I Sleep Way Too Well
A blood-drenched little girl stood at the foot of my bed, but my snores were loud enough to shake the walls.
The corpse of a hanged woman in a painting opened its eyes at midnight, only to see me grinding my teeth in my sleep.
When I got too hot in the middle of thenight, I rolled over and wrapped my arms around something cool and firm to the touch. It felt nice.
The final boss whispered, ...Are you going to open your eyes? Or are you just using me as a body pillow?
[SYSTEM: Game The Haunting of Crestfall Manor has finished loading.]
[SYSTEM: Player Eva Nightingale has entered the game.]
[SYSTEM: Player Rank: C]
The moment I materialized in the game, the other players seated around a long, mahogany table erupted.
Are you kidding me? Were all A-rank players, and the system throws a C-rank noob in here?
Some people will do anything for a few XP, even risk their lives. This ones got a death wish!
A C-rank, in Crestfall Manor? Ill bet she doesnt even last the night!
Nine men and women sat at the table, all seasoned A-rank veterans who had clawed their way out of countless digital hellscapes. They stared at me as if theyd just seen a ghost, probably horrified that they were now stuck babysitting a rookie.
A young woman with a kind face couldn't take the bickering anymore. She stood up. Everyone, calm down. For a C-rank to be teleported into an A-rank instance, she must have a secret weapon, right?
Bullshit! What could a C-rank possibly have?
Exactly! How many instances has she even seen? Shell probably piss her pants at the first sign of a ghoul!
The woman looked at me, urging, Well? Do you have one?
A secret weapon?
I actually did.
I thought for a moment, then answered earnestly, Im an excellent sleeper.
The players fell silent.
Then, in unison: ...Are you fucking with us?
The live-stream chat exploded.
[Streamer, its okay to not have a skill, you know.]
[LMAO, you dont have to embarrass yourself with a skill that lame!]
[Can the streamer just go home? Please just go home.]
I sighed internally. They had no idea just how powerful a good nights sleep could be.
Once the players recovered from their shock, a man in a leather jacket swaggered over to me, looking me up and down with contempt. Youre late. Weve already assigned the rooms.
He pointed downwards. The one in the basement is yours.
The manor had three floors. The A-rank players had, of course, claimed the prime real estate on the first and second floors. The room theyd left for me radiated a palpable chill, a coldness I could feel from ten feet away.
The door was smeared with bloody handprints. Pale moonlight streamed through a grimy window, illuminating a large bed in the center of the room.
[CHAT: Damn, even Im getting scared just looking at this through my screen.]
[CHAT: Everyone knows the ghosts in this instance start spawning from the basement. Theyre totally screwing her over.]
[CHAT: Look, shes scared. Shes gonna turn around and beg the A-rankers for help!]
I turned back to the man in the jacket and gave him a bright smile. Goodnight.
The chat feed filled with question marks.
The man, lets call him Jax, was stunned into silence by my calm reaction.
I shut the door in his face.
Then, in one smooth motion, I kicked off my shoes, changed into my pajamas, and dove onto the bed.
A king-sized bed! A single room! And the pillows were velvet!
Did anyone understand what this meant to a college girl whod spent four years crammed into a tiny dorm room? This was heaven!
I rolled around ecstatically under the covers.
[CHAT: Youth is wasted on the young. Falls asleep in a second.]
[CHAT: Wait, shes actually sleeping? Where does the system find these weirdos?]
[CHAT: If shed just looked up for a second, she would have fainted from fright.]
Because I fell asleep so quickly, I completely missed the painting hanging over my bed: a portrait of a woman who had hanged herself.
This horror instance, The Haunting of Crestfall Manor, was based on a real-life murder-suicide that had wiped out an entire family years ago in this very mansion. A family of five, all dead under mysterious circumstances. Ever since, the house has been haunted.
As midnight struck, the woman in the paintings eyes snapped open, bleeding pupils rolling downwards to look at me.
Her voice, a dry rasp, filled the room.
He is my deepest nightmare
I am his closest secret
We share the same blood Who is he?
I rolled over, tangling my legs in the blanket, and let out a soft snore.
The ghost froze for a second, then gritted her teeth and repeated, Who is he?
I responded with a loud, grating sound as I ground my teeth.
The ghost was losing it. She started tearing at her hair and stomping her feet inside the painting.
Who is he!
WHO IS HE!
WHO IS HE!
[CHAT: Wait, is this allowed? Did she just glitch the game?]
[CHAT: How many players have been disemboweled by this ghost for getting the riddle wrong? And she just sleeps through it.]
[CHAT: This streamer is a rock. You could start a jet engine next to her ear and she wouldnt stir.]
The next morning, I woke up from my beauty sleep feeling refreshed. The room was normal, except for the hanged woman in the painting, who was now glaring at me with an expression of profound resentment.
A system notification told me to go downstairs for breakfast.
By the time I arrived, the long table held nothing but scraps and dirty plates.
Sorry, a guy with bleached-blond hair said, picking his teeth. I ate your share. A C-rank like you wont last long anyway. Why waste valuable resources?
A girl handed me something. Here, this was my hot milk. You can have it.
It was the same girl who had defended me yesterday.
I took it. Thanks.
My names Eliot, she said.
Im I yawned. ...Im a bit sleepy. Was there anything else? If not, I think Ill go take a nap.
Eliot stared at me, speechless.
...Something happened on the first floor last night. A player died, Jax announced, shaking me by the shoulder. I must have dozed off. Since theres a room free, the C-rank can have it.
I blinked my eyes open, realizing the A-rank players were discussing strategy. Hey! Im talking to you. Did you hear me?
I yawned again. Sorry, I drifted off for a second. What were you saying?
Jax looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel. Do you think this is a hotel? How can someone so young sleep so much!
It wasn't until he opened the door that I understood why the A-rank players were suddenly being so generous.
Before me was a little girls bedroom. A fluffy blue cloud-patterned rug was littered with dolls, and in the center stood a pink princess bed.
But a stark contrast to the rooms cheerful decor was the massive pool of blood seeping out from under the bed, and the dismembered human limbs scattered across the floor.
It was the room where the player had died last night.
[CHAT: Well, Sleepyhead Eva is screwed now. Sleeping in here means a guaranteed visit from the little girl ghost. Get ready to be torn to shreds!]
[CHAT: The little girl is a mini-boss. You can't just sleep your way past her.]
[CHAT: Don't spoil it, guys! See? She's so scared she's running away wait, why is she coming back with a broom?]
I returned with a broom and dustpan and began sweeping up the body parts with a grunt. Then I took a rag and meticulously wiped every corner of the floor.
When I was done, I finished with a spritz of air freshener.
Honestly, this little girl! I muttered to myself. No sense of bedroom hygiene at all!
After all, a clean and fresh environment is essential for quality sleep.
[CHAT: Did this woman used to be a professional cleaner? Why is she so calm?]
[CHAT: When it comes to sleep, our streamer is dead serious.]
[CHAT: Everyone else is here to clear the game, shes here doing housekeeping. You could use that floor as a mirror now.]
Thanks to my daytime chores, I was fast asleep before 10 PM.
In the dead of night, a thick, coppery smell of blood seeped under the door.
Creeeakthe door swung open.
A little girl in a blood-soaked nightgown scuttled into the room on all fours, moving like a spider. In a flash, she was on the bed, ready to pounce.
My snoring echoed through the room.
The little girl froze, then opened her mouth in a silent, jagged scream.
I remained still as a log, sleeping like the dead.
[CHAT: NOW, LITTLE GIRL! BITE HER! DO IT!]
[CHAT: I paid for the premium stream to see some action! Ive got my popcorn ready!]
[CHAT: Is it just me or is the vibe off? I thought this was a horror game, why do I feel like I stumbled into an ASMR stream?]
The little girl shredded the bedsheets with her claws and lunged, her fangs aimed at my leg.
I shot upright and, in a fluid motion, threw my thick cotton quilt over her.
Trapped and disoriented under the blanket, the little girl thrashed and shrieked. I lifted a corner of the quilt, exposing only her head, and tucked the rest of her body snugly inside.
When she saw my face, she started screaming again.
I gently pinched her lips together with my fingers. Hush now, little one. No more noise.
The girl froze, her large, crimson eyes staring blankly for a moment.
I laid her down flat on the bed and patted her gently, as if soothing a child.
You poor thing, I cooed. Look at how bloodshot your eyes are. Youve been staying up too late, havent you?
At my words, a single, dark tear trickled from the corner of her eye. After a long moment, she slowly closed her eyes.
[CHAT: Is there a game master? Can someone check this? Is this even legal?]
[CHAT: Totally legal. That little girl has been haunting this place for decades and no ones ever tucked her in. Sleepyhead Eva just scored major points.]
[CHAT: Evas gonna coddle these ghosts back into the womb at this rate.]
As I continued my rhythmic patting, the little girl grew still and quiet, motionless as a porcelain doll. Up close, she was almost cute.
The chat was still a waterfall of exclamation points.
When I woke up the next morning, the little girl was gone. All that remained were the faint, dark stains on the sheets from her bloody nightgown.
Downstairs, the other players stared at me, their faces a mask of disbelief as I walked in completely unharmed.
You you didnt encounter the boss last night? Jax stammered.
Nope. Just met a little girl.
We slept together, I added. She was a good kid. Didnt even kick the blankets off.
A collective gasp went through the room.
[SYSTEM: Congratulations to the remaining players for surviving the first three days.]
[SYSTEM: From the third night onwards, the final boss will begin to roam randomly.]
After a meager breakfast, the system announcement echoed.
Since this is about a family annihilation, Im guessing the hidden boss is the killer, one player theorized.
For safety, we should all move to the third floor and set up a watch schedule. What do you guys think
Excuse me, I started.
Jax shot me a withering glare. A C-rank trying to ally with us? Not a chance. Stay away from us.
Um, actually
Only three people can clear this game. Were already being merciful by not ganging up on you!
I waited for Jax to finish his tirade, then pointed to a carton of warm milk next to him. I was just going to ask if youre not going to drink that, can I have it?
Jax was speechless.
The entire room fell silent, staring at me as if I were a complete idiot.
Silence is consent.
I happily took the milk and tucked it into my pocket. A little warm milk before bed is the key to a perfect night's sleep, after all!
The A-rank players claimed the two master bedrooms on the third floor, leaving me with a choice between a large and a small guest room.
[CHAT: Place your bets, folks! Which one does she pick?]
[CHAT: Is that even a question? Shes been sleeping like a log in huge beds for two nights straight.]
[CHAT: Definitely the big one.]
I stood in the hallway, looking at the two doors, then without a moments hesitation, I pushed open the door to the smaller room.
[CHAT: ]
[CHAT: Is she psychic? Can she see us? Why does she always do the opposite of what we expect?]
Fools. Everyone knows a smaller room conserves energy and promotes better sleep.
Just as I was about to step inside, a voice echoed from the void.
[SYSTEM: Are you certain?]
It was the system.
[SYSTEM: Do you understand the consequences of staying here?]
The system only ever intervened when a player was facing imminent, critical danger.
The small room was sparsely furnished: a bed, a bookshelf, a wardrobe.
I thought for a moment, then replied, A wonderful nights sleep.
The layout, the furniture it was an exact replica of my childhood bedroom.
Without another thought, I took a running leap and dove onto the bed, rolling around joyfully under the covers.
Oh, my dear little bed, Ive missed you so much!
[SYSTEM: ]
[SYSTEM: What is more important to you, clearing the game or sleeping?!]
Sleeping, obviously, I replied.
Midnight again.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Heavy footsteps sounded right beside my pillow. A tall, shadowy figure stood by my bed, its limbs crudely stitched together, long hair hanging down to obscure its face.
The chat, invisible to me, was going wild.
[CHAT: !!! My husband is here! Who else re-watches this stream just to see the male ghost?!]
[CHAT: Hes gonna go on a killing spree! Im so excited! Snap her neck! Rip out her guts!]
[CHAT: The boss has a 99.9% kill rate. The streamer is toast this time wait. Did she just pull the boss into bed with her?]
I was feeling unbearably hot in my sleep when my hand brushed against something icy cool. Without thinking, I pulled it into bed with me.
Clutching the cold form in my arms, I felt all the stifling heat dissipate. It was so refreshing, so comfortable.
The figure in my embrace stiffened.
I mumbled something in my sleep, shifted my position, and nuzzled against its neck.
The entity went completely rigid.
A moment later, a low, raspy male voice broke the silence.
Are you going to open your eyes? Or are you just using me as a body pillow?
First, search for and download the MotoNovel app from Google. Then, open the app and use the code "289809" to read the entire book.
MotoNovel
Novellia
Bookworm« Previous Post
My Selfish Sister: A Second Chance at Retribution
Next Post »
He Controlled Our Money, So We Left Him