***

“Tao…please…”

Whatever hesitation he had melted away once he saw the pleading, desperate expression on Jae-noona’s face. Whatever questions he had due to her odd behavior seemed meaningless now. This was Jae-noona. He had found her, and it was obvious that she needed him to be there for her.

Stepping up to the plate, Tao firmly grabbed her hand and pulled her away as the majestic ballroom slowly crumbled and decayed, the grandiose facade withering away like a dream.

“Let’s go, noona. I’ll find a way out!” he said.

“It’s not that way, I know the right way,” Jae suddenly said, pulling him to a stop. “Come, follow me!” she looked a lot more vivacious now that she left the ballroom, her hand still gripping him tightly, though her skin still felt like ice.

“Where are we going, noona? I don’t think this is the right way,” Tao mentioned as she led him through confusing hallways, past corridors and strange rooms. If anything, it felt as if they were going deeper inside of the house instead out of it. And, how did Jae-noona possibly know which way to go?

“It’s this way. We’re almost there,” she said, her voice distorting.

“Where is ‘there’, noona?” Tao asked, trying to stop her by tugging at her hand. “Noona, where are we going?” Tao asked, watching the back of her head. Jae hadn’t turned around, but the grip on his hand was stronger than ever.

“Noona, let go, you’re hurting me!” he then exclaimed, trying to pull away, but she didn’t budge. When he forcibly tried to pull his hand away from hers, he saw how her hand changed. It became smaller now, pallid as ever, with filthy nails that scraped against his skin. He panted when her hair turned into a dirty blonde, shrinking in size.

“Aw…you’ve ruined the surprise,” a little girl with pale blue eyes smiled morbidly at him, tilting her head to the side. “You took my hand. You promised to stay with me forever. So, let’s play…Taozi,” she giggled as Tao screamed, trying desperately to fight his way from her grip, but she approached him and he passed out.

“Ow…” Tao murmured, holding his head and blinking his eyes. He found himself in a girly bedroom, clean and properly kept, with toys surrounding him. Proper toys, not the creepy dolls he had run away from before. How did he get here? Wait. Where was the scary ghost girl from before?

He ran towards the only door in the room and prayed desperately that it would open.

“You’re awake!” a shrill, tiny voice exclaimed from behind him.

“Wah! S-stay away from me! What did you do to me?! W-where’s Jae-noona?!” he asked, the ghost girl laughing heartily.

“You’re in my playroom, of course! You took my hand, Tao, that means you’re mine…forever!” she giggled. “You’re going to be my favorite toy!”

Tao fervently shook his head when the ghost girl opened a cabinet, pulling out a large hammer as the smile on her face widened. “Let’s play my favorite game; hide and smash!”

Tao stood frozen on the ground as she approached him, and screamed as he may, there would never be anyone to hear him…

=== BAD ENDING: HUMAN PLAYTHING ===

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