Yin Yang Diviner

I stared intently at the trail of wet water stains at the foot of the bed, my pupils contracted sharply, and the hairs on my body stood on end. I even forgot to breathe.

The spring rain was still falling outside the window, and the pattering sound of the rain, at this moment, sounded like a death knell, pounding against my heart.

The side room was dimly lit, with only a faint glimmer of daylight filtering in through the window, barely illuminating the corners. The trail of water stains was crystal clear, winding its way from the doorway all the way to my bedside, like a cold snake, lying silently on the floor, as if someone had just walked in from outside and stood barefoot beside my bed.

But I clearly locked the door and barred the chairs; I was the only person in the entire side room!

I suddenly looked down at my feet, then at the shoes beside the bed.

My feet were clean and dry, without a single water stain. My shoes were neatly arranged in front of the bed, with dry soles, not a drop of rainwater on them.

So who left these water stains?

Did I get out of bed in the middle of the night, half asleep, and do it myself?

impossible!

I just woke up from a nightmare, my mind was perfectly clear. I didn't get out of bed at all, not even turn over. How could I have left such a trail of water stains? And the water stains extended from the doorway. Even if I got out of bed, it's impossible for me to walk from the doorway to the bedside and leave such obvious traces.

Was it rainwater that drifted in and caused this?

Even more impossible!

The windows of the outhouse were tightly shut, and the door was locked tight, preventing any rainwater from getting in. Moreover, the water stains were in the shape of a series of footprints, blurry yet clearly left by bare feet, each step distinct and clear.

Barefoot footprints?

I instantly remembered the woman in my dream who had turned into a skeleton. She wasn't wearing shoes; she stood barefoot on the petals of a crabapple tree, walking towards me step by step...

A bone-chilling cold instantly shot from the soles of my feet to the top of my head, leaving me icy cold all over, my teeth chattering from the cold.

Not a dream!

That dream was no ordinary nightmare!

The thing from my dream has really come to life! It followed me from the dream into reality, into my side room, and to my bedside!

I was so frightened that I froze, like a statue, too afraid to move, my eyes fixed on the water stains, not daring to even breathe. I could feel the temperature in the side room drop several degrees, even colder than before, like an ice cellar.

That familiar, chilling aura enveloped my body once more, creeping up from my ankles to my calves to my waist and abdomen, clinging to my skin and making my whole body go numb with cold.

It's still inside!

It didn't leave!

It was hiding in some corner of this side room, maybe under the bed, maybe behind the door, maybe in the closet, staring intently at me with its dark, empty eye sockets, waiting to pounce on me again!

I wanted to shout, to call for my second grandfather, to rush out of this side room, but my throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and I couldn't make a sound. My hands and feet were also unresponsive, as limp as mud, and I couldn't lift them at all.

Fear, boundless fear, like an invisible hand, gripped my heart tightly, almost suffocating me.

I have never been this scared before.

I'd rather fight ten street thugs, or be scolded mercilessly by my parents, than stay in this eerie and gloomy outhouse, sharing a room with something I don't even know.

I bit my lip hard until I tasted blood, barely managing to stay awake. I moved my body little by little, shrinking to the far end of the bed, as far away from the water stains, the doorway, and all the dark corners as possible.

The bed was cold and hurt my back, but I didn't feel it because all my attention was focused on the sounds around me.

Quiet.

A deathly silence.

Apart from the sound of rain outside the window, there was not a sound in the room. There were no footsteps, no breathing, no unusual movements, but the chilling atmosphere grew stronger and stronger, making it hard for me to breathe.

It's getting close.

I could feel it getting closer and closer to me. The putrid smell drifted into my nostrils, just like the smell in my dream.

I closed my eyes, too afraid to look any longer, and prayed frantically in my heart: Second Grandfather, save me! Second Grandfather, come quickly! I know you have the ability, please save me!

I finally believe now that my second grandfather wasn't just faking it; there really are unclean things in this world! My previous disdain and my atheism were shattered into pieces at this moment, leaving not a trace.

After an unknown amount of time, the chilling aura finally faded away.

I still dared not open my eyes or move until I felt the temperature in the room rise slightly and the stench disappeared, then I slowly opened my eyes.

The side room remained dimly lit.

The water stains still lay quietly on the ground, undisappeared.

And that suffocating chill finally disappeared.

It's gone?

It's finally gone?

I let out a long sigh of relief, all my strength drained away instantly. I collapsed onto the bed, gasping for breath. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably, mingling with the cold sweat on my cheeks, and slid into the corners of my mouth, tasting salty and bitter.

I cried.

It wasn't because I felt wronged, nor because I was sad, but because I was afraid.

That fear of facing death and the unknown terror completely broke me down.

It took me a good ten minutes to recover some strength. I dared not look at the water stains again. I struggled to get out of bed, grabbed a chair next to the bed, and braced it against the door. Then I checked the window again to make sure it was tightly closed before I felt a little more at ease.

I picked up my phone and glanced at the time: 4:30 a.m.

It's still dark; it will be more than an hour before dawn.

I was too scared to sleep anymore, too scared to close my eyes. I huddled at the back of the bed, hugging my knees, burying my face in them, trembling all over.

I'm afraid that if I close my eyes, I'll be back in that nightmare, see that hideous skeleton again, and be grabbed by that withered hand again.

What I fear most is that if I close my eyes, that thing will reappear, stand by my bed, and drag me into the endless darkness.

The spring rain outside the window was still pattering down. To me, the pattering sound of the rain was no longer the ordinary sound of rain, but a ghostly whisper, a prelude to death.

I stared at the water stains on the ground, the string of wet footprints, like a hideous grin, mocking my cowardice and my ignorance.

I finally understand why my second grandfather set the rule that no one was allowed to go out at night.

It's not to restrain me, but to protect me.

This old house is really not clean.

As for me, born in a yin year, yin month, and yin day, my destiny is inherently unstable, making me naturally attracted to these supernatural things. They can easily find me, cling to me, and even want my life.

My previous nonchalance and cynicism proved utterly inadequate in the face of true eeriness.

I have only one thought right now: wait for dawn, and as soon as it's light, I'll go find my second grandfather. I want to go home; I never want to stay in this godforsaken place again!

I huddled in the corner of the bed, enduring each second as if it were an eternity.

I stared at the sky outside the window, watching the pitch-black night gradually lighten, from inky black to dark gray, then to light gray, until finally, a sliver of dawn appeared on the horizon.

Its daybreak.

The first rays of dawn shone through the gaps in the window paper into the side room, landing on the water stains on the floor. The water stains began to evaporate slowly, fading little by little until they disappeared completely, as if they had never existed.

But I know it came.

It really did come.

I let out a long sigh of relief, and the tension in my body finally eased, but I instantly collapsed to the ground, too weak to even stand up.

I braced myself against the ground and slowly got up, my legs weak and I was staggering as I walked. I didn't dare stay in the side room for another second, so I pulled aside the chair that was propped up behind the door, opened the door, and rushed out.

In the courtyard, the spring rain had stopped, the air was fresh, carrying the moisture of the grass and trees, and the morning sun shone on the locust tree, gilding it with a faint golden light. Everything seemed peaceful and beautiful.

But in my eyes, beneath this calm surface lies endless eeriness and danger.

I stumbled to the doorway of the main room, my voice choked with sobs, and cried out, "Second Grandfather! Second Grandfather, save me!"