The Executioner of Horror Films

Part two.

*On behalf of Mark*

The pub was a hotbed of grief, a place where broken souls gathered to get bogged down in their grief and drown their pain in cheap alcohol. Luke, as expected, was a vivid example of this, a man lost in the maze of guilt and despair, and the System was a dull hum in the background, nothing more than a reminder of the task assigned to me.

All these people were too predictable, too eager to accept their despair, and I was starting to get bored with all this.

The meeting with Luke passed ... without incident. He looked at me with wide-open, confused eyes, looking for a logical explanation for my appearance, and it was almost funny. I decided to discard the pretence of friendliness, choosing a more direct and detached approach, leaving my fun to myself. They were going to face a world beyond their understanding, and it would be interesting to see how they would writhe.

I watched the other members of the group make their way to us, each of them carried the same burden of grief as Luke. They were all so predictable. They were all so human. I decided to do without courtesies, choosing a more direct and slightly mocking approach.

Well, finally you decided to join us - I said in an even tone, looking at them like a doctor examining patients. Then let's continue.

They approached cautiously, there was a mixture of bewilderment and suspicion on their faces. Big, Dom, squinted and stared at me as if I smelled particularly bad, but it didn't bother me. He was too predictable, his reaction was too standard.

- Okay, who are you? Dom asked in a low and hoarse voice. And what's all this mystery about, dude?

- I'm not a dude, I'm Mark - I replied, my voice was devoid of any special emotions, my eyes studied the details of his face, his muscles and his pose. As for mystery, it's none of your business, I can only say that without me, you won't get out of the forest.

I paused for a second, and then added with a slight grin: You wouldn't want to be unprepared when the forest starts biting.

The house kept looking at me, his eyes narrowed, but the rest felt uncomfortable. They obviously didn't understand my behavior.

You're kind of weird, dude," said one of them in a voice trembling with fear. It's just a hike, nothing more, so you couldn't stop behaving like that?

- How so? I asked, my lips bent in a slight smile, a hint of fun appeared in my eyes. You people and your unwavering faith in your everyday reality, it's almost ... comical. I kept looking at them without blinking, just watching their reaction to my words.

He says he knows the forest," Luke said in an uncertain voice. Um, he says he's a local...

Exactly, "local" with eyes similar to burning coals - Dom grinned, crossing his arms over his chest. And the personality is as cold as ice. You're a weirdo, dude.

I'm here so that you don't get lost in this forest - I still said in an even voice. I'm just stating the facts. To believe them or not is your prerogative. I shut up for a moment, and then added with a barely noticeable change in my voice. I know what awaits you in that forest, and you need my help.

There was a long silence, the tension in the air was so thick that it could be cut with a knife, and I felt the impatience of the System to start the show. I just stood there, watching them, dispassionate and motionless as a stone, waiting for them to make their choice.

Luke shifted his gaze from me to the others, frowning thoughtfully, and then again at me, there was a mixture of indecision and something like trust on his face, and then he made a decision.

Maybe... maybe we should take him with us," he said with a hint of uncertainty in his voice. It doesn't hurt to have someone who knows the area, right?

The others exchanged views, their faces were a mixture of skepticism and humility, and they reluctantly agreed. I wasn't surprised because I knew that Luke was the key to all this, and I knew that he would rather believe in the illogical story of someone who knows the area.

Very good - I said, getting up from the chair, Then let's get started. I left the pub, dissolving in the shadows near the exit, leaving them to deal with their own fear and uncertainty. It's time to start the show.

*On behalf of Luke*

After he left, it got colder in the pub. Mark, with his anxious look and mysterious words, made us all nervous, and his presence remained like a shadow. I knew it was stupid that taking him with me was probably a terrible idea, but there was something about it that attracted me, despite my common senses. He was unknown, and I don't know if I was ready for this unknown.

We finished our drinks in silence, the played spirit of camaraderie, which was so far, was replaced by a noticeable tension. The house continued to look at the door, there was a deep wrinkle on his forehead, and I knew he was ready to turn around and leave Mark behind.

The others were no better, their faces reflected a mixture of fear and doubt. I began to doubt my own judgment, wondering if I had gone completely crazy.

It was stupid, and I knew it was stupid, but I couldn't get rid of the feeling that this trip would not be just a hike, it would be something else, something more, and that we needed all the help we could get. And even if Mark was a weirdo, a local madman, he made it clear that he knew the forest. And it was something I couldn't ignore.

We paid our bill, the silence was broken only by the ringing of coins and the shuffling of our feet, and then we went out into the cool, humid air, and the reality of what we were going to do was established. The sun disappeared behind a thick layer of clouds, casting long sinister shadows across the path, and in the distance a forest loomed, dark and impenetrable, and I felt the weight of everything pressing on my soul.

The walk to the beginning of the road seemed like a slow march to the death sentence, every step brought us closer to the unknown. The trees were tall and silent, their branches stretched to the sky like skeleton fingers, and the air was saturated with the smell of pine and wet earth, an aroma that calmed and disturbed at the same time. It's as if we have

entered another world, a world where the usual rules do not apply.

I looked back, half expecting Mark to leave, disappear like a ghost, but he was there, a dark figure stood on the edge of the forest, his silhouette was emerging against the background of a gloomy landscape. He was watching us, his presence was both intriguing and nervous, like a predator waiting for its victim, and I felt the chill run down my back.

- Are you sure about that? Dom asked in a low and uncertain voice. He's creepy, Luke. He has such strange eyes, and he speaks as if he knows something that we do not know. But he's just a weirdo. His words echoed my own fears, and I had to make a decision.

I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the growing anxiety in my stomach, and smiled faintly at him. We'll be fine," I said, my voice didn't sound as confident as I wanted. Probably, he's just a strange local, someone who knows this forest well. And if he knows what this forest is, then maybe... maybe we should listen to him. My words seemed empty, and I could say that others were not convinced.

We started walking, the path was getting deeper and deeper into the forest, and I felt that the atmosphere was changing, becoming more and more oppressive with each step. It seemed that the trees were approaching us, the silence was getting heavier, the air was colder, and I couldn't get rid of the feeling that we were being watched. I was constantly looking around for Mark, but he was nowhere to be seen, and it was even more disturbing.

The forest was like a maze, a labyrinth of hopelessness and despair, and I knew that we were going to meet something we were not ready for. I could feel a sense of fear, a premonition of something terrible, and yet I also felt a strange feeling of anticipation, longing for something greater than this ordinary reality. I had no idea what we were going to face, but I knew I wasn't alone.

We continued our hike, our steps echoed in silence, and I could not get rid of the feeling that we were being led, that we were going to something that would change all of us forever. And this Mark, this mysterious stranger, was somehow at the center of it all.