“Chang-gwi is the soul of a man who died from the bite of a tiger. He is said to be a slave to tigers when he became Chang-gwi, and always adhering to the tiger. In order to escape this fate, the Chang-gwi visits the victims, especially its families and relatives in the past. Therefore, the reason why people don’t get related to the Chang-gwi’s family by marriage is because he is likely to stop at their doorstep someday. There is also a sad tale that even though the family knows what is in front of them is not a person but a Chang-gwi, they all turned into Chang-gwi because it was once their family member. According to data from the National Folk Museum of Korea, Chang-gwi always cries bitterly and sings sad songs, so if someone sings sad songs without a reason, it can be a Chang-gwi, not human. However, it is said that the person who becomes a Chang-gwi cannot turn a blind eye to the song because being a Chang-gwi is destined to be built up by his previous life's karma.” 달리기 Halloween themed writing [TW for "ketchup", trauma, horror, violence] ----------------------------------------- The wind was howling. The air was bitterly cold. It was enough to bring Akio down to his knees. The man stood shaking on the ground, his breaths coming out hastily and roughly. He closed his eyes, gripping his left arm. His hand was red. Blood. It was enough for Akio to shoot backward, knocking his head against the tree behind him. He winced, yelping slightly. He didn’t really know why he yelped, it was just a little thud. But he supposed the head was a sensitive body part after all. The bright green eyes darted towards his arm again. The bandages were ripped and shredded by three long scars stretched across his arm. Aching. It was certainly something, Akio finally taking the time to examine it. Where did he even get this…He didn’t know. It wasn’t too deep luckily, but it left his arm feeling sore and numb. He could feel his own muscle beating. Akio let himself slowly stand up, his legs shaking from the shock and pain. What was he doing before this? It was all a blur. All it was was just a blur. “Akio.” The voice was soft and echoey, a child-like voice…Akio felt his eyes widened, gazing at the glowing blue figure in front of him. The figure was almost pure white, pink eyes staring back at the man. Akio stepped back, too scared to say anything as he stared. Someone he had failed to save. The child tilted her head, but seemed to give a sigh and smiled. Every single movement and sound she made echoed in Akio’s mind, the overwhelming presence of despair. “What’s wrong? Are you in shock?” The girl asked, her smile becoming wider as she stepped forward. Akio was frozen on the spot, opening his mouth to make any sort of sound…nothing came out except for one word. “...T-Tsuki…?” He felt himself starting to walk forward, then breaking into a run as he tried to hug his sister. All he felt was the wind blowing through him as he passed the girl, stopping in his tracks. Now he felt even colder. “You’re just like you always were.” The voice behind him stated, Akio turning around to look at Tsuki once more. Tsuki still wore the same smile. The more she gazed at him, the more he began to grow unsettled. “Hopeful.” Tsuki continued, her voice growing rough. “Hopeful that any of us would forgive you.” The man took a minute to register this, feeling himself tear up at the harsh words. He grew defeated, gazing at the ground as guilt crashed through. Tsuki once again walked towards him, making eye contact. “You’re very lucky…Very lucky that this is the only thing we will do to you.” Akio wasn’t even able to react on time, his mind still processing before the gash on his arm grew deeper. His eyes shot open, realizing he was pinned to the ground by long, white claws. Sharper than any knife. There wasn’t a sound, meeting eyes with the looming figure about him. A tiger. A tiger with a sinister smile. Not of anger, not of fierce, not even growling, a smile. They lifted their paw after a few seconds, causing the man to finally react. Akio successfully pushed the tiger off, his breathing growing heavy as he started to bolt into a run. He felt multiple bushes and branches scrap his face and knees, leaving small little cuts that bled through his clothes. The adrenaline was enough to keep him moving though, pushing himself towards an open field. The cat was right behind him, heavy paws thumping against the earth as they followed the petrified man. He couldn’t think straight, he couldn’t think at all. He couldn’t even register his pain and soreness. All he knew was to run.
Akio suddenly felt his foot slip, screaming and dropping into a roll against the ground. A downhill, a dangerous one, one filled with rocks and sharp shrubs that led his body tattered and broken. It felt like a lifetime, how long he was rolling down that hill. He felt relieved when he came to a stop, opening his eyes and trying to gaze at his surroundings. The world was fuzzy, blurred. The sound was coming closer. Akio jolted up, placing his hands on the ground to quickly get up before he was pushed to the ground again. He felt the piercing pain in his back. He felt all of the pain. Akio tried to scream, trying to call for help, but it was too late the moment the tiger’s teeth ripped through his neck. “Fight next time. Maybe then you’ll have the courage to finally break free.” Akio felt his body move forward in an instant, his body heavy and sore. But no more pain. He clenched his hands, gazing down at the soft covers underneath him. A dream…a nightmare. It was just a dream… Then why did all of that feel so real? He can remember every single ache and detail. His hand found his way towards his arm, tracing over where the three gashes were. This caused him to wince, staying in that position for quite some time. Akio came to realiziation he won’t be able to sleep the rest of the night, gently getting the covers off of him and stood up. His mind came back to Tsuki, his sister…and he wondered…Did she really want him dead? He wouldn’t blame her, he couldn’t blame her. She was right to think that in his mind. After all, he had promised her… The promise he broke that had cost her life. Akio’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the bussing of the phone on the night stand. He opened his eye slightly, walking forward to gaze at the screen. Chiyo: ‘Heyyyy ya still up hon?’ Akio tilted his head slightly, before giving a small chuckle and beginning to type on the tiny screen. Akio: ‘Just woke up. I guess you can’t sleep?’ Chiyo: ‘Nah, can’t. Tried to. Suppose ya can’t either. Wanna chat?’ Akio sat back down on the bed, smiling softly. Grateful for the distraction. Akio: ‘Sure.’ No matter how long that conversation was, his mind wouldn't shut up. The image of the tiger and his sister's voice is still clear in his head. [ This was based on Korean ghostlore! I thought it would make a good little writing since my oc Akio is of Korean ethnicity and I need to do something for Halloween. ]
