Volume One: The Graveyard of Eight Coffins Chapter 4: The House Investigation

I shuddered in fright and fixed my gaze on the curtain as well. The shadow behind it was unmistakably the silhouette of a person. Yet that figure simply stood there, motionless—like a statue.

My third uncle hadn’t noticed anything unusual and continued responding to my earlier question, “How could I let you go in there alone? I was just giving an example…”

He was still talking when he noticed my odd expression and, following my line of sight, asked suspiciously, “Yangzi, what are you looking at?”

I pointed at the window. “Look at the shadow behind that curtain. It’s been there all this time and hasn’t moved at all.”

Third Uncle glanced at the window and then back at me. “What shadow? Li Yang, if you don’t want to go into the house, you don’t have to make things up to scare yourself…”

Irked, I glared at him and snapped, “I’m not making things up, you blockhead! Ugh, never speak of ghosts by day or people by night. I clearly—”

But to my astonishment, as I turned my head to look again, the shadow on the curtain had vanished as mysteriously as it appeared.

I rubbed my eyes. Had I been seeing things again? Or did the person behind the curtain quietly slip away?

Third Uncle waved dismissively. “Enough, stop looking. Even if there was a shadow, there’s nothing to be afraid of. It means it’s a person—remember, ghosts don’t have shadows. Listen while I tell you my plan…”

His explanation brought me some comfort. Indeed, a person behind the curtain was far preferable to a ghost. But I failed to realize then that, often enough, the human heart is far more terrifying than any ghost.

Third Uncle led me right up to the front door of the deserted building and stopped. Standing close to the entrance, I looked up and was seized by a vague sense of foreboding.

By now, the last rays of the setting sun had faded away, and night had fully settled in. The building before me loomed oppressively, its presence so stifling it felt as if it might crush me. The black-painted door seemed like the open maw of a tiger, waiting for us to step inside before swallowing us whole.

I didn’t dare share these feelings with Third Uncle, for fear he’d mock my cowardice. Since I’d already agreed to help him with this haunted house, it was best to follow his lead.

He looked around, then took out a key and unlocked the door.

As the door creaked open, a musty, long-sealed odor wafted out. There was no need to look inside; the smell alone told me this house hadn’t been lived in for a long time.

Third Uncle fished two powerful flashlights from his bag, handing one to me. “Once we’re inside, don’t shine your light around aimlessly. Just follow behind me and light the path ahead.”

I nodded. As he was about to step inside, he seemed to remember something and dug around in his bag again, pulling out a small object to hand to me.

It was a little doll—a rough cloth figure, hardly the product of any factory, more like something hand-stitched.

I was puzzled. “What’s this for?”

He replied, “I’ll explain later. Just keep it with you. If—if anything urgent happens, like if you see something strange or hear me yell for you to run, spit on the doll and throw it away from you. Then run outside as fast as you can. Got it?”

Third Uncle, usually so playful, was uncharacteristically serious as he gave these instructions. This only made my nerves, which had just begun to settle, tense up again.

Seeing my expression, he quickly lightened his tone. “It’s just an extra precaution, nothing’s going to happen. Just stick close to me.”

Given past experiences, the more he reassured me, the less I believed him. But it was too late to back out now. Clenching my teeth, I nodded.

Third Uncle switched on his flashlight and swept its beam through the doorway.

The light was strong, illuminating wherever it struck. I could see the first floor clearly—a living room, with sofas and a coffee table still in place. Standing at the entrance, I glanced around but couldn’t see the small makeshift room Li Ximei had built for Old Mrs. Chen from discarded bricks. Had it been dismantled later?

Third Uncle stepped inside. I quickly switched on my own flashlight and followed close behind.

Though I didn’t fully trust him, at that moment he was the only person I could rely on. If it were just an empty house, I wouldn’t have been this frightened. But his earlier stories, and especially that inexplicable shadow behind the curtain, had left my nerves on edge.

I couldn’t help thinking: if nobody lived here anymore, how could there be a shadow? And recalling the room, there had been no light source at all; even if someone was standing behind the window, how would their shadow show on the curtain?

But there was no time to dwell on this, as Third Uncle was already moving toward the center of the living room and I hurried after him.

Inside, the damp, musty smell was even stronger—almost suffocating. The house also felt unnaturally cold.

Shenzhen could get chilly at night, but not this cold, not at this time of year. Inside the house, it was like stepping into an ice cellar.

After a while, my skin adjusted and I felt a little more comfortable.

Third Uncle moved slowly, sweeping his flashlight carefully around.

He’d warned me not to wander or shine my light around, so I followed him closely.

We made several circuits of the first floor. He didn’t seem to find anything unusual, but he did get a good sense of the layout: living room, kitchen, a bedroom, and a bathroom. I guessed the bedroom had been intended for Old Mrs. Chen, though she’d never actually moved in.

Third Uncle was thorough, even shining his light behind the toilet. What was he looking for?

Finally, he steadied himself and beckoned me to the stairs—he was heading for the second floor.

As I followed him, I suddenly felt something odd behind me. It was a strange sensation—a sixth sense, as if someone were watching from behind.

The feeling was so intense that I couldn’t help but whip around, shining my flashlight back. But there was no one there.

I let out a long breath. I was just scaring myself.

Turning back to follow Third Uncle up the stairs, I realized with a jolt that he was no longer in sight.

I was startled and cursed him silently. So much for being reliable! He’d told me to stick with him, but he hadn’t even noticed I’d fallen behind. How could he just leave me like this?

I hurried up the stairs to catch up.

Halfway up, I realized something was wrong.

Pausing to listen, I realized there were no footsteps on the second floor. The stairs were wooden, and thinking back, I hadn’t heard him go up at all. Maybe he hadn’t gone upstairs.

The entire house was deathly still.

It was as if Third Uncle had vanished from the building.

My heart raced—pounding so hard it felt as if it might leap from my throat.

How had we gotten separated in an empty house?

Annoyed, I went back down the stairs to the first floor.

Sweeping the room with my flashlight, I suddenly noticed a faint light shining through the crack of the empty bedroom door.

I froze. This was utterly unexpected. We’d checked that room earlier—there had only been a wooden bed and a cabinet against the wall, nothing unusual. How was it that after we left, a light appeared inside?

To be sure, I crouched down and switched off my flashlight.

From inside the empty room, a flickering glow shone through the door crack—like candlelight, wavering between bright and dim.

A thought occurred—could it be that while I’d turned back, Third Uncle had quietly returned to the room, and I’d been too tense to notice?

I swallowed hard, touched the cloth doll tucked at my waist, and tried to calm myself.

I switched my flashlight back on and, unable to resist my curiosity, crept toward the room.

The door was slightly ajar, a thin line of light escaping.

The glow flickered.

Despite my fear, curiosity compelled me to push the door open.

It creaked as it swung inward.

I shone my light into the room—and on the bed, there was indeed a person.

“Ah!” I cried out in shock, nearly dropping my flashlight.

Even though I’d half expected it to be Third Uncle, seeing someone suddenly lying there still gave me a fright.