Chapter 2 prelude

I've been trying to forget this story, but I'm finding it hard.Yes, it was hard, all methods failed.It has been hidden in the depths of my soul, never willing to leave.In the dead of night, like a cunning cockroach, it sneaked out from a dark corner, peeped at me with its treacherous eyes, and carefully touched me with its long tentacles.I know that it has been showing itself, trying to let me into its world.But I always refuse, refuse to trap myself.I am afraid of those things with strong allure, which will make me addicted and addicted unconsciously, and then I can't extricate myself, thus losing myself.In this world, there are too many things with strong temptations, such as power, money, sex, tobacco and alcohol, drugs, literature, art...anything can easily waste your life.The best way to protect yourself is to keep your distance from everything, whether it tempts you or not.Disguise yourself so that others cannot see the real you-similarly, don't expect to see other things clearly, all you see are their disguises, intentional or unintentional.

So, I once doubted the veracity of this story.When I told my cousin-in-law about my doubts, his face flushed, his veins popped out, and he was too angry to speak.Only then did I faintly regret it.My cousin-in-law is a nerd who only accepts death, and I insult him indirectly by saying this. Sure enough, after calming down, my cousin-in-law's attitude towards me became much colder, "Zuitian, you don't need to believe me, but you can go to your cousin to verify it. I don't think you can even believe her." I explained again and again: "I don't doubt what you mean, but, you also know that the story you told is too unbelievable."

The cousin-in-law's face became better now, and he nodded, "I also know that it is hard for ordinary people to believe it, so this story is only circulated in the small circle of teachers in our medical school, and no one is willing to tell it. If you go out, who will believe it? It's hard to be treated as a fool." I understand what my cousin-in-law said.Basically, he is a man without a heart.Of course, when I say this, it doesn’t mean that he has a problem with his IQ. On the contrary, he is a very smart person. Otherwise, how could he get a master’s degree in anatomy.But maybe he was too involved in anatomy and was very naive in his worldly ways.He also knows this and tries not to talk too much with strangers.If I wasn't a close relative of his wife, he wouldn't have talked to me so much, and he wouldn't have the patience to tell me this horror story that happened in the girls' dormitory.It took him more than three hours just to tell this story, which is extremely rare for a cousin who values ​​time very much.What he meant was to tell me that real life is more frightening than fictional fiction.

I am a grassroots civil servant, and I basically belong to the kind of person who is busy doing chores all day long but doesn't know what he is doing.People like me can be found in any grass-roots organization, submissive and without personality.Fortunately, I have a relatively strong ability to accept new things. When the Internet became popular, I kept up with the trend and learned to type and surf the Internet.By chance, I started to try to write horror novels, and the response was not bad. Sometimes I could occasionally publish some articles in magazines, and received some manuscript fees from time to time, which made my poor mother proud.She showed it off to her cousin-in-law.The next thing was very natural. My cousin-in-law invited me to his house and said that he had a good horror theme and hoped I could write it.

I declined, for the simple reason that I was afraid of the story, that it would sting some soft spot deep inside of me, that it would hurt and bleed.I want to protect myself. In essence, I am a weak person. In this society where the jungle preys on the jungle, it is not easy to survive. Proper psychological anesthesia is necessary.Therefore, Ah Q's "spiritual victory method" will never disappear. But I failed.Wherever I go, this story pops up out of nowhere, fills my head, irritates my brain, and torments my fragile soul. After a dozen sleepless nights of mental struggle, I compromised.I brought a tape recorder and came to the home of my cousin's husband in Nanjiang Medical College again, and solemnly asked him to tell me the story in detail.

The story begins in the cold autumn of 2003. The autumn of that year came very early, and there was a chill atmosphere in Nanjiang Medical College.It was only October, and the roads on the campus were always covered with thick fallen leaves. No matter how the janitors cleaned it, it was of no avail.Pieces of withered and yellow fallen leaves lamented and separated from the mother body, falling down helplessly, broken and rotted.Those originally vibrant trees seemed to be aging suddenly, showing a decadent appearance, barely supporting their bare torso and shivering under the rustling autumn wind.The elderly janitors kept muttering in their hearts, wouldn't something evil happen to the medical school again?The last time there were signs of this, a fire was raging in the anatomy building of the medical school.The fire burned overnight, and after fire trucks rushed to extinguish it, they found several charred and unrecognizable bodies—all of which were later identified as medical students.No one knows why they went to the dissecting building at night, and the cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained.This strange incident was spread over and over again, and later turned into a supernatural event. It is said that many students heard faint crying and calling for help in the anatomy building, especially in the middle of the night, and no one wanted to approach the gloomy building. old building.The anatomy building became the most terrifying and evil place in Nanjiang Medical College, until the appearance of the female dormitory 441, which was called the scariest place in the history of Nanjiang Medical College.

There are eight bunks in girls' dormitory 441, four upper bunks and four lower bunks, lined up facing each other, squeezed into a bedroom less than 20 square meters. One night in October 2003, Cheng Li suddenly woke up from a dream. She had a strange dream.She dreamed of a handsome boy with a strange light in his clear eyes calling her affectionately. She sat up, threw off the thin, fluffy blanket, opened the window, and stretched her head out to breathe the fresh air.The autumn air was slightly cool, which made her feel much refreshed. Cheng Li didn't turn on the light, and the cold moonlight soaked in.There are only two people in the girls' dormitory - she and Xu Yan.In this dormitory, lived eight girls, three were from Nanjiang City; two had relatives in Nanjiang City; the other was in a crazy relationship and rented a private house with her boyfriend near the medical school.Today is Saturday, the weekend, only she and Xu Yan are left in the bustling girls' dormitory 441.

Xu Yan's chest rose and fell rhythmically with her even breathing, and some saliva flowed out from the corner of her mouth, soaking her pillow cover.She slept soundly, perhaps, dreaming sweet dreams.Xu Yan came to the bustling Nanjiang City from a remote rural town, and the colorful urban life fascinated her eyes.She is at an age where she likes to dream, and she likes to look forward to the future. Cheng Li sighed faintly, bent down and gently wiped off Xu Yan's saliva.This world is far from being as beautiful as she imagined.Unfortunately, Cheng Li couldn't tell her in person.

The second hand of the quartz clock on the wall moved step by step, making a "tick, tick" sound.Cheng Li looked up at the quartz clock, it was eleven fifty. There are still ten minutes.Cheng Li muttered to herself and walked out of the bedroom.The desks in the hall of the dormitory are all covered with computers, one for each person.She found her computer and pressed the button lightly. The computer screen turned on, and a few minutes later, the familiar desktop appeared in front of her, and a cute little penguin popped out—it was her QQ. She skillfully entered the account password, the little penguin flashed a few times, and finally lit up, and she was on QQ.

No one is online in the friends column in QQ, which makes her a little disappointed. Her disappointment didn't last long. A few seconds later, the little penguin kept calling "Didi", which was a conversation in the QQ group she joined and a message written to her by others.Cheng Li clicked through one by one, and then stopped on a message written to her by someone else. The content of the message is simple: "It's time... I'm behind you." behind my back?Cheng Li was a little nervous. How could there be someone in girls' dormitory 441 so late?She remembered that before the two of them went to sleep, they clearly locked the bedroom tightly, unless it was a ghost.

But he's not a ghost, and he doesn't lie to himself!She believed him, believed every word he said. She turned around suddenly, and saw a handsome man's face—the face she was looking forward to.Then, she heard a strange voice: "It's time!" Yes, the time is up, Cheng Li looked up at the quartz clock, it was eleven fifty-eight, and there were two minutes to twelve.Twelve o'clock means the end of the day and the beginning of the day. Cheng Li seized the time and showed a smiling face in the mirror.Her smile is bright and bright.Today, she didn't have any makeup on, but she had her hair styled and a face mask on purpose. Tonight, she was even more beautiful. She asked this misty handsome man: "Am I beautiful?" "Yes, it's beautiful." She is satisfied with this answer, what could be more gratifying than hearing her lover's praise? "Time is up!" The strange sound sounded again, flying into her eardrums, making her tremble all over. She took his hand and ran across the hall to the balcony. On the bamboo poles on the balcony, some women's clothes are hanging to dry. The colors are bright and sway gently in the night.She is a little shy, her pink bust and light yellow panties are among the clothes on the balcony.She glanced at him furtively, hoping he hadn't noticed. Two minutes will soon be up.She closed her eyes, said a few prayers, and with a serene face, turned over and jumped from the balcony on the fourth floor. Cheng Li was like a flying bird in the air, feeling an indescribable comfort.She opened her arms and looked up to the sky, where the cold waning moon and dim stars shone in the sky. The moment Cheng Li jumped from the girl's dormitory 441, a satisfied and happy smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, which looked extremely strange in the vast night. Xu Yan shivered, feeling cold all over, and woke up from her sleep. She opened her sleepy eyes and found that the window was open, and the cold autumn wind blew in from here, getting into her thin body. No wonder it's so cold!Xu Yan got up quickly, walked to the window, and stuck her head out to close the window.There is endless darkness outside the window, and some dim lights flicker in the distance, faintly, as if covered with a layer of mist, making this world even more unreal. The windows are closed.Xu Yan breathed a sigh of relief, only then did she realize that Cheng Li was gone.Uncovering a corner of Cheng Li's blanket, Xu Yan reached out to touch it. It was cold inside. Cheng Li had been away from the bed for a while. She was the only one left in the entire dormitory 441, as silent as death, only the quartz clock in the hall of the dormitory kept ringing "tick, tick". Suddenly, a strange cold wind came from nowhere, and her whole body shook. Where did the strange wind come from?The window was obviously closed. so cold!Xu Yan heard a sigh, which seemed to be a man's voice.Faint, full of sad feelings.how is this possible?At this moment, how could there be a man in dormitory 441? Only then did Xu Yan notice that there was a faint light flickering in the hall of the dormitory.She summoned up her courage and tiptoed out.There was no one in the hall. On the desk in the hall, Cheng Li's computer was turned on.She took a closer look and found that Cheng Li's QQ was still online, not closed, and there was a message on it: "It's time... I'm behind you." The faint fluorescence seems to indicate something.She was startled suddenly, her feet were a little weak, but she didn't dare to look back. There must be no one behind! The door to bedroom 441 is locked.But Cheng Li... Where did Cheng Li go?It's impossible for her to go out this late. Xu Yan found the power switch and turned on the fluorescent lamp in the dormitory. The dazzling lights filled dormitory 441, and the hall was brightly lit, so she felt more at ease. 441 bedroom is almost completely sealed, giving her the feeling of a huge sealed coffin.Since she was a child, she has had an inexplicable fear of sealed spaces. Fortunately, the small wooden door leading to the balcony in the bedroom was not closed, and some refreshing fresh air could penetrate from there.Just as Xu Yan was thinking this, the small wooden door suddenly slammed back and forth.She was startled, and looked around, and saw two green lights flickering faintly on the balcony. Is it a ghost?Xu Yan couldn't help thinking of the man's sighs she heard at the beginning, her heart tightened, and she couldn't help shivering. The green light stared at Xu Yan for a long time, then jumped off the balcony with a "meow" and disappeared. It turned out to be a wild cat. Xu Yan felt a little relieved, what happened to her today, why was she so suspicious?Fortunately, the classmates are not here, otherwise, I don’t know how to laugh at myself. She walked slowly to the small wooden door, trying to close it—although the sealed space made her feel uncomfortable, but opening the door made her feel even more anxious, for fear that something would come in from outside. At this time, there was a wind blowing, and the clothes hung by the students on the bamboo poles on the balcony swayed with the wind. Two of the clothes might not be hung on the hangers tightly and fell with the wind.A pink bust, a pale yellow panty. Xu Yan knew that it was Cheng Li's clothes. In dormitory 441, Cheng Li is her best friend.This is not only because both of them are from other places and sleep on bunk beds, but also because they both belong to the kind of hearty personality who dare to love and hate. In any case, she is obliged to help Cheng Li pick up these two pieces of clothing.If you don't pick it up, Cheng Li will be embarrassed if it is picked up or seen by a passing boy at dawn tomorrow. Thinking of this, Xu Yan went to the dormitory to find a flashlight, opened the dormitory door, and walked down. Bedroom 441 is on the fourth floor, and there are no sensor lights along the way. Xu Yan carried a flashlight and went downstairs nervously.It was very quiet in the building, and although she was careful and light, she could still hear her footsteps echoing dully.Finally, after reaching the bottom of the building, Xu Yan let out a heavy breath.However, at this moment, a black figure suddenly jumped over from the darkness, and her face seemed to be scratched by something, causing burning pain. It was the wild cat. Wildcats are black.For some reason, it suddenly jumped over and grabbed Xu Yan, then squatted aside, staring at her coldly, as if looking at some monster.The black cat's eyes have a mysterious magic power, glowing with light blue light, unfathomable.According to legend, the black cat is to ward off evil spirits. Could it be that it regards Xu Yan as an evil thing?Xu Yan wiped it with her hand, and there were dark red blood stains on her hand. Hateful black cat!Xu Yan's fear turned into anger, and she picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at the black cat. The black cat let out a howl and disappeared.Xu Yan wanted to chase after her bitterly, but her foot was caught by something and she fell to the ground. The road to the medical school is poured with concrete, which is hard and solid. When Xu Yan fell on it, her body seemed to be falling apart, and her whole body was aching.She barely got up, and used the flashlight to map the object that tripped her, and it turned out to be a corpse!Looking at the clothes on the corpse, it was her friend Cheng Li who lived in the same room as her! With a "clang", the flashlight fell from her hand.Her legs could no longer support the weight of her body, and she collapsed limply.She opened her mouth to call out, but no sound came out.A strange cold wind poured into her throat, almost suffocating her. She was breathing rapidly, like a fish out of water, her chest heaving violently. At this time, her hand touched a wet and soft object, and when she took a closer look, it was a deformed eyeball. She screamed, desperately trying to lose Cheng Li's eyes.Cheng Li's eyeballs seemed to be glued to her hand, and she refused to leave no matter how she shook them. The eyeballs shone with a creepy cold light, staring at her firmly, there was even a strange smile in her eyes. It was smiling at Xu Yan, as if mocking her. Xu Yan, who was tense, finally passed out.At the last moment of her unconsciousness, the last message that flashed through her mind was a QQ message on Cheng Li's computer: "It's time... I'm behind you."