The Umbrella Girl in the Stairwell
I sniffled and glanced toward Old Wu's place, where mourning candles were still burning behind open doors, their flickering flames casting creepy shadows on the walls. The couple had mysteriously left their vigil, leaving only the matriarch's black-and-white photo sitting all alone on the altar, her eyes seeming to stare right through me, like she was watching from beyond the grave.
The photo showed Madam Wu with this weird half-smile, her gaze following me like a predator eyeing its prey. I shivered and quickly knelt to burn joss paper, telling myself that keeping the ritual flames going was worth braving this heavy, storm-cloud-like atmosphere. Suddenly, the hairs on my neck stood up—someone was behind me, their presence as cold as a winter breeze.
I jumped up, my heart pounding like crazy, only to see the wrinkled face of the fortune-teller from earlier, his eyes gleaming with some ancient wisdom. "What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice shaky with fear and curiosity. The old man let out a dry, humorless laugh, like leaves rustling in an empty forest. "Divination showed some weird stuff in your aura tonight," he said, his yellowed eyes scanning the dim hallway, like he was looking for something lurking in the shadows.
My throat tightened, like an invisible hand was squeezing it. "What kind of weird stuff?"
"Not sure," he admitted, stroking his thin beard slowly. "That's why I'm here." As I went back to burning the joss paper, I heard faint girlish laughter echoing through the stairwell—innocent but chilling. The old man didn't react, brushing it off as just a trick of the mind in this haunted place.
After the ritual, he insisted I cover all the mirrors—"Reflective surfaces can attract restless spirits," he warned, his voice serious and ominous. I did as he said, draping cloth over the glass while he sat at my table, only saying "Wait" when I asked what was going on, his cryptic answer just adding to the tension.
I checked my phone, and for a second, the dark screen reflected the old man's face twisted into a creepy grin, sending a jolt of terror through me. I looked up—his expression was calm, like nothing had happened. Before I could say anything, there were quick knocks at the door, each one echoing like a death knell.
We both froze, the air thick with tension. Three slow knocks. Then three more, each one louder than the last.
"Who's there?" I called out, my voice barely a whisper. No answer, just more knocking, relentless and unnerving. I steeled myself and threw open the door to see an impossible sight—a stunning woman holding a red umbrella indoors, her presence both mesmerizing and terrifying. Moonlight shimmered on her qipao as she smiled, her lips curving into a serene yet sinister expression. "I've come for Father."
The fortune-teller appeared, his face pale with dread. "Stop this charade!" the woman sang, spinning her umbrella in a hypnotic, otherworldly motion. "Mother's getting impatient." As the old man shuffled out without a word, his "daughter" stayed behind, her perfume sweet and cloying, both alluring and repulsive. My primal instincts kicked in, overriding my terror—until she tilted her umbrella, revealing eyes like polished obsidian, dark and endless.
Alone again, I stumbled against the mooncake box, its lid open, the contents spilling out like long-buried secrets. The yellow prayer slip was gone, replaced by a bone-white note with an address and a tarnished key, both ominous and foreboding. Ice ran through my veins—the anonymous benefactor had claimed their due, their presence felt even in their absence.
At the funeral parlor, a haggard widow shattered reality: "My husband had a stroke this afternoon. He's in a coma at Mercy Hospital." I let out a strangled cry—I'd just seen him hours ago, alive and moving, the memory vivid and horrifying.
The widow's confusion mirrored my unraveling sanity, her disbelief a reflection of my own. There was no daughter in their family records, the final blow to my already fragile mind.
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Glossary (Sorted by logical importance in the text) 1. 1.Mourning Candles
In Chinese funeral traditions, these long white candles, carefully placed in the somber mourning hall, are deep symbols. They light the way for the departed soul's journey in the underworld. In the story, the flickering flames in the lonely hall create a spooky contrast, hinting at unsolved mysteries around the Wu family's tragic end.
2. Joss Paper
This ghostly money, rooted in Taoist beliefs, is the main currency in the spirit world. Burning joss paper needs a continuous flame, symbolizing the link between the living and the dead. The hero's dedication to this ritual goes beyond tradition; it's a powerful metaphor for fighting supernatural fears through ritual.
3. Fortune-Teller
This mysterious guy is both a seer and a schemer. His warning to hide mirrors ties to old folklore that says mirrors are gateways to the underworld. The weird reflection on the phone screen is a chilling clue, suggesting he's got some supernatural vibes.
4. Umbrella Girl
- Red Umbrella Indoors: Breaking the norm, this red umbrella is packed with meaning. Its ribs, thought to gather yin energy, remind us of ghost stories where umbrella spirits guide lost souls.
-"Moonlit Qipao Pattern": The shiny silk with moon designs gives off an eerie, otherworldly feel, echoing the theme of deceptive beauty in classic ghost tales.
- "I've come for Father": This line shakes up traditional family roles, turning the supernatural threat into a sign of broken family ethics.
5. Bone-White Note
This creepy note, replacing usual prayer slips, has dark roots. It might be tied to ancient witchcraft using bone inscriptions. The address and rusty key on it push the supernatural events from the apartment into the wider city.
6. Mercy Hospital
The name's a cruel joke, as this supposed haven becomes Mr. Wu's limbo between life and death. It's a classic horror trope where hospitals become places for unexplainable phenomena.
7. Coma and Stroke
The clash between medical facts and supernatural experiences creates a mind-bending tension. The hero's vision of a "living Mr. Wu" could be a spirit-possessed body, embodying the folk idea of a ghost in the living world.
8. Missing Family Records
This is the story's big mystery. The Umbrella Girl's claim of being from the Wu family, with no records to back it up, suggests either a hidden family scandal with an illegitimate child or her being a ghost beyond life and death.
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