Thank You, Sister

Hezi looked up, and among the Head Balloons that seemed like a hundred ghosts passing through, she saw a few familiar faces.

"Dad and Mom... even Yangjie's head is here..."

"When did... when did...

...so many appear..."

"They must have flown to Kyoto to hang the owners of these heads!"

Hezi hurried along, guessing the reason for the Head Balloons' attack.

Just then, from the group of Head Balloons, a balloon that looked exactly like Hezi lunged at her.

"Waaah!"

Hezi dodged the balloon's attack and returned home.

On the television, the live host was reporting the latest news from inside the building:

"Where did these balloons even come from?

Currently, the entire country's sky is filled with these strange flying balloons.

And in the sky, many victims who have been hanged can already be seen."

"I saw my own head outside the window just now!

It's still lurking around this television building, waiting for a chance to take my life!"

"Um... also..."

"Viewers in front of your televisions, please try your best not to leave your homes."

"It's very dangerous to go out rashly. Unless absolutely necessary, please be sure to use a vehicle!"

"Also... um... um... um... the latest news indicates that all viewers nationwide, please absolutely do not light fires or attempt to puncture these unidentified balloons."

"If you puncture or burn them, the owner of that head will suffer the same fate."

"Many such terrifying incidents have already occurred nationwide!"

"What are we going to do from now on... are we truly helpless against this group of monsters..."

By the end of the news broadcast, the host had lost his professional demeanor due to despair.

The family watched the television, their faces filled with worry.

Yangjie, the youngest, was the most indignant:

"Damn it... hateful!"

"What's going on..."

The father, the head of the family, straightened his tie and said resolutely, "No matter what... I'm going to the company now. I have things that must be done today."

The mother stood up to stop him, "Honey!"

Hezi also stood up to stop him, "Dad! No, it's too dangerous outside!"

"It'll be fine, Hezi."

The father comforted Hezi, "It'll be fine, Hezi."

"As long as I'm not hanged in the distance between the door and the car.

I've already thought of a countermeasure last night. I just need to protect my neck tightly."

The mother hesitated to speak, "But..."

The father, as always, wore a gentle and confident smile on his face:

"Don't worry, you just watch."

The father gripped the doorknob:

"Then I'm leaving. I'll be back at 6 o'clock. Please prepare my bathwater."

"Honey!"

The father pushed the door open, observed his surroundings, and quickly stepped out of the house.

Bang!

The father protected his neck with one hand and quickly closed the door with the other.

Here they come!

A Head Balloon, identical to the father's, locked onto his trail.

The father crossed his arms in front of his neck and started to run, trying to reach his car.

Inside, Hezi, her mother, and the disciple watched as their father, strung up at the waist, was carried into the air by the balloons.

"Damn it, you bunch of monsters!"

Yangjie, his legs weak, knelt on the ground, gritting his teeth. The pain in his heart made him lower his head.

Outside the window, Head Balloons identical to the three of them watched the three people inside the house.

A few days later.

"How long do those monsters plan to wear us down?"

Yangjie angrily threw his book onto the table:

"If this keeps up, it's a dead end!"

"Yangjie... calm down."

Hezi persuaded him weakly.

Yangjie stood up and walked towards the main door.

"How can I calm down!"

"Hey, Mom, I'm going out to find food!"

Hezi grabbed Yangjie's arm, desperately trying to stop him.

His mother also tried to persuade him from behind:

"Yangjie, don't do anything foolish, come back here."

Hezi increased her strength:

"Yeah, if you go out, your fate will be the same as Dad's."

"Stop nagging!"

Yangjie shook off Hezi's hand.

"If I don't go, who will find food?"

"This is something you have to do while you still have strength!"

Yangjie took out an umbrella: "If I'm going to be hanged anyway, I won't make it easy for them!"

"I'll stab it with this umbrella!"

A determined look, the same as his father's, appeared on the young man's innocent face.

He turned back and gave Hezi a gentle, confident smile:

"Don't worry, sis, I'll be fine."

"Yangjie!" His mother shouted her son's name loudly, trying to stop him.

"I'll definitely bring back food. Take good care of Mom during this time!"

"Yangjie..."

Watching Yangjie's retreating back, his mother and Hezi were in tears.

Yangjie, holding his umbrella, carefully stepped out the door.

A Head Balloon, identical to Yangjie, had clearly been waiting outside for a long time.

As soon as Yangjie stepped out, it swooped down.

"Damn it!"

Yangjie threw his umbrella towards the Head Balloon:

"Come at me if you dare!"

The rope caught the umbrella, buying Yangjie precious time to catch his breath.

"Well done!"

Hezi cheered loudly from inside the window.

The umbrella was quickly torn to shreds by the Head Balloon's rope.

"Ah, Yangjie, you have to be careful!"

His mother watched the torn umbrella with a worried expression:

"Ah... Hezi, what do we do? The umbrella is torn."

Hezi forced a strained smile: "It's okay, Mom! ... Yangjie has already bought us some time!"

"So you need to pull yourself together too!"

A week later.

Hezi's inner monologue began:

Countless Head Balloons still floated everywhere in the sky... and the corpses hanging below were also increasing daily...

My brother never returned... was he already hanged to death... or is he alive... somewhere...

Mom collapsed three days ago and became a victim.

Only I was left.

Finally, the scene returned to the beginning, a girl curled up by the table, listening to the calls outside the window.

"...Hezi, open the window..."

"The weather outside is nice and cool."

"Hezi... hurry up!"

"You're the only one still being so willful!"

Fear appeared on Hezi's face, and she thought:

"That guy doesn't just look like me...

He even sounds exactly like me."

Memories of what happened before encountering the Head Balloons flashed through Hezi's mind, and she was already on the verge of collapse.

"Ah... I'm going crazy..."

"Someone... someone save me..."

"Hey, sis!..."

"...Sis! Are you inside?"

"Sis!"

Yangjie's vibrant voice came from outside the window.

The teenage boy's voice, still with a bit of a cracking sound, which used to annoy her occasionally, now sounded like heavenly music.

Hezi raised her head.

A figure was outside the window: "Hey, sis, are you there? Hurry up and open the window."

"I brought food!"

"If you don't hurry, that guy will come looking for me."

"I've been fighting desperately until now."

Hezi didn't know when tears had again stained her face. Due to lack of food and water, even her tears were barely flowing.

"Yangjie! Are you okay?"

Facing her long-lost relative, Hezi's emotional defenses instantly crumbled.

"Ah, sorry for taking so long to get back! Is Mom okay?"

"Mom~"

Hezi hesitated for a moment before opening the window:

"Come in first."

"Yangjie..."

After opening the window, Hezi didn't see the mischievous boy.

The one who suddenly grew up in times of crisis.

Instead, she saw a cold corpse.

His body was mangled, and the umbrella he carried when he left was impaled through him.

Above Hezi's line of sight.

A Head Balloon resembling Yangjie had a look of blissful satisfaction on its face.

It was the contentment of a wish fulfilled.

Beside the Yangjie Head Balloon, a Head Balloon resembling Hezi was laughing maniacally.

The Yangjie Head Balloon's eyes, devoid of any emotion, stared intently at Hezi:

"Sis... thank you for opening the window for me..."