When we entered the cinema, we didn't see any other patrons, as if we were the only ones here today. We walked straight in without hesitation. The film industry is quite bleak these days, with diseases and the internet making at least half the population reluctant to go out. One only comes for the live atmosphere and the giant screen.
We approached the ticket counter, but there were no staff. The snack bar was also empty. Seeing that all the shelves were set up for WeChat Pay, I realized this must be a self-service cinema.
There seemed to be surveillance cameras around, but to obtain footage, we would need to consult the cinema staff. I asked Xiahou to handle that while the rest of us headed towards the screening halls near the counter. We began our search from the first hall, but there was no activity; it seemed no customers had visited today.
Taking our seats, we scanned the rows. The screen was black, and we couldn't figure out why. It reminded me of a horror movie from a previous case in a tourist area. Suddenly, on the previously blank screen, a huge mouth appeared!
We all jumped and instinctively leaned back into our seats. Then, a pair of red eyes blinked, followed by countless flies swarming around. Everyone grew more frightened. I said, "Don't be scared. Didn't you see the promotional posters? These must be scenes from the horror film 'Moth in the Black Night'!"
"No way! But we didn't buy tickets, how did it start playing automatically?"
"Perhaps the cinema is motion-activated. It might start playing as soon as it detects a guest. I've heard of such systems before. With today's technology, it's not surprising."
The screen's imagery slowly calmed down. We all stood in front, watching intently, and for a while, we were completely engrossed in the movie.
After some time, we gathered that the movie was about a mysterious room in an ancient castle that frequently emitted strange sounds and from which flies emerged. The castle was initially empty, but then a few men arrived. They became trapped upon their arrival and searched everywhere for an exit but found none. They were eventually surrounded by flies and died one by one.
The content was chilling and extremely frightening. As we watched, we suddenly heard the sound of footsteps from another screening hall. We assumed someone was approaching us and our attention shifted. But then, a few beads rolled out from a corner, and we quickly moved towards them.
Approaching the floor where the beads had emerged, we realized they were not just any beads, but the same kind of glazed beads found on the first victim.
I put on my rubber gloves and crouched down, picking up the few agate beads. I examined them closely. If I remembered correctly, the material of these beads should be similar to the previous ones, but it was incredibly strange how they appeared here in a cinema.
I walked into the room from which the beads had rolled. Liu Yuning and Xiao Yuande followed me. It was only upon entering that we realized this place was the control room for Screening Hall One. We went around to the back and saw a large projector illuminating the screen. It was still operational as the movie had not finished. We moved around the control room, and I suddenly noticed signs of someone having been in the chair in the control room.
Looking at a workbench near the equipment, I rummaged through the drawers and found several photographs. The photos were taken rather strangely, mostly from a bird's-eye view, suggesting they were taken from a peeping angle.
It was astonishing to see that over the past few days, a figure had been present in the control room. I recognized the person instantly: it was Xing Lean.
All these photos showed his back. He appeared to be working on the machines like a film technician.
Perhaps he was here because he had another job as a cinema caretaker?
As I was speculating, Xiahou returned. He had obtained the cinema's surveillance footage but reported that he had seen no staff members; the cinema was entirely empty.
At this point, I sent a message to He Xin. Within minutes, she replied, "I haven't heard of this being a self-service cinema. You should be careful. There might be something wrong here!"
Upon receiving He Xin's message, I immediately became wary, but it was too late. Before I could even speak after putting away my phone, a muffled scream came from a speaker in the control room, as if someone in the cinema was being subjected to inhuman treatment.
Hearing the sound, we all rushed towards its source, which seemed to be upstairs. However, after leaving Screening Hall One, we couldn't find any stairs leading up. We wandered around the cinema lobby, but the terrifying screams continued. We could tell they weren't from the movie but from a real person who was in extreme pain. If we didn't save him, he would surely perish. The voice sounded like a man's.
Finally, we found a black curtain next to a wall, revealing a staircase leading upwards. Without a second thought, we ascended. Strangely, the stairs ended at a turn, making it impossible to go further up!
We were all stunned. Now we understood why He Xin had said something was wrong here. It seemed she was right!
Just as we were about to turn back, the staircase beneath our feet began to retract. It was a trap!
Xiao Yuande and Xiahou quickly moved up from the lower part of the stairs. In the next second, the first five steps retracted, revealing a huge, seemingly bottomless pit. It looked deep enough to cause complete obliteration if one fell in.
We dared not peer into the depths, only looking from the edge. Suddenly, a strange hand pushed me hard from behind, making me lose my balance. I lunged forward. The person behind me seemed to try to grab me, but it was too late. The sudden impact was unexpected, leaving no time for reaction.