The Haunted Cinema

The female protagonist, Carlin, asked the male lead, Dan, "Do you believe the murderer is an outsider, or one of the passengers on the bus?"

Dan hesitated, unsure of how to respond.

At that moment, Cathy remained silent, her gaze fixed on Allen. He could sense that the words she was about to speak were crucial.

"I… I… saw it…" Cathy stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Stay calm…" Allen felt a shift in his own lines, realizing that Cathy's words held far more weight than her previous script.

"The beggar's words… they were true!"

Cathy took several deep breaths, but she said no more.

Allen understood. She had truly seen something—this was no act. The first scene had never required her to point forward, terrified, nor could she have known the details of the second act. That meant, in that moment, Cathy—no, the woman playing Cathy—had indeed witnessed... something unnatural, something Allen himself could not perceive.

Just then, Dan and Carlin returned. Dan sighed and said, "It seems there's no sign of a robbery. If that's the case, it must have been a crime of passion, but the manner of death remains a complete mystery. The only thing I remember is the scream I let out upon waking from that nightmare…"

According to the next scene's direction, the passengers were divided into two factions: the Stay-behinds and the Descent Party. Some remained on the bus, while others descended the mountain. Among them, the protagonists, Dan and Carlin, were with the descent group. Those who stayed behind were all elderly, while the descent group numbered far more—thirty-two to be precise—while only thirteen remained on the bus, all background characters.

Of course, they could also use a "get out of death" ticket and decide for themselves. The six members of the protagonist team chose to descend. However, Dean and Dustin, both of whom had been with them, were now dead. Strangely, both had mysteriously vanished from the group. Dustin was the first to disappear. Then, Dan and Carlin immediately began searching, along with other passengers. But during the search, Dean also vanished!

Eventually, their bodies were found together, but their deaths remained an enigma. The script described that both appeared to have died in terror, their expressions frozen in fear as if they had witnessed something truly horrifying.

The mysterious disappearances were chilling. If one wanted to avoid such a fate, perhaps staying behind would be safer. Yet, there were only thirteen left behind, all elderly, incapable of much help. If they followed the descent group, they might find themselves vanishing mysteriously too…

This dilemma was impossible to resolve.

Allen had to make a decision quickly. By now, the passengers had begun discussing the murderer.

"If the killer is still nearby, we can't stay here overnight!"

"Someone died here—who would dare sleep in this place?"

"Let's just hike down the mountain!"

Dan finally spoke, "Well, everyone can decide for themselves. Personally, I think it's better to descend. After all…"

His nightmare, combined with the beggar's words, made him increasingly feel that the bus was ominous, and he had decided to leave it behind. His words were met with agreement from the others.

Stay behind? Or descend?

Allen knew this was a life-or-death choice! He had checked the driver's body and saw no weapon that could kill ghosts. Now, the decision was whether to stay with the minority on this terrifying bus or descend, only to disappear and end up as a corpse. It was an agonizing choice!

Staying on the bus with those thirteen elderly passengers meant there would be only fourteen people in total. The eerie emptiness of the bus sent a shiver down his spine.

There was, of course, a third option: not to follow either group and descend alone. But Allen discarded this idea at once; it was far too dangerous. Many horror movie characters met their grisly end because they were isolated.

So, what to do?

The passengers around him began to voice their opinions. Some, too old to walk the mountain paths, chose to stay on the bus. Others, unwilling to sleep in the same place as a corpse, feared the killer was nearby. Soon, the majority favored descending.

Allen pondered deeply, but still saw no solution.

"Well then… in that case, we'll descend," the tour guide said apologetically, "Tomorrow, we'll send someone up to bring you all back."

After everyone got off the bus, Dustin rushed to Dan's side and suddenly wrapped his arm around his neck. "Dan! Let's all go together!"

"You… don't do that, Dustin…" Dan protested.

"Sigh, we're close, aren't we? You're not giving me face!" Dustin grinned.

Allen immediately understood Dustin's intentions. If the killer intended to drag him away unnoticed, they certainly couldn't kill the male protagonist, right? But the rules were clear: the protagonist wasn't invincible, and his aura wouldn't necessarily protect Dustin. Dustin's arm tightened around Dan's neck, his body pressed against him. Anyone watching might even start questioning their relationship.

Dan struggled to break free, but Dustin refused to let go. This was his only survival strategy, and he couldn't abandon it. He guessed that Dan must have figured out his intentions. If Dan remained firm, Dustin would cling to him as though his life depended on it, unwilling to leave his side.

"Let me go!" Dan growled, shoving Dustin away with force. "Stop clinging to me!"

Dustin stumbled backward, nearly losing his balance. Dan pointed at his face and barked, "Don't get too close! People will think you're into me!"

Then, he quickly patted himself down and backed away from Dustin as though avoiding the plague. Clearly, if Dustin pursued him, he would not hesitate to use force.

Dustin sat on the ground, casting a venomous glare at Dan's retreating back, as if wishing to rush at him and punch him. But in the end, he could only board the bus and choose to stay behind. He had no choice but to use his "get out of death" ticket, altering the script and becoming the fourteenth person to remain behind. He sat beside a middle-aged man. The others didn't try to persuade him; they simply continued on their descent. The bodies would be left on the bus for the time being.

At this point, Allen was nearly at his wit's end. He even considered simply staying on the bus.

But then, suddenly, his hand was gripped by a pale, delicate hand.

He looked up in surprise to see Cathy.

"Come with me," she said softly. "I might walk slowly since I'm a girl, but you need to hold my hand tightly."

The moment Cathy spoke, Allen understood.

So, that was it!

Though Cathy was not the female lead, she seemed to occupy a secondary yet significant role, deeply connected with Carlin. There might even be a dramatic love triangle between her, Carlin, and the male protagonists. She was no mere bystander. If he stayed close to her, perhaps he could avoid disaster…

But why was she helping him? They had only met today, barely exchanged a few words, and shared nothing more than a brief exchange of glances in the darkness.

At this moment, Allen felt a surge of gratitude towards Cathy. No matter what, she was saving his life.

Dustin hurriedly interjected, "Cathy, I could hold your hand too…"

"Stay here," Cathy replied, before linking arms with Allen and leading him off the bus.

As the group gathered, Dan, as the protagonist, naturally took the lead, walking in front. Allen, holding Cathy's hand tightly, followed behind. At this moment, surrounded by so many, his fear was somewhat alleviated. As for whether Dustin would manage to survive on the bus… only fate would tell.

Allen wasn't sure if his choice was right or wrong. But for now… there was nothing left to do but move forward, step by step, until… the horror story reached its inevitable conclusion.