My House of Horrors

There were no cars on the road, and the surroundings were eerily quiet. Occasionally, there would be a stray cat wandering past, but they soon left the scene as if sensing that things were not right. “Who are you?”

The investigator stood in the muddy, black alley. His shoes were missing, and his feet were stepping on piles of rubbish. Blood trailed down from his wounds.

“Have you forgotten my voice already?” The man slowly walked out of the shadow. He was holding a scary-looking hammer in his hands. The streetlights lengthened his shadow. It was a man who spoke, but his shadow was the shape of a long-haired woman. The investigator finally got a good look of the man’s face. His gritted his teeth and forced out two words. “Chen Ge!”

“I don’t know you, but you managed to call out my name. Looks like my speculation is correct.”

The man who blocked his way was none other than Chen Ge. He and Captain Yan had searched the entire third building, but they could not find the last member that was in hiding.

At the time, Chen Ge had already had his suspicions. After getting the hospital’s address from Captain Yan, Chen Ge had returned to New Century Park to grab his hammer before going to the People’s Hospital to set up an ambush.

“How did you find out?” At this juncture, the investigator became surprisingly calm. There was a weird smile on his face as he stared at Chen Ge.

“Why should I tell you?” Pressing the play button on the recorder, Chen Ge entered the alleyway holding the hammer.

“Killing me will bring you no benefit. You’re just talking to one of my scapegoats. Also, before you forget, you’re talking to a policeman.” The investigator had initially been shocked when he saw Chen Ge, but he soon calmed down. “If I die, this policeman is going to die with me.”

Chen Ge did not have time to waste on chewing words. The phone in his pocket was recording their conversation. Looking at the approaching hammer, the investigator’s lips twitched. Chen Ge’s emotionless expression seemed to be telling him, We’re not good men, so stop trying to threaten me with these despicable techniques.

“Actually, we can sit down and have a good talk. Aren’t you curious about my real identity? Don’t you want to know who I am?” The patient was trying his best to communicate with Chen Ge, but Chen Ge did not look like he was in the mood for talking

Seeing as Chen Ge inched closer to him, the patient changed his tact. “Don’t you want to know who the chairperson really is?”

“The identity of the chairperson is a multiple-choice question, and now I’m using the elimination method to find the correct answer.” Chen Ge was telling the investigator in a round-about way that he was not going to survive the night.

Chen Ge did not plan to kill an innocent man. He did this behind Captain Yan’s back because he had another plan. He had prepared to detain the investigator and bring him back to the Haunted House for interrogation. After all, he had the numerical advantage there.

“I’ll detain him before I hand him to the police.” Chen Ge said so because the phone was still recording. His real plan was to break the investigator’s legs to incapacitate him but keep him alive. The investigator’s plan to find an opening in Chen Ge failed, but his expression did not change much. It looked like he still had a trump card up his sleeves.

“Chen Ge, what I’m going to say next will definitely get your attention. If you allow me to leave, I will tell you why the door forms in the first place and how to open and close the door.” The investigator had a curious expression. He looked like he was smiling but not really. He seemed to be able to tell Chen Ge would be interested in what he had to say.

“Think about it. You should know how valuable this information is,” the investigator calmly said even though his body still moved two steps back. “The policeman you’re talking to is just a scapegoat. Only one third of my consciousness is in this body. Even if you kill him, I won’t be harmed.”

“If you won’t be harmed, why are you in such a hurry to leave?” Chen Ge slowed down. “Let me see your sincerity; that is the preface to our deal.”

The investigator sighed in relief. “Since you want to know about the information regarding the door, I believe you know the location to one of them.”

“Indeed,” Chen Ge admitted.

“The reason for the door’s formation is very complicated. For now, no one can really tell why. I only know they will appear in a location where Yin energy gathers and human activity is rare. However, those are just minor factors; the key factor is there has to be someone who knocks on the door.”

“Someone who knocks on the door?”

“The world behind the door is one colored by not only red but also despair and distraught. It is filled with human beings’ various negative emotions. In contrast to this world, it is filled with endless nightmares.” The investigator’s voice turned soft. “Normal people cannot see that world. Only those with a collapsed mental state or those who have lost all hope will have the chance to push open these doors.

“I once heard this from the first door-pusher. That day, he was just going about his life like normal. He didn’t do anything different. Like usual, he pushed open that door that he passed through daily, but the world behind the door changed completely. The door appeared suddenly without warning.”

“Without warning?”

“Yes, you own a door yourself, so you must have had similar experience. For example, you’re standing outside the door and suddenly you hear…”

Siren suddenly came from outside the alleyway, cutting the investigator off. A few police cars were heading their way!

“Did you call the cops?” The smile on the investigator’s face instantly disappeared.

Chen Ge shook his head. “Continue. Tell me more about the door, and I can help you escape this.”

“Will you?” The investigator laughed coldly.

“You don’t have any other choice.” Chen Ge looked around, trying to find a spot to hide the hammer.

“I’m a resident of hell. Do you think a demon will trust the devil?” The investigator turned and ran down the alleyway. Chen Ge followed close behind.

“Don’t move!” The other end of the alleyway was blocked by another police car. The investigator’s path was blocked. He did not hesitate and ran back into the hospital.

Is he trying to use the complicated layout to escape, or is he trying to find a hostage?

Chen Ge chased behind him, and he soon discovered that he had greatly underestimated the investigator’s decisiveness and viciousness.

After kicking the door open, the madman rushed for the roof of the hospital.

“Don’t come any closer!” The investigator stepped on the railing. He was just inches away from the building’s edge!

The night breeze fluttered the patient’s garb that he was wearing. Under his feet was the city. He stood in the dark night, looking at everything below him.

Chen Ge stopped three meters before the investigator. He did not continue pressuring the man.

“Chen Ge, I’ve remembered your name. Next time we meet, I’ll give you a surprise.” A smile bloomed on the investigator’s face. He looked at Chen Ge and slowly opened his arms.

The rooftop’s safety door was pushed open, and Captain Yan and his men rushed out.

“Yao Qinyi!”

Seeing them, the smile on the investigator’s face turned brighter. He leaned slowly backward like he was returning to the embrace of the dark night.