I’d been told this story about half a year earlier by some fellow medical interns. One of their China Medical University classmates had experienced something strange at the school’s Peikang campus. Back when she lived in an allocated dormitory, this student would often hear a loud, crisp bell ringing late at night.

大約半年前，我從同科的實習醫師口中聽到這樣一個傳聞。原來他們C大的女同學，曾經在北港的分校遭遇一件怪事。當時她住在分配的宿舍裡，常常在深夜聽見清脆響亮的鈴鐺聲。

Three people share the same bed without knowing each other. For the purpose of this story, each one of them exists for only eight hours a day. Miss A between midnight and eight in the morning. Mr. B from eight to four pm. And Miss C starting from four in the morning until midnight.

Tres personas comparten la misma cama sin conocerse. Para esta historia cada una de ellas existe solo ocho horas al día. La Srta. A. entre la medianoche y las ocho de la mañana. El Sr. B. de ocho a dieciséis. Y la Srta. C. a partir de las cuatro de la tarde hasta la medianoche.

Balthasar navigated the vélocipède around a hole in the road as he cycled past Miss Edith’s house. He concentrated hard on not looking at the curtained windows for a glimpse of her silhouette. The big wheel wobbled as he oversteered.

驶回郊区的大巴上，我开始觉得情形不太对劲。时值 初秋，满山草木松脆，凉风中有稻香浮动。田野金灿灿的， 耀人眼目。

A sense came over me on the bus ride back from town that something was off. It was early fall. The plants all through the mountains were brittle and crunchy, and they trembled in a brisk breeze that carried with it the smells of rice paddies. The fields were a brilliant gold.

Balthasar navigeerde de vélocipède om een gat in de weg terwijl hij langs het huis van Fräulein Edith reed. Hij concentreerde zich om niet naar de ramen te kijken. Hij wilde niets liever dan een glimp opvangen van haar silhouet achter de gordijnen. Het grote wiel wiebelde toen hij teveel stuurde.

DOT: Yang telah menoktahkan sebuah kisah. Kisah yang telah mati. Atau kisah yang belum dihidupkan lagi? Yang tidaklah jauh di depan, di atas susurmasa yang disimpang-siurkan jalan ceritanya. Dengan garis-garis cahaya yang menjelmakan awan-gemawan, laut, pokok kelapa, pasiran pantai dan sebagainya. Landskap pagi yang mempesona. Salin tak tumpah seperti sebuah lukisan. Lukisan alam.

The world is over. Well, not exactly. Your world is over, that, your world is over. Only you and he remain. So very small, so strong.