Chapter 79

"Oh." Alvina still didn't understand, but she became even more curious about this place, as it had neither vampires nor werewolves, but zombies, according to the waiting line. She wondered whether zombies or the undead looked more handsome. "Melissa, is this what you're going to tell the kids? Aren't you afraid it will cast a shadow on their childhood?" Joseph said mildly, leading the group into the VIP waiting area. "Don't overdo it, okay? Unless you were scared as a child. You aren't scared of these things, are you, young master Clarkson?" With her tickets in hand, Melissa's attention was on the people who were entering the base ahead of her; she couldn't wait. "Ridiculous, why would I be afraid of something meant to scare children?" Joseph scoffed and quickened his pace; he didn't want to be looked down on by a woman. Next, it was Joseph's family's turn to be part of the ten people entering. Aunt Sarah was so nervous, her heart pounded heavily, Grandma Julia's face was slightly sullen. "Alvina, do you think this haunted house will be more fun than the one Uncle Peter took us to last time?" "It must be more fun. I heard this haunted house is huge and we can even ride in a boat!" Alvin and Alvina heatedly discussed the matter, not noticing the facial cues from Melissa. Resignedly, Melissa had no choice but to bend down and whisper in the children's ears. "Alvin, Alvina remember, never mention Uncle Peter in front of your great grandmother and Uncle Joseph." "Okay, we understand, Mom," Alvin gave Melissa a slick pirate salute. Eventually, the Clarkson family took a ride on a small train towards the Haunted Gate. Inside, the lighting was dim with tattered cloths hanging from the ceiling. Along the track stood many zombies clad in Roby Dynasty clothing. There were wooden head-chopping blocks and guillotine blades from the vegetable market, models of dismembered bodies, and even an execution pyre. "Wow! Mom, look! They look so weird with long braids and their clothes are so cool! It's like they are guitarists in a rock band!" Alvin sat in the small train, holding the door and leaning forward, engrossed by the zombies. He found the costuming very handsome and interesting. On the other hand, Alvina watched the scene on her side, fascinated. This was the most creatively set haunted house she had ever seen. "Daddy, look at that woman's hair. It's so long, and she doesn't have a face!" Alvina tapped on Joseph's thigh, screaming excitedly. Hearing this, Joseph pictured a faceless ghost with long hair, a spooky sight, which gave him goosebumps. Grandma Julia and Aunt Sarah sat behind Joseph and Melissa. Since they entered the ghost gate, both of them kept their heads down, examining their feet and leaning against each other. At this point, the little train began to sway. The eerie song of a female ghost drifted from afar, slowly transforming into a sob. "Mom, do you hear someone crying?" Alvin squatted on his seat, stood up, and tried to find the source of the sound. At this point, they had arrived at the first hell, the hell of Tongue Pulling. Many ghosts with long tongues hung above their moving train. The soft rubbery tongues swept over Joseph's forehead, making him dodge to the side. In the dim light from the torches on the wall, Melissa accidentally saw a fleeting look of fear in Joseph's eyes, and she chuckled. "It looks like being tall does have its disadvantages." Joseph knew Melissa was mocking him. He wore a stern face and coldly stared forward. There seemed to be whispers in the darkness; Aunt Sarah kindly covered Grandma Julia's ears. At the end of the train ride, there were caves and lakes. They were to first disembark from the train, then take a boat to cross the lake, and finally walk out of the ghost gate. The last layer of hell even had a real-life Yama. Melissa was very much looking forward to Joseph making a fool of himself. "Yay! We're getting off the train!" Alvin and Alvina walked forward enthusiastically hand in hand. Melissa and Joseph were in the middle, with Aunt Sarah assisting Grandma Julia, who was walking slowly behind them. The screams of tourists in the Ghost Gate were incessant, but Alvin and Alvina laughed as if they were strolling in a shopping mall. They even went up to the zombie models and examined them closely. "Wow, mom, these zombies have long fingernails. Their teeth are like vampires!" Alvin loved haunted houses and was very excited. Hearing the two children's shouts of joy, Grandma Julia and Aunt Sarah who were following behind felt less scared. "Of course, because they're zombies" Melissa laughed, suddenly startling Joseph. Joseph frowned, curtly said, "Melissa, what are you up to?" They walked through a grove of purple bamboo. A melodious music sounded, accompanied by haunting specters of women in white clothes drifting everywhere. The lights here were all green and purple. Combined with the dripping sound inside the cavern, it was even more spine-chilling. "Ah, something is grabbing my foot!" A woman in the group screamed at the top of her lungs. She clung tightly to her husband's sleeve, covering her eyes. The woman was trembling with fear, because there were mechanically controlled hands stretching out from the hole under her feet, occasionally grabbing the ankles of the tourists. Her husband was equally terrified. He was just putting up a brave front, his body rigid with fear. Joseph initially thought that Melissa would start to cry out of fear, but unlike other delicate women, she was laughing and joking inside this haunted house, even playing pranks on other people. What an oddball. "Alvin, Alvina, be careful not to sprain your ankles" Melissa advised the children. Seeing that Grandma Julia was having difficulty walking on the stone path in the cave, she went over to help her grandma with Aunt Sarah. "Grandma, be careful, the stone path under your feet is slippery" Melissa gently reminded. Amidst the screams, she calmly read the signs and showed the way for Grandma Julia and Aunt Sarah. Seeing Melissa guiding her grandmother so sincerely, Joseph surprisingly felt that this woman was not all flawed. After about half an hour of walking on the stone path, they finally reached the lake. It was their turn to take a boat journey. The boatman was wearing traditional clothes, leisurely rowing with a single paddle. Replica hanging coffins and some white skeletons were on display on the boat. "Mommy, what is that?" In the process of rowing, Alvin pointed at the hanging coffins on the cave ceiling and asked. "That's a hanging coffin" Melissa patiently explained. She was like a walking encyclopedia for them, always ready to answer their questions. "Oh." Fortunately, Alvin didn't ask what a hanging coffin was used for, otherwise, Melissa wouldn't want to explain such a terrifying thing to a child. Alvina stood up from her seat and pointed at a large coffin in the middle of the lake, said "Brother, look! There is an even bigger one over there!"