Family Survival Rules 13

Trembling and supporting one another, they sat at the table, the family once again eating dinner in a display of "harmony and affection."

"Well, now, this is what a loving family looks like!" Xu Si noted, nodding with satisfaction.

For three minutes, the family ate in a silent, numb stupor. Everyone, that is, except for Xu Si, whose eyes darted around, clearly brewing some new mischief.

She pursed her lips, gave a soft cough, and flashed a wicked smile at her parents and grandmother. "Dad, Mom, Grandma, I’d like to keep a rabbit. What do you think? Is that okay?"

The moment the words left her lips, her parents' faces turned ghastly, as if they had heard something horrific. The meat bone in her father's hand clattered onto the table, and her mother shuddered so violently that she nearly dropped her bowl, splashing foul-smelling broth across the tabletop.

Grandmother clutched her grandson’s ears tightly, whispering, "A rabbit... a rabbit... it is an evil thing!"

The younger brother lowered his head and couldn't help but burst into tears. Their eyes darted shiftily, and their lips trembled.

Her parents began to stammer, offering evasive excuses. "No... absolutely not! Why would you want to keep a rabbit? We don't have the time for such things. If you dare to keep one, we... we’ll kick you out of this house!"

As they spoke, the entire family began to tremble in unison, their eyes filled with genuine terror and unease at the mention of a rabbit.

Standing before the chilly earthen building, Xu Si looked up at the sky, which was blanketed by thick, dark clouds, and took a deep breath to steady her nerves. This structure, which should have been a place of history and warmth, felt to her like a dormant beast, exuding a bone-chilling aura.

Yesterday, Xu Si had received an anonymous letter. On the envelope, written in ink as red as blood, were the words: "If you wish to unravel the family secret, go alone to the abandoned earthen building on the west side of the village at midnight tomorrow. Bring no contract cards." As a veteran explorer of the "Rule of Horror" world, she had an instinctive alertness to unknown dangers, yet the letter held a strange magnetism. The mention of her family's secret was something she could not refuse.

As the midnight bell chimed, Xu Si slowly pushed open the creaking gates of the earthen building. Behind them lay a dark, deep corridor permeated with the scent of decay. Torches flickered on the walls, casting shadows that stretched and shrank with her movements.

"Welcome to the world of Sister’s Drum," an ethereal voice echoed through the empty building, laced with a chilling coldness.

Xu Si clenched her fists, her gaze scanning the surroundings in vigilance. "Who are you?" she demanded loudly. "What is this so-called 'Sister’s Drum'?"

The voice offered no reply, save for the faint, rhythmic sound of a drum beating from deep within the building.

Xu Si moved along the corridor, stepping with extreme caution. Suddenly, she noticed a series of paintings on the walls depicting a woman in a vibrant red dress, striking a massive drum under the moonlight. Most chillingly, the woman’s face in every painting was a blank void.

As she walked, Xu Si arrived before a closed wooden door engraved with strange, ancient-looking symbols. Just as she leaned in to inspect them, the door swung open without warning, and a heavy stench of blood washed over her.

Inside the room, a massive drum sat in the center, its surface stained with blood as if it had just witnessed a slaughter. Scattered around it were tattered clothes and clumps of hair.

Xu Si gasped, turning to flee, but the door behind her slammed shut with a bang. Simultaneously, the drum began to beat on its own, emitting a dull, ominous sound that set her heart racing.

As the drumming grew more frantic, the temperature in the room plummeted. Xu Si rubbed her reddened hands, desperately searching for an exit. Her gaze was caught by the blood on the drumhead; the stains seemed to flow, slowly coalescing into a line of text: "Find Sister’s relic, or you shall never leave."

Suppressing her terror, Xu Si began to search. In a corner, she found a worn wooden box. Inside lay a broken-stringed comb and a yellowed letter.

The letter read:
"My dear sister, by the time you read this, I may no longer be among the living. The Sister’s Drum that our family guards possesses a powerful and evil force. Every so often, it awakens to devour human souls. That time has come again.

Sister, you must remember: never let the drum strike forty-nine times in full. If the drumming stops, you have three seconds to find the black cat statue in the room and stroke its head three times; this will temporarily suppress the drum's power.

Furthermore, on the top floor of the earthen building, there is a bronze mirror. When the drum sounds again, you must use the mirror’s reflection to find Sister’s shadow hidden in the darkness. Use the comb I left you to brush her hair and soothe her soul. This may be our family's only hope of breaking the curse.

With love, your Sister."

As soon as she finished reading, the drumming ceased. Remembering the warning, Xu Si scrambled to find the black cat statue. In a dark corner of the room, she found it and, without hesitation, stroked its head—one, two, three times.

The moment she finished, the room's temperature rose slightly, and the blood on the drumhead stopped flowing. However, the respite was brief. The drum began to thunder again, more violently than before.

Xu Si knew time was running out. Following the instructions, she raced toward the top floor. Along the way, the dim lights flickered, and dark shadows darted past her eyes.

Finally, she reached the top floor. In the center of the room, a bronze mirror emitted a faint, ghostly glow. She picked it up and turned to face the darkness behind her.

Through the reflection, Xu Si saw a blurry shadow drifting in the dark. It was the woman in the red dress from the paintings. Her hair was disheveled, hiding her face.

Xu Si took a deep breath and approached the shadow. As she drew near, the figure let out a shrill, piercing scream, twisting and writhing violently.

"Sister, it’s me. I’m here to set you free," Xu Si shouted, her voice echoing in the vast space.

With trembling hands, she took the broken-stringed comb and began to gently brush the figure's hair. With every stroke, the shadow’s struggle diminished.

Yet, just as she was about to finish, disaster struck. A powerful force threw her backward, and the shadow grew frantic once more. The drumming reached an unprecedented intensity, as if it were about to bring the entire building crashing down.

Xu Si struggled to her feet and realized that the hair was not fully combed; a single knot remained. Ignoring the danger, she lunged toward the shadow again.

In the nick of time, she managed to undo the knot.

The shadow gradually calmed, revealing a gentle, serene face.

"Thank you, sister," the figure’s voice was soft, as if coming from the far reaches of the sky.

As the words faded, everything in the earthen building fell silent. Exhausted, Xu Si slumped to the floor, watching the first light of dawn creep through the window, her heart heavy with a complex mix of emotions.