Episode 28 - Room 103, Cursed Room - 'Animal Farm' (2)
Episode 28 - Room 103, Cursed Room - 'Animal Farm' (2)
[User: Han Gain (Jihye) Date: Day 11
Current Location: Floor 1, Room 103 (Cursed Room - Animal Farm)
Sage's Advice: 3]
There has never been a moment in my life as terrifying as this.
To think I might die from having my feathers plucked alive.
If only I could just have my neck cleanly twisted and die, then I could trust my remaining oppas and unnies to sort things out and die with peace of mind...
I checked the condition of the enclosure as best I could.
It felt like a fairly spacious poultry farm, and the number of geese was quite large.
With this many, wouldn't the probability of me being plucked be low even if I just stayed still?
Still, just in case, I kept as much distance from the door as possible.
As I waddled along, tapping other geese's beaks and backsides, they let out irritated honking sounds, but I didn't care.
I'm sorry, but please die in my place. A thinking goose should survive, shouldn't she?
Of course, having your feathers plucked doesn't necessarily mean you'll die, and actually most would survive...
But regardless, I can't have my feathers plucked. Even when I peck at them with my beak, they're so fluffy. I absolutely refuse to be plucked.
Elmengmeng (Elena): I'm coming now!
Wolf Boy (Park Seung-yeop): Ready
Tension fills the air. It should be fine, right? With this many geese, and I'm even in the corner—would they really go out of their way to find me?
A man with scruffy hair came in. Honestly, seeing him made me feel a bit annoyed.
Go pluck your own hair! Don't think about plucking innocent geese! Geese get cold in winter too!
I squeezed my butt into the corner as much as possible and grabbed another goose with my beak, placing it in front of me.
I'm sorry, friend. I trust you to protect me.
That was a mistake.
"HONK!!!!!!!!!!"
A thunderous goose cry rang out, and the farmer's gaze, which had been surveying the surroundings, immediately locked onto me.
"What's that?"
"I saw it earlier, it was pecking at the goose in front of it."
"Hah, so it's one with bad temper. Peter, keep a good eye on it.
If you leave one like that alone, they'll fight among themselves in the enclosure and get hurt, causing a ruckus.
Those kinds need to be culled out cleanly. Understand?"
"Yes. I'll catch it."
I couldn't understand everything they said.
But when the boy in front looked straight at me and walked directly toward me, I realized.
I'm doomed. I felt like I couldn't breathe, so I tried to communicate, but there was no response.
Ah, the conversation count must be completely used up too. Now there's truly no way out.
Eventually, the boy's firm hands grabbed my body, lifted me up, and shoved me into a wooden box.
I'm going to die having my feathers plucked here. And from what I briefly heard, 'cull?' It might not just be about having feathers plucked—I might be killed outright.
Is my end in Room 103 going to be as goose meat?
At the moment I was seized by indescribable despair, salvation appeared.
Woof! Woof! Grrrr woof woof!!! Awooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!! Awooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!
A dog barking like crazy, the howling of a wolf.
At the unmistakably clear situation, the farm family's expressions changed drastically, and forgetting about the geese, they rushed outside immediately.
"Peter!!!!!!! Get to your room! Make sure May doesn't come out of her room! Amy! My gun!!!!!!"
"I'll carry it! Be careful!"
"Hmph, looks like it's just one or two lone wolves. I'll teach them a lesson today!"
I felt like crying. It must be Elena unnie and Seung-yeop coordinating together, right?
I survived for now. But... does it even matter when I'm still in the box?
They'll just chase away the wolf and come back to take me again anyway.
The wolf's howl. The dog's bark. Gunshots cutting through the air.
The farmer's shout filled with anger, the screaming girl, the excited boy.
Even the various enclosures thrown into chaos...
The chaotic time across the entire farm lasted for over 30 minutes.
In the midst of this great chaos, help came once more.
Creak-
The moment the top of the box opened, I realized. I'm saved.
As if it had been waiting, a golden dog gently grabbed my neck and pushed me outside,
then roughly wrestled with a goose of similar size nearby, eventually just killing it and putting it in the box.
A friend to die in my place. I'm a bit sorry. But please understand. A thinking goose must survive.
But when Elena carried me by the neck earlier, I heard something like a crack?
A sound like something slightly cracking.
What could it be?
There's nothing on my neck that would make such a sound... I must have misheard.
Everyone tried so hard and did their best for me. Especially Seung-yeop—he could have been shot and killed by the farmer's gun if things went slightly wrong!
He didn't actually get shot, did he? Please, I hope not. I was so grateful to everyone that I could cry.
I also heard a "moooo" sound from somewhere. Is Gain oppa worrying too? Or is it just another cow making noise from being startled?
I held my breath and waited and waited. Has it been about 2 hours?
Since becoming an animal, my sense of time has become vague.
The farm family returned one by one. Looking extremely annoyed. From what I could gather, I heard that the wolf escaped.
Seung-yeop avoided it safely. Thank goodness. How tragic would it have been if he got shot trying to save me.
Hiding quietly in the corner of the enclosure, I watched the farm family approach the box.
"Hmm? Why is this one's neck broken? Peter, did you kill it and put it in?"
"What? I just grabbed it by the neck and put it in the box."
"Its neck is broken and it's dead. The wolf must have startled you and you made a mistake."
"Uh... that's strange. I'll be careful next time."
"Well, it's no big deal. It was going to be killed anyway. Can't help it when it's so aggressive. Let's call it a day and go inside."
Ah... I somehow survived. I feel sorry for the goose that died and went into the box in my place, but the farm couple couldn't distinguish me from the other geese.
Actually, it's only natural—they couldn't possibly imagine something as bizarre as a dog killing another goose and swapping them out.
When chat recovers tomorrow, I should at least express my gratitude to everyone briefly.
Having overcome the hardship, the tension completely melted away.
When I blankly looked up at the sky, the sun had long disappeared, and the moonlight gradually embraced the world, scattering light into every corner.
According to what Ari said this morning, in this world, goblins appear every night.
Shouldn't I also start being of some help to everyone soon?
Even if we say Seung-yeop solved Room 101 - The Strange Family alone, after that I've done absolutely nothing—not in the swimming pool, not in the exploration missions, and not in Room 102 - The Haunted Manor either.
On the contrary, I got possessed as soon as I entered the manor and only did crazy things.
And even in Room 103, it's come to this. While some people gather information day and night, and others howl to draw out the farmer to save a goose from having its feathers plucked...
I'm still just a goose in an enclosure. Why was I given such a role where I can't do anything at all?
No, this isn't the time to just complain. Let me see if there's anything I can do myself.
Coincidentally, perhaps because I just narrowly escaped a painful death, I couldn't sleep either.
Since it's come to this, I decided to look for goblins too. According to Ari, they don't seem particularly interested in us.
Quietly, I pecked and pushed other geese out of the way with my beak, moving toward a spot where the wind passed through on the outer edge of the enclosure.
The irritated, unpleasant reactions of the geese. Sorry, friends. But a thinking goose has work to do.
When I poked my head out slightly, I couldn't see anything.
It was truly pitch black and I couldn't see a thing. I thought there was moonlight earlier—was it covered by clouds?
Or is a goose's vision worse than I thought?
I turned my head this way and that but still couldn't see anything—HONK HONK HONK HONK HONK HONK HONK!!!!!!!
Something enormous descended.
I instinctively let out a honking cry and realized. It wasn't clouds covering the moon!
It was just that something infinitely huge, from a goose's perspective, was standing right in front of the enclosure!
I was so surprised, so terrified, that my entire body just froze.
A black form, like a giant's face, descended and looked at the enclosure.
No, not the enclosure.
That thing was looking at 'me'. Even though I couldn't see its eyes, I knew. That thing was focusing on me.
My whole body trembled. Only now did I realize how small and insignificant I was.
Please, spare me. I don't want to die like this.
What happened next was unexpected.
Something like tentacles extending from the black form wriggled down, reached inside the enclosure,
pushed me back in when I was sticking out, tapped my head, and then disappeared.
It felt somehow familiar.
It was exactly like how an owner strokes and pushes back a pet that's trying to come out of its house.
About 5 minutes passed before I finally came to my senses. Even though I'm a bird, my whole body felt drenched with tension.
The enclosure was quiet as if nothing had happened.
Strange.
Since I was little, I've raised dogs, cats, and even parrots, so I know very well.
How timid small animals are!
A parrot that screams and flies to cling to your shoulder just from a hanger falling,
A puppy that sticks firmly to a person's leg and won't let go the moment a robot vacuum cleaner starts,
A cat that screams and runs away just from the sound of the shower.
Small animals know they are weak without anyone teaching them.
Because the genes inherited from their ancestors over millions of years told them so.
That they are infinitely tiny grains of sand in this vast world, and that the entire world itself is a threat.
And yet... when such a terrifying thing that makes even a goose with a human heart unable to breathe from fear comes right up to the enclosure and extends its tentacles, why is this enclosure so quiet?
Not all the geese were asleep either. Even though quite a few geese were awake... it was as if nothing had happened.
I should talk about this tomorrow. But I didn't think that talking about it would lead to any conclusion.
Thinking that there were more and more mysteries, I tucked my beak between my wings.
I'm getting used to life as a goose. Still, my feathers being so fluffy was really nice. I absolutely must not get plucked.