Nen

By Sean Ding

Deep in the bowels of an ancient tomb, a group of tourists in China are about to face the greatest fear of their lives. Lost and trapped, the tourists are drawn closer and closer to their destinies. As they desperately fight for survival and seek sanctuary, some of them are being savagely murdered. And the killer is not human...
American tourist Howard Smith must lead the tour group to safety. But can he do it in time to stop the massacre?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sean Ding
• Release date: Aug 15, 2014
• ISBN: 9789810912239

Book preview

PROLOGUE

2205 B.C

Ancient China

The wounded man limped and hobbled, struggling hard to drag his weak body down a narrow and poorly lit street.

The entire village seemed deserted and it was eerily quiet. Streaks of silver white moonlight descended from the dark and cloudless sky, intermingling with the screaming north wind that moaned and howled erratically along the street.

Every door and window on the houses and shops that lined the street was shut. Most of the doors and windows were either externally decorated with straps of red fabrics or painted over with a crimson tint that reeked of blood.

The wounded man approached a corner hardware shop where shimmering candle lights glimmered out of its oblong-shaped wooden paneled window. Just as he stepped onto the elevated porch at the shop front, the shopkeeper slammed the window shut and bolted it from inside. The wounded man cried out in pain, Master Wang, help me! Please open the door!

Go away! The shopkeeper’s coarse voice bellowed from the other side of the awfully painted wooden door that was covered with pieces of red fabrics and orange talismans.

A dreadful howl echoed through the air and the wounded man started to lose control of his trembling legs. His relentless pounding on the wooden door was in vain and with tears rolling down his cheeks, he staggered clumsily toward a house right across the street and frantically banged on its bolted door.

It’s me, Madam Lee, open the goddamn door! the wounded man wailed. There was no response and after a futile attempt to open the door with his quivering fingers, the wounded man stepped away and stumbled down the main street. He tried knocking on the doors of two more houses along the street but nobody was willing to let him in. The spine-tingling howl drew closer to the wounded man. Suddenly, he tripped and fell spread eagle onto the icy cold pebbled dirt path that formed the main street in the village.

A dark shadow crept slowly towards the wounded man who was trying to sit up. His face turned white after realizing what was right behind him and with all his might, he lunged himself forward and scuttled down the street.

There was a huge mansion known as the Zhou Residence at the end of the street. Believing that Zhou Residence was his last hope of survival, the wounded man dashed forward and thumped frenziedly with his fists at the enormous timber doors before him. Miraculously, the doors opened and an elderly man with silver hair appeared behind the doors. The wounded man dropped into the arms of the elderly man as he let out a sigh of relief.

Holding the wounded man, the elderly man turned around and signaled for assistance, Quick, I need help!

Two male servants came forward and they were about to carry the wounded man in when he suddenly twitched violently and screamed in pain. A loud bone crushing sound could be heard followed by a high pitched roar that was unlike anything that the servants had ever heard. Like a paper doll, the wounded man’s body flung straight up towards the door beam above and the great force threw the elderly man and his servants into the courtyard of the mansion. The wounded man’s bloodied body dangled at the top door beam for a few seconds before plummeting to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Please…help me! he crawled forward and tried to reach out to the horrified servants. There was a moment of dead silence and then the wounded man was abruptly hauled out of the doors with great force, disappearing into the darkness. His petrifying screams echoed throughout the village on that cold and fateful night.

CHAPTER 1

AD 2014

Present Day China

Ying, the petite tourist guide was holding up a small yellow flag as she squeezed herself through throngs of people at a famous tourist attraction in rural China-‘The Magnificent Sky Temple’. She was anxiously looking around for a young Singaporean couple who had not returned to the tour bus on time.

With much effort, Ying managed to surpass an unstoppable stream of visitors and she spotted the couple at one of the souvenir stalls outside the renowned temple.

Mr. and Mrs. Tan, we are all waiting for the two of you, said Ying, putting up an accommodating smile, Please follow me to the bus. You are late.

Sorry, the shops here are just marvelous. Mr. Kevin Tan said ruefully, I think that American guy just went to the loo. We aren’t the only ones here.

What a day, please go to the bus, sir. I will get Mr. Howard, Ying said. She continued to push herself forward into the crowd with much reluctance and was exhausted when she arrived at a public toilet situated at the north eastern corner of the temple. Just before she could do anything, a rugged looking African-American man stepped out of the toilet and he grinned at Ying. "My apologies, it’s quite a queue in there, Howard said, What’s the population in China again? 900 million?"

It’s 1.34 billon, sir. We gotta go now, Ying answered with a much relieved expression on her pale face.

Geez…one restroom is surely not enough for this place, Howard muttered as he followed Ying back to the tour bus.

Howard Smith and Ying boarded the tour bus at last. Some edgy tourists on the bus glared at Howard while he moved his beefy body to his seat.

Sorry folks. Kept you waiting, Howard said.

No worries brother, it’s OK! Kevin Tan said, grinning. A stout Singaporean man named Paul Lee who was sitting alongside his buddies could not resist the urge and decided to speak up.

We will be late for lunch and who knows, Paul said willfully, All this waiting might delay us from visiting The General’s Tomb.

Mrs. Tan felt that she was partly at fault and she asked, We are on schedule aren’t we, Ying?

We are still fine, Ma’am. I’m only worried about the weather. The General’s Tomb will be closed if the weather is not good, Ying took a glance at her watch and continued, Alright everyone, our next destination is ... Fat Choi Restaurant!

The famished tourists applauded and cheered as the wheels of the bus started to roll.

CHAPTER 2

It was ten to noon and the Fat Choi Chinese Restaurant located in the suburban city was bustling with activity. Every table in the restaurant was occupied with hungry patrons who were probably workers from the nearby offices and factories.

Ying’s group of tourists was seated around three gigantic round tables at one corner of the restaurant and there were about six waitresses serving them, including a restaurant supervisor. Each waitress had a task of her own and Paul Lee couldn’t get his eyes off one of the pretty waitresses whose sole responsibility was to refill the customers’ cups with Chinese tea.

For a while, Paul and his buddies - Nelson and Johnny were giggling rather noticeably and it was not hard for any adults to comprehend what they were thinking in their tiny heads.

Across the table, Howard Smith, the hunky African American, was sitting beside Mr. Kevin Tan and his fiancée Sarah Tan. In the minds of many tourists in the group, the three of them had just been formally branded as ‘hardcore stragglers’, an unspoken title given to someone who had one way or another resulted in the delay of the entire tour group for lunch and possibly the next event in their itinerary.

Next to Sarah was Mr. John Chan, a slightly overweight Chinese man who had brought along his wife and their twelve year old daughter, Pauline and eight year old son, Pete to China. A bespectacled Caucasian young man known as Henry Parker and his Indian colleague Sanjay Gupta were sitting at the same table as well. At the adjacent table, Mami Kawai and Kenso Odaka, a young Japanese couple in their twenties, together with other members from the same tour group, were seated alongside Mr. Park Jin Woo and his elder sister, Madam Kim from South Korea.

Nelson, one of Paul’s buddies took a quick glance at the table beside him and muttered, Look, the Japanese folks in our group are not fighting with the Koreans…rare sight yeah?

Shut up you moron, Paul whispered, They can hear us.

I can hear you loud and clear, Howard said in a sarcastic tone.

Mind your own business, it doesn’t concern you. Nelson retorted in Mandarin, thinking that Howard would not understand.

Of course, it doesn’t concern me, but I think you are going overboard, Howard said in perfect Mandarin, Are you guys from Singapore?

Sorry pal, this got nothin’ to do with nationality. We’re all hungry. My buddy is only trying to cheer us up. You speak Chinese? Paul said.

Howard hesitated for a second and said, Yeah, in fact I kind of know a few languages.

This is fantastic. My Chinese isn’t half as good, Mr. John Chan interrupted, Is this your first trip to China? Where’re you from?

Nice to meet you, sir. I’m from Washington. Howard said, holding his tea cup up and smiling.

Washington? We’ve been to Washington, Mrs. Chan said, We have also been to New York, Orlando and LA. Are you working for the US government in Washington?

Hahaha..Not every dude from Washington DC works for the government Ma’am. But you have sharp eyes. I used to be a soldier. Howard said, skipping over the fact that he was not any ordinary soldier but an elite commando from the US Marine Corps for seven years of his life.

Hey, we’re some kind of part-time soldiers too, said Paul, who had been listening attentively, The three of us met in the Singapore Army during our Reservist training.

Yes, I heard about your reserve soldiers, Howard said, I was in Singapore a couple of times during my service. One of the most beautiful cities I’ve seen.

You can come to our house, we just upgraded to landed property. young Pauline Chan blurted out.

Pauline, Mrs. Chan glared at Pauline and she nudged her gently on the shoulder.

Sure I will young lady. Howard answered with a smile.

Pauline’s face lightened up and she gave a defiant wink at her mother in return.

The waitresses began to serve up several dishes of local Chinese delicacies which comprised steamed fish, braised duck meat, broccoli garnished with garlic broth, chicken feet in sweet sauce and a large bowl of mushroom soup. Everyone at the table was eager to tuck in while the food was being served.

Howard Smith picked up his chopsticks and was reaching for the mouthwatering duck meat when his chopsticks accidentally brushed Mr. Tan’s spoon that was also going towards the same dish. He retracted his chop sticks and grinned like a child.

After you, mister. Howard said.

Hee..hee, sorry about that, come, let’s eat!! said Mr. Kevin Tan.

All the tourists started to dig in except for Henry and Gupta who remained absolutely still, both staring hard at the plate of chicken feet.

Mrs. Sarah Tan noticed that and she asked, You guys ok? Do you need any forks or spoons?

It’s okay, we will use the chopsticks. Gupta said.

We’re fine, ma’am. This is great, Henry said with his eyes glued to the dish of chicken feet with sweet sauce right in front of him, I’m just not used to having chicken feet for lunch.

Everyone at the table laughed.

CHAPTER 3

Mami and Kenso were the last to board the bus that was parked in a massive courtyard outside Fat Choi Restaurant.

Excuse me, sir, you have taken our seats. Kenso asked politely when he noticed that the seat that he previously sat on was occupied.

No, first come, first sit. These are our seats now. replied Mr. Park, the tall and lanky Korean tourist. His sister, Madam Kim was right beside him and she was pretending not to have heard their conversation.

Kenso couldn’t believe that was happening and he said to Mr. Park, "No,no, how can you do this? You should go to your seats at the back."

Mr. Park, could you return to your original seats? The bus is going to move soon. Ying asked politely.

No, I come here first. I like here. Why must I sit at the back?

Nelson seemed to find this interesting and he turned to Paul, It’s gonna be world war three…

Shhhh…quiet, Paul muttered, giving Nelson a revolted look.

Time seemed to have frozen for the next five seconds before Sarah Tan stood up and said to Kenso and Mami, Hey, you guys can take our seats here, honey, shall we move to the back?

Why not? Let’s go. Kevin Tan said and he immediately pulled out some of his belongings underneath his seat and moved to the rear of the bus with his fiancée while the others looked on.

Arigato kosaimas, Mami said, nodding her head continuously in appreciation of Sarah’s kind gesture. Kenso and Mami sat down quickly and the bus started to move.

It was past midday and the clear blue sky was laced with wispy clouds. The tourist bus meandered along a winding freeway in the middle of a vast patch of grassland that extended far beyond the mountains that lined the horizon.

Sitting right behind the driver, Ying the tour guide was busy making phone calls while the majority of the passengers were asleep.

What? All the roads are blocked? Ying said in Mandarin, pressing her brand new cell phone tightly over her left ear and she continued, Okay, I will inform them. Yes…Yes, alright. Thank you. Bye!

Ying put down her cell phone and spoke briefly to the driver who nodded his head in agreement. He then swerved the steering wheel clockwise and the bus started to turn around. The bus swayed to the left a little and rocked gently while turning around. As a result, a few tourists were awakened from their ‘after lunch’ nap.

Ying picked up a microphone from a tool box beside the driver. She flipped the power switch on and tapped the microphone softly with her fingers. Her tapping on the microphone was amplified into loud booming thuds that resonate throughout the interior of the bus.

Morning call! Hello everyone, Ying said, holding the microphone close to her lips. I have an announcement to make. According to my colleague, all the roads leading to The General’s Tomb are closed today because of bad weather and we have to turn back.

There was a slight stir of movement among the group and most of them began to pay attention.

The weather outside seems fine to me. Howard said, looking curiously at the clear blue sky through the one-inch thick bus window.

No sir, weather in this place changes quickly. The Tomb is closed for today and all the roads leading to it are not accessible. I am very sorry. Ying said with a firm but sincere tone. Dissatisfactory remarks erupted from the tourists and many shook their heads in disappointment.

How can you do this, we give you money already? retorted Mr. Park who clenched his gigantic fist so hard that his sister sitting beside him thought that he was ready to throw a punch at Ying.

Are we coming back tomorrow if the weather is good? Gupta asked.

No sir, our schedule for this package is really tight. Tomorrow we are going to Kunming early in the morning.

Hey, that’s bullshit, you must compensate us for our loss! Nelson shouted.

Are there any other options, Ying? Mr. John Chan asked politely in Mandarin, we came a long way to see nothing, even a camera shot of the Tomb will be better than nothing?

There were some boos and jeers coming from the back of the bus and people started to talk among themselves.

Everyone please quiet down, it is not safe to visit The General’s Tomb in bad weather, Ying said, my manager said a snow storm may be coming and we must not go any further.

I hope this is not one of your tricks to rip us off, YING? I just saw a couple of buses going that way. Henry Parker said willfully. Ying was certainly uncomfortable managing a situation like that and very much displeased to hear such an insinuating remark from Henry but she tried not to offend anyone. She continued to put on a smile and said to Henry, No sir, we are a good company. No ripping off customers. Our Company will compensate you later. She looked back at the bus of fuming tourists and continued, Those buses are not going to the General’s Tomb. We will all go back to the Hotel now.

After saying that, Ying switched off her microphone and returned to her seat. The crowd was indeed frustrated by this change of events and faint jeering could still be heard. Paul shrugged his shoulders and turned to Henry and the people sitting near him. He had this cunning smile on his face when he tried to assure those around him, No worries man, I got an idea. We can still visit the General’s Tomb later.

My oh my, what an expedition. Howard mumbled to himself before falling back to sleep.

CHAPTER 4

It was late afternoon and razor-like streaks of sunlight were cutting through the tiny gaps between the hotel curtains, forming a unique pattern of golden flickering lights in the hotel lobby. A handful of tourists were chattering on the left side of the hotel lobby where there were numerous clusters of leather sofas and coffee tables.

Paul and his two buddies-Nelson and Johnny were talking to a local Chinese man in his fifties. Howard Smith, Henry Parker and Sanjay Gupta were standing nearby. Sitting on the leather sofas was the Chan Family from Singapore, the Japanese couple Kenso and Mami and the Koreans-Mr Park and Madam Kim. Kevin Tan and his fiancée Sarah were making some enquiries at the hotel front desk a few meters away from the rest.

Paul handed some cash to the scrawny middle-age Chinese man known as Wong and he asked Wong in Mandarin, Here’s seven thousand yuan, is your driver here already? We have a large group, no problem right?

No problem mister, I am the driver. Come, follow me. Wong said in Mandarin as he led the group out of the hotel lobby.

On the way out, Mrs. Chan asked her husband discretely, Do you think this is fine? This guy looks like a black market crook to me.

Don’t worry honey, there are so many of us, Mr. Chan answered, This is the last chance if we wanna see the General’s Tomb. Look, Pete and Pauline are so happy we can go.

Let’s go, come on man, move! We don’t have all day! Paul cried as he ushered the Chan family out of the hotel.

At the hotel doorway, Paul turned around and he noticed that Kevin and Sarah Tan were still at the front desk. He shook his head slightly and let out a long sigh. In the next second, he managed to catch Mr. Tan’s attention by waving his hand wildly and signaling to him that it was time to leave. Realizing that they were holding up the group again, Kevin and Sarah quickly finished off whatever business they had at the front desk and followed Paul out of the hotel.

CHAPTER 5

The relatively smaller tour bus quavered non-stop and jolted repeatedly while it edged towards the General’s Tomb. It was almost 5 pm when the bus came to a make-shift road block. The bus slowed down and turned right, pulling away from the highway into a meandering dirt road.

After almost two hours of a stomach-churning journey, the classic tour bus finally arrived at a small clearing near the foot of a plateau. A continuous stretch of snowy mountains surrounded the entire area which was framed with elegant birch trees and shrubbery. Without doubt, the beautiful scenery around the small clearing was beyond what words could describe. Wong pulled the bus over under some elm and oak trees where there was a cobble stoned stairway leading uphill.

One after another, the group of tourists alighted from the tour bus. While they admired the magnificent scenery all around them, they hardly noticed that they were the only people in the entire area.

Tiny flakes of snow began to fall in the otherwise perfectly fine weather.

Look! Peter! It’s snowing! Pauline beamed and she started to dance on the spot. Both she and her brother Pete were awfully delighted to see soft snowflakes landing gently on their shoulders and hair.

Nelson took a step towards the children. He looked at the sky and turned to Johnny who was right behind him. Hey, do you think a storm is coming, like what Ying said?

How would I know? Johnny said, The weather’s been really good so far.

Wong, the driver cum tour guide for this trip switched off the rumbling bus engine, jumped off his seat and swiftly slammed the vehicle door shut. He maneuvered quickly to the spot where most tourists were busy taking photographs and said to the group in English, Please follow me closely. I bring you to the famous General’s Tomb.

Hey man, this place ain’t look like the General’s Tomb at all, Howard was scrutinizing some brochures he had obtained from the hotel front desk and he was doubtful, Are you sure?

Not to worry Sir, no problem at all, Wong managed a friendly smile for Howard. We go by back door to the General’s Tomb. Everybody please follow me and be careful.

Howard shrugged his shoulders while he watched Wong led the tour group up the cobble stoned stairway. He tucked the brochures into his jacket and followed the beeline of people walking up the stairs.

The journey to the hilltop was fast and smooth. Although some of the uneven cobbled steps were spattered with large cracks and overgrown mosses, the tourists seemed to have no difficulty at all skipping over some of the hazardous steps while they climbed up the stairs.

Facing the tourists at the hilltop was an old and