Chapter 003: Calamity

After finishing the meal, we returned to my residence, and my mother began to take out items from the luggage bag, one bag at a time. I noticed there were about ten plastic bags sealed up, so I asked what they were. My mother then explained that they were joss paper, which she had prepared at the suggestion of a person who practices divination back in her hometown, and she brought them all with her.

As for my hometown, my elder brother and sister-in-law are there, and there is not much going on. My sister-in-law can take care of my nephew, and my mother and the others do not have much to worry about. Now, it seems that I have become their concern instead. Later, after I started working, my mother called my elder brother, suggesting that he go and ask the person who showed me the misfortune about my situation. It is evident that my mother is still very worried, and I only learned about this after I returned from work. However, I feel that the scene they encountered is much better than what I saw. If they had seen the footage I recorded, I wonder how they would have reacted. Later, after I started working, my mother called my elder brother, suggesting that he go and ask the person who showed me the misfortune about my situation. It is evident that my mother is still very worried, and I only learned about this after I returned from work. However, I feel that the scene they encountered is much better than what I saw. If they had seen the footage I recorded, I wonder how they would have reacted.

Regarding such remarks, although I have some doubts myself, I naturally cannot agree with my mother at this moment. Therefore, I comforted her by saying how could that be, as this was nearly twenty years ago, and urged her not to overthink it. Although my mother verbally agreed, I sensed that she must have some lingering concerns about this matter. She told me that she and my father were worried about me and planned to stay with me for a while longer, only feeling at ease to return home once they saw that I was doing well.

Hearing that my mother wants to burn joss paper here, I feel somewhat troubled, as hardly anyone does such things around here. Moreover, the community security and homeowners are sure to have objections. I asked if it would be acceptable not to burn it, but my mother shot me a glance and said, if she didn't burn it, what was the point of bringing it all the way here. Furthermore, my mother insisted that not only should it be burned at home, but also outside, and that dried fruits and fresh fruits should be offered to send away the misfortunes.

In the morning, because the approving leader was not present, I was unable to make the request and had to postpone it until the afternoon. When I returned at noon, I passed by a nearby residential area and saw firefighters coming in and out, with ambulances and police cars parked nearby, surrounded by a large crowd. I usually do not enjoy watching commotion, but seeing the situation, I approached to take a look, yet I did not see much. So, I asked a person next to me what had happened, and that person pointed to a unit by the roadside, saying it seemed that someone had died upstairs. Following his direction, I happened to see a firefighter peering out from that household, and suddenly, my heart skipped a beat, and my scalp went numb.

My elder brother called back in the evening, probably because our mother urged him to do so. He did not dare to delay and hurriedly went to inquire. The person who examines misfortunes did her best based on the situation described by my brother. She said that my condition is somewhat dire. Initially, she was cautious and afraid of saying something wrong, but after hearing my brother's account, she stated that anyone plagued by nightmares is likely being tormented by unclean entities. Therefore, her advice was for me to carefully reflect on whether I had encountered anything unusual before I started having nightmares. She reiterated that my situation is somewhat dire, and after hearing my brother's words, she confirmed that anyone plagued by nightmares is likely being tormented by unclean entities. Thus, she suggested that I thoroughly consider if I had experienced anything out of the ordinary before the onset of my nightmares.

I carefully recalled that my life has not been so thrilling; my daily commute is as calm as can be, and where would I encounter accidents and the unfortunate events of death? The advice given to me was either to return to my hometown for her to help me take a good look, or to find someone here who can help me examine the situation. Moreover, she emphasized that such matters are most taboo to delay, urging us to pay more attention to them

I stared at the window for a long time. Although my heart was in turmoil, I forced myself to calm down and asked the person next to me why someone had died unexpectedly. Upon hearing this, the person sighed inexplicably and told me that it was an elderly man in his sixties. For some unknown reason, he lived alone, and it was unclear where his children were. The neighbor across the hall smelled a strong odor and reported it to the police. However, when the police arrived, they were unable to open the door, and the smell was peculiar. This prompted them to call the fire department and medical personnel. The firefighters managed to open the door, and the elderly man's body had already begun to decompose. It was still close to winter, and if it had been summer, who knows how unpleasant it would have been.

When my mom and dad arrived, it was already dark. I picked them up and took them to eat something. My mom's gaze was very sharp; as soon as she saw me, she asked why I looked so pale. I could only force a smile and say that I was fine. My mom was certainly skeptical, but there were too many people outside, so she didn't say much. My dad was brief in conversation, just exchanging a few pleasantries before falling silent.

When burning paper money, my mother wouldn't let me go outside, saying that if I did, it would be ineffective. So she and my father busily burned some at the door, then took the rest to the street corner. I waited at home alone for their return, and when my mother finally came back after finishing, I didn't feel any difference. It was probably just a form of psychological comfort.

I have seen this calamity before, and it requires going out onto the street. My father noticed my troubled expression, so he said that they also understand that people in the city do not believe in such things. However, now that this matter has come to light, if we do not act and something were to happen to me, they would blame themselves for a lifetime. This is all for my own good, and both he and my mother know how to handle it. I should not obstruct them.

After that, I tidied up the room for my mother and the others, which finally allowed me to settle down. I hardly slept and felt somewhat fatigued, especially since I had to go to work the next day. Therefore, I went to bed before 11 PM. I am not sure if it was effective because my mother warded off the misfortune or if it was the item placed under my pillow that helped, but I felt much more at ease as I fell asleep and did not have many nightmares. Although I was still a bit startled, it was much better compared to the previous few days

Moreover, I woke up naturally, completely free from the fear of being startled awake. When I woke up, it was not yet 6 o'clock. I lay in bed for about a quarter of an hour before getting up. Probably hearing me get up, my mother also woke up and asked if I felt better. I replied that I felt much better. Upon hearing this, my mother seemed to relax a bit and then wanted to prepare breakfast for me. I told her to go back to sleep.

It is evident that this person genuinely wants to help me. She has a good relationship with my mother; otherwise, my mother would not have asked her to look after me. After this call, my mother wavered; she suggested that I take a few days off from work to go back and take a look. To be honest, her words made me somewhat uneasy, my heart was in turmoil. I originally did not believe in such things, but her reasoning was so compelling that even I was swayed.

As I was speaking, I suddenly noticed my coat lying on the sofa, so I casually asked, "Isn't this coat supposed to be in the wardrobe? Why is it on the sofa?" My mother heard me, glanced at me, and her expression seemed a bit off. I sensed something was amiss, so I asked, "What's wrong?" Only then did my mother say to me, "Don't worry, I will explain."

Upon mentioning this, he continued to sigh, as if he felt great sympathy for the old man's death. However, I had no time to listen to his lamentations and simply asked him how long the old man had been dead. The man replied that it was hard to say for certain. He mentioned that according to the medical staff, the old man had been dead for at least a week. It gets cold here early, and the temperature drops significantly in late autumn. Therefore, in such weather, a body would decompose like this; it wouldn't be possible without at least a week, and it might even be two weeks.

When my mother said this, my heart suddenly tightened. Then she told me that last night, in the middle of the night, she and my father heard some noise in the living room, so they got up to check. To their surprise, as soon as they got up, they saw me sitting there in a daze on the sofa. My mother tried to call out to me, but I did not respond. They then realized what was happening, so they did not dare to turn on the light. They quietly walked over to my side and found me sitting on the sofa, wrapped in a coat, completely motionless. They were startled but did not dare to call out to me loudly, so they sat down on the other side of the sofa and kept me company. After about ten minutes, I finally stood up and walked towards the room, but just as I was about to stand up, I said, 'I’m going back to sleep,' as if I were speaking to them.

As expected, once this matter was brought up, my mother linked it to my childhood. It is not only I who feel that it is related to my childhood daze; now even my mother thinks so. Then she asked whether it might be because I did not pay much attention to my daze when I was young, which is why it has turned out this way now

I then followed suit, and my mother took the eggs to the kitchen to boil. For me, this kitchen was essentially non-existent, as the cooking utensils were mostly unused. I told my mother that they would only arrive tonight, and after a long journey, they would be quite tired, so we could prepare these tomorrow evening. However, my mother insisted that she had already prepared my breakfast early, so I had nothing more to say and just let her be.

After completing these tasks, my mother gave me a small cloth pouch containing a bundle of talisman paper and rice, instructing me to place it under my pillow. She also handed me a knife, saying it could ward off nightmares. I had some doubts, but I still placed it under my pillow

My mother said that she originally did not want to tell me about this matter, but since it has happened, she did not want to keep it from me. They thought that informing me might be better. I was a bit stunned when I heard my mother say this, and then I replied that I do not have a problem with sleepwalking. However, my mother interrupted me, saying that although they had never seen sleepwalking, I did not seem to be sleepwalking. My mother said that I was awake with my eyes open, and she mentioned that she had never seen anyone sleepwalking with their eyes open.

In the end, I still agreed to my mother, saying that I would ask for leave from work today and return home with the leave approval. However, in the end, I was unable to do so, as another incident occurred.

Thus, I could only do this. My mother took out paper money, incense, dried fruits, and fruits one by one, arranging them neatly on a plate, which they had brought with them. After preparing these items, my mother took out an egg and asked me to breathe on it three times. I asked what the purpose of breathing on the egg was, and my mother replied that it was to send away misfortune.