C11 Death by Strangling

Wu Yi caught my astonished gaze and offered a wry smile. "The world is vast and full of wonders. But some things, they go against the natural order. My cousin was diagnosed with intestinal cancer eight years ago and has been undergoing chemotherapy ever since. He doesn't have much time left. That's just life, I guess."

We had been driving for quite some time but still hadn't reached any flat terrain. The car continued to lurch on the muddy country lane. I questioned Wu Yi if perhaps we had taken a wrong turn, but he firmly shook his head, insisting it was not possible.

All of a sudden, the car lurched violently, accompanied by a loud clunk as the undercarriage struck the ground. The engine began to shudder with a prolonged drone, and the car was immobilized. I realized we were in trouble—the car was stuck. Wu Yi and I got out and started searching for stones, hoping to prop up the vehicle. It had been light when we arrived, so we could easily spot and avoid the dips and bumps. But navigating this stretch on the way back was proving to be much more challenging.

We tried several solutions, but none were successful. Eventually, Wu Yi suggested we walk back. I agreed, noting that we couldn't afford to be late for work.

As we were about to set off, something didn't feel right. I asked Wu Yi if he remembered a large rock that had been in the middle of the road on our way in. He recalled it, and I pointed out that we had been driving for quite some time without encountering it, even though it wasn't far from the village. Wu Yi wondered aloud if we had indeed taken a wrong turn, but that seemed impossible—there was only one road to follow.

I then asked Wu Yi if he had heard anything unusual, like the sound of a group of people crying not too far from our location. He suggested that if there were people around, we could seek their help, as the two of us alone wouldn't be able to free the car. I indicated that the noise seemed to be coming from behind us, and Wu Yi nodded, agreeing to check it out.

We walked a few hundred meters, and Wu Yi pointed to some dimly lit sheds in a nearby field. The light was too faint for me to discern exactly what was inside, but it was clear there were people there. Wu Yi tugged at my sleeve and whispered, "Listen closely, does it sound like someone is mourning?"

The wails emanated from the shed. When Wu Yi brought up the wake, a chill ran through me, and I realized we were indeed at a spiritual shed. It's customary in rural areas to erect such a shed when someone passes away. The length of the shed is a testament to the family's standing and a sign of respect for the deceased. I suggested, "Maybe we should consider another solution?" Wu Yi replied that time was not on our side. What if we couldn't return to the spiritual staircase by midnight?

I saw his point and, steeling myself, I accompanied Wu Yi toward the spiritual shed. We hadn't gone far when two wolfdogs burst forth, startling both of us. After I swore at them, they scampered away. Wu Yi murmured, "Could those be the same dogs we encountered earlier?" I dismissed the thought, "Doesn't matter. Let's first see if we can find some help to free the car—that's the priority." Wu Yi cautioned that we shouldn't approach empty-handed, as it would be inauspicious and we might even be turned away. "Reverse your belt and drape your jacket over your head," he advised, "to avoid any disrespect."

As Wu Yi and I entered the spiritual shed, the sobbing intensified, signaling a profound loss. Inside, over twenty mourners clad in white linen and wearing traditional mourning bands were either prostrate with grief or kneeling and dabbing at their eyes. Wu Yi whispered, "We should wait."

But as minutes ticked by, the mourners' wails grew wilder, resembling the howls of wolves. Both Wu Yi and I sensed something was amiss.

"I'll go ask," Wu Yi volunteered.

As he approached, several of the kneeling mourners turned their heads. In the dim light, their grotesquely disfigured faces sent a shiver down my spine. My legs shook, nearly failing to support me.

Wu Yi stumbled backward and fell. Looking at me with urgency, he shouted, "Run!"

I could hardly believe what was unfolding before my eyes. I dashed out into the darkness, anxious that Wu Yi hadn't made it out. In a split second, as I turned my head, I stumbled over something. Picking myself up, I was met with two pairs of eerie eyes glaring at me. Feeling a wave of discomfort beneath me, I reached down and to my horror, pulled out a human bone. My eyes widened in shock, and I hastily threw it away. To my surprise, two wolves charged at it with a swift whoosh, growling lowly as they fought to gnaw on the bone.

I quickly got to my feet, the half-bone that had been under me causing my head to spin. Wu Yi had managed to escape, but suddenly, more than a dozen arms sprang up behind him. After a narrow escape, he yelled at me, and without a second thought, we both took off running.

The mournful howls behind us were relentless. I feared today might be my last.

Gasping for air, Wu Yi urged, "You go ahead, I'll lead them away."

"Are those things ghosts?" I asked.

Wu Yi inhaled sharply, his face etched with fear. "We've really hit some bad luck today," he admitted.

"I can't believe those dogs were eating human bones!" I exclaimed. Wu Yi's face paled as he suggested someone must have cast a spell on us, leading us astray to this godforsaken place.

Fumbling with my phone, I managed to turn it on, but its feeble light barely reached a meter ahead. Wu Yi suddenly pointed forward. "Damn, there looks to be a temple. Let's hide inside."

"I've got a handful in my pocket," I replied, and he nodded in approval.

We sprinted a few dozen meters and dove into the temple. Wu Yi urgently requested the glutinous rice, which I handed over. He scattered it at the entrance, then sprinkled cinnabar from his bag across the doorway before slamming the door shut. Peering through the crack, we watched anxiously as the horde outside snarled and clawed at the door, their most ferocious members' eyeballs rolling on the ground. Yet, they recoiled from the barrier we'd created. It seemed to work, but now we were trapped inside, escape seemingly impossible.

Wu Yi winced, then pulled several yellow talismans from his bag with a relieved breath. "How could I forget these?" he said, clutching the talismans and handing me two. "We'll look for a chance to break out later. We can't just wait here to die!" I responded with a wry smile, "With that many of them out there, we'd need wings to get away."

I plopped down on the ground, leaning back to take a brief rest when, out of nowhere, something tapped on my shoulder—once, then again, in a steady rhythm. I turned around and was startled to see a foot clad in black cloth shoes, suspended in midair, pointing right at me. A shiver ran through my scalp. I tapped Wu Yi, who had been intently watching the scene outside. Startled by my touch, he looked a bit disoriented. I gestured for him to check behind us. Wu Yi nodded, and, as I had anticipated, upon looking, he broke out in a cold sweat. Wu Yi then signaled for me to look upward, and as I did, my heart rate shot up.

Cripple Zhou!

The temple wasn't tall, barely two meters. Cripple Zhou, dressed in a black robe with a white cloth around his neck, stood rigidly in midair, his body swaying naturally.

I gulped, and Wu Yi whispered that we should get him down first.

Cripple Zhou wasn't tall or heavy, so we managed to lower him to the ground with ease. When I checked, he was already breathless, though his body retained some warmth—he must have died only recently. Wu Yi and I exchanged bewildered glances.

Just then, two barks echoed from the doorway. Wu Yi and I hurried to peer through the gap. Those two wolf dogs were back, barking at the door. What were those beasts up to? Wu Yi instructed me to keep watch while he searched the house for anything Cripple Zhou might have left behind.

I kept my eyes on the dogs when suddenly, one began sniffing the ground and then, its bright red tongue darted out, licking the ground. The other dog joined in, and both began lapping up the glutinous rice and cinnabar spread on the floor.

I shouted at them to stop, but the dog seemed to sense my reluctance to step outside. It growled lowly, almost defiantly glaring at me before continuing its feast.

I was on the verge of losing it. If it weren't for the eerie crowd of half-human, half-ghostly figures looming at the doorway, I would have charged out with a stick and broken those two mongrels' legs!

Just then, another dog suddenly kicked at the ground with its hind legs before lifting one to urinate. The living dead, previously deterred by the cinnabar and glutinous rice, were about to leave when the dogs' antics caused more than a dozen to turn back, glaring menacingly in our direction. I was seething with frustration. Had I known these two troublemakers would cause such chaos, I would have put an end to them at the dam earlier today. It's no surprise the villagers despised these dogs – feral beasts that would even gnaw on human bones. The mere thought sent shivers down my spine.

I was about to turn and call for Wu Yi when something heavy slammed against the temple door. I braced myself against it, nearly getting knocked off my feet. Peering through the crack, my heart raced up to my throat.

"Wu Yi," I called out urgently, "we need to figure something out – I have no intention of meeting my end here!"