Horror Short Story | The Doorbell

Chen Cheng's doorbell had been broken for a long time. It wouldn't ring when pressed. He was too lazy to fix it, and friends always contacted him by phone anyway. One night, he heard the doorbell ring. A very short ring, like someone pressed it lightly and let go. He thought he misheard and rolled over to go back to sleep. The next night, the doorbell rang again. This time he was sure he wasn't mistaken. He went to the door and looked through the peephole. The hallway was empty. He opened the door, and a piece of paper was on the floor outside: "The doorbell is fixed." He found it baffling. He looked up at the doorbell; it was free of dust, as if someone had wiped it. He reached out and pressed it, but it didn't ring. After closing the door, he went back to bed. The doorbell rang again. This time, three short, consecutive rings. He rushed to the door and pulled it open. The hallway was still empty. But there was another note on the floor: "You pressed it, so I came." Chen Cheng froze. He looked down at the doorbell. He had indeed pressed it just now, and it hadn't rung. He took a step back, closed the door, and locked it. The doorbell rang again, this time long and continuous, as if someone was holding it down. He didn't dare open the door and hid in his room. The doorbell sound lasted for a full minute before stopping. The next morning, he went out to work and found the doorbell was gone. Only two wires were left hanging on the wall. He breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it was over. When he returned home that evening, the doorbell had been reinstalled. It was brand new, silver, with a clear fingerprint on the button. He reached out to press it. The moment his finger touched the button, the doorbell rang on its own. A long ring, as if someone from inside was holding it down. He snatched his hand back in shock. The doorbell