École des sciences humaines

Chapitre 9

"Really!" I felt a little uneasy, because the closer we got to the place Dao Lian mentioned, the stronger the voice inside me urged me to leave. The closer we got to that place, the more talismans were pasted on the tree trunks along the way. Dao Lian was only focused on leading us on our way and didn't pay any attention, but I found it strange. Did a Taoist magical treasure really need so many talismans pasted on the road?

It seems...

"We're here! It's in that room!" Daolian shouted.

Is that really where the treasures are kept?

The area was surrounded by woods, with only a small, square clearing in the middle. On it stood a wooden house that resembled both a temple and a holiday cottage. If it were a treasure, it should have emitted a peaceful aura, but… that house… only exuded malice. Dao Lian seemed to sense something was amiss too: “Something seems… off!” But he still led us inside. It was a house with only a toilet, a small living room, and one bedroom. It seemed no one had been here for a long time. There was a broken mirror in the toilet, but it definitely wasn't the place Dao Lian had described as where the treasure was kept. Each room door had a talisman pasted on it… Hopefully, nothing bad would happen again.

Thankfully, it was daytime... I thought to myself with relief. Nana said she wanted to rest inside, Daolian wanted to see if there was anything to eat, and I went outside for some fresh air. We would be heading down the mountain in an hour. At that time, we all thought we were absolutely safe in the Taoist territory.

When I got outside, I was completely stunned. The mountain path I had come up along was gone. The woods surrounded the area, leaving only this square clearing and the small house. Although it was daytime, not a single ray of sunlight reached it.

"Dao Lian! Dao Lian!" I shouted, "Something terrible has happened!" They came out immediately upon hearing the noise, and were stunned by what they saw.

"Hurry...we need to find a way to get out of here...it seems like we've been tricked into coming here by something..." Dao Lian said through gritted teeth.

Although it was daytime, we couldn't feel any warmth from the sun around this house.

Sure enough, something was about to happen.

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After wandering in the woods for over two hours, we completely gave up because we couldn't find our way out. We thought we'd reached the exit, only to find ourselves back at the hut where we'd started. This is what's called being trapped in a maze; a ghost has you bewildered, making you go around in circles in the same place. Daolian hadn't brought anything with her again today, and we were in the worst possible situation.

We were so hungry at noon that we had to go back to the cabin to eat something. The food in the refrigerator in the living room seemed to have been calculated precisely; there was just enough for us to eat for several days.

In the afternoon, we returned empty-handed again. There was absolutely no cell phone signal here, so we couldn't contact anyone; we were now on our own. As darkness fell, we had no choice but to return to the cabin. The two of them walked ahead, and I brought up the rear. Just as I was about to enter… I felt someone tug at the corner of my coat. I looked down and froze. It was a little girl holding a doll, but… her features were flat… nothing at all. But I could hear her words, each one resonating in my mind.

"Sister...the game has started! Let's play!"

"Ah Ling! Why aren't you coming in yet!" I only snapped out of my daze when Nana called out, and when I turned around, there was nothing there. There seemed to be someone behind the trees, but in the blink of an eye, they were gone.

Did I see it wrong?

Author: Xinxinjun Reply Date: 2005-01-02 00:57:00

"This is a death formation. The square open space, the height of the surrounding trees... all of these combine to form a death formation. And the center is this house." As soon as they entered the house, Dao Lian picked up a piece of paper and drew on it while speaking. "There are things around us. But right now their magic power is insufficient... so they can't come out. So the three of us have to stay together tonight. We can't fall asleep, and we can't leave casually. I don't have any talismans on me. Right now, I can't sense any malice, I only know that something wants us to stay here overnight. But for safety, everyone should still be careful. Especially Ah Ling, you are particularly sensitive to these things. If you see anything or discover anything, you have to tell me, okay! My spiritual eyesight is not as good as yours, and I don't have any tools to assist me, so right now I can only be extra careful."

Dao Lian stood up and began examining the talismans on the door. He believed that if there was a problem, it was likely a talisman left by the Taoists to ward off evil spirits. "Ladies... I have some very bad news for you... There's a vengeful ghost in this house... and it's probably a very powerful one... This talisman is a blood curse... written in the blood of our Taoist ancestors... It can only be broken with blood... So as long as none of us bleed, there shouldn't be any problems, right... Thankfully..."

"...Um... Dao Lian...I also have some bad news to tell you..." Nana said with a forced smile, "My feet...because I walked too much this morning...and my shoes were too uncomfortable...now they're blistered and bleeding!"

We're in the worst possible situation! We're trapped in a deadly formation, unable to escape. Nana's blood broke the demon-suppressing formation left by our Taoist ancestors. Hopefully... the owner of this house... doesn't mean us any harm... But... it seems unlikely.

"Alright, alright! Let's eat first! Food is the most important thing!" I said with a smile, trying to comfort the two people whose expressions had suddenly turned sour. I'll tell them about what happened at the door later.

Next to the refrigerator was a window, and the sky outside was growing increasingly dark. Just as I was about to close the refrigerator door, I caught a glimpse of a dark shadow flash past the window out of the corner of my eye. Then, my legs wouldn't move... Dao Lian and Nana were in the room, but I felt like I was being held down by something; I couldn't move or make a sound.

"Hehehe... Sister... come play!" A child's face slowly appeared on the wall... It was that girl... the one who was at the door just now... The face became clearer and clearer... getting closer and closer to me...

"You...can't go back!" His hand started to reach for my neck...

“Ah Ling…” It’s Dao Lian! I found that I could move again, and my body went limp again.

"Hey! What's wrong with you! I just felt a very strong spiritual stirring here... What happened! Did they do something to you..." Dao Lian said anxiously, supporting me.

“…No…” I gripped Dao Lian’s hand tightly like a drowning person grabbing a piece of duckweed. “It’s a child! The owner of this house is a child…We…we might not be able to go back…What should we do…This is the first time I’ve felt such intense malice…more intense than ever before!” Tears streamed down my face. This fear was more intense than ever before because…the children’s eyes were so innocent…but…every word and every action made me feel a deep chill.

That's indiscriminate malice! It's not just simple resentment...

"Oh no! It's an infant spirit... the most difficult kind of vengeful ghost to deal with..." Dao Lian complained in a low voice.

"Ah Ling! Dao Lian! Come and see! It's so strange... the TV actually has a signal! It can even be watched!" Nana's excited shouts came from next door. I forced myself to compose myself, stood up, and prepared to go over.

Suddenly, it occurred to me... there's no antenna or anything in this house, so how can I receive a TV signal?

"Nana! Turn it off!" Dao Lian also noticed something was wrong and rushed in to open the door. There was nothing inside except for the black screen of the TV, which was flashing static and making a hissing sound.

Slowly, a message appeared on the screen: "You—can—never—go—back!"

At first, there was only one line, but slowly the sentence filled the entire TV screen and kept appearing. I rushed over to try and turn it off, but nothing worked. Even after unplugging the power, the words kept appearing. After a few minutes, the TV finally turned off by itself, and the room was silent again.

"Where did Nana go...?" I said slowly, word by word, with my back to Daolian, as if it were a very difficult thing for me to say.

"...Maybe...he was taken away..."

"What should I do! Is she in danger? What should I do! If... something happens to her because of this... what should I do... what should I do..."

“Ah Ling… Ah Ling… It’s okay! Don’t be afraid!” Dao Lian grabbed my shoulders and shouted desperately, trying to pull me back from the brink of emotional collapse. “As long as we can defeat that demon, that’s all that matters! Nana’s flames are high, so even if those demons take her away, they can’t do anything to her. Demons harm people by exploiting their inner fears. Nana is relatively insensitive to these things; if she’s not afraid, the demons can’t do anything to her. Besides, Nana can’t easily see these things. She’s probably just hiding right now. As long as we find her and seal that demon away, everything will be fine!”

"But...you have nothing on you," I said, still worried. "Can we win?"

"I don't know. I don't even know what the owner of this house looked like... I only know it might be an infant spirit..."

"Why? Why did 'she' bring us here? What is her purpose?"

"I don't know. We can only wait and see."

"Dao Lian..."

"What?"

"I hate being alone with you! And you're a terrible psychic!"

It's 9 PM now, and Daolian and I are trying to dispel our fear with laughter. The closer it gets to midnight, the more nervous we become. We're in a really passive situation. If only there were some way to resolve this.

But now all we can do is sit here and wait for dawn.

Then, the incident happened when I went to the restroom.

At 11:30, I wanted to use cold water to wake myself up. In the bathroom, I turned on the tap, looked up at the somewhat worn mirror, and froze.

The door behind me slowly closed by itself, and in the mirror I could only see my head, not my body!

The spirit of the girl I'd seen twice before slowly crawled out from behind me. She smiled and patted my head, saying, "Sister, come play! Play with me! That way... I can have more fun!"

Red blood began to flow from her featureless face, trickling onto my face. Slowly, her face became my face.

"Look...how alike we are now!...You're just still alive. Look how wonderful your body smells!" Her nails began digging into my neck; I couldn't move at all, unable to resist. Her ghostly energy began to seep into my body little by little...my consciousness began to blur...

"What do you want to do..."

"I want you... to take me away! I can't leave here on my own! I want to go out and have fun!"

"Bang..." A loud noise suddenly came from outside the bathroom, then the spirit on my body disappeared, and the door opened.

A trickle of blood seeped down my neck. I wiped it away forcefully and walked out of the bathroom.

Nobody's here! Dao Lian is gone too!

There wasn't a single person there!

The TV was on again, but the screen was blank, and it made a mechanical hissing sound.

All the lights in the room were off, except for the light from the television.

It's exactly 12 o'clock now!

"Bang bang bang..." Suddenly, loud knocking came from outside the house, followed by Nana and Daolian's voices.

"Zero...open the door! Come out quickly! Otherwise you'll be in danger!" Nana's face appeared outside the window, pale and anxious. She...wasn't she gone?

Just as her hand touched the doorknob, a familiar voice came from the television. "Zero...don't go! It's fake! That ghost tricked you into going out! If you fall for it, you'll be taken away!" It was Nana and Daolian. "We're trapped inside the TV by that ghost! You absolutely mustn't believe them!"

"Zero...don't believe them! They're the fakes!" Nana and Daolian continued to shout anxiously from outside the door. "You'll die if you stay in there any longer!"

"Zero...they're the fakes! Don't go out!"

Who is it? Who is telling the truth? Why do I feel fear from both sides?

"Who are you...who are you...?"

"Zero! We are Nana and Dao Ren!"

"Zero! We are Nana and Dao Ren!"

"zero……"

"zero……"

Whom should I believe? Or should I believe none of them?

The door shook more and more violently, and the people on the television slowly reached out their hands. No, no… this isn’t them! This is resentment! That intense malice couldn’t be concealed.

"I know it's you! Not Nana or Daolian! What are you trying to do!" I yelled, first Nana disappeared.

Author: Xinxinjun Reply Date: 2005-01-02 0:58:00

"I know it's you! Not Nana or Daolian! What do you want?!" I yelled. First Nana disappeared, then Daolian vanished too. They couldn't have just appeared like that; it must be the vengeful ghost in this house playing tricks. Her target is me! I know!

"Hehe... fun, isn't it? My face can transform into anyone's likeness!" The room returned to darkness, with a faint green light emanating from the corner near the television. It was still that faceless one, holding two dolls. One looked a lot like Nana, and the other a lot like Dao Lian. "Now... let's play the game you told me to make! If you don't satisfy me, I'll break this doll. Don't think this is an ordinary doll; the souls of your two friends are inside! One of them is a Taoist, whom I hate the most. They've trapped me here for hundreds of years, and I never expected you to appear today, finally giving me a chance to get out again. The stronger the power in a place, the stronger the vengeful spirits that appear. I'm not as powerful as the Taoists right now, so I've been sealed here for hundreds of years without being able to move. Finally... you've appeared... as long as you're here... I don't care about any Taoist barrier. I can go out and play again... hahahaha... okay! First request: drip your blood onto the three Taoist talismans that sealed this room. After you do that, I'll give you this female doll."

"Why do you want my blood! Wasn't your barrier already broken because of Nana's blood? Now you can leave if you want, why are you making things difficult for us?"

"That girl's blood only allows me to move around a little, but to break through the Taoist barrier, I still need blood with real power. Just do what I tell you to do, why ask so many questions? Or... do you want..."

"No!" I rushed to the living room, picked up a shard of the broken plate, and slashed it hard across my arm. Blood began to slowly flow out.

I know what I'm doing is wrong. She must be a very powerful ghost; the Taoists must have used a lot of power to seal her away back then. I know that if I let her out, she will hurt many people, and many people will die because of it. The Taoists might hate me, but... I can't care... Even if it makes me a sinner... I have to save Nana and the others. Because they are my only friends... The only time I've felt warmth in all these years has been when I'm with them. Call me selfish if you want, but I don't want to lose that warmth! What do other people's lives and deaths have to do with me? I've been hated since I was little because of this strange constitution, and it's all because of Nana that I can smile now. I can't... sacrifice them, or rather, because I have to save more people. If I can't even save my own friends, how can I save others? I'll think about the future later... Right now, I can only do what she says.

"The first one... the second one..." With tears in my eyes, I dripped my blood onto the Taoist ghost-sealing talisman. After the blood fell, the talisman turned into a wisp of smoke and disappeared. Behind me, the faceless child who had been staring at me grew increasingly malevolent as the talisman disappeared, almost threatening to devour me as I collapsed.

"The third one..."

The faceless child behind them had already floated up, "Hehehe... It's been so long... so long... since I've felt so powerful! You Taoists, you've imprisoned me for so long... I'll make you pay! I really like you so much... Here's your doll back!"

She forcefully threw the two dolls, symbolizing Daolian and Nana, at me. In mid-air, her powerful resentment tore the dolls to shreds. Pieces fell one by one. My vision went blank.

This can't be real!

"don't want!"

"Oh! I forgot... I need to control my power! A doll with a soul is very fragile! What should I do? Since the person you cherish in this world has disappeared... why don't you give me your body too!" She laughed wildly and pounced on me.

My chest feels so hot, like something is about to explode.

I hate it so much! I hate it so much!

"...You will pay for what you've done! You will pay for everything you've done! You haven't kept your promise!..."

"Oh! Such intense resentment! Such amazing power... I love you so much! Unleash even more! Give me all your power!" She grinned wickedly, her faceless form growing larger and larger in front of me...

Later... later... my memory is a bit blurry.

At that moment, I really wanted to kill her. But she was a ghost, how could I kill her?

All I remember is a constant stream of hatred emanating from my body, then my consciousness being gradually swallowed up, followed by the screams of the vengeful ghost... and the sound of the hut collapsing.