Chapter 830
Spoiled (Lily)
Bettanyâs vision was still blurry, and she had a lingering feeling that something had flown over, but she could not see it.
She looked suspiciously at the frying pan in Joshâs hand, thinking that the flickering black shadow might have been caused by the pan.
âWhy did you bring a frying pan here?â Bettany asked, puzzled.
Joshâs eyes widened as he stared at the head floating behind his grandmother. The head, still recovering from the beating, floated up from behind Bettany and fixed its gaze on Josh.
Josh felt a chill run down his spine from being stared at by the head.
Bettany turned around to see what Josh was looking at and asked again, âWhat are you looking at? Iâm asking you something! Why do you have a panâ¦â
Josh panicked and blurted out a nonsense excuse, âI⦠I was going to fry an egg for Grandpa.â
Hugh and Bettany exchanged bewildered glances, while Drake remained silent and frowned.
Hugh, maintaining his serious expression, spoke firmly, âYou donât need to fry anything. Go home immediately.â
The two brothers obediently turned to leave. As they walked out, they overheard other family members of patients passing by, expressing admiration for their filial behavior.
âThese brothers are so young, yet theyâre quite devoted to their grandparentsâ¦â
âThatâs right. Unlike my ungrateful son, Iâve been in the hospital for so long, but he rarely visits. He just pops in for a short while and then leaves.â
As the two brothers approached the elevator, Josh kept glancing over his shoulder.
Drake noticed his behavior and asked, âWhatâs wrong?â
Josh exclaimed in horror, âItâs following me!â
The human head floated near the elevator doors, fixated on them as they closed. As soon as the doors shut, Josh felt a wave of relief wash over him.
This head is terrifying!
The head was covered in blood, and its hair was matted together with dried, blackened blood. Despite staring at it for a while, Josh still could not discern whether it belonged to a man or a woman.
âWhy is there a dismembered head in the hospital?â he wondered aloud. âAnd itâs still dripping with bloodâ¦â
Once he had regained his composure, Josh began to think more logically. âThe neck was cleanly cut. It looks like someone dismembered itâ¦â
Drake listened to his brotherâs muttering, feeling increasingly uneasy. Even inside the elevator, he could sense the tension building in his own back.
âDingâ¦â
The elevator reached the first floor, and the doors opened.
The brothers swiftly stepped out, picking up their pace instinctively.
But just as they were making their way out, Josh abruptly halted and grabbed onto Drakeâs arm, causing him to stop as well.
âWhat is it?â Drake asked, puzzled.
Josh swallowed hard. âItâs following me againâ¦â he whispered.
Leading his brother around the head, Josh hurriedly made his way out of the building.
Outside, the weather appeared sunny, but a sense of cloudiness hung in the airâa sharp contrast to the actual weather conditions.
Josh started running, and Drake, feeling a sense of urgency, quickened his pace as well, their feet carrying them forward almost instinctively.
Since they had come to the hospital by bus, they were fortunate to find the bus approaching just in time. Josh rushed toward it, glancing back to see the head still following him, and shouted urgently, âHurry up, Drake!â
Why do you still care about your image at a time like this?
Drake wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and managed to board the bus, relieved to have escaped the unsettling presence of the head. The bus driver, noticing the boysâ perspiration, spoke kindly, âDonât worry, I saw you and decided to wait. Take your time next time!â
Concerned about their comfort, the driver adjusted the air conditioner to cool them down.
Josh could not help but shiver as the bus became chilly. He glanced ahead and saw the head floating nearby, still fixated on him.
Feeling overwhelmed, Josh could not contain his anger and fear any longer. His voice trembled as he angrily questioned, âWhy are you following me?â
At that moment, a young girl seated in front of him turned around, her eyes betraying a hint of panic.
âI⦠I didnâtâ¦â she stammered.
Drake, recognizing her as the girl who had sent him a love letter before, looked at her curiously. She was from the class next to theirs.
Blushing, the girl greeted Drake in a soft voice, âHi, Drake. Itâs me⦠Iâm in the class next to yours.â
Drake finally remembered who she was. She was the girl who had written a love letter to someone despite not knowing how to read.
Dismissing her with a cold gaze, he shifted his attention back to Josh. âWhat did it say?â he asked.
Josh, still on edge, replied nervously, âIt didnât say anything! It just kept staring at us like thatâ¦â
Meanwhile, the little girl happened to be gazing at Drake.
Drake was known for his good looks, which often attracted othersâ attention without him realizing it.
Sensing the boysâ remarks, the girl felt as if they were intentionally mocking her, causing her face to turn even redder.
At the next bus stop, she hurriedly disembarked, her face flushed. She bit her lip, watching the bus disappear.
The head continued to follow Josh throughout the day.
As the sky grew darker and the wind picked up, Josh silently cursed his luck. He had never been fond of cloudy days, and this experience only solidified his dislike.
Drake, on the other hand, had never wished for his sister to finish school this much.
Although he could not see ghosts like Josh, he understood that knowing and being aware of their presence could be the most unsettling experience.
The two brothers glanced at the clock on the wall, feeling helpless and impatient as time seemed to drag on.
Meanwhile, the head continued to float outside Joshâs classroom. Josh felt a deep sense of despair.
What did it want from him? Why couldnât it just follow his brother instead?
Please just follow my brother instead of me!
Just as he pondered this, he watched in astonishment as the head began floating toward the next classroom. There were four classes on the third floor, and both Drake and Joshâs classrooms were located there. The head seemed to be heading in Drakeâs direction.
Josh was momentarily taken aback, almost believing that the head could hear his inner thoughts.