The Haunting of Suyaoqu's Orphan

The rain lashed against the old, decaying walls of the Suyaoqu Orphanage, a place forgotten by time and memory. The once bustling institution now lay abandoned, its windows shattered, and the doors hanging off their hinges. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of decay and the echo of forgotten cries.

Liu Mei, a young woman with a face etched with the lines of sorrow, had taken it upon herself to care for the few remaining orphans. She had found a sense of purpose in the desolation, a glimmer of hope in the eyes of the children who had known nothing but the orphanage's cold embrace.

One evening, as the rain poured down, a young boy named Hong was brought to the orphanage. His eyes were wide with fear, and his clothes were torn and stained. He clutched a tattered photograph of a woman and a child, his only possession from the world he had left behind.

Liu Mei took him in, wrapping him in a blanket and offering him food and warmth. But as the days passed, Hong grew more and more withdrawn, his eyes often fixated on the photograph. Liu Mei noticed strange occurrences in the orphanage; items moved on their own, and cold drafts swept through the halls. The children would scream in their sleep, and Liu Mei would find herself staring at the walls, certain she saw the faint outline of a shadowy figure.

One night, as Liu Mei lay in bed, the room grew colder than usual. She heard a whisper, faint but clear, echoing through the walls. "She must die."

The next morning, Liu Mei found Hong missing. She searched the entire orphanage, but he was nowhere to be found. The children were quiet, their eyes wide with fear. She returned to Hong's room and saw the photograph on his bed. The woman in the picture looked strikingly similar to Liu Mei.

Determined to find Hong, Liu Mei delved deeper into the history of the orphanage. She discovered that the place had been built on the site of an ancient burial ground. The woman in the photograph was the wife of a powerful official who had been buried there with his demon child, a being cursed to protect his grave.

Liu Mei realized that Hong was the demon child, and that he had been sent to the orphanage to kill the woman who bore his mother's likeness. She knew she had to protect the children and herself, but as the nights grew longer and the whispers louder, she found herself drawn to the boy's fate.

One night, Liu Mei followed the whispers to the old tomb. She found Hong, his eyes glowing with an eerie light. He looked up at her, and she saw the same fear in his eyes that she had seen in the children's.

"Please, save me," he whispered.

Liu Mei approached him, her heart pounding. "Why do you want to kill me? I'm not your mother."

Hong's eyes softened. "I don't want to. I was just told to. But I can't live like this anymore."

Liu Mei reached out to touch him, but before she could, a shadowy figure emerged from the tomb. It was the demon, its eyes filled with malice and power.

"No!" Liu Mei shouted, but it was too late. The demon lunged at her, and she fell to the ground, fighting for her life.

Hong, seeing his chance, leaped at the demon, his tiny form striking it with all his might. The demon recoiled, and Liu Mei took the opportunity to flee back to the orphanage.

She found the children huddled together, trembling. "Stay here," she ordered, and she went back to face the demon.

The battle was fierce, with Liu Mei using everything she had to hold the demon at bay. Finally, with a desperate cry, she struck the demon with all her might, sending it crashing back into the tomb.

Exhausted, Liu Mei collapsed beside the children. She looked at Hong, who was lying on the ground, his eyes closed. She whispered, "You're safe now."

Hong opened his eyes and smiled weakly. "Thank you, Liu Mei."

The next morning, the children were gone. Liu Mei found a note tied to Hong's hand, thanking her for saving him and promising to find a new home for the children. She realized that the demon had been protecting Hong, not to kill her, but to keep him safe.

The orphanage was silent once more, the whispers and the cold drafts gone. Liu Mei knew that the demon's curse had been lifted, and that the children would be safe from the darkness that had haunted them.

As she looked out over the abandoned orphanage, Liu Mei felt a sense of peace. She had faced the darkness and won, and the children had found a chance at a new life.

But as she turned to leave, she saw the faint outline of a shadowy figure in the distance. It was Hong, smiling, his eyes twinkling with a new hope.

The Haunting of Suyaoqu's Orphan was over, but the story of the lost child and the cursed past would forever be etched in the hearts of those who had lived through it.