Chapter 1 Under the Bed

  Late autumn, dusk, sunset imprinted on the boundless sky, connected with night. Shining on the dim street, quietly and soundlessly. Under the reflection of the street lamp, the shadow of a pair of hand-in-hand people appears sweet and desolate.

  Tong Xiao Yan wore a white dress, her long hair tied back and fluttering in the wind. Her double eyelids and large eyes were not dazzling, but instead, the slightly drooping corners of her eyes seemed melancholic and profound; her pupils were dull and lusterless, only reflecting a faint brightness under the night light, so dim that it was impossible to see through or guess. Her lips were pursed tightly, with a hint of a faint smile.

  Ye Chen's rough and large palm tightly wrapped around Xiao Yan's hand, his short hair neat and tidy, his deep eyes slightly curved, the corners of his mouth also carrying a deep smile. From time to time, he would turn his head to look at the person beside him, with a gentle and shallow smile on his face. This smile was enchanting, but it only bloomed for one person.

  Every day was like this, Ye Chen sent Xiao Yan home and saw her safely upstairs before returning home himself. Over time, it became a habit, and the habit became natural. Not for any reason, just to spend a little more time together.

  Unconsciously, they had already arrived at Xiaoyan's building. Ye Chen lovingly stroked and patted Xiaoyan's head, smiling as he said:

  "Go ahead, see you tomorrow."

  Xiao Yan responded with a smile, "Mm, see you tomorrow." She said, waving her hand at Ye Chen.

  As she walked up the old corridor, she was still filled with happiness and sweetness. From the initial passion of their relationship to the present happiness, Xiaoyan had already been inseparable from Ye Chen for two years.

  The corridor is cold and damp, perhaps because it has not been exposed to sunlight for a long time, emitting a strong musty smell. The lights don't know how long they haven't been lit, quiet enough to make people's hearts palpitate, like a dark monster opening its bloody mouth waiting for food.

  Xiao Yan opened the creaky wooden door at home, and the room was pitch black and quiet without a sound. She turned on the light, hastily grabbed her clothes to take a bath, and then lay in bed reading and reviewing. It's her senior year of high school, and her family isn't well-off, so she can only rely on studying hard to fight for her college dreams. Even if she gets accepted, it's still uncertain whether she'll be able to find the money to attend.

  Maybe she was too tired, unknowingly, her whole body's fatigue made her fall asleep in no time, sleeping so soundly.

  In a daze, it seemed as if there was no sound at all around her ears, yet there were chaotic breathing sounds, laughter, footsteps, and the ticking of clocks.

  Suddenly she seemed to see a little kid running outside the house, with a woman who looked exactly like her in appearance and figure, chasing after him playfully. Even the long hair that reached her waist, and the scattered strands of hair, all looked as if they were carved out of the same mold as herself.

  The appearance of that child is unclear, perhaps it's just forgotten. They started playing hide-and-seek, the woman smiled and patted the child's head, saying to the child:

  "If you can find me, I'll play with you every day."

  The child excitedly nodded, and the woman instantly vanished. The child went into the house to search, every closet, screen, curtain, and wooden cabinet was turned upside down, almost turning over the bed as well. But after searching the last room, there was still no sign of her. The child was exhausted and panting.

  "I can't find you, I give up! Come out quickly!" The child shouted loudly and helplessly inside the house.

  "Silly, I'm under the bed." The child heard that the voice came from under the bed and ran to the bedside, leaning down to look underneath.

  All that can be seen is the woman lying under the bed, staring with big eyes and smiling eerily, muttering something soundlessly. The child couldn't hear what she was saying no matter how hard he tried. Her long hair wrapped around her face looked eerie and frightening. The dim lamp couldn't shine under the bed, so it could only be seen by the faint light that the woman's head and long black hair were visible. The child couldn't see her body or limbs, nor could he hear what she was muttering, so he anxiously said:

  "Come out quickly, I can't hear what you're saying."

  The woman smiled with her mouth open and said:

  "Pull me out, I can't get out."

  The child, after listening, stretched his hand into the dark under the bed, as far forward as possible to let the woman reach. Half of her body was still on the edge of the bed, but one small hand had already entered the abyss. All she knew was that the woman's icy hand touched hers, and then dragged the child forcefully into the depths of the bed. The child didn't even have time to scream before falling into endless darkness.

  Xiao Yan's hand seemed to be pulled down by something, and she suddenly woke up. When she opened her eyes, she realized it was just a dream. Xiao Yan's breathing was rapid. As she gasped for air, she tried to feel around for her phone, but as soon as she stretched out her hand, she touched something cold above her. Xiao Yan's heart skipped a beat, and her hand froze in place, not daring to move.

  What is it?!

  Xiao Yan carefully felt around with her hands, sensing that it was a wooden board tightly pressed against her cheek and body. Xiao Yan thought for a moment, suddenly remembering the dream where she was under the bed?! Xiao Yan knocked on the wooden board again, further confirming her thoughts.

  A chill ran down from the back, enveloping the whole body. What was that dream after all? And who pulled me under the bed? No, there was no one, I was just too tired.

  Xiao Yan had a fleeting thought in her mind, but she quickly dispelled it. She warned herself that this world didn't have ghosts, no! She didn't know what her expression was like now, only knowing that it had already become distorted beyond recognition. The thorns of fear filled her heart.

  After an unknown period of time, Xiaoyan finally gathered the courage to crawl out from under the bed in a fluster, turned on the light, and looked around. The book was still scattered by the bedside, and the quilt was neatly spread on the bed, as if someone had slept there. Everything seemed so calm and normal. But how did she end up under the bed? She didn't dare to think about it, nor did she want to think about it. Xiaoyan took a deep breath again, trying to calm herself down; picked up her phone from the bedside table and saw that it was already past 3 o'clock in the middle of the night.

  It was already autumn, but her hair was still damp with sweat, making her body feel cold from the inside out. Xiaoyan sat on the bed with the light on, her head drooping weakly, the brightness unable to penetrate the darkness under the bed or the fear and doubts in her heart. She could only keep telling herself that maybe she had just sleepwalked, that she was too tired, that it didn't matter.

  It wasn't until the sky was faintly bright that she finally closed her eyes and fell asleep.

  A strange and eerie laughter came from under the bed, echoing in the quiet dawn.