horror effect

The Theolos Logging Company is at the end of town, just a large yard full of felled logs.Because of the snow the other day, the wood was damp and darkened, exuding the smell of the forest in the mist.Next to the yard is an old-fashioned two-story building, the outer wall skin is peeled off in some places, like scars, and there are some messy graffiti on the lower wall, which can barely make out "... Oro... Roll... ...Go to hell..." Words like this hang there lazily, and the owner of the house never seems to try to wipe them clean.

Irina Theolos is in the kitchen kneading dough for a midday sandwich.Her fingers were nimble, and the dough was kneaded until it was ripe and smooth.But as she worked, she kept her eyes on the street outside the window, even though there was no one there.Her mind was clearly elsewhere.

Yesterday afternoon, Theolos received a call from the Englishman who had recently appeared in town, saying he wanted to interview the logging camp.Theolos didn't agree directly at that time. After hanging up the phone, he told Elena about this, and the couple were very surprised.

What the hell is that Englishman doing?Irene thought.He claimed to be a photojournalist, but these days, there are all kinds of journalists.The newspapers also said that many reporters are actually spies in disguise.If the British are interested in the town, they can go to interview the mayor, interview the female painter, why interview the lumberyard?Is it just because of the bad temper of the people in that country?

Of course, of course, it is also possible that she is thinking too much, but it is always right to be careful.They agreed to the interview request and made an appointment to meet today.Theoros has already gone to the woodland, and he should stay to receive reporters according to common sense, but he is right to do so: we can't let outsiders stay at home too much, especially this kind of guy of unknown origin.Nicholas was still the same as usual, he left early to go to work in the medical center after dinner, there was nothing to worry about him.Let the boy see his Dr. Hostatova.Thinking of this, Irene sneered: All men are the same—old, young, high and low—all the same, and they can't do without women, and they can't do without women.

And at the same time that Irina Theoros sneered, Masha Chebysova, the waitress at the Cedar Hill Hotel, was also sneering.She held the vacuum cleaner hose in her hand and sneered at Julian Raymond, who was sitting in a chair. "You have a fever in your head," she said.

"Ah." Julian looked at her with interest, "Maybe, if I want to interview the Theoros and his wife, I will be regarded as a hothead, so obviously I am already crazy. However, why is my decision What makes you so disgusted?"

"Because of your interviewee! Don't you understand?"

Julian spread his hands and shrugged. "Why should I know everything? I'm neither a prophet nor God."

"Well, let me tell you why." Martha put the vacuum cleaner hose on the carpet, with one hand on her hip, like a female teacher teaching elementary school students, "The Theolos couple are the most annoying people in town. My husband is an alcoholic. It is said that he brought a lot of money when he came back a few years ago—some people say that the money came from an unclean source. Half of the money was swallowed up by his loss-making lumber camp, and the other half was drunk by himself. Made him owe a lot of debts. And the wife is even worse, everyone said she was married to Theoros to save her life during the Bosnian War, does that make you poor? We thought so at first, but then we found out She's been sleeping with different men all the time..."

"Martha..." Julian interrupted her with reproach, "We shouldn't talk about others like this."

The waitress was first taken aback, then sneered again. "You people from big cities are weird. Everyone talks about others. Isn't this the most normal thing? What's more, it is Irina Theoros herself who caused this situation. Not only does she not reflect on herself Instead, she thinks that we are hostile to her. The former mayor once talked to her, but do you know the result? Elena kicked out the mayor and called the whole town people stupid maggots. You want to talk to someone like that, and we wouldn't be surprised if you get kicked out."

On the way to Theolos' house, Julian kept trying to figure out what Martha had said.People in the big cities... Indeed, people in the big cities don't have time to talk about people because they're too busy and don't know anyone; people in small towns have to talk about people because they have nothing else to talk about .So, maybe Irene Theolos isn't as annoying as she says, but maybe what Martha said is true...well, let it be true, even if Irene Theoros is The contemporary Zantibi is better, but Theolos is not Socrates.

Julian pictured Irone in his mind as a caricature shrew, and when the latter heard the bell and opened the door and stood in front of him, her beauty made Julian feel a huge contrast.

Elena Theoros is just in her early 30s. She is tall and plump. Her jet-black hair curls around her neck in thick curls like black grape beads. No matter how pulled and permed, those hairs still kept curving on their own; Irone's skin was not very white, but with her black hair and firm red lips, she looked lively.In her blue eyes, and flared nose, Julian sensed a remarkable beauty that he had found in the various women around him, a beauty that came from a confidence in himself.

Seeing Julian Raymond, Irene smiled warmly, at odds with the prudence of the women of the region.She told him that Theorus had gone to the woodland first, and that she would take him there.This surprised Julian. It would be nice to be able to visit the logging factory as soon as possible, but welcoming guests first is the basic way of hospitality.The Theolos seemed unenthusiastic about the British interview.

On the way to the woodland, Julian and Irone struck up a conversation.

"The lumber mill was opened six years ago," she said. "The timber market at that time was good, and there were not as many restrictions as there are today. It is no longer possible now. Foreign timber is pouring in, and there are many domestic forest farms. At least because of environmental protection, development has been restricted. It is not easy for us to persist until today."

"What's the profit margin?" Julian asked.

"Profit rate?" Elena looked at him with some surprise, "There is no profit rate, and it is a good thing not to lose money."

They walked into the woodland now. Under their feet was the wet ground covered with countless rotting leaves, and in some places were deeply imprinted by the wheels. All around them were tall trees with bare branches intertwined and intertwined into a Brown gauze.Not far away, you can find stumps one by one, some of which have just been felled, and the cross-section is still very smooth, while those stumps that were cut first have grown new branches.There were voices and the sound of a chainsaw not far ahead.Moving on, they meet the workers and boss Theoros.

Three workers are surrounding a big tree that is as thick as two people hugging each other. Two are holding the trunk so that it can follow the predetermined direction when it falls down. The other is cutting with a chainsaw in his hand, following the roar Sawdust flew in all directions, and a gap like a big mouth gradually appeared on the trunk, and the mouth grew wider and wider.Seeing Elena and Julian approaching, Theolos gestured for the workers to stop first, and called the two newcomers to a safe place beside him.

"I'm very glad you came," Theolos said with a smile. "I should welcome you at home first, but I think it's better to come here first." Then he began to talk about the history of the lumber mill, from its The establishment, development and decline of the present.He spoke so fluently and without emotion that Julian had to think that he had prepared beforehand.

But the problem is not Theorus's emotionless telling, but Julian's emotionless listening.The interview with the lumber mill was just an excuse, he hoped to get close to Theoros and wring some secrets out of him.The owner of the lumber mill is not a cautious person like Papa Collivan. Julian had already seen this when they met in the tavern, and now, he confirmed this again—there was a smell of smoke on Theoros. It smelled like he was smoking a cigarette just now, which should be avoided for logging work, but Theoros didn't seem to care.

The chainsaw turned again, and the workers widened the gap.Only the remaining wooden part connecting the stump and the trunk will not be able to bear the weight. The workers pushed along the trend, and the trunk fell in the opposite direction. It was trembling at first, and the speed was very slow, as if the tree itself did not want to lie down. It seemed, but soon, it hit the ground violently like a stone, sending the twigs flying.During this process, Julian kept taking pictures, and his quick and skilled movements left a good impression on the Theolos couple.

Workers then used saws and axes to remove branches from the large trunk, which was left bare and tied to the back of a trailer.The same labor was repeated three times. Near noon, the workers drove the trailer out of the forest, while Julian and the Theolos couple walked down the mountain together.

"It's not easy running a lumber mill like this, is it?" Julian asked on the way down the mountain.

Theolos nodded. "Now it's not the same as before. I think Elena has told you that. The timber business like ours is barely sustainable. Once foreign capital enters, this small business will either go bankrupt or be annexed, and the capital will not be able to turn around. .”

"So the situation was much better at the beginning of the establishment?"

"Yeah..." Theoros sighed, as if he was lamenting the good old days. "The factory was three times larger at the time, and the government didn't have so many regulations. There are forests that can be harvested everywhere."

"But the economic environment is very free now, isn't it?" Julian said innocently.

"Freedom? Big companies can freely eat small businesses. This is freedom. Instead of economic freedom, I would rather ask for money. This is the most powerful thing in any era."

"When you founded the logging factory, the funds should have been guaranteed." Julian's tone and expression were filled with deep suspicion, which was exactly the kind of suspicion that rich people have towards ordinary people, mixed with disdain.This angered Theoros, with a gloomy face, he said angrily: "Mr. Raymond, do you think those of us who have come from the socialist era are not worthy of owning property?

I..." He was about to continue, but Elena held his arm from the side and whispered to Theolos, "Don't do that.He is a reporter. "

Immediately afterwards, Elena smiled at Julian. "My husband's family was originally as poor as the people in this town, but there was a wealthy relative in the capital. Later, we inherited the inheritance and opened a logging factory." Her narrative was simple but there were no obvious loopholes, but in Too much process has been skipped between understatements.Julian didn't ask any more questions.

The three continued to walk towards the valley.When passing a slope, Julian slipped and fell to the ground, and Theoros reached out to help him up. "It's because the rocks are loose." He said, "You'd better follow us. This mountain looks calm, but there are actually many traps buried in it."

Julian stood up, slapping the dirt off his trousers. "Oh? But it's really peaceful here... By the way! I once saw a lumberjack in the medical center, named Gernie, whose leg was injured. He is your worker, right?"

"No! It's his own fault. I didn't forbid the workers to drink alcohol at work. After all, it's cold here in winter, and a little drink can help move their muscles and bones. But he drank too much, and he was so dizzy that he couldn't figure out the tree fell. As a result, when he heard the rattling of branches, the tree trunk was no more than three feet away from his head, and he escaped quickly, only breaking his leg."

"But I heard..." Julian hesitated for a moment, which caught the attention of the Theolos couple, "Gernie was stunned because he saw some terrifying sight... It seems to be in some legend... said Julian, watching them.Elena's expression was pure curiosity, but Theoros' expression suddenly became serious.

"Oh, it's the white lion," Elena interjected. "As a reporter, you shouldn't believe rumors, Mr. Raymond. People always like to talk about things that cannot be explained, either out of fear or awe." The problem comes down to supernatural powers."

"Mr. Raymond is mistaken," Theolos said.His eyes were fixed on Julian, with a stone-like sternness, "Legends are nothing but fantasies in people's minds, and that kind of thing has no credibility at all. It's not like what you describe in a novelist's book." It’s like believing that there are vampires in Eastern Europe now. It’s not impossible for Gernie to have hallucinations because he drank too much alcohol.”

Julian suddenly smiled thoughtfully, and said, "You mean, because Gerner is familiar with the legend of the white lion, perhaps under the dual effects of the external environment and his drunkenness at the time, some things—clouds , birds, reflections of stones, etc., as white lions?"

Theoros hesitated for a moment, and replied, "It's possible."

"What you said is indeed reasonable. This kind of hallucination event is not uncommon in history. There are such experiences similar to apocalypse in Saint Francis, philosopher Pascal and Kierkegaard. Some people even think that Christ Resurrection is also a hallucinatory experience. Seriously, you have piqued my interest, Mr. Theolos, tell me something about the legend of the white lion."

"Me?" Theoros' body trembled slightly, "I'm really sorry, I haven't lived in the town for a long time, and I don't know the legends, maybe those old residents will be happy to help you." Lenna winked, and she interrupted them immediately with a smile.

"It's so cold! Let's not stand in the field talking, shall we? Go back. I'm going to make bread with jam and tea. Would Mr. Raymond do me a favor?"

"Of course! It's a great honor."

Julian replied happily, but in his heart, he was a little disappointed.The Theolos were careful not to brush off any conversation about their past or the legend of the white lion, and it was evident that they had prepared for this interview.Regarding the white lion, the Theolos couple seemed less superstitious than the others in the town, but they were also evasive and unwilling to answer directly.Why should they be wary of a foreign reporter who seems to have no stake in it?Is it because of their past, or because of the legend?Or is it related to both?