horror effect

Following the sound, Julian turned around and saw a man about 50 years old, with a round figure and a circle of fat protruding from the belt of his trousers.The man's hair was already grey, but his eyebrows were shiny black as if painted, and his eyes were round; his face was so dark that Julian thought for no reason of a freshly baked pie--shiny brown, Crunchy and cracked.

Papa Collivan laughed when he saw him, but Julian noticed the unabashed disdain in his eyes. "Theolos," said the old man, "why are you here? You usually come here at night."

"Aren't you welcome when I come at noon?" He came over, picked up the rum bottle, looked at it, licked his lips, put it down carefully, and said to Micah, "As usual, let's have a glass of whiskey first." And a bowl of chili con carne."

Mika went to the inner kitchen, and Theolos began to chat with Coliving. "Father, why do you want to drink strong wine?"

"I'm drinking for Mr. Raymond, he's from Scotland." Collivan said to Julian again, "I'd like to introduce you to the man next to you—Mr. .”

Theolos grinned and made a grimace, and shook hands with Julian. "Don't listen to what he said. I'm just the boss of a logging company that's about to go bankrupt. I'm not an entrepreneur, let alone a capitalist. I just make some money from the forest."

But Collivan said coldly, "But I think your methods of exploiting workers are not bad at all. I heard from Nicholas that Gernie injured his leg while logging, and when you asked you to pay for the medical bills, it was like It's as difficult as picking meat out of a shell with tweezers, and you're pushing him to get back to work all day."

"Hey..." Theoros sighed exaggeratedly, drank a big sip of wine, and said, "What can I do, I am a small business, and now that the timber market is declining, I am doing poorly at all. Mr. Colivan Dad, people always have to live."

"That's right. But why live like you, Theoros?"

said Dad sternly.This made Theolos unable to lift his head, he didn't say anything, and when the meat sauce came, he sat down on the table beside him.He took a few mouthfuls, then suddenly remembered something, and said, "You say I am cruel, but I think I am very kind. At least I will not pretend to be kind, but secretly destroy other people's homes. Much better than that old Mikhail Bouyil."

Julian looked at Theoros.What he saw was the greedy face, chubby neck, and roving eyes of a fat man.This kind of person usually eats, drinks, and laughs loudly, thinking that the whole world is his own.They fight openly and secretly for carnival all day long, but they don't know that they are going to destruction.

He looked away from the lumber mill boss, believing that there was no need for him to deal with such a person in the future.He said to Collivan who had been silent: "Who is Mikhail Bouai that Theoros said?"

"Him? He's a prominent figure in our town...he's the owner of a successful insurance company. Some people in the town are proud of him, and the councilors in this area often court him. However, our old people here We all know that the Bouy family's family history is not glorious..."

At this time, Theoros shouted, "Dad, don't say it! In this place, Boai is much more powerful than the government, the police, and the parliament! Do you think you are saying bad things about him? Mr. doesn’t know? He already knew that you hate him! What benefits can you get? Hmm? In the end, you still have to live under his protection. Don’t be brave! Isn’t your stubborn temper doing you little harm?!”

Father Collivan was angry, his beard was shaking, he straightened his back, and said to Theolos word by word: "Don't talk about me with your dirty thoughts. I am different from you. I have lived a lifetime of life. Be brave. Even when I get hurt, I don’t regret it. God made me who I am. I love those I like and I hate those I hate. Finally when I die, there are many people who are sad and also There must be many people who are happy. I am different from you. When I hate someone, I will grit my teeth. Maybe I will hurt someone because of it, but it is not my fault. The fault is the Creator who created me. "

Seeing that Theoros and Collivan were about to quarrel.One stared, chewing the meat sauce in his mouth; the other looked down at each other, his hands clenched into fists.But this quarrel is destined not to happen, this is certainly because of the author's compassionate heart, and on the other hand, there is a newcomer in the tavern.

It was a young man wearing black-rimmed glasses who rushed in with the cold wind. He walked straight to Theolos without looking at anyone else. "Father! How did you come here. Irene told you to go back!"

After hearing the name, Theoros' expression immediately changed from anger to frustration. He blinked his wet eyes a few times and looked at his son. "What's the matter with her? I finally found a chance to come out for a drink..."

"Come back with me! Father. You come to drink every night. This is already too much. You must not drink at noon, or you will be in danger!"

"What can happen. Don't worry, Nicholas. I've been doing something for years." Theoros was still pestering.

"Gernie has been working for many years, but he hurt his leg. Come back with me!"

Finally, the father couldn't wring his son out, poured the gravy and wine down his throat, paid the bill, and left listlessly.

After this scene ended with the departure of Theoros and his son, Julian said to Father Collivan: "That young man is Theoros' son? Why do I seem to have seen him?"

Collivan was still busy pouring wine for other customers. After hearing the question, he glanced at him and replied with some amusement: "I heard that you were burnt out when Mrs. Breumontrose drove you to the hospital. , It seems that this is indeed true. The son of Theoros, that Nicholas just now, is the male nurse in the medical center, and he was the one who carried you to the medical center and then to the hotel. How dare you I don't remember anything!"

The people in the tavern laughed because of Coliving's words. Julian felt that the rum he had just drank seemed to return to his mouth, making his face hot, and he lay down on the snow because he was drunk. I feel a little ashamed of Li's behavior, but at the same time, I also feel that there is nothing to be ashamed of. There is always a time when you get drunk when you drink, just like when you step over dozens of puddles in a row, you always get some mud on your trousers.He didn't refute anything, but laughed with those people.

Julian has been carefully observing all the people in the tavern.Most of them are poor, their clothes are old and worn out, and they order the cheapest beer, which they drink in small sips to keep the wine in their mouths as long as possible.When they come in from the cold outside, they always frustrate their hands and look bitter, but as long as they stay here for a while and have a drink, they suddenly become radiant and talk more, as if they have forgotten the meaning of life. distressed.

And the reason for all this is precisely the optimism and cheerfulness constantly emanating from Father Collivan.Julian felt that Colivan was consciously allowing himself to infect others and enliven the atmosphere in the tavern.And people like this actually have fears. Julian still remembered the old man's eyes when he talked about his dream the day before.What is hidden in this place?And what did Papa Collivan know?

Theolos' logging company is at the end of town, next to his home.Now he is walking down the hill with his son Nikolai.Along the way, Theolos murmured, first complaining about rising prices and even more expensive whiskey, then cursing the government being controlled by big capitalists, small businessmen going bankrupt, and finally cursing the cold weather.While talking, he burped, and Nicholas could smell the reaction of wine and meat sauce in his stomach three steps away from him.

Nicholas frowned.He was very disgusted with his father's current behavior, and then sighed in his heart that Theoros was no longer someone he respected.

If it was 15 years ago, Theoros would still be Nikolai's idol.At that time, he didn't get fat, nor did he suffer from alcoholism. Although he was a little short, many women still liked him because of his strong and muscular body.Besides, he still had a lot of inheritance left by his parents at that time.Nikolai's biological mother had always been proud of her husband.

But not long after, the logging company run by Theoros suffered serious losses. Although the family did not have enough debts, there was not much left.To make matters worse, Nikolai's mother died suddenly, and the two men suddenly found that they didn't know how to live.They didn't know how to make a decent meal out of pork, or why the polenta kept mushing, or that the old washing machine had a broken top hose.

This kind of life finally became too unbearable for Theolos, and one morning, he disappeared.

Since then Nikolai had not seen his father for several years, during which time he had been staying with his cousin Anton Hostatov.Later, war broke out in the west, and it is said that Theoros, who was speculating there, was probably dead.Just when Nicholas was ready to lose his father and live alone, Theoros suddenly came back.

He has changed a lot. Not only is he fatter, he loves to drink, but most importantly, there is a young woman who came back with him.When Theoros introduced to everyone, he said that Irene was his wife, the first wife he married from Turkey.But people tacitly knew that the woman must have escaped from the war-torn Bosnia and Herzegovina, and they agreed to marry him in order to survive.

Nicholas then returned to live in the dilapidated home, but the rift between him and his father could never be repaired.As for Irina, Nicholas had always been afraid of her, and although this feeling had diminished with age, he still couldn't like her.

Elena was actually not a few years older than Nicholas, and she was very beautiful.When she first arrived in the town, she was very well-behaved and rarely talked to others.But once she got acquainted with the people in the town, people gradually discovered that she would often stay overnight at the homes of unmarried young men or single widowers, and gossip abounded.The mayor once talked to her, but she was kicked out with a broom in the end. The embarrassed mayor swore he would never care about it for the rest of his life.The husband, Theolos, didn't seem to notice his wife's flirting with others everywhere, and he still supervised workers, contacted buyers, and drank every day.

After two years like this, everyone lost their kindness to the Theolos couple, and even Nicholas became the object of ridicule.Of course he didn't feel well, especially when Irene deliberately dangled in front of him in only her underwear, which often scared him away from the house.Nikolai had already made up his mind to leave the house as soon as he got his medical certificate.But before that, he had to endure for a few more years.

When Theolos came home, Irena was washing her hair, her long, thick black hair dripping with water.As soon as she saw Theolos, she wrapped her hair in a towel and went straight up to him, saying, "You're enjoying yourself drinking. Where did the money come from?"

"That's the repayment I received today."

"Why isn't it in the account? I called Matylev, but his money hasn't been remitted yet!"

"Irena, I'm your husband, so what if I drink a little wine."

"But now I'm in charge of the accounts. You drank all the money, what did you use to repay the loan, and what to live on. What else can you do except drink, drink, drink!"

"It's none of your business if I drink! Wine is as important to me as water is to you. I hate water! I just love drinking, and water is for leprosy!"

"Who are you talking about!! How dare you say that about me!!"

Theolos snorted and said with a sneer, "You? You don't look at yourself. If it weren't for me, you would have been killed."

"Then I really thank you." Elena gritted her teeth, "If I hadn't gone with you, I would have slept with a few officers in turn, and maybe I could even get an officer's wife."

"Besides me, who else could have a crush on you. □□."

"Theoros. I warn you. Don't speak of me in such discriminatory language...

They quarreled like a daily routine, and Nikolay ran into his room covering his ears.He opened the book and began to do exercises, trying to force himself to ignore everything that happened outside, but the sound of arguing still came in through the crack of the door.

The phone rang, but the Theoros didn't notice it, and Nicholas had to answer it himself.It was Dr. Hostatova's voice he heard.She is going to a meeting in the city tomorrow, and the medical center needs his care.During the call, Nicholas kept trying to hide his parents' quarrel, but it didn't seem to work.He could hear that the doctor's tone was gentler than usual, and this gentleness came from sympathy and pity for him.Almost everyone will be like Hostatova in this situation, embarrassed, embarrassed, trying to comfort the person but unable to speak.

Her tenderness was normal, but Nicholas suffered from it.On the one hand he feels himself miserable, but at the same time he is angry at those who see his misfortune and sympathize with him.Some people like to show their misfortunes and bloody wounds on their hearts to others, making others feel guilty, comforting themselves, and feeling pleasure from self-abuse; of course, there are also opposite people who would rather swallow all the pain , no one can see the best.Nikolay was the latter kind of person, he didn't think he needed cheap sympathy, but he didn't understand that the only reason he found Hostatova's sympathy intolerable was that it was Hostatova's sympathy.

When Nicholas returned to his room, the noise of the quarrel outside gradually became blurred and turned into a pile of tangled wool.The usual serious and capable face of the female doctor became clear.She rarely smiles, not because she doesn't like to laugh, but because she is serious.No one can smile at the pained face of an injured ER patient.She has excellent medical skills, and she can stay and work in a big city with her skills, but she devotes all her energy to the medical treatment in this remote town.How many years?Nikolai has been her assistant for three years.He has seen her smile comforting the patient, seen her bandage her hands with blood stains, seen her sprinting like flying alone with heavy equipment, and seen her tired expression after a tiring day.

People in the town are afraid to approach her because of her serious appearance and style, but Nicholas has seen her in various ways.He thought about her appearance - special beauty, a little arrogance, cold eyes, restrained smile.

Hostatova never cried.Nicholas had never seen her cry, let alone shed tears.That's one of the reasons the men in town don't like her.She is said to have wept a few years ago when the news of Anton Hostatov's death came.At that time, Nicholas was studying in another place, so he didn't know the situation at that time, but I heard that she cried very restrainedly, not like a woman who had just died of her husband.So some people suspect that she is not so in love with him.But Nicholas knew that it wasn't that she didn't want to cry, but that she couldn't cry. The kind of crying that lacked enthusiasm in the eyes of others was already the greatest grief that Hostatova could express. Few, but to a man who never cries, each drop of those tears is more precious than gems.

She gave all the tears of her life to her deceased husband, and because of this, it is almost impossible for her to fall in love with others.It is unthinkable that she shed the same tears for another human being.Nikolai felt a pang of sadness at the thought.