Chapter 11: Dreams and Reality (Patreon)

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~9~8~7~6~5~4~3~2~1~

It's certain that instant noodles lack nutrition, but for someone who's starving, this junk food can be quite delicious.

At this moment, both Yang Haoran and the young woman had empty stomachs, so neither of them was picky. They hastily finished the instant noodles, and then the woman briefed Yang Haoran on the detailed haunting situation in her house.

The woman's name was Jiang Zhenzhen. She looked like she was only sixteen or seventeen, but her actual age was twenty-one. Her youthful appearance was owed to her doll-like face and petite figure.

Jiang Zhenzhen came from a modest family background and dropped out of school early. Despite lacking formal education, her sweet demeanor and easygoing nature made her suitable for various jobs. Consequently, she easily found a job at a jewelry store in Lecheng.

She was fairly content with her current job. Previously, she had worked in other cities, but due to her parents' poor health, she returned to Lecheng to take care of them. Though she couldn't be with her parents all the time, she could still manage household matters and ease their burdens when needed, which bore some similarity to Yang Haoran's situation.

After securing her job, Jiang Zhenzhen rented a one-bedroom apartment in Lecheng. The apartment wasn't spacious, but it had all the essentials.

Initially, Jiang Zhenzhen had planned to share the apartment with someone else to save on rent. However, cohabitation could bring about numerous issues. If the roommate was tidy and had a normal lifestyle, it would be ideal. But if not, it could be quite uncomfortable and even risky, leaving her constantly on edge.

Sharing accommodations definitely depended on the person; otherwise, it could be chaotic and potentially dangerous. After careful consideration, Jiang Zhenzhen decided against sharing and opted for a one-bedroom apartment, despite the additional rent expense, for a more comfortable living situation.

Indeed, when she rented this one-bedroom apartment, Jiang Zhenzhen aimed for comfort. However, what she never anticipated was feeling uneasy rather than comfortable, even frightened nearly to death.

From the first day Jiang Zhenzhen moved in, she started having nightmares every night!

That day, their jewelry store was busy, and she had worked tirelessly. After finishing her shift and returning home to her rented apartment, she began tidying up, cleaning, and arranging the place until midnight.

Her frail body couldn't handle such strenuous activity, and she knew she was exhausted after a day's work. Yet, she felt happy because she finally got everything sorted out.

After a refreshing hot shower, she happily jumped into bed. Despite being a rented space, it still gave her a sense of freshness and joy.

After turning off the lights, she drifted into sleep, tired from the day's work. But something unexpected happened. As she was dozing off, she felt as if someone was tugging at her blanket. Initially drowsy, she didn't pay much attention and continued to sleep. However, after a while, she felt another tug, startling her. She faintly sensed that someone was sleeping next to her!

This realization jolted her awake. Instinctively, she reached for the bedside lamp switch and turned it on. The room flooded with light, giving her some courage. She quickly turned to look beside her, hoping it was just her imagination, but what she saw almost stopped her heart.

Next to her was an old lady, sharing the same blanket. The old lady's body was wrapped tightly in the blanket, with only her head visible. However, her face was rotten, covered in holes oozing foul-smelling pus. In the bright light, Jiang Zhenzhen could even see maggots wriggling in the holes.

The face was barely recognizable as that of an old lady. When Jiang Zhenzhen looked at her, the old lady grinned, revealing sharp teeth!

Jiang Zhenzhen screamed in terror, sitting bolt upright in bed. The room remained dark as she hadn't switched on the light. She was drenched in cold sweat, her nightclothes clinging to her body. Breathing heavily, she switched on the light, still trembling with fear, only to find the space beside her empty. The terrifying old lady wasn't there.

With a shiver, Jiang Zhenzhen let out a sigh of relief, realizing that everything had just been a dream, albeit an incredibly vivid one. Though she often had dreams, even daydreaming during the day, she rarely remembered them upon waking. However, this time was different. She vividly recalled every detail of the dream, especially the horrifying image of the old lady's hole-ridden face, and the deep-seated fear it evoked.

That night, she couldn't sleep. She dared not continue sleeping, although she didn't understand why she had such a dream. However, she didn't want to be frightened again like last night if she fell asleep.

The next day, Jiang Zhenzhen went to work as usual. She appeared a bit less energetic due to the sleepless night, but since she had recently found this job, she didn't want her personal issues to affect her work. She feared being fired by her boss.

Therefore, despite not having slept well, she still worked diligently the next day, hoping to leave a good impression on her boss and colleagues through her efforts.

Returning home in the evening, although she didn't tidy up the room as she did the previous night, due to her exhaustion from working tirelessly all day, she felt even more tired than the night before.

So, she hastily freshened up, didn't even bother to eat dinner, and dove straight into bed, falling into a deep sleep.

As for the terrifying nightmare that had shaken her to her core the previous night, it gradually faded from her mind due to today's busyness and fatigue.

Sometimes, women's nerves are delicate like threads, easily snapped with a slight touch. But other times, their nerves are as strong as steel rods, thick and sturdy. Jiang Zhenzhen was no exception.

For Jiang Zhenzhen, after a whole day of exhaustion and a night of poor sleep, falling asleep was the most comfortable thing to do. However, the heart-stopping event almost occurred again.

Jiang Zhenzhen slept deeply, completely unaware of the passing time. After an unknown period, a chill woke her from her slumber.

In that moment of awakening, her brain wasn't fully alert. She thought it might be time to get up for work and subconsciously checked her phone for the time. It was exactly twelve o'clock.

Twelve o'clock—the time often chosen for ghostly occurrences in many horror movies, down to the exact second. Jiang Zhenzhen, still not fully awake, didn't associate the current situation with horror movies, let alone connect it to the nightmare she had last night. Her first thought was about her missing blanket.

Yes, she found her blanket missing. It was the middle of winter, and it was late at night. The temperature was already low, although there was an air conditioner in the room, she hadn't turned it on to save electricity. Without the blanket, she would definitely freeze, which made perfect sense.

The blanket couldn't have vanished on its own. Jiang Zhenzhen, now a bit more awake, first thought that she hadn't been careful while sleeping and had kicked the blanket onto the floor.

So, she got up and looked towards the left side of the bed where the floor was empty. There was nothing there. Then, she naturally looked towards the right side of the bed. This time, she wasn't disappointed; she indeed found the blanket on the floor.

However, just as she bent down to pick up the blanket from the floor, a pair of rotting and foul-smelling feet suddenly appeared in her line of sight!

Ah!!!

Jiang Zhenzhen screamed, jerking backward, so terrified that she fell off the bed. Ignoring the pain in her body, she quickly retreated to a corner and curled up, trembling all over!

She saw the owner of those feet clearly—a rotten old lady oozing pus all over her body. The scene before her reminded her of the nightmare from last night—the familiar rotten face, the familiar stench, and that terrifying smile!

It was the old lady from her dream, the one who shared her bed last night!

At that moment, Jiang Zhenzhen was completely petrified. She had never experienced anything so horrifying in her life. Huddled in the corner, she trembled as she watched the old lady slowly approach her. She screamed in terror, loudly shouting, "Don't come near me! Don't come near me!"

The old lady paid no attention, her rotting body emitting a foul smell. She moved closer to Jiang Zhenzhen, repeating, "This house is mine, and no one can take it from me. Get out of here! Get out!"

In Jiang Zhenzhen's terrified gaze, the old lady reached her, extending her rotten hands and grabbing Jiang Zhenzhen's neck!

The decaying flesh, wriggling maggots, and disgusting pus covered Jiang Zhenzhen, seeping into her clothes. The maggots wriggled inside her clothes, nibbling on her, as if intending to devour her whole.

Jiang Zhenzhen struggled in fear, but to no avail. She couldn't break free from the old lady's rotten and foul-smelling hands. She could only watch helplessly as the old lady, with a face full of eerie laughter, brought her sharp teeth towards Jiang Zhenzhen's forehead, seemingly about to feast starting from her head.

At the moment when the old lady's sharp teeth sank into Jiang Zhenzhen's forehead, a piercing pain shot through her nerves. Gathering strength from somewhere unknown, she suddenly sat up from the bed!

Yes, she sat up from the bed. Her whole body was drenched in sweat, her hair disheveled, and she looked bewildered. Everything that just happened was just a dream, but this dream was so real that she couldn't distinguish between reality and dream anymore.

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Next Chapter ->Chapter 12: The Low-Priced Master