Midnight Disturbance in the Apartment

I woke up in the middle of the night to a sudden "thud" from the apartment upstairs. I dared not open my eyes as the man's angry shouts and the woman's crying sounded so real, echoing through the ceiling. I curled up in my bed, hoping it would all be over in five minutes, but after ten minutes, it showed no sign of stopping. In fact, it grew more intense. I finally opened my eyes and looked at Shuaizai, who was sleeping soundly beside me. I gave its belly a gentle rub, and it immediately started purring. I chuckled at the absurdity of petting a cat during such a situation, but the comforting sensation helped calm my nerves.

I took a deep breath, put on some clothes, walked to the door, and grabbed the handle. I knew I had at least another month in this apartment, and I couldn't let it torment me like this. I convinced myself that the online post might be a hoax. Breathing a sigh of relief, I held my phone and made my way to the elevator. The safety exit, which was always sealed, was not a place I would use on the 11th floor. In the corridor, besides the yelling, there was no one else in sight. I was wearing only my pajamas and started feeling cold. As I stood before the apartment door, I hesitated. I feared that if I opened it, a white-dressed female ghost would rush at me. Taking a deep breath, I pulled open the heavy security door. It made a creaking sound, and then I saw the stairs. The stairs leading to the 12th floor!

At this point, I couldn't take it anymore. The thought of going up the stairs was unbearable. I decided to escape, but as soon as I took a step back, a glimpse of a white dress emerged. In that moment, I was petrified. Although my mind was screaming at me to run, my body was frozen in place. I could only watch as the figure in white emerged. It had long, jet-black hair sticking to its face with bloodstains. The hands were bruised and battered. The white dress was dirty and gray, stained with fresh red, and as it saw me, it opened its mouth, and blood dripped from the corners.

This time, I managed to take a step backward. Then I stumbled and fell to the ground. At the same time, the motion-activated light went off. I screamed in terror, and as the light came back on, the female ghost stumbled, crawling toward me and reaching for my leg. I almost fainted. But then, why did it feel so warm? In the next moment, a man also rushed in. He had a ferocious expression. When he saw me, he hesitated for a moment before dragging the woman away by her hair.

As I contemplated whether this was an illusion or reality, an elderly voice spoke behind me. I turned to see a lady I recognized, the one who practiced square dancing downstairs every day.

"Good morning, ma'am..."

Although it was past midnight, it didn't seem right to say "goodnight." The old lady didn't mind and pointed upstairs, a bit fearful.

"Her man gets like this when he drinks, don't worry about it. Let's go."

I was utterly perplexed, and a surreal sense of absurdity washed over me. Suppressing the urge to slap myself, I managed an awkward smile, picked up my phone, and dialed 110.

"Ma'am, this is domestic violence, not a lesson."