Only after the footsteps receded into the background did I look back up and check the corridor. It was clean with no blood or flesh. If ghosts are an enigma, then this place is another mysterious thing.
Some time passed with no other ghosts entering the hotel. So I stood up from the seat and checked the reception area and my immediate surroundings. Except for a bathroom and some chairs and a water filtering machine, there was nothing special about it. Other than the yellow drawing line and the wooden board,
"Slap"
I slapped my forehead at my dumbness. The yellow line and the wooden board are the most mysterious things in my immediate vicinity and which I can interact with. But I do not want to accidentally rub off the yellow line and cause my death at the hands of the ghosts. I do know if they will kill me, but I do not want to risk my life. So the only thing left is the wooden board.
I turned around and closed the distance between me and the board and looked at it with scrutiny. Even after looking at it with concentration, I still couldn't detect any difference between it and any other wooden board I have been seeing all around the place. Then I looked at my name and remembered what had happened yesterday.
Maybe... this is what caused me to be teleported over to the hotel. It must be, as ghosts were able to see the name on the board, not me. So the board must be something special. Maybe it is a kind of binding charm that once you write a name on it, it will be connected to the person.
If so, then... should I try it out? I mulled over it and finally decided to test my luck. I picked up the chalk from the table and tried to write a random name on the board.
"Pzzzztttt"
But as soon as the chalk touched the board, a blindingly painful shock coursed through my hand, reaching my head in an instant. Without even giving me the chance to scream aloud, I was knocked unconscious from the pain and shock I felt.
Without my control, my body, which was already leaning towards the board, slanted more and my nose stuck to the wooden board, causing an immediate gush of blood to flow from the nose and trailed on to the board and my face slid down the board and fell down on to the ground with a THUD.
The small trail of red blood that was on the board seemed to have activated something as the wooden board, which was unassuming for all this time, suddenly shone with a dangerous dark purple light and the blood on it seemed to be attracted by something as it traveled along the edges of the four corners and then formed into a tiny teardrop-shaped symbol.
As soon as the blood stopped in the middle, the mysterious lights too stopped and they began to dim and fade around us. It seems whatever that was happening seemed to fail, just as it seemed it was the end.. The purple light changed and tinges of green and white mixed with it, producing a magical scene of colors. The fading light seemed to be invigorated by the green and white light and it began to brighten again. The blood on the board slowly disappeared into the board as if it was being absorbed.
After just a few moments, the blood and the lights disappeared completely, making it seem like nothing had ever happened. Then, from the middle of the board where the teardrop shape was present, a tiny ball of light got out and instantly flew towards the body of the Asura and disappeared inside his forehead.
At the position where the light entered, a tiny bump formed on the skin in the shape of a verticle eye.
"Ughhhh"
After a while, Asura woke up with a groan.
I spat out a curse in annoyance as I held my head that was still reeling from the pain of the shock and shook it a bit. A few moments later, I was steady enough to stand up and slowly sat on the chair.
As I was recovering from the pain and shock, the door to the hotel was flung open and customers arrived. I looked up to see it was none other than the pregnant woman with the little girl and the ghostly baby in her stomach.
Just like last night, she walked briskly while the little girl was still playing with the red ball, making huge thumping sounds and the baby in the belly inside the belly. But, unlike last night, she didnt hurry me to register a room for her and instead stared straight towards me.
"Thump thump"
My heartbeat accelerated as her eyes locked onto me. Those beautiful and soulful green eyes attracted me to look more and more into her eyes. But I soon broke out of the stare when I once again noticed the palm prints moving on the belly.
This time the woman made a groaning sound as if she was in pain and tears seemed to form in her eyes. Even though I knew she was just a ghost, seeing her in such pain made my heart bubble with compassion and pity for her. But I was helpless to do anything and just watched as the baby ghost came out from under the skirt and climbed onto her torso.
It then turned its head around and grinned at me wickedly and suddenly held its mother's neck and took a bite of her neck, causing the woman to shriek in pain and horror as the baby ravenously ate the flesh of her mother. The little girl that was playing with the ball seemed to be affected by this and she also clung to the leg and took a huge bite of the leg.
Watching all of this happening horrified me and the woman started screaming.
"Help me... please... I beg of you... Please help me "
"Help me...I beg you..help me..they will devour me if you do not help me. "
There seemed to be some kind of weird power in her voice. As soon as I heard it, I was filled with overwhelming compassion towards the woman and took a step forward to help her. At that time, the only thing that was echoing in my mind was to help her and hug her and console her that everything was going to be alright.
I took small steps from my chair towards the yellow line under the incessant begging of the women, and as I was about to step over the yellow,
"Pzztt"
I was once again given a shock, but this time it happened from inside my head. The shock broke me out of the trance or whatever spell I was under. As I looked at my raised feet that were about to cross over the line, my back got chilled with sweat and my entire body broke out with goosebumps.
"Fuck my life"
I once again cursed and hurriedly fell back and stopped only after my back hit the wall. In shock and fear, I looked towards the woman whose screams had now stopped and a creepy grin had formed on her face, as if she was expecting me to walk out of the line.
As I looked on, the babies stopped eating and were watching the gap where I was allowed to enter and leave. After a few moments, they still saw no sign of me coming out. Their faces blackened and the pupils turned white. The three of them screamed as the mother held the ghost baby's head and picked it up like a ball and smashed it on the reception desk, causing it to splatter like a watermelon as chunks of the skull and brain matter splattered the entire room, making it gory.
"Blerghhhh"
The sight made me gag and I rushed into the toilet and vomited my guts out.
"Mommy... Please, mommy. Don't hurt me. Mommy "
"Mommmyyyyyy... Nooooooooooooooo. "
"Bang... Bang"
"Crack...."
As I was puking over and over, I heard horrendous pleas and cries from the little girl to stop her mommy from killing her. After a scream, I heard two banging sounds and a sickening crack. After that, everything went silent.
I stayed on the toilet for an hour at least. Only after I fully calmed down and heard no other noise did I go out and indeed there was no blood or flesh around. It seems as if everything that has happened is my imagination and nothing more. But I know the truth that it was all real and it happened. The thought of it sickened me once again... but except for retching, I couldn't even puke anything as everything was puked out already.
I slowly went on and sat on the table and looked at the clock and noticed it was 3:50. I sighed in relief, finally knowing I would be out for the day, and closed my eyes.