chapter 15

I silenced my phone and put it in my pocket.

Gritting my teeth.

Summoning all my courage, I headed upstairs.

This time, the Ghost Wall was gone, and the panicked footsteps had disappeared as well.

Her formation was broken, and I found myself back in the corridor on the sixteenth floor.

The elevator doors were wide open, but the elevator was empty-there was no sign of Aunt Zhao.

I looked at the pair of shoes at the door, one facing in, one facing out.

I took out my key.

Quietly, I unlocked the door.

The house was dark, no lights on.

The water in the fish tank bubbled with oxygen, but the little fish inside floated belly-up at the surface.

My mom hadn’t gone to bed; she was still sitting in front of the TV.

Her back was to me, motionless, watching television.

But there was nothing on the screen, just a dense flurry of signal-less static.

She stared at the TV, sometimes laughing, sometimes crying.

The sound made my hair stand on end.

I knew where the candles were. That morning, I’d seen her put the Red Candle into the drawer of her bedroom vanity.

Tiptoeing, I crept toward her bedroom.

I didn’t forget to grab the lighter by the door.

I was almost at the bedroom door.

I looked back.

But my mom was no longer in front of the TV.

That tingling, numbing feeling crept over me again.

At the same time, I felt a cold sensation on my forehead.

Something was brushing over the top of my head.

What was it?

I held my breath and looked up.

I didn’t know what to expect, but what I saw shocked me.

Somehow, my mom was on the ceiling.

She was sprawled there in a bizarre posture.

Her body was pressed against the ceiling, but her head was turned toward me, her long black hair hanging straight down, the tips just brushing the top of my head.

As I looked up, my eyes met hers.

She looked at me and smiled.

Her mouth stretched all the way to her ears.

The sound from her mouth was hoarse and terrifying.

She said, “Shengsheng, why did you come back so late? Mommy’s been waiting for you for so long.”

As she spoke, a foul-smelling liquid dripped down from above.

I was so terrified I lost all sense of myself.

In a panic, I recited the incantation the Taoist Priest had taught me.

Seeing that she didn’t dare approach for the moment,

I hurried into the room and locked the door behind me.

As fast as I could, I found the Red Candle, then bit my ring finger.

Reciting the incantation, I let three drops of blood fall onto the base of the candle.

I swear, it took me only ten seconds to complete all these steps.

With a “sizzle,”

the candle was lit.

The tiny flame illuminated the entire room.

In that instant,

I felt like I wasn’t afraid anymore.

Cradling the candle,

I waited in the room for Master Qingyun to come to my rescue.