Chapter 28: Room 103, Cursed Room – ‘Animal Farm’ (2)
Yu Songee
I’ve never been this scared in my entire life.
Being plucked alive to death—what a way to go!
Honestly, it would be better if they just snapped my neck and called it a day. At least then, I could die peacefully knowing that my older siblings would figure things out after I’m gone…
I took a moment to assess my surroundings in the spacious goose farm. It looked pretty big, and there were a ridiculous number of geese.
With this many geese, wouldn’t the odds be in my favor? The chances of being chosen seem low just sitting here. But still, I decided to keep my distance from the door just in case.
As I waddled awkwardly to the corner, I accidentally bumped into other geese, pecking them on their beaks and behinds, causing them to quack irritably, but I paid them no mind.
I’m sorry, but could you please take one for the team and die for me? After all, a thinking goose like me deserves to see the light of day, right?
Of course, not every goose would bite the dust from a feather plucking, and most would probably survive but…
Regardless, I absolutely refuse to have my feathers pulled. You have no idea how soft and fluffy they are! I won’t let that happen.
El Doggy (Elena): We’re on our way!
Wolf Boy (Park Seungyub): All set to go!
The tension in the air tightened. But surely it’ll be alright. I mean, there are so many geese here, and I’m tucked away in a corner—there’s no way they’d be searching for me, right?
Then, a grumpy-looking man with a shaggy beard stepped into the farm. Honestly, my annoyance levels shot through the roof the moment I saw him.
Why not pluck your own beard instead? Don’t go giving poor geese the cold treatment! We get cold in winter too, you know!
I squished my rear into the corner as much as I could and nipped another goose, making it stand in front of me.
Sorry, buddy. I’m counting on you to protect me here.
That was the moment I realized I had messed up.
QUAAACKKKK!!!!
A thunderous honk rang out, echoing around the farm, and suddenly, all the farmer’s eyes shot towards me.
What’s that?
I saw it just now. That one over there pecked at the one in front of it!
Good heavens! We have a little troublemaker here! Peter! Keep your eyes peeled. If we let those brawlers run wild, they’ll hurt themselves and make a mess of things. We need to cull the problem to keep things tidy. Got it?
Yes, I’ll catch it right away!
I couldn’t catch every detail of their conversation, but I noticed a boy was walking straight towards me with a steady gaze.
I was doomed. My heart raced, and I wanted to try to talk, hoping for a miracle, but nothing happened.
Oh no! I must have exhausted my quota for talking! There was nothing left for me to do now!
Soon enough, the boy’s strong grip lifted me and unceremoniously shoved me into a wooden box.
Well, there it was; I was destined to be plucked to death. And judging by the sound of “culled,” it sounded like I might not just lose my feathers—I could end up on someone’s plate!
So, was my fate in Room 103 to become goose meat?
Just when an indescribable despair consumed me, salvation showed up.
Woof! Woof! Grrrrrr woof woof!!!
Awooooooo!!!!!!!! Awooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!
The sharp barking of a dog mixed with the haunting howl of a wolf filled the air.
In an instant, the family’s expressions changed in a flash as they dashed out, leaving the geese in a flurry!
Peter!!!!!!! Get back to your room! Don’t let Mei out! Amy! Grab my gun!!!!
I’m on it! Be careful, darling!
Hmph! Looks like it’s just a couple of stray wolves. I’m going to show them who’s boss!
I felt my eyes welling up. It had to be Elena and Seungyub teaming up!
For now, I was safe. But wait… I was still locked inside the box. Would this even lead to a change? Wouldn’t they just come back for me after chasing the wolf away?
The wolf’s howl echoed. The dog barked, joined by the bang of a gunshot resounding through the farm.
The farmer’s angry shouts mixed with the terrified screams of a girl and the panicked gasps of a boy.
And the chaos spread across various barns…
More than 30 minutes had passed in this state of chaos when another ray of hope broke through the confusion.
CRACK
The moment the lid of my box creaked open, it finally hit me: I was alive!
A golden dog gently bit my neck and pulled me outside, before engaging in a tussle with another goose of similar size. After quickly dispatching that goose, he tossed it into the box.
That poor friend has taken my place. I feel a bit guilty, but hey, a thinking goose must survive, right?
But just before I got lifted, I heard something snap. Or was it a crack?
What was that noise?
Nothing on my neck should have made that sound… I must have misheard.
Everyone really did their best for me. Especially Seungyub, who could’ve easily gotten shot by that farmer!
Did he get hit? I hope not. Please, let him be okay. I was beyond grateful to everyone.
In the distance, I also heard a moo—is Kain worried about me too? Or was it just some other startled cow?
Holding my breath, I waited quietly.
Two hours passed, maybe?
Honestly, my sense of time has gone a bit hazy ever since I turned into an animal.
The farming family slowly returned one by one, looking extremely annoyed. I could faintly hear that they couldn’t catch the wolf.
Looks like Seungyub made it back unharmed. What a relief! If he had been shot while trying to save me, that would have been just tragic.
I quietly hid in the corner, watching as the family approached the box.
Huh? What’s wrong with this guy? Peter, did you kill it?
No? I just grabbed it by the neck and put it in the box!
Looks like you grabbed a bit too hard. Probably a little panicked when that wolf showed up.
Er… that’s odd. But I’ll be more careful next time.
Oh, it’s not that big of a deal. It was going to end up dead anyway; it was quite the nuisance. Let’s head back in now!
Ahh… somehow, I’ve survived. I feel sorry for the goose that died because of me, but the farming couple couldn’t tell me apart from the others.
To be honest, the idea of a dog swapping the geese is something I wouldn’t have imagined either, so it’s pretty reasonable.
As soon as Discord is back up tomorrow, I should definitely express my gratitude to everyone.
Having narrowly escaped disaster, I felt the tension leaving my body.
I looked up at the sky in a daze and realized the sun had vanished long ago, leaving just the moon to embrace the world and sprinkle its glow.
According to Ahri, monsters appear at night in this world.
It might be time for me to finally help out.
Even though I played no part in handling Room 101, the Strange Family, or even contributed at the pool, during the hotel exploration and Room 102, the Mansion of Fear, I had done absolutely nothing.
Instead of being helpful, I ended up possessed the second I entered that mansion and drove everyone nuts.
Even now in Room 103, it’s the same story. Some were gathering intel day and night, while others were creating chaos trying to save a goose from its fate, while here I am, just a goose inside the farm.
Why was I assigned such a useless role where I couldn’t do anything at all?
No, this isn’t the time to sulk. I need to figure out what I can do myself.
I might have narrowly avoided a painful death, but I’m wide awake and restless now.
Since it’s nighttime, I decided to keep an eye on any monsters too. Ahri said they weren’t interested in us, so I should be alright.
I quietly nudged other geese with my beak, making my way to the outer edge of the goose farm where the wind was coming in. The other geese looked a tad annoyed.
Sorry, pals, but a thinking goose has a lot to do!
I poked my head out, but it was all black; I couldn’t see a thing.
Everything was pitch black with absolutely nothing in sight. I thought I saw moonlight a while ago, but maybe the clouds covered it?
Or maybe geese have terrible eyesight?
No matter how much I turned my head, the horror finally struck: tuuaahhhhQUAKKKKKKKK!
Something enormous was descending.
Instinctively I quacked, realizing what was happening; the clouds weren’t blocking the moon!
Something way too big for a goose to comprehend was standing directly in front of the poultry farm!
I froze in terror, completely paralyzed by how surprising and frightening it was.
The giant black silhouette loomed down, peering into the farm.
No, it wasn’t just looking at the farm.
It was looking right at me. Even though I couldn’t see its eyes, I knew it was focusing on me.
My whole body shook. At that moment, I finally grasped just how small and pitiful I truly was.
Please don’t kill me. I really don’t want to die like this!
What happened next took me by surprise.
A tentacle-like appendage extended from the black figure. It reached into the poultry farm, nudged me gently, and I was swiftly pushed back inside, all while receiving a gentle pat on the head before it disappeared.
That felt oddly familiar—like a pet owner comfortingly nudging their pet back indoors.
After about five minutes, I finally gathered my bearings. Despite being a bird, it felt like I was drenched in sweat from anxiety.
The farm sat eerily silent, as if nothing had just happened.
This is strange.
Having raised dogs, cats, and parrots since childhood, I knew all too well how easily frightened small animals can become.
A parrot would scream and cling to your shoulder at the slightest sound; a dog would stick to your leg at the tick of a vacuum; and a cat would bolt, shrieking at the sound of running water.
Small animals recognize their fragility without needing to be told.
It comes down through the genes passed down from their ancestors for millions of years.
You’re simply tiny grains of sand in this vast world, where everything in sight could be a threat—that’s what their DNA whispers to them.
So why was it that this farm remained so eerily quiet, even after something so terrifying had shown up, making even a goose with a human’s mind too scared to breathe, right beside the farm, poking its tentacle inside?
Not every goose was sleeping. Many of them were wide awake, but still, they appeared calm, as if nothing ever happened.
I should definitely ask the others about this tomorrow, but somehow, I don’t think discussing it will yield any concrete answers.
As I pondered how many enigmas remained, I tucked my beak between my wings.
I’m getting more accustomed to the life of a goose.
But I really adore how fluffy my feathers are.
I must protect them at all costs.
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