I have a date with the devil

Chapter 38

The teacher inadvertently extended the topic of religion when she was talking about the background of literature history, and Ye Miao couldn't banish it from her mind even after she returned to her apartment. After taking a shower at night, she opened her computer browser and searched for Satanism. The search bar instantly popped up at the bottom with several related words, and "Black Mass" was listed.

Ye Miao took a light breath, held down the mouse index finger to move to the line, "da" lightly clicked.

The page buffered for a few seconds before popping up. It is estimated that people's curiosity, about the Black Mass posts are really quite a lot, but Ye Miao turned a few pages, found that they are mostly a variety of bizarre stories, written both true and false. Some are still from foreign fragments, interspersed with bizarre black and white photos, upside down pentagram symbols, etc..

However, different web pages have some common descriptions of the Black Mass. It is said that Paris, France, was once the center of Satanic extremists' activities. They would avoid Christians and regularly hold secret Black Masses in the name of devil sacrifice.

The symbols of Satan, such as the upside-down cross and the devil's sheep's head, were the symbols of these congregations. There are only a few accounts of the Black Mass process, but they are creepy enough - spitting on the crosses, orgies on the solemn altar to blaspheme and defile God, mixing blood, semen, spittle, stinking water from the grave, and aphrodisiacs on the crosses for mock blessing, and after the Mass is over At the end of the Mass, ravens, toads, owls, and other **animals were also sacrificed.

In the darkest Middle Ages, a small group of crazy believers even believed that animal sacrifice was not powerful enough, and that only cruel human sacrifice could win the heart of Satan. According to the records, in the sixteenth century, an evil priest named Gueberger thus cut the throats of countless innocent children, just like the existence of the demons of the earth.

The more you look at it, the more shocking it is, Ye Miao closed the webpage and silently recited the core values of socialism.

She sat on the carpet, back against the edge of the bed, put the computer to the side, neck back on the mattress, looking at the curtains and the ceiling track, as if thinking.

The reason why she searched for this content was not because she was curious, but because she had a strange thought - from the police case, the time of death of the Chinese girl KIKI and Fujiwara, as determined by the autopsy, both happened to be the 14th, the middle of October and November, respectively, the date of death is regular.

Both were young, beautiful, dark-haired, dark-eyed Asian women, and their deaths were strangely consistent and extraordinarily brutal. And because they lived in unrelated circles but were victims one after the other, the police believe that this is most likely a gang-related crime.

So, is it possible that the two girls are surrounded by similar horrible extremists? These people are usually like hungry wolves, scattered among the general population, waiting for an opportunity to find prey. Beautiful Asian girls are their preferred "sacrifice".

The two victims, instead of meeting random psychopathic killers, were sacrificed to the living - that doesn't seem unreasonable ......

No ...... stop, stop.

Ye Miao whirled her fist and gently knocked her forehead corner.

What is wrong with her, actually because a flash of speculation, and then brainstormed such a bizarre and ethereal plot towards ...... proverbial "no three can not be a few", the two murder dates are 14 can only be said to be coincidental. How can she come up with a skyscraper based on this shaky foundation?

Unless there was a third victim with the same death on December 14, it would be able to tentatively confirm that there was a pattern to their deaths.

However, Ye Miao would rather his speculation never be confirmed, only hope that the killer can be caught quickly.

In the blink of an eye, the time came to December. It was snowing in Santa Montaña.

In the academic system of the University of A, October to January is the first semester, April to July is the second semester, and February to March and August to September are two long holidays. The main courses of the first semester are intensively scheduled in the first two months of the school year, October and November. Starting in December, many of the minor courses are slowly ending. Ye Miao's major courses were also reduced to only three days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The time spent with Berial increased after the class time became more generous. He grew up in M, so he knows everything about the country. They spent a lot of time together, shopping at the supermarket, and cooking together. Half a month before Christmas, they went on a trip to a famous sea cliff near St. Montanka.

This cliff has a unique restaurant built next to it, which looks like a long tube of steel and glass coiled into the cliff face, and which you have to take a helicopter up and down. Standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows and looking out, it seems to be suspended above the blue waves of the ocean, surrounded by the vast sea breeze.

The restaurant has become one of M's special mecca because of its exciting view. The window seats are always fully booked.

I didn't expect Berial to have a way to get a window seat. Ye Miao curiously asked him how he got the reservation, Berial only said lightly that his family was the VIP customer of the restaurant.

Ye Miao enjoys the sunset sea view while enjoying the fragrant but not greasy beef steak, which is simply a great enjoyment of life.

It is said that when two people stay together for a long time, aesthetic fatigue will occur. She is always sticking to Berial these days, but she doesn't feel tired at all. In addition to being happy and relaxed, there was a sense of peace of mind that hadn't existed in the previous ten years of her life - not an illusion, she hadn't seen those malicious and scary ghosts for a long time indeed.

It was as if the protective layer that had previously produced a small c***k was quietly filled intact by the later appearance of Berial.

When she talked to Wang Qi on the phone, she couldn't help but talk about him, and Wang Qi was so excited at first, but after hearing more, she started complaining that she was "always talking about her own man".

Berial put a cube of sugar in his coffee, and his sultry eyes glanced at her with derision: "What are you laughing at, so happy?"

Ye Miao: "......"

She came back to her senses and touched her face, only to discover with embarrassment that the corners of her mouth were actually upturned when she was recalling the thunderous name Wang Qi had bestowed on Berial.

In front of the face of the original m**********n people, snickering but also caught in the act, feel a little silly how to break?

She said unconvincingly, "Aren't you stealing and laughing yourself?"

"I don't call it stealing, I call it laughing openly." Berial laughed badly: "Because seeing a fool who doesn't know what he's thinking, actually staring at me and snickering."

Ye Miao hummed: "I was just walking around thinking about the Christmas holidays."

There were still two weeks to go before Christmas Eve. Christmas is one of the most important holidays in the West, and many places in M will have a small long holiday. Not to mention that there are so few classes this month that the holiday can be as many as ten days with the beginning and end plus weekends. Not only do local students have enough time to go home, but international students have more than enough time to go home to visit their families.

Berial pondered, "Do you have any plans for Christmas? Back to China?"

Ye Miao gripped his fork and shook his head, "I don't think I'll go back, I'll stay in Santa Monica for the rest of the year."

It is reasonable to say that when you go out, you should cherish the opportunity to go home. But Ye Miao's situation is different. After her parents divorced, her mother remarried and went abroad. She followed her father to live with her. Due to the unexplainable and no one can feel the same physique, she and her father's relationship since childhood is relatively distant. Not hard and hostile, but also not the "parents of the little cotton coat" kind of relationship.

Her father did not believe in ghosts and gods, and as a child once thought his daughter had learned the bad habit of talking nonsense for the sake of popularity. Gradually, Ye Miao will no longer seek his shelter, people also became independent. Although the relationship between father and daughter has eased after growing up, the distance between heart and mind will never be close again. Even the decision to go abroad for exchange was made by Ye Miao herself.

And her father has been with an aunt for several years. The aunt divorced her ex-husband and brought along a daughter who was about Ye Miao's age.

When she was in China, Ye Miao had a few meals with them. The aunt's attitude toward her was not intimate, but very polite, and the mother and daughter got along with Ye's father in a warm and tacit understanding. Ye Miao sometimes felt that the three of them were more like a qualified family of three.

Therefore, she did not have the urgent desire to "seize the opportunity to go back and reunite with her family during the long holidays. It would be better to stay in M and have an exotic Christmas vacation.

She settled down and asked, "What about you? I think you will go back to Kentishim to spend time with your family, right?"

"I'm not going back this year."

"Why?"

Berial gazed at her, "Christmas comes every year, but this is the only time when you are exchanging in M. I would prefer to spend a different Christmas with you."

Ye Miao's heart surged with an unexplainable feeling of emotion, sucked in her nose and smiled, "Good, if you don't mind the coldness of the student apartment, let's stay here as companions."

Berial thought for a moment, "It's okay if we don't spend time in the student house. My family not only has a house in Kentishim, we can take a short trip to the neighboring city, visit the museums you want to see, and stay in the house over there at night ......"

Hearing him say this, Ye Miao was already looking forward to her vacation in two weeks.

It was unexpected that things changed beyond her expectation. A few days later she received a transatlantic phone call from her father, and brought news that caught her off guard - that Aunt Rong Hua had been tested pregnant, and considering that both sides had been together for many years, her father was going to officially get the marriage license this month.

Because of various factors, they will not hold a wedding, and intend to have a meal together with both families after receiving the license.

The father's remarriage is a major life event, as his daughter, there are holidays but deliberately do not attend really does not make sense. Ye Miao was stunned for a moment, remembering that she had already made an appointment with Berial to spend Christmas together, but now it seemed that the plan was in vain, so she knocked on Berial's door and told him about it with apologies.

Berial seemed a bit surprised to learn the truth, but seeing her depressed and guilty, he comforted her in turn: "No need to apologize, your family's business is more important. When you come back, during the February holidays, we can also travel to the neighboring city I mentioned again."

In the evening, Ye Miao booked her flight and started packing her things. When she stuffed her laptop into her suitcase, she suddenly remembered the "sacrifice of the living" story she had made up earlier. Now it's almost late December and there are still no cases of disappearances or deaths, so it seems she was worrying about nothing.

On December 20, Ye Miao bought a gift, brought her simple luggage and boarded a plane back to China.

The direct flight to her hometown, Y City, was already sold out, so Ye Miao bought a ticket to the next city, which would take her back to Y City by car in just over three hours, saving her time and effort.

It was also nighttime in China when they got off the plane. Ye Miao did not intend to rush back to Y City overnight, so she booked a hotel next to the airport.

Anyway, the two families had agreed to have a formal dinner at noon the day after tomorrow. And Ye Miao's father, Ye Weiqiang, knew she was coming back, so he made a reservation at the hotel tomorrow night to give her a reception. It's not too late to go back the next morning when you wake up.

After settling in, Ye Miao lay on her bed and sent a message to Berial, telling him that she had arrived at the hotel.

There was almost a second reply, as if he had been waiting for his message: "That's good, rest early."

Ye Miao looked at this message for a long time, her heart was warm, she slowly put the phone to her heart and fell asleep.

A peaceful night's sleep.

The next day, Ye Miao slept until nine o'clock, barely adjusted the jet lag, put on a light makeup to make himself less haggard, before leaving the hotel.

It was an unlucky day, as the original three-hour journey had been delayed to more than twice that time due to traffic jams. Ye Miao sent a message to Berial, sending jokes to relieve boredom, but who knows there is no reply, presumably busy.

She was bored, so she plugged in her headphones and listened to a song, and on the way, her rechargeable battery was almost used up. At five o'clock in the evening, she arrived in Y city.

The hotel where she ate was halfway home, and her luggage wasn't heavy anyway, so Ye Miao looked at her watch and decided not to take a detour home first, but to go directly to the place where she ate.

After waiting for twenty minutes in the box, Ye Weiqiang arrived with Rong Hua and her daughter Rong Yuxin. The last time Ye Miao and this mother and daughter met was six months ago, although the relationship is not too close, but the necessary courtesy will be maintained, a meal was quite cordial.

Halfway through the meal, Rong Hua gave a wink to Ye Weiqiang, as if urging him to say something. Ye Weiqiang coughed lightly: "Xiao Miao, dad booked a VIP room for you upstairs in this hotel. You are also tired today, rest well in a while, and dad will pick you up tomorrow to go to the dinner place."

Ye Miao froze and looked at him in disbelief.

Why did she have to stay in a hotel when she returned to China and not go back to her own home?

Ye Weiqiang seemed to be still brewing, but it was Rong Hua who picked up the conversation and said with a smile, "Little Miao, it's like this, two months ago we lived in a house renovation, temporarily moved into your father's set of house to live. The original intention was to let Xinxin live in the study, but the folding bed in the study was too small. Considering that you are out of the country, the room is empty, your father let her temporarily live in your room ...... but don't worry, your clothes and other things Xinxin did not throw, all to you wrapped up put into the study, and so on that side of the renovation to disperse the smell, probably next summer, we will move over together ......"

Ye Miao quietly, seriously looked at Ye Weiqiang: "Even if the room is temporarily unoccupied, it is still mine, before emptying my things for others to move in, why not ask me first?"

Sitting across the table, Rong Yuxin's face became a little unattractive.

Rong Hua said, "Your father was busy for a while and forgot to mention it to you, it's not that important ......"

"No, it's important, I personally don't like people moving my things and sleeping in my room, especially when they haven't informed me yet." Ye Miao put down her chopsticks. She knew that saying these sharp words wouldn't change anything, but they still couldn't be held down, wrapped in a strange emotion of grief and aggravation, scrambling to come out: "Dad, I still have two months of winter vacation next year, are you going to let me stay in the hotel all those months, or sleep on the folding bed in the small study? Did you really forget to mention it to me, or do you think my thoughts are irrelevant and less important than your new family member?"

Rong Hua's smile became a little stiff, but he still rounded up once again, "Xiao Miao, your father didn't mean that! If you're not happy, I'll have Xinxin move out tomorrow and move into the study and give you your room back."

Ye Weiqiang gently rebuked, "Move what move. Xinxin has been living in the house for a while, and Xiao Miao is not staying in the country for a long time, so don't move in and out, don't bother. Xiao Miao, don't get into a bull's eye, we are a family now, just let your sister live in your room for half a year, why are you so concerned about it? Let's take a look at it during the winter holidays."

"Okay, I will not take the bull by the horns, you guys can stay as long as you like." Ye Miao raised the corner of his mouth, pushed away the stool and stood up: "I'm going to the bathroom."

Boxes don't come with restrooms. Ye Miao walked into the empty bathroom at the end of the corridor and looked at the mirror in a daze. Her own nose and eyelids were red, and there was a sense of aggression that was going to come out of her eyes.

That home is her mom and dad before the divorce, the three of them live in the family. Every piece of furniture, every corner, even an old sticker, has her precious and happy memories of belonging to a family of three.

She could understand her dad's need to remarry. And to be frank, the house was her father's and he could give it to whoever he wanted.

However, there is still a feeling of being turtled up.

I remember my former roommate saying that no matter how far away she went, studying or getting married, her mom and dad would keep her room intact. As if silently and wordlessly telling her that home is always her retreat, there will always be a place for her. Even if you come back in a mess one day, you don't have to go to a hotel alone like an outsider.

The company's main goal is to provide a solution to the problem.

The room where her memories were sealed was broken into, cleaned, and occupied by strangers. Things that belonged to her were packed up and sent to the study to make room for another person. That home was also overwritten with traces of new occupancy, like a copy-and-paste replacement of a source file in a computer, and the original atmosphere had been shattered.

She took a breath, and a sudden wave of capricious, negative and aggrieved emotions rose up in her chest.

So regretful ...... should have known that the wind and dust to come back is a home can not return, just stay in M forget. I don't care if it's a family of three or a family of four, it's better to be with Berial, at least you won't taste the taste of being shut out by your loved ones.

If she hadn't come back, she would be planning a Christmas trip with Berial right now, shoulder to shoulder.

Originally, she had planned to return to M until the end of Christmas. ...... Now, she thought it would be better to book a ticket and fly back to Santa Montaña after the usual dinner and meeting her former friends, so that she might be able to spend the holidays with Berial.

At this time, the phone in her pocket suddenly buzzed.

Ye Miao inhaled, and the caller ID was an unfamiliar phone. She hesitated for a moment, but answered it.

A familiar voice came from the earpiece: "Ye Miao, where are you?"

Ye Miao was confused: "......Berial?"

After returning to China, she switched to a domestic phone card, and she knew that Berial had her domestic number. But the problem was that the number and area code this was calling from was also domestic!

"Well. I'm at Y City International Airport, just arrived ...... you wait a moment."

The background sound over there was noisy and the sound of broadcasting flight information could be heard vaguely.

Berial finished that sentence and went quiet, but didn't hang up the phone either. The long, steady breathing through the phone line, brushing against her cheeks.

After a while, he seemed to have finally come to a quiet place, and his voice was much clearer. I've been thinking about it, and I'm still a little upset about being stood up by you. I said I wanted to spend Christmas with you, and I happened to buy a ticket, so I came to find you."