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墨書 Inktalez
The entire day passed with little conversation between Gao Jun and me. Aside from meals, I sat quietly, waiting in silence. Gao Jun took a long afternoon nap, and during the other times, he sat rigidly in front of the easel. Whenever he did this, his brow furrowed tightly, as if he were grappling with an unsolvable question.
Time slipped by in this manner, and gradually the sky darkened, signaling the arrival of night.
I pressed the doorbell of the room across from me once more. This time, Jiang Ping quickly opened the door and appeared before me, looking as if she had been waiting for me.
"You’re here, come in," she said.
"Okay," I replied as I stepped inside. "Is Teacher Zhao not home?"
"He’s out of town for a presentation and won’t be back until next week."
The door closed behind me, and the dimly lit room was eerily quiet; I could even hear my own heartbeat.
Jiang Ping wasted no time on pleasantries and got straight to the point. "Tong Tong is in that room. I've already told her you’re here; she’s waiting to see you. Let’s go in now."
I nodded but hesitated internally: Am I really ready for this? Do I have the courage to face the secrets behind that door?
Jiang Ping lifted the black curtain at the entrance and stood by the door, signaling for me to come closer.
The curtain formed a small enclosure in front of the door, creating a space about a person wide. After a moment of hesitation, I stepped into this enclosure.
Jiang Ping first lowered the curtain before opening the door. The room was unlit and shrouded in darkness. She tugged at my sleeve, urging me to follow her inside.
Suddenly, the door closed again, and the last faint glimmer of light filtering through the curtain was shut out.
My eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness; I could see nothing. Yet, I felt a strong sensation that a pair of eyes was watching me from within this black void.
My heart raced wildly, pounding in my chest, and my palms grew sweaty. The darkness pressed down on me like a nightmare, suffocating me, and I could hardly resist the urge to flee the room.
At that moment, a child’s innocent voice pierced the silence: “Mommy, is this Aunt Xiaoyun?”
I held my breath. Now I was even more certain; although I couldn’t see her, she could clearly see me—her eyes had already adapted to this dark world.
“Yes, Tong Tong, are you ready?” Jiang Ping's gentle voice came from beside me.
“I’m ready.” The bright voice rang out again.
“Have you put on your mask?”
“I have. Mommy, please light the candle.”
With a soft “whoosh,” a spark flickered in the darkness as Jiang Ping struck a match and took two steps forward to the left. In that unsteady light, I caught a fleeting glimpse of a small white figure standing quietly at the far end of the room.
The sight of her stirred memories of that sorrowful and fearful gaze within me, causing my body to tremble slightly.
The candle was lit, casting a dim glow that illuminated the entire room, but I lowered my head, unable to meet the gaze of the girl.
"Auntie, are you here to see me?" The voice grew closer as the girl walked toward me step by step.
My whole body felt as if it had turned to stone, completely unable to move. All the horrors I had faced in the past few days—memories, nightmares—flickered before my eyes. I was so close to the truth of it all, yet I couldn't summon the courage to look up and confront it.
The girl stopped right in front of me. "Auntie, Mommy said you really like me, is that true? It's been a long time since anyone came to see me."
The hem of her white dress swayed gently in my line of sight. Suddenly, a pale little hand reached out from beneath the fabric and grasped my arm!
The icy touch sent a shiver down my spine. I fearfully lifted my head and found myself staring into the girl's eyes, which were fixed intently on mine!
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