628 Who is in the Room
The middle-aged woman kept telling Han Fei to rest and calm down. She appeared to be the only person who cared about Han Fei, but he really couldn’t remember who she was. He had no impression of her face. She was a stranger to him. He lost his memory. He couldn’t confirm the identity of the people around him. He couldn’t even tell if he was really home.
“Don’t get too close to the window.” The middle-aged woman moved Han Fei to the bed. Her eyes pained seeing Han Fei like this, but she didn’t dare to express it. “The meal is almost ready. You should take a shower after the meal. You just came back from the hospital.”
The middle-aged woman didn’t rush Han Fei. She returned to the kitchen. She made sure the kitchen door was closed so that Han Fei wouldn’t see the knives and fire. Soon, the woman carried two plates of vegetarian dishes to the living room. She set the table and then helped Han Fei out of his bedroom.
Perhaps to prove that they weren’t poisonous, she tried each dish before him. “They won’t be delicious if they’re cold.”
Han Fei looked at the dishes. He picked up the food like a rusted robot. He held the food over his bowl. He didn’t dare to eat them. An inexplicable image appeared in his mind. The middle-aged woman behind the door suddenly dropped her act, grabbed some pills, grounded them up, and mixed them into the food.
“Eat some.” With the woman’s persuasion, Han Fei picked up the bowl and started to eat. He had a huge appetite like his stomach was a black hole. As he gorged on the food, his nervousness calmed down. He sat at the corner and examined the objects in the living room. The middle-aged woman smiled when she saw Han Fei finally eat. “The water is heated. You can take a bath and then go for a nap.”
“Bath…” Han Fei had a déjà vu feeling.
The middle-aged woman placed the clean clothes inside the bathroom and adjusted the water temperature again. “You can drop the dirty clothes inside the washing machine.”
Han Fei’s mind was blank. He didn’t know anything. The woman had done everything for him. He didn’t feel any apprehension towards the woman, so he followed her instruction.
The wall on the clock stopped. It paused at 12.01.
Han Fei walked through the furniture and entered the bathroom with the woman accompanying him. “Don’t worry. I’m just outside.” The woman consoled him and closed the door.
The tile on the floor joined with the tile on the wall. The bathroom was like an enclosed box. Han Fei stood there and felt the ceiling coming towards him. Han Fei checked all the electrical fuses before turning on the shower. The water drenched his clothes. He stood dazed under the shower. As the shower mist rose, he felt someone watching him. The feeling was very strong. The eyes were hiding behind the window or between the gap in the wall.
“There’s someone else here.” Han Fei had no idea why he’d think that. His body froze under the shower. The hot water couldn’t bring him warmth. If anything, it took his body heat away. His breathing became rapid, and his pupils trembled. He kept looking behind him like the other person was hiding there.
“Can’t see. Can’t see it.” His lips shook, and his heart thumped. He became panic-stricken again. As if hearing his flustered voice, the woman knocked on the door and asked about his situation. When she didn’t hear a reply, she quickly opened the door. The fully-clothed Han Fei stood under the shower. His face was startling white like he was drowning. The woman charged over, ignoring the water. She grabbed Han Fei’s shoulders with her scratched hands. “Han Fei! Han Fei!”
Han Fei eventually calmed down. He knelt and sat on the bathroom floor. There was nothing in his mind but his name. The middle-aged woman was pained seeing Han Fei like this. She didn’t know how to help him.
“I’ll help you with the shower.”
Han Fei was like a puppet. The woman used the showerhead to wash and shampoo his hair. The soap bubbles slid down his hair. Even if they were about to touch his eyes, Han Fei didn’t blink. It was as if scary things would happen once he closed his eyes.
“Here, you can dry yourself. Then, you can change.” The woman replaced the showerhead after she helped Han Fei wash away the bubbles. Han Fei ignored her suggestions. He was trying his best not to blink. It felt like he was doing some kind of mission. Probably he could win something if he didn’t blink during the shower. The woman was already used to this. She was very patient as she guided Han Fei through the process.
Han Fei took an hour before he finished the shower and put on a new set of clothes. The woman helped him back to his bedroom. She lay him down in bed and tucked him in. “Don’t think too much. Rest and sleep.”
The woman’s voice was laced with fatigue and concern. She treated Han Fei like he was really her biological son. Covered under the blanket, Han Fei tried to think, but he didn’t know where to start. There was no memory in his mind. He couldn’t even remember himself. His eyelids became leaden. Perhaps he was too tired, or the woman had mixed some drugs into the food, Han Fei slowly fell asleep.
Those without memories couldn’t even dream. Han Fei heard strange voices, but he couldn’t see anything. He walked inside a black box. Everywhere he turned, it was black. Han Fei followed the strange voices. After who knew how long, he heard the middle-aged woman’s voice.
“The doctor said this illness has to be treated slowly.”
“When will you come back tonight? The clock at home is stuck. Remember to bring back two No. 5 batteries.”
“Hello? What did you say? Did something happen over there?”
“Okay! I’ll be there now!”
The voice became clearer. Han Fei suddenly realized something and opened his eyes. Han Fei turned to the bedroom door. The middle-aged woman’s face appeared at the door. She was holding her phone and looking at Han Fei with concern. “Han Fei, I’m going to start my night shift. Your dad will be home soon. Stay quietly at home and inside your bedroom, okay?”
The sky outside the window was dark. The woman waited for a long time, but Han Fei didn’t speak. She sighed and walked to the living room door. “Remember. Stay at home.”
She opened the door, carried her phone, grabbed her bag, and left.
Han Fei was left alone inside this strange house. He slowly got up from the bed. The feeling of anxiety grew.
“It’s dark…” He felt strangely agitated. He put on his clothes and got down from the bed. He switched on all the lights. The lights couldn’t chase the strange feelings away. Han Fei stood at the living room corner and silently observed the other rooms. “Where is it hiding?” The strange question appeared in his heart. He was grabbed by fear. He couldn’t find the answer. He leaned against the wall and slithered back to his bedroom. He closed the door. He leaned against the door and listened. However, the living room was quiet. Han Fei’s heartbeat slowly returned to normal. This room gave him a slight sense of security. He went back to his bed. He touched the manuscript hidden under the pillow. He took out the paper, and it was another story.
“The second story is called the Bathroom. Around seven years ago, I accidentally got the bubbles into my eyes. I quickly washed them away, but the stinging feeling refused to leave. I tried multiple times before I could get my eyes open. And I saw a pair of pale hands pressing against my eyeballs.
“The third story is called the guest. From the day I was diagnosed with the illness, someone would knock on the front door at 12.01. I told this to my family. They waited until midnight. The knocking came. They opened the door, and there was no one outside.
“On the second day, the knocking stopped at the front door. However, my bedroom door kept shaking at midnight.
“The fourth story is called Mother. Slowly, I discovered something. She is actually…”
The manuscript was torn apart. Han Fei picked up the pillow, but he couldn’t find the other part. He stood up and moved to the table. He picked up the trash can, and it was clean. Then, he pulled open the drawers one by one. The feeling of déjà vu returned. It felt like he had done this before. Han Fei looked around, but he couldn’t find anything. He sat on the chair dumbly and saw the row of scripts and books on the table. “I’m a reader.”
He scanned the scripts, and one of them grabbed his attention. “Thriller Novelist?” Han Fei slid the script out, and as it did, a paper slid out as well. It was a notification that said he had been hired. Han Fei read the employment notice. It requested him to gather at the western gate of the theme park at 8 am to take the doll costume. “I’m really a doll actor at the theme park?” Perhaps being fully hidden inside a costume could bring him a sense of security. Han Fei stared at the employment notice. He felt that it was very important.
“8 am…” Suddenly, Han Fei heard a creak. The sound was very soft. Most people would think it was nothing. Han Fei shoved the notice into his pocket with his fastest speed. Han Fei whipped his head around. The dresser door had opened a gap. Han Fei’s mind was blank. His blood pumped. Han Fei stood up and moved to the dresser. His breathing became uneven as he slowly approached the dresser. His finger touched the dresser door, but he hesitated. Horrifying images appeared in his mind. A hand would reach out to drag him into the dresser; hair would pour out once he opened the door; a bloody child was waiting inside the dresser…
Han Fei’s hands slowly pushed the doors closed. Before his hands left the dresser, he heard the sound of the clock ticking from the living room. Even though Han Fei had lost his memory, he remembered everything that happened after he woke up at the hospital. The woman told him clearly that the wall clock was broken and time was stuck at 12.01.
While he was distracted, the dresser doors creaked open again. Perhaps the dresser was too old, and its doors couldn’t be closed fully. Regardless, Han Fei’s heart grew shaky with anxiety. He didn’t dare to stay inside the narrow bedroom, and he walked out of the door. The living room lights showered on him. He looked around, and the anxiety grew stronger. Han Fei switched on all the lights after the middle-aged woman left. However, when he returned to the living room, the lights in the bathroom were off.
“The first story is the dresser. The second story happens inside the bathroom.” His heart pounded. Han Fei leaned against the wall and stared at the unfamiliar room. He couldn’t remember anything. It was like his brain had been wiped clean. Only his name and his bodily instinct remained.
Holding his breath, Han Fei moved away from the bathroom. He moved towards the front door. He had a strong feeling that he’d be killed if he continued to stay there.
