1 The Strange Rules of Wax Museum

Wax Museum rules:

1.The museum is open 24 hours.

2.All wax figures in the museum are lifelike and expensive. Please do not touch them.

3.Do not use your mobile phone to take photos during your visit. Photography is strictly prohibited.

4.To create a terrifying atmosphere, hearing screams or cries for help is considered normal.

5.The museum has dim lighting, and you may experience hallucinations. Please remain calm.

6.If you come across eerie dolls, do not pick them up; they belong to lost visitors.

7.Stay vigilant if you have ever lost sight of your companions.

8.The staff wears blue and white striped uniforms. Seek assistance from them if needed.

9.Please reject any requests made by the exhibits.

My husband and I have a similar interests:

we both enjoy thrilling and exciting entertainment activities like playing murder mystery games and visiting haunted houses.

We had exhausted all the escape rooms in our city, and the more suspenseful they were, the better we found them for relieving stress. 

On my birthday, my husband decided to surprise me by choosing a place we had never been before. 

After some online research, we found a newly opened wax museum located in the outskirts, about three hundred kilometers away from our house.

Looking at the promotional images of life-sized wax figures, it seemed like a fresh and intriguing experience.

We decided to go for it, hopped in our car, and made our way to the destination.

At the entrance, a sign with "Wax Museum Rules" added an eerie touch to the atmosphere.Upon entering, we were greeted by a long, narrow corridor. Dim and flickering old incandescent bulbs dangled from the ceiling.

The ticket booth was extremely rudimentary, with just a table. On the left side of the table was a box of ticket cards the size of business cards, and on the right was a piece of cardboard with bold black letters that read, "Ticket price per person: 14 dollars. Please surrender your ticket when leaving. Tickets can be reused within this museum."

I was surprised:it was the first time I had heard of buying tickets and having to return them after the visit.

My husband quipped with a grin, 'This owner is too stingy. How much can a ticket card be worth? What if a guest loses their ticket?

The male ticket seller in front of the table stared at us, unmoving and silent.

I casually picked up two tickets and awkwardly said, "My husband is just joking.please don't mind. We will follow the owner's instructions and return the tickets when we finish our visit."

While speaking, I stole a few glances at the ticket seller. He wore black clothing, had a shaved head, and his smooth face showed no expression.

I scanned the payment QR code and showed him the payment confirmation on my phone. His body remained motionless, neck stiff, head fixed, with only his eyeballs moving slightly, glancing at my phone screen.

Suddenly, my husband, who had walked behind the ticket seller, exclaimed, "Honey! This is a wax figure!"

"What?" I was perplexed and took a step back, stunned by what I saw.

The ticket seller was only half a body. His legs and feet were missing, cut off at the waist. The cut was perfectly clean, not like it had been done with a saw but more like an axe had cleaved him in two.

His upper half sat on the chair, and his arms dangled limply on either side, covered in wax from head to toe.

Because the table blocked his lower body, we couldn't see that his legs were missing when we entered.

Could he really be a wax figure? But just moments ago, I swear I saw his eyeballs move!

I took two steps back, staring intently at his face. His shiny skin seemed to reflect light, and there wasn't a single pore or hair follicle.

Could he be a wax figure? Wax figures don't move their eyes.Was it my imagination?

My husband continued ahead, saying, "Using a wax figure to pretend to be a human ticket seller is quite creative. This owner must be fearless of people trying to sneak in without paying."Doubt began to creep into my mind. I looked around cautiously.

There were no security cameras in this dimly lit corridor. Was this place not run for profit?I observed my surroundings with vigilance.

My husband stopped in front of two doors ahead, turned back, and called out to me, "Sweetie, there are two exhibition halls here. Which one should we visit first?"

I quickened my pace to join him, and that's when I noticed that the long hallway split into two at the end.

The left door had a sign that read "Human Exhibit," while the right one read "Mannequin Exhibit."I felt a growing sense of unease but decided, "Let's check out the 'Mannequin Exhibit' first."

I pushed open the large door, and what we saw inside left us utterly astonished.The spacious room was filled with an array of wax figures, each one incredibly lifelike.

I whispered in amazement, "If the 'Mannequin Exhibit' is this realistic, the 'Human Exhibit' must be even more convincing."Creak…There was a strange, muffled sound from above, as if something were stepping on the old wooden floorboards.

I looked up, feeling a drop of liquid on my right cheek.

But it wasn't just liquid

—it was scalding!

What was leaking?

I quickly turned on the flashlight on my phone and pointed it towards the ceiling.

What I saw left me in shock.

The cement ceiling was covered in a multitude of holes.