I stared intently at the girl who called herself Xiaolan; a strange smile appeared on her flushed face.
The Li Huai doll in his hand trembled slightly, as if silently pleading for help.
"What game?" I asked in a deep voice, the yellow talisman in my hand already poised to be used.
"It's very simple, just hide-and-seek. As long as you don't get found by me, you're fine. I'll count down from one hundred and give you time to hide. You just need to hold out for ten minutes."
Xiaolan tilted her head, and a creaking sound came from her neck.
I couldn't help but think of a roasted chicken or duck, whose head could be easily ripped off with a single forceful twist.
Luo Tianhe leaned closer to me, lowered his voice, and said cautiously:
"You're not really going to play hide-and-seek with this weird thing, are you? This is all for our benefit! And who knows what kind of weird tricks this ghost might use."
"Of course I know, but if you don't follow her rules, this thing might just take action!"
"I didn't bring my peach wood sword with me, and I'm a bit anemic right now, so I'll be a little weak if we really fight. I'll stall for time as long as I can, and if it gets too bad, I'll fight her again!"
I really don't want to bleed anyone out unless it's absolutely necessary.
Moreover, if this ghost really follows her rules, we might not necessarily lose.
I gritted my teeth, stepped forward, and said:
"Then you are not allowed to use any strange methods, you can only search like a normal child."
Xiaolan's dark eyes stared intently at me.
After a long silence, a strange smile appeared on his lips, and he nodded, saying:
"Okay, but you can only hide in the front yard and the main building. You are not allowed to go to the back yard or the dormitory area!"
Before I could answer, she turned around, faced the wall, and began to count down.
"100, 99, 98,"
Luo Tianhe and I exchanged a glance. There was nothing to hide in the front yard except for a few big trees. We could see everything just by turning around.
Since we weren't allowed to go to the backyard or dormitory area, we only had one option left.
We rushed to the main building, pushed open the creaking door, and were immediately hit by a strong, acrid smell, several times stronger than outside.
Luo Tianhe couldn't help but pinch his nose, fan himself, and cough a few times.
"Damn it, I've had enough of this smell, and I never want to eat barbecue again in my life!"
The interior of the main building was even more dilapidated than it appeared from the outside, with charred furniture scattered throughout the lobby.
There were also various dolls and toys that had been burned and were now in a grotesque state.
I don't know if it's just my imagination, but they all seem to be looking at me with a malicious gaze!
I scratched the goosebumps on my body, completely ignoring Luo Tianhe and these strange toys.
After all, the girl outside was still counting down, and she had already reached eighty.
I continued to look around, searching for a place to hide.
The walls were covered in soot, and the staircase facing the door had partially collapsed, making it barely passable.
"We'll split up and find places to hide," I whispered. "Remember, she promised not to use her special abilities, so we have a chance."
"What the hell? Are you kidding me? The biggest chance in a horror movie is to split up and act separately!"
Luo Tianhe shook his head vigorously, absolutely refusing to agree to my suggestion.
"Brother, it's only ten minutes. Let's stall for time, and we'll win the game. Li Huai is still waiting for us to rescue him. Don't forget her doll; it looks exactly like Li Huai. He must have seen Li Huai before!"
After hearing what I said, Luo Tianhe gritted his teeth and stamped his foot, reluctantly agreeing to my suggestion.
It was mainly the girl's countdown voice; as the numbers kept decreasing, we genuinely felt a sense of urgency.
If we don't reach a consensus soon, it will be too late to hide.
"In that case, I'll go to the left, and you go to the right."
After saying that, Luo Tianhe ran to the left corridor, while I chose the right, pushed open a half-closed door, and entered a room that looked like a classroom.
The room contained rows of charred small tables and chairs, covered with a thick, yellow, foul-smelling substance.
I could tell at a glance that it was corpse oil extracted from a person who had been burned to death.
I felt nauseous, but it was too late to find another place to hide.
Moreover, the other rooms may not be much better than this one!
There were still blurry marks left on the blackboard in front, which didn't look like the teacher's writing at all; they looked like scribbles.
In the upper left corner of the blackboard, there was a strange human face drawn.
At first glance, it seems like just a child's prank.
But given a child's height, it's impossible for them to reach that spot!
But I didn't have time to think much. I looked around and found a storage cabinet in the corner, just the right size to fit one person.
I tiptoed closer to the cabinet, afraid that if I opened it, there might be someone hiding inside.
I swallowed hard, slowly reached for the cabinet, and then suddenly opened it. Luckily, the cabinet was empty.
I breathed a sigh of relief and carefully squatted in, trying not to make a sound.
Then I gently closed the door, leaving only a narrow crack to observe the outside environment.
In the silent classroom, all I could hear was the pounding of my own heart.
The girl has finished the countdown and should be coming to find us by now.
Soon, a strange sound of footsteps rang out, like the sound of a cane tapping on the ground.
I suddenly remembered that the flesh on the girl's legs had been completely roasted and peeled off, leaving only the bones.
That's why they made such strange footstep sounds.
The sound came slowly and steadily, gradually approaching.
Soon, I heard the footsteps, which stopped making a sound at the classroom door, as if they had quietly stopped there.
The next moment, the classroom door creaked open, and my heart stopped.
The classroom door was pushed open!
I held my breath, afraid to even exhale.
But Xiaolan seemed to know I was hiding in the closet, and walked straight towards me.
I closed my eyes, burying my head like an ostrich, no longer peeking through the cracks to observe the outside world.
With a "click," my cabinet was opened.
"Found you, big brother."
She made cheerful sounds, as if she were just an innocent and pure young girl.
But to my ears, the sound was like the whisper of a demon.
"Impossible! How could you find me so quickly? Why didn't you even search the other classrooms before coming straight to me?"
My face was pale, and I leaned tightly against the cabinet, asking the question with resentment.
"It's simple. You have a special, living scent that I can smell right away!"
Xiao Lan's lips curled into a slight smile.
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