Chapter 002: The Mysterious Video Recording

If it were my mother discussing this matter on a usual day, I would definitely feel annoyed. However, this time I said nothing and simply listened quietly. I feel that in just a few days, I have begun to question whether this is truly feudal superstition. In the end, I still asked with some doubt whether this is real.

The reason my mother called was naturally due to the fact that I have been having frequent nightmares lately. A while ago, I could no longer bear it and mentioned it to her over the phone. My mother advised me to put less pressure on myself. I did not elaborate further, fearing that she might think of the worst. They are about 500 to 600 kilometers away from me, and I truly do not want them to worry excessively, thinking that something has happened to me here.

My mother just said that she and my father discussed it and, still worried about me, they bought a train ticket for today. They will take the train shortly and are expected to arrive later in the evening. My mother's sudden decision took me by surprise, but I didn't say anything because, after last night, I was indeed scared. It's fine that my parents are coming; when they arrive, I can talk to them about this matter and see what they have to say.

My mother, however, was quite adamant on the other end. She said that when that person used an egg to help me, he had only recited a few lines, and the egg stood upright on the mirror. She herself was watching closely beside it, and it didn't wobble at all. Hearing my mother say this, I couldn't help but believe it, so I asked her what I should do.

Hearing my mother say this, I was taken aback, because my phone had been on all night. Not to mention last night, I generally keep my phone on for twenty-four hours due to work requirements, and it is almost never turned off. Even when charging, it is charged while still on, so when my mother said it was turned off, I found it quite unbelievable.

At this moment, an extreme sense of unease has rendered me unable to think. I can only keep pondering what kind of person this is, how they could be in my home, and how I remained unaware of it. In the dead of night, the more I think about it, the more frightened I become. Therefore, I locked the door of my room and confined myself inside. For the rest of the time, I repeatedly watched the recorded videos, naturally staying awake all night. The next day, I did not go to work and took a leave of absence, claiming that I was unwell. The more I thought about it, the more frightened I became, so I locked the door of my room and confined myself inside. For the rest of the time, I repeatedly watched the recorded videos, naturally staying awake all night. The next day, I did not go to work and took a leave of absence, claiming that I was unwell.

Moreover, regarding these matters from my childhood, if my family had not told me, I would not have known that I exhibited such symptoms. Just like last night, if I had not seen the video, I would have had no idea that I would still engage in certain actions after falling asleep. It is just that the situation is now more complicated; it is evident that I am not merely in a daze, but there are other elements surrounding me.

I just questioned a statement, and suddenly recalled the unusual events of these past few days. Consequently, some words were swallowed back down, and I chose to listen to what my mother had to say. My mother mentioned that she consulted someone who can interpret such matters, using an egg to inquire about the misfortune affecting me. She said that the nightmares I have been experiencing recently are due to something that has come from the southwest. As for what exactly this thing is, the person could not determine, only stating that it is something negative. Since I was not present, many things could not be seen clearly from a distance, which is why my mother called specifically to inform me about this matter.

This scene is too subtle; if one does not look closely, nothing can be discerned. When I first saw it, I only felt that something was amiss, but I did not identify anything inappropriate. Therefore, I rewound and watched it again, and as a result, I saw a chilling image, for I saw a person standing by the bed while I was napping.

At that time, my parents were busy making a living and had no time to attend to these matters, allowing things to take their natural course. When I was in a daze, they would comfort me, but as I grew older, this scene gradually faded away. Therefore, both I and my family slowly forgot about it. Until now, when it suddenly happens again, it makes me wonder if this is related to those childhood events. I always feel that there must be a reason for a person to suddenly be in a daze, and that they would recover just as inexplicably; there must be something amiss. Until now, when it suddenly happens again, it makes me wonder if this is related to those childhood events. I always feel that there must be a reason for a person to suddenly be in a daze, and that they would recover just as inexplicably; there must be something amiss.

I stood up, took a strength training bar in my hand, and then began to search around. In fact, at that moment, I was truly frightened, so my rationality was almost nonexistent. If there really was someone in the house, after watching the video for so long, they would have certainly noticed. Therefore, the final conclusion is that there was no one else in the house except for me.

I did not see a complete person, but rather a foot and a section of pant leg. I looked closely and discerned for a long time that it was indeed a person, but they were standing in such a remote place that only a small part was visible. By the time I reached this point, I was already filled with dread; there was indeed a person in my home

Upon reaching this point, I was already drenched in cold sweat. I imagined numerous scenarios in which the video was abruptly cut off. When I saw myself getting up as if in a trance, I suspected that I might have been the one to stop it. It was only at the end that I realized there was another person in the room

When I was troubled by this matter, I suddenly received a call from my mother back home. The reason she called was simply out of concern for me. The timing of this call was so coincidental that I could hardly believe it, and at that moment, I happened to need someone to talk to. Naturally, I was hesitant to share these strange occurrences with my mother; firstly, I was afraid it would worry her, and secondly, I didn't know how to bring it up.

Due to not sleeping all night, I took a nap around noon. However, once I fell asleep, I experienced various nightmares. Strangely, I could clearly see where I was in my dreams and what I was doing. What is astonishing is that the scenes I dreamed of were actually from the previous night. It felt as if time had reversed, but a dream is just a dream, and there are always some differences from the reality of last night.

It was evident that I encountered such a situation, and upon seeing this person, I remember asking him who he was and how he came to be in my room. Before I could hear his response, I suddenly woke up, of course, waking up accompanied by an indescribable fear, to the extent that I lay there with my eyes open for a long time before returning to reality, and then I reassured myself that it was just a dream, urging myself not to be afraid

Moreover, after this incident occurred, it reminded me of things from my childhood. I grew up in a rural area, and my family also lived in the countryside. When I was about five or six years old, my family told me that I often startled while sleeping, which we referred to as "fā lēng" in our region. This means that I would suddenly shout while asleep, or I would kick with my feet and grab with my hands. Sometimes I would also get up, but it was not sleepwalking; I would just look around the room and then go back to sleep. In our area, we call it "fā lēng," which means that I would suddenly shout while asleep, or I would kick with my feet and grab with my hands. Sometimes I would also get up, but it was not sleepwalking; I would just look around the room and then go back to sleep.

I have been thinking a lot while staying at home, contemplating whether to report it to the police. However, I fear that even if I do report it, there may not be any resolution. It's not that I distrust the police; to be honest, their inaction has often led us to lose hope in them during dangerous situations.

The purpose of my mother's call was also related to the nightmare I had. However, after just a few words from her, I sensed something was amiss. My mother mentioned that she had called me several times last night, but all the calls indicated that my phone was turned off. My father was worried all night; he had intended to call me early, but he was afraid of disturbing my rest, which is why he called at this hour

This state lasted for nearly two minutes, and then I seemed to hear some noise coming from outside. I turned my head to glance in the direction of the living room, and then I saw myself smile for a moment, stood up, and went out again. Just about ten seconds after I stepped into the living room, I suddenly saw half a hand reaching out from the side, cutting off the recording.

Although I slept for a while, and the sleep was restless, it was still a form of rest. Even though I still feel somewhat tired and drowsy, I dare not continue sleeping, as the feeling of having nightmares truly instills fear in me. For a moment, I even felt that falling asleep was akin to dying. This is the first time I have feared sleep as much as I fear death, as if going to sleep meant going to meet my end.

I dreamt that I suddenly woke up from my bed, that kind of sudden awakening. I heard a sound in the living room, so I got up to check. The scene in the dream had a dim feeling, as if I could hardly see anything, yet I could still perceive some things. When I walked into the living room, I found that there was no one there, and the atmosphere turned eerie. I felt very scared, but I did not know what I was afraid of. Then I heard another sound coming from the room, and when I turned around, I saw a person standing by the door.

After hanging up the phone with my mother, I got up and meticulously checked the entire house, leaving no stone unturned, to ensure that no one had been there or left any traces. Only then did I stop, but my confusion deepened. If there was no one at home, then where did the person in the video come from?

At that moment, my mind was in a state of chaos, and I couldn't think of anything else. The first thought that crossed my mind was that there was another person in the room, and I needed to find them. A sense of alarm filled my heart, accompanied by an aura of danger nearby. I kept pondering why there was another person in my room.

After that, I tidied up the room, went out to eat something, and then waited to pick up my mother and the others. During this time, a colleague from work called to ask how I was feeling. I didn't dare to tell them the truth and just made excuses.

In the end, I was definitely unable to sleep, constantly flipping through the last few minutes of the video and the photo I took of myself. Finally, I even rewatched the video of my afternoon nap, only to realize that I had indeed been too careless and overlooked a very important scene.

Upon reaching this point, things become somewhat abstract and vague, as after waking up, I repeatedly recall this person, yet there is no definitive human form to grasp. It feels as though this is indeed a person, but who exactly it is remains entirely uncertain, even to the extent of not knowing what they look like. This is difficult to articulate clearly. Surely, those who have dreamt will have experienced this sensation: vividly seeing this person in the dream, only to awaken and realize that they seem to lack any distinct appearance, leaving one unable to identify who they are. Even the specifics of their appearance elude me, making it challenging to explain. I believe anyone who has dreamt has felt this way, vividly perceiving this person in the dream, yet upon waking, discovering that they appear to have no features at all, leaving one perplexed about their identity.