Winter nights always come suddenly. I could still see a little sunlight just now, but at this moment, the surroundings have been completely shrouded in endless darkness. The traveler felt a little tired, for the path he had taken, which seemed to lead to the horizon, had always been accompanied by a barren landscape. It seems that no one would live in such a place.

Finally, a dimly lit street lamp loomed in front of it. Several figures can be seen shaking anxiously under the street lamps.

"That should be him, right?"

"He's carrying a big box! It should be heavy, right? ”

"Alright, alright. Go back first! Call the kids out! ”

"Yes, village chief!"

After the figure shook a few times, only an old man with vicissitudes of life was left under the street lamp.

"Uh, excuse me, are you Mr. Onmyoji?"

"I'm sorry to be late, and I asked you to wait here." The traveler did not reveal his tiredness to the old man.

"Great. Let's go to the village and take a break! ”

The old man's home was warm. The burning charcoal brazier was baking the traveler's somewhat sleepy consciousness at this time, and he wanted to sleep comfortably first. However, after looking at the cloudy face of the old man sitting across from him, he dismissed this thought.

"Mr. Village Chief, I have read your letter many times. So tell me more about what's going on here! ”

The old man handed the traveler a rolled dry tobacco, and the traveler took it with great respect.

"Huh! That's what happened this fall. The old man sighed, then looked at the red-hot charcoal brazier and continued.

"There is a magical ancient well in our village. Legend has it for hundreds of years. I don't know if it's true, but I'm sure it's magical.

This is an area with severe water shortages. Every year, many people are dying of thirst because they have no water to drink. However, this has never happened in our village. It's because of that ancient well. In times of great drought, the other wells dried up, but the water in that well was still overflowing. Although everyone is very strange, they are also secretly rejoicing in this magic. So he tacitly kept this matter a secret and didn't let the people in other villages know about it.

However, in the autumn of this year, the well suddenly dried up. The water in the well disappeared overnight as if by magic. There are many people in the village who have felt great disappointment because of this. They are hopeful that the well will be restored. That way they don't have to worry about next year's drought.

But it backfired. There was no water in the ancient well.

Later, on a full moon night, several children played by the well. Suddenly, one of them noticed that the well seemed to be sparkling, and it seemed that the moon could be seen. He called out to the other children. Sure enough, the children he called over also saw the moon that appeared in the well. So some of the children hurried back into the house and called out their own adults. However, when the gate came to the well, they saw nothing. The well is still very dry. As a result, the adults were very angry, and they all had a feeling of being played, and then scolded their children loudly. Of course, the group of children felt very aggrieved, but at this time, the moon in the well was gone. They don't know how to argue for themselves.

But, three days later, something strange happened.

At dusk that day, I was sitting around my house with a few village elders discussing something about the after-harvest season. Suddenly, several couples with their children walked in with panicked expressions. I could see very clearly that the children were the ones who said they had seen the moon in the well on the night of the full moon.

Seeing how nervous the couple was, I asked what was going on. At this time, a woman opened her mouth, and she said that her children suddenly told her during the day that the house of an elderly couple on the east side of the village would collapse that night. But at that time, the woman not only did not take the child's words seriously, but also said a few words to the child angrily. At this time, I happened to meet a man who was working in the fields and came back for lunch. When he entered the house, he found that the woman was scolding the child harshly, so he inquired. After the woman told him what had just happened, the man also felt that the child was a little unpleasant, and he had learned to speak at such a young age. So I also helped the woman say a few words to the child. Then after a hurried lunch, I went back to work in the fields.

Later, while working in the fields, the man told another man in the village about it. However, when the man heard what he told him, he couldn't help but show a very strange look. Then, he immediately said that he had encountered something similar when he came home for dinner at noon, and the children in their family also said, "The old couple's house on the east side of the village will collapse tonight!" Something like that. The expressions of both men immediately became gloomy. They don't think it's quite a joke between children and adults. So they found a third man and told him about the two of them. Now, the number of people who feel strange has increased. It turned out that the third man had the same experience. Later, almost all the men who worked in the fields knew about it. So, they all started to panic. That's why they brought their children to my house at dusk.

After listening to what the woman said, I glanced at the old men and I. Immediately, he focused his attention on the children who were standing in front of the adults.

After looking at each child's face, I called over a little girl, who was only six years old. I asked her, 'Tell me, what's going to happen tonight?' Without thinking, she replied: 'Old man Zhang's house on the east side of the village will collapse!' There was nothing wrong with her voice, it was the voice of a six-year-old girl. Her expression was also very natural, and I could see that she answered my question without much thought. It's just that what she said made everyone present feel a little panicked.

I immediately turned my head and looked at the old people a few more times. At this time, an old man opened his mouth, and he said: "Old man Zhang's house was built for him by his son only last year, it is a very strong brick house, not to mention that it will not collapse tonight, even if it is another hundred years, it will not collapse." However, when I turned back to look at the group of children, I suddenly noticed that their expressions were very calm. It seems that they didn't have the mood to argue with the old man who had just spoken to him.

That's definitely not the peace that children should have.

Then another old man spoke, and he mentioned the incident three days ago when the children said that there was a moon in the well. At that time, the adults also saw with their own eyes that there was nothing in the well, so after listening to the old man's words, many people thought that the children must have been saying something unfounded to play tricks on them again. After having such thoughts, the expressions of the old people began to soften. Some couples have also begun to blame the children in front of them. It's just that the expressions of those children are still so calm.

After seeing that everyone agreed to think like this, I couldn't say anything more. So he persuaded a few words, and then sent everyone back.

However, in the middle of the night, after everyone had fallen asleep, the sound of a very large house collapsing resounded from the east side of the village. Almost the entire village was awakened by the loud noise. Everyone quickly got dressed and rushed to the east of the village.

Just as the children said, Old Man Zhang's house collapsed.

At this time, everyone's face was very pale. Because it was foreseen by their children. However, they were so unimpressed before. When everyone focused on these children again, they found that their expressions were still so calm. It seemed that what was happening in front of their eyes was something they had become accustomed to. They didn't show any emotion at this moment because they had foreseen such a thing. They didn't even say a word.

Later, everyone was in no mood to go about their normal lives anymore. They brought the children to my house again early the next morning.

At this time, the old people no longer believe in this matter as before. As you can see, they are also a little panicked.

After a few more moments of silence. I called the little girl from before again. And ask her.

"How did you know about this?"

"I remember."

It's still so calm, it's still so unthinking. I believe that not only me, but also parents who had already asked about their children were shocked and frightened. So I immediately asked.

"How did you come up with that?"

"I don't know, I just remember."

"Didn't anyone tell you about it?"

"No, I just remembered it myself!"

"So, what else do you remember?"

To emphasize, this sentence was asked by me because I didn't get any answers to the previous two questions that I could think about further. However, when the little girl answered my question, it shocked everyone present.

She stretched out her little finger and pointed to the old man sitting behind me, who said that Old Man Zhang's house was very sturdy that day. Then he said, "He'll die in six days!" ”

As soon as the little girl's words fell, his father gave her a kick. and savagely pulled her back to his side. Although, her father punished the little girl for her rudeness with such an action. But what she had just said was clearly echoed in everyone's mind. Everyone looked at the old man together. His face was as pale as the wall. It was supposed to be the expression of fear that I was going to die. The old man trembled as he snarled his numb crocodile and roared like a wild boar, and then fell unconscious.

Many people rushed over to help the old man who had fainted. And others began to blame the little girl for talking nonsense. But it could be seen that although they were blaming like this in their mouths, the panic in their hearts was aggravated again by the little girl's words.

Later, the old man finally woke up. But his emotions were still very excited, and it seemed that he had completely believed what the little girl was saying. In order to stabilize his mood, I sent everyone away again, leaving the old man alone. After comforting him for a long time, the old man's mood calmed down a little. In order for him to fully recover, I decided to let him stay in my house and stay with me for the rest of my life.

Later, under my persuasion and ridicule all day long, the old man's mood gradually improved. Although he is very old, his body is still very strong. And I didn't get any illness. This is the main reason why I was able to gradually return to normal under the persuasion of the whole day.

However, while persuading him, my heart was still very disturbed. After all, before the collapse of Old Man Zhang's house, we all admitted that his house was very strong and would not collapse. So, I carried the old man on my back, and secretly found the little girl while he was resting, and continued to ask her.

"How did you think about it?"

"I told you, I don't know. I just remembered. ”

"And is he really going to die in six days?"

"Yes, six days later."

"Can you tell me how he died?"

"Bitten to death!"

Those were the last words she said to me at the time. No matter how much I asked, she stopped talking. I couldn't ask any more questions, so I sent her home. She said the old man would be bitten to death in six days. I took this message to heart. If a person is bitten to death, then it must be an animal. This is the countryside, and there is only one thing that can bite, and that is dogs. Moreover, almost every family here has a dog.

So, in those days, I began to go door-to-door and instruct them to put their dogs on chains. And they must be well cared for, and they must be fed every day, and they must not be allowed to starve. People listened to me and did as soon as I said them. In this way, the six days passed in a flash, and finally the seventh day came. I have been carefully staying in my own home with the old man since this morning. It can be said that on this day, I am inseparable from him. Whatever he does, I'm going to be with him. The old man could see my intentions, but he was still nervous.

To pass the time, we played chess during the day in addition to chatting. Everything was normal, nothing abrupt happened. And so the day passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was night. We went to bed early. It can be said that with the peace of the day, we all gradually relaxed the tense nerves. And thought to himself, maybe the little girl's words were just words. It's already this time, how can something come in and bite the old man to death? Soon we fell asleep.

When I got up the next morning, I first glanced at the old man's bed, where he was still lying. I thought he hadn't woken up yet, so I didn't greet him. And at that time, I was very relieved, and thought to myself, that little girl was really talking nonsense, isn't the old man still sleeping there at this moment without anything at all?

I walked out of the house with an easy pace and wandered around the yard. By this time it was already dawn. Suddenly, I felt as if I had seen something unusual in my peripheral vision. I immediately turned my head and realized that there was a very large mouse perched in a corner of the yard. While I was looking at it, it was staring at me too. It doesn't seem to have any intention of running away. I looked very closely, and suddenly I noticed that the corners of its mouth were covered with a lot of blood. And it's dripping down. My head immediately "buzzed" and I immediately ran back to my bedroom. At this time, the old man was still lying on the bed and did not move. Trembling, I walked over to his bed and flipped his quilt up. That's right, the blood from the corner of the mouse's mouth is his, his trachea has been bitten off, and the quilt has been soaked with his blood.

When everybody brought their little ones to my house again. I can't say anything anymore. No one can say anything more. It seems that this is like a curse, so that no one can escape. Look at the childish faces again, the faces that are still expressionless and calm and childish. Perhaps we are all teetering on the brink of collapse.

This time, almost as if I was asking about death, I called the little girl to me again.

"What do you think of again?"

"Die."

"Who is it this time?"

"All!"

"Can you tell me when?"

"Next summer."

"How did you die?"

"Die of thirst!"

This time, no one kicked her anymore. Almost everyone lowered their heads deeply as if they were resigned to their fate.

At this moment, the smoke emitted by the ignition of the dry smoke has spread to every corner of the house. Under the soft light, it gives a very ethereal impression. The traveler stared thoughtfully at the carbon brazier in front of him. The village chief also fell silent.

"Can I meet the kids?"

"I've called them all. They're waiting in the next room. ”

"Let them in."

The village chief called to the door. Soon, the children, accompanied by their parents, slowly walked in. That included the six-year-old girl.

The traveler lit another cigarette that the village chief had handed him. Through the smoke he slowly exhaled into the air, the traveler began to take a closer look at the children, who could predict the death of others.

"Alright, village chief. Let them all go back. ”