4895…
They had only a string of four aningless and mocking digits as a clue to escape this nightmarish amusent park.
Yu Xiao racked her brain, trying to make sense of the numbers, wondering if they might be a phone number.
Her gaze drifted to the ghost who was wailing in agony, a pitiful sight that stirred no sympathy in her. She couldn’t forget the cold, hateful glare of Lolita. Surely she wouldn’t leave them without a peep, would she?
The attending doctor shouldn’t be so easy to bully, right?
The others seed unaware of Yu Xiao’s suspicion, or perhaps they were simply relieved to have survived.
They had barely made it through this particular challenge, the most difficult one yet, thanks to the badass who had joined them at the last minute. She was their saviour, their hero, their hope. Maybe there was a way out of this hell after all. Perhaps the difficulty of each challenge was tailored to their abilities, and they had found their thick thigh to hug.
“Where should we go next?” Liu Fei asked eagerly. He had just bullied a ghost for the first ti and was hungry for more. “We still haven’t obtained the clue from the giant hamr.” He pointed to the massive pendulum swinging threateningly, ready to crush anyone who dared to approach.
“You go ahead,” Yu Xiao said, passing the chainsaw to Zhou Xiao Zhen. “I’m tired and need a rest.”
“Alright, Smiley, take a good rest,” Zhou Xiao Zhen said, pounding her chest with determination. “Leave this to us!”
“Rest well, Smiley,” Zhao Lan added, dragging the axe behind her. “We still have over a day left. There’s no need to rush.”
Not only had Yu Xiao travelled back and forth between two treatnt areas, she also risked her life climbing the track and had also fought Lolita, defending them all. She had worked tirelessly and selflessly for their sake. Smiley was truly amazing.
The seven of them marched towards the giant hamr as the sun set and the streetlights flickered on. The amusent park was still bustling with tourists, laughing, screaming, and having fun. They seed to have endless energy, as if they could play from morning till night.
As she walked, Yu Xiao nibbled on a flatbread, savouring the warm and crispy bite.
(手抓饼 (flatbread): This is a type of Chinese street food, made of dough that is flattened, folded, and fried on a griddle. It is often stuffed with eggs, at, cheese, or vegetables, and served with sauces or spices. The na literally ans “hand-grabbed cake”, and it is a popular snack or breakfast item.)
A family of three appeared from the side, catching her eye.
The little girl wore devil horns on her headband, a cheeky contrast to her cute face. She clutched her mum and dad’s hands, and said in a sweet voice, “Daddy, I want a flatbread~”
“Oh, my darling daughter is hungry, huh.” The dad scooped the little girl up, and kissed her cheek. “Then let’s get you a flatbread, and we’ll have dinner when we get ho.”
Yu Xiao felt a pang of envy and curiosity at that mont, and she approached them. “Sorry to bother you, but do you know where the amusent park’s gate is?”
The couple probably thought Yu Xiao was off her rocker, who didn’t know where the funfair’s gate was? How did she get in without knowing where it was?
But they didn’t let on, there were too many people with dodgy brains these days, who knew what they would do if they got triggered?
They bought a flatbread, and said they were just leaving, and they could walk with Yu Xiao.
The little girl gazed at Yu Xiao with wonder. “Sister, are you a doctor?”
Yu Xiao was still wearing a white coat, and she smiled at the little girl. “Sister is not a doctor, this is a cosplay outfit (cos服).”
The little girl looked baffled by Yu Xiao’s words, having no clue what she ant.
Yu Xiao tagged along with the family of three. The route they took was so twisty and bendy that even a numpty would get lost. After following the family for ages, Yu Xiao finally spotted the gate to the amusent park.
(路痴: This is a slang term that ans soone who is bad at directions, or easily gets lost. It is derived from the word 路 (road) and 痴 (stupid or foolish).)
Beyond the gate, there was a wide road with no pedestrians, but cars whizzing by now and then.
Dumbstruck and dazed, Yu Xiao stood rooted at the gate.
The couple sensed sothing off about her and decided to steer clear. They didn’t bother saying goodbye and hurried away with the little girl.
Yu Xiao couldn’t comprehend it and ran her left hand through her hair. “Was it so easy to find the amusent park’s gate? What was the point of risking our necks in the amusent park, playing gas, and searching for clues?”
But the impact of the amusent park incident didn’t end there. Both of the previous instances she had entered were sealed off. In the Saint Elizabeth instance, they could only roam inside the hospital. In the Village instance, they were confined to the village and cut off from the outside world.
Initially, she thought that Lolita’s amusent park was the sa, but now she realised she was mistaken. There was a world outside the amusent park! Tourists were still flocking in and out of the gate, and Yu Xiao couldn’t help but wonder – what kind of world existed beyond the instance? Was it the sa as reality?
“Beep beep!”
Yu Xiao was jolted by the horn coming from the side and she spun around.
A middle-aged man’s head popped out of the taxi window. “Miss, do you need a ride?”
Yu Xiao hesitated for a mont, then nodded.
Without exchanging any words, she silently got into the car and soon found herself watching the fading scenery outside. Her eyes were wide open, eager to take in more of this world.
There were roads, skyscrapers, and shops lining the streets, almost indistinguishable from reality.
Yu Xiao carefully retraced everything that had happened since she arrived at Lolita’s amusent park. She wondered if she had fallen into a mind trap. Anyone who had been through a few copies would think the sa way – that they had to find clues to escape the amusent park. So when they heard Lolita’s kind hint, the patients would start to puzzle over the gas, and no one would think of trying to find their own way out.
But Yu Xiao had a feeling that sothing was off. What if? What if so patients just wanted to take a shot at finding their own way out first? Wouldn’t this copy be a piece of cake for them?
And what did the numbers they got from each ga an?
Lost in her thoughts, the car suddenly ca to a stop.
Yu Xiao snapped out of her reverie and realised they had stopped at the entrance of a residential area. She asked, “Why did we stop here?”
The driver appeared confused, his face showing a mix of bewildernt and concern. “Didn’t you ntion that you wanted to get off here? Isn’t this where you live?”
Yu Xiao was montarily struck silent, unable to find words. She was certain she had instructed the driver to continue circling the area for two more rounds. Yet, his expression seed sincere and serious, indicating that he wasn’t joking or had misunderstood her.
Nevertheless, Yu Xiao decided to get out of the taxi. As she stood at the entrance of the residential area, she felt a wave of confusion wash over her. Why had they stopped at this particular residential area? What made it so special?
“Do you want so fruit?” The sitting fruit seller at the entrance held up a basin of freshly picked strawberries. “These strawberries were just picked today, they’re really fresh. Do you want to buy a kilogram and have a nibble?”
Yu Xiao wasn’t in the mood for small talk. In her mind, the only people in the instance who seed real were the patients who ca seeking treatnt. Everyone else seed non-human, and she had no desire to engage with NPCs.
The fruit seller noticed her indifference and remarked, “Smiley, why are you so late getting off work today? Did you have to work overti? Working at the hospital must be exhausting. You didn’t even change your clothes before coming back…”
Yu Xiao whipped her head around, fixing a piercing gaze on the fruit seller. “What did you just call ?”
The fruit seller jumped in surprise, their expression morphing into one of puzzlent. “Smiley…what’s gotten into you today?”
“What is my na?” Yu Xiao took two steps forward, squatting down in front of the fruit stall, her eyes wide and unblinking. “What is my na?”
“Ouch, are you so stressed out that you don’t even rember your own na?” The auntie’s eyes widened in alarm, as if she had encountered a madwoman. “You’re Yu Xiao, right?”
Yu Xiao blurted out, her heart racing, “Who are you? How do you know ?” She had collided with this unfamiliar auntie at the entrance of a strange neighbourhood, inside a treatnt instance.
The auntie frowned and said, “How could I not know you? I’ve been a resident of this neighbourhood for more than two decades. You were a wee lass when I first saw you. I even cuddled you once when you were a baby…”
A shiver ran through Yu Xiao’s body. She fixed her gaze on the auntie for a long while before croaking out, “Where’s my ho?”
Building 4, Unit 2, Room 404. That was the address the auntie gave for Yu Xiao’s ho. And that was the exact spot where Yu Xiao found herself.
This was an old neighbourhood, with no lifts in the buildings and no flats above the sixth floor.
The decrepit door before her felt like a portal to hell. She had a dreadful feeling that sothing terrible awaited her behind it.
She lingered in the darkness for an eternity until she summoned the courage to rap on the door.
From inside, a woman’s voice called out. “Who’s there?”
“Our daughter, I reckon.” A man’s voice replied. “She’s forgotten her keys behind, as usual.”
Yu Xiao’s heart leapt to her throat. She whirled around and dashed downstairs, fleeing the neighbourhood as if chased by demons.
She reached the gate, panting and wheezing, and flagged down a cab.
The fruit seller auntie raised her eyebrows. “Smiley, what’s the hurry? Are they making you work late at the hospital…”
Yu Xiao yanked the door open and climbed in, slapping the driver’s seat as she urged. “Go, go! To Lolita Amusent Park!”
The driver frowned, peering at the rear-view mirror as he drove. “What’s the matter, love? Off to the amusent park at this ti of night?”
Yu Xiao curled up in the back seat, shivering. She felt a chill seep into her bones.
She wished the drivers would leave her alone.
Seeing that Yu Xiao gave him the cold shoulder, the driver tried to pique her interest with so gossip. “You know, this Lolitas Amusent Park had a terrible accident a while back, and it’s still booming now. It’s bloody ridiculous…”
Yu Xiao’s eyes widened. “What? What terrible accident?”
The driver’s face lit up, seeing that Yu Xiao finally showed so interest. “You don’t know? You must be new in town. Just last year, that amusent park went up in flas. A massive inferno, it raged for hours, and none of the visitors escaped. They all perished in the fire…”
The taxi pulled up at the entrance of the amusent park, where the festive lights cast a nacing shadow on the people.
Yu Xiao rang Zhao Lan at the gate. “Misty, how’s it going?”
Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen were orchestrating the others to wreck the amusent facilities with axes and saws. She replied. “We’re doing alright, just a tad slow. Smiley, have you had anything to eat? Let’s go munch on sothing together.”
“Sure.” Yu Xiao agreed. “I’ll co join you.”
She slipped her phone into her pocket, breathed a sigh of relief, and headed into the amusent park.
Even though this place was steeped in death and fear, Yu Xiao felt oddly calm here. The outside world seed normal, but it gave her the creeps.
She sprinted towards the direction of the giant pendulum, wondering if she should share her experience with Misty and Precious.
Unbeknownst to her, lurking in the shadows was a pair of eyes, watching her every move. They flashed with bitter disappointnt upon seeing her return.
**
In the doctor’s office of St. Elizabeth’s, George was busy tending to several terrified patients.
He was in the middle of speaking when his phone interrupted him with a shrill ring.
For a mont, George’s face stiffened. Since crossing paths with soone and enduring horrors, he had grown to loathe his phone ringtone. He wished that no one would ever call him again.
Ignoring the curious stares of the patients, he fished out his phone from his pocket. The caller ID displayed Lolita’s na.
Arching an eyebrow, George wondered what she wanted from him.
Reviews
All reviews (0)