My hometown is in a remote village in the mountains.

The villagers are hardworking and simple.

I studied hard since I was young and finally got into a university in the provincial capital.

After graduation, I found a stable job and decided to leave the countryside with my parents and live in the city together.

When I returned home that day, there was a festive atmosphere at the village entrance with drums and gongs.

It turned out that a new cinema had opened in the village.

For the villagers, this kind of place was a rare novelty.

Many old men and women held melon seeds in their hands and went to see the excitement.

My parents, who were in their fifties, also joined everyone, cheering at the entrance of the cinema to celebrate its opening.

My father said, "Son, this owner is rich. The cinema was completed in just two months. I heard he's into investments and is sponsoring our mountain village."

I casually replied a few words and glanced at the cinema.

The decoration was ordinary, a standalone house without a sign. The owner stood at the door setting off fireworks.

Amidst the smoke, the owner's narrow eyes looked at me with a vigilant gaze, like a cunning old fox with many tricks.

I thought to myself, "This is the first time I've met the owner, we don't even know each other. Why does he look at me with hostility?"

I looked around and realized that the village guardian had crowded around me.

His mouth moved, but his words were drowned out by the sound of firecrackers.

I leaned closer, struggling to hear.

He said, "Don't go! Don't enter...

I knew the village guardian was crazy and often said inexplicable strange things.

I didn't pay much attention to him.

I greeted my parents and went back home to pack my things.

In the afternoon, my mother came back.

She said my father was watching a movie and she wasn't interested, so she thought of cooking for me early.

We waited until dinner time, but my father hadn't returned.

I decided to go and pick him up.

The road in the mountain village was pitch black, with no moonlight overhead.

I touched my pocket and realized I didn't bring my cellphone.

Even though it was summer, a gust of wind blew, and I shivered from the cold.

When did the village become so eerie and cold?

Dogs barking incessantly around me, as if they had seen something terrifying.

I shrunk my neck and couldn't help but quicken my pace.

After walking along a rough dirt road, I successfully arrived at the cinema.

There were two paper lanterns hanging in front of the entrance, resembling a funeral parlor's mourning hall.

The dim light inside the windows flickered.

A sinking feeling gripped my heart: Where was my father?

"Hello? Are you still open?"

I raised my voice and greeted.

No one responded.

I worried about my father's safety, so I pushed open the cinema's door.

A narrow corridor came into view.

A "Customer Guide" was posted on the wall.

Dear customer, hello.

Welcome to the mountain village cinema.

To ensure you have a pleasant viewing experience, please follow the rules below.

【1. This cinema has been established for a hundred years and has branches in villages across the country. It has collected various movies from around the world for nearly a century. However, please do not request horror films.】

【2. If you hear cries for help from the restroom, please ignore them as they are special effects in the movie.】

【3. Once the movie starts playing, you cannot leave halfway or get a refund.】

【4. This cinema provides subsidies and benefits the people. The ticket price is only one yuan. Please hand a one-yuan bill to the ticket seller in front of the screening hall. Due to poor network signal, we cannot accept mobile payments.】

【5. The characters in the movie will not talk to you or die mysteriously unless you are watching a horror film.】

【6. The staff members wear white uniforms. If you encounter someone wearing black clothes, please ignorethem as they are not part of the staff.】

【7. Please do not enter the projection room.】

【8. After the movie ends, please leave the cinema in an orderly manner and do not linger.】

Thank you for your cooperation.

I read the rules on the wall, feeling a chill run down my spine.

What kind of cinema was this? It seemed strange and eerie.

But I couldn't think too much about it. I had to find my father.

I followed the corridor and pushed open the door to the screening hall.

The moment I entered, I was stunned.

The cinema was packed with people, all of them sitting quietly in their seats, their eyes fixed on the screen.

The movie playing was a black-and-white film from the 1950s, an old war film.

I scanned the rows of seats, searching for my father's familiar figure.

But he was nowhere to be found.

I approached a man sitting alone in a corner and asked if he had seen my father.

The man turned his head slowly, revealing a pale face.

His eyes were hollow, devoid of any emotion.

He opened his mouth, but instead of speaking, a strange sound came out.

I couldn't understand what he was trying to say.

Feeling a sense of unease, I turned around and tried to find the exit.

But to my horror, the door I had entered through was gone.

Instead, there was only a solid wall.

Panic surged through me as I realized I was trapped in the cinema.

I frantically searched for another way out, but all the doors were sealed shut.

The movie on the screen continued playing, the sound of gunfire and explosions filling the hall.

I screamed for help, but my voice was drowned out by the noise.

I felt a heavy weight on my shoulders, as if someone was watching me.

I turned around and saw the owner of the cinema standing at the back of the hall, his narrow eyes fixed on me.

There was a sinister smile on his face, and I knew in that moment that I was not the first person to be trapped in this cinema.

I was just another victim in his twisted game.

As the movie played on and the screams of the characters echoed through the hall, I knew that my fate was sealed.

I was trapped in the haunted cinema, never to escape.

And as the darkness swallowed me, I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to my father.