horror effect

Julian Raymond treating a wound on the crown of Dr. Hostatova's clinic.He naturally didn't say that he was pecked by a giant white bird in a dream, for fear that people would think he was crazy.He only said that he accidentally fell when he got up and hit his head on the corner of the table.

"If you look at the wound alone, I would think that the corner of the table is covered with iron." Dr. Hostatova said while applying the medicine to Julian.

"It probably hit hard."

"Did you feel dizzy? Confused? Feeling like passing out?"

"Doctor, if I had felt those feelings, I wouldn't have walked to you by myself. I don't think there was a concussion."

"It's better to be careful about this kind of thing. Call me immediately if you feel any discomfort." The doctor picked up the scissors, "I have to cut some of your hair now, don't be too sorry." Then she Without waiting for Julian's consent, he swished the scissors with a click, and a few strands of brown hair bid farewell to the scalp and fell to the floor.

"Won't it be too ugly?" Julian was concerned about this.There are few places on his body that can remind people of a handsome man, and the flowing brown hair is one of them, but now this most conspicuous place will also betray his hopes.After the treatment, Julian asked for a mirror and took a good look at it for a long time.Fortunately, the cut hair is not too much and not obvious, and it should grow back soon.

"Have you ever had a patient like me before?" he asked, putting down the mirror.

Dr. Hostatova looked at Julian strangely. "Of course there have been injuries from sharp objects, but I haven't hit the top of the head like you did." The implication was that she was laughing at his clumsiness.

It's not that I want to make it like this.Julian gave her a blank look.But he was thinking in his heart, was he the only one attacked by the white bird?Was he the only one who was brought into that world?What does the legend about the white lion have to do with "him"?No, no, there should be others. It certainly wasn't the first time "he" had done this.

"By the way, doctor," Julie said nonchalantly, "I want to write a report about the town. Can you tell me about the interesting things that have happened here in recent years? Strange things are fine."

Hostatova glanced at him, but said nothing.She threw the cotton swabs and waste gauze used in the treatment into the trash can with a blank expression, and walked out of the treatment room.Julian, who was left mercilessly aside, was embarrassed, but he was already in a mess anyway, and he didn't care about the blow.Turning around, he looked at Nikola Theoros who was about to take away the medical equipment, and said, "Then can you talk to me?"

Father Colleven was cleaning the tables when Julian Raymond walked into the Four Calendars.It was just morning, and there was no one in the tavern. He took advantage of this time to clean up, wipe wine glasses, and prepare food.As soon as he saw Julian come in, the old man stared at him very unhappy, and muttered: "Why is it you again?"

If you go to a tavern more than twice in a row, you are an acquaintance there.Julian casually sat down on the high-backed chair and tapped his fingers on the countertop. "Have a beer first."

Micah behind the counter took a large beer glass and stuck it under the faucet. While receiving the drink, he said, "What? You don't want whiskey or rum?"

Julian glanced at his mouth helplessly, lowered his head, and pointed out the scalp with the hair cut off and the ointment covered on it to Colivan and Micah. "The doctor said it was a blow to the head and it was best not to drink strong alcohol."

"How did you get into this?" Father Collivan asked him.

"This...but it's a long story..."

Julian picked up his wine glass and took a big gulp of warm beer, swirling the amber liquid in his mouth several times.He did this to buy time, to think carefully about what to do next.In the end, he seemed to have figured it out, swallowed all the wine, wiped his mouth, and said to Papa Collivan, "I want to ask you something about this town."

Dad stopped what he was doing and stared at Julian, his eyes in their deep sockets were very deep. "Young man, I've told you - don't inquire, don't believe rumors, and don't stay here long. It's for your own good. I've lived in this place for more than 70 years, from birth to now, I know a lot more about this place than you do, and I can intuitively feel things that you can't see or notice. You should go, Mr. Raymond. I won't tell you anything."

A contemptuous smile flickered across Julian's lips, which made Papa Collivan very uncomfortable. "You try to drive me away like this, it seems that you are hiding something. I guess this matter must be closely related to everyone in this small town. Each of you seems to be hiding something, and no one is willing to tell the truth. And If I'm not mistaken, you are always on guard against outsiders because you are afraid that something will affect the town's tourism revenue."

Papa Collivan didn't answer.He just frowned, staring at the table.On the other hand, Mijia on the side got a little nervous, and looked at his grandfather as if asking for help.It took a while for the old man to notice his gaze and give him a slight nod, and Mitya went back to the kitchen on the pretext of preparing pate.

As soon as he was gone, Collivan looked up and said to Julian: "You will be unlucky--I am not cursing you, there will always be unlucky people like you, it has always been like this, and it will always be like this .”

Julian stood up suddenly when he heard this, and grabbed Colleven's thin arm. "Then there were people who wanted to know the secrets like me before! What did they know? How are they doing?"

His eyes were fixed on the old man's face, and he would not leave it for a moment, as if there was a tight rope to tie his attention to his face.Under such gazes, Papa Collivan's defense flinched a bit. "They...they..."

"What happened to them?!" Julian asked aloud.

Father Collivan didn't answer. He turned his head and faced the counter with his body, leaning on it, holding his white hair tightly with both hands, as if he was competing with something in his brain.

"They're dead, aren't they?"

When Julian said this, the tense nerves of the two people relaxed at the same time.Julian sat back on the chair, and Father Collivan put down his hands, turned around, and looked at him suspiciously. "How do you know? Who told you?"

Julian took a sip of his beer, feeling a surge of triumph in his heart. "I asked myself when I went to see a doctor at the medical clinic."

"Dr. Hostatova doesn't know anything! She can't tell you!"

"She didn't say anything, but there are others. I'm asking about Nikolai, the son of Theolos, the owner of the logging company. He is very young, not so guarded, and he went to school for a while, yes I don’t know much about the situation here. I said I was collecting materials for writing an article, and he told me everything very readily.”

At the mention of Nicholas' name, Father Collivan suddenly became less nervous. "What can he tell you?"

"Nicolas told me a very interesting legend - the legend of the white lion." Julian paused here, hoping that Collison could pay attention to himself and read more things from his expression.Collivan looked at him with a calm expression on his face.This made Julian a little puzzled. "He told me that many people in this town died mysteriously. No one knew what happened, and they didn't leave any clues. Nicholas believed that they all knew something, some more, some less, but That's what brought them disaster."

Julian continued.He was surprised to find that old man Collivan actually smiled. Although it was very small and fleeting, it was indeed a smile.This is very strange, he thought. "Aren't you afraid that I will tell this matter?" He couldn't help asking.

"Ha." Colleven grinned, seemingly very happy, "Is that all? Who would believe you? Everyone in the town knows it, and those tourists will only treat your words as pure legends."

"But there is a strange death in this place! Has no one tracked it down?!" Julian's voice rose.

"So what if it's been tracked down? We tracked it down, and at first the police got involved, but you must understand that nothing came of it, and no one knew what was going on. Mr. Scotland, please take my advice, you don't You should come here, and you shouldn’t spy on secrets! The only thing you should do is get out of here!”

Julian shook his head firmly.Never go, he thought.He couldn't leave until he knew why the albino was pestering him.Lidi's rotting corpse and the magical world in the dream had left a deep imprint on his heart, and only when everything was revealed to the world could he be healed. "What if I could reveal the secret? What if I could tell you? Don't you want to know?"

There was a twisted and odd smile on Collivin's face, more like a spasm of the cheek. "No, I don't want to. So what can I know? The dead can't come back, and the living will die one day. I don't want to know anything, I don't want anything. This life is enough for me, I have no hope for anyone or anything."

Julian was in a bad mood when he got back to the Cedar Hill Inn.The mere fact that his scalp was pecked and his hair cut off did not upset him.Father Collivan's words were full of a sense of fate. A person who should have despised fate was not only unable to support his body or even his spirit when he was old.This made Julian very uncomfortable.So he was still serious when he was allowed to enter the office of the hotel manager, Herbert Wernstein.

"Is there anything I can do for you? Mr. Julian Raymond." Herbert spoke first.

Julian watched the formulaic smile on Herbert's face, which could only come across as false and comical when both parties knew what they were talking about would be unpleasant. "Yes. I need to borrow a key, only you have it."

"Oh, that's it." Herbert still kept smiling, "The key to my office? The key to the safe? The key to the private drawer? The key to a certain female lodger...?"

"Are you kidding?" Julian sneered, "I want the key to room C307, you should already know that, don't you?"

"Yes, I know. And I won't give it to you, I think you already know."

The two smiled tacitly, and their eyes met, as if sharp swords were clashing, and each was shocked by the determination in the other's eyes.

At last Herbert said, "Can you tell me why I am so interested in room C307?"

"You are the master, don't you know the secret inside?"

Herbert laughed again. "No," he shook his head, "I don't know."

What surprised Julian was the sincerity with which Herbert said this.This made him a little puzzled. "Have you ever heard of the legend of the White Lion?" Julian asked.

"I know."

"Don't you think there is some connection between the mysterious death that happened in this town and the white lion?"

"I'm sorry, I haven't been in this town for more than ten years, and I don't know many things. I think you are sensationalizing, sir."

Julian shook his head solemnly and said, "I don't think we need to talk any further."

"So... I think so too."

The two stood up, shook hands indifferently, and Julian left Herbert's office.