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That day, I finished my work early and decided to spend the afternoon visiting a few neighbors, hoping to better integrate into the life of the building. I brought some small gifts and knocked on the door of mother Li, who lived across the hall. mother Li was a neighbor I had just met; she always appeared haggard and somewhat weary, and I could occasionally hear the sounds of children playing from her home.
The door opened a crack, and mother Li peeked out, her eyes filled with caution. "Hello, I'm Shen Jing from across the hall. I came to visit you and Xiao Ming today." I offered a warm smile as I extended the gift in my hand.
mother Li frowned slightly, glancing at the gift. She seemed to hesitate for a moment but eventually opened the door wider, allowing me to enter. The living room was furnished simply, with children's toys scattered in the corner. Xiao Ming—a boy about eight years old—was sitting on the floor, fiddling with a worn-out doll.
"Thank you, but you really didn't have to," mother Li said as she took the gift and placed it on the table. Her tone still felt somewhat stiff, as if she preferred not to have outsiders intrude.
I sat down on the sofa, trying to find a topic to break the silence. "Xiao Ming is really adorable. What does he like to play with?"
mother Li glanced at Xiao Ming, a flicker of anxiety crossing her face. Her voice lowered as she replied, "He likes simple toys, but he's too curious and often runs to the end of the hallway." She suddenly stopped there, her expression tense, as if she had said something she shouldn't have.
Noticing mother Li's change in demeanor, I softly asked, "Is there something special at the end of the hallway?"
Her face turned pale instantly as she waved her hand dismissively. "It's nothing special; it's just too dangerous for little kids." Panic was evident in her voice, clearly unwilling to continue that topic.
Just as I was about to press further, Xiao Ming suddenly looked up at me with fear in his innocent voice. "Auntie, have you ever heard someone talking in the hallway at night?"
mother Li's face grew even more troubled as she rushed over to grab Xiao Ming's hand firmly. "Xiao Ming, don't say such things! Go back to your room!" Startled, he shrank back and quickly ran into his bedroom. mother Li then forced a slight apologetic smile. "Kids always let their imaginations run wild; please don't mind him."
I nodded with a smile, but my inner doubts deepened. I could sense that mother Li's fear of the end of the hallway was not merely a mother's concern for her child's safety. My intuition told me that the residents of this building seemed to be hiding something.
After leaving mother Li's home, I lingered in the hallway for a while, feeling conflicted. I noticed that the end of the hallway always seemed shrouded in an unusual shadow; even during the day, it appeared particularly dim. Just as I contemplated whether to move closer for a better look, I suddenly heard footsteps behind me.
I turned around and saw an old woman slowly descending the stairs with the aid of a cane. It was the same neighbor I had encountered in the hallway earlier. When she spotted me standing at the end of the corridor, a flicker of fear crossed her eyes, and she quickly hurried over to me. In a hushed voice, she said, “Don’t stay there, dear. Come over here!”
Her tone was filled with unease and anxiety. Although I felt a bit puzzled, I followed her advice and walked toward her. The old woman grasped my arm tightly with her frail hand, her voice trembling as she warned, “We must not speak of those things… we cannot go near them. They will know, and they will be angry.”
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