Frank closed the door of the car with a loud bang. The window rolled down before he could walk away.

“Get some rest, we got a long day tomorrow,” Alan said.

“Sure. Don’t take it too hard yourself,” Frank replied. With the look on Alan’s eyes, Frank knew he wasn’t heading home. His wife was also one of the victims 17 years ago. It was good that she came back alive, at least what’s left of her. Though the mental asylum is a better place than six feet under, Frank thought. “Go on then”

The car’s engine whirled into action, and it drove off into the distance. There was one thing that he hasn’t done up until now.

Frank reached into his right side pocket, reaching for the USB stick that was put in place by Carl back in the bar. A lot of things had happened since then, and he had no chance to look into the data until now.

With a loud creak, the door opened with a slight push. He had always kept the door unlocked. There was no point in locking the door of a highly devalued neighbourhood. It hasn’t become a ghetto either. There were too many superstitions and rumors about the neighbourhood that turned away would-be buyers.

One was that the neighbourhood was haunted, and other worldly wails could be heard from the streets even in the day time. Another was that some could see walking apparitions in the park at night. Of course, all of them were true. Frank had experienced them himself, though not as life-threatening as some would say. There were many others that he had forgotten as they had become accustomed to the paranormal activities.

Dropping his bag on the floor, he unzipped it and pulled out his laptop, setting it on the table and turning it on. He inserted the USB stick and opened the single folder inside. It contained numerous documents and pictures.

He had opened the first document he saw, skimming over its contents. It described the incidents set in the province of Guangdong, in both Guangzhou city and a county just about an hour away from Guangzhou city.

In the city, there had been several murders. Frank’s curiosity was piqued when he saw photos of the victims, all of whom had the same horrified expression. Their deaths were attributed to heart attacks. While rare, heart attacks caused by extreme fear had claimed multiple victims, all with the same terror-stricken faces.

On the outskirts of the city, a small town had its whole population disappear overnight. In the document, it contained CCTV videos and several photos of restaurants, apartment buildings, and streets. Frank was most curious about the still unfinished dishes in the restaurants and in the homes of the people in the apartment buildings, meaning the disappearance happened in an instant.

Playing one of the videos in the folder, Frank saw the same interference that happened in the video of the warehouse. A family sitting down and watching TV. Then audio cut off and the space inside the video seemed to distort and twist with bright flashes. Roots then began to cover the room of the then empty apartment unit. It was the same exact thing that happened in the warehouse, Frank thought.

A small headache began to form on the left side of his head. Whether that be from watching the illogical videos or from all the information he just took in, he didn’t know.

Frank stood up and glanced toward the window. As midnight approached, supernatural occurrences grew more frequent, and there it was—a ghostly figure materializing outside. Its translucent silhouette resembled a human form. While others might have been terrified, Frank knew this apparition was harmless, or at least he believed so. The figure drifted closer, seemingly trying to peer inside, its gaze fixed on him, motionless like a paused video. Scenes like this always sent shivers down his spine.

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He shook it off and then headed to the kitchen. Pouring water into the kettle and turning it on, Frank waited until the water was boiling then poured into a cup. He took out a packet of Vietnamese instant coffee then added it to the cup. His wife had always hated instant coffee, especially the sweet ones. She always nagged him, saying they were unhealthy, and would always brew him black coffee in the morning or night when he needed it.

Frank took a sip of his coffee, a bitter reminder of the dread he felt about returning home. The place had become a repository of painful memories he desperately wanted to escape. With his cup in hand, he walked toward the front door, feeling the eerie gaze of the apparition track his every move. He tried to convince himself it was nothing, that there was no real danger.

He mustered up his courage and opened the door. The apparition disappeared as soon as he stepped outside, giving him a breath of relief. Frank walked down the sidewalk until he reached a park.

The lamps scattered throughout the park were dim and unmaintained. Frank followed the familiar path, his eyes scanning the surroundings as he passed multiple apparitions, similar to the one from the window. When he reached a fork in the road, he took the left path, noting that the apparitions had vanished from his view. It might have been because the path he chose was even less illuminated, the scant light from the few remaining lamps failing to penetrate the darkness, Frank thought.

Reaching a wider, better-lit area, Frank sat on a bench beneath a lamppost. He could feel it in his bones—this was the case he had been waiting for all these years. The drowsiness from being awake for several days vanished as he reviewed the files on the USB stick. Excitement about a case, a feeling he hadn't experienced in years, began to resurface in his heart. He relaxed for a couple more minutes on the bench while sipping his tea as recalled the details of the case before finally getting up.

It was then that Frank noticed a man he hadn't seen before, standing and blocking his path home. The man's back was turned, but the shivers and goosebumps Frank felt warned him of the danger ahead. The man's head was bent at an unnatural angle, yet Frank ignored his instincts. Despite his tendency to disregard rules, regulations, and protocols, he was still a police officer at heart. He needed to check on the individual's well-being, a wellness check, even if it meant betraying the lesson he learned from the lady in the forest.

“Hey buddy, are you ok?” He asked in a louder voice.

The man didn’t answer, nor move, nor breathe. Maybe this was one of the supernatural occurring events that happened closer to midnight, Frank thought. He moved in closer to inspect the individual.

Suddenly, the man jerked forward, bones crackling, the head twisted at an even more unnatural angle. Blood dripped from the man’s limp arms.

Frank gripped the black box in the left pocket of his jacket while also gripping the gun in the holster hidden by his jacket.

“Buddy, if you’re hurt, I can call the ambulance.” Frank said, almost at a yell. “Now don’t move suddenly, or I might do something I don’t wanna do, alright?”

A piercing screech erupted from the man, shattering the stillness. This was no apparition or one of the usual supernatural occurrences in the neighborhood—Frank's ears throbbed from the intensity of the sound. The figure jerked, turning to face him. Its guts spilled out, mouth smeared with blood, eyes hollowed out. Frank noted with relief that its teeth were normal, unlike the lady in the forest. But that relief was short-lived as the creature's hands came into view, its nails sharp like talons, covered in blood and entrails clinging to the undersides.

He then squeezed the black box, emitting a blue light on what he had his eyes set on. The box allowed any projectiles the user possesses to automatically home in on whoever he had set the target to. He then turned back sprinting at full speed. With another screech, the creature followed, giving chase.

Frank drew his gun while sprinting, firing wildly in all directions. Each bullet left a trail of blue light, curving mid-air to hit the creature pursuing him without losing velocity. He couldn't tell if the shots had any effect, but the creature's escalating screeches suggested it was even more hellbent on pursuing him.