I spent a long time in Yurei's room. Longer than I meant to. It was almost peaceful, sitting there with her and the stuffed animals, sipping tea and pretending, just for a moment, that the world outside didn't exist. But I knew I couldn't stay forever. As much as I wanted to protect her—or maybe just myself—I had to keep moving. This place wasn't going to let me rest for long.
"Yurei," I said, standing up and brushing imaginary dust off my jacket, "I have to go. There are things I need to take care of."
Her face fell, but she nodded, hugging her teddy bear tighter. "Will you come back?"
I hesitated. "Maybe. If I can. This place is… weird. But I think we'll see each other again."
She smiled, a little sad but understanding. "Goodbye, big brother."
I knelt down and gave her a quick hug. For a second, I almost felt human again. Then I left, closing the door softly behind me.
The hallway outside was quiet, almost too quiet. I wandered for a while, searching for any sign of an exit. All I found was another set of stairs, leading down into darkness. Because of course it did. In this house, there's always another level of hell waiting for you.
I took a deep breath and started down the stairs. The air grew colder with every step, and when I reached the bottom, I realized I was in a hospital. Or at least, something that looked like one. The walls were a sickly green, the lights flickered weakly, and the smell of antiseptic hung in the air like a threat. I pulled out my camera and switched on the night vision. The world turned green and grainy, but at least I could see.
I crept down the hallway, every nerve on edge. The place was empty—no patients, no nurses, just the echo of my own footsteps. I started to relax, just a little, when I heard something behind me. I spun around, and there he was.
At the end of the hall stood a man. He looked like a doctor, but only in the loosest sense. He wore a white lab coat, a surgical mask, and… was that a loincloth? I squinted, trying to make sense of it. The guy looked like he'd lost a bet with a medical supply store.
I couldn't help myself. "Hey, doc, you forget your pants this morning?"
To my surprise, the doctor laughed—a low, raspy sound that echoed off the walls. "You're a funny one," he said, his voice muffled by the mask. "But you look sick, very sick. Lucky for you, I'm the cure."
He reached into his coat and pulled out a scalpel. Then, just to make things worse, he produced a bone saw. "Time for your operation!" he announced, grinning behind his mask.
"Oh, fuck this," I muttered, turning and bolting down the hallway. Behind me, I heard the doctor's footsteps pounding on the tile, the saw whining as he revved it up.
"Come back, patient!" he called, his voice gleeful. "I promise, this won't hurt a bit!"
"Yeah, right!" I shouted over my shoulder. "I've seen your Yelp reviews, asshole!"
I ran, dodging gurneys and overturned chairs, cursing the universe for putting me in a haunted hospital with a psycho doctor. My heart hammered in my chest, adrenaline drowning out the pain in my legs. I had to find a way out—fast—before Dr. Loincloth decided to give me a permanent checkup.