Chapter 10: The Chill of a Nightmare

‘Damn it, you’re the smartest, aren’t you? So impressive,’ the fat man grumbled, his voice laced with annoyance.

“Stop rambling,” another voice cut in. “Get the ‘merchandise’ into the car first. If it gets cold, it won’t sell for much, and you’ll be stuck dealing with the leftover corpse yourself.”

“Alright, alright, I get it,” the fat man conceded. “Come help me lift.”

The thin man stood by the homeless person’s feet, lifting them. Meanwhile, the fat man hoisted the upper half of the body. Slowly, carefully, they carried the entire corpse out.

A moment later, the fading sounds indicated to Hao Yang that they had descended the stairs. She then heard a car engine roar to life, its hum gradually receding until it vanished completely.

Hao Yang cautiously unlatched the cupboard door. After confirming they were truly gone, she collapsed directly onto the floor, gasping for air, her face contorted in terror.

‘No, I have to find the police! I have to find the police!’ Hao Yang’s emotions finally stabilized a fraction, and she realized what she needed to do next.

She grabbed her backpack, along with her down jacket, then snatched the homeless man’s lantern. Clutching it, she bolted out, the faint beam of the lantern barely illuminating her path forward.

In her haste, she stumbled and tumbled down the stairs. Hao Yang scrambled back to her feet instantly, disregarding any potential injuries. She snatched up the fallen lantern and sprinted out of the house.

She located her child’s bicycle in the woods and pushed it frantically, desperate to flee. This was a place she never wanted to see again in her life. Her only thought was to find the police station, the only place that could offer her a sliver of safety.

She had no idea what time it was, only that the sky was pitch black. Arriving at what was usually the busiest street, she found every shop shuttered. The lively daytime bustle was gone, replaced by an eerie silence that made the street feel like a ghost town.

Hao Yang now sat on a public bench along this street. She had intended to find the police, but an embarrassing realization struck her: she didn’t know where the police station was, nor did she have a phone to call them.

She had tried to borrow a phone and ask for directions, but no one on the street paid her any mind. Instead, they regarded her with strange looks. Not a single person was willing to lend their phone or even utter a word.

This society, she realized, seemed far more indifferent than she had ever imagined.

The numerous streetlights on this road somewhat assuaged Hao Yang’s fear. Yet, the memory of the homeless man being strangled caused her face to blanch and her legs to tremble uncontrollably. She had only ever read about murders online; she never expected one to unfold right before her eyes.

A biting wind whipped against Hao Yang’s small frame, turning her cheeks and hands a raw, icy red. The intense cold momentarily pushed the traumatic experience from her mind. If she didn’t find a way to keep warm soon, she feared she would freeze to death.

Hao Yang yearned for a place that offered some shelter from the wind and rain. She rode her bicycle slowly down the street, her feet so numb with cold that they felt utterly devoid of strength.

Riding her electric bike, Hao Yang felt, for the first time, just how unbearable winter could be. In her hometown of Shu Province, a single snowfall once a year would fill her with joy, as snow was a rare sight there. Yet, after only a few days here, enduring constant wind and rain, she desperately longed for home. Her parents were likely still at home, anxious about her original body’s condition.

Suddenly, Hao Yang spotted a brightly lit area ahead. Focusing her gaze, she realized it was an ATM.

Her eyes brightened. This spot was practically perfect for shelter. It offered protection from the wind, bright lighting, and, crucially, surveillance cameras. Those murderers surely wouldn’t dare commit their heinous acts here.

Hao Yang parked her child’s bicycle in an inconspicuous spot by the roadside and slowly made her way toward the ATM. Upon reaching the entrance, the automatic door remained unresponsive. She poked the sensor, and finally, the door slowly slid open.

Hao Yang hurried inside as the automatic door slowly closed behind her, blocking out the wind. Although the small room was still cold, at least she was no longer exposed to the sleet and biting gusts.

She exhaled a puff of breath onto her small hands, then rubbed them together vigorously. Her palms warmed slightly, but the chill still lingered.

Hao Yang switched off the lantern and placed it on the ground. This object was a piece of evidence, and she intended to hand it over to the police later. While she had initially desired the lantern, the thought that it belonged to a dead man extinguished any longing for it.

To keep herself warm, Hao Yang spread the down jacket she had brought onto the floor and sat on it. Yet, she was still terribly cold. Deciding on a better approach, she lay down and zipped it up, transforming the large jacket into a makeshift sleeping bag. Truth be told, this down jacket was quite good; its insulation was excellent. As Hao Yang huddled within it, her body temperature gradually began to rise.

Finally, a faint warmth returned to her hands and feet. Huddled in the jacket, Hao Yang’s tense emotions slowly eased. The day’s exhaustion began to creep in, her eyelids fighting to stay open, fluttering between open and closed.

Suddenly, the wind outside picked up, its howl growing much louder. Hao Yang roused herself slightly and glanced out. The wind and snow had intensified many times over. If it had been a moderate snowfall before, it was now a blizzard.

She felt fortunate to have found this ATM for shelter before the heavy snow began, otherwise, she might truly have frozen to death outside.

Watching the heavy snow fall, Hao Yang suddenly recalled a famous quote she had learned in elementary school: ‘If winter comes, can spring be far behind?’

But would spring truly come? Perhaps, for her, it never would.

“Get moving! Don’t sleep here! If you don’t leave, the police will be here any second!” A loud, booming voice blared from a small speaker near the ATM.

Upon hearing the word ‘police,’ Hao Yang felt the last stone in her heart finally drop. Her entire body instantly relaxed. She was simply too exhausted and, amidst the speaker’s relentless shouting, drifted off to sleep.