**Tenant Gathering**
"What's making you so serious?" Ashima pulled out a chair and gestured for Luna to sit down.
Luna took out the paper with the rules from her pocket and briefly described to everyone the foul smell from the fridge, the trouble finding the address while helping Li Tao with his bank card, and the unsettling things she had experienced.
"I'm not sure if you have this in your rooms too. I found mine under the mattress. Li Tao and I just got home and didn't have a chance to check your rooms before you arrived," Luna said.
Darius suddenly laughed. "No wonder you looked so stiff when I knocked. So that's it."
With that, Darius went to the fridge, opened the door, and said, "Look, there's nothing in here. As for the smell, it might be a bit off."
He then pulled out the shelves from the fridge and, after rummaging around, found a long-dead, decaying mouse behind the fridge's ventilation fan.
"Ah!" Ashima screamed in shock, clutching Luna's hand tightly.
"It's no big deal. It's just a mouse stuck behind the fan. The alternating temperatures in the fridge kept its body moist and stinky… Does anyone have gloves? I'm a bit grossed out," Darius said.
"Um… there are disposable gloves in the drawer under the cup holder. You might want to wear a few masks," Luna said, trembling.
Li Tao stood up to help, but Darius quickly stopped him. "No, you don't need to help. I'll take care of this. I don't want you to have nightmares. I used to work on my grandfather's farm where there were a lot of mice, so I'm used to this."
Darius carefully removed the mouse with gloves, wrapped it in paper towels, and threw it in the trash. "There, all done. Now we just need to clean the fridge."
Li Tao sighed in relief. To be honest, he had never seen a mouse, let alone a mouse in such a state.
Darius washed his hands and returned to the table. "As for this rule sheet, I think it's a scam. Even though I'm not an atheist, from what I know, ghosts don't give us hints if they really exist."
Luna looked at the paper in her hand, her brow furrowed. "A scam? But these rules are very specific and don't seem like a typical prank. And those strange occurrences… they really seem connected to these rules."
Ashima picked up the paper and examined it closely, shaking her head. "These rules are so strange. They seem like some kind of game rules. For example, 'Do not enter the living room from the backyard at night,' 'Do not enter black rooms'... I didn't even know we had any black rooms since all the doors are white."
Darius shrugged. "Many old houses have attics or basements. Maybe they painted some doors black to differentiate them, but they might have been sealed off. As for these rules, they seem more like psychological tactics—designed to make us feel watched or that we might break a taboo at any moment, creating unnecessary panic."
Luna sighed. "Maybe, but what if these rules are hiding some truth? Like something the landlord doesn't want us to notice, or the house's... past."
Li Tao suddenly remembered something. "Do you think these rules are new? They look like very old paper, and the writing is a bit blurry... Could previous tenants have seen these?"
"Maybe," Ashima nodded thoughtfully. "Perhaps we could try to find out about previous tenants of this house and learn about the origin of this paper."
Darius interjected, "You're taking this too seriously. We could just treat these rules as a prank left by some idiot and ignore them, just like dealing with the dead mouse—by simply disregarding it."
Li Tao said, "And I asked Alex; this is his first time renting out the place, but he's currently unreachable."
Dev suddenly pointed to one of the rules and said, "How long have we been on the first floor? The rule says that basement tenants aren't allowed on the first floor for more than three hours."
Darius put his arm around Dev's shoulders. "You don't actually believe these ghost stories, do you?"
Dev nodded. "There are many supernatural events and mediums in our country; some things I have to believe." He then checked the time. "We've been here for about 50 minutes."
Darius said, "Aren't you usually bad with numbers? How do you remember so precisely?"
Ashima added, "Don't forget he's a truck driver; he has a strong sense of time. Let's head downstairs. The rules say upstairs tenants aren't allowed in the basement."
Just then, the kitchen light flickered a few times, and a harsh electrical buzzing sound, as if someone was tugging on the wires behind the wall, filled the air. The group exchanged worried glances, and a chill seemed to settle in the room. Luna instinctively folded the paper and put it back in her pocket.
"Don't you find it odd? These small malfunctions, the smell, and what happened with Li Tao and me... they seem to be trying to tell us something," Luna said, her voice tinged with anxiety as she glanced around at everyone.
Darius stood up, laughing as he slapped the table. "Let's see what this crappy paper has in store for us! Let's break one of the rules and see what happens. If nothing happens, we'll continue living normally. If something does, we'll know this thing is not simple."
Li Tao frowned, feeling a sense of unease. "Is this really a good idea? I think we should avoid taking risks, especially since we've just started living together..." Before he could finish, a faint sound of something bumping against the floor from a corner of the house caught their attention.
At that moment, Kiki also lifted her head, looking around. Li Tao had always found Kiki too quiet; apart from eating and going to the bathroom, she spent most of her time quietly lying on the floor or jumping on the sofa to sleep.
The group tensed up at the sound. The clattering noise lasted only a few seconds, followed by the sound of the front door's lock being entered. They all sat motionless in their chairs, even the boldest Darius was frozen. The door lock turned slowly, and then the sound of rolling suitcase wheels followed. A minute later, a figure appeared before them. It was a standard-looking white person, with blue eyes, well-defined facial features, blonde hair, and immaculate attire...
"Hello, I'm Marc. Are you all... telling ghost stories? Why does everyone look so scared?"
Darius was the first to react, walking over and patting Marc on the shoulder. "Hi! I'm Darius, I live upstairs. You must be the French guy living in the basement. Welcome! As for ghost stories... I wouldn't say it's that. It seems more like a prank."
The others then realized what was happening and introduced themselves to Marc. Marc explained that he was an artist from France, visiting Toronto to scout locations and hold an art exhibition.
"You're preparing for an art exhibition and yet you're renting a basement?" Darius asked bluntly.
Marc didn't mind Darius's slightly intrusive question. "You should know that art is expensive, and I wanted a good creative environment. A quiet basement is a good choice. Besides, I heard there are people from different countries living here, which could provide some inspiration."
Kiki walked over and rubbed against Marc's leg. Marc crouched down and patted Kiki's head. "Hello, you must be Alex's dog. What's your name?"
"Her name is Kiki," Darius said. "But she now belongs to Luna and is taken care of by her."
Marc pulled out a small biscuit from his pocket. "This is a milk biscuit, safe for dogs. Kiki, promise me you won't enter my room because your fur might get into my paints. If you promise, I'll give you a biscuit every day."
Kiki's eyes were fixed on the biscuit, seemingly not paying much attention to Marc's words. Marc chuckled and, after opening the package, tossed the biscuit to Kiki.
"Don't worry, Kiki probably won't go to the basement," Luna said. "This relates to what we were discussing earlier. Although Kiki isn't technically a tenant, since I'm taking care of her and I'm an upstairs tenant, I can ensure she won't enter the basement."
"So, what were you talking about? A prank?" Marc asked, looking at everyone.
Seeing that Marc seemed not fully aware of their earlier conversation, Luna briefly explained, "We were discussing a very strange set of rules written on a note. It lists some prohibitions and behavioral norms, like not entering the living room from the backyard at night or not going into black rooms. We all find these rules quite bizarre."
Marc frowned slightly. "That does sound odd. What do you plan to do about it?"
Darius waved his hand. "I think these rules are just meant to scare us; there's no need to take them too seriously. I suggested we break one of the rules and see if there's any special reaction. Personally, I don't really believe in this stuff."
Marc nodded. "If you think it's a prank, then it might really be one. But I would advise caution, as the house seems to have some history."
"By the way," Ashima suddenly interjected, "You mentioned you're an artist. I'm curious about your work's style and whether you've ever come across any house histories, taboos, or strange occurrences?"
Marc thought for a moment. "My paintings are generally surrealistic. I have heard some rumors about houses having mysterious events, but they were just rumors to spark inspiration. I haven't experienced anything myself."
"Rumors?" Luna asked curiously. "Can you tell us more?"
Marc shrugged. "I've heard stories about houses with many legends. They often mention mysterious things like strange noises and unexplained phenomena. As for their truth, no one can say for sure. I'm staying here mainly for a quiet environment to work."
"That's good," Darius said with a smile. "It seems we don't need to worry too much. We've just encountered some oddities by chance. Since you haven't had any particular experiences, we'll continue to observe the rules and see if we make any new discoveries."
Marc agreed with a nod. "If you need any help, let me know. I'll now go sort out my luggage and start my work."
"Alright," Luna said. "We'll also need to check the rest of the house to make sure we haven't missed anything. You should also check your own rooms for notes like the one I found."
Afterward, Marc, Ashima, and Dev went downstairs with their luggage to settle in, while Luna, Darius, and Li Tao returned to their rooms. Although they were among the first to arrive, they still had some unpacking to do.
Li Tao went back to his room, arranging the daily necessities he had bought today and planning to clean up a bit and change the bed linens. Although Alex had already lent him a set of beddings, Li Tao still felt an odd smell. While shopping with Luna earlier, he had bought a new set of bed linens. As he lifted the sheets, a piece of paper fell out.
Li Tao bent down to pick up the paper, noticing it was very similar to the one Luna had found earlier. The paper was yellowed and the handwriting was smudged, indicating it had been in use for a long time. He unfolded the paper and read the new rules and prohibitions written on it.
"Another rule sheet?" Li Tao muttered to himself, feeling more uneasy.
The paper read:
1. "After 10 PM, do not enter any room that is not lit."
2. "If you receive a message from someone asking you to open the door, do not open it."
3. "If there are abnormal light sources in your room, close your eyes immediately and remember who you are."
Li Tao took the paper and went to find Luna and Darius, who were discussing something in the living room. Seeing Li Tao approach with the paper, Luna immediately asked, "Did you find a new note?"
Li Tao nodded and handed her the paper. Luna examined it closely, her brow furrowing. "This note has rules similar to the previous one, but with new prohibitions. It seems there really are many strange things in this house."
Darius walked over and, seeing the contents of the paper, also looked worried. "There are more and more rules. I just found another note in my room."
"What did you find?" Li Tao asked.
Darius handed Li Tao the note. "I found it while moving my exercise equipment. It was under the bed."
Another note under the bed, Li Tao thought. Luna's was under the mattress, mine was between the bed sheets, and Darius's was under the bed.
Li Tao read Darius's note, which said:
1. "Do not cook with two people at the same time."
2. "When using the bathroom on the first floor, do not open the cabinet under the sink."
At that moment, Ashima, Dev, and Marc also came upstairs from below, each holding a note. Seeing Li Tao and the others, their faces gradually showed concern as they revealed their own notes.
The group exchanged glances and quickly swapped notes. Li Tao divided the three notes, handing two to Darius and Luna.
The notes from Ashima, Dev, and Marc read:
1. "There are no cats in the basement. If you see a cat, give it some food."
2. "Basement tenants are not allowed to walk dogs."
3. "All tenants should keep the house clean and tidy."
4. "Do not bring non-tenants home."
5. "In case of danger, immediately hide in a black room."
6. "It is allowed for tenants to stay overnight in each other's rooms."
Marc glanced at the notes and said quietly, "These rules are indeed strange and some are conflicting. If you need help investigating, I can offer some advice. After all, this house seems quite unusual."
Darius said, "Maybe we should list all these rules. If they really mean something, we should know as soon as possible."
"Good idea," Marc agreed, "We should stay alert. If something abnormal does happen, at least we'll be prepared."
"Then I'll take charge of organizing," Luna said, pointing at Li Tao. "According to the rules, Ashima and the others shouldn't stay upstairs for too long. Let's go walk the dog, and when we return, we'll meet in the backyard. It's 6:30 PM now. Maybe one of you can go buy some dinner so we can eat and talk in the yard."
"Alright, Dev and I will go buy dinner. Is pizza okay?" Ashima said.
Everyone nodded in agreement, and Ashima continued, "Marc, please check if there's anything unusual about the house. Darius, you can look around inside for anything out of the ordinary. But remember, don't go to the basement—that's against the rules, and we don't know what the consequences might be."
Marc nodded, while Darius seemed indifferent. "Honestly, your anxiety is making me anxious too. If it were up to me, I'd deliberately break a rule just to see what happens. It's better than guessing all the time."