As soon as I entered, I smelled a rotten and musty odor.

The tables and chairs were old and damaged, and the floor was uneven concrete.

A mournful song came from the corner, echoing in the empty classroom.

I took steps backward.

And before my eyes... was a beautiful little girl?

She looked up at me timidly, ceasing her singing.

"Whose child are you?"

I felt relieved.

Fortunately, this child seemed obedient and well-behaved, not mischievous.

She slowly stood up, holding an ugly and grotesque cloth doll in her arms.

"Are you the new teacher?"

Her voice was sharp, like nails scratching glass, giving me goosebumps.

"Yes, I'm your new teacher, Li Man. What's your name?"

The girl thought for a moment. "I'm Xiao Ling."

I thought to myself: The people in this village lack education, and they have strange names.

"Xiao Ling, why are you hiding alone in the classroom?"

Xiao Ling blinked her eyes. "I'm not alone. I have many students with me."

"Where are they?"

"They're behind you."

I turned my head in astonishment, but there was no one in the classroom.

Could this little girl have a mental problem?

I felt pity and took her little hand. "Shall I take you home, Xiao Ling?"

Her hand was icy cold, with a slippery sensation like holding a stinky rotten fish.

Xiao Ling smiled.

Her mouth stretched to the sides, and a pair of empty lifeless eyeballs rolled in her eye sockets.

"No need to trouble the teacher. I'll go with my sister."

Sister?

I looked around, but there were no other girls.

"Where is your sister?" I asked curiously.

Suddenly, Xiao Ling raised the ugly doll in her arms, and her voice became shrill and piercing. "This is my sister!"

I stepped back in panic.

The doll's eyes were not sewn, just two dark empty voids, like a dead and lifeless well.

I even saw its mouth wriggling.

My heart skipped a beat in fear.

What's wrong with this girl?

I almost fell for her innocent appearance.

I turned around and left in annoyance.

Due to fear and panic, my footsteps were fast.

When I walked out, I bumped into the village chief coming towards me.

"Teacher Li, what's wrong with you?"

The village chief's face looked displeased.

I pointed to the classroom. "There's something strange..."

My words abruptly stopped.

Where I pointed, there sat a row of students neatly.

Their heads turned towards me simultaneously.

Their eyes stared at me intently.

In their hands, they tightly gripped red pens, poking the exercise books on their desks incessantly.

The vivid red writings on the books were striking and blood seemed to seep out.

"Village chief!!"

I screamed in horror, my legs weakened, and my whole body trembled.

"Teacher Li, what's wrong with you?"

The village chief seemed unable to see the presence of these students and asked me suspiciously.

"Who are they?!" I shouted loudly.

The village chief's face grew darker.

He took out a piece of fresh meat from a plastic bag and handed it to me.

"Teacher Li, you might be sick. This is rabbit meat from our village. It can cure all kinds of illnesses."

I lowered my head and held the piece of meat, dripping with blood, its sticky texture making me feel uncomfortable.

"I'm a vegetarian!" Fear filled my heart.

"No, you must eat meat!" The village chief's attitude was resolute. He grabbed a piece of meat and held my chin, forcibly stuffing it into my mouth.

I struggled desperately, flailing my hands.

But my strength was insignificant compared to a man who had worked in agriculture for many years.

The taste of blood spread in my mouth, mixed withthe pungent flavor of raw meat. I gagged and choked, unable to breathe or speak. The village chief's grip on me tightened, and I felt his rough hands pressing against my throat.

Just as I thought I was about to lose consciousness, I woke up.

It was all a dream.

I sat up in bed, drenched in sweat, my heart pounding in my chest. The morning light streamed through the window, bringing a sense of relief.

I sighed deeply, realizing that it was just a nightmare, a figment of my imagination.

However, the lingering fear from the dream lingered, and I couldn't shake off the uneasiness that clung to me.

As I got ready for the day, I couldn't help but wonder about the meaning behind the dream. Was it just a random creation of my subconscious, or did it hold some hidden message or symbolism?

Shaking off those thoughts, I decided to focus on the present and the tasks ahead. I had a classroom to prepare, lessons to plan, and real students to teach.

But deep down, a part of me couldn't help but wonder if there was something more to that dream, something I couldn't quite grasp.

As I walked into the classroom, I took a moment to glance around, half-expecting to see the eerie sight from my dream. To my relief, everything appeared normal and familiar.

The students started to trickle in, their voices filling the room with lively chatter. I greeted them with a smile, pushing the lingering thoughts of the nightmare to the back of my mind.

After all, dreams were just illusions, and reality was what mattered most.