Freed from the old woman in the funeral gown's grip, I scrambled to my feet in a hurry. My body felt weak and unsteady—I couldn't even stand properly, let alone help the tabby cat. But I realized I could speak again. Without hesitation, I stumbled toward the community gate, yelling as I went: "Help... help! Somebody help!"
The first two cries were faint and hoarse, barely audible. It wasn't until the third that my voice grew a little louder. The elderly security guard in the booth seemed to hear me; he stuck his head out, then turned on a flashlight. The beam was dim, but it illuminated the area around me. "What's wrong?" he asked, confused.
"Help! Please help!" I shouted, summoning all my strength.
Seeing my state, the old guard hurried out of the booth, limping over with the flashlight. A younger security guard followed close behind him. I clung to my last bit of energy and kept running forward, glancing back now and then. I saw the tabby cat lying on the ground, covered in blood. The old woman in the funeral gown, her face scratched all over, stood quietly under the shade of a tree, staring at me coldly. But the dense scratches on her face were healing at a visible speed right before my eyes.
By then, the two guards had reached me. "What's going on, buddy?" the young guard asked.
"Huh! Aren't you the resident from the 18th floor?" The old guard, who had probably seen me feed the strays many times, recognized me.
Trembling with fear, I pointed toward the tree shade: "A g-ghost! There's a ghost!" I stammered, pointing at the old woman. But the two guards looked skeptical—they even shone their flashlight at the spot where she stood.
The old woman didn't move an inch, but her figure started to fade rapidly in my eyes, like vapor about to vanish. Before disappearing, she gave me a cold smile: "I've got my eye on you..."
Her words filled me with dread. It seemed this old woman was determined to haunt me, to kill me—just because I'd inhaled one breath of her joss stick smoke?
Though terrified, my heart ached when I saw the tabby cat lying in a pool of blood. If it hadn't been for the cat tonight, I would have died here, at the old woman's hands.
The young guard looked annoyed. "Buddy, are you kidding? There's just a dead cat there—where's the ghost?"
I ignored him and turned around. "Tabby!" I'd lived here for a month, and fed this tabby cat every day for a month. Seeing it on the verge of death after saving me, I felt a sharp pain in my chest. When I approached, it let out two weak "meows" at me.
"Tabby, thank you for saving me. I'll take you to the pet hospital." As I spoke, I picked the cat up. I've always believed in one principle: repay grudges with justice, and kindness with gratitude—even if the one who helped me was a cat.
Holding the tabby cat, I turned to the two guards: "I... I really saw a ghost! It was that old woman who got hit by a truck outside the community earlier. This tabby cat pounced on her, so I could shout for help. She left when you two came. Thank you... thank you both."
The two guards stared at me, then at the bloodied cat in my arms. They exchanged a doubtful glance, then looked at me strangely. The old guard, who clearly recognized me, looked awkward after hearing my words. "Kid, it's the middle of the night—don't joke like that. You even dared to rent that 'ashes house' on the 18th floor. Are you really scared of ghosts now?"
I froze mid-step. "Ashes house?" I asked, confused, staring at the old guard.
I knew what an "ashes house" was—it was a place where people stored cremation ashes. "Shared ashes houses" were cheap, out-of-the-way apartments where windows and doors were sealed off to make small compartments for storing multiple sets of ashes. These compartments were sold or rented individually, hence the term "shared ashes house."
But the apartment I rented only had two rooms. I shared it with Xiaoshuang—one room for each of us. We were both living, breathing people. How could it be an ashes house?
The young guard chuckled and said, "You're the only one in this community brave enough to live on the 18th floor—the 'ashes floor.' With guts like that, you're scared of ghosts?"
I was dumbfounded. The old guard noticed my confusion and frowned. "Wait... you didn't know?"
I shook my head and said, "Did you mix up the rooms? My roommate is a girl named Gu Xiaoshuang. She's been with me these past few days, feeding the strays downstairs. She wears a white dress—tall, thin, and really pretty. You must have seen her, right?"
The old guard's expression turned uncomfortable. "I've only ever seen you feeding the cats. There's no other girl with you."
The young guard nodded in agreement. "Yeah! You're the only one in the community who feeds the strays. Every time, you're alone—talking and laughing to the cats. We've never seen you with anyone else. D-don't tell me you really encountered something evil?"
My face paled instantly. Xiaoshuang—the one I'd been with all this time—was a ghost!
The old guard saw my stunned, terrified expression and spoke again. "Kid, if you're not joking, you might really have run into something bad. Take my advice—don't go back to that house tonight. Go somewhere bright, somewhere crowded!" He patted my shoulder, then gave the young guard a look. Together, they hurried back to the security booth.
I stood frozen. For an entire month, I'd been living with a ghost. And those apples I'd been eating... I suddenly realized there must be something wrong with them.
Though my mind was racing with fear, I didn't dare stay there any longer—I was afraid the old woman in the funeral gown would come back. I didn't hesitate. Hugging the tabby cat tightly, I stumbled toward the other end of the community gate. There was a night market there, and a chain pet hospital. It would be bright, crowded, and full of "yang energy" (vital life force). If I went there, that old woman haunting me wouldn't dare come near.