Shapeshifters

Early the next morning, I was woken by my phone’s ringtone. I answered groggily: “Hello?” “Nado!” It was Su Ying again, sounding quite excited. “What’s wrong?” I asked, trying to muster some energy. “My classmate has had another strange incident! You should come and see!” “What happened? Take your time, explain clearly!” I was instantly awake, quickly getting dressed. “This morning, my classmate got lost in school for no reason. She was with us one moment, then suddenly disappeared. Half an hour later, she came back, scared out of her wits, saying she remembered nothing, only waking up on top of a well. If the well hadn’t been covered, she would have fallen in. And… yesterday, another classmate had the same experience. It’s really terrifying!” Her tone conveyed excitement rather than fear. “Mutation (7)” “Okay, I’m on my way!” I hurried out the door. Su Ying was waiting for me at the university gate. After meeting, she said she would take me to see the well. Her classmate, unable to cope with the shock, was resting in the dorm, but Su Ying had found out where the well was and led me there. After walking a bit, we entered an alley where the houses were quite old. I mentally mapped the route; we weren’t far from Zhidan Garden, having retraced part of my earlier path. I looked around and indeed saw the structures of Zhidan Garden not far away, just beyond a row of old houses. At the end of the alley was the mysterious well. It was an ancient well, covered with a rusty iron lid that was locked. Clearly, it was an abandoned well. I examined it closely; there were no strange patterns, no signs of recent tampering, nothing unusual at all. I approached the well, feeling nothing. I touched it, feeling only rust. “What did your classmate say?” I asked Su Ying. “She just said she felt like she was bewitched all of a sudden, remembered nothing. She woke up on top of this well, that’s all.” “Did she feel any changes in herself?” “Seems like there was no problem, just scared to death.” I was at a loss. Seeing Su Ying’s expectant look, I felt a bit embarrassed; every time she called me excitedly, I couldn’t help at all. There was nothing I could do; I’m not from the X organization. Helplessly, I said to Su Ying, “Let’s wait until we have the tools to lift the lid and see what’s inside. Right now, there’s nothing to see.” “Okay!” Su Ying said excitedly, “Make sure to call me when you do!” After parting ways with Su Ying, I headed back to the university to attend classes. I walked to the roadside, intending to hail a taxi to the newspaper office. As a taxi approached, I raised my hand, but suddenly felt dazed, as if in a fog, and then snapped back to reality, only to find myself lying on the well, my clothes covered in rust. Looking at my watch, half an hour had passed. The shock was profound; I broke out in a cold sweat. I tried to recall, but my mind was blank. It was terrifying.