The Haunted Cinema

Allen's primary concern was to distance himself from the area where the plot was unfolding as quickly as possible. Of course, he wasn't expecting to get too far. His total compensation was a mere two hundred Redemption Tickets, and venturing too far from the story's confines would likely cost far more than he could afford. If he couldn't pay the necessary amount, the only outcome would be death. Thus, he planned to assess the deduction criteria for the Redemption Tickets and decide how best to move away. He knew that he couldn't escape alone—he'd need to find others to join him. After all, in so many horror films, characters are often killed once they are isolated.

He studied the faces of the other actors on the bus to gauge who might be newcomers and who were veterans. Although he was planning to leave the bus, being a newcomer, he wanted to see how the experienced actors would react. They had more experience and more Redemption Tickets, so they would likely have a better strategy. If possible, he hoped to align himself with them.

One thing was certain: in this reality-horror film, there was no such thing as a "hero's halo." The main character was not guaranteed survival. Even the actor playing the lead could die early if the plot shifted. So, hoping to stick with the protagonist to avoid disaster was unrealistic.

"Why did the bus break down?"

"We're still in the mountains!"

"I'm filing a complaint with your travel agency! What kind of junk vehicle is this?"

The actors on the bus began to speak at once, some with accents from Sichuan, Shaanxi, and other regions, suggesting that the casting was done haphazardly, pulling people from all over the country. It seemed that everyone must have picked up the flyer and, unknowingly, been drawn into this terrifying reality.

At this point, the lead actor, Dan, furrowed his brow, turned, and spoke to Allen and Clark. "Dean, Clark, do you have the travel map?"

"Yeah." Clark, looking a bit shaken, finally spoke his line, but his voice was still slow and fearful, as if terrified of getting the words wrong. "Yes, I have it here."

His response was nearly word-for-word, with long pauses between each word. His face was flushed, covered in sweat, his legs twitching, and his pupils dilated. Allen was certain Clark was a newcomer.

Dan took the map from Clark, sighed, and muttered, "To get down the mountain from here, we'll have to walk a long way. And it's already so late. With the remoteness of this place, it's unlikely any vehicles will come by."

Meanwhile, the actor playing the driver had already stepped outside the bus. Allen couldn't help but admire him. Though he was destined to die in the end—his death even unspecified in the script—the driver remained calm, continuing to communicate with the actors while checking the bus. The actress playing the tour guide was also handling the situation well, constantly reassuring everyone and explaining the circumstances. Eventually, the chaos in the bus began to subside.

Taking a deep breath, Allen made a mental calculation. From his observation, it was clear that Clark was no longer a reliable companion. Even if they were to leave together, Clark would likely collapse from fear before they got far, and he wouldn't be able to help Allen. Dustin and Cathy, on the other hand, were a bit more promising. Dustin looked deathly pale, constantly glancing out the window, his thoughts clearly focused on escaping.

"Dean!" Clark suddenly grabbed Allen's arm. This time, he wasn't speaking from the script. "Let's walk down the mountain! Please? Let's go! Dan, you should come with us!"

Dan simply waved his hand, not saying a word, clearly unwilling to utter any lines that weren't in the script. Carlin did the same, signaling that he wouldn't leave.

Seeing Clark in such a pitiful state, Allen couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. After all, they were all in the same boat. Seeing Clark's face, Allen relented and said, "Fine… we'll go down the mountain together."

As soon as the words left his mouth, his Redemption Tickets began to be deducted. Originally, he had 200, but now he had 197. Since it was an important line, three Redemption Tickets were immediately subtracted. Allen regretted saying it out loud—would a mere nod have cost fewer tickets?

"I... I'll come with you!" Dustin rushed forward, grabbing both Clark's and Allen's hands, his eyes filled with tears. "Let's go, let's go now!"

He was clearly desperate to escape. If it weren't for the others still hesitating, he would have already fled the bus.

Dan, Carlin, and Cathy said nothing, remaining seated and composed. They didn't even make an attempt to leave. This left Allen momentarily uncertain. Was staying put the right decision? But then, he realized that these were seasoned actors—they might know some survival trickery. Meanwhile, the newcomers like him had no choice but to leave or risk being stuck waiting to die.

"Everyone!" Allen raised his voice. "Who else wants to come down the mountain with us? We'll have company on the way! Anyone?"

He glanced at the driver, wondering if he would join them.

"Alright, we'll come with you," someone from the back said.

At this point, a few more actors stood up. One man, with a clear Sichuan accent, shouldered a large pack and said, "Let's go! Down the mountain we go!"

In total, four actors left the bus: the Sichuan man, a married couple, and a young man wearing a baseball cap.

Allen felt sorry for them all. The extras had little to no dialogue or screen time. They were likely to die off without much fanfare. As for the remaining passengers, they exchanged uneasy glances, as if they wanted to say something but ultimately said nothing.

Of course, Allen didn't bother with any luggage. Dan and the others could take that to the inn down the mountain. He, Clark, Dustin, and the four extras disembarked.

According to the script, the driver would die at midnight, but that was still far off. Getting away earlier would be wise—nobody wanted to stay in a haunted bus. The seven of them hurried away from the vehicle.

The moment they stepped off the bus, Allen's Redemption Tickets began to plummet again. They had dropped from 197 to 177—twenty tickets gone. Allen realized that the farther they walked, the more they would be charged, just like a taxi meter ticking up. It was clear now: they couldn't afford to stray too far.

As if on cue, the others slowed their pace. Everyone seemed aware of the ticket deduction and were no longer walking as quickly. The silence was heavy; no one dared speak unnecessarily. Every word was valuable now—this wasn't just metaphorical.

Allen observed the others. The Sichuan man remained calm, but the couple looked nervous. The young man with the cap kept lowering his hat, but even so, his pale face was visible.

The mountain was desolate, with no signs of human presence. They walked for what seemed like an eternity, turning through the barren landscape, their surroundings bleak and uninviting. Finally, Allen stopped.

"We can't walk any further," he said.

The others nodded in agreement. Clearly, their Redemption Tickets were dwindling as well. Allen suspected that the extras probably had fewer than 100 tickets left—if they kept this up, they would all be in trouble. The ground was bare, not a stone in sight, so the Sichuan man spread out some old newspapers for them to sit on.

Once seated, Allen glanced down at the newspapers. The date on the paper was from 2013, aligning with the real world's timeline. Yet, based on the knowledge in his mind, this world was not the same as the one he had come from. This was a parallel reality, and they were merely actors, fleeting visitors.

As the group sat there, silent and uncertain, the mountains around them loomed dark and endless. It was now midnight, and the bus would soon be haunted. What would happen after that? Would they all escape? Allen wasn't sure, but he suspected the plot would eventually force everyone to flee the bus. Yet, once they did, who knew what horrors awaited them outside?

He felt uneasy, wondering if leaving the bus had been the right choice. Although seven of them had left together, if ghosts did appear, would their numbers be enough to withstand whatever was to come? Allen had never believed in the supernatural—he had always scoffed at ghost stories—but now that he was trapped in a real horror film, his nerves were beginning to fray.

"Uh..." the Sichuan man spoke up suddenly. "So… are we just going to wait here?"