Gloria looked at Tae Kuo, who took a deep breath and followed Mick in what he was doing - he knelt down before the buddha statue in a praying pose. She turned to the others of the group, who were looking right at her and waiting for her to make a move.

  “I think we should do it.” Keryn was the first to speak up.

  “I agree.” Kevin nodded: “I don’t know what’s happening. But I think - I think praying to a buddha statue is the right call here.”

  “But what if it’s an evil buddha?” Kelvin asked, visibly worried: “I don’t recognize this one - I’ve heard plenty of stories about evil buddhas and - if you pray to them, you’d get a fate worse than death - ”

  “We don’t have a choice.” Gloria shook her head: “I wish we do. But we’re here already. And - I believe Sifu Kuo. If we need to hide here from something, we’d better do it in here.”

  “What is about to happen?” Mick’s father asked.

  “I don’t know.” Gloria shrugged: “And I don’t want to find out.”

  One by one, the rest of those stuck in this small sanctum knelt down before the buddha statue, mimicking Mick’s pose.

  Nothing special happened for a while, and the pose was far from easy to maintain for a prolonged period of time. Even for Gloria and Keryn, the muscle sore was setting in and making their composure harder to maintain.

  “Boom boom boom!” Someone, or something, just banged on the doors.

  Gloria almost shot up from her position and at the door. But she paused before her knees would leave the floor. Same did Keryn and Kevin, the rest of the group all turned towards the door, wondering what was happening.

  “Don’t move.” Gloria whispered to the rest of the group: “Don’t answer.”

  “Open up! Open up!” A familiar voice came through the door, hurried and breathy: “Please, open up!”

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  “That’s - that’s Marcus!” Kelvin tried to get up, but Gloria immediately pulled him back down: “It’s Marcus! We can’t just leave him out there!”

  “No it’s not!” Gloria covered Kelvin’s mouth and whispered to him in a stern tone: “This is not him - I wouldn’t mistake his voice - this is some kind of entity mimicking his voice.”

  “But - ” Kelvin only struggled for a moment before he stopped. In but a moment his eyes were filled with fear and his face was covered in cold sweat.

  “Open up! Please! This is Marcus!” The voice from outside urged, sounding even more worried and scared: “Please! Open up!”

  “No! Don’t!” One of the remaining men in black whispered: “Don’t be fooled! This got to be a trick! Something’s tryna come in!”

  “Bang bang bang” - “Please open the door!” Another voice came through the door - it was also a familiar voice.

  “It’s boss.” The other man in black whispered and exchanged looks with his teammate: “I - what should we do?”

  “Shut up! Shut up!” Gloria almost barked. She took a look at Mick and his parents - Mick was still in his praying pose, and was not disturbed or distracted by the noises at all. She then looked at Tae Kuo, who was in a similar condition, his mouth was moving, as he was reciting a buddhist prayer in a very low voice. “Shut the fuck up, all of you!” Gloria commanded again, before taking a few deep breaths.

  “Open up! Open up! ” The second voice urged and growled: “I swear to god! If you don’t open up right this minute, I’ll fucking kill both of you! Do you know what’s out here!?”

  “I don’t think it’s Marcus Wang.” Gloria narrowed her eyes, then whispered to Keryn: “The Marcus Wang I know would never beg like this.”

  “Open up! Please open the door! There’s someone injured out here!” The first voice, similar to Marcus’, urged and banged the door: “I am not afraid of what’s out here - but people are injured and they need a place to hide! Please, open up! ”

  The faces of everyone in Gloria and Keryn’s group turned horrified. The two men in black still tried to ask something of the voices outside, but they were instantly silenced by them.

  “Open up!” “Open up!” The two voices urged from outside the door. Strangely, though they appeared to come from close origin spots, they did not seem to be interacting with each other, or were even aware of the presence of the supposed other person. “Open up! ” “Open up!”

  The voices grew louder, more desperate and pounding harder and quicker. Before long, even more voices appeared outside. Wailing, moaning women, weeping children, even the heart breaking cries of small animals. Gloria gestured at the rest of the group as well as the two men in black, telling them to kneel back down. She was about to do it herself as well.

  “Mom, dad, please - ” Another familiar voice shot chills through Gloria and Keryn’s whole bodies - it sounded like Mick.

  “Son?” Mick’s mother broke from her praying pose, she turned back and looked at the door: “What - what is happening - Mick?”

  “Yes, it’s me Mick.” The voice answered: “Please! Let me in! It’s horrible out here! It’s terrible - please let me in!”

  “Mick! Just wait!” Mick’s mother tried to get up, but his father instantly grabbed her by her arms and pulled her back down.

  “Are you crazy!? That’s not our son!” Mick’s father whispered through his teeth.

  “Father! Please open up!” The voice that sounded like Mick’s just became more desperate and screamed: “Mother! Please let me in!”

  “I’m coming - I’m - ” Mick’s mother tried to respond, but she was restrained by her husband. With her eyes fogged, as if she was about to cry, she struggled, she clawed and kicked, while screaming. And eventually she stopped. Not from her own volition, but from a quick tap on the back of her head from Keryn.

  “Don’t worry, I just knocked her out.” Keryn whispered.

  “Open up! Open up!” More voices screamed from the outside.