BXBX NOVEL Chapter 415 - 257: Living with Ghosts
Pitter-Patter! Pitter-Patter!
Torrential rain was pouring down, pummeling the dilapidated tiles and bricks. The relentless sound of the drops hitting hard on the surface was causing a chaotic unease. Amidst this storm, a tiny flame flickered in the rickety, draughty hut, like it could be snuffed out by the icy gusts seeping through the cracks at any moment.
“If I die, I die! Let’s see how these ghosts are going to take my life!”
The extremity of despair and fear can transform into anger. The boy sat by the oil lamp, clutching a rusty kitchen knife, his bloodshot eyes fixated on the dim light and the shadows beyond its reach.
A constant trickle of water from the leaking roof was soaking a corner of his bedding. A cold, damp atmosphere permeated the hut, becoming increasingly heavier.
Whoosh~
A bitter blast of wind slipped through a crack under the eaves, extinguishing the already feeble flame. The dimly lit room plunged into silent darkness, only the boy’s laboured breathing filling the thick, oppressive silence.
“My Lord, are you waiting for me?”
All of a sudden, a faint glow illuminated the room, the soft voice of a flirtatious woman echoed. In the next moment, a beautiful girl donned in a red bridal gown appeared before the boy’s bed, grinning slyly at his fuming figure, desperately clutching the kitchen knife.
In the face of the bridal ghost once again, the boy’s terror and anger intermingled. The bone-chilling aura seemed to paralyse him, but his mouth was still under control.
After his earlier experience, without hesitation, he bit his own tongue again. The taste of iron invaded his mouth, but, to his surprise, what happened earlier didn’t happen now.
Instead of disappearing as she had during the day, the figure of the bride ghost only became more tangible, her flirting smile now filled with a mocking playfulness.
“My Lord, what you’re doing is futile. You are just wasting your Yang energy.”
Just like during the day, the bride ghost extended her cold hand, lightly touching the boy’s cheek. The warmth he’d caused with his tongue biting dissipated instantly, replaced by a sensation like he’d just had a chunk of ice forced into his mouth.
“It’s a long, endless night, my Lord. If you’re not keen on sleep, why not join me …”
While speaking, the bride ghost leaned towards the boy but instead of arousing affection or desire in him, it caused fear and a deep-seated dread.
Because suddenly, the girl’s eyes turned into a bloody red and tears of blood started to flow down her cheeks, leaving a vivid, terrifying trail. The eerie chill in the room became thicker and more potent than ever before.
The boy, who could still move albeit slightly now lay frozen stiff, like a sculpture, entirely deprived of any control over his body. He could do nothing but watch the horrifying bride getting nearer and nearer.
As the distance closed, he began to realise that instead of any sweet, feminine fragrance, he was engulfed in an unbearable, nausea-inducing stench of blood and putrefaction.
No!
No way!
She mustn’t touch me!
A warning went off in the boy’s head. If she touched him, he would never see another sunrise. The looming severe threat triggered his mental faculties into hyperdrive making his heart beat like a crazy drum.
Boom——.
Something exploded in his brain, a roar echoed in his consciousness. Something erupted in his chest, a warm heatwave gushed through his veins, spreading into every corner of his body.
The boy’s mind and thoughts became hazy, an indescribable vehemence swallowed his consciousness. The enlarging face of the girl, with eyes bleeding tears, became blurry.
Roar~
A non-human roar resonated through the drenched town beneath the night sky. The scattered light flickering through the papered windows across the entire town, abruptly went out. The entire town seemed to have been swallowed by the darkness and rain, devoid of any signs of life. It resembled a ghost town from afar.
Pitter-Patter! Pitter-Patter!
The pelting rain continued relentlessly. It’s bothersome, non-stop noise was still as loud as before. When the boy managed to pry open his exhaustion-laden eyes, the sight that met him was both familiar yet alien.
As his groggy consciousness began to clear and flooded with recollections just before he passed out, he struggled violently to stand upright. Taking a blank look around, he realized his already shabby house was now a complete mess. Even the walls bore terrifying claw marks and traces of charring.
It was as if a savage beast had barged into his house and wreaked havoc. But, mysteriously, the bridal ghost who intended to harm him had vanished, and he was surprisingly still alive.
Had the beast saved him?
How could that be possible?
Hiss~
Still sinking in confusion and the surprise of his survival, an excruciating pain suddenly surged from his fingertips. Lowering his gaze, he shockingly found his fingers misshapen, the nails almost entirely torn off, flesh peeled, revealing stark white bones.
“What is …”
The boy’s reaction wasn’t slow. He lifted his gaze to the horrifying burn marks on the walls and his face turned disbelieving. He couldn’t, or rather wouldn’t believe he had caused it himself,
“… did I make these?”
He staggeringly rose, then noticed himself to be in a horrendous state. His patched-up clothes were now torn and tattered, with traces of charred burns.