his friend on his back, making it out of the building.


As they were leaving, a random individual crashed into Seong-min, and Kwang fell to the floor. The man that crashed into them then got up and started running. The two friends immediately checked their wallets despite being a little wasted. And Kwang noticed that his wallet was gone. Danielle, witnessing all this, turned around just in time to see a person with a dark brown overcoat darting through the emptying crowd with Kwang’s wallet in hand.


Kwang and Seong-min were both fazed and in no condition to run. Instinctively, Danielle sprints after the thief, pushing her way through the streets. The music and chatter faded into the background as her focus narrowed on the thief ahead.


The chase led Danielle out of the party venue and into the maze of alleyways outside. Her heart pounded with adrenaline as she raced down the narrow streets. The thief glanced back, his eyes wide with panic as he realized that she was gaining on him.


They darted through a busy market street, weaving between startled vendors and knocking over fruit stands. Danielle's breath came in sharp, determined bursts as she sidestepped a vendor’s cart, barely avoiding a collision. The thief, not as agile, stumbled briefly, allowing Danielle to close the gap even more.

The world around them began to blur and shift as they plunged into a darker, more deserted part of the city. The alleyways twisted and turned in impossible ways, the paths narrowing and branching off unpredictably. The familiar sights of the city began to fade, replaced by an unsettling maze of neon-lit signs and shadowy corners. Danielle felt a strange sensation, like her feet were sinking into the ground with every step. She pushed on, driven by a mix of determination and confusion. As they turned a sharp corner, the thief knocked over a stack of old crates in an attempt to slow her down. Danielle hurdled over the debris, her body moving on instinct.

The chase intensified as they passed through an underpass, the fluorescent lights flickering ominously above. The thief scrambled up a rusted fire escape, and Danielle followed, climbing the metal rungs two at a time. At the top, they ran across a series of interconnected rooftops, while the city sprawled out below them like a labyrinthine puzzle.

Without warning, the thief misjudged a jump and crashed into a balcony with a row of clotheslines, sending laundry flying in all directions. Danielle saw her chance and lunged forward, but just as she reached out and grabbed him with one arm, she slipped and ended up falling off the balcony of that apartment, pulling the thief with him. Before plummeting to their deaths, she felt that disorienting sensation intensify. It was as if the very fabric of reality was shifting beneath her feet.

In an instant, the scenery changed completely. The alleyways stretched endlessly in all directions. Danielle found herself collapsing onto the cold, unforgiving concrete, her body exhausted from the relentless pursuit.


“What the hell happened? ”Danielle muttered as she got up from the ground.


As she regained her balance, she looked around the area. The road had suddenly narrowed, and the area was illuminated by lanterns and neon lights with a mixture of buildings with Japanese and Korean signages.


Where is everyone? She thought to herself. More importantly, where am I?


Danielle looked around, but there was no one to be seen. The street was empty, and it was quiet compared to where she was earlier. As she continued to look around, one of the signs on the buildings that was written in English caught her attention.


That’s strange. Why is the address of this ramen shop in Ikebukuro, Japan? They must have printed the wrong address.


“Wait.” In the corner of her eye, she noticed a man in the distance, slowly getting up and regaining himself similar to what she was doing earlier.

Why does he look so familiar…. She thought.

And at that moment, it all came back to her, and the first thing she did was start cursing at thief in Korean.


Immediately, she began rushing in his direction. On the other hand, the man heard her, and when he saw her heading towards him, he also started running away.


“Hey! Stop!” Danielle shouted in English.



The chase continued in this strange environment that Danielle was in, and as she continued to pursue the man, she noticed the alleys around her were growing narrower and more convoluted, making it difficult to keep up with him. The lanterns and neon signs blurred past her as she dodged around corners and obstacles, determined not to let the only person in sight get away.


The chase led them through the winding streets, past both traditional wooden buildings and modern city sights. The thief occasionally turned to check if Danielle was still behind him. However, she was relentless and kept up the pursuit despite her exhaustion.


Finally, the thief darted into a small alleyway, hoping to lose Danielle in the maze of narrow streets. However, Danielle had anticipated this and gave in to the illusion of giving him the slip as she went around the area to cut him off. And as she rounded a corner, there she saw the thief fumbling with a wallet.



Danielle leapt forward, tackling the thief, pinning him to the ground, and wrestled the wallet out of his hand.

“You little shit. Jugellae? You take my cousins wallet just when something good finally happened in his life. Aishh.. what the hell am I going to do with you…”

But before the thief could answer, a rustling sound could be heard behind them.

Danielle turned around dragging the thief across the ground with her, repositioning him to where the sound came from, and before them stood a man staring down the alley they were in. Dressed in a black tuxedo and a fedora on his head. His face could not be seen as was staring downwards, his fedora further obscuring any better visualization of his facial features. He stood still where he was, not making any sudden movements.

As soon as she saw it was another person, the thief swiftly untangled himself from her grip, and immediately ran towards the man and knelt in front of him.

“Sir, please, you have to help me. This crazy bitch just assaulted me and stole my wallet. I’d like assistance reporting this delinquent to the police. Just where are the local police, sir? begged the thief.

The man remained silent. He continued to stand there, completely ignoring the begging scum at his knees. Something's off about that guy. Danielle thought to herself. The man looked very stiff in his position, like some sort of statue. The air was cold enough for a person’s breath to become noticeable. But she couldn’t see his breaths. Nor the movements of his chest. But the thief didn't notice this and continued move closer to the figure and pleaded for assistance.

“Excuse me sir? did you hear me? I was asking if you know where—Ahhhh!” the thief cut himself off. He then let out a terrified scream and quickly backed away from the man, wriggling in fear and shock.

“Huh? You’ve really gone crazy know you know that?” commented Danielle as she watched the situation unfold. This time it was her turn to reason with the man in the alley. After all, she was in the right. And if this man really believed the thief he would have already called the police.

"Hey sir listen, he’s the real thief here. This wallet belongs to my cousin. I’m just going to take this and walk away. And if you have a problem, we can call the police. I’m not afraid. How does that sound to you?"

The man in the tuxedo standing before her suddenly began to move, and slowly began to remove his fedora from his head. Immediately it could be seen that the man was bald, his skin of his head as pale as the moon that was obscured by the flickering lanterns and neon lights.

What is this guy's deal? thought Danielle, as she just stood there, her body becoming stiff. She couldn't move, and noticed the hair on her arms began to stand, she could feel them. From the distal ends of her arms, all the way to her shoulders. The man took off his fedora with his right hand, and in that moment a flickering neon light brightened his face before going out. And suddenly it became clear that the well-dressed tall man had no hair, he had no eyes, no nose, no mouth and no ears. Instead smooth pale-white skin covered where those organs were supposed to be. It suddenly dawned on Danielle that this man



Had no face.



“What the hell?” were the only words that Danielle could say. And even then, she had trouble getting those words out of her mouth. She was frozen in place. It must be prank that must be what this all was.


“Get the fuck away from me !” shouted the thief as he continued to back up away from the faceless man. And then the thief found himself at the feet of the person he robbed.


“Please save me.” pleaded the lowlife.


“You really are pathetic. Get off me.” replied Danielle as he kicked him aside in utter disgust.


The faceless man then began to motion his arm. Until he fully extended it pointing in their direction.


“Hey. I don’t have a problem with you so just leave. I don’t have time for pranks like these.” Spoke Danielle in a loud voice. Was this really a Ghost? Were the stories her grandparents used to tell her turn out to be true? She thought to herself. Danielle had to regain her composure here. He’s probably just one of those delinquents from the neighboring school playing a prank. And if so, the costume design was very realistic, almost commendable even.


The faceless man then stopped pointing in their direction and shifted his gaze at a broken crate of soda cans all laying on the alley floor, crushed cans oozing beer into the gutters nearby.


“It’s not my fault, the girl did it! she destroyed your wares when she was stealing my wallet!”
Pleaded the thief as he dashed over once gain and pleaded in front of the man.


The faceless man then shifted his gaze once more to the cowering thief at his feet. Before Danielle could react, he thrusted his arm forward, his hand closing around the thief's face. The thief tried to scream, but his airway was cut off, and as tried to gasp for breath, all that could be heard were the muffled screams of the thief as he struggled against the faceless man's grip.


With ease, the faceless man lifted the him off the ground, his arm outstretched as he held the thief in a tight grip with one hand, the thief desperately clawed at the faceless man's arm, trying to free himself from his grasp, but his oppressor was unrelenting, and his grip tightening as he continued to extinguish his life.


Danielle watched in horror as the thief's struggles grew weaker and weaker, his body convulsing as he fought for his last breaths. Finally, with a sickening crack, the thief stopped struggling, and is body went limp. The faceless man released his grip, letting the now lifeless body of the thief fall to the ground, lifeless.


Danielle was frozen in fear as the faceless man turned to face her, and then pulled out a garden axe from his suit. At that moment Danielle's heart raced as she realized that she had to get away from the monster , or she too would share the same fate as the thief.


She immediately picked up a nearby crate and threw it at the faceless man, and ran out of that place as fast as she could, with the sound of the faceless man’s footsteps echoing behind her. The alleys twisted and turned, forcing Danielle to quickly navigate through the complex maze of streets. She stumbled on uneven pavement and dodged around boxes and trash cans that littered the way. Despite the difficulty, she managed to keep moving, putting as much distance between herself and the faceless man as possible.


As she dashed around a corner, she was suddenly confronted by a bustling street teeming with faceless people, a stark contrast to the narrow, deserted alleys she had been navigating. For a moment, she froze in shock, her mind struggling to comprehend the surreal scene before her.


These faceless individuals moved with a calm, almost robotic rhythm, their expressions blank and devoid of any features. They went about their business as if they were in a perfectly normal urban setting, oblivious to the chaos unfolding around them. Danielle's eyes widened in disbelief and horror as she realized that these things, though eerily similar to the faceless man chasing her, posed no immediate threat. They seemed docile, indifferent to her presence and the danger she faced.


Perhaps she could use the crowd to her advantage. She plunged into the mass of bodies, weaving through the faceless people who barely acknowledged her. Her breath came in short, ragged gasps as she pushed forward, desperately trying to put distance between herself and her pursuer.


Danielle glanced back and saw him struggling to navigate the sea of faceless people, his movements hindered by the crowd. The pursuer falling behind as the other faceless people bumped and crashed into him, slowing him down, until his axe still glinting ominously in the dim light would fade into the crowd, further and further away.


For a brief, precious moment, Danielle felt a glimmer of relief. She could no longer hear the faceless man's heavy footsteps as clearly as before. This temporary reprieve gave her a much-needed burst of energy, and she pressed on, traversing this nightmarish place.


Finally, spotting a narrow side alley that seemed to promise some measure of escape, Danielle darted into it. The alley was tight, barely wide enough for her to squeeze through, but she pushed on, her mind racing with thoughts of survival. As she emerged on the other side, she paused to catch her breath, her heart still pounding with adrenaline.


What the hell is going on?


After catching her breath, she took a moment to think about her situation. Where was she? was this all a dream? is all of this even real? Before she could answer those questions in her mind as she resumed walking, she noticed a shop at the end of an alley that was less crowded. As she drew closer, she noticed 2 people loading boxes of food and water into a truck.

As she cautiously approaches, the two people—dressed in practical, rugged clothing—notice her and stop what they're doing. One of them, a woman with short hair, had a kind but wary expression, steps forward.


“Hey there, you look lost. You, okay?” said the woman concerningly.


“I… I don't know. I just… are you real…?” replied a mentally anguished Danielle.


The second person, a tall man with a rugged beard, sets down a box and steps closer, eyeing her with concern.


“It's okay, we can help. My name's Alex, and this is Maria. We're with the B.N.T.G.”


“B.N.T.G.? What’s that?”


“The Backrooms Non-Aligned Trade Group. We gather and trade supplies to help people survive.”


“Backrooms….? What…?”


A fatigued Danielle then sits on a nearby crate, her mind racing with questions as the woman, Maria, started the truck's engine. Then the man, Alex crouched down to her level. consoled her, and then asked her a strange question.


"Do you know what noclipping is?"



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