Elder Sister's Home 7

The Secret of Sister's House

Xu Si stood before the slightly weathered wooden door, gazing at the peeling paint, and took a deep breath, struggling to compose herself. Before she had even arrived, she had received a letter from her sister, detailing a series of rules. These rules were filled with an indescribable, eerie quality, yet they also piqued her intense curiosity.

"When you arrive at my house, you must strictly follow these instructions; it concerns your safety and my peace. First, upon arrival, knock on the door three times, pause for two seconds, then knock twice more. If the door opens on its own, do not enter immediately; wait for me to call your name."

Xu Si raised her hand and knocked according to the rules. The sound was jarringly sharp in the surrounding silence. Her heart raced with the knocking, fluttering incessantly like a trapped bird. The door creaked open, revealing a dim, sinister light within, as if invisible eyes were peering from the shadows. Then, her sister’s voice drifted from the gloom: "Si'er, come in." The voice was familiar, yet carried an inexplicable chill.

As Xu Si stepped inside, her sister stood in the center of the living room, smiling a welcome. She wore a simple dress with her hair neatly tied back, but for some reason, the smile never reached her eyes. Her sister pointed to a note beside the shoe cabinet, which bore a new rule: "If the clock in the house begins to run backward, do not panic. Close your eyes immediately and do not open them until you hear three crisp bird chirps."

The two sat in the living room, Xu Si trying desperately to make conversation to ease the oppressive atmosphere. Suddenly, a strange "click" sounded. Xu Si stiffened, glancing in terror at the antique clock in the corner. The hands, which had been moving normally, were now spinning counter-clockwise at a dizzying speed. She scrambled to close her eyes, covering her ears tightly, her heart thumping against her ribs as if it might break through.

She did not know how much time had passed when three bird chirps rang out. Xu Si slowly opened her eyes. Her sister appeared normal, as if nothing had happened, and stood up to pour Xu Si a glass of water, whispering, "Don't worry, as long as you follow the rules, you will be fine." Yet, Xu Si distinctly saw a flash of imperceptible tension in her sister's eyes.

Afterward, her sister said she needed to prepare dinner in the kitchen and told Xu Si to rest in the living room. Xu Si looked around, bored. The living room was sparsely furnished with old furniture, and yellowed photographs hung on the wall, though the faces in them were blurred. Just then, she noticed a new note on the coffee table: "After ten o'clock at night, never look toward the window, no matter what sounds you hear."

Xu Si glanced at the clock, which was ticking normally; it was only minutes away from ten. As the time approached, her nerves grew taut. Suddenly, a faint, wailing cry drifted from outside the window, like someone begging for help—miserable and sorrowful. Xu Si instinctively wanted to turn and look, but the rules flashed in her mind. She jerked her head back, squeezed her eyes shut, and trembled. The wailing grew louder, as if right beside her ear; her palms were drenched in cold sweat, her nails digging into her skin. Finally, the clock struck ten, and the sound ceased abruptly. Xu Si let out a long breath, slowly opening her eyes to find her back soaked in sweat.

Then, her sister emerged from the kitchen, smiling and saying dinner was ready. The dining room was dimly lit, and a few steaming dishes sat on the table. In this eerie atmosphere, Xu Si had no appetite. Upon sitting, she found another note on the table: "While eating, if you detect an odd smell in the food, do not make a scene. Discreetly spit it into a napkin, and do not let me notice."

Xu Si took a piece of meat, but the moment it touched her tongue, a stench of rot permeated her mouth. It was so nauseating she nearly vomited on the spot. She forced herself to swallow the disgust, spat the meat into her napkin as instructed, and acted as if nothing were wrong, though her hands trembled. She stole a glance at her sister, who was eating with her head down, her expression calm as if everything were normal.

After dinner, her sister led Xu Si to the guest room. As she walked in, Xu Si saw the final rule lying on the nightstand: "When sleeping, if you feel someone watching you from beside the bed, do not open your eyes. Recite 'I am asleep' three times, and you will be safe."

Xu Si lay in bed, filled with unease. The room was heavy with the scent of age, and moonlight spilled through the window, casting eerie shadows. In a daze, she felt a cold gaze fall upon her, a chill crawling up her spine. She kept her eyes shut tight and trembled as she whispered, "I am asleep, I am asleep..." Her voice was as faint as a dying candle.

Time passed, and the gaze vanished; Xu Si drifted into a deep sleep of exhaustion. In the middle of the night, a strange sound jolted her awake—it sounded like someone sobbing, or perhaps nails scratching against wood. She reached for the light, but it would not turn on. She curled under the covers, daring not to move, her heart pounding in the dark.

The sobbing grew closer, and Xu Si felt that chill once more enveloping her. Suddenly, she remembered seeing an old flashlight in a corner of the living room. Perhaps she could find a sliver of safety there. She carefully lifted the blanket, trying not to make a sound, and groped her way toward the living room.

The living room was pitch black, with moonlight carving strange shapes through the window. Relying on memory, she found the flashlight in the corner. Her trembling hand hit the switch, and a dim, yellow beam illuminated the space. In that instant, she saw a dark figure dash past, moving with impossible speed. Terrified, she nearly screamed, gripping the flashlight and sweeping it around, but found nothing.

Xu Si slowly approached the table, remembering the notes. Perhaps there was a way to handle this. As she picked up the paper, she found a new line written on it: "If you wake in the middle of the night and see something you should not, return to your bedroom immediately and cover your head with your blanket until dawn." Without a moment's hesitation, she turned and ran back to the bedroom.

Back in her room, she dove under the covers and curled into the corner of the bed. The sobbing continued, echoing in the dark as if it sought to swallow her whole. Xu Si fought back her terror, silently praying for the sun to rise. Eventually, the sobbing faded, and she fell into a fitful, exhausted sleep.

When the first light of dawn spilled across Xu Si's face...