Chapter 21: 1.19 First Small Star [Extra 2] – Horror Tale VII

A small bonfire was made for the small group of four to share. Fu Lian and Xue Luli, who overheard their classmates' plan to isolate them, couldn't help but feel anger while being unable to say anything. After all, their situation was obscured by something supernatural. Not only were they unable to leave the place, but the building before them also held dangers beyond what they had witnessed. Even though they chose to move away from the corpse, no one wanted to enter the haunted building and become bait for those supernatural beings. As if they were imprisoned, they couldn't leave, and entering the building was too dangerous. Their only choice was to stay in the area between the building and the forest. All they could do was wait for morning to arrive, suffering from the extreme coldness of the evening in the middle of a haunted land. Everyone decided to spend the night under the evening sky, trying to keep warm with the bonfire lit for each group as they passed the time talking. "Ye Lou, is your tablet still connected to the internet?" asked Fu Lian as he noticed his friend's device still streaming live. "Yes. For some reason, I couldn't exit the live stream. It's been on the whole time. I've already asked the viewers for help, but they said every time they tried, their phones stayed busy. They couldn't contact the police or our school. But this stream continues to record for some unknown reason," replied Ye Lou. Xue Luli's eyes brightened upon hearing that. "C-Can they share the link of the stream anywhere? Please tell them to try!" said Xue Luli. Ye Lou understood what she meant and instantly pointed the camera at himself, trying to engage with his viewers. "Hi! Everyone~ can I ask for help again? Could you try sharing the link of my stream to the Exorcists Organization's help page? Please help us! This is not a farce; we are truly stuck in this place," said Ye Lou. [Sure! No problem, old man!] [Done!! I even did it multiple times!!] [Fool! It will be considered a spammed message if you send it multiple times. The site administrator will just delete your message!!!] [S-Sorry~ I d-didn't know!] [I'll try sending a private message! Don't worry, old man. We'll try our best to help the cuties! I mean you guys~] [Help the cuties!] [Save the adorable babies~~] [Old man, change the camera's perspective to our baby. We don't want to see you!] [Yes, that's right!!] "The beautiful little brother is sleeping, though," said Ye Lou. [Just a glimpse. Just one peek!!] "Fine~ here he goes!" said Ye Lou as he pointed his camera to the sleeping Xue Jing beside his sister. Once the audience saw the peaceful figure of Xue Jing, clad in an oversized blazer, they squealed on the stream. Ye Lou's tablet filled with excited shouts once again. Ye Lou spoke, "Wow~ your little brother really has the talent to become an idol." Fu Lian and Xue Luli exchanged smiles at this. Their silence indicated their agreement with Ye Lou's words. They spent another hour in peaceful conversation until they felt droplets falling from the sky. The rain started lightly but grew stronger as time passed, prompting the group to curse. "Fuck! It's raining!" "Take cover. It's getting stronger!" "Under the tree? It's no use." "What can we do? Return inside that haunted building!" "No way! I'm scared!" "Do you think you're the only one?" "Wuwuwu~ I want to go home!" "Don't cry!!! AHhh~ This is crazy!!" They couldn’t find adequate shelter under the trees, as the rain was accompanied by strong winds. They would get wet no matter where they stayed. Helplessly, they looked at the eerie abandoned building in front of them. It was clearly the only place they could take cover. Ye Lou looked at Fu Lian. "What to do, Fu?" he asked. Fu Lian gently lifted Xue Jing in his arms and passed him to Ye Lou. "Carry him for me, please. I need to carry Lili; she sprained her ankle," said Fu Lian. Ye Lou, happily carrying the lightweight Xue Jing, replied, "Sure. No worries. Are we going into that building?" "Look at the sky. The moon has disappeared, meaning the clouds are thick. The rain won't be stopping soon. Let's get back in the building. At least there are supplies and food in there," Fu Lian said, leading the way back inside. Ye Lou gritted his teeth and followed Fu Lian. Some classmates trailed behind them, while a few stubborn ones wanted to stay outside despite the rain. "Little brother, you are awake!" said Ye Lou. Xue Jing was looking directly behind Ye Lou, leaving him bewildered. "What are you looking at?" asked Ye Lou. Xue Jing pointed behind him and said, "Eyes. So many eyes... staring at us from the forest," he said. Ye Lou, Fu Lian, and Xue Luli trembled at what Xue Jing had said. They turned to look in the direction he pointed. Once they gazed into the dark forest they had been near, they shivered at the sight of countless bloody eyes staring at them from the shadows. The number was too great to count, sending chills down their spines as Fu Lian and Ye Lou hurried away from the forest. "Fucking hell! What the hell are those!?" yelled Ye Lou as he ran toward the building, terrified that the entities would leave the forest to grab them. Fu Lian coldly replied, "Just run directly to the building and gather what we need. The four of us should not get separated, no matter what!" "Understood!" said Ye Lou. As soon as they entered the building, Fu Lian, Ye Lou, and Xue Jing worked together to gather enough supplies to last the night. They collected lighting equipment, fire-starting tools like lighters and matches, blankets, and tents. Xue Jing secured useful items against ghosts, such as salt, along with necessities like food. "Where should we go next? The dormitory rooms?" asked Ye Lou. But two voices rejected him vehemently: the Xue siblings. Xue Luli said, "Not the dormitory. That place is rumored to be the bloodiest in this building." "That's right! According to rumors, most students died in the dormitory rooms!" added Xue Jing. Ye Lou's face grew pale. "T-Then where... should we stay?" he asked. Fu Lian thought for a moment until he noticed the pen held by their little brother, Xue Jing. "Jingjing, is that the Pen Fairy in your hand?" asked Fu Lian. Xue Jing showed them the pen and said, "Yes. I brought it with me because it said it wouldn't be able to leave until all answers were solved. Since it’s ghost day today, that means it is stuck in the pen for the whole night." The pen on Xue Jing's hand wiggled as if responding to the young man's words. It indeed couldn't leave the pen until morning. Poor Pen Fairy. "Geh! Little brother, you brought that with you? Aren't you afraid of it?" asked Ye Lou. Xue Jing nonchalantly replied, "Aren't we surrounded by ghosts on all sides? A Pen Fairy stuck inside a pen is less scary than the rest of the ghosts here." Xue Luli couldn't help but agree with her brother's logic. "That is... indeed correct. But would it help us?" she asked. "That... I don't know," Xue Jing admitted, placing the pen in his palm and attempting to communicate with it. "Pen Fairy, can you help us?" The pen remained silent. Fu Lian said, "If you help us escape, we promise to bring you back to a temple and have you cleanse so you can enter reincarnation." "That's also an option. Then I will make a promise as well. As long as you help us escape, we will take you to the temple," said Ye Lou. "I agree too," said Xue Luli. Once the three adults made their promises, the Pen Fairy’s spirit seemed to accept their offer, hopping up and down joyfully. Seeing this, Xue Jing took out a piece of paper from his pocket. The Pen Fairy jumped onto the paper and wrote: [You guys promise. You must bring me to the temple if I help you escape this place.] "We promise!" the three affirmed. [Okay. Then I will help you. But as I've said before, the only one who can help you escape this hell is the most beautiful ghost in the building. Though it seems you won't meet him yet, as he isn't around now. You guys should hide first. Those hungry mongrels will all come out when the clock strikes twelve.] Ye Lou asked confusedly, "Beautiful ghost?" "Where should we hide?" asked Fu Lian. "Hungry mongrels? You don't mean fierce ghosts who eat human flesh!" exclaimed Xue Luli in shock. [You guys asked all at the same time. Which one should I answer?] "Where should we hide?" Xue Jing repeated. [The safest place in this building is where the beautiful ghost usually resides.] "So where is that?" asked Ye Lou. Suddenly, screams erupted from their surroundings. People were panicking and running everywhere. The girls in the group let out an ear-piercing scream, and chaos ensued as a shadowy figure loomed above them. AAAHHHHH! Save me! What the hell is that?!! RUN!!! "W-What the hell? What is happening!?" asked Ye Lou, quickly carrying Xue Jing in his arms. Fu Lian hoisted his girlfriend onto his back. "Don't look. Just run! Jingjing, ask the Pen Fairy where we should hide!" "Okay, wait a bit. Pen Fairy! Pen Fairy! Which place is it?" Xue Jing shouted. Panic engulfed them as the screams intensified. Xue Luli was the most composed among them, able to glance back at the chaos. She saw her classmates running away, some covered in blood. From the darkness, she spotted a tall human figure crawling along the ceiling. The shadows moved as if alive, capturing her schoolmates and dragging them into the darkness, where only screams could be heard. As the shadowy figure moved, the light from their illuminating devices flickered and vanished. It was as if the darkness was swallowing the lights. Once the lights went out, everyone stifled their voices, afraid of becoming prey. SILENCE~ Fu Lian whispered to Ye Lou, "Ye Lou, I will grab you, and we will run away. Don't get separated!" "O-Okay. Little brother, hold on tight... AH!?" Ye Lou suddenly felt the weight in his arms disappear—Xue Jing was gone in an instant. Xue Luli cried, "What happened?!" "L-Little brother suddenly disappeared!" said Ye Lou, his voice trembling. "N-No... NO!!!" Xue Luli began to struggle, wanting to get down from Fu Lian's back to search for her little brother. "Jingjing! JINGJING!!?" Once Xue Luli screamed, chaos erupted in the darkness once more. The others around them began to panic upon hearing that a child had gone missing. The sounds of hurried footsteps and frantic shouts echoed in the darkness. AAHHHH!!! RUN AWAY! OUCH! Get outside! No! It's pouring rain outside!!! Fu Lian held her tightly, not letting her down. "L-Lili... calm down. Please! I will find Jingjing. I will definitely find him," he promised. But Xue Luli couldn’t stop wailing. That was her little brother who was lost. She cried so loudly that the shadowy figure could pinpoint her location in the darkness. Xue Luli suddenly felt cold hands gripping her shoulder, pulling her up. She didn’t dare look up for fear of what she might see. "AH! Lian! Wuwu~ Lian, something is pulling me! Help!" yelled Xue Luli. Hearing this, Fu Lian and Ye Lou worked together to pull her toward them, but it felt as if their opponents were stronger than two adult men. They could feel Xue Luli being dragged away. "Let go of her!!" shouted Fu Lian. Ye Lou exclaimed, "Shit! What the hell is this!?" Then they heard a childish voice from the darkness—it was Xue Jing's voice. "Close your eyes!" "Jingjing?" called Xue Luli. Following the familiar voice's command, all three of them closed their eyes, feeling something like sand rain down on them. In that blind darkness, they heard a loud shrieking sound, as if it were a collective voice of different genders. GYAAAHHH!!! Once the screaming subsided, the force pulling Xue Luli dissipated, and all three of them fell to the ground. As if the darkness receded, the lighting equipment in the area turned back on. Once the lights returned to normal, everyone could see each other’s tragic appearances. Most of those who survived had scratches all over their arms and legs, while some bore bumps and bruises from running blindly in the darkness. Among the group, only Fu Lian's trio fared well, covered in white sand and dust. As soon as the light returned, Xue Jing approached his sister, looking at her with concern. "Big sis? Are you okay?" he asked. Seeing Xue Jing covered in white sand, Xue Luli couldn’t hold back her tears and hugged her little brother tightly. She was so afraid they had lost him. "Wuwuwu~ Jingjing~~" she cried while embracing him. "Big sis, I can't breathe! You're hugging too tight!" complained Xue Jing. Beside them, Fu Lian and Ye Lou had tears in the corners of their eyes too. Even though they didn’t say it, in that blind darkness when they lost Xue Jing, they feared they wouldn't get him back. Even Fu Lian's words to calm Xue Luli were mere comfort. Ye Lou asked to ease his curiosity, "What happened to you, little brother? You suddenly disappeared from my arms." "Something pulled my leg. It was so fast and strong that I couldn't hold on, but I managed to grab my bag. Then I remembered I had some salt in there. When I threw it at the shadow by my foot, it dissolved. But then the lights went out, and I couldn't find you guys until I heard my big sister scream. I tried hard to look for everyone, but it was too dark. I came a bit late but thankfully not too late," explained Xue Jing. After hearing his story, Fu Lian used a flashlight to check Xue Jing's skin for bruises. He sighed in relief when he saw his little brother was unharmed. Fu Lian smiled, "As long as you're alright, Jingjing." "By the way, is that salt you threw just now? Ack~ Pei! Too salty~" said Ye Lou. "I... I remembered watching it on TV before. That salt is useful against ghosts or evil creatures," replied Xue Jing. Ye Lou chuckled, "Haha~ Little brother is the smartest! Good job!" Once released from his sister's embrace, Xue Jing walked toward Fu Lian. "Big Brother... just now, before the lights turned off, the Pen Fairy replied. It said... hide in the library," Xue Jing whispered, afraid that the others might overhear him. "Really?" asked Fu Lian. Xue Jing nodded and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. The word "Library" was hastily written on it. The four of them exchanged glances and nodded. They decided to look for the library after the rest of the people had gone to sleep. The four of them stayed in a lit corner, holding each other’s hands. Since it was dangerous to be separated, it was better to hold hands to avoid accidents.