Shuisheng Didi Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 

All the remaining students from 308 and their new dorm are a mess in the wee hours of the morning. This immediately brings our homeroom teachers and even the principals back to campus. All the high ranking staffs are cramped in Room 501 within half an hour.

 

Their wording is careful and cautious, and I understand why they’re so wary. Having a student die is already unusual, and then something strange happens to five of the deceased student’s roommates in their new room.

 

Our homeroom keeps talking to us gently. I just noticed how soothing her voice can be, as if she’s soothing five children on the brink of insanity who might just turn fully insane if she made a wrong move. But we don’t make a sound. We just sit and listen and remain silent.

 

A shapeless force dissuades us from even bringing up tonight’s happenings, let alone telling someone about it. 

 

Who’d believe us?

 

In the end, they give up and call Chief out by himself－he is in Student Council after all. I feel somewhat relieved after they leave. I pick the pieces of paper up without a word and roll them into a ball. I grip it in my hand not knowing what to do with it.

 

Should I throw it away? Into the garbage can? Out the window? Maybe shred it? Or swallow it?

 

    I smile wryly. If it appears on the table again tomorrow morning after I throw it away, I’d probably scream until I’m hoarse.

 

“Glooms, you got a light?” I sound weak like I’ve been starving for a week.

 

He quietly passes a lighter over, and I place the ball on the ground before lighting it. The flames slowly devour it. Watching the white being taken over, first by yellow and finally by black, somehow leaves me feeling reassured.

 

I know I’ve accepted the hypothesis that we’re in trouble with the supernatural. I’m already thinking about the impossible happening, like the black ashes before me turning back into a white piece of paper with a horrifying circle tomorrow.

 

When Chief finally comes back after god knows how long, he gives us a weak grin. “The principal said we could head home and take it easy for a few days if we wanted to.”

 

“It’s for the best I guess.” I grin and look towards Cubs curled up into a ball on his bed. “Hey Cubs, aren’t you from around here? Go home and rest for a coupla days.”

 

His expression softens a bit. I know he already planned to but was just too embarrassed to be the one ditching the rest of us who are from out of town. No one wants to be that person.

 

 

 

“Let’s all stay at my place. It’s big enough for everyone.”   “It’s alright.” I chuckle.   The ones in danger are Yuan Fei, Mu Mu and me.   “Head back in the morning, Cubs, and stay a few days. Don’t tell your family what happened today,” Chief instructs.   He nods and his curled up body finally seems to slacken a bit. I actually kind of feel sorry for him. He has long been scared out of his wits, but he hasn’t had the guts to call it quits.   “Glooms, your family’s here too, right? You head back tomorrow too, okay?” Chief continues.

   “So what about just now?” I raise my brows.   “I, I saw you sitting there, eyes closed, I thought…” He looks down again with a sad expression.   Seeing this, I feel a warm feeling in my heart; I didn’t know this guy actually cared about me.   I pat him on the back and put my arm around his shoulders, mood much better than before. “Alright, King Kong. I, Xiao Yu, officially end our opposition and call it truce. From now on we’re fighting the same battle so don’t keep anything from me. Two brains are better than one, am I right?”   “Yeah.” He gives me a light grin.    He looks a lot better than before but the anxiety hasn’t left his eyes. I can tell he’s still hiding something from me but I don’t push him. Something’s are better left unsaid until proven otherwise, like that water stain and that dripping sound. I’m not sure if they’re related at all. It might just be me, and I wish it really is.   I suppose the only thing I can do for my roommates is not spreading the fear any further.   Chief is on the phone when Yuan Fei and I get back to the dorm.    He beckons me over as soon as he sees me and says into the receiver, “Sunny’s back, I’m passing the phone.” Then he smiles at me. “It’s Cubs.”   I hastily take the receiver to hear Cubs call out in his adorable voice, “Sunny!”   “Good boy.” My mood gets even better. “Got home safe?”   “Yup. Got here a while now but they’d been asking me a ton of questions so I didn’t get time to call. They all left just now. I called right when I could.”   “Oh really? D’you have lunch yet?”   “Nope. Mum’s out grocery shopping. Said she’s gonna cook up a feast for me. What about you?”   I pull out a chair and plop down on it, laughing and chatting away with him, until I hear a creepily crisp sound.   Drip-drop.   My heart misses a beat.   It’s coming from the receiver!   A chill runs up my spine and all the pores on my body shrinks instantaneously.   Drip-drop.   “Cubs,”    I can’t control my voice. Its trembling is so obvious everyone looks at me. I hang on to the receiver but it almost slips out of my grip from the sweat that has perspired.   “Sunny, what’s wrong?”   “Did you, hear something?”   Drip-drop.   “No. Why?”   I glance around nervously. The guys have noticed my nervousness and have gathered around me. My hands start shaking more violently and my teeth start chattering. Chief asks me what’s wrong but I can’t spare the time to answer him. I’m searching in my mind but nothing comes.   “Sunny?” Cubs questions again.   Drip-drop.   “Is there a leakage at your place?” I force my lips to curve up but I bet it looks worse than sobbing.   “Leakage? Don’t think so. Lemme check.” He puts down the phone.    Clunk.   “Wait! Don’t! Cubs! Don’t go!” I scream.   But he doesn’t respond. I wait on pins and needles. One Mississippi, two Mississippi…   Seconds tick by but he doesn’t pick the phone back up.   “Cubs? Hello? Cubs!” I shout into the receiver.   The other end remains very quiet. No footsteps. No talking-   Crack!   Sound of glass shattering coming through the receiver is like thunder booming to my ears.   My blood turns cold.   “…Cubs?”   It falls silent again. I can’t stand the burning in my nose anymore and tears threaten to flow out of my eyes.   “Cubs! Hurry back! To school! Cubs!” I cry into the phone like an insane person. “Talk to me! Pick up the damn phone! Cubs!”   “Xiao Yu, what’s going on?” Someone is yanking on my arm.   I don’t know who’s pulling on me but I just keep crying into the receiver, coming apart at the seams like a cracked dam that finally gave into the pressure of the waves. All of the stress and fear that has built up the past few days just come bursting out in an instant, transforming into pathetic bawling. I’m dragged away from the phone but I cling on to the receiver like my life depends on it. The phone tumbles on to the ground and I hear the dial tone.   “Cubs! Cubs! Come back!” I can’t stop crying.   “Xiao Yu!”   “Cubs!”   “Hold’m on the bed!”   Why Cubs? He didn’t do anything. He’s such a nice kid. He never starts fights. He never does anything bad. He’s pure like a blank piece of paper. Why did it have to be him? Why innocent Cubs? There’s been a mistake!   I’m pressed down on the bed. A couple of figures hover before me but I can’t tell who’s who. I buckle like a mad cow, crying and screeching hysterically until everything goes black and the darkness swallows my consciousness.   Cubs…

Chapter end