Since that incident, the nights at Xinghe Amusement Park have never been peaceful.
At midnight, a cold wind weaves through the empty amusement park, and a bone-chilling sense of dread drifts along the deserted roller coaster tracks, like indifferent ghosts wandering. The towering Ferris wheel, once surrounded by lively crowds, now stands as a giant eye staring down upon the world. In the distance, the roller coaster that once claimed ten lives stands still, its tracks coated with the dust of years gone by, as if bearing witness to a tragic requiem.
1. The Accident Ten Years Ago
It was a bright summer day, the sky crystal blue, and Xinghe Amusement Park was filled with laughter and cheer. The third-grade students of Class 2 were thrilled, their faces flushed with excitement as they tugged on each other's sleeves, racing toward the entrance of the roller coaster. Teachers and parents watched from afar with warm, affectionate smiles.
No one could have imagined that this joyful day would turn into a lifelong nightmare.
The roller coaster, like a massive dragon, twisted and turned through the sky. However, its tracks had long been deteriorating due to lack of maintenance. That day, Li, the safety inspector, cut corners during his inspection to save time. Key bolts weren't fully secured, and cracks in the metal, covered in rust, were left unattended. Li felt a fleeting sense of unease, but quickly dismissed it—he was eager to leave and head to a social engagement, with no patience for these minor issues.
The roller coaster started moving slowly, and the children's laughter faded into screams as they picked up speed. But as the roller coaster reached the top and began its sharp descent, the unsecured bolts shattered, sending the coaster off the tracks. The children's terrified cries were silenced as they plummeted toward the ground.
In the end, ten children never woke from that fall.
2. The Wandering Spirits
Following the accident, Li escaped punishment thanks to those in power protecting him. But at midnight, he found himself unable to sleep, haunted by faint whispers, like broken verses of a mournful song.
Soon, rumors spread through the amusement park: every night around midnight, sounds of children crying could be heard near the roller coaster. Sometimes, a name would be softly called out. Workers brave enough to check at night claimed they had seen small, blurry figures in the seats of the roller coaster. Some figures seemed to be quietly sobbing, while others sat silently as if waiting for something.
Xinghe Amusement Park gradually lost its visitors, and what was once a bustling place turned eerie and forsaken. People whispered that the children's spirits still wandered the grounds, waiting to drag the one responsible into the shadows to pay for their lost lives.
3. Terror Descends
Li's life also began to unravel. He was plagued by nightmares of the children, pale smiles on their faces, silently walking toward him with hollow eyes. During the day, he sometimes felt small hands tugging on his clothes, but each time he turned around, no one was there.
One night, Li returned to the amusement park after a particularly vivid nightmare he couldn't shake. He walked over to the roller coaster, intending to light a cigarette, but he caught sight of a group of children seated along the track, their expressions vacant and pale. They were silent, simply watching him.
"You... you…" Li stammered, stumbling backward and falling to the ground. The children slowly stood up from the track, staggering toward him, their expressions growing darker, deeper with resentment and anger. They whispered, "Uncle Li... give us back our lives..."
Li let out a terrified scream and scrambled to his feet, running toward the exit. But the faster he ran, the closer the children drew, their faces twisting with rage. They surrounded him, their eyes filled with despair, pulling him into a dark abyss.
The following morning, the park employees found Li's body beneath the roller coaster. His eyes were wide open, frozen in terror, as though he had seen something horrifying before he died.
4. The Release of the Spirits
Li's death shocked the city. People finally confronted the truth about the accident, and an investigation was launched. All the officials and those responsible, who had protected Li, faced justice. The children who lost their lives finally received the justice they had been denied.
Afterward, Xinghe Amusement Park was completely abandoned, its past laughter and joy now nothing but memories. Some say that on certain days, the lost children briefly reappear in the park, their laughter no longer tinged with sorrow, but with a sense of quiet relief.
They were finally allowed to leave this world and continue their journey; justice had, at last, prevailed.