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墨書 Inktalez
Although the room was on the second floor, it still felt a bit damp, and the air was filled with a musty smell. After tossing and turning with Ruo Yu for most of the night, I was truly exhausted.
I kicked off my shoes and dove into the covers, not caring about anything else. I pulled the blanket over my head, ready to fall into a deep sleep, but I noticed that the blanket felt somewhat damp and had a strange odor—slightly fishy.
However, I was too tired to think much of it and quickly drifted off next to my pillow.
Surrounded by thick fog, visibility was only about ten meters. The humidity in the air was heavy; after walking for a short while, my clothes became wet, and I couldn't help but shiver.
What on earth is this place? Wasn't I just sleeping? I wandered through the mist for what felt like an eternity, my legs feeling like they weren't even mine. When I finally looked up, I was shocked to see the inn where I was staying.
Huangquan Inn!
The dilapidated sign had part of the character for "Inn" broken off, leaving only "I". It looked more like Huang Quan's guesthouse.
Surrounding the sign were colorful lights flickering in a rainbow of colors. The building was five stories tall, with the first two floors serving as the inn.
I found myself moving forward uncontrollably, pushing open the heavy glass door that bore the words: "Welcome." However, the glass was smudged, making it hard to see inside.
I reached out and pushed the door open. "Hello? Is anyone here?"
The light inside the inn was dim; only a lamp at the front desk illuminated the area. It was eerily quiet. I called out again but received no response. Just as I was about to step further inside, an old man with sparse hair poked his head out from under the counter. Sparse was putting it mildly; he had a reddish scalp with just a few thin white hairs scattered about.
"Checking in?"
His voice sounded as if he had just woken up, his cloudy old eyes still crusted with sleep. This old man was indeed the one who had checked us in earlier that day.
From my angle, as he leaned over the counter, he appeared oddly like a decorative piece on it—a sculpture of a human head.
I jumped back in surprise but relaxed upon hearing his question and nodded numbly.
Day by day, I ponder, and night by night, I dream. Did I just fall asleep and already dream of what happened before bed?
The old man looked up at me and said, "Still the old price. Twenty for a single room."
I asked in confusion, "Have I been here before?"
The old man smiled at me, revealing a mouth with only a few yellowed teeth. I pulled a twenty from my pocket and placed it on the bar. The surface of the bar was worn, with many patches of paint chipped away.
He took the money, wrote me a receipt, then turned to grab a set of keys from a shelf behind him. He called out into the hallway, "Old Woman! Old Woman! Take the guest to the second floor, Room 14."
I was taken aback; it was still the same room we were currently staying in.
Tap... tap... tap...
The sound of heels striking the floor grew closer until an elderly woman hunched over emerged from the shadows. She took the key from him and said, "Follow me!"
Her voice was slow and deep.
As we walked down the long corridor on the second floor, when the familiar door was pushed open again, the old woman handed me a key and turned to leave. Her rough hands, like dry tree bark, brushed against my palm, sending a shiver through me.
The old woman moved slowly, and after her footsteps faded down the stairs, the inn fell into a deathly silence, illuminated only by an orange lamp in the hallway.
I fumbled in the dark for the switch on the wall. When the light flicked on with a click, I frowned.
Finally, I noticed something different. The room we were staying in had two beds, while this one only had one bed; beside it was a small table and two sofas.
I looked around again to check for anything else unusual. Aside from the walls being relatively new, there was nothing particularly remarkable. Perhaps I had been outside too long; now that I saw the bed, I yawned and felt my eyes growing heavy once more.
But can one feel trapped even in a dream?
As I buried my head under the blanket, I couldn't help but sniffle. The blanket, made of some unknown material, had a faintly fishy odor that was quite strange, reminiscent of a dead fish, making me want to gag.
In the haze between sleep and wakefulness, I felt as if my chest were being crushed by a thousand-pound boulder, making it hard for me to breathe. When I opened my eyes, I nearly wet myself in fright.
Despite having experienced some things in life, I had never encountered anything so terrifying.
The blanket that had been covering me was gone, replaced by a creature entirely covered in flesh that was a sickly shade of red. Its bloody muscles were clearly visible, and its bulging eyes were fixed on me with an intense stare. Its once prominent nose now consisted of only two nostrils, and its two rows of white teeth continuously opened and closed as if it had something to say to me.
Every time its mouth opened, it seemed like its jaw might fall off.
I wanted to run but found myself completely immobilized. I vaguely heard the flayed creature on top of me cry out: "Return my skin! Return my skin!"
The voice sounded as if it were coming from deep underground, filled with unbearable agony. It suddenly dawned on me—who was I? How could I be afraid of such a thing?
So I pressed my tongue against the roof of my mouth and silently recited the Six Character Mantra. When I opened my eyes again, the creature that had been on top of me had vanished. The musty air filling my lungs felt strangely comforting.
I was still lying on the bed in the hotel. Although the blanket still emitted an odd smell, at least it was a blanket. I shook my head inwardly; it was just a dream—how silly to scare myself like that.
Thank goodness I had dealt with Gui Wu before; how could I have such a small amount of courage? If this got out, how would I ever run this place again?
I reached out to pull the blanket back up from where it had slipped down to my stomach, but as soon as I tugged at it, every hair on my body stood on end.
What had once felt like a soft cotton blanket had turned into something slick and hard.
Kicking my legs, I sent the blanket flying onto the floor. In the dim light of the wall lamp, I saw that what lay on the ground was not a blanket at all but a dark yellow hide from some unknown animal, stiff and piled up on the floor.
I rubbed my eyes, thinking I was seeing things, but when I focused again, I suddenly noticed that the skin was wriggling, trying to crawl onto the bed.
I was so startled that I let out a cry. Cold sweat broke out all over me as I shot up from the bed.
Once my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I realized that everything in the room was unchanged. Ruo Yu, however, was alert; as soon as I got up, he asked cautiously, "Ling Feng, what’s wrong?"
I couldn't help but shiver and replied, "Ruo Yu, did you have a nightmare?"
Ruo Yu shook his head. "No. Did you have a bad dream?"
I said in a low voice, "Ruo Yu, don’t you think there’s something off about this inn?"
Ruo Yu nodded. "It feels strange, but I can't pinpoint what's wrong."
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