Whispers in the Water

As he walked along the quietly flowing waters of Cheonggyecheon, he turned on the recorder that had been attached to his belt ten minutes ago. It had become a habit now, one that he no longer prepared for by controlling his breathing. Although the city remained bright at night, the noise of the city faded as he entered the stream garden. Beneath the green glow of the streetlight, he stepped into the thick fog.

After just a few meters, the sound of the flowing water began to diminish. It slowly faded away, only to return again. Like a secret conversation that was not easily heard from afar. At that moment, he felt the gravel underfoot screeching uncomfortably. Sounds that seemed to have no place there sank into the thick, heavy air as if they had traveled on a wave. A strangely warm wind passed by, as if someone were whispering right next to him.

Just as he was checking the state of the water flow, he noticed that his shadow was not cast on the waters. Suddenly conscious of it, he perceived that the shadow was actually approaching him. The very shape, which could not be obscured by any object, reached towards him along the water's surface. It felt as if his heart would stop. Although its movement was weightless, a chill spread throughout his body, pulling him in as if he would collapse. He stood there helplessly, confronted with a fear condensed into powerlessness.

Turning towards the threat, his limbs grew stiff, and his body felt heavy with the change in temperature. His bewildering body felt pushed by an unseen force from behind, although he could not define what it was. The ominous shadow seemed to follow him, as if it wanted to sink into the waterway. The center of his vision was lifted from that familiar yet disorienting place, just before it vanished.

On the way back, the water's sound from Cheonggyecheon emerged continuously from the recorder. As the volume was slowly raised, he discovered, within the distorted sound waves, a voice that had been streaming out of the recorder. It felt as if he realized that the true monster inside him was the one within the recorder, and he lowered his head.