Beyond normalcy

A Story by Inksmith

Sunmi’s nightmares are no longer just dreams—they’re the first cracks in a reality she thought she knew.

Chapter 3
6:05 PM
Truth or False

When Sunmi got home, her thoughts refused to settle. The forest. The car. The fire. The memory of it stalked her like a shadow. Could the wreck still be out there? If it was, maybe she could prove she wasn’t losing her mind. Maybe what she saw was real.

During dinner, she faked a headache, murmuring excuses until her parents let her retreat to bed. Upstairs, she changed into dark clothes and packed a small bag with shaky hands�"phone, flashlight, power bank, water. Her pulse drummed in her ears as she sat on the edge of her bed, waiting for the house to fall silent.

Finally, when the hush of night settled in, she slipped through the back hallway toward the old shed.

It wasn’t really a shed. It was an emergency exit disguised with wood and metal, something her parents had installed years ago. She had stolen the keys earlier that day, and now they burned cold in her fist.

With trembling fingers, she unlocked the door and stepped into the night.

The forest greeted her with crooked trees and jagged rocks, every shadow sharper than it should be. Guided only by memory, she followed the path she thought she remembered from her vision.

And then�"

There it was.

The car.

Crunched. Rusted. Alone.

Her breath hitched. Tears pricked her eyes. “Oh my God,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “It’s real. I’m not crazy.”

Her phone shook in her grip as she recorded the wreck, circling slowly, desperate to capture every detail. Relief and dread twisted together in her chest.

Then�"

Crunch.

Footsteps.

Her stomach dropped. She ducked behind a bush, the phone still recording, its glow betraying her trembling hands.

A figure emerged from the shadows. Hooded. Tall. Their face swallowed by darkness.

Sunmi held her breath. The stranger stopped by the car, head tilting slightly, as if studying it. Then�"slowly�"they lifted a hand.

A whisper. Low. Unintelligible.

And then�"FOOM!

The car ignited in a violent blaze. No lighter. No gasoline. Just raw, impossible fire blooming from the wreckage.

Sunmi’s whole body froze. The hooded figure lingered a moment, watching the flames, before turning and vanishing into the trees�"silent as smoke.

The fire crackled until it finally died, leaving only blackened metal and ash.

Shaking, Sunmi crawled from her hiding place and whispered to herself as she stopped the recording, voice hoarse with adrenaline.

“They’re going to believe me now.”

---

Tuesday, 9th January 2024 �" 8:18 AM

Sunmi hadn’t slept. All night she replayed the video, frame by frame, searching for answers that never came.

By morning, exhausted but determined, she made a decision. She would show her parents. She needed them to believe her.

Clutching her phone, she descended the stairs�"only to freeze halfway. Voices drifted up from the living room. Police officers sat across from her parents.

One of them noticed her and smiled. “Good morning, Sunmi.”

Her mother’s face softened with cautious relief. “Sweetie! Wonderful news. They caught the man responsible for what happened.”

Her blood turned cold.

“You… you caught the hooded figure?”

Her parents exchanged a puzzled look.

The officer cleared his throat. “I’m not sure what you mean by that. We caught the man who attacked you. His name is Fred Sunday.” He handed her a photograph. “We found him trying to flee the city�"with your car.”

Another photo followed�"the “recovered” vehicle, whole and barely damaged.

Sunmi’s hands shook as she stared at the pictures. Lies. They were lying. The car had burned to ash. She’d seen it. She had proof.

Her lips curled into a weak smile. “That’s… great news.”

Her mother’s eyes narrowed. “Honey, you don’t sound convinced. Are you feeling okay?”

Sunmi shook her head. “I think I’m coming down with something. I should probably stay home.”

Her parents exchanged another silent glance before her mother nodded. “Alright, sweetie. Rest.”

She rushed back upstairs, heart pounding, whispering to herself.

“Why are they lying? What’s going on? I know what I saw…”

---

Meanwhile, at school…

Emeka leaned casually against a locker, eyes scanning the hallway. “Any idea why Sunmi didn’t show up today?”

Tolu shrugged. “Maybe she’s sick. I’ll check on her later.”

Emeka lowered his voice. “Did she ever… say more? About the forest?”

Tolu hesitated. “She mentioned something about a werewolf. But don’t worry�"I told her to forget it.”

“Did she?” Emeka asked, eyebrow arched.

Tolu’s tone turned sharp. “She should.”

---

Back at Sunmi’s house…

A knock snapped her from her spiraling thoughts.

When she opened the door, Tolu stood there with a bag of snacks. “Heard you weren’t feeling great. Brought provisions.” She grinned and stepped inside without waiting.

Sunmi managed a smile. “You didn’t have to… but thanks.”

They sat on the bed. Tolu chatted lightly, filling the silence with stories from school, but Sunmi barely heard. The weight of her secret pressed heavier with each word.

Finally, Tolu stopped. “Okay, enough. Spill. You’re not just sick.”

Sunmi hesitated. Then, slowly, she told her everything.

The forest. The car. The fire. The hooded figure.

Tolu listened, face unreadable�"until Sunmi whispered: “I have proof.”

She pulled out her phone and played the video.

The screen glowed, showing flames devouring the car. They watched in silence.

When it ended, Tolu whispered, “This is… insane.”

But then�"Sunmi felt it.

Heat. Rising in her palm.

Her phone was getting hot.

“Wait�"Tolu. The phone…”

“What?”

“It’s burning�"” Sunmi yelped and dropped it. Smoke curled from the device, then�"

WHOOSH.

Flames erupted.

“Sunmi!” Tolu grabbed her water bottle, dousing the fire until the hissing embers faded.

What remained was nothing but melted black plastic.

“My phone…” Sunmi whispered, horror swelling in her chest. “The video… it’s gone.”

Tolu sat frozen, wide-eyed. “Phones don’t just explode like that.”

Sunmi buried her face in her hands. “It’s gone. The only proof I had�"it’s gone.”

Tolu touched her shoulder firmly. “We’ll figure it out. You’re not alone.”

But deep inside, Sunmi felt the dread settle like a curse.

Whoever�"or whatever�"was behind this wasn’t just watching.

They were silencing her.

---