The Stench Beneath the Floor: First Person

I was born in an ordinary small town. My parents dressed smartly for work every day, but I despised the emptiness inside them. I suppose that's why I liked Granny Shi so much. Her graceful presence drew me in like a whirlpool.

Granny Shi rarely interacted with anyone in town. She had few friends, and I heard she'd never married and no one ever visited her. But I liked going to her house.

That day, I went to see her. She was wearing a trench coat and reading on a recliner.

I told her about seeing the boys kill a cat by putting a plastic bag over its head. She fell silent for a while, then told me a story.

It was a story that left me trembling all over and wanting to run away. I called the police and went with them to search her house, but they found nothing. All they proved was that it was an ordinary home belonging to an elderly widow.

But I know the truth.