The Murder House

I chased Xia Mengmeng downstairs. When she heard footsteps, she looked back at me. My usual shyness around girls struck again, and I stammered, "It's late. Let me walk you to your car."

She smiled slightly. "Thank you."

Walking with a pretty girl really flustered me. I explained why Wang Dali hadn't come to see her off. When Xia Mengmeng heard they'd fought, she sounded a little worried. "Tell Wang Dali not to stoop to that kind of person's level. When we were singing just now, the guy even tried to touch my hand. I really hate those wolves in sheep's clothing."

"Well, you can't fully blame him. After all...his parents got divorced when he was little, so he didn't get much discipline at home." I replied.

Xia Mengmeng laughed out loud. "Aren't you quite the trash talker?"

My face flushed crimson in an instant. Desperate to win points for my buddy, I frantically changed the subject, saying Wang Dali was a loyal friend who treated girls with care and attention.

I felt Xia Mengmeng had good manners. She just nodded and listened intently whenever I spoke, then asked me, "Your name is Song Yang?"

I was taken aback. I'd talked about Wang Dali for ages, so why was she suddenly asking about me? "Yeah," I answered.

She smiled. "I don't think you're really a student."

"Oh? What do I look like then, some small-time street punk?" I joked.

"No, no. You look very childish on the outside, but you seem mature on the inside." Xia Mengmeng thought for a moment before replying.

"It's not that dramatic. I was born in 1995 after all."

"Which month?" asked Xia Mengmeng.

"October."

"Then I'm older than you. My birthday's in March," she said with a laugh.

"Oh!" I realized the point was to compliment Wang Dali. "Yeah, my buddy Wang Dali, he's..."

Xia Mengmeng laughed again. "By the way, Song Yang, are you really an electronics student?"

We chatted all the way until I saw her onto the cab. Before leaving, Xia Mengmeng even asked for my number. After sending her off, she texted me, "Thanks for tonight. Hope we can become friends."

I wondered what she meant wanting to become friends. Could Wang Dali still have a chance?

Back in the private room, Wang Dali and Ye Shiwen sat glowering at each other from opposite sofas, both marked with bruises from their fight. Meanwhile, Zhang Yan sang "Happy Breakup" by herself.

"Where's Mengmeng?" Wang Dali asked me.

"I saw her into a taxi. Oh right, I got her number for you," I replied.

Wang Dali was thrilled, saying he'd treat me to a meal someday to thank me. He threw Ye Shiwen a scornful, cocky glance.

After all this drama, they still wanted to keep singing until closing time before going back to school. I was amazed they could.

At half past ten, Ye Shiwen drove us back. Originally he hadn't planned to give us a ride, but I whispered to him, "I've got a friend on the school literature journal editorial team. Should I spread the glorious tale of your deeds tonight?" He glared at me before grudgingly offering us a lift.

Unluckily, halfway there, Ye Shiwen's car broke down. Wang Dali said, "What a piece of junk car is this? Second-hand, right?"

Ye Shiwen yelled, "One more word out of you and I'll toss you out right here!"

Ye Shiwen got out to check the engine while Zhang Yan went behind some bushes to pee. When she came back, she anxiously said, "There's a house over there, a villa! But there's not a single light on. Do you think it could be a ghost house?"

"What's there to fear about a ghost house?" Wang Dali thumped his chest proudly. "Not to brag, but I've seen tons of ghosts."

Just then Ye Shiwen asked, "Anyone bring water?"

"What's up?" I said.

"I forgot to refill the coolant tank. Gotta add some water."

No one had brought water. The car only had an empty mineral water bottle. Peeing into it crossed our minds, but none of the guys dared suggest it with a girl present.

Guys always act more civilized around girls, even ugly ones.

There were no convenience stores around either. Ye Shiwen sat in the driver's seat, smoking a cigarette gloomily. Suddenly he snapped his fingers. "Oh right, isn't there a house by the road?"

Zhang Yan said, "You mean go borrow water from that house? It looks so creepy. Scary!"

"What's there to fear borrowing some water? There's four of us," said Ye Shiwen.

"What if no one lives there anymore?" Zhang Yan asked.

"Even if no one lives there, there should be running water. I'll just fill up and leave. They can't accuse me of trespassing, right?" Ye Shiwen sounded unconcerned.

Though Ye Shiwen was unpleasant, it'd be a hassle if we couldn't make curfew at eleven. Right now, we were all in the same boat. He'd locked the car. The four of us took the empty mineral water bottle and headed for the house to borrow water.

Pushing through the thick grass, we saw a two-story European-style villa looming in the darkness. It looked imposing, yet emanated a stifling, oppressive air. A prime example of bad feng shui!

A pebble path led to the front door, but weeds had overgrown it. There were also several piles of dried feces around, human or animal, who could tell? Most of the street-facing windows were shattered. Clearly an abandoned property.

Facing the entrance was a U-shaped stairwell, with faint moonlight streaming down. Just like a scene from some horror movie.

At the stairs, Ye Shiwen hesitated, not daring to go up. Wang Dali mocked him, "Some scaredy-cat you are, chickening out already." Though he jeered aloud, his hand clutched my clothes tightly.

"Too dark!" Ye Shiwen found an excuse. "I'm afraid I might trip and fall going up in the dark. Not worth it."

"Take out your phone for light," Wang Dali suggested.

"Phone's out of battery. You go first and light the way for everyone," said Ye Shiwen.

Wang Dali shook his head repeatedly. "Sorry, my phone's out of battery too!"

I was completely done with these people. "Forget it. I'll go first. Follow me."

With my Darkvisions' night vision, I needed no light source at all. I calmly ascended the stairs. After some hesitation, the other three followed. I glanced back to see them all holding up their phone lights. So much for dead batteries, bunch of cowards.

Halfway up, Zhang Yan suddenly shrieked, "Something grabbed my hand, something grabbed my hand!"

Glancing back, I saw her skirt had just snagged on a wire. She smiled awkwardly.

There were quite a few rooms on the second floor. I told them to wait while I listened carefully. Wang Dali asked if I really heard ghosts.

"Why fear ghosts when humans are the scary ones?" I said.

"Don't joke around. There's definitely no people here," Ye Shiwen dismissed.

"You sure? Abandoned houses like this often shelter homeless people, even homicidal fugitives," I said seriously.

They turned ghostly pale at my words. I really didn't mean to scare them, just giving fair warning, although the facts were true. As long as no tangible threats, I feared nothing, not even a female ghost floating out from the darkness. I'd just be startled at most.

We checked the rooms one by one. Zhang Yan mumbled, "Bathrooms with tap water are always at the end of hallways, right?"

"Right, let's go this way!" I nodded.

The pitch-black hallway felt like an endless, murky tunnel. No moon tonight.

I deliberately paused so Ye Shiwen would go first, but he stopped as well, signaling me with his eyes, "You go!"

"After you," I said, smiling wider.

He immediately looked very unhappy, and took a step back, saying, "No, no, you should still go first. My eyes aren't as good as yours. I'm afraid I might fall."

I smiled to myself. If you're afraid, just admit it openly. No one will look down on you.

I took the lead and walked in front, and sure enough, at the end of the corridor was a bathroom. However, there was no water. The pipes had long rusted through. Ye Shiwen cursed and asked, "Then we'll have to spend the night in the car, right?"

"We can also stay here. The environment is much better than the car!" After I spoke, I pulled open the curtain to the bathroom with a swish, scaring everyone.

Zhang Yan said, "Song Yang, don't scare me, okay? I don't want to stay in this ghost place a second longer."

"Okay, let's go out and see if we can get a car," I nodded.

Just as we were about to leave, the door of one of the rooms in the corridor suddenly opened.

Zhang Yan stammered, "How did that door open? Was there wind just now?"

She peeked into the room, and suddenly let out a heart-wrenching scream that almost pierced my eardrums. After screaming, her face was covered in tears. Ye Shiwen asked in surprise, "What's wrong?"

Zhang Yan's lips trembled, and she couldn't get a word out.

Ye Shiwen went to take a look himself, then came back out, moving stiffly, his face pale as a sheet. I patted him and scared him so much he almost jumped.

"What happened?" I frowned.

"There...there's a dead person in the room!" Ye Shiwen gasped.