Chapter 59): Body Temperature


    Daydreams gaze went back and forth.


    Pharoah was already nearing the fourth floor, beckoning Daydream to follow him.


    Seeing that the two girls didnt follow, he stopped and leaned against the handrail of the stairs, urging them to follow him.


    Daydream stood motionless; two or three metres ahead of the stairs leading to the second floor, they were engulfed in darkness.


    Brazils gone


    Somethingys dormant in the darkness, waiting for its next prey.


    At this moment, that familiar, white porcin te jumped out from the corner of her vision.


    ng!


    The darkness of the corridor became thicker, and the light from her shlight weakened as if it were being consumed by the ever-growing darkness. All she could see was a radius of less than one metre surrounding her.


    Suspecting a hallucination, she blinked vigorously, but the reality was set. Her shlight had indeed weakened, and her hands trembled as she looked for herpanions.


    A-are you still there? Daydream called out.


    Im upstairs; hurry up! Pharoah called out.


    Please dont, Bright whispered weakly beyond the darkness.


    As soon as they spoke, an evil, ominous voice responded in the darkness.


    What about me?


    The voice was vaguely human.


    Ive always been here


    The voice sounded again, and Daydream could see a treacherous figure outlined in the darkness.


    It was an extremely thin ck shadow crouched by the corner of the stairwell, and a viscous liquid dripped from its body. Its slender fingers fiddled with the te.


    When Daydream stared at it, it stopped fiddling with the te and raised its head, staring at her.


    In the darkness, Daydream couldnt see its face clearly, but she could feel its gaze on her and its terrifying, evil smile.


    Her face turned pale, and her head started to buzz violently. After swallowing hard, she yelled uncontrobly.


    Pharoah! Bright! Run!


    However, after hearing their responses, Daydream froze in ce.


    What? Daydream, did you see something?


    Theres nothing here.


    No! she yelled desperately. Its in the corner, l-look!


    Daydream watched as the strange figure stood up, its body almost touching the ceiling of the stairwell.


    It walked towards her quickly, with sticky blood on its feet.


    A strong scent of death surrounded it, and its appearance became more and more apparent as it approached her.


    Dried blood on a striped face


    Exposed white teeth, exposed, stiff muscles


    Rancid. Rotted. Disgusting.


    Daydream felt dizzy, as if she couldnt breathe.


    Her lips were slightly parted, but she couldnt yell.


    Its right here! Why cant you see it?


    In the blink of an eye, the figure approached her side, and its face was less than a centimetre away from her nose.


    At this moment, a rush of footsteps came from underneath them, followed by a figure that shed by Daydream, piercing the figure with a sharp, steep bar.


    The figure staggered to the side as it exploded into arge mass of blood. Its blood surged like a bunch of tentacles, constantly expanding and growing.


    Daydream immediately backed away from the fallen figure and turned to the figure who saved her.


    B-Brazil?


    He looked like he had just fought a beast; his hair was stained red, and his body was littered with wounds. His ragged jersey was now painted red.


    We need to go upstairs! Brazil yelled. Its infested downstairs!


    Right, Pharoah agreed, wiping away his frown. We should go upstairs and find a ce to hide and escape at dawn.


    Daydream didnt know what to do.


    She looked at Bright, who still leaned against the wall weakly.


    Lets just go, she sighed. I just hope


    I just hope that you dont regret it.


    Shihekou High School, like other high schools, had only three grades, and the entire teaching building was near the gate where the ssrooms were located.


    ording to the arrangement of one grade per floor, the ssrooms would only upy three floors.


    Before going up to the fourth floor, the group had a lot of guesses as to what the function of the fourth floor was: activity room, music room, faculty office but they didnt expect that the fourth floor was where the psychological counselling room was located.


    <i>Why would there be a separate floor for this</i>? Daydream thought as she first entered the school.


    The long corridor was divided into three sections by two iron doors: a small area before the stairs, the venting room on the left, and the counselling room on the right.


    The door of the counselling room seemed to be mmed by someone violently from the inside, protruding outwards in an amazing arc.


    Which way? Brazil asked anxiously.


    Bright limped behind the crowd as she leaned against the wall and said, R-right, if we insist on staying here.


    Shut up! Pharoah interrupted, turning left instead. The door to the counselling room was obviously hit by something, so he deduced that it was probably unsafe to go there.


    He pushed open the iron door, and unexpectedly, he opened it with little effort.


    The door lock was broken, and it fell to the ground with a simple ng.


    The door to the venting room was pushed open, and dust greeted him.


    Did you guys hear anything? Daydream asked again.


    Everyone shook their heads in silence.


    Why am I the only one hearing this? Am I the only one who can perceive them?


    Daydream felt like she was going insane. In just ten minutes, her original friendlypanions became untrustworthy.


    Bright was vague, as if she knew something.


    The people in the forum once said that humans are unable to defeat urban legends on their own, but Brazil made it back, iming that he had beaten whatever imed him.


    Even her own boyfriend was not trustworthy anymore.


    She felt as if she had fallen into thebyrinth of the Minotaur, unable to find a way out.


    Pharoahs shlight shone forward, and he could see many shredded paper scraps scattered in the empty corridor.


    Doors made of white upholstered materials were lined up neatly on both sides of the corridor, like spooky Halloween sheet ghosts that watched silently.


    His nostrils twitched as a faint stench greeted him. Taking a few steps forward, he seemed to have stepped on something, only to find that within these scraps of paper were mummified, dead cockroaches.


    Daydream was the second tost, following Brazil. The moment she entered the range of the venting room, she had a very bad feeling.


    Her back felt chilly, as if something was targeting her.


    If we break into this ce, will we free some monsters that have been imprisoned here?


    She noticed a door next to her that wasnt locked and decided to poke her head inside through the cracks of the door.


    Behind the door was a space covered by grey and white walls, and several morbidly obese people were stacked together like corpses, staring straight into her soul.


    Ah-! We cant stay here! T-theres somebody here!


    Daydreams words shocked everyone, and they froze.


    Bright took a few steps back vigntly, as if she were ready to run away at any moment.


    Brazil clinched the steel bar tightly in his grasp.


    Pharoah gestured Daydream back, then moved towards the room and opened the door slowly.


    Shining the beam of the shlight into the room, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    He turned around and hugged Daydream tightly and patted her head, saying, Its okay. Its just sandbag puppets used for venting.


    Is that true?


    Yes, Pharoah replied softly.


    Hah! Brazilughed. I dont me her! Id be scared too!


    <i>But why are they all staring at the door?</i> Daydream thought. As if they are watching us.


    She felt uneasy.


    After the briefmotion, everyone became quiet again, and the faint sound of tumbling tes could be heard downstairs.


    ng! ng!


    That strange figure must have returned to its former shape and started to prowl the hallways again.


    However, it was wandering in the corridors downstairs as if it were destined to roam the empty third floor forever.


    Could we rest? Brazil spoke up suddenly. I-I can hardly walk anymore.


    Pharoah shone his shlight on Brazil for a moment, and he noticed that his eyes were ck and his pale face was covered in blood. His legs were trembling violently as if the adrenaline had just caught up to him.


    We should find a ce to hide and rest, Pharoah said.


    Maybe the counselling room. There might be gauze to help Brazil within there, but


    <i>The monster here might be leading us there</i>, Pharoah thought.


    Besides, he had doubts about Brazils true identity.


    Ill be hanging out in the corridor. Go if you want, Bright said as she walked to the door of the venting room and sat down against the wall.


    We should go take a look at the venting room while were here, Daydream said.


    Pharoah nodded wordlessly, supporting Brazil with his arms and pushing open the door of the venting room.


    The venting room was small, less than ten square metres, and the surrounding walls werepletely sealed. It was wrapped in soft leather to prevent students from being injured when venting.


    Daydream felt weird being in such a strange, windowless room. She felt as if she were standing in the maw of some huge creature.


    When her eyes fell upon the sandbag puppets, goosebumps appeared all over her body in an instant.


    T-they moved!


    When I looked at them through the crack of the door, they were all staring at me! And now, theyve turned their backs!


    W-wait! Daydream cried out. Dont go in! Those puppets moved! Lets get out of here.


    Whatever, man, Brazil scoffed. I just want to rest! Youre annoying. Do you know that? You dont even seem concerned that I was dragged away by one of those ghosts!


    Yeah, right, it moved, Brazilughed as he kicked the puppet beside him. Next, youre going to tell me its going to jump and kill me, right?


    Hey, quit it, Pharoah ordered.


    Pharoah knelt down and checked the puppets, then walked back to Daydream and hugged her.


    Dont be scared, baby. You might have seen it wrong in a panic just now. If youre scared of them, we can just stay by the door.


    She nodded and left the room with Pharoah sitting opposite Bright.


    Pharoah sat beside Daydream and held her hand, saying, Were safe for now. As long as we camp out here until dawn, everything will be over.


    I hope, Daydream responded, leaning on Pharoahs shoulder.


    She felt warm and safe in Pharoahs arms and nced at Bright, who sat opposite her.


    Was she trying to destroy our rtionship? Pharoah seems trustworthy now. I find it hard to trust her instead.


    A wave of drowsiness washed over her, and although she forced herself to stay awake, she couldnt help but fall into her lovers arms.


    Sleep. Ill be here.


    Mmm she replied, and soon, her vision went ck.


    <i>There is no way urban legends could have body temperature</i>, she thought as she fell into the void.