Six Channels of Reincarnation
(Quote)
The claim that the kitchen was haunted was spread by He Xi.
He Xi was just seven or eight years old at the time, and his family lived in an old-fashioned house at 10 Sandalwood Street. That night he slipped into the kitchen to look for something to eat, and that's when he saw the ghost. To be precise, it was a shadowy figure floating in mid-air, its legs lifting up toward the corner of the ceiling, as if it were going up a staircase. He Xi couldn't understand what was happening, and his first reaction wasn't fear, but rather the belief that he was dreaming. By the time he bit his tongue hard enough to feel the pain, the shadow had already disappeared as if it had traveled through the wall, and only then did He Xi let out a scream as if he were waking up from a dream.
The family didn't believe He Xi's story at first, thinking the boy was playing some kind of prank. But then He Xi kept saying that he had seen similar scenes, also the kind of humanoid unreadable shadows, as if there really was an invisible staircase in the kitchen, and the shadows were just swaying there, walking with their legs lifted up and down, sometimes facing up, sometimes facing down. Sometimes even more than one shadow would silently appear on the non-existent staircase, and their hovering stay was usually not long, about the same time that people usually stayed on the stairs. The people watched with pity as the poor boy fell deeper and deeper into fear, and all day long he looked around with that frightened look in his eyes, as if he were always ready for a sudden catastrophe. Although the others never saw the strange things He Xi described, such days made everyone feel bad. So two months later, He Xi's family moved away, risking fines and setting off ancient firecrackers along the way. A few years later, He Xi was already a fourteen year old boy, and he felt that he had grown up. One evening he returned, for some unspecified reason, to his former home at 10 Sandalwood Street. But he stopped only for a few minutes and fled.
Hojiki saw shadows in the void above the kitchen going up and down a nonexistent staircase.
(I)
It was a very ordinary day, a very cool day, which was a common occurrence in this season. It was about three o'clock in the morning when He Xi could no longer sleep. He went to the window and opened the curtains, a fresh air penetrated in. But He Xi didn't feel as good as the weather; he felt a vague headache, and his temples were throbbing as if someone was pulling them hard with a rope. He remembered last night's dream, the strange invisible staircase, and the shadows that walked around with both legs lifted. For how many years, perhaps twenty, that dream, and the shadows in it, had been his constant companion. No matter what he did - like screaming or slapping himself - he couldn't break free from the nightmare. He had to watch the strange gait of the shadows over and over again, filled with fear, and literally feel the thumping of his own heart.
But yesterday's dream was a bit different, He Xi saw something else. Of course, it must have come from what he had witnessed back then, probably due to his extreme fear and the fact that he had only glimpsed it for so many years that he couldn't remember such a thing, and it was only last night's dream that he saw it again, just as hypnosis can awaken people's lost memories. He practically screamed out loud when he saw it again in his dream, and it immediately occurred to him that this thing he had forgotten might just be the only clue in the whole affair. It was an emblem, like the markings on a T-shirt, emblazoned on one of the shadows that had appeared. The mark appeared to be black and contained a series of Chinese characters with calligraphic overtones: Maple Leaf Blade City. It was undoubtedly the name of a place, but He Xi couldn't recall any place by that name.
He Xi turned on his computer, and in the space of a few minutes he did a place-name search of all Chinese-speaking areas. As he did this He Xi pressed on feeling nervous. For many years due to that incident, He Xi was not a very healthy person in the eyes of his family, though they did not dislike him for it. He Xi had never considered himself normal, but he himself didn't understand why he was the only one seeing those shadows. For understandable reasons, the family was very careful to keep it a secret, but there were still rumors that floated from one neighborhood to the next. When He Xi walked on the street he could really feel some fingers crawling on his back, every time He Xi's heart would rise up with inexplicable sadness, he would even turn his head back and shout "they are there, you just don't see them", generally speaking, his action would either return a piece of silence or a piece of ridicule. silence or derision.
Of course, there was also Qin, the girl with the big eyes and the wide flowing hair on her forehead. A twinge rolled through He Xi's heart at the thought of the name. She left, He Xi thought, she said she did not care about those strange imaginations of his but could not ignore the kind of gaze of the onlookers, she said so right ...... The weather that day was beautiful, autumn leaves floating in the air, really a suitable day for parting. There was a yellow leaf on the purple sweater that Qin was wearing, which looked like a specially made decoration. Her back as she turned to leave was truly beautiful and memorable for a lifetime.
The search was over, but the results were disappointing, the computer showed that the name of the place did not exist. Not only was there no Maple Leaf Blade City, but there was no city with a similar name.
Ho Xie lit a cigarette and finished it in a hurry. He didn't understand what was happening. That city it should exist, he had clearly seen its name. It must be somewhere in the world, due to a mirage or some other very ordinary reason that made He Xi see the people living in this city, it must be, He Xi thought with some fury, I am normal, as normal as anyone else, I will prove it to everyone. But where exactly is that city, that Maple Leaf Blade City.
(II)
After dawn He Xi didn't go to work, he began to write a letter on his computer to the effect of asking everyone who receives this letter for any clues about Maple Leaf Blade City, as well as hoping that they would send this letter to some other people they know. At the same time He Xi also sent out inquiries on multiple electronic bulletin boards. After doing all these things He Xi had a feeling of relief, he was confident that he was able to achieve his goal.
He Xi had envisioned all kinds of consequences for the letter, but he had never imagined that it would attract the police. The afternoon of the day after the letter was sent twenty police officers armed to the root of their teeth stormed into He Xi's office and took him away on suspicion of jeopardizing public **** security. When the black cloth covering He Xi's eyes was removed he found himself in a completely unfamiliar environment. It was a very large room, decorated quite luxuriously but at the same time quite tastefully. He Xi was about to explore it carefully when the door suddenly opened.
The person who came was a man in his early forties, his clothes were well-dressed and well-made, and his gaze revealed an extraordinary aura that only those of honorable status could have, giving the whole person a feeling of being above the rest. "Good afternoon, Mr. He Xi." The visitor nodded courteously, "I'm Dr. Hao Nammura. I was the one who invited you here."
"You want something from me." He Xi asked carefully.
"It's for your announcement. I saw that message in the bulletin board on the internet." Hao Nancun's narrowed eyes gave the impression of two sharp knives, "You're looking for a city."
He Xi came to his senses, he even forgot about his current situation, "Could it be that you have a clue about that place?"
"Why don't you start by telling us why you thought of looking for this place?"
The desire for the truth overpowered everything, and He Xi gave a thorough account of the whole thing. Even the girl who left him shook out when he got carried away, he was so eager to know why it was all happening.
"From the time you were a child ......" Hao Nancun murmured, "only you can see those images?"
"Those images never disappeared, they were always there, it's just that no one else could see them." Hexi spoke a little out of breath, "I feel as if they live there, in the city called Maple Blade."
"Is that so?" Hao Nancun smiled, "But there isn't a city like that."
He Xi didn't expect the other to say that, "That's not true, there must be a place like that."
"That's just what you think." Hao Nanchun shook his head, "A city like that doesn't exist in the world, if you don't believe me you can travel around the world to find out. Your weird thoughts are out of hallucination. I forgot to tell you, this is a hospital that treats patients with mental disorders. However, we are willing to pay for your treatment."
"You mean ......," He Xi took a breath of cold air, "I'm a patient."
"And the condition is quite serious." Hao Nanchun nodded, "You need immediate treatment. We've informed your family, they're all happy to hear that someone is willing to pay for your treatment, and they agree that it's necessary. Here," Hao Nanchun shakes the page in his hand, "Here's your family's signature." Hao Nancun pressed a button on the table and in a few seconds four portly men in white coats came in.
"Take him to Ward Three. He belongs to the critically ill." Hao Nancun said, pointing at He Xi.
He Xi looked at all this, he simply didn't know what was happening. He had become a mental patient in the blink of an eye, he felt like he was dreaming. It wasn't until the four men came over and grabbed him by the arm and headed outside that he exclaimed as if he was waking up from a dream, "I'm not sick, I can really see those shadows, they're going up the stairs. They live there, in Maple Blade City. I'm not sick."
But the more Hexi said the tighter the hands of those four men gripped. There were a few other doctors in the hallway poking their heads in to watch the scene with an air of familiarity. Hao Nancun smiled and shrugged his shoulders in a gesture of helplessness before he turned back inside and closed the door. Almost at the same time the smile on his face immediately disappeared and was replaced with a gloomy look.
(c)
Shizuku Makino looked flustered as she left the house, almost running all the way to the underground parking lot. Immediately after getting into her car she dialed the videophone, and on the screen Chief Owen's face was quite tense.
"One hundred and forty-eight block thirty-six, Councilman Varghese's residence. Roger that." Mako repeated Owen's words aloud, "I'll be there immediately. Is there anyone else?"
"You alone are in charge of this case for now." Owen emphasized a sentence, "Judging from the preliminary situation this case may be related to 'Free Paradise'."
Makino Jing was creeped out. Freedom Heaven, a newly risen mysterious organization. Unlike some other organizations, this organization was almost like an ally of the police. Because it only did one thing, and that was to eradicate other terrorist organizations. In less than a year it has subverted no less than ten terrorist organizations that the police have been unable to do anything about, but no one knows what methods it uses. Anyway, the police had a really good year, with good news coming in every day. But this situation did not last forever, the police soon found that this mysterious organization's power is getting bigger and bigger, those subverted organizations are actually annexed by it, and its subsequent several actions even more let the police realize that the real terrible opponent has appeared.
It should be said that all these are just speculations of the police, because there is no evidence to prove that this organization is related to several recent terrorist incidents. People just found that any person or organization that went against "Free Paradise" was eventually and inexplicably struck down. Two months ago, on a rainy night, Mr. Liu Hanwei, a legislator who advocated a tougher stance against all illegal organizations, died suddenly at his home. A month ago another MP who shared Liu Hanwei's views also died violently in the street. And now it is the turn of Councilor Walgis.
"What about those CASE I was originally in charge of?" Mako asked, "Especially the one I was most concerned about."
Owen frowned, "You mean the rumor of an avalanche in the Sahara Desert."
Makino Shizu couldn't help but interject, "I don't think that's a rumor. I believe those locals, it's not like they're making up stories. I've spent almost a year investigating this matter, and I don't want to stop halfway now."
Owen smiled faintly, "Is there a more bizarre story than a tropical desert avalanche."
"But I've been to the site in the first place. I saw with my own eyes that there were large water stains in the desert, and it was so cold there that it made people shiver, which must have been caused by the melting of the ice." Makino Shizu was almost shouting, "The avalanche also crushed two locals to death."
Owen frowned, "I don't want to argue with you. Let's put it this way, you make your own choice, either take charge of investigating this matter at hand, or continue to investigate the avalanche."
Makino Shizuku knowingly closed her mouth and showed a helpless expression. After a while she nodded and said, "Alright then, the avalanche thing will be considered my hobby from now on. I'll go to the Thirty-Sixth Block now."
The Thirty-Sixth Neighborhood was a residential area with beautiful surroundings, where a number of successful people lived. The entire neighborhood was shrouded in emerald green trees, making it seem quiet and cozy.
"Please let me in." Makino Shizuku held up her credentials as she pushed her way in.
At that moment a burly policeman came over to check her ID very responsibly, he looked at Makino Shizuku's face a little hesitantly and said, "Alright, you can come in. But there may be danger inside."
"What danger?" Makino Shizu asked.
"We received a call from Councilor Varghese's family that Councilor Varghese had been taken hostage, and we rushed over immediately. Right now we're trying to figure out how to negotiate with the other side."
"Who did this?"
"I don't know." The officer pointed to a door not far away and said, "That's the bathroom. Councilman Varghese is in there. We've blocked all the exits."
Makino Shizu walked over in the direction of the door. Several officers were pointing their guns at the door and shouting loudly inside. The flickering of lights could be seen through the doorway, indicating that there was still movement inside. At the same time some dull sounds could be heard coming out of the door from time to time, like someone was struggling.
"You are surrounded." One tall police officer shouted over and over again, "Drop your weapons and come out to surrender immediately."
At that moment there was suddenly a loud banging from the door, after which there was not the slightest movement. Makino Jing secretly screamed out in his heart that it was bad. Almost at the same time, the police officers immediately began to act. They shot off the lock and rushed in, but immediately froze on the spot.
Makino Shizuku followed closely, and she immediately understood why the officers were frozen in place. It was because Councilor Varghese was actually the only person inside the bathroom. The window was closed tightly, and in fact even if it had been open it was unlikely that anyone would have been able to escape from there, because the window was barred with steel bars. Councilor Varghese fell face up in a pool of blood, wearing pajamas, with an oddly styled knife running through the right side of his chest. Mako Shizuku calmly looked at Councilman Varghese's injuries, then shook his head. It was clear that his injury was incurable. At that moment, Councilor Varghese's lips suddenly opened and closed, and Makino Shizu hurriedly buried his head down to try to hear his last words.
"......That man...... headed that way......" said Wagis as he swept his gaze over the bathroom, which Makino Shizu knew was the route the man had taken when he left. But Wargis's gaze slanted upwards towards the top of the bathroom, finally stopping at the upper left corner of the ceiling. Wargis' gaze grew misty, "...... He walked up there with both legs ...... up."
"And then what?" Mako asked aloud, feeling that she was stopping the sweat.
"And ...... then," bloodied floating ends emerged from Councilor Varghese's mouth, "and then ...... it was gone. " His head snapped down and his voice ended abruptly.
(d)
"2074, come get your medicine." The chubby Miss Green called out in a loud voice, pushing a cart full of medicine. The man lying on the bed instantly bounced up on reflex, reaching out with a hand as skinny as a chicken claw to take the small pouch in Miss Green's hand.
Green nodded in satisfaction, in her memory 2074 had progressed relatively quickly, when he first arrived he had not only refused to take his medication but had acted like an enemy to every member of the medical staff. The first time he was given medicine it was still only by virtue of a couple of strong men that he managed to get it. "Take the medicine." Grimm said softly. Grimm wasn't actually sure what kind of medicine 2074 was taking, it felt like strange little pills that he hadn't seen before.
2074 poured the pills into his mouth and then took the glass of water from Grimm's hand. After he swallowed the pills he pointed to his abdomen with a pleasing expression and gave Ms. Grimm a smirk. "Eat up." He said, "It's all there."
A soft wave of emotion rolled through Ms. Green, 2074 was one of the better patients in comparison, in layman's terms he was a "literary" madman. Generally speaking, patients like this were housed in group wards, but 2074 had been housed alone and forbidden to talk to other patients. "Good boy." Grimm said patting 2074's hand as he rarely did, "Just eat."
2074 blushed a little at the praise, showing a few shy looks nervously lowering his head, a strand of drool running down the corner of his mouth and onto the quilt, mixing with the original stains. He took an obvious interest in the bright line pulled out by the drool, reaching out to take hold of the slime that hung in the air, tugging at it as he played with it, both eyes smiling in a daze.
Miss Green saw 2074 mumbling something as he played, and she listened intently for a few seconds to what seemed to be a word.
"Stairs ...... There's a staircase there ......"
Miss Greene sighed, stairs, stairs again, from the moment 2074 was admitted he was constantly on telling everyone there was a staircase. Ms. Greene braced herself and pushed the cart toward ready to go out to the next room. That's when a man suddenly rushed in with a page, shouting loudly as he went, "Hexie, who's Hexie?"
Green stopped the visitor, "Dr. Maree, who are you looking for?"
The visitor did not answer, his eyes searching around. Then as if he had made a great discovery he called out, "2074, yes, that's you." He rushed to the bed and said to the man who was playing with his mouth, "Congratulations, Your Excellency, you are all healed and ready to be discharged. Here, sign this."
Ho Xie looked at the man who had burst in with a bewildered expression and ducked behind Ms. Green in some fear. "Eat up." He said with an ingratiating smile pointing to his abdomen, "I've taken my medicine."
Mari impatiently shoved a pen towards Hexi's hand, "You've recovered from your illness, it's time to be discharged." He frowned in disgust, "I knew the free treatment would only raise lazy things like you, good food, good drink and someone to wait on you, it's been a good year or so. Don't pretend, the test report is the most impartial."
He Xi was at a loss for words, looking at the pen in his hand and the man with the thick voice in front of him, like he was in a hurry to cry. After a while he suddenly turned the tip of the pen toward his mouth.
"This is not medicine." Ms. Greene hastily stopped Hexi as she turned to Maree, "Are you mistaken, although I am only a nurse, I have been in charge of watching over this patient. I was able to make sure that he is not ready to be discharged."
"Then I don't care." Maree put on a businesslike face, "The top arranged for this patient to be discharged anyway. If the patient had paid for it himself he could have stayed as long as he wished, but this is free treatment. Now that the higher-ups have discharged him, they won't allocate money for him in the future, so what do you ask me to do."
"But he's really not getting better." Grimm looked at He Xi, "He can only be a waste when he goes out in this condition."
"It's out of my hands. Clean him up, the patient's family is still waiting outside, naturally they will be in charge of him from now on, but there's nothing for us to do."
Miss Green no longer had anything to say, Maree was right, it was not something she could control. Green put He Xi's hand into Maree's and said, "You follow him."
He Xi tried to break away from Maree's hand in fear, but Miss Green stopped him with a stern look. A few moments later Miss Green was left alone in the small hospital room. She bowed her head and tended to the mattress, but she couldn't be still. Gone, that patient. He's still a sick man, anyone can see that at a glance. But we actually discharged a patient who wasn't even cured, someone tell me what's going on here.