horror effect

The distance from the small town to Karlovo is not long, but the road conditions are poor due to the snowmelt, and there are black mud everywhere.

Fortunately, the hotel's bus is not bad, the passenger seat is relatively high, but the luggage compartment below is very empty, and it will shake dangerously when turning. I believe that the bus full of cargo will be more comfortable on the way back.

They reached the finish line near noon, and Julian took a cab straight to the train station, where the bright-eyed, bearded driver drove up the little wreck that was belching smoke and had every reason to suspect that the brakes had failed. Coming so fast, Julian was so scared that he was worried about whether he could reach the destination completely.

When he got to the train station, Julian realized that worse things were still waiting for him.

The first train to Gabrovo had just left half an hour ago, and the next one was not until evening.He took his ticket and looked out at the indifferent crowd and the muddy street outside the station, cursing anyone who allowed himself to waste four hours—the person who made the train timetable, the person who made the departure time of the hotel shuttle, who did not clear the accumulation in time. Xue people, he killed them all in his heart.

He found a fast food restaurant near the station, ate a lunch that contained a lot of animal and vegetable fat, and even thought contemptuously while eating:

What is this that I eat?

Ground up plant seeds, parts of dead chicks, embryonic fowl?

Then he used the rest of the time to wander around, as if to prove his own judgment, he found that this small city had nothing to attract him.

After finally waiting for the departure time, Julian found a corner seat in the carriage and sat down, watching the carriage move slowly, staring at the monotonous scenery outside, his mood sank with the sound of the train clicking again and again .

There were no good signs along the way, and he began to wonder if he was doing something stupid.Stephen tried to hurt him, but it was not out of his own will. He may have been hurt more deeply than Julian, so when they met each other, it was difficult for Julian to imagine what was going on, maybe it was a mutual shameful apology, But there is also the potential for a quarrel to break out.

Julian was a little drowsy in the turbulence of the train, and he thought of the scene at that time: Stephen's slender body was sitting on him, and his fingers were pulling his desire.

He couldn't believe that he had come so quickly in another man's hands, between fingers like that... With a bang, his forehead hit the car window.

Wake up, Julian said to himself, it's not Stephen, it's Bernous, not him.

Half an hour after dark, he came to Gabrovo and took another crazy taxi to the city hotel.There were not many people in the hotel lobby, and most of them were quietly drinking, reading newspapers, or waiting for their luggage.

Julian went straight to the front desk and told a young and beautiful girl that he wanted to see Mr. Stephen Breumontrost in room 1104.

"But Mr. Breumontrose is not here," answered the girl in a sweet voice.

"So where is he now?" Why did he always answer this sentence. "Madrid? Oslo? Or Pretoria?"

"I'm sorry, sir, we really don't know. Mr. Breumontrose went out in the morning, and he left the key here before he left." The girl pointed to a set of small cabinets marked with the room number behind her.

This made Julian feel a little better.Since Stephen saved the key, it means that he should come back at night.

"May I go upstairs and wait for him?" said Julian.

The girl showed a troubled expression again. "I'm sorry, sir. It's not allowed by the rules."

"I don't go into his room, just outside."

"That's not allowed either."

"Then tell me what's okay!" As soon as the words came out, Julian began to scold himself in his heart.Where has his demeanor gone?

Why is he mad at this poor girl?Especially when he saw the girl pouting aggrievedly, Julian's guilt became stronger.

"Sorry, that's not what I meant...I can wait in the lobby. Sorry, miss..."

He turned around in embarrassment, but found that Stephen was standing not far from him, obviously just walked in, and judging from the disgusted expression on his face, Julian's every move just now had not escaped his eyes.

Stephen looked at him coldly, and after a while, a mocking smile twisted from the corner of his mouth, and said softly: "It turns out that the coats of British gentlemen are time-sensitive, do you need me to introduce you to a good tailor? Or Said that only England has a tailor who can mend your coat?"

Julian frowned nervously, “Stephen, please listen to my explanation…”

"I have no intention of receiving you."

"Then you're here to explain to me what exactly you were doing the afternoon before yesterday?"

Stephen blushed, avoided Julian's gaze, and said, "Okay. Follow me upstairs."

Julian looked at Stephen's room.

Like any single traveler, the room was messy, with clothes strewn about on the chairs and bed, and glasses everywhere.

There were two stacks of books on the sofa, a lot, and Stephen couldn't have brought them, so it was obvious where he had spent the day.And his father actually believed that he was meeting old friends.

Of course, no old friends, nothing.Stephen is running away.

Julian moved the book to the table and sat down on the sofa.Stephen was brushing glasses in the bathroom. "What would you like to drink? All I have is whiskey, or water," he asked.

"Whiskey. Thank you." While answering, Julian wondered if Stephen's habit of drinking strong alcohol was developed in Glasgow.Alcohol can easily intoxicate a person, or use drugs.

A two-to-one choice.

Stephen handed the cup to Julian, then sat on the edge of the bed, without looking at Julian from the beginning to the end.

No one speaks.Julian stared at Stephen.

He is waiting.

He wanted to make it all clear, but didn't want to push the other person.He hoped that Stephen would tell it himself, and he believed Stephen would, because under his watch, the young man was getting more and more nervous, avoiding his eyes, and his cheeks were slowly turning red.

"You...why did you come to me?" He finally spoke, and glanced up at Julian, then quickly dodged.

"Did you know the pill I was given the night before was morphine?" Julian asked.Stephen shook his head and said: "I didn't do anything that happened at that time. Although I can feel it, those things are against my will. If it hurts you..."

Julian stopped him and said, "The white lion has you, I knew it then. It's not your fault."

Stephen was not happy with this sentence, he covered his cheeks with his hands, and said bitterly: "But I almost killed someone! If I have the strength to break free from his control, I shouldn't give in. You don't know, Julian, I have actually surrendered to him."

His shoulders twitched, and tears trickled down between his fingers. "Don't think I saved you, I just didn't kill you. Bernus' power is much stronger than we imagined."

He is pure darkness.Stephen recalled what he had seen.

He saw his world fall into pieces on that sharp line between life and death, death on one side, life on the other, and beyond that everything was so foreign, every thought so strange. crazy.He is not afraid of death, but when he looks at death and life, he finds that they are equally terrible.

He knows that a new day begins when the old one ends, that after winter comes spring, and after spring comes summer; he knows that to live, to act, to do something.

But he also deeply felt that the idea of ​​what to do was absurd and ridiculous, nothing was necessary, and any action was hopeless.

"Stephen?" Julian's question jerked him out of his thoughts.He looked up and saw Julian's dark eyes looking at him worriedly.

"Eh? You just said...?"

"Why did you leave so suddenly." The black eyes became stern.

He can't escape.

thought Stephen.

He had to face this moment, the scrutinizing gaze of the man in front of him.The man stared at him as if he was staring at a criminal.For a moment, Stephen recalled the emotion of the white lion that he accidentally experienced when Bernus controlled his body: those overwhelming and terrifying hatred, hurt and revenge.

All those dark things, things that tore him apart.

"I hurt you, I lied to you—more than you can imagine," he said.

"What?" Julian looked puzzled.

"Yes. I hurt you. I gave you morphine pills. I erased the marks painted on Bernus's tomb. I tampered with Theoros' tomb. I led the way for you to step on. The injured foot is the mark of my paw that I drew on Theoros' chest.

This is all done by me, so I'm going to run away.Do you understand it? "

Stephen felt a sudden burst of pleasure when he saw the pain in Julian's expression.

The man opposite had frowned eyebrows, a nick-like depression appeared on his forehead, stern eyes, and two wrinkles around his lips.

He is in pain, yes.

But the pain in this man is restrained and flat, as if it is only a small part of the whole great pain, swallowed up like a tear that melts in the ocean.

He obviously got it all.

well.

The next thing he would look at me with disdain, hate me, and kick me away like a dog.

go your way!Don't have anything to do with me.You shouldn't be here, so go with your anger.

But things did not develop as Stephen expected.

Julian's stern gaze was not clouded by anger. On the contrary, those dark eyes became very gentle, with a pity that made Stephen uncomfortable.The moment before Julian opened his arms to hug him, he even felt a little sad in that gaze.

"You did something wrong. I know it. But it wasn't of your own volition, and you don't have to punish yourself for it." Julian's low voice was softer than the first morning breeze when the pine branches began to sway gently in it. And be gentle.

His palms stroked the tense muscles in Stephen's back.

"But...I hurt...you." Stephen murmured.He felt a tremor in his shoulders, and it was Julian smiling, a very small smile.

"You hurt me, so you think I'm going to hate you? No, no, Stephen. Humans are fragile and easily hurt, but at the same time they can suffer unimaginable pain. I don't I'm happy with things, but I'm not going to put all the blame on you. It's not your fault, maybe you've been weak, but there's no shame in being weak, it's a way for people to protect themselves. Stop blaming yourself, Stephen, otherwise I would think that Bernus has caused you more pain than he has caused me."

Stephen was a little surprised, in fact, he was a little excited.He sighed, suppressing his excitement, and nodded, slamming his chin on Julian's shoulder.

The warm, itchy hug loosened, and Julian was still clutching his upper arm, with a relaxed smile on his face.

The smile multiplied the lines on his face, especially in the light.

Stephen suddenly realized the fact that Julian was ten years older than himself at this time.

What has ten years of experience made him more than himself?

More pain and more ways to suffer?Who knows?

Julian straightened up, drank the whiskey that had just been put on the table, touched his stomach comfortably, and said to Stephen: "What? Don't you want to treat me to a meal? Don't try to fill me up with wine, my The stomach has had enough of fast food."

Stephen couldn't help laughing as he imagined him swallowing the hamburger, frowning.