Chapter 9

Suddenly, a sound came from outside the door, and it seemed to be getting closer and closer.

Jeffrey woke up abruptly, almost sitting up reflexively.

The sound was like a clawed creature scraping on the wooden floor, but the rapid rhythm made it seem like it had many legs.

Jeffrey looked towards Charles's room and saw that Charles was motionless, which made him feel a sudden panic.

Jeffrey was about to call out to him softly, but Charles spoke first in a low voice, "Don't make a sound."

In the darkness, Jeffrey's senses became incredibly sharp, and he could detect an imperceptible tremor in Charles's voice.

So, Charles could be scared too.

The old door allowed a sliver of light from the hallway to seep through the gap at the bottom, and the strange footsteps grew clearer.

Finally, a massive shadow stopped outside the door, blocking all the light.

Jeffrey tightly covered his mouth, afraid that his nervous breathing would be noticed. His heartbeat grew louder, and even his body began to tremble uncontrollably.

What was that thing outside the door planning to do?

If it broke in the next second, how would they escape?

In an instant, Jeffrey's mind buzzed like static on a TV screen.

He didn't know how long it had been, maybe a minute or maybe a century, but the shadow at the door slowly moved away, and light once again seeped into the room.

The shadow finally left, heading up the stairs.

The entire building was eerily quiet, every sound amplified infinitely.

Jeffrey could clearly hear the shadow stopping at each door upstairs, walking, stopping again, and walking.

It seemed to be searching for its ideal prey, constantly selecting.

Finally, the sound disappeared, and after a long time, there was no more noise.

Charles and Jeffrey simultaneously got out of bed and quietly approached the door, holding their breath and pressing their ears against it.

By now, the sound of the wind and rain outside had almost stopped, and the entire building was so silent that time seemed to stand still.

And outside the door, there was no more sound.

It had appeared abruptly and disappeared just as suddenly, as if they had both experienced a bizarre nightmare.

After a long period of confirmation, the two of them groped their way back to bed in the dark.

"What on earth was that thing?"

Jeffrey whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear.

Charles thought for a moment and said, "I'm not sure, but you heard it had many legs, right?"

"It definitely wasn't human."

Hearing this, a terrifying thought suddenly formed in Jeffrey's mind.

His hair stood on end, and his whole body tingled as if electrified.

Could it be that his previous speculation might be true?

Spider webs, dust, insect eggs.

The lady of the house with the enormous skirt, the numerous children, and even the bedridden but giant master of the house.

So, maybe this place wasn't meant for humans to live in at all.

But rather a giant nest where that thing stored its food.

The sound of water droplets broke the dreadful silence, and the nauseating stench grew stronger.

Jeffrey got out of bed and groped his way towards Charles's room.

There was only half a wall separating them, but the temperature on this side was noticeably lower than on the other side.

"Charles."

Jeffrey's voice trembled slightly as he raised his hand to feel along the wall.

Charles had good night vision and could clearly see Jeffrey's next move.

So he lowered his voice and said heavily, "I told you, don't turn on the light. Do you have a death wish?"