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墨書 Inktalez
"We used to have a temple here, and it dates back to the Qing Dynasty. Just look at that dilapidated upper floor and compare it to our current teaching building and the teachers' offices; it's simply out of place," Ziya said, raising her hand to shield herself from the scattered sunlight filtering through the branches, pointing at an ancient structure that resembled a loft with its flying eaves and ridges.
"Are you talking about the Yellow Crane Tower?" Sun Meng asked, glancing in the same direction.
"Yes, the older generation says that strange sounds can be heard from the Yellow Crane Tower at midnight," Ziya replied, a hint of fear on her face.
Sun Meng knew that Ziya loved to learn and often sought out historical and philosophical topics, especially those related to ghost stories and legends. If she said this school was a relic from the Qing Dynasty, then it certainly was.
Ziya continued to flaunt her knowledge, "I can't remember exactly when it was built during the Qing Dynasty, but there were three major temples constructed here: Baoguang Temple, Jinhua Temple, and Sandalwood Temple..."
"Yes, I've heard about that too, but not in such detail. You should tell me more when you have time," Sun Meng said as they walked into the classroom, aware that a tedious lesson would begin in just a few seconds.
At least two people in this class were not paying attention: Ziya and Sun Meng. Both were lost in thought about their earlier conversation. Ziya had always been interested in cultural studies and had heard many conflicting stories about the school's history since she enrolled, prompting her to seek out books on the subject.
Sun Meng's distracted thoughts revolved around what she had witnessed that morning. The things she usually saw were vague and distant, but today she had experienced them up close, and the memory was still fresh. She thought about how her classmates would leave after school later that day—some going home while others headed to their dorms—leaving only her and Ziya behind for cleaning duty, which made her feel a bit regretful.
A sudden clatter of desks erupted as students noisily packed their belongings. One by one, they dropped their books on their desks before heading home or to their dorms. Ziya and Sun Meng lazily organized their textbooks and rolled up their sleeves to prepare for a thorough cleaning.
The two of them worked together seamlessly; Ziya arranged the desks while Sun Meng went to fetch water from the sink to wipe down the dusty window frames. She grabbed a porcelain basin and a plastic bucket from the Storage Room before heading toward the sink near the restroom. Behind the sink was Pomelo Grove, with New Playground to its left.
As she approached the sink, Sun Meng heard a rushing sound of water and muttered under her breath about someone leaving the faucet running. She stepped forward to turn off the tap while filling her bucket. Laughter drifted from Pomelo Grove; she didn’t find it strange since many boys often flirted with rebellious girls there in secret—what they did was known only to heaven and earth.
Today’s sky was not as bright as usual; it felt overcast and oppressive. Ignoring the laughter coming from Pomelo Grove, Sun Meng continued filling her bucket. However, the sounds behind her grew clearer, accompanied by footsteps approaching. Unable to resist turning around for a look, she saw nothing but rows of pomelo trees—where could anyone be? She thought perhaps someone had seen her and dashed deeper into Pomelo Grove. She decided not to bother with it...
The sound continued, and Sun Meng thought to herself that these classmates were too crazy, actually skipping going home after school to come to Pomelo Grove for a date. Just as the water bucket was nearly half full, laughter and playful shouts erupted behind her. Sun Meng muttered under her breath, "You’re asking for trouble, you reckless youths, hmph!" Just after she finished cursing, a sudden cold wind swept by, lifting her bangs high.
That chilly sensation traveled from her forehead to her brain, startling Sun Meng. She quickly looked around, noticing that the leaves in Pomelo Grove seemed to be moving. Her eyes widened in tension as she stared intently at the leaves, but they remained still... Sweat trickled down her forehead. Run! she thought, and she grabbed the water bucket and took off.
Ziya was in the classroom wiping down desks. After cleaning the blackboard, she started arranging the desks. Just as she finished setting up one group, she casually glanced at the blackboard... How could there be fingerprints on it? Ziya looked at her own hands and then back at the blackboard. Without thinking, she walked over and placed her hand on top of the prints.
Ziya broke into a cold sweat... The fingerprints were twice the size of hers. Nervously retracting her hand, she remembered that she had just wiped the blackboard first. This was too strange; she stepped back from the podium and looked out towards the window. The sky seemed to darken, perhaps because Huangguoshu was blocking the light, making it feel like night had fallen! Outside was empty; Sun Meng must have gone to Pomelo Grove to fetch water. So what about these fingerprints...
Ziya scanned her surroundings suspiciously. No way! Sun Meng had joked about such things; how could they possibly be real? Even though she thought this way, a sense of unease still lingered in her heart. Although scared, it wasn't enough for her to leave immediately! Besides, they had to finish cleaning before they could go.
Sun Meng ran back to the classroom with the water bucket sloshing around; water splashed out and soaked her shoes while cold sweat trickled down her back from fear. Everything seemed frozen—no wind, no people, no sounds—gone were the laughter she had heard earlier.
Ziya was focused on arranging the desks when suddenly the classroom door swung open with a loud bang, nearly making her scream. "Geez, are you trying to scare me to death?"
"Panting... No... I'm exhausted... I heard noises in Pomelo Grove just now. It scared me so much! Really, damn it... Ziya, let’s get out of this creepy place fast." Sun Meng gasped for breath, glancing at the water bucket which now held less than half its contents, growing more frustrated: "I'm going crazy; this place is too eerie."
"Oh come on, complaining won’t help. Let’s just get it done!" As Ziya spoke, she glanced at the blackboard again; those five fingerprints were still there. She grabbed a cloth from the bucket and went over to wipe them away.
"Yeah, using water makes a difference; it looks pretty clean," Sun Meng said as she took a cloth as well to wipe down the desks.
The classroom had many windows. After finishing with the blackboard, Ziya moved on to clean the window frames. As she steadied herself against one frame to keep it from shaking while wiping it down, a fleeting white shadow suddenly darted beneath Huangguoshu's branches.
"Sun Meng... come look!" Ziya exclaimed in shock.
"What is that?" Sun Meng hurriedly ran over to take a look.
What greeted her eyes, besides the overwhelming shadow of Huangguoshu, was the evocative sight of the Yellow Crane Tower. The two of them saw nothing else.
"Maybe I'm just seeing things. Let's turn on the Light and clean up," Ziya said as she pressed the button to activate the Light.
The classroom was suddenly illuminated, and Sun Meng immediately felt a warmth wash over her. She just wanted to finish quickly and leave.
Ziya continued to wipe the window frame when a shadow rushed toward the classroom. Her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively stepped back while shouting, "Sun Meng..."
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