Whispers of the Red Phone: The Taiwan 119's Haunting Hour

The neon lights flickered above the small, dimly lit office of Taiwan 119's dispatch center. The room was a cacophony of beeping and the sound of operators' voices, a testament to the constant stream of emergency calls that flooded the line. In the corner of the room, where the phones were kept, sat a particular phone that none of the operators dared to touch. It was the red phone, the one that always seemed to ring in the dead of night, the one that everyone whispered about during the breaks.

That night, the shift was unusually quiet until the red phone rang. Operator Lin Yen hesitated for a moment, then picked up the receiver. The line was silent for a beat before a voice crackled through, a voice that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.

"Help me," the voice whispered. "I need help."

Lin Yen's heart raced. The voice was not like any of the other calls they received. It was calm, almost serene, but there was an underlying terror that made her skin crawl. She checked the screen, but there was no number displayed. The call was anonymous.

"Who is this?" Lin Yen asked, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands.

There was a pause, and then the voice replied, "I am in trouble. I need someone to help me."

Lin Yen's training took over. She needed to remain calm and professional. "Where are you? We can send someone right away."

"I'm... I'm here," the voice said, but the words were muffled, as if the speaker was moving. "I'm at the old hospital on Zhongshan Road. Please... come quickly."

Lin Yen's mind raced. The old hospital on Zhongshan Road had been abandoned years ago, its grounds overgrown with ivy and its windows boarded up. No one had been inside for decades. Yet, there was a sense of urgency in the voice, and she knew she had to act.

"Stay put," she instructed, "We're sending help. Just hold on."

She dropped the phone back into its cradle and called for backup. The red phone had never been used for anything but the most dire of emergencies, and now it was ringing at a place where no one should be.

A few minutes later, a team of paramedics and firefighters arrived at the old hospital. The place was eerie, the air thick with the scent of dust and decay. They entered cautiously, their flashlights cutting through the darkness.

The hospital was a labyrinth of corridors and rooms, each one more decrepit than the last. The team moved through the halls, their voices echoing off the walls, until they reached the room where the voice had directed them. The door was slightly ajar, and the room was bathed in a soft, reddish light.

Inside, they found a woman sitting on the edge of a bed. She was young, her face pale and drawn, and her eyes wide with terror. The paramedics approached her cautiously, but before they could speak, the woman spoke first.

"My name is Mei-Ling. I was... I was working here," she said, her voice trembling. "But someone... something... it followed me. I couldn't get away."

The team exchanged glances. This was not the kind of situation they were trained for. The paramedics checked Mei-Ling over, but she was in no physical danger. The firefighters began searching the room for any signs of danger or cause for Mei-Ling's distress.

As they searched, the woman's eyes grew wider. "I see them!" she whispered. "I see them everywhere!"

The team turned to see what Mei-Ling was seeing, but there was nothing. The room was empty, save for the woman and her haunted expression. Yet, as they watched, the air seemed to thicken, and the walls seemed to pulse with a strange energy.

Then, it happened. A cold breeze swept through the room, and the temperature dropped suddenly. The team turned to see the woman, her eyes now filled with fear. She was pointing at the corner of the room, where a faint, ghostly figure materialized.

The figure was a man, dressed in a period-specific suit, his face twisted in a hideous grin. The team exchanged a look of shock and horror. This was not just a ghost; this was a vengeful spirit, seeking justice for a crime that had been committed long ago.

The man's eyes locked onto Mei-Ling, and he began to move towards her. The team quickly surrounded her, ready to protect her from the spirit. The man's form became more solid, his eyes burning with an intensity that was almost tangible.

"Who did this to you?" the man roared, his voice echoing through the room.

Mei-Ling's eyes filled with tears. "I... I don't know," she whispered. "I just found you. I didn't do anything wrong."

The man's eyes narrowed, and he lunged towards Mei-Ling. The team sprang into action, their training taking over. They fought the spirit, pushing it back, but it was relentless, driven by a fury that seemed to have no end.

The fight was intense, the team using every resource they had to keep the spirit at bay. The paramedics held Mei-Ling back, while the firefighters and operators fought the spirit with everything they had.

Then, it happened. The red phone rang again. Operator Lin Yen answered, her voice steady despite the fear that had gripped her. She listened intently, then hung up the phone and rushed into the room.

"Lin Yen!" the firefighters called out, their faces strained with effort.

Lin Yen approached the group, her eyes filled with determination. "I have an idea," she said, her voice firm.

The team exchanged a look of hope, and Lin Yen nodded towards the phone. "This spirit is driven by a sense of justice. It needs to be appeased. Let's use the phone to call for help. We need to bring someone who can understand it, who can help it find peace."

The team nodded in agreement, and Lin Yen picked up the phone. She dialed the number, and as soon as she heard the voice on the other end, she spoke clearly.

"This is Lin Yen from Taiwan 119. We have a situation at the old hospital on Zhongshan Road. We need someone who can help a vengeful spirit find peace."

There was a moment of silence, and then a voice replied, "I'm on my way."

The team watched as the spirit seemed to waver, as if the call was reaching it. The man's form began to fade, and the team worked to keep him at bay until the person who had answered the phone arrived.

Minutes later, a middle-aged man with a kind face and a calm demeanor entered the room. He was a spiritualist, someone who had dedicated his life to helping spirits find peace. He approached the man's ghostly form, his voice filled with compassion.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice gentle.

The man's eyes opened, and he looked directly at the spiritualist. "I am Chen," he said, his voice still filled with fury. "I was framed for a crime I did not commit. I died here, and I have been trapped for decades."

The spiritualist nodded, his eyes filled with understanding. "I understand your pain, Chen. But you must let go. You cannot be trapped in this world forever."

The man's eyes closed, and his form began to fade. The team watched as he became more and more transparent, until finally, he was gone. The room was quiet, the tension that had filled it dissipating.

Mei-Ling let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "Thank you," she whispered to the team.

The team nodded, their relief palpable. They had faced something that was beyond the realm of the ordinary, and they had overcome it together.

As they left the old hospital, the team knew that their lives had been forever changed by the experience. The red phone had not been the only thing that had haunted them that night; they had faced a spirit that had been trapped for decades, and they had helped it find peace.

But the question lingered in their minds: what other secrets did the old hospital hold? And what other spirits were out there, waiting to be freed?

As they drove away, the red phone continued to ring, its eerie sound echoing through the night.