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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 11: Dead Loop (Part Twenty-One)
In the hospital's Restricted Area, at the school's Restricted Area, and in the forbidden lands of the countryside, there are strange stories quietly spreading, as the saying goes, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Whether it’s a Restricted Area or a forbidden place, people generally feel a sense of awe and fear towards the tales surrounding these locations.
I am a Mortician, and after spending so much time with the dead, I’ve built up an immunity to it. However, even my Demon Eyes can sometimes misjudge.
Before me stands the Gatekeeper, not particularly old—just in his early fifties. He shared with me a story that happened long ago in this very hospital.
A year ago, another person was on duty here. His name was Zhao Liu, slightly older than the current Gatekeeper but in great spirits and good health. The hospital signed a three-year contract with him.
Zhao Liu had been working at the hospital for over half a month. With an exceptional memory, he knew every nook and cranny here as well as he knew his own fingers and toes.
He was quite caring and spent endless hours tending to the flowers and plants. He also enjoyed a good drink. At night, he would sneak sips of Lao Bai Gan while listening to songs on the radio, living a leisurely and comfortable life.
One deep night, he heard a shout and opened his eyes to see a Girl standing at the door smiling at him.
He recognized this Girl; she wasn’t someone from the hospital but rather someone he had seen at Hongqiao Supermarket when she had an accident.
The Girl's name was Yuyaya. Her mother worked at the Douban factory across from Hongqiao Supermarket.
Both of Yuyaya's parents were migrant workers; when they got busy, they couldn’t care for her. Without money to attend Kindergarten, Yuyaya had to stay home alone. Eventually, she would sneak out to play by herself until one day something terrible happened.
Zhao Liu was the first to witness what happened to Yuyaya. It was after he had applied for a job at the hospital and was passing by Hongqiao Supermarket to buy a fish as a treat for himself. He held the fish in his hand when he heard screeching tires; then a car sped away, leaving behind a child struggling on the ground after being run over. She cried out in pain, and Zhao Liu hesitated for a moment before taking a few steps forward. The fish slipped from his grasp as he suddenly snapped back to reality and hurriedly turned away to leave.
Countless others passed by without stopping, and another vehicle ran over Yuyaya again as she lay there struggling. This time she didn’t cry out; her blood seeped into the ground, staining it red.
When Zhao Liu returned home, his mind was consumed with thoughts about what had just happened. Why hadn’t he dared to go check on her? He asked himself repeatedly why he felt compelled to return to the scene to see how she was doing. Several times he stepped outside only to turn back again before finally deciding to fry some fish for dinner, temporarily pushing this incident from his mind.
As Zhao Liu slowly woke up under the influence of alcohol, a bloody image flashed vividly in his mind. He jumped up and rushed toward the Hongqiao Supermarket Entrance. Upon arriving at the scene of the accident, all he found was a pool of blood that had already congealed deeply into the ground, with traces left behind by those who had come to clean it up.
Frantically, he asked everyone about the girl’s condition. People told him that an ambulance from the hospital had taken her away, which brought him some slight relief. Clinging to hope, he thought perhaps the Girl was okay and receiving treatment at the hospital.
But now, the Girl suddenly appeared in front of him, and he was taken aback. Just as he was about to ask her something, she giggled and ran away.
Of course, this part of the story was later recounted by Zhao Liu. He chased after the Girl, fearing something might happen to her. Little did he know that this chase would lead to an unexpected event.
The Girl seemed to run very fast, darting into the Inpatient Department that was slated for demolition. This was serious; if something happened, he would be in big trouble. Moreover, he still had an unresolved issue weighing on his mind.
As he passed by without taking action, he felt guilty about Yuyaya. It was this feeling that compelled him to pursue her without hesitation.
As he ran, he found himself lost in a familiar environment, eventually ending up at the entrance of the old Morgue.
At the entrance lay a mobile Mortuary Table, with a corpse covered by a white sheet.
Zhao Liu had seen countless dead bodies in his life, yet he was still startled by the scene before him. Just then, a voice came from behind him, asking, "Hello, has everyone here gone home?" Upon hearing the voice, he turned around.
The newcomer wore black clothes and pants; their face was particularly pale, and their eyes shone brightly as if they were glaring at him.
Was this person delivering a body? Zhao Liu recalled that this building was facing demolition and that the Morgue had long been abandoned. Why was there still someone delivering a body? Could it be that he had taken a wrong turn and accidentally wandered into the new Inpatient Department's Morgue?
"Master, could you please sign for this body? I have urgent matters to attend to."
Zhao Liu was still trying to process what was happening when the other person handed him a notebook along with a pen. It felt as if fate had arranged for him to be there just to sign. He looked at the young face before him—too pale and dressed oddly in all black.
"I'm sorry, I'm just the gatekeeper, not a Gravedigger."
"The difference is just one word," the young man replied. "I've been waiting here for quite some time with no one else around. I only see you here. Master, please sign for me; I'll handle everything else later."
Zhao Liu was naturally inclined to help others; however, the matter concerning Yuyaya still lingered in his mind. Therefore, from that moment on, he resolved that whenever someone asked for help and if he could assist, he would do so without hesitation.
He thought about how today's young people worked hard in their careers and were just as adept at dating as their predecessors. They also enjoyed various games—League of Legends and many others whose names he couldn't even recall.
Looking at this young man before him, although he felt something was off, he also sensed that he was a grounded individual. The young man had waited patiently for quite some time; thus, Zhao Liu decided not to refuse any longer. He would simply sign for him; as long as he returned afterward, it wouldn't be crossing any boundaries.
Zhao Liu took the notebook and quickly signed his name. The young man in black clothes and pants smiled faintly, a smile so chilling it sent a shiver down Zhao Liu's spine. Before he could gather his thoughts, the man vanished into thin air.
Startled, Zhao Liu felt as if he had encountered a ghost, yet he couldn't help but want to see who the corpse on the Mortuary Table was. Trembling, he moved closer to the Mortuary Table and cautiously lifted the shroud covering the body.
As Zhao Liu unveiled the corpse, horror filled his eyes as he stared at the lifeless figure on the Mortuary Table. His mouth fell open, and after his heart raced for what felt like an eternity, he let out a dreadful scream and turned to flee.
Three days later, Zhao Liu was dead.
The corpse on the Mortuary Table was his own; he had signed his own death and willingly handed over his life to the Evil Spirit Collector.
Typically, an Evil Spirit Collector is a Ghostly Enforcer that trades souls outside the jurisdiction of Black and White Impermanence. This is something my grandfather once told me. I thought it was just a story he made up to scare me, but it turns out that Evil Spirit Collectors really do exist.
Thus, it became evident that after Yuyaya's death, an invisible curse resembling a Dead Loop had begun. The Dead Loop curse targets those who experienced the Hongqiao Supermarket accident; whether you were the Hit-and-Run Vehicle or merely a bystander, none would escape death.
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