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墨書 Inktalez
The Zhou family's house is located on the eastern side of the village, a multi-story building with a small courtyard. Unlike the other dilapidated homes, this one appears tidy, with a few rose bushes and a swing covered in climbing roses in the yard.
"Miss Zhou, the police are here," A Hu called from outside the gate.
No one answered. Just when I thought I would be met with disappointment again, the curtains in the window moved, and a slender figure flashed by. Moments later, the courtyard door was pushed open.
"Please come in."
Standing before me was a girl around fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in a simple white dress. Her long hair fell loosely around her shoulders, slightly disheveled. Her large eyes looked weary, as if she hadn’t rested well in a long time.
"I am Xu Hao from the Criminal Investigation Team." I showed my badge and said, "I would like to understand the details surrounding your brother's disappearance."
She stared at my badge for a few seconds before suddenly asking, "Are you surnamed Ku?"
I was taken aback for a moment. "Yes."
"Come in and talk." She stepped aside to let me through and turned to A Hu, saying, "Uncle A Hu, you can go back to your work now."
A Hu opened his mouth as if to say something but ultimately just nodded and left.
Following Zhou Jing inside, I was greeted by a faint herbal scent. The living room was warmly decorated, with several children's drawings hanging on the walls—presumably done by Zhou. On the coffee table sat a picture frame containing a photo of a boy about ten years old, smiling happily at the camera.
"Is this Zhou?" I asked, pointing at the photo.
"Yes, that was taken a week before he went missing." Zhou Jing poured me a glass of water and sat down across from me. "That night, he said he was going to borrow homework from a classmate. I told him to come back early; he said he understood." Her voice choked slightly.
"When exactly did he leave?"
"Around seven o'clock in the evening." She took a deep breath. "I finished dinner and waited until eight; he still hadn't returned. When I called his classmates, they said he never went over. That's when I felt something was off and immediately went out to look for him."
"Did you notice anything unusual?"
Zhou Jing suddenly stood up and walked to the study, retrieving a brown paper envelope. "This was found in his desk drawer."
I took the envelope from her; inside was a folded piece of paper covered in strange symbols that closely resembled those on the village's stone tablet. The edges of the paper were yellowed, suggesting it was quite old.
"Is this Zhou's?"
"No." She shook her head. "This paper is at least ten years old. I asked some of the elders in the village; they said it's a sacrificial talisman that everyone participating in the ritual receives."
"A ritual? What kind of ritual?"
Just as Zhou Jing was about to respond, there came an urgent knocking at the door. Her expression changed instantly as she hurried to the window and pulled back the curtain to look outside.
"It's the village chief." She turned back to me, her voice lowered. "Officer Ku, I know much more than this. But now is not the time to talk. Tonight is a full moon; wait for me by the old locust tree at the village entrance, and I'll tell you more."
Before I could finish my question, the knocking at the door grew more urgent. Zhou Jing shoved the envelope back into my hands. "Quick, go out the back door. There's a path that leads to the edge of the village."
I wanted to ask her something else, but she was already pushing me toward the back door. Just before I left, I noticed a corner of a brown object sticking out from under the coffee table, with what seemed to be a few numbers written on it.
The path around the backyard indeed led to the village entrance. Wildflowers of unknown species bloomed along the roadside, their petals glistening with morning dew. When I reached the village entrance, I turned back and caught a glimpse of the village chief's figure appearing at the Zhou family's door.
The sky began to drizzle, and I bought an umbrella from a small shop by the road, casually asking the shopkeeper if she knew Zhou Jing.
"The girl from the Zhou family?" The shopkeeper's demeanor was warmer than before. "She's a good kid, always sensible. Ever since her parents passed away, she's been taking care of her younger brother all by herself."
How did her parents die?
They said it was an accident. The shopkeeper lowered her voice, but everyone in the village says that accident was suspicious.
Why do they say that?
The shopkeeper glanced around cautiously. "Don't ask what you shouldn't, and don't say what you shouldn't. Young man, cherish your life."
I wanted to ask more, but she turned and went inside. At that moment, a little girl ran past the shop door; it was the same one I had seen by the roadside in the morning. This time I saw clearly that she wasn't holding a cloth doll; instead, she cradled a muddy doll in her arms, its face marked with symbols identical to those on the envelope.
The rain intensified as I checked my watch; there were still eight hours until midnight on the full moon. Zhou Jing's words echoed in my mind: "Tonight at midnight, wait for me by the old locust tree at the village entrance."
What did this mysterious woman know? What did her mention of a ritual signify? Could that symbol be connected to secrets from ten years ago?
Standing in the rain, gazing at the hazy village in the distance, I felt as if I had just brushed against the edge of a vast mystery. But my intuition warned me that real danger was only just beginning.
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