The Silent Scream of the Forgotten

The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and ancient wood. The old, decrepit mansion loomed over the desolate street, its once-grand facade now cloaked in vines and neglect. It was here, in this forsaken place, that the story of the silent scream would be etched into the annals of Xuzhou's ghostly lore.

Liu Mei had lived her entire life in Xuzhou, but the mansion on the edge of the city was a place she had always avoided. The whispers of its past haunted the streets, and the townsfolk spoke in hushed tones about the old lady who had once lived there. She was said to be a kind soul, but her final days were shrouded in mystery.

One cold, moonlit night, Liu Mei's curiosity got the better of her. She had always been drawn to the mansion, as if an invisible thread tugged at her. That night, she decided to uncover the truth behind the old lady's silent scream.

As she approached the mansion, the air grew colder. The door creaked open, as if beckoning her to enter. Liu Mei stepped inside, her flashlight cutting through the darkness. The interior was a jumble of forgotten relics and decaying furniture. She moved cautiously, her footsteps echoing in the vast emptiness.

Suddenly, a sound cut through the silence—a faint whisper, barely audible. Liu Mei strained her ears, but the whisper was gone. She continued her exploration, her flashlight flickering over dusty portraits and broken objects. Each step brought her closer to the heart of the mansion.

The whisper returned, this time louder and more insistent. Liu Mei followed it, her heart pounding. She reached the end of a long corridor and stopped before a massive, ornate mirror. The whisper grew louder, almost a scream now, and Liu Mei realized it was coming from the reflection.

She gasped as she saw the old lady's eyes staring back at her, filled with a haunting sadness. The lady's lips moved, forming words that were inaudible to Liu Mei. The scream was real, and it was the old lady's, but her voice was lost to time.

Liu Mei stepped closer, her hand trembling as she reached out to touch the glass. The mirror was cold to the touch, and the old lady's eyes seemed to pierce through the glass, demanding attention. Suddenly, the mirror shattered, and Liu Mei was thrown backward by the force of the impact.

She landed hard on the floor, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The scream had become a roar now, echoing through the mansion. Liu Mei scrambled to her feet, her flashlight now flickering erratically. She turned and ran, the echo of the scream following her every step.

She burst out of the mansion and ran down the street, the townsfolk staring at her in shock. Liu Mei didn't stop until she reached her own home, her heart pounding and her mind racing. She fell into a chair, her body shaking.

The next morning, the townsfolk gathered at the mansion. They found the old lady's remains, her body lying in a pool of blood. The mirror was gone, shattered into a thousand pieces. The silent scream had been her final cry for help, but it had come too late.

Liu Mei never spoke of what she had seen or heard that night. The mansion was boarded up, and the townsfolk continued to avoid it. The silent scream of the forgotten lady had become a ghost story, passed down through generations. But for Liu Mei, the scream remained a haunting reminder of the unrelenting presence of the unknown, and the dark secrets that lay hidden in the forgotten corners of Xuzhou.