Prologue: The scary shadow in the alley
Nanshan Coffee Shop next to Mabel Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic.
Alex stirred the sauce-colored bubbles of cappuccino aimlessly and said to me sadly: "I broke up."
As usual, no surprise at all.
"With whom?"
"The cook at the Chinese restaurant opposite."
"That facial paralysis? It's okay. Don't you still have the waiter at the bar?"
"Get out of here, I sound like I'm being sentimental."
"Isn't it?"
Alex was a little embarrassed to say it, and after a while he said: "This time it was Charlie who broke up."
I couldn't calm down now, "Damn it, did he dump you?"
"When he proposed breaking up, I even lowered my face and begged him because... his cooking was so delicious that I haven't gotten tired of it yet."
I understand that Alex is serious this time. If I don’t laugh at him, I will be sorry for the men who were dumped by him just for fun.
"As things turn, you too will have today."
"With my methods, no one can be subdued by me in all situations of love and affairs. Charlie just takes advantage of this and plays hard to get!"
I rolled my eyes at him and looked out the window. The spring was warm and the sun was just right. I could hear Alex's constant nagging in my ears, but my body and mind were in another state.
For so many years, Alex has used me as a trash can to spit out his bitterness every time we broke up. I can tell from the first "hello" on his phone whether he wants to ask me out for shopping or share with me how his current relationship is. Became an ex.
Every time it was him who dumped someone else, but every time he felt like a resentful woman who had been greatly wronged.
But his existence still has some meaning. Seeing him at least makes me feel that I am living a pretty good life.
"Are you listening to me?!"
"Um."
I agreed, but my eyes were staring at an alley across the street. The walls of the alley were covered with vines. Looking inside, I could see darkness that could not be seen to the bottom.
The alley, which was originally a very ordinary alley, looked extremely attractive in comparison with Alex's chatter, and I couldn't take my eyes away.
"What a bummer. Don't talk about me anymore. How are you and William doing now?"
"No matter what, I have nothing to do with him."
The sunlight at the entrance of the alley was suddenly forced out by the darkness in the alley, and the green vines curled up and disappeared into the gaps in the bluestone slabs as if they were fleeing quickly.
I opened my eyes wide in surprise and wanted to tell Alex to look across. My mouth was open, but I couldn't say a word.
"William is really a different person. If he didn't help handle your dad's case, it might be more troublesome. But I know you, and I guess you refuse to accept William because of his help in everything... What are you doing?"
In the blackness of the alley, a figure filtered out like mist. The shadow staggered and walked along the wall, leaving a series of blood stains on the alley wall. When I walked to the alley, I really saw him. His wet hair was stuck to his forehead, his face was lowered, and his blue veins were bulging. He was wearing a dirty white jacket, ordinary jeans and ordinary clothes. sneakers.
Although the alley was dark, I felt the presence of that person very really. I seemed to be able to see every hair on his face extremely clearly. This thorough feeling made me shudder.
Maybe it was dazzling, hallucination, maybe it was just a little hooligan who got into a fight, but I instinctively wanted to run away. I held on to the table and kicked my feet on the ground, but I couldn't move.
I think I must have been more panicked and frightened than seeing a ghost at that time, so much so that Alex was so frightened that he was overwhelmed.
"What's wrong with you?! Noah, what's wrong with you?!"
Alex followed my line of sight, but seemed to see nothing.
The man raised his head, and I finally saw his face. At that moment, the remaining reason comforted myself that this must be a dream.
The cheeks were as pale as paper and were quickly covered with intricate blood vessels. The sharp fangs bit the lip, and the saliva flowed down. The two green eyes burst out with coldness, and the cracked eye sockets could not help but bleed with blood. Pearl, those eyes staring at me are so deep that they cannot be seen, shining with the light of death that can penetrate everything.
He looked away fiercely, and I screamed. The glass on the table exploded instantly, and the glass shards the size of fingernails went straight into my eyebrows. The warm blood covered my eyes.
"Noah!"
Alex's anxious face gradually became distorted and blurred in my blood-red vision, until everything was completely silent, and there was no longer any consciousness.