[APH Mega Bu Ying Lu Zhong] Fools' Carnival

"Hanging on the hook, it cannot be changed for 100 years. If it is changed, it must be..."

At the moment before his consciousness came back, the child's voice in the dream was wafting in Matthew's ears. When he was fully awake, there was already a snow-white ceiling in front of him. When he looked to the left, it was a wide open window. The sea breeze opened the transparent curtains, and the sea not far away became sparkling again. It seemed that it was morning, and Matthew had a long sleep.He heard a snoring sound, and he almost ignored it because it was too familiar. It turned out that Alfred was lying next to him in a "big" shape, with a string of haha ​​hanging from the corner of his mouth unceremoniously.Matthew sat up slowly, rubbed his messy head, and reached for the notepad on the bedside table, following what he wrote yesterday:

On the same day, the party is over.The room allocation was determined by lottery. Alfred and Ivan got the same room, and Ivan switched with me.Alfred said he was going to repair the car tomorrow, as proof. ——S·W

Matthew slowly showed a soft smile, got out of bed, got dressed and used some mouthwash. During this period, Alfred slept soundly, and Matthew helped him pull the quilt.Matthew went downstairs, the first floor was empty, but there was a figure on the steps outside the door, he went to open the screen door, and Honda Ju was sitting there processing fresh fish with a kitchen knife, he saw Matthew, quickly dipped Wiping his bloody hand on his apron, he said, "Good morning."

"Good morning. Is this your fish?"

"Yes, intended for lunch."

"Wait a minute." Matthew walked around to the back of the house and shook the dew gauze they arranged last night, and all the cool dew flowed into the bucket. He sat next to Honda Chrysanthemum with the bucket of hard-won fresh water , Carefully help him clean the dissected fish.Honda Ju nodded: "Thank you."

"Where are Ludwig and Feliciano?" "They went to help repair the car and drove our car back by the way. Mr. Ivan looks like he is painting on the roof."

Matthew suddenly felt a little embarrassed: "They are all up? I will call Alfred later. Thank you very much, I feel that I have troubled you a lot..." Honda Ju gracefully treated the fish like a work of art He cut it open and said with a smile: "No, we all help each other. Human beings are social animals after all, and it's really a blessing that we meet in this last world." He put fishes in a plate with well-proportioned strips, pink with thin strips. The meat strips with fine white lines are pleasing to the eye, and all reveal elegance.

Matthew couldn't help asking: "What did Honda do before? I think...you are like an artist."

Honda Ju laughed: "I can't bear that name, I was just born in a slightly special family. In Japan, they are called 'geisha', which is actually equivalent to the existence of a theater actor. Learn all kinds of traditional musical instruments, I came to this country, I came here to learn, unexpectedly, it has been five years..."

Five years, a lot can happen in five years.In five years, Matthew and Alfred have grown up, and in five years the world has perished.Matthew pushed his glasses and introduced himself: "Although there is nothing worth mentioning, Alfred and I were just two ordinary junior high school students five years ago. We lived in the same house as Arthur, and Francis We are upstairs. We go to school together, play together, and fight together. In fact, life is very happy, and it is the same now. The most important thing is that we are all together." He picked up the plate of fish and smiled, "Now, Let's cook lunch together, Alfred wakes up."

The two went into the kitchen to fry fish, Matthew started, and Alfred came down from the second floor with a dull hair: "I'm so hungry——"

"Just wait a moment." Matthew shouted from the air.Alfred immediately sat down at the dining table in high spirits: "Got it! Sergeant Matthew, please report the information for today's lunch, over." "Report to Second Lieutenant Alfred, it's fried fish, over." Matthew held back Can't stop laughing, he and Alfred have been playing this game since childhood.Honda Ju on the side couldn't help but laugh too.

The three sat down and had a delicious lunch, and Alfred asked at this moment: "Where are those guys? I said yesterday that I would go with them to repair the car."

"It's already noon now, I'm afraid they'll be back after finishing repairs."

Alfred shrugged, obviously completely abandoning his big words yesterday, and instead asked Matthew: "Matthew, did you catch a cold yesterday? It feels like you were weird last night." Matthew raised his eyebrows: "I don't really remember yesterday Maybe it's because I'm drunk. Do you think I'm fine now?"

"Hmph...?" Alfred glanced at Matthew with a fork in his mouth. Matthew was most afraid of Alfred's occasionally sharp eyes, a bit like their teacher's eyes.Matthew reached out and combed Alfred's hair: "I think your head is a little weirder now, there is only a bird between it and the bird's nest." Alfred covered his head: "No, I Don't want to shave your head! I'll never forget your eggy face from last year!"

"Isn't my face the same as yours... In short, find something to do after eating, you should help, Ivan started painting, I have to stay and help him tidy up, or the two of us Change it." Alfred shook his head, he hated Ivan inexplicably.Honda Ju said: "Then, I'll go catch more fish and prepare everyone's food."

"Please." Matthew cleaned up his plate.Matthew thought, apart from the state of the world, five years ago was very different from now. First, he didn’t have to go to school anymore. Second, he didn’t have to face too many annoying things. Third, life became more controllable. Just like before the age of seven, a person stayed alone in a narrow attic, as long as he kept silent, he was safe.He went up to the third floor and pushed open the balcony door: "Ivan?"

Ivan was sitting barefoot in the shadow of the eaves drawing, his sketch papers were scattered all over the ground, and they were blown into disarray by the sea breeze.Matthew didn't bother Ivan, bent down to pick up those paintings, and looked at the contents inside. He started from the simplest one. In the picture, there was a woman who fell to the ground. She seemed to be holding her chest in pain. The bare arms were covered with strange spots, Matthew frowned, and began to look at the next picture, and found that more people fell on the ground, men, women and children without exception, continue, it is a city ruin, it looks like People from the army blocked it, and a bridge stretched out of the city, which looked very similar to the Golden Gate Bridge. A motorcycle with a carriage escaped from it. Two young people were sitting on it. Their flags were fluttering in the wind. I can't figure out the words on it, so far, Ivan's painting has come to an end.

"Something bad happened." Ivan picked up the map of the ruins of the city. "It's in San Francisco. Earthquake, plague... Some people escaped, some people were locked up there." His hands were full of black toner.Matthew nodded: "This is very important information, I will tell them later. Thanks for your hard work, do you need something to eat?"

Ivan shook his head and said, "I have to go to sleep again, the terrible picture has been circling in my head all night."

Matthew looked at him intently: "Don't take sleeping pills."

"There is no more medicine, you have taken it away." Ivan spread his hands, showing a somewhat pale smile.Matthew took off his glasses: "We will find a way to help you." However, Ivan went downstairs without saying anything, and Matthew followed him, afraid that he would slip and fall suddenly, until he entered the room.Matthew found a notepad to write down the incident.

On the other side, Alfred has already arrived at the place where they broke down yesterday with a few bottles of Coke. The front hood of "Fool's Fair" was opened, Ludwig and Francis looked around helplessly, Arthur and Feliciano were sunburned and crouched in the shadows, and Alfred walked over and opened his hands : "Haha, you really can't do without me! But don't worry, I'm here now!"

Arthur rolled his eyes, and Francis kicked the wheel: "Then, why don't you come here and see what's wrong with the car you damaged?"

"I guess it's the wheels."

Francis tapped the wheel with a crowbar a few times, and a stone fell out of it. Alfred said, "There is also a condenser." "Isn't it? We didn't bring any condenser." You can’t leave me.” Alfred shook his index finger triumphantly, and threw a tube of condensate to Francis.Arthur finally broke out: "If it wasn't for you sleeping soundly there, would we need to spend the whole morning here in the sun, you stupid idiot!"

"Huh? Then you won't wait for me for a while?..."

Feliciano was drinking his Coke quietly, obviously overheated, and Ludwig asked: "How does he know what's wrong? Can he see through?"

Francis couldn't help laughing: "He definitely doesn't have this kind of ability, but he has been very lucky since he was a child. He has never failed to win a lottery when he bought popsicles, and he found money or movie tickets inexplicably on the road. The wrong word has never been discovered by the middle school teacher... ... and so on. We just thought it was a coincidence at first, until later he was judged by the school to have the ability of "lucky guy". It was born."

"Isn't it natural?" "Of course, some abilities can be cultivated, such as those mage monks, although they were ordinary people at first, but gradually the sixth sense became stronger and stronger, and they became masters." The acquired alien, such as me." Francis said lightly, "My ability is to be able to tell whether a person is lying, and whether he is an alien."

"This is also a very useful ability." "—but it's too inconspicuous compared to others." Francis added with a smile.Ludwig looked down at his palm: "It's already a great thing to be able to exercise your ability. My ability has never improved, and I can only make a small fire with my best efforts. However, the daily life of this kind of fire is very important. It’s enough, but it’s dangerous if it gets bigger.”

Francis stretched out his fist to Ludwig, and the two bumped their fists: "Encourage each other."

After the car was repaired, several people drove their own cars back to the beach, and Matthew stood at the door to greet them: "Everyone, listen to me, something seems to have happened in San Francisco..." Matthew explained to them Ivan's painting , Feliciano was taken aback: "Is this true? Then what should we do?"

"Ivan's predictions are rarely wrong, but let's move forward as planned, and we have to confirm it." Arthur said, "According to Matthew, there may be a plague outbreak there, after all, the current medical conditions and sanitary conditions are so good." Bad, but even the army was dispatched...it seems serious." Feliciano scratched the back of his head: "Then our plan will be ruined, I still want to take pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge."

"Now is not the time to talk about this, people have died." Ludwig knocked on Feliciano's head, and Honda Ju frowned worriedly.Arthur said again: "Anyway, don't be overly nervous. The most important thing is to maintain our physical and mental health. These days, we pack up our things and leave here after a good rest." Everyone agreed.

Soon after night fell, Ludwig lit a bonfire, but everyone was not as noisy as yesterday. They sat around the fire, whispered to each other, and had dinner quietly. They ate roasted marshmallows and sea fish caught by Honda Chrysanthemum , Feliciano found a guitar from nowhere, played and sang with his legs crossed: "Ludwig~ Ludwig~ is such a good man~"

"What ghost song is this?" Ludwig felt his stomach hurt.Feliciano strummed the strings and sang affectionately: "It's "Song of Ludwig"~"

Alfred squirted out the food with a smile, and Francis also smiled and asked, "Can you lend me the guitar?" He took the guitar and handed it to Matthew, "Come on, play a slower one for us." Xiu didn't hesitate, and put the guitar on his lap, but Alfred muttered dissatisfiedly: "Why not me? I taught his guitar..."

"Shut up, you audiophile." Arthur patted Alfred on the head.Matthew played "Allyouneedislove" they played in the car yesterday, Francis could hear it, and he sang along with ease, Feliciano held the venue and beat the beat, under the shroud of white moonlight, the soft music, With regular waves and warm bonfires, the young people enjoy the tranquility of the years.Alfred yawned and leaned on Matthew's shoulder: "So sleepy..."

"Okay, don't fall asleep here, should we go back?" Matthew put his arm around Alfred and looked at the others. Everyone was more or less tired.So the bonfire was extinguished, and everyone returned to the villa under the light of Ludwig's fire, and the house was completely invisible. Alfred was so frightened that he trembled. Matthew knew that he was particularly afraid of ghosts and the like, so he Be with him all the time.They wiped their bodies with fresh water in the dark, and went to bed one after another. Alfred took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Matthew asked, "Are you tired?"

"A little bit. Good night." "Well, good night." Matthew replied, then wrapped himself in the quilt and turned sideways.At this time, Alfred didn't know what to think of, his face showed a white outline in the darkness, and the corner of his mouth curved into an arc: "Won't you give me a goodnight kiss, brother?"

"Isn't that all about childhood?" Having said that, Matthew still turned his head and "tweeted" Alfred's forehead in a face-saving way, "Okay, okay, sleep." Alfred Fred also kissed Matthew quickly, then rolled to the other side with his hands on his forehead, and snored lightly after a while.

Suddenly, Matthew quietly opened his eyes, silently staring at a bright moon in the night, it has illuminated Matthew's sleepless nights countless times, watching over the young Matthew, and it has not changed until today.

He thought—at last, safe night had come.

It was such a night again, Matthew seemed to be able to hear the ticking of the clock. In the darkest years, the bell always woke him up, just as the moonlight suddenly pierced all ignorance and chaos, and the light continued to extend from the darkness.

Tick ​​tock, tick tock... When he was young, he obeyed the orders of the clock. The clock in the attic was very high, and the glass on the clock face had been scratched, like a layer of unmelted frost. He had to move a stool to stand on his feet to see clearly Time, six o'clock, twelve o'clock, eighteen o'clock, the clock rang three times a day, and Matthew would do what he had to do, maybe help Alfred as well.

Twelve years ago, when Matthew was seven, he remembered a dark attic where he and Alfred lived and worked.But Alfred was always away—unlike Matthew, he was busy, busy catching dragonflies, chasing stray cats, and playing pranks, and in this lively movement, he could taste life, but this It was a feeling that not even twins could share, and Matthew didn't understand that it was like taking the life force out of the sun.Alfred is the one who confides, and he wants the world to hear his voice, but Matthew is the one who has to keep quiet, and he has to guard all the tiny and fragile existences, as long as he can remember those Things that should have passed away.

There lived three children and a monster in this house. The monster was omnipresent and omnipotent. It was the master of the place. No one dared to defy it or run away from it, because the police were with it.Unless a hero shows up, Matthew will always be a princess in the Tower.

Imprisoned Matthew leads a monotonous life, and when the house becomes empty, it's his mission to explore the attic and learn to survive.There are many boxes in the attic, and there are many books and video tapes in the boxes. Although Matthew did not go to school, he learned to read, and he used the manual to fix the waste player. He played the complete works of "Harry Potter" and I've watched Batman dozens of times.These stories, he thought, must have happened on the other side of the planet, they were miraculously preserved for Matthew to see, the words and video were amazing.

It is hard to say that Matthew inexplicably fell in love with the "Joker", the green-haired, red-lipsed, cunning and cruel villain.Alfred hated all bad guys, and his justice couldn't bear a shadow, so Matthew didn't dare tell him that he liked a bad guy, but it finally came out.Alfred was very puzzled, and Matthew was not very clear. He just felt that, as a person, "Joker" was very free and enviable.

So, in such a gray and silent time, Matthew observed everything and imitated it. Over time, he became good at changing water pipes, brushing shoes, frying sun-dried eggs, and even sewing a little bit-although no one ever taught him how to do it. over him.To survive you must learn.

Not only that, Matthew knew his attic well, and it was his territory.He knew what would happen at what time. Whenever the smell of baking cookies came out of the window in the afternoon, and the car bell sounded downstairs, it was Arthur who came back from school.Arthur was a fifth grader at the time, but he never talked about school, and he always came back from school dirty, maybe with some paint on his face, so Matthew guessed that school was a In the battlefield, a child goes in and becomes an adult when he comes out. He is worried because he is about to go to school.Fortunately, Arthur was still a normal kid, and he was playing video games with Francis upstairs.

Arthur carried his bag to the attic, and changed his dirty school uniform as usual to avoid being discovered by monsters.Then he and Matthew sat at the workbench to make LED bulbs and string beads, and asked habitually, "Where is Alf?"

"He went out to play." Always.

Arthur muttered, to the effect that "you shouldn't always help him with work." As for why he didn't say it clearly, Matthew at the time couldn't figure it out.Alfred came back by dinner time, and he was in tatters, and the monsters might return to their nests soon after.If the monster was there, they could eat hamburgers, but if the monster wasn't there, they'd have to make their own oatmeal, which couldn't get enough for a fussy kid like Alfred.Matthew fried some eggs for everyone's extra meal.

24 hours a day, the former Matthew is always waiting for the night.The daytime is busy and noisy, the daytime belongs to free people, the house is empty during the daytime, but the night is warm and safe, the nighttime belongs to people who cannot see the light, and everyone is in the house at nighttime.In Matthew's hand, there is a small lamp, he doesn't know what it is, maybe it is a fragment of the moon, the moon is the eclipse of the sun, the moon loves the sun and the day, so the moon will always live in the dark night.

When all was still, Matthew and Alfred lay side by side in the closet, and the moon, like a great pearl about to escape from the fishing net of night, powdered their bedside again.The walls of the closet are covered with star stickers, glowing faintly. Matthew leaned over and kissed Alfred's forehead: "Good night, Alfred."

"Good night, Matthew." Alfred returned a kiss.

It's safe here, Matthew told himself, we're not going anywhere.He stared into the darkness with his eyes open.Yet there are no heroes to save him today.

At this time, Matthew had a secret that he couldn't tell.Before that disaster came, Matthew had no idea what his future would be like, no matter rich or poor, no matter life, old age, sickness or death, he just hoped to keep this secret.It wasn't until 12 years later that the world unfolded before his eyes for the first time, and it brought a beautiful and wonderful doomsday era.

He still doesn't know anything about all this, and his life has just begun.