Dimensional Hotel

(.)

The wolves were coming.

Yu Sheng couldn’t see what the wolves looked like—only the snapping of twigs underfoot and the rustling of leaves behind him told him they were there. Every now and then, low, muffled whimpers drifted through the forest, and once or twice, he caught the sharp scent of blood mingled with an unsettling odor of decay. A cold chill spread through the trees, like the start of a winter that stole away every trace of warmth.

Then the howling began again, echoing from every tree, every bush, and every hidden corner. The wolves were closing in, surrounding him and tightening their circle.

“Run! Don’t stop! Keep running!” shrieked the squirrel.

It had climbed from Yu Sheng’s shoulder to the top of his head and was now frantically waving its tiny paws, urging him forward with its high, nervous voice.

“Head for the path! Get to the light! That’s where they won’t dare follow!”

Yu Sheng looked over his shoulder but saw only shadows shifting in the dark woods. Something was definitely chasing him among the trees, yet no clear shape appeared.

Still, the sense of being hunted clung to him. It was as if he could feel the cold, rotten breath of the wolves against his skin.

“Where are they?” he shouted, his fear cracking into frustration. “I can’t see them!”

“Be glad you can’t!” the squirrel hollered back. “That means they haven’t caught up yet! Once you see them, you’re in real trouble. They’ll chase you, on and on, until you can’t run anymore—until you turn into a tired old adult… Wait! You already are an adult!”

The squirrel froze, as though realizing something for the first time. Grabbing a handful of Yu Sheng’s hair, it squeaked in alarm, “How on earth did you even get in here?!”

Yu Sheng didn’t answer—he could barely breathe. He had just noticed that several cuts had appeared on his arm, bleeding freely.

Invisible claws had raked across his skin.

Now he could see them—dark shapes gliding between the trees, all lean, hungry, and seemingly endless in number.

He dug in with his feet, forcing his body forward, leaves and soft earth crunching beneath his steps. He sprinted toward where the squirrel had pointed.

He wasn’t afraid of dying, and he wasn’t afraid of being stuck in this place. But he still had too many questions about what was going on—especially what had happened to Little Red Riding Hood. He refused to be devoured by wolves before finding out the truth.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a faint glow.

Far inside the gloomy forest, a few warm lights flickered to life. Under that glow lay a narrow pathway.

“Run, run, run! There it is!” the squirrel cried out, sounding almost giddy. “Ha! You’re running faster than some kids I’ve seen! Good, very good! Adults usually stomp around, but you run like they do when they first get here. Those wolves can’t catch you. They can’t catch you!”

With the squirrel’s squeals ringing in his ears, Yu Sheng tore through the last stretch of the forest and burst into the comforting circle of light. The frigid presence that had stalked him seemed to melt away in an instant, dissolving into the darkness.

The wolves vanished, fading into the shadows just beyond the path’s edge.

Panting heavily, Yu Sheng leaned against a rotting tree stump by the roadside. After a long moment, he finally straightened, peering at the trail before him. It wound deep into the forest, narrow and twisting, built of dirt and stone, and stretched far into the dark. On either side hung glowing lamps, like small, round moons nestled in the crooked branches. There were no wires, no flames—only a gentle light to guide travelers along the way.

The squirrel hopped off Yu Sheng’s head and landed on a rough, twisted wooden railing at the path’s side. Dropping onto its hind legs, it exhaled a long, shaky breath. “Phew—almost became dinner.”

“Those things chasing us… are they the wolves that have been going after Little Red Riding Hood?” Yu Sheng asked, now breathing more steadily. Stepping closer to the squirrel, his voice grew serious. “Was the biggest, meanest wolf among them?”

“The Big Bad Wolf? Don’t talk about the Big Bad Wolf!” The squirrel jumped as though terrified and held its paws up as if trying to clamp Yu Sheng’s mouth shut. “The hunter isn’t here yet, and we definitely don’t need the worst wolf showing up! You don’t have a gun, and he’ll swallow you whole in one bite!”

Yu Sheng kept his gaze on the squirrel. “Where exactly is this place? I can tell it’s a forest, but is it part of Little Red Riding Hood’s dream, or… another world?”

“It’s a forest. Just a forest,” the squirrel replied, shaking its head. “I’m not sure what you mean by ‘dream.’ Little Red Riding Hood isn’t asleep yet, and good kids go to bed at night. Right now, she’s busy—what did she say? Oh, right, she’s going to school.” The squirrel skittered along the wooden railing, grumbling to itself. “If she ever starts dreaming, then she’ll be here…”

Although the squirrel’s speech was disjointed, Yu Sheng could guess what it meant. He sensed that this place was connected to Little Red Riding Hood in a way that went beyond mere dreaming.

This was another realm—something that existed on its own. And if she were to drift off to sleep, she’d find herself in this forest… being hunted by wolves over and over.

Frowning, Yu Sheng asked quietly, “How can we stop the wolves from chasing her forever?”

“Stop them?” The squirrel gave him an incredulous look. “Wolves never give up, and this forest has no end. You just keep running from one safe path to another, hiding in a cozy house, then running to the next house before nightfall. As long as you keep running, you can always find someplace to hide. That’s how it works… that’s just how it works.”

So these were the rules for surviving in this “forest.”

Yu Sheng soaked in the squirrel’s words, then took a slow, steadying breath. “Does this forest have something to do with the curse created by the fairy tale? Do you know anything about that?”

He had no idea who—or what—this squirrel truly was, or why it spoke like a wise old man. But it had helped him, and that felt like a good sign. Perhaps it wasn’t aligned with the same curse that Little Red Riding Hood had feared.

At his question, the squirrel blinked, stilled, then shuffled a bit on the railing. “Why would I know that? I’m just a squirrel.”

It raised its little paws and rubbed its fluffy cheeks before beaming with pride. “A very adorable squirrel, if you ask me.”

Yu Sheng stared, momentarily speechless.

All of a sudden, the squirrel dug around in its fur and pulled out a tiny stick. It gripped it between its teeth, then flicked its bushy tail against the railing. A small flame sparked at the tip of its tail, and it used that flicker to light the stick. Puffing out a cloud of smoke, it gave Yu Sheng a beady-eyed look.

“Want a smoke?” it offered, waving the stick with one paw. “You’ll have to hold it with your fingernails, though.”

Yu Sheng’s expression turned even more puzzled.

“No? Well, that’s good. It’s a nasty habit anyway—bad for you, even if you are an adult.” The squirrel resumed puffing on its little cigarette. “It’s strange, though—you’re the first grown-up I’ve seen in here. Usually, the ones who show up are all kids. They cry a lot, and most of them never make it through the first chase. The wolves gulp them down in one bite. Honestly, you’re making me nervous. You’re putting a lot of pressure on a sweet little squirrel… puff, puff…”

Yu Sheng could only stare. He had encountered plenty of strange things—a cursing doll, a nine-tailed fox who could hurl her tails like weapons, and an address at Wutong Road No. 66 that most people couldn’t even see. But a chain-smoking, foul-mouthed squirrel was certainly a new experience.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” the squirrel asked, tossing away the stub of its cigarette. Then, to Yu Sheng’s surprise, it popped the smoldering end into its mouth and chewed it up. “Oh, are you too scared to talk? That happens. Even adults get frightened of this forest sometimes. You’ll adjust if you keep coming here—get used to the hunts, the wolves, the chase.

“In time, you’ll connect with some of the wolves, and maybe even with the forest itself. You’ll be the lost traveler, and the starving wolf, and the forest, and the hunter, and the grandmother. That’s when you’ve really gotten used to this place.

“Then you’ll get your own red hood and come here every night to run. It’s actually kind of fun. But I do wonder what color your hood will be since you’re an adult… and a man.”

“I’m not Little Red Riding Hood,” Yu Sheng said firmly. “I’m her friend.”

The squirrel stared for a long moment, as though deciding if Yu Sheng was lying. Then it finally seemed to accept his words. Shifting its furry tail, it straightened up on the railing.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“You’re serious? You’re really not lying to an adorable squirrel like me?”

“I’m serious,” Yu Sheng replied.