ebookland Chapter 100: Who Let the Ghosts Out?
Chapter 100: Who Let the Ghosts Out?
(Yay, the 100th chapter!! Give me praise for not abandoning you~! Only 92 more chapters to go. Uhh… That’s a lot… Yay!!)
“Right, One.”
Yu Xiao tightly gripped the note in her hand and followed its instructions. She nudged the door ajar and peered inside, revealing a staircase leading downward. With each step, she reckoned she could leave the hospital soon.
Yet, beneath that hope lay a seed of concern. What about Misty and Precious? They remained trapped, guarded by a mysterious monster. Could she truly rely on its protection? The doctor was a joke, and this thing was a monster. It fed on human flesh, for crying out loud. And even if it meant well, how far could its power reach? It was confined to one room, on one floor. Her friends had to go through a maze of horrors to escape.
A surge of determination coursed through Yu Xiao. She couldn’t leave them behind. They were the only family she had. Her parents never cared for her. The thought of losing them made her chest tighten.
“I can’t just leave them!”
Dropping her belongings, Yu Xiao cupped her hands around her mouth and called out, “I need someone to ensure my friends’ safety! Who’s up for the task? Name your price!”
Her voice reverberated through the corridor, but no immediate response greeted her ears. Did she have to knock on every door?
There were dozens of wards on this floor. It would take forever to check them all.
Then she heard a rustle. And another. And another. From every direction, sounds of movement. Yu Xiao’s eyes widened; Had she pissed them off with her shouting? Were they coming for her?
She was ready. If they tried anything, she would run to St. Elizabeth’s and lock herself in. She would wait until the sun came up and pray for a miracle.
However, instead of a menacing onslaught, paper notes slid out from beneath several doors. She narrowed her eyes and counted. Only four out of the dozens of rooms had notes. What was the deal with that?
She bent down and picked up the notes, curious. The first one said, “One brain.”
Well, did they have a zombie fetish or something like George?
The second one said, “One brain, one heart.”
The third one said, “One brain, one heart.”
The fourth one said, “An entire body.”
Yu Xiao stared at the notes, baffled. Why did the last one want a whole body? Was that a sign of strength or greed? She wondered aloud, “Should I go for the one who wants the most?”
She didn’t mean to say it loud enough for anyone to hear, but as soon as the words left her mouth, a loud bang echoed through the hall. Yu Xiao flinched, expecting something to burst through the door. But instead, she heard a cacophony of noises coming from two of the rooms with notes. It sounded like a martial arts movie on steroids with peak Jackie Chan and peak Jet Li fighting.
“Creaking…”
“Woah-woah…”
“Sobbing…”
“Crackling…”
The eerie silence that ensued left Yu Xiao feeling vulnerable and insignificant. Hugging herself, she shivered in the sterile corridor, grappling with an overwhelming sense of powerlessness.
As the moments stretched on, she debated whether to retreat and cut her losses, abandoning this level in pursuit of another.
“Um, hello?” she ventured tentatively. “Anyone there? I’m… I’m leaving, alright?”
Thud!
A loud bang made her jump. Something slammed one of the doors with a force that rattled the nearby doors.
She felt a surge of curiosity and dragged her bag towards the door. There was a note sticking out of the crack.
She pulled it out and read: “What’s the highest bid?”
She bit her lip, unsure if she should lie or tell the truth. She decided to go with the latter. “A whole body.”
Almost immediately, another note emerged.
“I want a whole body.”
Yu Xiao arched an eyebrow. Such audacity! Did it outdo all competitors?
“Hold on a sec.”
**
It was a rare sight to catch Tie Niu outside of the operating room. As a operating room doctor on duty, his nightly task involved patient transfers from the ward. Yet, the truth was, he often lingered in idleness and was too lazy to move.
Tie Niu had seen his share of nasty kitchens and the canteen at St. Elizabeth’s was a horror show. No chef, no staff, no hygiene. Just a pile of dirty dishes and a stench of rotten food. The whole area was cordoned off with yellow tape, like a crime scene.
Tie Niu had sworn off kitchens long ago. But today was an exception. Today, he needed to impress the Dean.
So he took to cooking. His specialty: charcoal-grilled loin.
Yu Xiao set out in
─── ❖ ── ☆ ── ❖ ───