✿ The Journey Of Flower ☽

✿ The Journey Of Flower - Chapter 1: Water Ghost ✿

There were not any stars or moon in the sky, complete darkness like a bottomless black hole, difficult to know up or down, it seemed as if a mistaken step could lead to falling into the hole.

"Namo Amitabha, Namo Amitabha......" A girl about 12 years old walked quickly on the road, her right hand held prayer beads while she chanted continuously, her left hand held a lantern made out of oil paper.

Her walking was more like running, the things following her did not get too close because of the prayer beads. It was complete darkness, only a small light from the lantern floated visibly above the ground. Everywhere was eerie silence, even the sounds of water flowing or insects chirping could not be heard.

The village was near, the child kept telling herself that she would be safe once she could be in the village even though her face was pale and her body covered in cold sweats. Her right hand constantly pulled the cloak made from the skins of eight black dogs more tightly to prevent the fragrance of her body from seeping out.

But at the stone bridge in front of the village, the child froze. A woman holding a paper umbrella stood on the bridge facing her, embroidered on the umbrella was a bright red peach blossom, likewise on her white gown. The umbrella was held low so the face was hidden. It was hot because there was not even a breeze, but the skirt kept whipping back and forth.

The child was scared and could not move, her legs trembled. It was over, the evil spirits finally appeared.

"Namo Amitabha......" She continued chanting in a low voice, her body twisted away as she walked to the other end of the bridge, looking down and pretending not to see the woman. However, the woman appeared in front of her in the blink of an eye. The white shoes embroidered with delicate flowers were covered with mud, next to her feet was a puddle of water as well as green algae and seashells. The child saw clearly now, on the woman's skirt was not a peach blossom, it was blood.

The soft yellow light in the lantern mysteriously turned blue and then red, as if filled with blood. The atmosphere was filled with the pungent smell of rotten flesh and blood.

"Namo Amitabha......" Firmly pushing the prayer beads forward, the female apparition fell back two steps, the child walked forward two steps. When she almost reached the other side of the bridge, a horrifying laugh rang out.

The face of the female apparition cracked, her body disintegrated into pieces as if sliced abruptly, filling the ground with blood and maggots.

The child was scared, she almost threw away the prayer beads and the lantern to run away, her legs shook violently.

She suddenly saw a round object rolling out from under the umbrella, it was wrapped in black hair, upon closer look it was the head of the female apparition. Her body felt as if encased in ice, she could not move. The voice in her head kept shouting, run away run away, but her legs could not move even a little.

The head was like a ball, rolling around and around aimlessly, bouncing back if it hit the parapets of the bridge. It promptly rolled to the child's feet, scaring her to the point she almost fell to the ground.

Staying still for a moment, the child looked at the head near her feet, her heart almost jumped out of her throat. The head unexpectedly rolled closer, now the child could see the woman's face. There were two large dark holes in the face, her eyes were ripped out, who knew what happened to one eye, the other eye was stuck to blood vessels, nerves and tissues covering half of the face, dangling, the eyeball swiveled to stare at her. The woman's lips were mutilated as if eaten by the fish in the river, quivering as if wanting to say something to the child but could only whisper like wind passing through wooden doors.