The backyard gate was locked with a rusty iron lock.
Fortunately, the door was made of wood, and the planks were already rotten. Luo Tianhe kicked it over.
Then a large hole appeared, big enough for an adult to pass through.
"Hurry up."
I covered my mouth and nose and quickly passed through; the air was filled with splinters of wood and dust.
"Cough cough,"
Luo Tianhe coughed twice and followed me into the backyard. Then he waved his hand, trying to disperse the sawdust and dust nearby.
"Speaking of which, if Li Huai were in the backyard, then this lock should be open."
"Not necessarily. Who said there's only one door?"
I answered casually, and then took out my phone. To my surprise, there was a signal here!
I dialed Li Huai's number, but again, no one answered.
"Damn it, what's this kid doing buying a phone! If I catch him, the first thing I'll do is donate his phone to someone in need!"
Luo Tianhe continued to curse and swear, clearly extremely frustrated.
I ignored his complaints and looked around the backyard.
The backyard was even more dilapidated and desolate than the front yard, with weeds growing taller than a person!
In the cold night wind, they resembled countless waving arms.
In the very center stands a withered old locust tree, its branches twisted like ghost claws.
I'm speechless. Why do they seem to like planting locust trees in such gloomy places?!
Suddenly, I thought of a key figure: the dean!
Considering his previous sale of Li Huai to an intermediary, I think that guy might be the mastermind behind this fire!
Yes, in my opinion, this fire was not an accident, but a man-made one!
Thinking about this, I became even more eager to find Li Huai; he must know something!
"Chen Yan, look over there,"
Luo Tianhe suddenly spoke up, and I looked in the direction he pointed, and found that it should be the dormitory area.
The windows of that row of low dormitory buildings were all boarded up, but faint sounds could be heard coming from inside.
"Will Li Huai be inside?" Luo Tianhe asked nervously.
"I don't know, but this is almost the only place we haven't looked."
I gripped my phone tightly; the flashlight beam seemed exceptionally weak in the darkness.
Looking at those dormitory buildings where all the doors and windows were nailed shut, even I couldn't help but feel a chill run down my spine.
My grandfather once told me that the most important thing about a house is its windows.
Windows allow for communication between the inside and outside of a room.
Older generations usually believe that it is the boundary between yin and yang.
A room with all its windows sealed off means that it may have become a ghost town.
However, just like the front yard, the layout of the backyard is also completely visible.
The last hope of finding Li Huai lies in that dormitory building!
We carefully made our way through the weeds and arrived at the dormitory building. There we smelled that cloyingly sweet scent again.
At the same time, there was an indescribable burnt smell mixed in.
"vomit,"
Luo Tianhe gagged again, then switched back to breathing through his mouth.
I held a talisman in my right hand, ready to deal with any ghosts or monsters that might jump out at any moment.
But when we got to the door, we found that the dormitory door was open and there were footprints indicating that someone had gone in!
It must be Li Huai!
Luo Tianhe and I exchanged a glance, both seeing the joy in each other's eyes.
For a moment, even the fear in our hearts was somewhat dispelled.
"I'll go in first," I said in a low voice, and without waiting for Luo Tianhe's response, I went in first.
The interior was darker than I had imagined, and the air was so foul it was suffocating.
I raised my phone, and the flashlight illuminated the road three to five meters ahead.
On both sides of the road were rows of tightly closed doors.
The walls were covered in soot, and charred toys and items were scattered on the floor.
"This place is fucking creepy," Luo Tianhe said, feeling a chill run down his spine as he followed them inside.
Because the ground was covered with a thick layer of ash, the footprints were very clear.
"Let's go, follow the footprints, and see where he went."
In this environment, I subconsciously lowered my voice, and Luo Tianhe could only hear what I said if he paid very close attention.
The same was true for Luo Tianhe. In this oppressive and quiet environment, we dared not make any loud noises, for fear of attracting something.
We moved slowly down the corridor, and with each step, the ashes beneath our feet made a soft sound.
Small nameplates hung on the doors on both sides, seemingly bearing the names of the residents.
The doors are just like those in a high school dormitory, and each door has a window that allows you to see inside the room.
Suddenly, we heard a clear sound of a door closing behind us.
"Someone's here?" Luo Tianhe turned around abruptly, his flashlight beam sweeping across the empty corridor.
I keenly realized that the sound was coming from where we had entered.
My face darkened. If I wasn't mistaken, someone or something must have closed the door that led us here.
"Never mind those things for now, let's find Li Huai first."
I waved my hand, since we didn't plan to go out for the time being anyway.
It's better to close the door; at least if Xiao An comes after us, he can warn us.
Of course, it would be best if the guy who locked us up got into a fight with Xiao An and both of them were injured!
We continued following the footprints, when suddenly we heard a faint scraping sound coming from the door on our right.
It looked as if someone was scraping the wooden planks on the door with their fingernails.
Luo Tianhe and I exchanged a glance, tacitly deciding to ignore it and pretend we hadn't heard it.
But the next moment, the scraping sound on the door grew louder and more intense, as if something might burst through the door at any moment.
I know it was our indifference that made "it" angry.
I felt somewhat helpless. This orphanage was like a strange, bizarre place with all sorts of rules. I didn't want to pay any attention to these weird things, but I had to follow their rules.
I gestured for Luo Tianhe to be quiet and slowly approached the door.
The scraping sound grew clearer, mixed with faint sobs.
"Who's inside?" I asked softly.
The scraping sound stopped abruptly. A few seconds later, a childish voice came from inside the door: "Help me, I'm so scared,"
Upon hearing this, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. You're scared? What are you scared of?
Luo Tianhe grinned, his eyes full of helplessness.
Even though we know the other person is a ghost, we still have to play along.
I tried turning the doorknob, but the door wasn't locked.
Suddenly I felt a little numb.
The door isn't locked. If you want to get out, you can just push the door open yourself!
Not knowing what this ghost meant, I took a deep breath and suddenly pushed the door open.
I held up my phone and shone the flashlight into the room, and to my surprise, it was completely empty except for a bed!
The only thing visible on the wall were the dense scratches, as if someone had been scratching them with their fingernails over a long period of time.
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