Horror Game Designer Chapter 16: Parents with Cakes

Gao Ming jogged back home through the rain. His day was very fulfilled. It was much more exciting than working at the prison.

Gao Ming closed the door and placed the death portraits on the table. “When the horror game is fully combined with reality, will the people in the portraits come back? But will they still be themselves?”

Gao Ming looked at Teacher Yao. He was worried that the elder wouldn’t be suited for life there. When he triggered the horror next, he would bring Zhao Xi and Teacher Yao’s pictures with him. The night was dark as ink. After a whole day of not eating, Gao Ming opened the fridge. However, he had no appetite. The event from the first game still scarred him.

“Maybe I can order take-aways. After the tragedy happens, this luxury might not be there anymore.” Gao Ming took out his phone. He blanked out, staring at the phone’s starting screen. His screen saver was a picture taken at Xin Lu’s home. It was Gao Ming and his parents sitting at the dining table. He went home on a work holiday.

His mother still wore the apron as she carried the dishes out of the kitchen. She was grumbling about finding him a date after Gao Ming settled down at his work. While his mother was distracted, his father sneaked a gulp of beer. Gao Ming nodded helplessly as his mother nagged him.

The picture was very happy, but Gao Ming pulled on his hair in pain. The picture was normal, but… who took it?
The phone was very far away, and it didn’t look like it was taken on a self-timer. There seemed to be a fourth person in the house at the time, but Gao Ming couldn’t remember who.

“The investigator said that the communication would be lost in an anomaly, but I had received calls from my parents during the three days I were trapped. They sounded so normal…” Gao Ming didn’t dare to think further.

“The anomaly started at Xin Lu half a year ago. Has it always been someone else who has been talking to me?”

Gao Ming was familiar with his family, and he was a psychiatrist. It wouldn’t be easy to fool him. The storm blocked the roads, so he couldn’t rush back to Xin Lu. Gao Ming cracked his knuckles nervously. After a long hesitation, Gao Ming dialled the familiar number. The tone was busy. “No one’s answering.”

Gao Ming paced in his room. He called many times, and no one answered. “Why is no one picking up?”
Gao Ming sat back down. He looked at the family portrait with the cake and called home for the seventh time.

The rain became quieter. The chill crawled over the room like a snake. As the temperature dropped, Gao Ming saw one of the mothers in the picture smile.

The call was suddenly answered.

“Hello?” Gao Ming jumped up. He heard static on the phone and something being dragged. “Can you hear me? It’s me, Gao Ming!”

The living room lights flickered. Footsteps came from the corridor. Gao Ming felt his temperature draining. “Who are you?”

“Stay here…” His mother’s weak voice came through the phone. Shadow consumed the room. The temperature dropped. Gao Ming wanted to hang up, but a clear voice suddenly said, “Stay here! Stay here! Stay here!”

The shrill voices almost shattered Gao Ming’s ear drum. He might run into his ‘fathers’ and ‘mothers’ again. His body felt held by invisible hands. Just as Gao Ming was about to be swallowed by shadows, someone knocked on the door. “Your takeout deliver is here! Is anyone there? Please answer your phone!”

Part of the shadow rushed towards the door. Gao Ming struggled and finally hung up. The room temperature rose. Warm lights showered the room again. Gao Ming ran to the front door!

The delivery man was shocked when he saw Gao Ming fall into the corridor. His clothes were dishevelled, and he was gasping for air.

“When was the phone swapped? Have I been conversing with ghosts for the past half a year?” Gao Ming could feel the pain all over his body. His hands couldn’t stop shaking.

The delivery man was stunned. He didn’t dare to urge Gao Ming. He stood at the corner and said carefully, “Brother… your rice is here.”

“I’m sorry for causing you trouble.” Gao Ming climbed up from the ground. He looked at the young man appreciatively. If he didn’t knock on the door, who knew what could have happened? “What’s your name? How long have you been knocking? If I’ve delayed you, I can compensate you.”

“The name’s Shu Mo. You can just leave me a good review.” The delivery man handed the food to Gao Ming, but Gao Ming reached into his pocket and took out 200 RMB. He shoved it to the young man.
“Brother, what are you doing?”

“This is for you.” Gao Ming searched his pocket and finally took out his phone, “I don’t use much cash. You should add me as a friend, and I’ll send you the rest of the money.”

“It’s fine. It’s only five minutes over. It’s not necessary.” The young man shook his head. He wanted to return the money and the food to Gao Ming.

“You deserve this.” Gao Ming insisted. “When you were waiting outside, did you see or hear anything strange?”

“No.” The man shook his head in confusion.”

“It looks like the ghost fathers and mothers didn’t leave the portraits.” Gao Ming checked the surveillance recording of his home.

“Ghost?” The delivery man couldn’t be sure of what he heard. He looked at Gao Ming’s phone screen with curiosity.

In the video, Gao Ming just came home. He picked up the phone to call someone, but suddenly, he started to convulse. Then, he seemed to have lost his mind. He waved his hands around madly!

The delivery man’s expression shifted. His hands that held the food and money shook. The man before him was crazy!

The lights in the corridor went out then. The dim lights from the phone shrouded Gao Ming’s face. They shared a look.

“...”

“...”

“Brother, don’t look at me like that. I’m scared.” The young man was about to cry. “I’m a nearby university student. I’m doing this as a parttime job. If there’s something that offended you, please forgive me.”

“Don’t be scared. I’m a normal man.”
“What kind of normal man would call themselves that?” The delivery man was very scared. He had long since heard that Li Jing Apartments had bad feng shui. He finally confirmed that it was true. Before Gao Ming could explain, the young man put down the rice and money and ran downstairs.

“Are all the young men so shy these days?”

Gao Ming picked up the money and food and returned to the room. He thought back to everything that had happened.

“I called home while looking at the picture. The ghost parents in the pictures changed and came out of the shadow.
“Even though it was scary, if used well, it could be a hidden trump card.”

Gao Ming had a scene in mind. When he was confronting Zhao Xi, his ghost parents walked in with cakes.