C11 Black Cat

Confused, I asked Third Uncle, "What's all this for?"

Without a word, Third Uncle, his face somber, struck two matches and lit the Worship Incense sticks.

As the incense began to burn, he handed one to me and instructed, "Inside, we can't use flashlights or speak. Keep the Worship Incense with you at all times. We'll head straight to the second floor, retrieve the copper bowl and the black datura, and take care of them in the courtyard."

"Holding the Worship Incense and wearing funeral attire is to shield our Yang energy, right? I get why we shouldn't speak—to prevent the energy from escaping—but what if we encounter trouble inside? How will we communicate?" I inquired.

"Watch my eye movements and gestures. Your ability to understand will depend on how well you can interpret them," Third Uncle replied.

"Okay..." I acknowledged, but then something felt off. I quickly added, "Wait a minute, Third Uncle, are you pulling my leg? If we go in without flashlights, how am I supposed to see your eyes and gestures?"

With a look of scorn, Third Uncle shook his head as if disappointed in my slow uptake. He pulled out two candles from his pocket, waved them before my eyes, sighed, and got ready to open the door.

I pursed my lips. If he wasn't going to explain things clearly, wasn't I allowed to ask for clarification?

As Third Uncle approached the doorway, he looked back and explained, "The incense we're holding does indeed serve to mask our Yang energy. It's also a timer; we only have until the incense burns out. Once it's gone, there's no opportunity to light another."

Noticing that a quarter of my incense had already burned away, I said anxiously, "Third Uncle, so much of the incense has burned down already. Let's start with a fresh stick, just in case we run into any delays and need more time."

"That's not an option. Once the incense is lit, we can't replace it; it would be bad luck. So we must be swift and efficient once we're inside—no dawdling..."

Hearing more only fueled my anger. If that's the case, why did you light the incense so early? And why the incessant rambling?

I gestured dismissively toward the door, and only then did Third Uncle quiet down, nodding as he pulled out his keys and unlocked the door once again.

A day had passed since we last visited this ominous house. My heart was racing many times faster than before. Last time, ignorance lent me courage, and I didn't overthink as I boldly entered. But now, knowing full well there were several ghosts inside, including a particularly formidable Ghost Infant that seemed to have it out for me, the prospect of entering was utterly dreadful.

I prayed fervently, hoping that Third Uncle's dubious method might prove somewhat reliable this time.

Third Uncle had already swung the door open. Standing behind him, I quickly peeked inside, relieved not to spot the ghost shadow that had been at the doorway before.

Stepping in one after the other, I couldn't tell if it was just my imagination, but the room felt even colder than last time. There was no breeze, yet a chilling sensation enveloped me, leaving my limbs tingling with numbness.

Third Uncle turned to face me, and in the moonlight streaming through the doorway, I caught sight of his face, nearly letting out a startled yelp.

His face had turned deathly pale, devoid of any color, and his attire, a traditional burial robe, made him resemble a corpse in a coffin.

The only differences were that corpses lay down and had their eyes closed, while he stood before me with eyes wide open.

But I quickly realized that my own appearance was probably just as ghastly.

Third Uncle gave me a knowing wink and took a deep inhale of the Worship Incense smoke from his hand, a look of contentment spreading across his face.

Bewildered, I mimicked his action, drawing in a breath of the Worship Incense. A surge of warmth flowed through my nostrils, rapidly easing the pervasive chill.

Pleased, Third Uncle nodded and handed me a candle to light, pointing to the floor.

The candle was a thick, white wax one, much larger and smoother than the everyday candles we were accustomed to. I didn't know what it was made of. Following Third Uncle's direction, I placed the lit candle on the floor. Its thick base ensured it stood firmly upright.

Every three steps, Third Uncle would magically produce a white candle and hand it to me. Once lit, I would place it on the ground, creating a trail that extended all the way to the staircase.

As I was about to ascend the stairs, my foot unexpectedly sank into something soft. Glancing down, I recognized the puppet I had discarded earlier. Third Uncle had given me this puppet as a life-saving talisman for dire situations. He had explained that it contained the hair of five infants, each representing metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, crafted to fool the confinement ghost.

But now, the puppet at my feet was horrifying. Its head had been twisted off, its belly slashed open, revealing tufts of the sewn-in hair. The sight sent a chill through me. The house had been empty for ages; the puppet had been intact when I threw it away. Who could have mutilated it like this? It couldn't have been a daytime intruder; they wouldn't have taken such an interest in the puppet.

More disturbing was the fact that we hadn't noticed anything on the floor as we walked. How did the puppet end up at my feet? Had the confinement ghost seen through our ruse of wearing funeral attire and clutching Worship Incense to mask our Yang energy?

The more I pondered, the more terror gripped me. Frozen in place, I was overcome with shivers. It wasn't just nerves. I had considered several possibilities before entering, but once inside, the fear of the unseen, the untouchable, could drive anyone to the brink of mental collapse. That sensation of psychological breakdown would haunt me intermittently for a long time to come.

I also recalled how some scholars had posited that it wasn't ghosts that killed people in haunted houses, but rather the fear they instilled that proved fatal.

Noticing I had halted, Third Uncle turned and caught my gaze. In haste, I pointed to the puppet on the floor. He too was taken aback, but quickly composed himself, shook his head at me, and gestured towards the stairs.

He instructed me not to interfere and to keep ascending the stairs.

Drawing another breath from the Worship Incense in my grasp, I found that our attire, coupled with the scent, truly had a soothing effect on my spirit.

Third Uncle led me up the staircase, where we strategically placed two white candles, allowing us to reach the second floor without incident.

Aside from the eerie puppet that materialized at our feet, our ascent was uneventful, suggesting Third Uncle's approach was effective.

Upon reaching the second floor, Third Uncle wasted no time and headed straight for the room housing the black datura seedlings.

Noticing the Worship Incense in my hand was halfway consumed, I felt a twinge of urgency.

Third Uncle instructed me to set a white candle at the doorway. He inhaled the incense deeply before gently pushing the door open and entering the room.

Illuminated by the flickering candlelight, I watched Third Uncle's silhouette move within the room. In just over a minute, he emerged cradling a pot of flowers.

Relief washed over me as it appeared things were proceeding more smoothly than anticipated.

But my relief was premature. As Third Uncle stepped out with the flower pot, two luminous points abruptly appeared behind him.

His body obscured most of the candlelight, making it impossible to discern the source of the light points.

All I could make out was their eerie green glow, flickering ominously at a height of less than a foot above the ground.

My mind raced with the thought that these light points resembled eyes, and at such a low height, could it be the Ghost Infant?

I was about to alert Third Uncle when a bizarre shriek echoed from the room, reminiscent of tearing paper but much louder and more abrupt.

This unexpected cry shattered my already strained nerves.

As I opened my mouth to scream, Third Uncle quickly covered it with his hand.

Frozen in place at the doorway, he subtly shook his head at me.

I nodded, mentally steadying myself with self-encouragement until I regained composure.

Despite my efforts, I couldn't resist glancing back into the room, where I saw the light points dart away from the ground, followed by a ghost shadow that loomed over Third Uncle's shoulder.

At last, I could see clearly: the black shadow was nothing but a black cat.

The two glowing green dots were, of course, its eyes.

A black cat in this room? My nerves eased. After all, a black cat was far less terrifying than a ghost.

But the calm was fleeting. Just as I had relaxed, tension gripped me again when I noticed Third Uncle's expression had turned even grimmer.

He stood there, presenting a flower pot, as if intending to pass it to me. Yet, he was motionless, winking and mouthing something at me.

I deciphered his silent message from the shape of his lips.

The word was, "Run!"

To run again? My mind reeled, realizing the predicament we faced was far graver than I had thought.

In that moment, my view of Third Uncle shifted significantly. When it mattered most, he was still deeply concerned for my safety, ready to face the danger alone so I could escape unharmed.

Thankfully, I was clear-headed enough not to panic. Before fleeing, I remembered to gently accept the flower pot and seedling from Third Uncle's hands.

I took the flower pot, gestured 'take care' to Third Uncle, and turned to head downstairs.

But just two steps later, that eerie cry echoed once more.

A black shadow darted toward me, and I felt a weight on my shoulder as the black cat leaped onto it.

Startled, I saw Third Uncle push past me, worship incense in hand, and bolt downstairs without a backward glance.

"Damn it."

I inwardly cursed Third Uncle. And to think I had just been singing his praises. In a mere moment, he had betrayed me. So that's why he had me take the flower pot—the black cat had been after it. By taking the pot, I had inadvertently drawn the cat to myself.

Once again, Third Uncle had duped me. People deceive, but this was a nephew being tricked by his uncle.

As I contemplated pursuit, the black cat on my shoulder emitted a low growl.

This was my first encounter with such fear, the kind that a cat's roar can instill deep within a person's heart.

I could even detect the foul, putrid scent emanating from the black cat's mouth...