The Hand Stretching From the Restroom

The restroom door swung open, revealing a pallid hand emerging from the depths of darkness. Paralyzed with fear, everyone stood rooted to the spot, their hearts pounding in their chests, rendered speechless by terror. Little did Ethan expect that his classmate Jing would suddenly go mad, thrusting him towards the ghostly presence. "Jing, are you trying to kill me?" Ethan's teeth clenched as he sensed something was amiss, quickly grabbing hold of Jing's arm, halting their progress. "If you don't die, I'll never find peace. Did you think my threats were mere words? You're far too naive. You knew I meant harm, yet you never saw it coming. But that was to be expected. You're just an ignorant student who fails to grasp the cruelty of this world. Today, I'll teach you a lesson," Jing sneered, his voice dripping with malice as he turned on Ethan, calling out, "Help me! We must push him into the restroom and restrain the ghost. If that ghost escapes, we're all doomed. To survive, we must make sacrifices. There's no other way."

Jing's appeal to righteousness worked, exploiting the threat of the vengeful spirit and presenting a seemingly justifiable reason. Gripped by fear, three male classmates hastened forward, terror etched on their faces as they seized Ethan. The four of them combined their strength, pushing him relentlessly towards the restroom. Resistance was futile. In an instant, Ethan found himself back at the entrance, the pale hand reaching out from the shadows, firmly gripping his shoulder with cold, rigid fingers. A chilling force pulled him towards the pitch-black interior of the restroom. "Ethan, your time has come. If only you had been wiser," Jing gloated, slamming the door shut, his laughter echoing through the air. Anger surged within Ethan as the numbness from the pale hand spread through his shoulder, like a vise crushing his arm. Simultaneously, a bone-chilling cold enveloped his body, freezing his blood. "You scum! You dare to kill your own classmate? Well, don't expect an easy ride. If I die and become a ghost, I won't spare any of you," Ethan retorted, his voice cold and resolute. With a resounding thud, the pale arm retracted into the darkness, and the restroom door closed shut in an instant. Ethan, along with the two classmates who had conspired against him, vanished before their eyes. The door remained tightly sealed, devoid of any movement. Witnessing this scene, Jing finally breathed a sigh of relief, a faint smile of triumph playing across his terror-stricken face. "Jing... You really killed Ethan and the others," someone nearby uttered, their voice trembling.

Jing's face contorted into a grotesque expression of ferocity. "Silence! If that ghost hadn't emerged, we would all be dead. Why are you still lingering here? If you want to survive, come with me. The three of them won't hold the ghost for long. Once it finishes with them, it will emerge again, and then it will be our turn to die." Without further ado, Jing spun around and ascended the stairs. "Jing, why are we going back?" someone questioned. "Continuing further down is a dead end. Who knows what other horrors we might encounter? Heading back might lead us to Zhou. If he's still alive, perhaps he can help us," Jing's voice trembled with fear. As more lives were claimed within the ghostly realm, the fear intensified, and time was running out for their escape. In the cold darkness, accompanied by the persistent drip of water

, as if a faucet had been left running, Ethan and the two classmates taken by the pallid hand were dragged into the abyss of the pitch-black restroom. "Get out! Get out of here!" Peng and Fei broke free from Ethan's grip, frantically searching the walls in an attempt to find the door and make their escape. The cold, damp walls were riddled with decay, emitting a putrid stench. The restroom was small, and under normal circumstances, even with their eyes closed, they should have easily located the door and made their way out. Yet, as they groped about, their hands encountered nothing but unyielding walls. Both left and right were barriers impeding their progress. The door had vanished. "Where is the door? Where is the main exit? It was just here a moment ago. Fei, have you found it?" Peng's voice quivered, laced with desperation. "I can't find it either," Fei replied, his tone filled with fear. They frantically explored every inch of the walls, leaving no surface untouched, hoping to discover the familiar door that would lead them to safety. But their efforts proved fruitless—the walls stood mottled and icy-cold, concealing a dreadful truth. Perhaps, in this place, there simply was no door.

While they desperately searched for an escape route, Ethan's plight grew increasingly perilous. The cold grip on his shoulder tightened, and the numbness that had initially settled in his arm now spread through his entire body. With each passing moment, the numbing sensation advanced, threatening to turn him into a lifeless, frozen corpse. Covered in clammy sweat, Ethan fought with every ounce of his strength, striving to break free. But it was in vain. The hand that held him was as unyielding as a nail driven into a wall. He attempted every possible method of escape, yet none proved successful. "Is this where I will meet my end?" That singular thought permeated his mind. Surprisingly, fear no longer held sway over him. He simply yearned to make one final phone call to his family before his demise, leaving them with a final message. A bitter smile crept across Ethan's face as he endured the numbing coldness coursing through his veins. Retrieving his phone, he prepared to call his family. However, as he turned on the device, the screen displayed a startling revelation—the same forum story he had read before, the story that directly led to its final page. And within that forum, an audio file caught Ethan's attention, causing him to pause. It reminded him of the sound of the elderly man knocking on the classroom door. "Wait, if that sound was used to kill people, it shouldn't solely affect humans—it should also work on ghosts. Zhou mentioned that the only thing capable of dealing with ghosts was another ghost." Excitement flickered in his eyes as a glimmer of hope ignited within him. Without a moment's hesitation, Ethan, still possessing the use of his free arm, clicked on the audio file. The dull knocking sound resonated once more, reverberating through the darkness. Yet, something unexpected transpired. The pallid hand gripping Ethan's shoulder recoiled, as if scorched, vanishing back into the shadows. The icy rigidity that had consumed his body dissipated rapidly, freeing him from its grip.