Chapter 42
Chapter 42
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: The Imprisoned Doll (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Byung-su cut off Min-su's mom as she urgently recounted the situation.
"A piece of glass in its hand? So it's a doll whose fingers can bend."
It seemed this question was extremely important to him.
"Yes, it was a stuffed doll, so it could bend anywhere."
Min-su's mom answered as if it were the most natural thing.
"I see. Please go on."
Byung-su nodded, lost in thought for a moment, then urged her to continue.
"That little monster had smashed a soju bottle and was gripping just the neck. Before I could even wonder how it had climbed up with one hand, I charged at the doll crawling in through the window."
Bang!
Min-su's mom slammed the table again, hard.
"At that moment, all I could think was that if this doll got inside, it would hurt my Min-su."
Suddenly, she held up her hand for everyone to see.
"My hand got sliced by the glass like this, but I didn't feel any pain. I shoved the thing out the window with my body and slammed it shut right away."
She stretched out her arm so everyone could get a good look.
"This hand—I didn't do this to myself. That thing cut me."
The deep gash in her palm, too ragged to even stitch, drew everyone's eyes.
Byung-su frowned as he peered at the wound.
"You still haven't gone to the hospital. What floor is your apartment on?"
"I was too scared of that doll to go outside."
Min-su's mom placed her hand back on the table.
"It kept coming back, and Min-su's dad wouldn't believe us. One day, he even picked up that doll from in front of our door and brought it inside. 'Honey! Did you put this doll outside the door?' He thought I'd left it there. But it walked there on its own..."
She paused, remembering Byung-su's earlier question, and finally answered.
"Sorry. Our place is on the thirteenth floor. Right next door to Editor Kim."
Eun Na-rae quickly fetched a glass of cold water at the mention that Kim Cho-seon lived next door.
"Ah! I understand. Have some water and take your time."
"Thank you. It seemed like the doll had followed someone and taken the elevator up. When Min-su's dad brought it in, Min-su started crying, and I screamed like a madwoman. He opened the balcony door and threw it back out the window."
Na-rae asked about the doll still coming around.
"So how did you get out today? Who's with Min-su right now?"
"His dad."
"The husband who doesn't believe the doll exists?"
Byung-su asked, alarmed.
"Yes. I couldn't live like this anymore, so I begged him to stay home today and asked Editor Kim to let me see Reporter Kim. I thought you'd believe me..."
Byung-su stood up, pulled a clothesline from his desk drawer, and turned to Min-su's mom.
"Let's go."
"Now?"
She hesitated, as if there was more to say.
"We need to hurry. Your husband doesn't believe you, so it's dangerous."
Byung-su pressed her.
* * *
Byung-su rode with Min-su's mom in her car. As soon as they arrived, he looked up at the apartment building across the street.
'City gas pipes, decorative patterns etched into the outer wall. A lightweight stuffed doll could climb that.'
Since the buildings were identical, he could visualize how the doll had scaled to Min-su's room by studying the one opposite.
Na-rae stuck close to Min-su's mom and led the way, while Dong-jin trailed reluctantly behind Byung-su, still not fully convinced.
"You think Park Reporter's gone crazy, right? Maybe, but if someone's desperate enough to seek us out, we have to check it out."
"That lady seems manic-depressive. Crying one minute, laughing the next... screaming. But she's definitely terrified of something."
"Yeah, let's go see. We'll know soon enough."
After stepping out of the elevator, Byung-su stood before Min-su's door, loosening his left wrist, and quietly told Min-su's mom,
"Open the door."
Beep-beep.
As the door swung open, a chill struck their faces.
Byung-su felt it too—not strong, but definitely spiritual energy.
'A wandering evil spirit?'
No sign of Min-su's dad, who should have reacted to the door.
"Wait!"
Na-rae sensed the ominous vibe, grabbed Min-su's mom, and rushed into the living room without even taking off her shoes.
She'd detected the spiritual energy too.
"Hey, shoes in someone else's house..."
Dong-jin neatly removed his shoes and followed, muttering, then froze mid-sentence.
Min-su's mom, coming in behind, cried out in shock.
"Min-su's dad!"
"Shh! He's still alive. Just unconscious."
As Na-rae said, Min-su's dad groaned, starting to come to.
Blood trickled from his head, as if he'd been bludgeoned from behind.
Na-rae checked his pulse at the neck and whispered,
"Where's Min-su's room?"
"Over there!"
Byung-su, still in his shoes, entered the living room and eyed the direction she pointed.
The spiritual energy was faint, but enough to threaten this family.
For a four-year-old like Min-su, it would be lethal.
Byung-su bolted to the door, flung it open, and leaped inside.
Wind blew in through the shattered window.
Something small hurtled toward Byung-su's face, blurring his vision.
"You damn thing!"
He blocked it with his left hand and instinctively swung his right.
Thud!
He pinned the thing to the floor with his knee.
It was a filthy stuffed doll wearing a grimy baseball cap, reeking of rot.
Clutching a small knife in one hand, it tried to stab Byung-su's thigh.
"Insolent pest!"
Byung-su bellowed like thunder and smashed his right fist down on the doll's face.
As it sprawled out, he pinned both its arms with his knees.
Being right-handed, his right had acted first out of habit.
If it'd been his left, the doll wouldn't have stood a chance.
To avoid scaring Min-su's family, he kept his left arm from turning into an imugi claw.
He was confident he could handle a spirit this weak without it.
With the doll subdued, he scanned the room.
No sign of Min-su anywhere in the small space.
"Min-su! Min-su!"
Min-su's mom called desperately.
The closet door creaked open, and Min-su peeked out before running to his mom's arms, bursting into tears.
"Mommy!"
"No! I'm Min-su! I'm Min-su!"
Even pinned, the doll thrashed and shouted.
Byung-su finally exhaled in relief, then raised his fist again and smashed the doll's face, yelling,
"Shut up!"
"You shut up! A pathetic human like you can't touch me! What's your name? Touch me again, and you won't live out the year!"
Unable to use its arms, the doll lifted its head and tried to bite Byung-su's knee, spewing curses.
"Fine, fine. You're right. My right hand can't subdue you. Guess I have no choice. Never mind my name. Eat this!"
As the doll bared its tiny jaws to chomp his knee, Byung-su clenched his left fist and bashed its head.
"Gah!"
The doll went limp from one hit. Byung-su rained down punches without mercy, shouting,
"Park Reporter, take off your sock!"
Dong-jin hesitated, bewildered, so Byung-su yelled louder.
"We need to gag it. Hurry!"
Na-rae moved to grab Dong-jin's sock instead, but the doll gaped its hideous maw and spat,
"You filthy bitch! A dirty sock? I'll make you pay! What's your name?"
Unfazed by the filth, Na-rae punched it and snapped,
"Big talk for an ugly mug like yours. My name? Your mom! Take this!"
Byung-su burst out laughing at her retort, paused his beating, and crammed the balled-up sock into the doll's mouth.
He punched its sock-stuffed face again, yelling,
"Ma'am, got a needle? Thread and needle!"
Min-su's mom, clutching Min-su, dashed to the bedroom and returned with needle and thread.
Trailing her, Min-su's dad entered, stared in horror at the doll wriggling under Byung-su, and gasped.
"What in the world...?"
Byung-su grabbed the needle without answering and swiftly sewed the doll's mouth shut, then flipped it over, twisted its arms behind its back, and stitched them together.
"Clothesline, box tape if you have it."
Soon, the little doll was trussed up tight, twitching helplessly.
* * *
"The Catholic exorcism ritual, so-called by exorcists, starts by demanding the evil spirit's name. Evil spirits do the same to overpower their foes. Names are a vital key to everything in this world."
Byung-su, having taped over the doll's mouth and eyes with box tape, stepped on its back as he stood and explained.
"Spirits without flesh covet the free-moving limbs of humans. This one possessed a stuffed doll, making it easy to subdue. We'll take it with us. You're all safe now."
Had the spirit left the doll and possessed Min-su, Byung-su couldn't have beaten it down like this.
Min-su's mom collapsed in relief, hugging her son and sobbing.
Min-su's dad, forgetting his head wound, embraced his wife and child, soothing them.
Byung-su gazed down at the family and added gently,
"You're exhausted now, body and soul. Don't invite shamans or priests for exorcisms or blessings. Too many fakes out there—they might attract stray spirits instead."
Min-su's dad thanked him profusely.
"Thank you. We won't let anyone in. Thank you."
* * *
"Team leader, where'd you learn that?"
Dong-jin asked in the elevator on the way down.
"Just beat it down. Looked easy. To be safe, we'll tie it tighter at the office."
Now that he thought about it, there'd been no formal exorcism—just brute force.
"Team leader, should we burn this thing?"
Na-rae asked, smacking the doll's head.
"No way. We don't know who the spirit might possess if it leaves the doll. Could jump into you, Park Reporter."
"What? Don't burn it!"
Dong-jin yelped.
"Got it. We'll call Mia-ri Virgin Bodhisattva or Baekho to handle it. Not our job. Lock it in a safe at the office for now."
Na-rae snapped a photo of the bagged doll.
"Team leader, article on this guy?"
"Nah, Editor Kim would gripe about property values tanking. Let's bury this one."
"Oh, right. She's scarier than ghosts."
To the religion and science team, Kim Cho-seon was more terrifying than any evil spirit.
* * *
After Byung-su's group left, Lucifer and Jijang shuffled up, looked up at Min-su's apartment, and exchanged glances.
"Lucifer, looks like someone beat us here and handled it."
"Yeah... We tracked it so long... But the kid's safe, so no regrets. Good thing."
Directionally challenged, they'd wandered this area for days, even sleeping rough.
They looked utterly bedraggled.
"True. Let's not get lost next time. Happens too often. Lucifer, to stick around here, we need a local ally. A guide."
Jijang suggested. Lucifer clapped and boomed,
"Perfect! How about the motel owner? Samryong."
They were staying at a motel run by a former gangster nicknamed Samryong for the three dragon tattoos on his back.
His real name was Yong-sik, once an enforcer for the nationwide Samgeori faction.
Jijang nodded in agreement.
"Seems like a good, trustworthy guy. Sounds good."