[Investigator's Note - Day 1]
I finally found it. Room 404.
The police report said Pan never came back to the dorms after summer break started, but his GPS signal died right here in this room. The university administration claims this room has been empty all semester. They lied.
The air inside smells like stale incense and rotting flowers. Pan’s desk is covered in dust, but there is a notebook sitting right in the center, untouched.
I opened the wardrobe to check for clothes. There were none. But taped to the inside of the wardrobe door, at eye level, was a piece of paper. It looks like a set of instructions... and some of the ink is written in what looks like dried blood.
If you are reading this, and you see a student named Pan in the hallway... do not talk to him.
Subject: EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS FOR DORMITORY HALL 4 (SUMMER RECESS) To: The New Occupant of Room 404 From: [REDACTED]
If you are reading this, you have unfortunately missed the deadline to evacuate the campus for the mid-summer break. We understand that flights back to the West are expensive, but we strongly advised you to leave.
Since you are still here, and the Lunar Calendar has shifted into the 7th Month, the "usual" rules of physics in this building no longer apply. The locals call this Gui Yue. You might call it a superstition.
For your safety, adhere to the following regulations until the sun rises.
1. Entering Your Room Before you unlock your door, knock three times firmly. Say, "I am coming in, please make way," clearly in English. Wait three seconds. If you feel a sudden drop in temperature or smell rotting flowers, do not enter. Go to the library and sleep there. They were here before you; it is polite to announce your arrival.
2. The Corridors The hallway lights in Hall 4 have a timer. They will turn off while you are walking. If the corridor plunges into darkness, keep walking forward. You may hear someone calling your name from behind you. It will sound exactly like your mother, or perhaps your roommate who went home last week.
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Do not answer.
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Do not stop.
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Do not look back. In our culture, humans have three "fires" on their bodies: one on the forehead, and one on each shoulder. Turning your head blows out a shoulder fire. If you look back, you extinguish your protection. If you extinguish your protection, they will take your place.
3. Food and Offerings You may find small plates of food (oranges, rice, meat) placed on the floor in the corners of the stairwells or outside closed doors. Do not touch them. Do not step over them. These are bribes for the "Good Brothers" to keep them fed and calm. If you accidentally kick a plate, apologize profusely, leave your own dinner as a replacement, and lock yourself in your room immediately.
4. The Music (Protocol A) Between 2:00 AM and 4:00 AM, you may hear the high-pitched, nasal sound of a trumpet. This is the Suona. In the West, trumpets announce victory; here, the Suona announces a funeral. If the sound is faint, it is just a passing procession. If the sound is loud—as if it is right outside your door—get under your bed. Curl into a ball. Cover your ears. Do not come out until the music stops.
5. Sleeping Arrangements Never sleep with your feet pointing directly at the door. This is the "coffin position," the way we carry the dead out of the house. Pointing your feet at the door invites them to drag you out by your ankles. Arrange your shoes so one points toward the bed and one points away. This confuses them; they won't know if you are coming or going.
6. The Empty Bunks If you are in a shared room but your roommate is gone, do not leave the empty bed made. Pile books, laundry, or boxes on the mattress. A perfectly made, empty bed is an invitation. If you wake up and see someone sleeping in that bed, pull your duvet over your head and pray to whatever god you believe in. Do not check to see if it’s your roommate returning early.
7. The Music (Protocol B) Referencing the Suona mentioned in Rule 4: The building manager has been informed of a typo in previous manuals. If you hear the Suona trumpet, it means the procession is looking for guests. Hiding is considered rude. You must open your door to show respect. If you hide under the bed, they will think you are playing a game with them. They love hide and seek. They are very good at finding things.
[REST OF DOCUMENT IS TORN AND STAINED WITH DARK FLUID] [Only a few handwritten words are legible at the bottom:] ...don't trust the wardrobe... I am already insi...
[Investigator's Update - 3:33 AM]
I stopped reading at Rule 7.
The text says the Suona announces a funeral. Rule 4 says to hide under the bed. Rule 7 says hiding is "rude" and that I should open the door.
But then I heard it. The high-pitched screech of the Suona. It wasn't coming from the hallway. It was coming from right in front of me—from deep inside the clothes hanging in the wardrobe.
I realized the trap immediately. The rules were designed to make me focus on the door or the bed. They wanted me to turn my back on the wardrobe. The breathing... I can hear wet, raspy breathing coming from behind the coats.
I didn't stay to find out what Rule 8 was. I snatched Pan's notebook from the desk and sprinted out of the dorms barefoot. I think I heard the wardrobe door creak all the way open just as I slammed the room door shut behind me.
I'm currently hiding in the 24-hour convenience store across the street. The clerk keeps staring at my bare feet, but at least there are lights here.
Wait. The clerk just started whistling. Does he know what month it is? You're never supposed to whistle at night during Ghost Month. It invites them in.
I need to leave. Now.