As a rich second-generation, John found it easy to call people out for a party; a single phone call had a few friends immediately preparing to drive over.
His friends were named Dashan, Xiao Shuai (Little Handsome), Xiaomei, Jessie, Dazhuang, Karami…
Of course, their English names were not these; these were the Chinese names John gave them, and they had requested them themselves.
Jennifer also called a few of her girlfriends.
This group of people was very efficient; even the alcohol, cut fruit, and various snacks for the party were bought by them. Of course, John paid for it, as he was the one who initiated it.
One more thing worth mentioning.
These friends were all horror enthusiasts like John, very interested in the existence of demons and ghosts.
When they learned that John had encountered a demon, they became more excited than the last, even suggesting they play a ghost summoning game.
John didn't know what to say about this death-seeking behavior.
Soon, this small house in the suburbs was packed with people.
The living room was filled with beer, cut fruit, and various snacks, and the house was brightly lit, with a group of people gathered in the living room.
Jessie looked at Jennifer, who was nestled in John's arms, with a complex expression; she couldn't compare to this woman in any aspect.
Ever since she and John went through the fatal detour, she had expressed her feelings on the day they rested.
Unfortunately, the two were ultimately just a one-night thing…
Jessie wasn't the only one paying attention to the two; there was also a blonde girl, who had come uninvited with Jennifer's girlfriends, and her first words were irritating.
"Hey, Jennifer, is this your new boyfriend?"
Jennifer gave the blonde girl the middle finger.
"Bitch, this is my first boyfriend. If you're jealous, go drag your pathetic man over here."
The two were not just at odds; they were sworn enemies.
At this moment, the black-haired girl next to them said enviously,
"Jennifer, I heard your boyfriend is a noble from the East Asia, and he even has an old castle here. Can you take us to visit it?"
"Yeah, Jennifer, can you take us to see it and take a few photos as souvenirs?"
Jennifer, with a smile on her lips, nestled in John's arms and cheerfully said, "I'll consider it. If I have time, I can take you guys to a party or gathering."
She truly enjoyed the flattery and fawning of these 'plastic' sisters.
You could tell how satisfying it was from the blonde girl's envious, jealous, and hateful expression. Usually, they would whisper behind her back, but now that she had found a good man, who would dare call her a slut?
John's lack of fame at school was relative; he was indeed not well-known in academics and activities.
But in terms of handsomeness and wealth, John was very famous in Round Clam Town. Even though he was Chinese-American, countless girls at school pursued him.
The black-haired girl and her friends knew this, which was why they were envious.
The blonde girl's earlier remark about John being Jennifer's new boyfriend was deliberate, an attempt to provoke their relationship.
But Jennifer was not to be trifled with and immediately retorted.
John was naturally uninterested in these petty games and grievances among the girls; he was chatting with Dazhuang and Xiao Shuai (Little Handsome) about ghost summoning games.
Dazhuang, whose name was Mike, was a paranormal enthusiast and had the deepest research into such games.
He nervously explained the rules of the paranormal game to them.
"This game is called the Closet Game. First, you stand in front of the closet, close the closet door, hold an unlit match, and recite, 'Manifest light, or abandon me to darkness.'"
Few people on the scene were scared; Xiao Shuai (Little Handsome) was even eager to try.
After all, with so many beauties present, Xiao Shuai (Little Handsome) somewhat wanted to show off.
Although his Chinese name was Xiao Shuai (Little Handsome), he was not actually handsome.
Karami, as one of the few black people, immediately expressed his desire to try the Closet Game.
John had not heard of this game; he had only heard of Bloody Mary and Ouija Board, two other paranormal games.
The former was a classic horror paranormal, and the latter was a paranormal game from his hometown.
In short, there was no horror atmosphere because the lights were on and there were too many people.
John had no intention of participating in the Closet Game; after all, he would have to hide in the closet. Watching them play would suffice.
Everyone partied until 11 o'clock, playing several games but seeing no ghosts, evil spirits, or shadows.
It wasn't until eleven o'clock that Mike brought up another horror game, named the Midnight Game.
It was based on the American horror legend of the Midnight Man, who is said to be a tall, slender ghost without a face.
First, you need to prepare: 1 candle, matches, salt, paper and pen, a wooden door, and 1 drop of blood.
Write your name on the paper, drip 1 drop of blood on the paper, turn off all the lights in the house, light the candle, and place the candle and pen together in front of the wooden door.
Knock on the door 22 times, remembering to knock the last time exactly at midnight. Blow out the candle, then relight it. Then you can summon the "Midnight Man," and the game officially begins. You must hide from the Midnight Man in the dark until 3:33 AM.
If you hear whispers while hiding, the surrounding temperature suddenly drops, or the candlelight flickers uncontrollably or goes out, it means "it" is nearby.
If the candle goes out in the middle, you must relight it within ten seconds, or sprinkle salt in a circle around yourself.
No one knows the consequences of being caught, because everyone who played this game died.
By the end, Mike's expression became distorted, and then he burst into laughter.
"What do you guys think of this game?"
Karami, the black man, said, "It's not interesting at all. We played so many times before, and it was always you, bro, pretending to be a ghost to scare people."
This statement received unanimous agreement from Dashan, Xiao Shuai (Little Handsome), and the others.
John, however, found this game much more interesting than the previous ones, and since the demon had not appeared for a long time, he spoke up.
"This game is good. Count me in."
Mike winked at John: "Dude, I knew you'd be interested in this game."
Xiao Shuai (Little Handsome) raised his hand and said, "Cool, count me in."
"Me too." Dashan also raised his hand.
"Come on, count me in too." The black young man was eager to try.
Jennifer curled up in John's arms and raised her hand. When others saw that John also joined, they all expressed their desire to participate.
Only Jessie was somewhat reluctant. After experiencing the hunt by the Deformed Cannibal Ogres, she was equally afraid of ghosts and evil spirits.
But since everyone else participated, she could only follow suit.
Thus, all ten people chose to participate in the Midnight Game.
Mike turned off the living room lights, and the dim candlelight illuminated the living room, giving it a certain atmosphere.
He then took out a map and spread it open, and handed each person a small piece of paper.
"Write your names and drip a drop of blood."
Everyone did as told.
After a series of steps, the time was already close to midnight.
The entire house was quiet, and everyone held a lit candle in their hands.
Mike stepped forward and knocked on the door, knocking twenty-two times, the last knock perfectly at midnight.
"Thump, thump, thump."
After knocking, he blew out the candle, then relit it and stepped back to watch the door.
Ten pairs of eyes stared at the door. Time passed minute by minute, but the imagined Midnight Man did not seem to appear.
Everyone returned disappointed.
The black young man, Karami, sang rap as he prepared to go to the bathroom. He was the least superstitious and just threw the candle onto the table, not caring.
Even John thought that the evil spirit should have left, and continued to drink and chat with everyone, but half an hour later, he suddenly realized something was wrong.
"Why hasn't Karami come back yet?"
Mike said nonchalantly, "Maybe he's constipated or fell into the toilet."
An hour later.
Everyone rushed open the bathroom door. Mike, being the first, saw Karami's corpse, his internal organs torn out by something and scattered on the floor.
"Ugh!" Xiao Shuai (Little Handsome), who had a weak stomach, immediately vomited.
The first person to die tragically had appeared.
Before everyone could figure out what was going on, a scream suddenly came from the living room; it was the black-haired girl who had stayed in the living room.
…