A flash of white appeared on the horizon, and dawn broke through the deep darkness. Then the light became brighter and brighter, but the sun did not rise. Today was a rare cloudy day.
Dean rode in the two siblings' station wagon for several hours, and the smell of sweat from the pile of dirty clothes next to him in the back repeatedly tortured his sensitive sense of smell.
But the chirping discussion between the two siblings relieved this depression a little.
Both of them are energetic, lively and talkative. They constantly stir up various topics, talk about school gossip, trivial matters and interesting things at home, bet on things that can be seen everywhere on the roadside, complain about each other's shortcomings and reveal embarrassing things. This was a top priority, with the two taking digs at each other almost every half hour.
I don't mind if there is an outsider in the car.
Dean also noticed that the twin siblings, who were raised by a single mother, had a very good relationship. From childhood to adulthood, when they attended the same school, complaining to each other became a way to express their feelings.
"Hey, buddy, honestly, do you have a girlfriend?" Daley turned the steering wheel and looked at Dean in the rearview mirror and asked,
Dean glanced at the expectant faces of the two siblings, and suddenly asked, "How about you bet with me?"
Daley pleaded, "I'm sorry, but I have to win once. We are already one point behind this unlucky woman. If we lose again, all my pocket money next month will be used to buy her clothes!"
"I guess you don't have a girlfriend." Cui Shi turned around from the passenger seat and rested her chin on the headrest of the seat. Her red lips slightly curled up on her delicate face, revealing a charming smile. "If I guess right, I'll ask You have a meal!”
"It seems I won't be able to eat this meal." Dean said seriously, "I have more than one 'good friend'."
"Yeah! I'm back in the game, two to two!" Daley excitedly clapped his car horn and stuck out his tongue at his sister, "I knew this guy was very popular with girls!"
"Hmph! Scumbag!" Cui Shi wrinkled her nose and gave Dean a green and childish look.
…
At noon, the car officially entered the boundary of Bohao County, turned a corner at the ramp, and stopped outside a garage called Bob Brothers on the roadside. Dean immediately got out of the car,
"Brother, I just sent you here. Mom is waiting for Trish and I to go back for dinner." Daley waved his hand toward the car window and invited me warmly, "Next time you go to Pavina County, give me a call and take you for a walk. Visit interesting places.”
Trish immediately threatened, "If you dare to go to that place, be careful I will file a lawsuit against your girlfriend!"
"It's just a joke!"
"Bye, Dean!"
Amid the commotion, the silver station wagon disappeared at the end of the road.
Dean shook his head and smiled, and walked towards the boss under the chassis of the car. Suddenly his steps slowed down, and he turned around with a solemn expression and walked to the bulletin board in the yard of the garage.
There were actually five or six missing person notices posted here.
Looking at the avatars, there are men, women, old and young.
The most eye-catching one is a young man with black hair and black eyes, less than twenty years old, handsome, with a beauty mark on the left side of his mouth diagonally below.
Dean glanced at the specific contents of the notice. These people had disappeared in the past half month.
He had worked as a volunteer and knew very well that such a high frequency of disappearances would be considered a major case with serious consequences anywhere.
Now it happened in a remote county.
He smelled an unusual smell, and his temples were beating uncontrollably. He turned to the boss who was leaning over with oil stains on his body and asked, "What are these missing persons notices about?"
The owner of the repair shop raised his work hat and said,
"In the past half month, there have been several disappearances in the county, as if they were possessed by evil spirits. Have you seen them?"
Dean shook his head, "No."
"Then you have to be careful. It's very unsafe in the county now. You'd better not stay too long."
"With so many disappearances, the county police department didn't investigate?" Dean looked at the boss's face and asked,
"We have investigated and strengthened patrols, but none of the missing persons have been found. It's as if they have disappeared from the world." The boss propped his chin up with a wrench and warned solemnly, "I heard from a buddy from the county police station. He said that the places where they disappeared were on the side of Highway 65 that passes through the county, and the time was at night, so don’t go out at night.”
Dean nodded, with a look of eagerness in his eyes. He had a premonition that an event should be triggered in the city.
But then, the faces of the cheerful and lively brother and sister flashed before his eyes. The two were driving on Highway 65. They should be able to get home before nightfall, right?
"By the way, man, are you here to repair your car? Where is your car parked?" The boss looked at the empty road behind Dean.
"I don't repair cars, I buy them. I need a sturdy and durable car to accompany me on long journeys."
The boss shook his head regretfully, "Sorry, I run a car repair shop and don't sell cars."
"I'll buy you the best car."
"Don't you understand?" The boss looked at a fool and raised his voice impatiently to emphasize, "I don't sell cars."
"I'll add money!"
"...Distinguished guest, please come here, you are about to see the most precious car in my life!"
…
On the other side, the long, flat stretch of Interstate 65.
Daley looked at his sister who was staring out the window with her feet on the front desk, and smiled furtively, "Come back to your senses, Trish, are you still thinking about Dean?"
The girl became angry as if something had been revealed to her, "Shut your stupid mouth!"
"You can't hide it from me. You haven't scolded me for half an hour. This was unbelievable before!"
"Okay, don't you think there's something different about him?"
"What's different, having several girlfriends at the same time?" Daley said enviously, "If I were as handsome and handsome as him with beautiful muscles, I would have slept with the entire cheerleading team."
"Be serious, he is different from ordinary people..." Cui Shi said with his hands folded and his chin propped up, "I feel that he has some extraordinary qualities. You know, my intuition has always been very effective!"
Seeing his sister's serious face, Dai Li stopped his smile and nodded.
"Next time we have a chance, let's ask him clearly in person!"
Buzz buzz…
Suddenly, a rapid roar came from behind, interrupting the discussion between the two siblings.
A dark brown Chevrolet truck approached the rear of their car at some point, as if it was going to hit them hard.
"Oh God!" The two siblings turned around and took a look, their expressions changed drastically. Daley turned the steering wheel crazily, "What's wrong with this guy? Is his brain flooded?"
"Get out of his way, Daly!" Trish yelled at him.
"Are you blind? I'm giving way!" Daley quickly changed lanes, but he changed lanes several times, and the large truck followed him to change lanes like a bastard, as if it would not stop until it hit them.
"Let him surpass you, he is crazy!" Trish waved her pink fist,
"You win, get over here!" Daley turned around and yelled at the Chevrolet truck, roaring, repeating it several times in a row, just when the two siblings were so frightened that their hearts were about to jump out of their chests, and they were about to faint from liver and gallbladder splitting.
The large truck finally changed lanes and passed the silver station wagon, speeding up and leaving them far behind.
breathe…
There were two long sighs of relief in the station wagon. The two siblings, who were sweating profusely, looked at each other. Their fear disappeared, and anger arose spontaneously. They yelled and cursed at the front,
"Shet!"
"What's wrong with his mind?"
"This time I'll first guess that this guy is a deformed freak who lives in a moving iron coffin. He can't see the road, so he drives randomly!" Daley put his head out of the car window and shouted, "Deformed", "Iron coffin" "Coffin" echoed across the highway.
"I bet he's trying to scare us on purpose." Cui Shi stroked her chest to calm her restless mood.
"Why?"
"Some people are born with such bad taste!"
"Bad taste?" Daley nodded and said fiercely, "His license plate says BEATNGU (beat you severely), he is indeed a fool!"
"So I won, three to two!" Trish looked at her brother triumphantly, showing a winner's smile, "Your pocket money for the next month is mine!"
"Faco!" Daley raised his middle finger forward, with a relieved smile on his lips.
…
Last night, I was chased away from my car one after another, and today I was threatened with being rear-ended.
Both siblings were a little exhausted physically and mentally, so they speeded up the car just to get home early.
But God seemed to like playing tricks on them.
At sunset.
They drove through a small forest on the side of the highway.
A dilapidated and dilapidated little church stands in the woods. On the left side of the church, there is a pipe emerging from the ground that leads to the cellar.
Parked next to the pipeline was a dark brown Chevrolet truck.
A strange man wearing a thick black windbreaker, a black wide-brimmed hat, and gloves, which almost covered his skin and face, was taking out a wrapped white sheet from the truck compartment and throwing it into the pipe. His movements were as skillful as He was throwing away garbage, and he was humming happily.
Daley slowed down, "That big truck with the 'beat you up' license plate! It's the idiot who rear-ended us before!"
"What is he doing? Throwing away garbage?" A trace of fear flashed in Cui Shi's bright eyes, "No! There is blood on the sheets!"
"Are you looking at the flowers?"
"I feel like it's blood! Hide quickly and drive the car into the grass, he's going to find us!"
…
The silver station wagon drove into the grass, and this time the two siblings finally had good luck.
The sneaky truck driver didn't seem to notice them. After throwing away the "garbage", he drove away on the highway again.
The siblings let out a long sigh of relief. Daley suddenly stopped his playful smile, looked at Trish and said seriously, "That guy just threw something into the cellar, right? And you saw blood, do you think he threw it?" Could it be someone?"
On the side of the highway, in a cellar, or dumping a body?
There was a moment of dead silence in the air, and all they could hear was the pounding heartbeats of the two of them.
Daley asked excitedly and fearfully, "Could he be the perverted killer who killed people and dumped their bodies on the highway as Dean said?"
"We don't rule out this possibility. What do you want to say, be direct?" Cui Shi pursed her lips and asked uneasily,
"In case the person who was thrown down is not dead," Daly looked into his sister's eyes, "he needs help!"
Cui Shi struggled for a moment and nodded, "Of course, we will drive to the nearby city immediately, borrow a phone, and call the police!"
"It's too late. People's lives are at stake. We must seize every minute." Daley shook his head and refused. "And aren't you curious why he rear-ended us to scare us? Maybe all the answers lie in that cellar."
"Are you crazy? We were attacked just now, and you want to go into his territory. Aren't you looking for death?" Trish looked at him like an unreasonable mental patient, "You forgot what Dean warned Your curiosity killed the cat!"
"What Dean said is right, how about we each take a step back?" Daley said in a non-negotiable tone, "I will just take a look outside that pipe. If there is nothing, we will leave immediately! Please help me. curiosity, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to sleep for three days and three nights.”
Trish's chest rose and fell, suppressing the anger and anxiety in her heart, "You swear!"
"I swear in the name of my dear mother that if I lie, I will never get married in my life."
…
The two siblings drove back to the dilapidated church.
Only then did they realize that the roof of the church was filled with squawking crows, like a noisy dark cloud, making people restless.
Every window on the church wall was boarded up, making it impossible to see clearly inside.
As for the underground pipe outside the church, the two of them almost fainted from a strong stench as soon as they approached it.
They covered their noses and looked into the pipe, but the light was too dark and they couldn't see the bottom. They could only see that the sides of the pipe were covered with sticky, foul-smelling liquid.
Daley shouted anxiously into the tube, "Hello, is there anyone down there? Does anyone need help?"
When no one responded, Daly ran to the car to retrieve a flashlight, shined it at the pipe, and saw a dry and yellow ground, but nothing.
Daley was not satisfied and stepped directly into the pipe.
Trish grabbed his T-shirt, her pretty face distorted with sarcasm, "Daly, you know, there are always people doing extremely stupid things in horror movies, which makes people grit their teeth, just like now! I order you, ten Control your overflowing curiosity within seconds! Leave with me!"
"Stop talking, listen carefully, there is a sound! Grab my feet and let me slide in a little!" Daly climbed down the pipe head and feet without waiting for his sister's consent.
"You idiot! I really want to let go!"
Trish yelled in collapse, then trembled all over, and her eyes widened in shock. One of her brother's sneakers was left in her hand, but her body slipped along the pipe and disappeared from sight.
boom!
"Daly!"
"Oh my God, speak! Please!"
"Answer me, you will have the final say on everything from now on!"
"Cui Shi, remember your promise!" A grunting voice came from the pipe,
"God bless you," Trish wiped her red eyes and asked with concern, "How are you down there? Are you injured? Can you come up?"
"The skin on your palms is a little broken, but it's safe. I can jump up. Please be quiet first while I look for the sheets..."
Dally, who was covered in dirt, raised his flashlight and looked around. The area under the pipes was darker than an ordinary cellar. The floors and walls he could see had not been painted or cemented, exposing rough and primitive soil.
This place is a hole dug purely by hand.
The air was filled with a putrid smell that was stronger than outside, and another pungent smell that made people dizzy. Daley, who had taken a biochemistry class, remembered that this was the smell of formalin preservatives.
The flashlight shone not far away, and his eyes froze. Lying on the ground was a sheet wrapped with hemp rope, and the outline of the human figure was very clear.
He was 100% sure that there was someone lying inside, and he was instantly excited by his accurate guess!
He gritted his teeth, not daring to breathe, and gently moved his right foot and rubbed it.
"Were you asking for help just now?"
"Please tell me you're okay."
When Daley received no response, he lightly kicked the canvas bag with his foot. Then he slowly removed the rope and sheets, revealing a pale corpse.
A young man with black hair and black eyes, he looked less than twenty years old. He was handsome and had a beauty mark on the left side of his mouth, but his cheeks and other exposed skin were as pale as if all the blood had been drained.
The most eye-catching thing is the centipede-shaped suture that runs through his chest and abdomen, which is reminiscent of critically ill patients who have undergone thoracotomy.
Suffered great torture.
He opened his eyes wide and half-opened his mouth, staring silently into the darkness. The pain and panic before his death seemed to still remain in his dark eyes.
Daley covered his trembling mouth. The strong shock, uncontrollable desire to vomit, surprise, panic, and various emotions made him burst into tears and tremble.
"Speak, Daley, what did you find?" A concerned greeting came from above the pipe.
"A...human...corpse."
"Fake! Get up here and go to the police station immediately!"
"I haven't...finished it yet!" Daley bravely stepped over the pale poor creature and continued to move forward quietly, shining his flashlight deep into the cellar.
He saw a lathe, covered with cobwebs, mottled and scratched, and very old.
The lathe was filled with all kinds of tools. Daley could recognize files, chisels, rulers, leather knives, hammers, nails, wire reels, spindles, and even anvils for blacksmithing... He didn't know any more.
There is no doubt that the owner of this lathe is very good at hand-making various tools and equipment.
Next to the lathe is a dusty table, with bottles and cans of various sizes soaked in unknown substances. The table is obviously an old object, with simple and mysterious patterns carved on the surface - a woman is tied up. On a pile piled high with firewood?
Daly brushed off the dust on the table and shined the light of a flashlight for further confirmation.
Tick tock.
A drop of yellowish liquid fell from the ceiling onto his shoes.
He subconsciously raised the flashlight and turned his gaze to the ceiling.
breathe…
The corpses and remains were all embalmed with formalin, and they were densely packed all over the ceiling, clinging to each other, like pieces of a puzzle being put together without leaving any gaps.
The flashlight turned sideways, and Daley's eyes turned dull, stiff, and mechanically like the lenses of a camera, faithfully recording all the scenes.
Deep in the cellar, the side walls are also inlaid with remains, at least five to six hundred.
From a distance, these walls seem to form a lifelike, evil and magnificent mural depicting hell.
A soul-freezing cold air penetrated from the tailbone into Daley's brain.
Ugh...
He finally couldn't help but vomited, and for the first time in his life, he felt regretful because of his curiosity!
"This, this is the devil's lair, run, run!"
He ran towards the pipe at the cellar exit like crazy!
…
Bohao County is vast and sparsely populated. There are lawns and green trees everywhere on the roadside. You can see a solitary house several miles away. There are very few pedestrians on the street. You may not see one even if you walk for ten minutes. .
Dean drove a blue Ford Mercury Jaguar newly bought for ten thousand dollars. According to the map marked by Daly, he spent an afternoon visiting several bars in the city, and then eliminated them as suspects one by one. ——These are not the clubs where Lena has stayed.
In the evening, full of disappointment and hunger, Dean walked into a dinner restaurant on the side of the road.
Most of the dozens of tables inside the store were filled with customers, and it was very lively, in sharp contrast to the deserted atmosphere outside.
"Grilled chicken, spicy steak, grilled pork chops...and an orange juice."
"Okay, can you sit here?" The waitress in the apron arranged for him to sit in the corner and left with a smile.
Dean sat down at the dining table and waited boredly for a few minutes, then suddenly turned around and looked out the glass window of the restaurant.
The screeching sound of brakes reached his ears through the blinds.
A silver station wagon was parked in the parking lot in the distance. A young man and woman rushed out of the car and ran towards the restaurant anxiously.
"Isn't this Daley and Trish? What happened, so scared?"
(End of chapter)
