Chapter 100: Who Let the Ghosts Out? |
(Yay, the 100th chapter!! Give me praise for not abandoning you~! Only 92 more chapters to go. Uhh… That’s a lot… Yay!!)
“Right, One.”
Yu Xiao tightly gripped the note in her hand and followed its instructions. She nudged the door ajar and peered inside, revealing a staircase leading downward. With each step, she reckoned she could leave the hospital soon.
Yet, beneath that hope lay a seed of concern. What about Misty and Precious? They remained trapped, guarded by a mysterious monster. Could she truly rely on its protection? The doctor was a joke, and this thing was a monster. It fed on human flesh, for crying out loud. And even if it meant well, how far could its power reach? It was confined to one room, on one floor. Her friends had to go through a maze of horrors to escape.
A surge of determination coursed through Yu Xiao. She couldn’t leave them behind. They were the only family she had. Her parents never cared for her. The thought of losing them made her chest tighten.
“I can’t just leave them!”
Dropping her belongings, Yu Xiao cupped her hands around her mouth and called out, “I need someone to ensure my friends’ safety! Who’s up for the task? Name your price!”
Her voice reverberated through the corridor, but no immediate response greeted her ears. Did she have to knock on every door?
There were dozens of wards on this floor. It would take forever to check them all.
She was ready. If they tried anything, she would run to St. Elizabeth’s and lock herself in. She would wait until the sun came up and pray for a miracle.
However, instead of a menacing onslaught, paper notes slid out from beneath several doors. She narrowed her eyes and counted. Only four out of the dozens of rooms had notes. What was the deal with that?
She bent down and picked up the notes, curious. The first one said, “One brain.”
Well, did they have a zombie fetish or something like George?
The second one said, “One brain, one heart.”
The third one said, “One brain, one heart.”
The fourth one said, “An entire body.”
Yu Xiao stared at the notes, baffled. Why did the last one want a whole body? Was that a sign of strength or greed? She wondered aloud, “Should I go for the one who wants the most?”
She didn’t mean to say it loud enough for anyone to hear, but as soon as the words left her mouth, a loud bang echoed through the hall. Yu Xiao flinched, expecting something to burst through the door. But instead, she heard a cacophony of noises coming from two of the rooms with notes. It sounded like a martial arts movie on steroids with peak Jackie Chan and peak Jet Li fighting.
“Creaking…”
“Woah-woah…”
“Sobbing…”
“Crackling…”
The eerie silence that ensued left Yu Xiao feeling vulnerable and insignificant. Hugging herself, she shivered in the sterile corridor, grappling with an overwhelming sense of powerlessness.
As the moments stretched on, she debated whether to retreat and cut her losses, abandoning this level in pursuit of another.
“Um, hello?” she ventured tentatively. “Anyone there? I’m… I’m leaving, alright?”
Thud!
A loud bang made her jump. Something slammed one of the doors with a force that rattled the nearby doors.
She felt a surge of curiosity and dragged her bag towards the door. There was a note sticking out of the crack.
She pulled it out and read: “What’s the highest bid?”
She bit her lip, unsure if she should lie or tell the truth. She decided to go with the latter. “A whole body.”
Almost immediately, another note emerged.
“I want a whole body.”
Yu Xiao arched an eyebrow. Such audacity! Did it outdo all competitors?
“Hold on a sec.”
**
It was a rare sight to catch Tie Niu outside of the operating room. As a operating room doctor on duty, his nightly task involved patient transfers from the ward. Yet, the truth was, he often lingered in idleness and was too lazy to move.
Tie Niu had seen his share of nasty kitchens and the canteen at St. Elizabeth’s was a horror show. No chef, no staff, no hygiene. Just a pile of dirty dishes and a stench of rotten food. The whole area was cordoned off with yellow tape, like a crime scene.
Tie Niu had sworn off kitchens long ago. But today was an exception. Today, he needed to impress the Dean.
So he took to cooking. His specialty: charcoal-grilled loin.
Yu Xiao set out in search of Tie Niu. She expected to find him in the operating theatre, but the nurses redirected her to the canteen. Intrigued, she followed the alluring scent of smoke and meat, eventually stumbling upon him in the kitchen.
Yu Xiao couldn’t believe her eyes. Horror Hospital had acquainted her with strange sights, but this surpassed them all. There stood Tie Niu, a skeleton adorned in an apron and chef’s hat, skillfully flipping the loin with a spatula.
“Tie Niu,” she exclaimed, her voice a blend of amusement and disbelief. “Are you hungry?”
Tie Niu turned, his ghostly fire eyes lighting up as he dropped the spatula. He rushed out of the kitchen and bowed before her. With one hand on his chest and the other on his hat, he looked like a gentleman—well, if gentlemen were skeletons.
“Respected Dean, you’ve arrived,” he greeted with joy and reverence. “I’m preparing charcoal-grilled loin for you. It’ll be ready shortly.”
Yu Xiao was speechless, emotions swirling within her that she couldn’t quite name. She felt her face twitching.
“For me?” she inquired, her tone tinged with surprise and curiosity. “How did you know I would return today?”
“I didn’t know if you’d come back,” Tie Niu said, in a tone that was a mix of honesty and humility. “But in order for you to have delicious food, I’ve decided to prepare meals for you three times a day, so you can have the freshest and most delicious food whenever you come back.”
“…”
Yu Xiao harboured a soft spot for Tie Niu. He was undeniably thoughtful, always attending to her needs. If only he weren’t a ghost, she would have taken him with her when she escaped this dismal hospital. He was the sole bright spot in this gloomy place.
Politely declining his offer to cook for her, she remarked, “No thanks, I’m not one for ghostly cuisine.” She was still human, after all. Yet, she had a need for meat, lots of it. “Just help me fetch some from the storeroom.”
“Of course, miss,” Tie Niu acquiesced. “Shall I grill it for you?”
Shaking her head, she hurried to depart. Glancing at the ‘pork’ tenderloin he had cooked earlier, she noticed how juicy and delicious it looked. She didn’t want it to go to waste, so she pointed at it and casually said, “But I’ll take that with me.”
Returning to the white hallway, she struggled with two oversized bags filled with meat, a feat only achievable with several stamina cards.
Knocking on the door, she announced her return.
The door creaked open, revealing a pitch-black room permeated with the sickening scent of blood, turning her stomach.
She manoeuvred the body bag through the door, which slammed shut as soon as she did.
Without hesitation, she dragged the remaining bag downstairs.
**
Zhao Lan followed the clues on the paper to the staircase. She’d cracked the trick by now. Each floor had a sneaky exit, hiding among the doors. She just had to knock on every door until she found the one that didn’t spit out a paper.
That was her ticket out.
One by one, she tapped on the doors, watching paper notes flutter out like confetti. Until she found the one door that remained silent.
Zhao Lan smirked. This had to be the next door, she reckoned. This hospital was a breeze. Sure, each challenge had its risks, but none were unbeatable. She just needed to find the hidden exit among the sea of doors.
Maybe luck would favour her and she’d strike gold on the first try. No fuss, no muss. Or perhaps she’d have to knock until her knuckles throbbed. Either way, she had sussed out the rules of this game.
She pushed the door open and stepped inside. Smiley would breeze through this place, she was certain. The only one she fretted about was Precious.
Precious wasn’t exactly dense. She just had a different approach to things than most. She used her brain, albeit in her own unique way.
**
Time was ticking away. The mahjong tiles clattered. Zhou Xiao Zhen was sweating.
She faced three options: one, keep playing mahjong, buying herself more time. She’d improved the tool; she could last two rounds now. But it would only delay the inevitable.
Two, confront these three creeps head-on, but that would end badly for her.
Three, make a run for it, but there was nowhere to run. She was cornered.
Zhou Xiao Zhen knew she was done for. But she didn’t shed a single tear. She wasn’t like Zhao Lan and Yu Xiao, who were scared stiff of death. Maybe it was because she was younger, or maybe it was her stubborn streak.
She wasn’t going down without a fight.
She silently vowed, blinking away the tears. Sorry, Misty. Sorry, Smiley. I won’t be there for the final showdown.
She grabbed a random tile and cheated. Pointing at the longest-legged monster across from her, she yelled, “You’re it!”
She scooped up the mahjong tiles and leaped from the floor, sprinting like a madwoman.
A bolt of lightning struck the monster she’d chosen, making the other two flinch. By the time they recovered and gave chase, Zhou Xiao Zhen had gained some ground. She dashed along the corridor, flinging open every door in her path.
She figured letting loose all the monsters was better than being devoured by those three. She was only one person, and there wouldn’t be much left of her after they were done. Maybe the monsters would turn on each other and forget about her.
She wasn’t making it easy for them!
Zhou Xiao Zhen kept running and opening doors, with a growing horde of monsters behind her.
She swung open a door, expecting another abyss of darkness. Instead, she found a brightly lit stairwell.
Zhou Xiao Zhen: “!!!”
Holy cow!
Her mind went blank for a moment, then flooded with relief. This was it, the way out, right under her nose!
But then, she wanted to cry. If only she’d known the exit was here, she wouldn’t have played chicken with death. Damn it… How was she going to shake off those beasts behind her?
Zhou Xiao Zhen didn’t have time to think. She dashed through the door and raced downstairs. The next floor looked just like the previous one, with spotless white hallways and rooms on both sides.
She knew the exit was hidden behind one of these doors. If she had time, she could search carefully. But not now, not with those monsters from the upper floor breathing down her neck!
She had no choice but to run for her life.
She went on a wild door-opening rampage.
With every door she opened, more monsters joined the hunt…
Whenever one got too close, she’d throw a lightning talisman. These ghosts were a weird bunch, vicious as hell, immune to most attacks.
Whatever. Slowing them down was enough.
But as the mob grew behind her, the hallway buckled under the pressure. Some ghosts were shoved into nearby rooms, while others duked it out, wreaking havoc in the hospital.
**
Qing Shi finished tending to the last living patient on his list and finally had a moment to himself. He was about to go find the ‘Deaf Descendant’ and figure out how the heck that kid got his number.
But just as he reached for the door handle, a sudden chill ran down his spine. A wave of dread washed over him, as if something terrible was about to happen…
**
Yu Xiao lugged a massive bag of meat down the stairs, feeling the weight with each step. As she neared the next floor, a sense of unease settled in. Beyond the door, a cacophony erupted, reminiscent of a rowdy party or a protest gone wild. Was this it? Had she stumbled upon the exit at last?
Hope flared within her at the possibility. Qing Shi’s pessimism had been a constant buzzkill, telling her how hard it was to get out of here.
She shrugged off her doubts and pushed the door open. And then she saw the most ridiculous thing she had ever witnessed in her entire life.
The corridor, from wall to ceiling, was filled to the brim with monsters of various shapes and sizes. They were squirming, wriggling, and gnashing their teeth. But these were not the adorable, cuddly type; they were the repulsive, slimy, and menacing kind. The scene unfolded before her eyes as the creatures were entangled in a grotesque orgy of flesh and blood.
Caught in their ghastly orgy, they halted their activities to fix their gazes on her. She returned their stares.
“Oops. Wrong room.”
With a swift motion, she slammed the door shut, questioning the reality of what she’d witnessed. Had she just imagined the entire scene?
“Thud thud thud—!”
She quickly realised that she hadn’t, because the monsters started pounding on the door like they wanted to eat her.
Holy moly! What in the world was happening?!
Heart pounding, she bolted for the stairs, her only thought to reach the safety of the floor above.
“Help! Anyone, help!” Yu Xiao’s cry echoed fruitlessly. Who would come to her aid in this forsaken place? Her sole hope lay in reaching Saint Elizabeth.
Halting in her tracks, she closed her eyes and whispered like a prayer: Saint Elizabeth, Saint Elizabeth, Saint Eliza…
Then she felt it—a tug.
“Huh?”
Opening her eyes, she found a door cracked open, a chilly hand grasping her shoulder.
Before she could react, she was yanked into the ward.
“AAAHHH!”
Her mind reeled. Trapped? Was she allowed here?
Darkness enveloped her as she sensed a cold presence pressing against her, the metallic tang of blood assaulting her senses, making her gag
She fumbled for her talisman, but it was already too late. Suddenly, a pair of icy hands covered her mouth.
“Mmph!”
Yu Xiao froze, hearing footsteps approach.
Realisation dawned—the ghost behind her was hiding her. Karma really did exist, she thought with tears of relief in her eyes. She was glad she had been nice to them before; even ghosts had a heart.
The tide of monsters outside seemed endless. They howled and screeched, clawing at the walls like rabid beasts. Yu Xiao wished they would just shut up already.
She found herself trapped in a corner, with a ghost clinging to her like a creepy blanket. Ghosts were the worst. Ever since she had used that Spirit card, she could sense their icy, slimy presence more intensely. This one, though, wasn’t your average spook. It chilled her to the bone, sending shivers down her spine.
Her hand rose, tapping the one covering her mouth, desperate for air. It twitched, releasing its grip.
Yu Xiao gasped but immediately regretted it. The air was thick with the scent of blood and decay, causing her to gag. The hand quickly clamped back over her mouth, cutting off her oxygen.
Squirming, she struggled against her ghost captor, tears of frustration welling in her eyes.
Finally catching her breath, she heard something peculiar. A faint noise in her ear, like someone breathing in, though she knew it couldn’t be her.
Considering ghosts didn’t need to breathe, she wondered who lurked behind her.
She dismissed the idea as soon as it popped into her head. There was no way it was a person. She only heard someone inhale and no exhale. And the hand was so freaking cold, it had to belong to a corpse.
Something cold touched her neck, followed by a gulp, then that sound again. She realised someone was sniffing her, hungry.
A chill ran down her spine as she realised it. The ghost behind her breathed heavily, its nose almost touching her bare neck. It seemed to drool over her like a hungry wolf.
‘This is bad. This is very bad.’ Yu Xiao panicked. ‘I need to get out of here before it decides to take a bite.’
Squeezing her eyes shut, she sought Saint Elizabeth’s sanctuary, when suddenly the grip on her loosened.
Confusion clouded her senses. “?”
The room was completely dark and quiet. Yu Xiao shuffled her feet, feeling something lumpy beneath them. Wanting light, she reached for her phone. As soon as the screen turned on, she saw a tall shadow looming over her.
Before she could see more, a hand slapped over her phone, plunging her back into darkness.
Yu Xiao was baffled. What did it want? Silence?
But she couldn’t stay here. She had to leave before sundown. Things would worsen after dark. What if there were more? What if they were all after her?
Lost in thought, she didn’t notice the hand moving away from her phone. It grabbed her other hand, pulling her along.
Yu Xiao felt a tug and followed instinctively.
She had no idea where she was going, or what it was planning. She just let him lead her through the darkness like a lost child.
**
Zhao Lan’s sanity teetered on the brink.
She’d been going door to door, hoping for an escape, when a swarm of ghosts burst out from one of them. Her heart skipped a beat, then she burst into hysterical laughter. It was all too much, too ridiculous. And to add to the chaos, there stood a guy in front of her, straight out of a historical drama with his sword, cape, and a face resembling Cao Cao, the famous warlord.
Unable to contain herself, Zhao Lan blurted, “What the heck!”
She didn’t wait for a response. Spinning around, she bolted for her life. But before she could take more than a few steps, another door flung open, and a hand with crimson claws seized her by the hair.
Zhao Lan screamed, trying to break free, but it was futile. She was yanked inside and thrown to the floor.
For a moment, Zhao Lan’s brain shut down for a second, then rebooted in survival mode. She reached for her talismans, her only defense against these supernatural freaks.
But luck was not on her side. The creature that grabbed her wasn’t in a pleasant mood. With a snarl, it slapped her hand away.
Gasping in pain, Zhao Lan felt a hand cover her mouth and pressure on her chest.
Outside, heavy footsteps and eerie sounds echoed. Something cold and slimy brushed against her leg. Zhao Lan resigned herself to her fate, closing her eyes and praying for a swift end.
Suddenly, something cold and wet splashed on her face, like a slimy worm wriggling down her cheek. She shuddered, goosebumps rising on her skin. What on earth was that?
A loud slurp, followed by a satisfied sigh, caught her attention. Someone—or something—was licking its lips, and it wasn’t her.
Oh, shit. That thing was drooling over her. Literally.
She wanted to scream, but fear choked her. She wanted to flee, but her legs were frozen. She was a deer in headlights, and that thing was a hungry wolf—a ghostly, freaky, nightmare-inducing wolf.
In an instant, her life flashed before her eyes. Zhao Lan thought of Smiley and Precious, her closest companions in this dreadful place. She thought of her parents and friends, memories flooding her mind. And then there was her lover, the young man she’d been supporting financially for months. Would he miss her, or would he find another benefactor?
With her eyes shut tight, she prepared for the worst.
Zhao Lan hoped he would move on from her, find a new sponsor. He’d promised marriage once he made it big, and she was content with his words…
A wet squelch snapped her out of her thoughts. Something cold and clammy touched her neck, making her gasp. Was that a tongue? Was it licking her?
Oh dear. It was going to bite her, rip her throat out. Well, that would be one way to end this life—quick and painless, she hoped.
Before she could bid farewell, it yanked her collar and dragged her away.
**
Qing Shi surveyed the chaos in the corridor with a scowl. This wasn’t part of his plan. This wasn’t how he liked things.
For years, he’d run this hospital like a well-oiled machine—admitting patients, “treating” them. He had a system, a routine, a game. And he was good at it.
But some lunatic had ruined everything. Some lunatic had unlocked the doors, releasing all the horrors that lurked in the shadows. Now, the corridor was a bloodbath, a nightmare, a mess.
Qing Shi loved death, but not like this. Not this senseless, savage, messy kind of death. He preferred the subtle, elegant, artistic kind—the kind he orchestrated.
And this disaster was not only a stain on his reputation but also a blemish on his record.
“Damn it, damn it, damn you, 438,” Qing Shi muttered, wheeling his chair away from the carnage. He’d forgotten all about Yu Xiao and cursed only ‘Braised Egg Girl 438’. “You’re going to pay for this, 438. You’re going to pay with your life. And if I ever see your face again, I’ll make sure it’s the last thing you ever see.”
**
Yu Xiao sensed the icy fingers gripping her arm, pulling her through the darkness for what felt like forever. Suddenly, the footsteps ahead ceased, and a hand pushed her forward from behind.
They let her go?
Yu Xiao stumbled ahead, her feet meeting something solid. Her hands found a metal knob on the cold surface. Without hesitation, she twisted it and felt a rush of air as the door opened, revealing a sliver of light piercing the darkness.
Glancing back, she caught a fleeting glimpse of a shadowy figure in the corner, sending a shiver down her spine. A voice outside the door startled her.
“Look, look! The door’s open again! Someone’s coming out!”
Pushing the door wider, she squinted against the bright light.
“Smiley sis!” Zhou Xiao Zhen’s voice rang out like a burst of sunshine, followed by a blur of movement. Yu Xiao braced herself as Precious threw herself into her arms, squeezing her so tightly she could barely breathe. “Waaah… Smiley sis, I thought you were lost forever…”
“Never.” The door slammed shut behind them with a resounding click. Yu Xiao rubbed Precious’s back, attempting to soothe her. “You know I always return, right?”
“It’s not that.” Precious sniffled, her eyes moist with tears. “Smiley sis, you don’t know what it’s like in there.”
Yu Xiao blinked, finally able to see clearly. They were in a hospital lobby.
In front of them, glass doors let in harsh sunlight.
Two other people were in the lobby, a man and a woman. They eyed Yu Xiao and Precious curiously and warily. Yu Xiao smiled, pulling Precious along. “Hello, I’m Yu Xiao.”
The woman’s face was pale. She nodded weakly. “I’m Liu Yu (刘玉: “a precious destroyer” or “a noble killer” ).”
The man next to her attempted a grin, but it looked more like a grimace. “I’m Fang Yu (方宇: “a square universe” or “a directional space”).”
Liu Yu regarded Yu Xiao and Zhou Xiao Zhen curiously. “Strange,” she said, “Have you lost anything?”
Yu Xiao blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”
Then she noticed it. Liu Yu extended her arm, ending in a bloody stump where her left hand should be. She had lost a hand.
Fang Yu tilted his head, revealing a gaping hole where his left ear used to be. He chuckled. “I guess I’m lucky. Losing an ear is no biggie.”
Turning to Yu Xiao and Zhou Xiao Zhen, he asked, “What about you two? Did you get away unscathed?”
Yu Xiao hesitated, then fibbed, “Oh, I was lucky. The first door I knocked on was the exit.”
“Me too,” Zhou Xiao Zhen chimed in.
Fang Yu and Liu Yu looked at them with disbelief. Their story sounded fishy, but they had no other way to explain it. They decided to let it go.
**
Zhao Lan had no clue where they were headed. The ghost gripping her collar dragged her over rough terrain, causing her to stumble and trip over unidentified objects. She felt cuts and bruises all over.
She wanted to fight back, but it was futile. Each time she resisted, the ghost lifted her up, shook her like a rag doll until her vision blurred, and then resumed dragging her.
Zhao Lan had lost all hope. Did it really matter where she met her end – in this wretched hospital or out in the world? It all felt the same. She just wished for a quick, painless end.
Feeling the ghost’s cold grip loosen around her wrist, she collapsed onto the dirty floor. At that moment, she had to decide: run or text her friends goodbye? Though running seemed futile, she also wanted to say something to Smiley and Precious, the only ones who truly cared.
As she reached for her phone, another hand forcefully landed on top of hers, trapping it.
The ghost leaned in, sniffing her, its icy breath grazing her skin. It traveled from her cheek to her neck, then to her shoulder and chest. She could feel its icy breath on her, and its saliva dripping onto her.
She closed her eyes, bracing for the inevitable.
But then, a click.
The door swung open, illuminating her face with hope. She glimpsed the lobby, appearing clean and ordinary.
Feeling the ghost release her, she quickly rose. This time, she didn’t hesitate. She sprinted towards the door, hoping it wasn’t a trick.
Glancing back, she saw a figure – a tall woman with long hair. She couldn’t see her face or attire, but she noticed her hand against the wall, nails painted a vibrant red, like blood.
Without pause, Zhao Lan rushed out.
As the door closed behind her, she wondered – could it be that the creepy ghost actually saved her?
─── ❖ ── ☆ ── ❖ ───