Have you ever heard a knock on the door in the middle of the night? Maybe it could be a snow monster.

When the snow falls, the ice crystals reflect and sparkle across the sky, the white of the snow covering the entire land. The moon casts a beautiful, mesmerizing pale yellow light. Every tree has shed its leaves to survive in the cold weather. I live in a small hut in front of a warm fireplace that provides relief from the cold outside.

Along with his companion cat, a white cat with a beautiful fur that looked like it had been well cared for, lay inside its basket. It was as if he didn't want to know the outside world. Stay in its happy place.

Soon there was a knock at the door and I started to get scared. Because I believe that no one can go through the snow outside right now unless...

Knock Knock Knock The knock on the door sounded again. I mustered up the courage to open the door, thinking that there might be lost people outside waiting anxiously for my help. I turned the knob, the door was cold from the cold outside. I opened the door but didn't find anyone outside. Let alone found anyone.

I wasn't even able to find a single living thing. I was shocked. and immediately closed the door I walked back and sat in front of the fireplace as usual. I thought back to my childhood memories of the legend my mother had told me and even before I died, the legend of the knocking sound on the door when it snowed.

A young woman who lives in a hut alone on a snowy full moon night often hears a mysterious knock at the door. Repeatedly loud almost all night And when you open the door or window to look, you will not find anyone in front of the door, not even a single person. And whoever has a snow-white cat in the house will be saved from this dangerous night, but the cat may also There is a chance of losing power instead.

But if this happens more than 9 times, the cat will die instantly and after that you will never be safe again. For those who don't have a cat That night, while sleeping, I dreamed of a woman with long hair. A snow-white figure in a white robe walked out in the snow and walked towards you, asking: “What do you want?” If you answer anything

It will come true one day and the next you will die in an instant. But if you ask for the impossible, You will be met with cries and groans accompanied by the words, “I'm sorry. I can't do it.” His voice was cold and terrifying throughout every snowy night.

“Is that why you let me raise Sapphire?” my childhood self asked in ignorance.

“Yes, Sapphire is a magical cat that saves everyone from danger,” my mother replied in a sweet, gentle voice. with a gentle smile appearing on his face

After Mom finished speaking, I gently rubbed Sapphire's head and scratched her chin.

"You're very talented, Sapphire. Please give it to me."

Not long time passed and both mother and Pailin died and only me and Pilai were left to endure the suffering of living.

A final tear streamed down her cheek as she thought of her mother's last words. The teardrop reflected in the fireplace light and sparkled like a gem. Pilai, the little cat next to me, got up from his bed and snuggled against my leg, as if he intended to alleviate the suffering in my heart. I reached out a little and gently scratched his chin for a while. Everything will return to normal.

Another knock on the door came, more frequent and louder than before. I decided not to open the door as my mother had told me I intended, until...

Almost an hour had passed and the knocking on the door had not ceased, becoming faster and louder. But soon there was a loud thud as if something heavy had hit the door and the knocking stopped.

I was so shocked and confused that I forgot what I had promised myself at the beginning. Gathering his courage, he opened the door with trembling hands, finding bright red blood mixed with snow piled in front of the door. The shock multiplied to me greatly. Little by little I raised my head and saw the image of the corpse of a middle-aged man dressed like a traveler lying in a pool of blood in front of the door of my own house. In the middle of the night, I was hazy. But I blame myself for being so blinded by the stupid legend of the door knocking in the snow that I didn't care about the lives of my fellow human beings who were about to die, even though I had promised since childhood that I would not let my friends' lives die. Human beings together will never happen again, no matter who this person is.

That night, I didn't sleep for a minute, only the guilt kept floating around in my head with no signs of going away.

The next morning...

I intended to go to school as usual so as not to disturb my friends, but of course I couldn't fool my best friend Ruby. She has been a close friend to me since I can remember. She has lived next door to me for so long that it's legendary. The story of the knocking at the door continued until it reached her parents' ears, along with the news of someone who had died from unknown causes a week later, causing her parents and her to move to their own home.

But Tubtim had requested that they not change schools, so her parents agreed as a consolation to my family and Tubtim's sudden move so they wouldn't have to be separated. We have been best friends until now.

Ruby stared into my eyes for several minutes and asked with concern.

“What happened last night? Did you cry? Why do my eyes look swollen?”

I thought that no matter what, I couldn't lie to this close friend of mine, so I decided to tell the story of the knock I heard last night, except that I found the body because I didn't want to startle my friend. More than this because she is a person who does not believe in superstitions, but she is extremely afraid of corpses and blood, even the blood of pigs or chickens. She will not eat, only cooked meat.

After I finished telling her, Ruby's expression changed and she showed more concern than before. She immediately called her father to consult with her. Because she wanted me to sleep at her house for me. Sleeping anywhere doesn't make the fear lessen, only Pillai is always by my side.

Ruby talked on the phone with her father for a bit longer than usual before hanging up and came to a conclusion to tell me:

“My father doesn't allow you to sleep at home. I'm sorry. But her father will take her to meet a skilled exorcist who can exorcise countless ghosts and evil things. The father will pay the expenses.”

I agreed with Ruby's discussion with her father.

That evening...

Ruby and I walked to the shaman's shop that my father had recommended. I followed the map quite deeply. Until they stopped at a small house that looked like a wooden hut. It was like an ancient house in the midst of civilization. If according to the map this was the fortune teller's hut, I decided to call out because there wasn't even an Odd. I stood and waited for several minutes when an old woman shouted back and told me to open the door and come in. at all

I turned to face Ruby and quietly opened the door to see an old woman sitting on an old wooden chair. She spoke in a quiet voice about the things we had encountered. She knew everything. After she finished speaking, her body shook rapidly as if something had entered her. Ruby and I were shocked and helpless. The two of us looked at each other in shock amidst the voice of an old woman who said,

“You are unlucky. Will bring bad luck to everyone around you. One person will die every day in front of your house until you die along with your cat Pillai.”

I was shocked by the old woman's words, but Ruby didn't seem to be like that. She stood up and shouted at the old woman, saying that I would never be a source of bad luck to everyone. I have never been like that and never will be. I love this true friend of mine who trusted me even when I didn't trust myself. She stood up to protect me. She grabbed my hand and walked out of the house.

I said goodbye to Ruby because our houses were in different directions. If we walked together, one of us would waste a lot of time unnecessarily. I walked back home feeling frightened. I stayed huddled inside the house by the fireplace with Pillai sleeping soundly on my lap. I felt lucky that at least there wasn't a blizzard today.

And there wasn't even snow, so I thought maybe this night would escape the haunting of the knock on the door. So I walked to the bed and intended to sleep comfortably.

When I had fallen asleep for a while, there was a knock on the door, louder and more frequent. I was still dazed from just waking up, so I got up and walked to the door and shouted, “What do you want? Is there anything I can help with?” His voice was a little irritated from being woken up in the middle of the night.

The knocking on the door was silent for a while, then a trembling, haunting woman's voice floated from outside the door. "Cold, cold, cold, so cold. Help me, I'm so cold," repeatedly.

I was shocked by what had happened and my consciousness returned immediately. I am no longer sleepy even though I have only slept for less than two hours in the past two days.

I replied in a trembling voice filled with pity, “Sorry. I can't help you. I'm truly sorry. Humans and ghosts can't coexist."

“Okay, you have to help me. She has no right to choose. She is an unlucky creature, she will cause the death of every person in the village. And you and that cat must die as well. You have to help me. ” The same hoarse female voice shouted slowly.

“How can I help you? I'm just a little kid. I don't have any magical powers,” I replied sadly.

“She doesn't have anything but her cat. Just one cat will keep everyone in the village safe. What do you say?” The voice of the woman who originally made the offer came to me.

"I won't be fooled by you. I won't send Pillai to you."

“Then please come and receive the corpse of one person in the village per day. I will show you that you have no right to negotiate, ha ha ha.” She laughed and her voice became softer and softer and finally quiet, but then there was a loud noise. A thump like a relatively massive object fell in front of my house.

I walked out to see an old man lying in a pool of blood in front of my house. The corpse looked similar to the one I had just seen yesterday. There were no wounds. Various substances appeared on the body of the deceased, but there was a lot of blood. Including a face that was pale and green and cold, as if blood had been sucked out and soaked in ice, even though today there was no snow and the weather was quite hot. I finished the burial and went back to bed.

That night I dreamed of my mother wearing a white dress. Thin from the time she had lived so much, she beckoned to me at the far end. I ran and walked toward her as quickly as I could, but it didn't seem like the distance was getting any closer, even though Mom was just standing there. That's all, I shouted to my mother, "

Is there any way that we can go back to being a family like before, a warm family where everyone lives together? It's not just me alone.”

“A dead person cannot be with a living person. Take good care of Pillai. Any night that your child misses it? That night, the child will die, so do not give Prince Pillai to anyone. But I would like to warn you one thing: our bloodline is all snow monsters. This may include the child as well, whenever the child becomes increasingly cold.

That meant that the snow demon was performing a ceremony to enter the child's body. Soon the child would die. Prepare yourselves, we don't have much of a choice.” My mother spoke in a gentle voice, no different from when she was a child when she used to teach in a gentle voice.

After Mom finished speaking, I woke up from my dream and found a very harsh world. But I have no choice but to move on.

I walk to school as usual when I walk to school. Ruby greeted me normally, but when my hand accidentally touched Ruby's hand, Ruby's expression changed to one of shock and doubt.

"What have you done? Why are your hands so cold like ice?" Ruby exclaimed, reaching out to touch other parts of my body with her hand. From the face, arms, legs, torso

“No, her whole body is cold. Let's go to the infirmary." Before I could finish speaking, she dragged me and quickly ran to the infirmary.

When we arrived at the nurse's room, the nurse had me lie on the bed and measured my temperature to less than 10 degrees. She went outside to quickly call an ambulance, leaving only me and Ruby in the room.

I thought of what my mother said in my dream yesterday. I thought that in the next few hours I would die, so I would say goodbye to Ruby and not let him worry too much after I died.

“Ruby, I have something I want to tell you. You might be shocked by what I'm about to tell you, but know that it's true. I am the descendant of a Snow Demon, and right now the Snow Demon is performing a ritual to enter my body, which means I will soon die. As soon as the ceremony is finished I will freeze and die. I pray that you will not be sad.

No one can choose what they want to be born into. When do you want to die and thank you for being together until now? Thank you for being my friend. I will always love and miss you. And we will always be friends no matter how far we are from each other. Good luck.” After I finished speaking, I took my last breath, my body was as cold as ice. Hard and beautiful like glass

“Goodbye and love you, dear friend.” Words from people on the ground who would have known that these words had reached his dear friend.

Epilogue

Anyone who sees a snow monster or hears a knock at the door late at night should remember this story of a friendship between two people that will never end. Even if one of them dies