Family Survival Guide 12

The Secret Behind the Door

In Xu Si’s memory, her home was like a labyrinth shrouded in fog, filled with hidden secrets and unspoken rules. From the moment she gained consciousness, these strange mandates had shadowed her every move. The old chandelier in the living room could only be lit during dinner; the door to the basement was strictly forbidden—even a curious glance would invite a harsh reprimand from her parents. These rules were like invisible ropes, binding her life tightly.

One day, sunlight filtered through the mottled curtains, casting long shadows across the worn wooden floorboards. Before leaving, as always, her mother warned her: "Remember, do not go into our room; it is not a place for you. And look after your brother; don’t let him wander." Xu Si nodded obediently, but deep within, her curiosity about the world behind that locked door grew like wild weeds.

As her mother’s footsteps faded into the silence at the end of the stairs, Xu Si stood alone in the living room, her heart racing. After confirming her brother was still playing quietly in his room, she took a deep breath and walked slowly toward her parents' bedroom. The door stood like a mysterious portal to an unknown world, radiating an irresistible temptation.

Xu Si placed her hand on the doorknob; the cold metal sent a shiver through her fingertips. She turned it cautiously. With a creak, the door swung open, and a stale, unfamiliar scent wafted out. The room was cluttered, with clothes tossed carelessly over chairs and photographs resting on the nightstand. Xu Si stepped inside, treading carefully, terrified of making a sound.

She approached the wardrobe first and pulled the door open. Inside hung clothes of every color. As she searched through them, hoping for a clue to the family’s secrets, her hand brushed against something hard at the very back. She pulled out an old, dust-covered iron box. Excitement surging, she opened it to find letters and yellowed photographs. The people in the pictures were strangers—perhaps distant relatives she had never met—and the letters were blurred, as if the ink had been intentionally smudged.

Unwilling to leave empty-handed, she turned her attention to the nightstand. The drawer contained odds and ends: old magazines, a fountain pen, and some spare change. At the very bottom, she found a diary. Its pages were brittle and smelled faintly of mildew. She flipped it open, scanning the hurried, jagged handwriting.

"Another argument with him today. This house is suffocating me. What is the point of these rules? I’ve really had enough..." Xu Si read quickly, sensing the deep pain and helplessness in her mother’s words. Yet, the diary contained no key information about the secrets of the house.

Just as she was about to continue her search, she heard familiar footsteps outside. Her heart tightened; her mother and brother were home. In a panic, she tried to return the diary and the iron box to their places, but in her haste, the box slipped and hit the floor with a sharp clatter.

"Who’s in there?" her mother’s voice rang out, sharp and startled.

Xu Si froze, her mind going blank. She didn't know how to face them. The door was shoved open, and her mother stood there, her expression dark and terrifying. Her brother stood behind her, wearing a look of bewilderment.

"Xu Si, what are you doing? Didn't I tell you never to enter our room?" Her mother’s voice rose, filled with anger and disappointment.

Xu Si lowered her head, unable to meet her mother’s eyes. "Mother, I... I was just curious. I wanted to see what was inside."

"Curious? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?" Her mother stepped forward, snatching the diary and the box from her hands. "These are not for you to see! You are being impossible!"

Her brother watched from the side, whispering, "Mom, did sister do something wrong?"

Without answering, her mother turned to Xu Si. "Go to your room and think about what you’ve done. No dinner tonight."

Xu Si looked at her mother, tears welling in her eyes. She turned silently and retreated to her own small sanctuary. The room was dim and quiet, and she lay on her bed, tears sliding down her cheeks. She couldn't understand why her mother was so furious. What secrets was this house hiding that she was forbidden to know?

That night, moonlight spilled across her face as she tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The day’s events played on a loop in her mind: her mother’s rage, the mysterious diary, the iron box. Everything felt profoundly confusing.

Suddenly, she heard a soft sound outside—someone moving with great care. She sat up, staring at her door. The footsteps drew closer and stopped. Xu Si held her breath, her heart pounding. The door opened slowly, and in the moonlight, she saw her brother standing in the threshold.

"Sister, are you awake?" he whispered.

Xu Si let out a sigh of relief. "Yes. Why are you here?"

Her brother entered and sat on the edge of her bed. "Sister, I know you were trying to find our family secrets today. To be honest, I’ve always been curious, too."

Xu Si looked at him, surprise flickering in her eyes. "You think there are secrets here, too?"

He nodded. "I often hear Mom and Dad arguing in the middle of the night. I can’t hear what they're saying, but it sounds terrifying. Plus, there are parts of this house that feel so strange—like the basement. Why can we never go in there?"

Xu Si thought for a moment. "I found a diary and a box in their room today. The diary mentioned that Mom was tired of the rules, but she caught me before I could find anything else."

Her brother’s eyes lit up. "Let’s try again. Maybe we can find the clues we need."

Xu Si hesitated, remembering her mother’s anger, but curiosity ultimately overcame her fear. She nodded. "Alright, but we have to be careful. We can’t get caught again."

Over the next few days, they looked for another chance. However, their mother seemed to sense their intentions and watched them even more closely. Every time she left the house, she locked the bedroom door, leaving them no way in.

Then, one day, their mother had to leave in a hurry for an emergency and forgot to turn the key. Xu Si and her brother exchanged an excited glance. They crept to the door, and Xu Si pushed it open.

The room still carried that familiar, stale scent. They divided the labor: Xu Si looked for more entries about the rules, while her brother searched other areas. On the desk, Xu Si found a thick notebook filled with dense entries and annotations. She opened it eagerly.

"Rule One: The mirrors in the house must be covered after ten o'clock at night, or you will see things you shouldn't."

"Rule Two: The basement holds important items, but it can only be entered at specific times—specifically, at the stroke of midnight on the night of the full moon."

"Rule Three: Never let outsiders know of these rules, or it will bring disaster upon the entire family."

Xu Si read on, her heart growing colder. The rules were more complex and bizarre than she had ever imagined. Flipping to the back, she found strange symbols and what looked like addresses.

Meanwhile, her brother discovered a hidden compartment in the corner of the wardrobe. He called Xu Si over, and together they opened it to reveal an exquisite wooden box engraved with strange patterns, radiating an aura of mystery.

Xu Si’s hands trembled as she opened the box. Inside was an ancient book filled with writing they couldn't decipher. As she flipped through, she found strange incantations and records of their family’s history.

Just as they were engrossed in their discovery, rapid footsteps sounded outside. They looked at each other in terror, realizing their mother had returned. They scrambled to put everything back, but it was too late.

Their mother stormed in. Upon seeing what they were holding, her face turned deathly pale. "Why are you in here again? Who told you to touch these things?" Her voice was laced with unprecedented fear and rage.

Xu Si mustered her courage. "Mother, we just want the truth! Why are there so many strange rules? What secrets are hidden in this diary and these books?"

Her mother slumped to the floor, tears streaming down her face. "You weren't supposed to know. All of this was done to protect you."

Under their persistent questioning, she finally revealed the family secret. Their ancestors had possessed a unique ability that attracted evil forces. To protect their descendants, the elders had created a series of strict rules—an invisible barrier to keep them safe. The basement held the family’s treasures and artifacts, which could only be accessed at specific times; otherwise, it would invite unpredictable catastrophe.

Xu Si and her brother listened in shock. They had never imagined that their seemingly ordinary life was built upon such a complex and mysterious history.

From then on, although they understood more, the strange rules continued to bind their lives. As they carefully followed the mandates, they lived with a lingering sense of unease, wondering where these secrets and rules would eventually lead them.

After learning the truth, life seemed to return to normal, but undercurrents stirred beneath the surface. Xu Si was often startled awake in the dead of night, feeling as though eyes were watching her from the darkness.

One night, under a silvery moon, she was about to drift off when a "creak" echoed through the room. A chill swept over her. She looked at the door in terror, but it was empty. Then, she heard faint footsteps in the hallway, as if someone were pacing back and forth. She remembered the rule about not going out at night, but a powerful sense of unease drove her to rise, grab a flashlight, and tip-toe toward the door.

Opening it, a cold draft hit her. She shivered, her flashlight beam cutting through the dark, its halo dancing on the walls. She swallowed hard. When she reached her parents' door, the footsteps stopped. After much hesitation, she pushed the door open. The room smelled stale, and the moonlight created eerie shadows on the floor.

Suddenly, a soft rustling came from the corner. She swung her flashlight toward it and saw a black cat crouching there, its green eyes fixed on her. She knew they didn't own a cat. Where had it come from? Just as she wondered—since the rules hadn't mentioned cats—the creature let out a "meow" and darted behind the wardrobe.

Overwhelming curiosity drove her to follow. She pushed the heavy wardrobe aside with great effort and discovered a hidden door she had never seen before. It was ajar, letting out a faint light. Xu Si took a deep breath and pushed it open. A damp, moldy odor rushed out. Behind the door lay a narrow passage, its walls draped in cobwebs.

She walked cautiously along the passage, her heartbeats echoing in the silence. After a while, she reached a room. In the center sat a massive stone coffin engraved with strange symbols—the very same ones she had seen in the ancient book.

Just as she leaned in to look closer, the coffin let out a low, deep rumble. Her eyes widened in terror. She tried to flee, but her feet felt nailed to the floor. The lid began to slide open, and a black fog poured out, filled with what looked like countless twisted faces struggling and screaming.

Just as she gave in to despair, a hand grabbed her. She turned to see her mother. Her mother’s expression was grim as she pulled her away, running for their lives. Back in the room, her mother gasped for air. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist searching. That coffin seals away our family’s greatest enemy. If it is awakened, the consequences will be unimaginable. You must promise me: never again will you step into these dangerous places."

Xu Si nodded, her heart still racing. She understood now that the secrets of this house were bottomless, and every attempt to uncover them could bring total destruction. But the symbols on the coffin and the faces in the fog were etched into her mind like a nightmare, a reminder that the family’s secrets went far deeper than what she had seen, and that more unknown dangers were waiting for her in the future.