THE SHADOW
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[[Start]]
In an afternoon filled with the warm sun of summer, an 8-year-old girl sits in her grandmother's living room, her gaze enviously falling on the long, shoulder-length hair of the girl next door. Her heart is filled with longing, imagining how beautiful she would be if she also had long hair.
At this moment, she notices a pile of long towels that her grandmother had just bought, neatly stacked in the corner, their white fibers shimmering with a gentle luster under the sunlight.
So, she picks up a long towel, covers her head with it, pretending to have long hair. With her "new hair," where is she preparing to go play?
[[The living room]]
[[The smallest bedroom]]
<script> var audio = document.createElement ('audio');
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audio.play(); </script>Dressed as a long-haired princess, she joyfully runs back to the living room, already having devised a game in her mind: she would play a princess trapped in a mysterious castle far from civilization, waiting for a brave knight to come to her rescue. The living room sofa becomes her castle, the coffee table transforms into a treasure chest before her, and she walks around the sofa, whispering to her imaginary knight about her plight at times, and at other times, loudly proclaiming her longing for freedom.
Just as she becomes fully immersed in her fantasy world, her mom enters the living room. Seeing her daughter with a white towel draped over her head, she gently furrows her brow, steps forward, and says tenderly yet firmly, "Dear, don't play like this. It's not good to cover your head with a towel." The little girl says,
[["Why is it not good?"]]
[["Okay, I'll stop playing."]]
She went to the small room. This room is decorated in a simple and elegant style, with mostly white furniture. She admires herself in front of the mirror, using the towel to simulate the effect of flowing long hair. She turns around, the towel swaying with the wind, her heart filled with joy.
Just then, her grandmother enters the room, sees her actions, and a worried expression appears on her face. She softly but seriously warns, "Oh, don't do that, covering your head with a white towel is unlucky." Confused, she says,
[[Why?]]
[[Grandma, you're so superstitious.]]After a moment of hesitation, Grandma spoke, "Either way, it's time to stop playing. I'm going to put away that mirror soon." Displeased that her grandmother had restricted her playtime, the little girl ran out of the room, towel in hand, faced with a choice:
[[ Return the towel to its original place]]
[[Grandma, you're so superstitious.]]]
Grandma responds, "How is this superstition, child?" After saying this, she sighs. Mom also comes over, seeing her not heeding the advice, feels somewhat helpless. Mom knows her daughter's personality; once she is focused on something, it's hard to convince her to give up. Mom softly says to her, "Play for a little while, but don't stay up too late." The little girl nods,
[[decides to prove it by herself]]
[[But inside, she has no intention of stopping right away.]]As night falls, the rooms in Grandma's house are bathed in a quiet and warm atmosphere. The girl and her mom get ready for bed, lying down with only a table lamp casting a soft, warm yellow glow in the room.
As gentle music begins to play softly, she close her eyes and slowly drift into sleep. At that moment, she notices the white towel strangely appearing on the sofa in the room. She decides to either:
[[take the towel back to bed]]
[[observe the towel]]
As the night draped over the room, everything was immersed in tranquility and peace. The little girl and her mother lay side by side on the bed, while outside, the night sky was adorned with countless stars, and moonlight streamed through the windows, casting its glow into every corner of the room. On such a serene night, an unusual discovery shattered the room's calm.
Turning towards the other side of the room, the little girl's gaze inadvertently fell upon the sofa, where, surprisingly, lay a white towel. This towel appeared particularly conspicuous under the dim moonlight, silently resting there as if waiting to be discovered.
The gilr decides to ...
[[tell her mom]]
[[ignore and go to sleep]]Watching the towel, she unknowingly fell asleep.
About an hour later, she slowly woke up from her sleep. The room was still immersed in the warm glow of the yellow table lamp, with only the sound of soft music playing.
Turning over towards the door, she noticed that it had been quietly opened at some point, and the silhouette of an adult man was cast on the wall by the doorway. His outline was particularly clear under the warm light. She...
[[...wakes up Mom]]
[[says:"Who are you?"]]
Holding the white towel, she fell asleep.
About an hour later, she suddenly woke up from her sleep. She found that the white towel had been placed over her body. The room was still bathed in the warm glow of the yellow table lamp, but the soft music had stopped.
Turning towards the door, she noticed it had been quietly opened at some point, and the silhouette of an adult man was clearly cast on the wall by the doorway, his outline particularly distinct under the warm light.
[[...wakes up her mom]]
[[says:"Who is there?"]]After the girl nervously wakes up her mom, mom groggily opens her eyes, listening to her describe the silhouette at the door. Mom soothingly pats the little girl's head, trying to calm her down. She then tells her, "Don't play with the white towel anymore." The little girl...
[[tries to fall asleep again]]
[[asks Mom to check out]]"Who are you?" the little girl musters the courage to say. But the silhouette remains motionless. Suddenly, the little girl seems to notice the silhouette's lips move slightly, but because the soft music is still playing, she can't hear any other sounds. This sends a chill through her entire body.
At this moment, she notices the white towel, which had somehow fallen to the floor not far from the door. The middle of the towel is bulged up, making the entire shape of the towel resemble a small bridge.
The little girl swallows hard, preparing to
[[check out]]
[[wake her mom up]]After you wake up Mom nervously, she groggily opens her eyes. Suddenly, Mom asks, "Why did you bring this towel up here?" She stammers, unable to articulate a response. Mom asks, "Where's the shadow?" The little girl points towards the door. Mom looks over and says, "Baby, I don't see any shadow." Then, she soothingly pats your head, trying to calm you down. The little girl...
[[tries to fall asleep again]]
[[asks Mom to check out]]
"Who is there?" the little girl bravely says. But the silhouette remains still. Suddenly, the little girl seems to see the lips of the silhouette move, and she thinks she hears a voice say, "It's me."
This sends a chill through her entire body. The frightened little girl clutches her blanket, but unintentionally touches the white towel. The towel, which felt comfortable and soft during the day, now feels dry, shriveled, and hard. The little girl...
[[begins to scream]]
[[cries out of fear]]
to be continued..Mom said, "I've already told you, I didn't see anything." As her words fell, the little girl's gaze once again fixated on the slowly moving shadow. It seemed to possess its own consciousness as it glided slowly from the doorway, eventually coming to a halt on the interior wall. In the dim light, the shadow became clearer, its contours taking on an unusually distorted shape, as if forming some vague pattern on the wall.
Mom noticed the frightened expression on the little girl's face, turned her head, and also looked at the wall.
To be continued..Summoning courage, she sits up in bed. Just as she'is about to investigate, the shadow slowly glides from the doorway to the interior wall...
To be continued..to be continued..to be continued..to be continued..The little girl asks, "Why?" Mom sighs and answers, "In our Chinese culture, white is the traditional color of mourning, symbolizing loss and grief. A white towel acts as a bridge between the world of the living and the dead. It might attract spirits who are unwilling to leave this world," Mom asks, "Do you want to know about an ancient legend behind this?" The little girl says...
[[Yes]]
[[No I don't believe this]]
Although she said she would stop playing, she plans to sneak off to the small bedroom to continue playing.
This room is decorated in a simple and elegant style, with mostly white furniture. She admires herself in front of the mirror, using the towel to simulate the effect of flowing long hair. She turns around, the towel swaying with the wind, her heart filled with joy.
Just then, her grandmother enters the room, sees her actions, and a worried expression appears on her face. She softly but seriously warns, "Oh, don't do that, covering your head with a white towel is unlucky." Confused, she says,
[[Why?]]
[[Grandma, you're so superstitious.]]Mom continues, "In a distant, ancient village, there's a beautiful yet chilling story that has been passed down. Long ago, a beautiful woman lived in the village, with long hair that cascaded down like a waterfall, shining in the sun's glow. Her beauty attracted many suitors, but her heart belonged to a traveler from afar. She looked forward to his return every day, and thus formed a habit—every night, as darkness fell, she would cover her head with a white long towel, as if to share the same starry sky with her distant lover.
Unfortunately, her lover met with a tragedy on one of his journeys and left this world forever. The moment she received the news, her world crumbled. Unable to accept this harsh reality, she continued to cover her head with the white towel every night, praying for a miracle. The villagers began to whisper, considering her actions ominous, but she remained undeterred until one day, she mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind the white long towel lying quietly on her bed.
Since then, a belief has been passed down in the village: a white towel serves as a bridge between the world of the living and the dead. If one covers their head with it at night, the wearer's soul might be drawn to another world, never to return. People believe that the beautiful woman's spirit is still searching for her lover, and her story serves as a warning, reminding everyone not to casually cover their heads with a white towel, lest they invite misfortune."
Upon hearing these words, the little girl decided...
[[ Return the towel to its original place]]
[[decides to prove it by herself]]The little girl shakes her head, saying firmly, "No, I don't believe in those stories." Her voice is filled with youthful defiance and curiosity about reality.
Mom looks at her with a smile, slightly disappointed but respectful of her daughter's wishes. She gently says, "Alright, if you don't want to hear it, then we won't talk about this topic anymore. However, remember, even if you don't believe in these legends, you should respect them because they are part of our culture." Even though the little girl is skeptical of the legends mentioned by her mom, her curiosity is sparked in another way. She decides to explore the world in her own way.
[[continue]]The little girl decides to venture out of her home on a clear night, armed with a flashlight, to explore the village she lives in, hoping to find some evidence of the connection between white objects and the spirit world. Her goal is to uncover the truth behind the village's ancient legends, proving her skepticism correct. she decides to go to...
[[the cemetery]]
[[the abandoned old mansion]]Upon reaching the cemetery, the little girl notices that some graves are adorned with white flowers and paper money, echoing her mother's words about the connection between white and death.
She decides to shine her flashlight into every corner of the cemetery, looking for any unusual phenomena. As her flashlight's beam sweeps across the cemetery, her heartbeat quickens. The night breeze adds an extra layer of mystery and eeriness to the atmosphere. At that moment, she spots a vague shadow moving behind a tombstone, an anomaly in the surrounding environment. It seems to sway gently, as if it were a conscious entity.
The little girl decides to ...
[[approach the tombstone]]
[[maintains a cautious distance]]As the little girl explored the abandoned mansion, her heart raced with each step, filled with a mix of curiosity and slight fear of the unknown. She noticed scattered white items throughout the rooms, including white handkerchiefs and porcelain, which seemed to be somehow connected to the legends mentioned by the elders at home. She...
[[pick sup the white handkerchief]]
[[is too scard and runs back home]]As the little girl slowly approaches, she realizes that the shadow seems to be cast by a candle on the tombstone that hasn't been extinguished. Strangely, despite the absence of wind, the candle's flame flickers incessantly, and the shadow appears much larger than the actual object, as if some force is at play. Still feeling frightened, she decides to...
[[return home]]
[[record her findings]]The cautious girl noticed that as time passed, the shadow became clearer and even started to move slowly, as if searching for something. Illuminated by the moonlight, the shadow appeared eerily strange as it gradually shifted towards the edge of the cemetery. The girl decided to ...
[[follow the shadow]]
[[head home]]As night falls, the rooms in Grandma's house are bathed in a quiet and warm atmosphere. the girl and her mom get ready for bed, lying down with only a table lamp casting a soft, warm yellow glow in the room. She decided not to tell Mom about what she did today because she was afraid that if she did, Mom would definitely scold her.
As gentle music begins to play softly, she close her eyes and slowly drift into sleep. At that moment, she notices the white towel strangely appearing on the sofa in the room. She decides to either:
[[take the towel back to bed]]
[[observe the towel]]
to be continued..to be continued..As night falls, the rooms in Grandma's house are bathed in a quiet and warm atmosphere. the girl and her mom get ready for bed, lying down with only a table lamp casting a soft, warm yellow glow in the room. She decided not to tell Mom about what she did today because she was afraid that if she did, Mom would definitely scold her.
As gentle music begins to play softly, she close her eyes and slowly drift into sleep. At that moment, she notices the white towel strangely appearing on the sofa in the room. She decides to either:
[[take the towel back to bed]]
[[observe the towel]]
But just as she reached out to grab the white handkerchief, a blurry shadow flickered at the edge of her vision. The girl froze, her fear intensifying in an instant. Looking around, in the dim light, she saw the shadow gently swaying on the opposite wall of the room, its shape indistinct but undeniably present.
Taking a deep breath, she summoned her courage, picked up the handkerchief, while keeping a close eye on the continuously swaying shadow. She began to wonder if this shadow was indeed one of the souls her mother had mentioned, possibly drawn by the white items. Just then, the shadow slowly moved towards the girl's direction... to be continued..As night falls, the rooms in Grandma's house are bathed in a quiet and warm atmosphere. the girl and her mom get ready for bed, lying down with only a table lamp casting a soft, warm yellow glow in the room. She decided not to tell Mom about what she did today because she was afraid that if she did, Mom would definitely scold her.
As gentle music begins to play softly, she close her eyes and slowly drift into sleep. At that moment, she notices the white towel strangely appearing on the sofa in the room. She decides to either:
[[take the towel back to bed]]
[[observe the towel]]
About an hour later, she slowly woke up from her sleep. The room was still immersed in the warm glow of the yellow table lamp, with only the sound of soft music playing.
Turning over towards the door, she noticed that it had been quietly opened at some point, and the silhouette of an adult man was cast on the wall by the doorway. His outline was particularly clear under the warm light. She...
[[...wakes up Mom]]
[[says:"Who are you?"]]"Mom, look!" the little girl whispered, pointing to the towel on the sofa, her voice tinged with surprise and puzzlement. "Isn't that... didn't we put it back in the drawer?"
Her mother turned around, following her daughter's indication, indeed spotting the white towel. Her brow furrowed slightly, her mind also filled with uncertainty. After all, she had watched her daughter return the towel to its original drawer and had personally closed the drawer.
"Perhaps... Grandma took out another towel and forgot to put it back," her mother attempted to find a rational explanation, but uncertainty lingered in her tone.
An air of mystery enveloped the room, and before drifting off to sleep, the little girl occasionally glanced at the white towel lying quietly nearby.
Watching the towel, she unknowingly fell asleep.
About an hour later, she slowly woke up from her sleep. The room was still immersed in the warm glow of the yellow table lamp, with only the sound of soft music playing.
Turning over towards the door, she noticed that it had been quietly opened at some point, and the silhouette of an adult man was cast on the wall by the doorway. His outline was particularly clear under the warm light. She...
[[...wakes up Mom]]
[[says:"Who are you?"]]
The little girl doesn't know if her grandma's saying is true or not, so she decides to venture out of her home.
On a clear night, she arms with a flashlight, to explore the village she lives in, hoping to find some evidence of the connection between white objects and the spirit world. Her goal is to uncover the truth behind the village's ancient legends, proving her skepticism correct. she decides to go to...
[[the cemetery]]
[[the abandoned old mansion]]