Rebecca made this call not only to vent to Everly, but also to tell her that the mining site had likely unearthed something very bad from underground.
She hoped Everly would pass the message to Old John: for the time being, it would be best not to drive into downtown Micano, because the mining site lay along the only route from the gas station to the city, and that area was currently very dangerous.
Everly was extremely grateful for Rebeccaâs warning.
Her memories from her previous life were rather vague, but with Rebeccaâs description as a trigger, Everly faintly recalled a monster thriller that might match what was happening at the mine.
She couldnât remember the title of the movie anymoreâonly some of the plot.
At the beginning of the film, a mining company accidentally unearthed an ancient underground ruin during excavation. Worried that the discovery might interfere with further mining operations, the company briefly inspected the site. Finding nothing valuable, they chose to conceal the discovery, flattened the ruins with bulldozers, and continued digging deeper.
What they didnât know was that the ruin had been built by Native Americans to seal away an ancient creature.
Once the ruin was damaged, the creature imprisoned within gradually began to awaken.
This creature could move rapidly through layers of soil, triggering sinkholes, earthquakes, rockfalls, and other geological disasters. When it first awoke, it killed and devoured the people in the mine by causing the tunnels to collapse.
But that wasnât the most terrifying thing about it.
The creatureâs body, hidden beneath the earth, was enormous and grotesque. On its head was a very unusual organ, something like the lure of a deep-sea anglerfishâa small âlightâ extending from its head. This organ could mimic human appearance and even imitate the voices of people nearby. The creature used this lure to trick those standing on solid rock into stepping onto soft, sandy ground, making it easier to hunt them.
Everly still vividly remembered one particular scene from the movieâ
Because of the frequent mining accidents and disappearances, the male and female leadsâboth mercenariesâwere hired to enter the mine and investigate. A group of mercenaries, holding flashlights and wearing headlamps, walked through the pitch-black caves that twisted and branched in every direction.
The workers had already been evacuated. In the deep, silent tunnels, there was nothing but scattered beams of light and the echoing footsteps of the investigation team. Just then, a naked human figure suddenly flashed past at the far end of the tunnel. One team member spotted it and cried out. Everyone immediately turned their lights in that directionâbut all they saw was a dark opening, as if it led straight into an abyss.
âProbably just seeing things⊠donât freak yourself out like thatâŠâ
The team steadied themselves, speaking in forced casual tones.
Just as everyone began to relax, almost as if on purpose, the director suddenly swung the camera around to the back.
Right behind the investigation team, in a corner no one had noticed, a pale white figure had appeared at some unknown pointâstanding silently with its head loweredâŠ
That scene was filmed so terrifyingly that it became one of Everlyâs childhood nightmares. Even though she had forgotten most of the movie, this part remained deeply etched in her mind.
If what the McMurkin Company had unearthed was really the same kind of monster from that horror film, then it wouldnât just affect the mining companyâOld John, who lived 60 kilometers away, might also be caught up in it.
Because, based on the fragments of memory she could piece together, the movieâs plot was roughly divided into two parts.
The first half mainly followed the underground adventure of the male and female leads.
The mercenary team they belonged to had been hired by the mining company to investigate the frequent underground incidents. Midway through the mission, the team was attacked by the creature. With the sacrifice and cover of their teammates, only the two protagonists managed to survive and escape after enduring countless hardships.
After leaving the mining site, the male and female leads submitted the photos they had taken to the management of the McMurkin Company. However, driven by their own interests, the company neither shut down the mine nor reported the situation. Instead, they suppressed the news and hired another team to enter the mine, hoping to deal with the creature privatelyâonly to end up sending more victims straight to it.
What follows is the second half of the film: the monsterâs rampage.
After devouring enough humans, the creature successfully entered its breeding phase and began laying eggs in the mine. To provide sufficient nutrients for its offspring, it expanded its range of activity during this timeânot only surfacing onto land, but also traveling farther away in search of food.
Everly couldnât remember whether it had gone to the gas station. Even if the movie didnât show such a scene, that didnât mean it hadnât happenedâit might simply not have been depicted, so it couldnât be used as a reliable reference.
As for downtown Micano, the creature had definitely been there. The filmâs final battle took place in the city.
The monster burst out from a flowerbed in a busy district, smashing through the fragile concrete and killing people indiscriminately. At a critical moment, the two protagonists stepped in like lone heroes, injuring the creature with their weapons and luring it out of the crowded area to an abandoned building with fewer people around.
By then, the militaryâs helicopters had finally arrived. With the support of artillery fire, the protagonists and the military joined forces and ultimately killed the creature.
At the end of the film, as usual, the U.S. military stepped in to clean up the aftermathâremoving the creatureâs body along with the unhatched eggs from the mine, bringing everything to a close while also leaving a hint for a possible sequel.
âŠ
After recalling the events of the movie, Everly felt a strong sense of crisis.
She couldnât be sure whether Old Johnâs gas station was safe. If the creature really went there, would the lead-lined walls of the underground shelter be enough to withstand itâŠ?
So, after urging Rebecca on the phone not to stay in Micano for the time being and to find somewhere else to lie low, Everly immediately made a video call to Old John. She explained the situation to her grandfather and told him to set off right awayâeither move to the safe zone in Lemot Town or stay in Tunumo Village for a while.
âIf things are really as bad as you feel they are, this probably wonât be resolved until the end of the year,â Old John said calmly after listening to his granddaughter.
Everly froze for a moment as more fragments of the movie flashed through her mind.
That was trueâthe final battle took place while it was snowing, and there were Christmas decorations visible all around⊠Did that mean the events of the film lasted all the way until Christmas?
âSeems like it,â she replied.
âThen, Everly, you might as well not come home for winter break.â
Hearing that, her heart skipped a beat. She was just about to tell him she could wait until everything settled down before returning, when the old man continued:
âIâll book a flight to your place right now. This winter break, weâll spend it together in New Osebuch State.â
âHuh?â
âWould that be a bother?â
âOf course not!â
âThen itâs settled. It just so happens that someone in Yonah City is selling the latest water purification systemâIâve been meaning to go take a look, but never had the time⊠Alright, Iâll hang up for now. Weâll talk again after Iâve booked the tickets.â
âMm, okay.â
Even after the call ended, Everly still felt a little dazed.
She hadnât expected her usually reclusive grandfather to come all the way to New Osebuch State to see herâand even spend Christmas and New Year with her there! Although part of the reason was the monster at the mine, how could Everly not feel the care and concern behind this decision?
She decided to take on the role of host and immediately began looking for a place for her grandfather to stay.
But before that, she needed to pass along the news about the mining monster to Misha, so Misha could warn her family and friends.
âŠ
Old Johnâs flight arrived two days later.
That day, Everly even skipped a class and drove a long way to Concord Airport, the state capital, to pick him up.
To her surprise, Old John wasnât the only one who cameâRebecca was there too, carrying large and small bags.
âHello~ Everly! Surprised?â The fortune-teller, whom she hadnât seen in a long time, set down her luggage, placed one hand on her hip, and waved cheerfully. âDidnât you tell me to leave early? In a rush, I didnât know where to go, so I got in touch with Mr. John by chance. He said he was coming here to see you, and I figured, since I had nowhere else to go, I might as well come along and rely on you⊠Here, this is a little giftâsomething for self-defense. You donât mind me being a bother, do you?â
âOf course not! Iâm really glad you cameâwelcome, Rebecca!â
Everly accepted the gift with a smile and stepped forward to give Rebecca an excited hug.
The three of them then got into Everlyâs Grand Cherokee, and she drove them to a rangerâs cabin located in the northeastern corner of Dalami City.
Yesâthatâs right. The place Everly had prepared in advance for Old John to stay was this abandoned wooden cabin.
Last semester, to avoid the chaos in the city caused by the mutated tapeworm outbreak, Everly, Misha, and Orff had lived in this small cabin for over half a month.
At the time, because their evacuation had been rushed and they hadnât brought much to pass the time, Everly and Misha, bored out of their minds, gradually cleaned up the other unused rooms. They repaired whatever doors, windows, and furniture they could, and tossed the rest into the basement.
After tidying everything up, they realized that aside from its worn-out exterior and its bad reputation, the cabin was actually a pretty good shelter: it had a stove for winter, good cross-ventilation in summer, its own generator, a kitchen, and even a well for water.
Old John planned to stay in Dalami City for more than three months this time. He had always been a solitary person who valued his personal space and didnât like dealing with people much. Everly felt that, rather than renting a place in the crowded and noisy city center, it would be better to let her grandfather stay here. At most, they could rent a car long-termâif he needed anything, he could just drive into the city to buy it, and it wasnât far anyway.
Sure enough, when he saw the old wooden cabin surrounded by birch trees, Old John didnât show any sign of dislike. Instead, he approved of the quiet environment.
âDid you rent this place? Itâs quite nice. I like it here.â
âI like it too. Honestly, this is my first time seeing a cabin in the woodsâitâs really interesting!â Rebecca said, running her hand along the aged wall, her eyes sparkling.
âIâm glad you both like it, but just to be clear, I didnât rent this placeâŠâ Seeing how satisfied they were, Everly scratched her cheek and explained how the cabin had come into their possession.
The rumors about ghosts lingering there were nonsenseâbut it was true that the house hadnât been obtained through entirely proper means.
Fortunately, because what had happened there before was so terrifying, the nearby residents all treated it like a haunted houseâone they would go out of their way to avoid. As long as the real owner didnât come to drive them out, there was no problem staying there indefinitely.
Rebecca and Old John had both seen their fair share of the world, so they didnât mind living in a place like this âunusedâ house.
And so, after some busy preparations, the two guests settled into the cabin in the woods.