My House of Horrors

“What do you mean by that?” Chen Ge was going to the private theater in a bit, so he wished to get to know as many things as he could about it.

“Many tenants chose to use the theater at night, and they all encountered this extra scene in the movies. It was that of a girl. She was around twenty with long black hair and a blurry face.

“Initially, the tenants didn’t mind it that much, thinking that it was the shadow of the worker or something wrong with the tape. That continued until a family of four came to stay here. Once their youngest daughter stepped into the theater, she started bawling. Left with no other choice, the wife carried the daughter away, leaving behind the husband and the son.

“They were watching an animation movie that day, but halfway through the movie, the boy suddenly turned to his father and asked, ‘Why is there a big sister standing at the corner of the stairs?’

“The man did not think much of it, but after a while, the boy asked again, ‘Why does the big sister keep looking at us?’

“The endless questions from the child managed to annoy the man, but since they were in public, he suppressed his fury and warned his son to stay quiet.

“The son felt wronged, but he did keep quiet after that. However, that did not last long. About twenty minutes later, the boy suddenly cried for no reason. This threw the man for a loop; he tried his best to console his son, but the boy cowered with his face buried in his chest, and he refused to stop crying.

“The boy’s father started to notice that something was wrong. He realized that his son seemed to be afraid of lifting up his head like there was something very scary on screen.

“He made a mental note of this, and after the movie was over, he carried his son back to his wife and then returned to theater to get to the bottom of the matter…”

The story drew Chen Ge in, but suddenly, the man stopped. “What did the father find?’

“The boy’s father disappeared. The surveillance showed him enter theater alone, but he never walked out.”

“How could a person disappear just like that? You’re not pulling my leg, are you?” Chen Ge stood up. “Where is this theater? I wish to take a look for myself.”

Hearing that, the man’s lips quivered. His intention was to scare Chen Ge off, but the man seemed to be more interested after hearing the ghost story.

“No, absolutely not!”

“If you’re unwilling to lead the way, then I’ll go on my own. After all, this place is only so big.” Chen Ge grabbed his backpack. He studied the man before him. Whether the villa was abandoned or not, he did not think that the management would have a blind man act as the guard.

“I really don’t understand. Why do you insist on going there? Didn’t you say earlier that you’re here for a friend?” The man was anxious as he tried to stop Chen Ge.

“Yes, I’m here to find a friend. Before he disappeared, the last message he sent me said—I am at Yong Ling Mountain Holiday Villa.” Chen Ge said that with such sincerity and affirmation that one could not tell that he was lying.

“Your friend went missing around here?” The man went silent. His hands gripped together, and he came to a decision after some hesitation. “Okay, I’ll show you over there, but if your friend is not there, we’ll leave immediately.”

“Thank you.” Chen Ge went to help the man, but as his touch landed on the man’s skin, the man shoved his off harshly. He was like a scared pigeon. Chen Ge did not expect such a huge reaction. “I’m sorry, I just wanted to help you up.”

“It’s okay, I can walk on my own.” The man stood up in the dark. Even though his eyes were close, it somehow felt like he could see his surroundings perfectly. He navigated the room expertly, grabbed the blindman’s cane next to the door, and left. Chen Ge followed behind him. The two walked past the many strange buildings.

“The people who designed these probably haven’t considered how to make use of the land optimally, right?”

“What do you know? This is art.”

“I really don’t understand that. Mind sharing your explanation with me?”

The man was not in the mood to chat. He hurried away. He was familiar with the terrain and moved faster than Chen Ge anticipated. A few minutes later, the two stopped before a two-story building that was sealed.

“This is the private showing theater. The entrance is locked, and I don’t have the key, but there is a small window on the second floor. You can look in from the outside.”

“Okay, thank you, I’ll have a look around then.” Chen Ge walked to the door. He turned and saw the man was still standing there. “Do you have something else to do? Do you need me to walk you back?”

“That’s alright.” The man had this feeling that something bad was about to happen. He stood where he was for a long time before turning. However, before he took the first step, a loud crash came from behind him.

BANG!

The quiet night was shattered. The sudden boom almost cracked the man’s eardrums. He jumped from the shock, and the cane slipped from his grasp.

“What is going on? What happened‽” His hands searched blindly in the dark. He was panicking. Right then, a pair of warm hands held him in place, giving him support.

“There are other people here!” Chen Ge helped the man up, and his voice was slow and comforting.

“That’s impossible! No way!” The man staggered backward. He was flustered, and his body was shaking. The cane was kicked away, and his lips were turning purple.

“How would you know that since you can’t see anything?” The dark clouds blotted out the moon. Chen Ge held the man in one hand, and he carried a scary-looking hammer in another. He stood next to the man and stared at the eyes that were squeezed shut. If another person stumbled across them, they would create a scary scene.

“If there is another person here, then it’s worse! It’s midnight, which means that it has probably returned!” The man wanted to hurry immediately. From his tone and expression, Chen Ge believed that he was not lying.

“Don’t panic, calm down.” Chen Ge looked at the phone. The trial mission only gave him half an hour to prepare. If he allowed the man to walk back on his own, it might lead to another accident. “The two of us had better stay together, just in case.”

Chen Ge picked up the cane and handed it back to the man. Supporting him, the two entered the private showing theater. One would not have imagined it from the decrepit exterior, but the interior was surprisingly clean like it was still cleaned daily.

Chen Ge studied the equipment on the projection table. There was barely a speck of dust. To be able to maintain such a degree of cleanliness, it was not the work of a blind person.

Staring at the man’s eyes that had not opened since they met, Chen Ge tightened the grip on the hammer.

“Now that we are inside theater, do you know how to operate this equipment?”