My House of Horrors

The weak light outside filtered through the curtain to land on the walls. The black human shadows seemed to have come alive. If one moved one’s eyes from them, they would disappear from their spot and run to another spot. Chen Ge maintained his posture and ensured that he did not move. His whole body was tensed as his fist tightened over the scissors.

Something moved earlier under the cover.

This bedroom was less safe than he thought. Chen Ge’s heart was gripped by anxiety. He did not pull the cover back to take a look. After all, if there was really a ghost under the cover, pulling the cover back or not would not change that reality. The ghost would not leave because it had been seen; if anything, that might only pressure it to turn aggressive.

The knocking sound weakened. Something that felt like a bug crawled past his feet, and that unsteady feeling grew. Goosebumps rose all over Chen Ge’s body. He could feel something moving up his leg. Cold sweat slid down his face, and the atmosphere inside the bedroom became more intense. About ten seconds later, the knocking on the door suddenly disappeared!

Chen Ge turned his head back to look. The door was still closed, but the five shadows on the walls had all disappeared. His eyes moved to other places inside the room, and Chen Ge noticed that the other five beds were bulging like there was someone lying under the cover of each bed!

They’ve returned?

The strange feeling moved from his feet to his upper calf. Chen Ge was certain that something had indeed crawled under his cover!

Even though the image of a decapitated head appeared in his mind, Chen Ge managed to maintain a superhuman calmness. This was because being afraid was not going to solve the problem. If the knocking sound really came from inside the door, then their goal was to make him leave the room.

His legs were growing numb. Chen Ge knew that if he hesitated much longer, he would slowly lose control of his body, and he would even lose the right to resist. He stopped hesitating and did a mad action. He bent his body slightly, arcing both of his legs, and he pushed his hands against the mattress and stood up!

He did not stop to take a look at the stuff under the cover. He grabbed the scissors and his bag as he jumped off the bed. He rushed to the bedroom door and opened it. The whole series of action was smooth and fast like it had occurred many times in his mind already. After getting the door open, Chen Ge did not stay inside the room and ran directly out into the corridor.

Jumping out of bed, opening the door, running down the corridor, Chen Ge made a big commotion, and the sound travelled quite a distance.

“I’ve opened the door, but will the thing follow me?” It was not Chen Ge’s aim to find trouble with these things. He merely wished to know more about Lin Sisi’s identity and where he was. Holding the scissors with his left hand and the bag with his right, Chen Ge stood in the corridor for several minutes. Everywhere was quiet; there was nothing strange inside the door.

“It didn’t chase after me?” Chen Ge sighed in relief and rubbed his hands together. “Assuming the articles in the notebook happened inside room 413, then the knocking was done by the student who died horribly inside the bedroom. It wanted to get out, and I helped him by opening the door, so he did not come after me. That means that he can still be reasoned with. He is in my debt, and he has maintained a certain semblance of rationality, which should be enough to form the basis of communication. I am sure that we can get to know each other further.”

Chen Ge’s mind was sharp. He started to move and slowly returned to room 413, where he had just escaped from.

“Yes, there is validity behind my thoughts. I’ve just arrived at a new place, and I need some guidance. It will be for the best if I can form a good relationship with them.” There were good and bad people, and the same could be said for ghosts. However, ultimately, Chen Ge was making a bet.

Chen Ge used one minute to finish walking a distance of several meters. To prove his sincerity, he even put the scissors away. “No matter how sharp these things are, they’re useless against spirits and ghosts. Might as well put them away to show my willingness to cooperate.”

Three meters, two meters…

Chen Ge kept his body stuck to the wall opposite from room 413, and he was in a highly-strung state. He was afraid that once he got close enough, a head or several shadows might rush out from inside the bedroom to pull him back into it. Taking a deep breath, Chen Ge finally reached the door of Room 413. He was about to peer into the room when the door behind him suddenly opened!

The door creaked open, and Chen Ge almost swung his bag in defense.

“Xiao Lin, why are you still wandering about after dark? If Mr. Bai sees you, he will definitely punish you!” Wang Xiaoming lowered his voice to an urgent whisper. It looked like he was worried about Chen Ge.

“I don’t want to be out here either!” Chen Ge glanced into Room 413. The situation inside had returned to normal. The trash littered the ground and the covers of the beds were now flat, but one of the human shadows on the walls was missing. His eyes widening, Chen Ge counted again, and he confirmed that the shadow closest to the door had already disappeared!

Only four are left? Has it run out of the bedroom?

The corridor was dim, and the school compound was also dark. Even with his Yin Yang Vision, Chen Ge would have a hard time locating the missing shadow.

It seems like it was desperate to escape. I have the same wish. This brother shares the same goal with me, so perhaps we can work together, one working in the shadows, the other in the open.

A plan was forming in Chen Ge’s mind, but this plan was too hard to put into action. He needed to be extremely careful; one wrong step, and he might die.

“If only this was a recurring nightmare where I would revive after every death, I would have a wealth of choices to tackle this mission. Unfortunately, I’m afraid I only have one chance—dying here will end everything.”

“What are you grumbling about?” Wang Xiaoming sensed a strangeness from Xiao Lin. It felt scary like he was not the person that he usually was. “Just now it was you who was running down the corridor, right? People are preparing to rest. If you wake them up, you are going to be in big trouble.”

“There are other people staying here?”

“Of course!”

Chen Ge nodded and quickly moved away from this topic. He carried the bag with one hand and gripped Wang Xiaoming’s shoulder with his other hand. “Brother, my room feels a bit strange. I feel like there’s something moving under the cover whenever I try to fall asleep. Perhaps it’s a rat or something, come help me find it.”

It was Chen Ge’s impromptu plan to invite Wang Xiaoming into Room 413. He wanted to see if Wang Xiaoming knew about the room’s history or not. Of course, this was only part of the reason. If he was really trapped by a ghost inside the room, with Wang Xiaoming around, at least there was a partner.

“The school rules forbid students from bunking; everyone has their own designated bed.” Wang Xiaoming sounded more unwilling to share a bed with a man than being actually afraid.

“What are you so scared of? They’re not going to expel you for bunking, right?” Chen Ge ignored him and practically dragged Wang Xiaoming into Room 413.