Chapter 5

搬完东西后,小男孩出现,笑着向她道歉.Leona 全神贯注,并没有责备他.午餐包括炖蔬菜和土豆,吃起来非常难吃.炖蔬菜只加了一点盐,散发出油腻的鱼腥味.唯一可以吞下的东西是土豆,但它们的皮没有剥干净.Leona 吃东西时几乎流下了眼泪.午餐并非完全没有结果;至少她知道那个小男孩叫约翰.从此以后,如果他再偷懒,她可以大声地骂他.就像早上一样,Eric 仍然没有出现.蕾欧娜开始担心.他出了什么事 - 如果昨天只是生命的最后一丝闪光怎么办,她该如何逃离这里?午饭后,男人们走到一边抽烟,聊得津津有味;女人们收拾碗碟,缝制衣服.还有几个人围在她的背包周围,试图弄清楚如何打开它.经理也看了一眼.然而,他对背包不是很感兴趣.聊了一会儿,他又走了.午后,阳光驱散了浓雾,视野变得清晰起来.直到这时,蕾欧娜才想起他们似乎在沼泽附近扎营.空气像湿毛巾一样潮湿.不远处有一条河.这条河深得深得难以置信,它的绿色令人生畏.周围是成群结队的嗡嗡作响的蚊子.Leona 会游泳,但跳进这样的河里就是自杀.而且,原主的日记中提到附近有鳄鱼.此外,营地有两个出口,都由拿着步枪的人守卫.其中一个出口还有一个马槽.Leona 以前从未接触过马匹,也不知道它们这么容易受到惊吓.光是闻到一股奇怪的气味就会让他们站起来嘶嘶作响.所以,要么她必须在短时间内成为一名专业的驯马师,要么只能从另一个出口离开,没有马槽.这太难了.Leona 没有考虑过给经理一些现代的播放列表,就像小妞小说中的主角一样,以提高她在马戏团中的地位.但这一切都是以经理不制作他人胎儿标本为前提的,而且这里没有焚烧女巫的传统.应该指出的是,堕胎在 19 世纪是非法的,但经理敢于冒着被终身监禁的风险来展示未出生的胎儿.蕾欧娜不禁怀疑自己是否犯下了更严重的罪行...比如谋杀?退一步讲,就算她和经理的谈判非常顺利,也只会让她和马戏团更紧密地联系在一起,没有任何好处.她不知道这具身体的确切年龄,但最多不超过十六岁.一个 16 岁的孩子会受到经理的尊重并给予合理的份额和待遇吗?显然不是.Leona 想了想,又看了看 Eric 的帐篷.除了他,她似乎真的没有其他的出路.◦ 赌一把?

 

But soon, new problems emerged.When the evening party started, Eric still didn't show up. His tent was also dark, with no light shining out.Leona was somewhat anxious but didn't dare to show it.Compared to lunch, the food at the party was abundant, with beer, fruit wine, pies, smoked ham, roasted potatoes, blood sausage, and meat pudding.Leona wanted to taste the taste of the meat pudding, but before she could get close, she smelled the fishy smell of butter and sheep's kidneys and couldn't help but step back a big step. The others, however, ate with relish.It was of no use being picky now.Leona forced herself to take a pie and roasted potatoes, held her breath, and swallowed them with fruit wine.After a glass of fruit wine, her stagnant mind became more active.She had been too cautious, afraid to speak, afraid to make eye contact, knowing that there was something wrong with "Four-Legged Girl" Emily's brother, but not daring to actively inquire about news.On the surface, she was very calm, but in fact, she was extremely scared, afraid of revealing something different and being questioned and judged by those around her.This couldn't go on.She had to take the initiative and do something the original owner wouldn't do to see if she could change her current situation.Suddenly, there was a burst of enthusiastic applause from the front.The manager pushed Amy's wheelchair into the crowd. He waved to the people and said with a smile: "Amy is about to leave. She wants to sing one last song for everyone - does anyone want to sing along with her?"Many people raised their hands, and the band played a lively tune. People sang and danced around the bonfire. Leona had never heard this song before; it should be a local ballad.Taking advantage of everyone watching Amy, Leona turned and walked towards Eric's tent.Who would have thought that as soon as she turned around, she saw his thin figure.In the darkness, his white mask was extremely glaring, and the two eyeholes were as dull and empty as wax figures, exuding an indifferent indifference.He silently watched the crowd, wondering what he was thinking.As if he sensed Leona's gaze, the next moment, he made eye contact with Leona.It was like a bucket of ice water poured over her head, and Leona's back of her head tightened, cold from head to toe, and she instinctively wanted to step back.But she clenched the wine glass in her hand and restrained the urge to flee.◦ She must take the initiative and do something the original owner wouldn't do.

 

Even if Eric was the Phantom of the Opera, it wouldn't matter.He didn't know that she was no longer Polly· (Claymon), but she knew his life story, his pain point - no one appreciated his talent, and no one would get close to him.He didn't even get the love of his biological mother, so he would be as primitive and rude as an untamed beast.Do you remember how the heroine subdued him in the original work?A kiss.Just one kiss can make him submit and give up everything within reach.A bold idea gradually formed in her mind.Even though he might be the terrifying version of the Phantom and wouldn't yield so easily, she still wanted to try and see what would happen if she kissed him. Do something the original owner wouldn't do.Leona looked at him and took a step forward.Eric looked at her and tilted his head slightly - it didn't seem like a question, more like a beast locking in prey, adjusting its field of vision or locating the sound source by tilting its head.Thinking that he could pull out a dagger and stab her throat at any time, Leona felt a little weak in her legs, and her stomach felt like it was filled with stones, becoming cold and heavy.She summoned up her spirits and continued to walk forward.One step, and another step -When she reached him, the air seemed to become thick, sticky, unable to flow, making it difficult to breathe.Eric stared straight at her, his eyes gradually becoming wary.His gaze was like a hand, grabbing her face, rubbing up and down, grinding -Bili was stared at until her scalp tingled, and her cheeks were stinging with pain. She continued to speak calmly:"Guess what I saw in the warehouse today?"No response."——The specimen of Amy's child."Still no response.Eric's eyes didn't change either, seemingly indifferent.He was completely uninterested in the life and death of Amy's child.Bili knew this very well. She said this just to lead to -"The manager, for a little profit, even dares to commit the serious crime of abortion. Do you think that with his character, he will really let Amy go, let any of us go?"Eric remained indifferent.Bili didn't give up, pursed her lips, and continued to add stakes."If I guess right, Amy's brother is very likely to be a 'freak hunter', a middleman, specializing in trafficking people like us."The word "freak" finally caused a slight change in his gaze.His line of sight shifted downward, like a cold, rough stone pressing on her face, rubbing up and down -Bili was stared at until her scalp tingled, and her cheeks were stinging with pain. She continued to speak calmly:"The manager made a specimen of Amy's fetus. Maybe, he tasted the sweetness and wanted to make Amy herself into a specimen.""Have you ever thought about what would happen if he found out that Amy's specimen was worth more than her?"Bili took a deep breath, raised her head, and looked directly into his eyes without avoiding it: "——You, me, we will all become specimens, specimens in the exhibition hall."For a moment, his gaze was so cold that it seemed to tear her skin.She was about to persuade him.This was a desperate move. Fortunately, she had more than one trump card.Bili heard her breathing quicken, and blood rushed to her cheeks and buzzed in her ears.She couldn't tell whether it was fear or excitement, the excitement of going all in."Think about it, your mask being taken off -"Before she could finish speaking, the shadow covered her.Eric bent down, his eyes behind the eyeholes were no longer cold and dull, but surged with terrifying anger.Inside the white mask, the breathing was stuffy and rough, like a snake threatened hissing.He grabbed her neck and forbade her to continue speaking.Bili's heart beat faster. A strong sense of crisis hit her, blinding her and pouring cold sweat down her back.But she had to keep talking: "Think about it, your mask being taken off - your head sealed in a specimen bottle, placed in an exhibition hall - everyone looking at you, looking at your face without a mask -"Before she finished speaking, the force on her neck suddenly increased.Bili could almost hear the unbearable cracking of her neck.His breathing also became rougher, like a raging storm, beating on the white mask."I know you don't want to see such a scene -" The oxygen became scarce, and Bili struggled to breathe, maintaining a clear tone, "I don't want to see such a scene either. You are the most talented person I've ever seen... I have never been jealous of anyone's talent, you are the first person I am jealous of...""I don't want to see you become a specimen. I want people to hear your talent..."But Eric didn't loosen his grip on her neck.He stood there, motionless, seemingly returning to a state of indifference, dullness, and indifference.Fortunately, she still had one last trump card.Bili stepped forward, struggling to stand on tiptoe, and under his confused,排斥的 (rejected), and 惊惧的 (frightened) gaze (gaze), she kissed his mask (rejected and frightened).For a few seconds, he lost all aggressiveness, like a dog that had been whipped, and his eyes were almost bewildered.It was at this moment that Bili realized that he, like herself, was a living person, not a shadow, a threat, a dagger that could be drawn at any time.She opened her mouth to say something, but when she looked up, he had disappeared without a trace.