Horror Game Designer

Chapter 276: The Shape of Home

The cheap clock hanging above the couch ticked. Gao Ming’s heart would be affected whenever the clock needle moved. The middle-aged woman entered the kitchen. The smell of food floated in the home. When Gao Ming attended primary school, he often enjoyed a similar scent at home. His stomach grumbled. He stood in the middle of the living room and observed every corner of the apartment.

The uneven wooden table leaned against the wall. The old newspaper was stuck underneath the table legs. A flower-patterned tablecloth was draped over the table. Candies and apples were placed on the table to welcome the guests.

The little fatty held the bottle of soda, ran to the table and sneaked a piece of candy. He put it in his mouth. Then, he looked at the apple with desire.

“Everything is normal. Even the candies are the types that you can find on the market.”

The sun shone into the room. Gao Ming moved around and studied the calligraphy on the wall. They seemed to be written by Situ An. Every brush stroke was powerful and steady. The scent of food thickened. Gao Ming’s frown deepened. This was Situ An’s home, but it was completely different from what he had imagined. He couldn’t find anything absurd or strange.

“Is the home a location that can’t be tainted in the memory? Is it the only clean room in one’s murky life? Is there no danger at home? Only precious memory?”

Various questions dominated Gao Ming’s mind. Before he could figure things out, the kitchen curtain was pulled back. The middle-aged woman walked out, holding the cooked vegetables and ribs. The dishes were all home-cooked, but the fragrance was very alluring.

“Normally, he’d be home by now. Is he working overtime today?” The middle-aged woman placed the dishes on the table. “Don’t worry. I’ll call to ask.”

The woman came to the other end of the couch and pulled back the doily. There was a red landline underneath. Mobile phones were so common that Gao Ming hadn’t seen a landline phone in a long time already. The middle-aged woman picked up the speaker and dialled a number. No one answered.

“Why isn’t he answering? He’d answer me no matter how busy he is…” The woman’s expression changed. She called the number again and again until the sound of ringing appeared in Gao Ming’s heart…

…

The big dog who had been trapped by the meaty walls gritted his teeth. His fur stood on end due to fear.

“Gao Ming! Come back!”

The walls had changed. Big gashes opened on them. Each intestine seemed to lead to a different place, representing the choices one might face in life.

Gao Ming silently moved forward as if he couldn’t hear the big dog. The innocent laughter slowly approached. Ghost children with blindfolded eyes walked out of the flesh. They were the seeds chosen by Situ An from the orphanage. Every child was dominated by the shadow. The group of kids seemed to be playing with Gao Ming. They surrounded Gao Ming. They didn’t attack or leave. They appeared to be leading Gao Ming somewhere. The tunnel was filled with a horrid stench as more horrifying things appeared. The death clock chimed. A fatty with heavily rotten flesh squeezed out of the meaty wall. A giant meat straw grew out of his mouth. He gurgled down the green liquid that oozed out of the intestine. The monster glanced at the big dog, grabbed Gao Ming and led him deeper into the dark.

Many despairing words were written on the walls. They were maddening. Situ An liked to collect the last letters written by the despairing victims. The letters were like alcohol, dragging the readers into them.

“Gao Ming!” No matter how loud the big dog howled, Gao Ming couldn’t hear him.

Led by the giant fatty, they came to the end of the tunnel. Along the edge of the meaty wall was a sacrificial table made with a divine corpse. The divine ghost was covered in wounds and lay on the ground. The left arm was broken to be replaced by a thick stack of hospital records.

The wall wiggled harder. Various faces gathered together to form a woman’s face. Stepping on the steps made from the patient’s records, Gao Ming and the ugly fatty slowly moved towards the table. The smell enveloped everything. All the power lingering in the building targeted Gao Ming!

“Gao Ming! Come back!”

The big dog could only watch as Gao Ming slowly moved into the dark. The big dog had no friends. In his silent and lightless world, Gao Ming was a special existence.

He couldn’t describe his relationship with Gao Ming, but after the female villager passed away, Gao Ming chatted with him the most.

Different from the other humans he interacted with, Gao Ming never treated him as a monster. He had always been treated by the villagers of Bo Wan Village as a black dog. After he mutated, he took on the appearance of a giant dog, but Gao Ming had always treated him like a human. He could feel that Gao Ming didn’t have prejudice or overwhelming pity towards him. He only treated him as a trustworthy friend.

As they got to know each other, the big dog found out certain things about Gao Ming. He discovered that there were a lot of painful memories inside Gao Ming’s heart. Each of the death memories would make a normal person go crazy. The big dog knew what kind of pressure Gao Ming was under. Gradually, he started to like to chat with Gao Ming because Gao Ming became his only friend.

“Gao Ming!”

The black fur melted into the shadow. Two strange characters appeared in the big dog’s eyes. The left eye had the character Sound, and the right eye had the character Shape.

He opened his jaws, and the resentment room that could consume all the light and sound was forced open by the big dog.

Part of the meaty walls was consumed by the big dog. Darkness spread from the sides of his mouth. The meaty walls clearly wouldn’t allow the big dog to disturb Gao Ming. The intestines moved to form folds of strange patterns. They rushed at the big dog like waves. The dog cellar resentment room was continuously oppressed. The big dog’s wails turned pitiable. His claws reached forward as he tried to jump out of the swamp. The black furs were torn apart by the walls. Blood floated in the dark. Just as Gao Ming was about to walk into the darkest terror, the big dog’s skin tore apart, and his resentment room expanded again!

A giant black flower appeared on the wall. The beauty was made at a heavy price. The moment the meaty walls were squeezed apart, a pale arm reached out of the big dog’s mouth. A blind man with a slightly deformed face, cut ears, and an extremely weak body slowly crawled out of the big dog’s body. He had no name and was treated as an animal by the villagers. He had been hiding in his cellar, but he finally reached out from the dark!

The big dog was trapped by the walls. He couldn’t see or hear, but his heart could sense Gao Ming’s heartbeat. It was just ahead!

He ran and didn’t dare to stop until he managed to grab the man!

“Follow me!”