My House of Horrors

Chen Ge’s suspicion toward the woman lowered since she was so cooperative. He walked forward to pick up the drawing. There was a black building on the paper. The building was filled with red humans, but standing apart from the rest, as if the red humans were afraid to be near it, was an extremely conspicuous black man.

“You said that I am inside the painting. What is your evidence?” Of course, Chen Ge would not buy her story with just a single painting.

“The people inside Fan Yu’s painting have always been red in color. In fact, this is also the first time I have seen a black figure. I thought about it for a long time and deduced that you have to be this black person because in the past month, you are the only outsider who has been to our house.” Fan Yu’s aunt stood in the corner of the room, the rain on her raincoat dripping onto the floor, creating an uncomfortable rhythm.

“That’s all? Then what is the meaning of these red people? What is the difference between the red and the black people?”

Fan Yu’s eyes studied Chen Ge silently. Just as Chen Ge thought the woman would not tell him the truth, she suddenly said, “The red figures represent ghosts, and since I’ve only seen one black figure, I assume it represents a living human.”

“Ghosts?”

“I know you won’t believe it, but certain things in this world are inexplicable,” Fan Yu’s aunt said calmly like she had rehearsed this speech many times already. “Before the accident that happened to Fan Yu’s parents, I knew the boy could see things that normal people couldn’t. I told his parents, but they didn’t believe in things like ghosts.”

“Since they didn’t believe it, why do you?” Chen Ge’s curiosity was piqued.

“Initially, no one knew that Fan Yu has this power until my husband and two children passed away in a car accident. That was the darkest period of my life. I would collapse whenever I saw their picture. Should that happen, Fan Yu would come to me with his drawings. Two small red children living inside a black house, and he would tell me that the red children are his brother and sister.”

The woman’s eyes softened with warmth. “Naturally, I did not believe him initially; I assumed he was merely trying to make me feel better. But as the number of his drawing increased, my conviction started to shake. I would ask Fan Yu what his brother and sister were doing, and his description would be incredibly detailed. Sometimes, he even mentioned little habits of my children that only a mother would notice and know.”

“That was when you believed Fan Yu can see ghosts?”

“Yes, or I admit perhaps I wish that it is real. Sometimes, I even see my own child possessing Fan Yu’s body.”

“Even if what you’re saying is true, a child’s painting still represents nothing. Don’t tell me every human that appears in his drawing will die?” Chen Ge asked cautiously.

“You can turn over the paper to look underneath it.”

Following her instruction, Chen Ge turned the paper over. There was another drawing. This time, it was the painting of an old well. Inside the well, several figures that were redder than usual were climbing out, while a black person stood beside the well. Interestingly enough, the location of the black figure inside the well painting overlapped with the black person’s position in the black house on the other side.

“According to legend, there is an old well at this school that has claimed many lives. The ghosts inside the well are coming out, and you’re standing beside it, meaning you’ve been targeted by the ghosts. If you stay here any longer, accidents might happen,” Fan Yu’s aunt said sincerely. It did sound like she was concerned for Chen Ge.

Touching the paper, Chen Ge stared at the drawings for a long time. He frowned slightly as he compared the two drawings, and an answer settled in his mind.

“Looks like I’ve misunderstood you.” Chen Ge put Fan Yu’s painting in his pocket, a nonverbal signal that he was not going to return it. “Since I’m planning to leave, let’s go together, this way we can watch each other’s back. This place gives me the creeps.”

“You’re right.” Fan Yu’s aunt nodded as she walked toward Chen Ge. Chen Ge seemed to have trusted her fully. He turned to walk away, exposing his defenseless back to the woman.

The pair walked one in front and one at the back. Chen Ge walked very slowly, holding his mallet. Fan Yu’s aunt behind him seemed to fear being left alone, and she slowly increased her speed. If someone was in front to see Chen Ge’s expression, they would be shocked to see how calculative the glow in his eyes was.

As the distance between them drew closer, as Fan Yu’s aunt was about to reach Chen Ge, this slender woman showed a face that was suddenly different from before. Her face was tense, and her hand underneath the raincoat, which was carrying something, reached out to stab Chen Ge!

“I knew you are suspicious.” Chen Ge’s reaction was faster than she had anticipated, and the man was crueler than she had thought. The mallet went for her hand, and a kick came soon after.

BANG!

After Fan Yu’s aunt was knocked into the toilet’s wall, the thing in her palm clattered to the floor. Chen Ge walked toward her and saw it was a paring knife. The thing was small and was normally used to bone meat, an extremely sharp implement.

Her hair falling all over her face, Fan Yu’s aunt crawled up from the ground like a vicious ghost. However, Chen Ge did not give her any chance to counter and ‘helped’ her to the floor again.

“I’ve suspected you since I visited your place, but I could not find any proof. Now, you’ve finally shown me your true face.”

The difference in strength was obvious. Fan Yu’s aunt tried several times but could not get up. All she could do was glare at Chen Ge hellishly. “How did you find out?”

“From the very beginning, I didn’t trust you, and this drawing provides me with the crucial evidence. The drawing on the back was drawn by your hand. Do you think a child’s art is that easily mimicked? Don’t look at me like that; you’re the one who made the mistake. If you don’t want to get exposed, don’t do the evil deed in the first place.” Chen Ge picked up the paring knife from the floor, and the blade glinted coldly in the dark. “You’re the one who killed Fan Yu’s parents, right? Regardless of your reason, how could you kill your own family in cold blood?”

“It was never my intention to kill! You have no idea what really happened that night!” Fan Yu’s aunt lashed out at Chen Ge.

“That is true, but one thing’s for sure—you are one of the killers.” Chen Ge was considering how to immobilize the woman while waiting for the police to arrive.

“The real killer is Fan Yu’s father!”

“You’re pushing the blame onto a dead man? That is your argument?” After making sure that Fan Yu’s aunt had no more sharp weapons on her, he relaxed slightly.

“It’s true.” Fan Yu’s aunt collapsed to the floor, and the truth from years ago finally came out of her lips. “You must know by now what kind of sick bastard my brother was. It was inside this exact toilet that he caused an innocent girl to go crazy. In the end, I heard that the girl was forced to commit suicide. After that happened, my brother became even more unhinged and increasingly paranoid, often claiming that someone was out to get him. My sister-in-law finally could not stand it and filed for divorce. But my brother refused to let her leave. Forced into the corner, she threatened my brother, saying that if he didn’t agree to the divorce, she would expose his crimes to the world.”