you were a detective in a small town. you were never assigned to much of anything due to the lack of crime. it usually went like this: person gets ticket/charged for misdemeanor, person pays fine, person goes on with life. if the pay wasn't as good as it was, you would've quit by now, but you're gut told you to stay just for a bit longer.

sometime two months ago, the town witnessed its first murder. since then, crime has spiked at an alarming rate. as law enforcement and the rest of the town scrambled to figure out what to do, you remained calm. the case was immediately given to you.

you performed thoroughly, going through evidence, crime scene photos, and witness statements routinely, trying to figure out patterns and connections. you were scrolling on your laptop when you came across a news article: "SONG MINGI, AKA 'DJANGO', STILL MISSING". upon further reading, you found that he escaped prison about two months ago; exactly a few days before the murder in your town. with your findings, you called the city for backup.

with the help of the s.w.a.t. team, you were able to find his hideout--a cabin in the middle of the forest equidistant from each neighborhood. a plan was set: you would go into the cabin as bait, and right as the killer would strike, all law enforcement would stop him, catching him in the act.

you step inside the moldy, abandoned cabin cautiously. you grip your dim flashlight like a lifeline. the wood door closes behind you, sending a chill up your spine. you walk deeper into the cabin, examining the open space. you noticed a ramen cup on the floor, still steaming. you let out a shaky breath, wrapping your flannel tightly around your body like second skin. the flashlight shines on everything, revealing nothing too much out of the ordinary. you turn around and tense at the tall figure standing in front of you, staring at you with an eerily blank expression.