Ah Fang was already used to the strange things happening around him. When he was moved away by the hand, he didn’t show any fear.
The little boy patted the dust away from his body and looked around. Even though there was no one in the bedroom, he still bowed politely in the air and said in a cute tone, “Thank you, Mom! I won’t go to the dangerous places!”
His small face was very cute. One couldn’t help but have the urge to pinch his cheeks. Ah Fang grabbed the crayons, toddled out of the bedroom, and found a book to draw in. He swayed his feet. The tail of his dinosaur pyjamas swayed with them.
“Even if you don’t show up, I know you’ve always been by my side.” Ah Fang hummed. He seemed so carefree as if he were not in the most famous haunted house in the east city. The room was silent.
After playing for half an hour, Ah Fang was tired. He put down the crayons, curled on the sofa and slept. Ah Fang’s breathing was even. He seemed to dream of something happy. His lips moved as if he was eating.
The curtains moved, and blood flowed down the window. However, the blood only flowed halfway down the window when it was stopped by something and obediently flowed backwards.
The bedroom door was lightly pushed open. A thin blanket flew out and landed on Ah Fang.
The shiny tea cup reflected an arm covered in wounds. The red dress covered the fingers. She reached slowly towards the boy. As if worried that her fingers’ coldness might awaken Ah Fang, the pale hand paused before it touched him.
The tall and thin woman stood beside the sofa. Her eyes moved. The wounded fingers picked up the book from the ground. In the dark room, the colourful drawings in the book stood out even more. Ah Fang had just drawn a giant cake. It was covered in a thick layer of cream and decorated with fruits.
“Did no one celebrate your birthday with you...”
Footsteps appeared in the corridor. The book fell to the ground. Ah Fang was picked up by a mysterious force.
...
The children’s cries fluctuated. The mad mother who couldn’t find her children carried something and waited at the corner of the corridor. The red dress fluttered in the wind. She was very tall. Her dress couldn’t hide the red ‘paint’ that stained her shoes.
Inside Room 1601, there was a weak light in the living room. Ah Fang wore his dinosaur pyjamas, carried his large school bag and carried a small candle with both hands. He explored the unfamiliar rooms on his own. Something scary had once occurred inside Room 1601. All the furniture was sealed with plastic wrap. There was tattered police tape on the ground. Ah Fang slowed down and pulled up the corner of the sofa. The dark red mould was horrifying, like a giant scar.
He turned to the bedroom. The dresser door was open. All the clothes inside the dresser were shredded with a knife. There was not a single complete outfit.
There was a rustling sound. Ah Fang discovered something. He turned around nervously. He raised the candle and slowly moved to the kitchen. Holding his breath, Ah Fang pushed the door open a gap. He saw a woman in red standing before the cutting board. Inside the dim kitchen, the lanky figure wore bloody clothes. Her exposed skin was covered in wounds. Her face was scarier than most nightmares. The rusted blade fell, and the red juice squirted everywhere. Ah Fang covered his nose with one hand. His other hand pushed open the door, and he ran into the kitchen.
“I found you!”
The excited fingers grabbed forward, but Ah Fang had caught nothing. The woman had disappeared like she was never there to begin with.
“Mom, you can’t do that! I saw you!” Ah Fang shouted, but there was no response. He moved his candle closer to the cutting blood.
Beside the mouldy stove, there was a clean cutting board. On top of it sat a rotten ball of dough. Someone had shoved cut-up apples and decaying tomatoes into the edge of the dough.
There were no other fruits in the apartments. Who knew where the woman found the apples and tomatoes?
“Wow! It’s a birthday cake!” Ah Fang looked at the cutting board with apparent surprise and joy. “This is the first time someone is celebrating my birthday! Mom! You have to join me! We’re celebrating my birthday!”
The boy’s adorable voice echoed in the empty, haunted house. He held up the cutting board with difficulty, but the joy was apparent on his face.