chapter_015 : Approaching doom

After work, Gary Johnson eyed the dark - covered sky and shivered as he walked.

Should he go back? He hadn't settled the rent yet, so there was no way he could just check out. Besides, he couldn't find a suitable place for the time being. But going back like this...

Lost in such random thoughts, he found himself at his doorstep. Looking back at that corridor corner, it still felt eerily sinister. He really didn't have the guts to go over and take a look. He fished out his keys in a hurry and unlocked the door. Then, he checked the security door three times over before finally stepping inside with peace of mind. Next, he moved a table over and propped it against the door. He also fetched a bunch of chairs to blockade the entrance. Maybe... this would help a little?

Then he went into the kitchen to make instant noodles. As soon as he opened the cabinet, he found that he'd run out. Normally, he'd simply head out to grab a bite, but now... he just didn't want to open the door and go out at all.

Just hold on for a while... After paying off the rent, he'd look for another place...

Then he rummaged through the fridge, hoping for at least a slice of bread. He didn't usually go to the supermarket much, mostly buying frozen food. But because of the rent, he'd been cutting back on food expenses and mainly bought instant noodles. Was he going to have to go through the night on an empty stomach? Even some fruit would do! What about ordering takeout? Looking at how he'd barricaded the door, he thought the delivery guy would probably think he was crazy. And it would be such a hassle to move all the stuff aside. He decided to skip a meal instead. Anyway, he wouldn't die. He'd just get more food at the cafeteria tomorrow.

With that in mind, he took out a paper cup and poured some water from the thermos. He planned to use plain water to soothe his protesting stomach. But after downing a few cups, he was still starving, and the hunger only seemed to be getting worse. He'd skipped breakfast because he'd woken up late and had had a hasty lunch after what Zachary said. But he really didn't dare to go out to eat for fear that as soon as he opened the door, a ghostly woman would stand right in front of him.

Who said people who didn't do wrong didn't need to fear ghosts? He'd just gone to that house with Zachary and the others. He hadn't done anything immoral. The ghost woman wasn't killed by him. So why was she after him? The more he thought about it, the more confused he got.

Forget it... He hoped that ghost woman wouldn't come tonight...

Normally, at a time like this, he'd play games on his PSP or chat online. But the atmosphere just wasn't right today. Looking at his pigsty of a room, he figured there was no point just sitting around, and his stomach would stay hungry anyway. Maybe tidying up the room would do some good. Maybe he'd even find something to eat. As he started cleaning, he realized the consequences of his lack of tidiness. It took about an hour to clear up half of the junk on the floor. A few times along the way, he got so tired that he lay on the bed for a bit and then got up to continue cleaning.

The physical labor only made him hungrier. By the time he finally finished, it was already past ten at night.

"Let's watch some TV..."

He turned on the TV, and there was that boring weight - loss pill commercial that could run for two or three hours straight. He wanted to change the channel but couldn't find the remote. He'd just tidied up. Where the heck did the remote go? Annoyed, he switched off the TV, then flopped onto the bed fully dressed and pulled the covers over his head.

When he woke up, he felt freezing cold. He raised his head to check the clock and was shocked to see that it was already past midnight.

What he didn't know was that his death was just twenty - four hours away.

His head was groggy, and the wind was blowing into the room. Looking closely, he realized the window was still open. He sat up, closed the window, and locked it. Then, uneasily, he walked up to the entrance.

Please, don't come tonight...

He removed a chair blocking the peephole and peered through it.

Oh, my God!

He slipped right off the table. Then, involuntarily, he let out a scream and crawled back to his bedroom.

He'd seen... that ghost woman... She was standing just two or three steps away from his door!

"Help! Help!" He didn't care anymore. He grabbed the phone and called Zachary. As soon as the phone rang once, he cried out in a sobbing voice, "Pick up the phone! Please, pick up quickly!"

Finally, the call connected.

"Hello... Who is this? Can't you see what time it is... Yawn..."

"Zachary! Come to my place right away! Please, come and save me! That ghost woman is right outside my door... Save me! I'm begging you..."

"What? I don't understand what you're talking about..."

The other person's voice sounded sleepy. Of course, it was past midnight, and most people were fast asleep. Being woken up so suddenly, they couldn't be in a good mood.

"The ghost woman! The one from the painter's house! Hurry! If you don't come, I might die!"

"Sigh... I don't understand you. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up..." Then he yawned and hung up the phone.

"Hello? Hello? Zachary! Zachary!"

Gary was in full - on hysterics now, crying and screaming. Then he called Ryan. It took a long time for Ryan to answer.

"Ryan... There's a ghost! There's a ghost! Save me! Save me, please! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"

"Who is this... What time is it... Talking about ghosts and all..."

"It's Gary! I'm Gary! Ryan, please come..."

His tears were flowing like a waterfall, and he kept looking back at the entrance as he shouted into the phone.

"You saw a ghost again?"

"Yes! Yes! Come and save me! You know where I live..." Ryan was totally confused, but he understood what Gary was saying. He thought for a second and said, "Are you kidding me? What's going on?"

"You'll find out when you come. Hurry up! Oh, and take a taxi. I'll pay for it. No matter how much it costs, I'll pay!"

Ryan frowned and said, "Okay, stay there. I'll come right away!" Then he hung up and started getting dressed. Deep down, he was skeptical. Talk about ghosts...

Just thinking about it gave him the creeps. Even though he said he didn't believe in ghosts, what if there really were? Would he be walking into a death trap?

Thoughts like that were running through his head, but he still made it downstairs and hailed a taxi. It wasn't long before he arrived at Gary's apartment.

When he knocked on the door, Gary let out a shriek at first. But when he heard Ryan's voice, he calmed down and removed the barricades to let him in.

"Ryan... Thank goodness you're here..."

Gary threw his arms around Ryan like he'd just met a long - lost friend. A wave of relief washed over him.

"Hey, hey, hey... What are you doing hugging me like this? You're not a girl. It won't do you any good. Let go! You said there was a ghost. Where is it?"

Gary looked outside. There was no sign of the ghost woman.

"Damn it! You're pulling my leg!" After hearing Gary's story, Ryan's first thought was that this guy had been messing with him.

"I... I didn't lie to you..." "Calling me in the middle of the night, screaming like a stuck pig. Look at you... Are you even a man? Crying and sniffling. You should be an actor with this 'talent'. You said you'd pay for the taxi, right? It's $24 in total. You're going to foot the bill!"

Gary was completely lost.

He was sure he'd seen that ghost standing right outside his door...

Suddenly, it was like a lightbulb went off in his head. "Could it be that she gets closer to my door every night... until she can finally come in? Oh, my god. How could this be?"

"What? What are you even talking about? I'm really done with you. You're still going on with this act?"

Gary tugged at his hair and bit his nails. "I don't want to live here anymore! Ryan, you said I could cover your shift, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"I'm taking you up on that offer. Today... Right, today, I'll cover your shift... As for the taxi fare, since you said you'd treat me to a meal, how about we skip that?"

At the fishing lodge where Orion was staying, an old fisherman who was mending his nets said to Orion," My grandpa used to say there are ghosts in the sea that we can't see. When Mr. Neil Lawson stayed here, I could tell he wasn't an ordinary guy. Just like what my grandpa said, he could see those invisible ghosts."

"You... Never spoke to him?"

"Sigh... He was really strange. Even if you greeted him, he wouldn't respond. Those purple eyes of his were just... different. It felt like there was a lot going on behind those eyes..." They still couldn't figure out where Gary was... They were certain someone had entered Neil's house, but the only lead they had was Gary. This premonition of his was really a pain. It would be so much easier if it also showed an address.

But what should they do now?