"Just rob the money, why the hell did you have to dirty my band-aid."
After that, there was an outcry that sounded like a mix of wailing ghosts and howling wolves.
*****
[First Blood]
Levi Wright, a teenager addicted to skipping classes to play games at home, had just scored first blood when the door opened.
He glanced up, "Why are you soaked like that?"
He lived in the same unit as his brother, with their parents residing downstairs.
"Didn't you take an umbrella with you?"
Wyatt Wright walked into the bathroom, grabbed a towel, and came out, "I lost my umbrella."
Levi, while casting a skill, said, "Then what about the camera?" Remembering he had it with him when he left.
"Lost that too."
Levi's hand slipped, he was about to ask something when the other entered his room.
The main light in the room wasn't on, only a floor lamp was lit.
Wyatt closed the door, took off his coat, and threw it carelessly on the ground. He walked over to the floor lamp, opened his hand, and there, pressing down the lines of his palm, were wet ruby stones.
He was yet to change out of his wet clothes; the water dripped onto the floor, drip-dropping steadily. Outside, the thunderstill rumbled while he watched the two gems in silence amidst the noise.
After finishing a round of the game, Levi knocked on Wyatt's room door.
"Aren't you going to take a shower?"
There was no response from inside the room.
Wyatt had been sitting for so long that the rain had suddenly stopped. He pulled open the bottommost drawer, placed the gems inside, then got up and left the room.
*****
The sound of rain had ceased; the night was deep and silent.
Rae Bennett pushed open the bathroom door, moved to the computer, covered the webcam, and then started the computer to begin her live stream.
The comments started to fly in quickly.
[She's here, she's here]
[Ruby is late again today]
[Sing a song and we'll forgive you]
[Are we not even getting a glimpse of your hand today?]
[Ruby, can you do some tapping sounds with dishes and bowls?]
ASMR had become a popular form of live streaming in recent years, primarily relying on different props to stimulate visual, auditory, tactile, and other senses to evoke unique sensations. Following the wave of stimulation, one would often find it easier to fall asleep. In layman's terms, it meant using props to trigger sounds that help the audience de-stress, relax, and fall asleep.
Rae had been streaming for a while but wasn't full-time; her streaming schedule and format were not fixed. Sometimes, on a whim, she would narrate poetry or do voiceovers - it all depended on her mood. She wouldn't show her face, only her voice and hands.
Ruby was the name she used for streaming, meaning red gemstone.
"I was a bit busy today and didn't have time to prepare props, so I'll tell you a story instead."
There weren't many in the live stream room, but it was far from empty.
[Bedtime stories are the best]
[I want to hear the continuation of the scholar's story from last time]
Rae liked soft things like her bed, throw pillows, the towel in her hands for drying her hair, and Wyatt's ears.
She hung the towel around her neck, rested her hands on the desk; on the joints of her fingers were scrapes.
Her beautiful hands were marred by injuries; faults on white jade that couldn't help but catch the eye.
That's why she wasn't fond of using her hands.
"Today I won't talk about the scholar but a fairy tale story."
[All tucked in]
[Headphones ready]
[I love Ruby's fairy tale series best]
[Today I'm going to try and stay awake for ten minutes before I fall asleep]
Rae softened her voice, whispering as if a breeze caressing a dandelion, "Once upon a time, there was a forest with a castle inside, and within that castle lived a witch. The witch was very skilled at magic, and she concocted a potion that brought a rabbit to life. The rabbit was bright red from head to toe, and the witch named him: Red Rabbit."
The beginning of a fairy tale was always enchanting.
"Red Rabbit was not ordinary; he wasn't just any red rabbit—he was a red rabbit that was only a head. He had no hands, no feet, no body, and no ears; he could only roll on the ground. The other forest creatures didn't like him and wouldn't play with him; they all called him a monster. He was very lonely and very sad."
The flurry of comments slowed down as everyone listened to the story.
"One day, the witch fed Red Rabbit raw meat—it was a pair of rabbit ears. Then, to her amazement, Red Rabbit began to grow ears."
The voice became deeper and slower.
"The witch was overjoyed, so happy in fact that she slipped and fell to the floor. She hit her head and bled profusely, unable to move. Red Rabbit, with only ears and a head, was laughing, laughing loudly, ha ha ha."
"The witch reached out to Red Rabbit and said," the voice suddenly changed, old and feeble, "Save me, save me…"
"Save me…"
A faint and gentle background music played from the computer, an ethereal female voice sang without a single lyric. The audience finally realized that tonight's story was not meant to lull sleep.
"Red Rabbit rolled off the table, rolling towards the witch. She said again, 'Quick, save me, save me!'"
"Suddenly Red Rabbit opened his mouth, biting down on the witch's hand as she pleaded for help. He began to gnaw, bit by bit devouring the witch's hand."