My body, well, the body I was now sharing quickly became impossibly uncomfortable. I could see, listen, smell and feel, but my movements were no longer my own. I felt divided into two parts. My thoughts whirled uncontrollably, and I expected them to fly out of my mouth, to warn my mother, to scream, but nothing happened.

​

I was only six years old. “This doesn’t happen to six-year olds. How could life have broken me so early?” I thought.

​

After hearing a dispassionate voice tell her that I was fine, my mother simply turned her eyes forward and continued to lead me out of the building. Uncle Sun wobbled unnaturally behind us, the wrinkled mother of Xiao Chun grinning sickeningly on his back.

​

I wanted to ask someone to save me, but I could not scream out. I felt the muscles on my face melt as my expression became as dull as Uncle Sun’s dead face behind me.

​

We were waiting for the bus at the station after leaving the hospital. Uncle Sun and Xiao Chun’s dead mother stood as cold shadows beside me. Pedestrians casually walked through the ghosts by my side without a care in the world. No one else could see them. That much became clear.

​

An unhealthy looking businessman walked through Uncle Sun’s right side. The man shivered wildly as if he had been dunked in ice water. He looked around for a moment before stepping into the sun and looked towards the sky for a sign as to what was the cause of his chill. A younger woman did the same thing, although after shivering like mad, she began sneezing uncontrollably and had to walk away from the bus waiting area. She stared back at the spot where Uncle Sun was holding Xiao Chun’s mother and blew her nose in confusion. I watched an old man step into the ghosts and stay there for longer than the previous people had. His eyes widened and he brought a hand to his chest. I wanted to push him away from them, but the being controlling my body moved my legs up the steps of the bus that had just pulled up.

​

Uncle Sun and Xiao Chun’s mother filed up the steps behind my mother and myself. The old man who’d chosen the worst place to stand continued to hold his chest and waddled slowly over to a bench. My eyes were being led to a seat on the bus as I lost sight of him.

​

Uncle Sun’s feet stopped moving as he drew into the bus. He simply floated in behind my mother, closing the gap between us as quickly as it was made.

​

I knew I was going to die. I knew my body did not belong to me. And I knew I was now something else’s marionette.

​

“Just eat me,” I thought, “Why are you torturing me? Why are these ghosts following me?”

​

There were not many people in the bus, therefore, there were ample vacancies. We sat down in the back row. Uncle Sun along with Xiao Chun’s mother sat down next to me. Whatever held the reigns of my eyes stared dully at the seat they occupied. Mom asked me what I was starting at. The voice told her, "Nothing..." in a toneless way.

 

“There are two ghosts next to me Mommy!” I wanted to shout, “And there might be one inside me too!”

I think she was still looking at me and after a moment she asked, "Xiao Yong, why is your hand so cold. Are you uncomfortable?"

​

The presence shook my head far too slowly, saying "I am fine."

​

“I’m not fine, mom! I’m suffering! I’m dying!” I tried again.

​

“She must know something is wrong,” I thought, “I’m usually so talkative with her. Maybe she’ll notice. Maybe she can help!”

​

She leaned her face closer to my own and asked tentatively, "Really?"

​

"Fine..." It said again.

​

Her eyes darkened beside mine. “She knows,” I thought, “She knows something is wrong, but she doesn’t want to cause a panic.

​

She held my hand closely, clearly worried by my inaction and murmured, "Good boy, it is okay. Xiao Yong you are the bravest boy..."

​

I felt relief when she finished speaking, though I was still very uncomfortable. All of a sudden I had to force myself to breathe or I knew the other wouldn’t. I could hear my heartbeat slowing down as the natural instinct of the muscles stopped working by themselves.

​

Uncle Sun and Xiao Chun’s mother were beside me. One held a blank expression, and the other a hideous smile. Four ghostly eyes were staring at me, perhaps worried that I would run away.

​

I wanted to run away, but my feet were no longer my own.

​

The bus arrived at the next station, while my mom was still talking quietly to me. She didn't drag me, but pulled me off the bus quickly and the other motored my legs. Uncle Sun with Xiao Chun’s mother on his back flew off the bus, following us briskly.

​

Mom didn't take me in her arms, but walked to a nearby stall, which had a public telephone. She turned to me and said, "Xiao Yong, good boy, don't move. I’m calling your father."

​

She picked up the telephone to dial. The Village Head was the only one with a phone in those days.

Usually, if the villagers who worked outside the town limits wanted to call their families, they would call him to manage the ordeal.

​

She dialed quickly, with hands that shook. When someone answered, she said in a quiet and quick voice, "Sister Ai Hua, Xiao Yong seems to be frightened by ghosts. I’m bringing him back to village. Could you help me contact Zhao Laohei. He knows about feng shui. He might be able to save Xiao Yong. Is there anyone else in our village that is proficient in this area?"

​

“Ai Hua must be the wife of village head.” I thought, “I wonder if she’s ever been possessed?”

​

Mom was on the phone for a long time. There were periods of silence followed by hushed pleas to find someone who could help. I stood silently, trapped in my own mind and wondering if it would ever end.

Uncle Sun and Xiao Chun’s mother didn’t seem to hear my mother on the phone. They didn't even glance at her, but stared at me.

​

I almost cried, murmuring in the depth of my heart, "Don't stare at me. Don't stare at me. I am so scared. "

​

Mom paid for the phone call and hung up the receiver with a heavy clack. She ran back to the bus station, pulling our belongings and me close behind her. She wanted to catch the last bus. Of course, Uncle Sun and Xiao Chun’s mother followed us in, gliding smoothly along.

​

We reached the bus just in time and mom ushered us on. We moved to a vacant row in the back and settled down. The other sat me down more quickly than last time and I was able to see how grotesquely Uncle Sun was gliding through the other passengers. His vacant face merged through one, two, three people and he settled into an empty seat beside me once more. The passengers he left in his wake shook uncontrollably. The last man began to retch as Xiao Chun’s mother, still on Uncle Sun’s back, moved her hellish grinning face through his.

​

The vehicles that commute from the village to town are almost always buses. The one we found ourselves in was a low top bus with only fourteen seats. When Uncle Sun settled into the empty seat beside me, Xiao Chun’s mother was forced through the top of the bus just above the shoulders. Her head was outside of the vehicle.. Uncle Sun was now carrying a headless corpse.

​

Suddenly, I recalled Xiao Chun holding the severed head in his bloodied hands. My heart beat quickly and the other couldn’t stop my body from shaking.

​

“You’re shaking!” Mom called in surprise, “Are you okay?” She had begun to sound frantic. I wanted so bad to tell her the truth. However, the other spoke out mechanically, "Fine...”

​

Other people on the bus began to look around at the tone of her voice. They turned to see a blank faced boy shivering uncontrollably. My mom paid them no heed and touched my head comfortingly, "Xiao Yong, don't be scared. Mommy is here. Everything will be okay..."

​

The old man who had retched turned to us and asked my mom, “Is he frightened by something?” He looked around and lowered his voice, “Is it ghosts?”

​

 My mom shook her head at first, but then she nodded. “Can you help?” Her voice was weak and teary.

He moved his head in two short shakes, and then spoke "Two years ago, there was a person who had been bewitched in our village.” He said the word “bewitched” like it tasted badly on his tongue. “She would scream, bleed from her ears, and climb the walls unnaturally. Finally, an old Taoist cured her with many paper amulets.”

​

Mom didn’t hesitate, "Did he come from our village?"

​

The old man shook his head. "No, it is said that he is a Taoist travelling around the world. He passed our village and heard that ghosts had bothered it. At first, we thought he was a cheating liar. However, he did save that girl."

​

“Where can I find him?” she practically shouted, but the old man just shook his head.

​

She held me tightly and continued to comfort me. I stopped shaking, but realized with horror that I could no longer smell anything. “If I lose my senses, I’ll surely disappear!” I thought. I could feel my mother’s hands on my head. How long until that went away too?

​

My mom turned my head with her hands and looked straight into my face, I know now that it was the other she saw. Raising her voice in a shrill call she crazily urged that driver to go faster. “Please, we must get there soon!” She wept.

​

He looked at her in the mirror and they locked eyes. “Yes ma’am. We’ll take care of your boy.” And he put the bus into gear.

​

My thoughts faded on the way to the village. Several people on the bus came back to check my condition. A warmhearted woman offered my mom  herbal solutions and said prayers over my head.

“That boy’s going to die.” Whispered a man at the front of the bus, urging the driver to hurry.

 

The other moved my head slowly until it was looking towards the window. I looked first at Uncle Sun’s ghostly visage and then through it until I caught my reflection. My eyes had turned an unhealthy pale red and my cheeks looked to be sinking. The dark circles under my eyes were a deep purple color.

​

“I’m dying.” I thought. And the other smiled.