【Good Leaf】Eclipse of the Crimson Moon

Chapter 10

【Pick up】

The body gradually became icy cold, and the short-term germination of heat in the body could not stop the chill from the four sides of the bread.From the fingertips to the limbs, from the skin to the bones, and finally even the blood froze.All the feelings also scattered in the dark space around him, whether it was pain or hope, they gradually disappeared.

Lying on the cold and hard stone slab and doing nothing, it somehow made me feel a little familiar.

It is not the first time that there are countless cases of eager desire but being unable to move the body.It's as if the soul has left the body, standing illusory in the distance looking at myself who is like a puppet——

Yes, that would be like death.

Only by death can one obtain freedom after being freed from this body.

Only death is the only way to undo the curse.

I didn't want to die, and I never intended to give up.

Holding on to the idea of ​​"there will always be a way" and going all the way, I have experienced a lot of twists and turns, but I have never encountered a situation where I am forced to be helpless like I am now.What's more, I have no relatives in Yuejian, and my relatives and friends far away probably wouldn't expect me to be in such a predicament, right?Even I myself can't fully accept what I witnessed.

A chain of events is connected to the family that has managed the land for a long time.In any case, it is impossible to figure out the motive behind this cruel incident.

Perhaps it is wrong to try to understand them with the way of thinking of ordinary people?

I really... don't want to use that kind of malice to speculate on other people's hearts, but at the same time, I can't calm down the anger in my heart.No matter what the purpose is, it is absolutely unforgivable to take a human life away.

So, I won't give up.No matter what method you use to get out of here, you must reveal all these secrets!

If you do that, maybe you can prevent the tragedy from happening again?

★★★

Everything around seems so unreal, so far away.

Floating chaotically in nothingness, the self floating drowsily seems to have become thinner.But there is no freedom in this existence, because I can't feel anything like a sleeping puppet.

Something is going on, you must wake up immediately, and you can't stop thinking about it.But now I can't even think left and right.

The surroundings were abnormally dark, and it was very quiet at first, which lasted for a long time, and I lost consciousness completely for a while.

I don't know how long it took for the perception circuit to resume operation again.His head was still as heavy as lead, but he could understand that the surroundings were not quiet.All kinds of noisy and chaotic sounds are intertwined, sometimes far and sometimes near, making me feel as if I am in a noisy sports field.Clearly heard the human voice, but can not distinguish its composition.When I tried hard to distinguish the details in the middle, the nerves in my brain involved my senses more sharply, which made me unable to concentrate.

Then, a loud bang nearly punctured my eardrum, creating an even worse headache.The only good thing is that it brought my scattered mind together for a brief moment, and I can still remember some of what happened after that.

Someone entered the stone chamber, seeming to shout something, and then others also arrived.

Someone lifted my shoulders, called my name, and put his hand on my forehead.

In the following time, I lost consciousness again, but the shaking and collision process of my body was intermittently engraved in my memory.

"..."

"...There is no way to deal with it here. A child of his age, if he is left alone, his life will be in danger..."

"Are you going to send him to the hospital in the town? That's absolutely impossible..."

"but……"

I wanted to try my best to hear their conversation clearly, but the severe cough made me suffocate several times.I can't tell whether it is hot or cold feeling flooding the body, and the already numb limbs are suffering again.A stronger sense of exhaustion and exhaustion hit me, and I finally passed out again.

When I woke up again, it was very quiet around me.

The soreness and weakness of the whole body still haven't subsided, and the high temperature burning like karmic fire in the body is still there.The most painful place is the chest cavity, the tearing pain spreads from the alveoli along the trachea to the throat, and the weak expansion of each breath involves the nerves in the half of the body.

When I opened my eyes, it was white.

He was lying on the hospital bed again, and he seemed to have been treated more solemnly than before. This can be inferred from the number of medical equipment in the room.Although the body can't move a little bit, but there is a hint of joy in the heart in an instant.

★★★

The scream came out a few seconds after the man pushed open the door of the ward, and then several people rushed into the room one after another. The panic atmosphere can be easily felt from the mixed and eager footsteps.

The blond girl was among the first to arrive after the first yell, and she saw nothing different from the others.There was still some warmth in the opened quilt, but the boy who was supposed to be here disappeared as if dissolving into the air.

She looked at the messy bedding and the discarded infusion tubes without saying a word, and the few people who were shirking responsibility in the noise gradually fell silent after seeing her increasingly livid complexion, and turned to the back of the crowd. Keep shrinking.

The short silence was wiped out by a series of loud noises that suddenly exploded. Everyone stared blankly at the fragments of the infusion bottle and the fallen bracket on the ground. Make eye contact with the girl.

She walked around the hospital bed slowly, walked towards the trembling middle-aged man by the door, and asked in a voice as cold as a sharp knife:

"Tell me, what's going on?"

"This... this... I just went out to use the bathroom...but I asked Honda to watch it for me!" The man trembled and cried, pointing at the short person beside him, who immediately screamed and waved his hands :

"I've been there all the time! I haven't left the door half a step! I never saw anyone go out! I swear! Please believe it..."

"Two big living people... can't hold on to a patient who is in a deep coma and hasn't even taken off his respirator..." The girl's speech slowed down, but the anger mixed with her words was obviously high: "What else is there to quibble about?" of!"

Before the words were finished, there was a clear but powerful slap on the face, and in an instant the crowd exclaimed with the dull sound of heavy objects falling to the ground.

The atmosphere became more and more oppressive and suffocating, and I don't know how long it took, when someone scanned the room uneasily, he suddenly noticed the strangeness of the window: "Master Anna! The window is opened!"

Not only the girl, but everyone else's eyes immediately focused on the window sill he was pointing at—

The plain curtain had some unnatural folds, and a small part was folded up and squeezed into the gap between the window sash.It is now the end of November, and the temperature is extremely low in winter, so the windows must have been closed and the curtains drawn when the nurse left.And the situation in front of him is like someone hastily opened the window and then quickly closed it without clamping part of the curtains.

The people who discovered this new situation became restless, and someone opened the window to look out.There is no balcony outside the window on this floor, but the protruding decorative panel on the outer wall is installed just below this window, extending to the window of the adjacent room, wide enough for one person to pass through.

"This...that kid must have escaped along here! There is an empty room next to it...we didn't pay attention!"

"Master Anna, I...we will look for it right away! Please rest assured! We will definitely bring him back!"

There was a sound of mixed footsteps in the room, hurried running and shouting intertwined, and then gradually disappeared along the corridor.In the end, the blond girl who remained in place looked around again, clenched her fists in frustration, then quickly turned and went out.

The restless atmosphere that filled the room just now has completely disappeared, and the remaining heat has also escaped and disappeared into the cold outside with the wide open door, and the cold atmosphere in the ward has returned.

But at this moment, a slight friction sound came out quietly.And the place where the sound came from was in the direction of the empty hospital bed.No, to be precise, it came from under the bed surrounded by plain white sheets.

I gently stretched my legs, which were so numb that they were almost immobile, and sure enough, the slightest movement was exchanged for a disgusting shudder that ran through my whole body.

I have been curled up under the bed for more than half an hour, the space here is very low, even as a child I have to crawl on the ground to enter.There is a slightly higher space near the head of the bed, where I curled up into a ball.Fortunately, the length of the sheets is enough to block the view, and the space here is covered by instruments and bedside tables. If you didn't check it deliberately, you would never have guessed that I would be hiding here.

The heartbeat is still fast, and the breathing is also extremely disordered.The thin patient uniform was soaked in cold sweat, and stuck to the skin of the back, chest and abdomen. The already cold body was more directly eroded by the cold air, which made me tremble continuously.The most terrible thing is that the itchy feeling in the throat from time to time may turn into a violent cough at any time. I bit my lip and exhausted all my strength to finally suppress the urge to cough.

Carefully looking under the bed sheet towards the still open door, the surrounding area and the corridor are quite quiet.If you want to escape, now may be the only chance.

★★★

When passing the floor hall, I noticed the wall calendar clock on the wall.

Today is November 28th, it has been nearly two weeks since the Siyue Festival, and it has been four days since I was sent to the hospital.

At that time, I couldn't find a way to get out after thinking hard and contemplating. The last way I came up with was to create such a chance that I could leave from the basement I knew so well.

That's really not a trick, I'm just betting, using my life as a bet.

No matter what purpose they imprisoned me there, it shows that I still have a need to live.Otherwise, for an outsider like me who broke into the forbidden area alone, it would be a breeze to kill the corpse in the deep mountains and then dispose of it.

I don't know what the purpose of keeping me alive is, but it's enough for me to use that.

"If you make yourself seriously ill in that way, maybe you can get a chance to leave." That's all I thought at the time.If it's unfortunate that it's overdone, or if they don't mind my life or death at all, then I can only admit it.

Fortunately, I managed to put on my coat before my consciousness dissipated, otherwise I would be suspected of doing it on purpose... Especially that girl... It seems that I heard someone calling her "Anna"? ...Her strength is really beyond expectations, she can kick a burly middle-aged man to the corner of the wall

...In retrospect, if she had given me a hand... I couldn't help but tremble...

After that, I was actually sent to the hospital, but it was really very sick.The exhaustion reaction caused by the low temperature and the recurrence of pneumonia that did not heal originally, and the high fever that lasted for two days almost killed me, but I survived in the end... It seems that my life is indeed as hard as a cockroach.

If I'm not still in this situation, I must be celebrating myself with great joy at this moment, right?But now I can only hold my breath, prop up my weak body and look for a way out without being discovered.

The monitors who have been guarding inside and outside the ward have dispersed, and they are probably looking for me in the hospital, and the entrance and exit will definitely be closely monitored.How on earth should I get out of here... If I continue to hide, I will be discovered sooner or later, and I don't have enough physical strength to start a long-term entanglement with them.Just when I was curled up under a narrow sundry partition outside the ward, watching the movement outside the door nervously while thinking hard, the opportunity came again.

A trolley full of bedding that needed to be changed stopped outside the door not far away, and the nurse opened the door and entered the empty ward.

We must be thankful that the space in the car is large enough, and there are also plenty of cleaning products.So when the nurse pushed the trolley again, she seemed to hesitate for a moment and then continued to push it forward, so I was able to follow it to a small courtyard at the back door of the hospital, where there were already minivans from the cleaning department waiting.When she turned around to tidy the sheets next to her, I jumped off the trolley lightly, avoiding my sight, and got into the bushes next to me.

★★★

The long-lost sky is now as gray as a sewage cup that has been disturbed by people, and the clouds are changing shapes with the wind.

It was raining heavily, and the sound of the pattering rain even overshadowed the sound of messy footsteps crushing the water stains on the ground.I've never encountered such heavy rain in winter before, but when I think of the weirdness of the town I live in, I don't think it's a big deal.

He ran wildly with weak footsteps, not daring to waste any more time in place.The clothes and shoes on my body were all found in the utility room. I used old work clothes and ridiculously large shoes. I staggered and fell down several times and got up again.

Can't take the main road, because I don't know where the pursuers will appear.Go through the woods that are easy to hide, and move forward as low as possible.This is Tsukimi, the whole island is under their control, and I'm not stupid enough to ask for help along the way or just run home.

The heavy rain has already drenched the clothes from the outside to the inside, and the wet, cold and sticky cloth sticks to the body, making the hands and feet feel heavy several times.The symptoms that were barely suppressed by drugs reappeared, all kinds of sensations were gradually lost, and consciousness became blurred in the burning body.Every step is like stepping in a cloud without substance, ethereal and unreal, crumbling.It is no longer the body that drives the footsteps, but the unstoppable obsession that is so strong that it occupies all the thoughts.

When walking out from the back of the alley, I heard the sound of the broadcast from the nearest small shop.The rainstorm information that was continuously interrupted in the program was faintly discernible. I hid my body behind the wall and looked around quietly with some hesitation.

Because of the heavy rain, many people gathered in the small noodle shop, chatting while listening to the radio, and no one noticed the drenched boy in the corner not far away.

The owner of the noodle restaurant recognizes me, because I like the curry udon there very much, and I am already a regular customer.His store has a phone that can make long-distance calls, which is exactly what I need most now.

After thinking twice, I carefully avoided the direction of the main intersection where people might see it, walked half an alley and approached the back door of the noodle shop, and just met the boss who was walking back to the storage room.

"Hey? Masumi? You... What's the matter with you? Didn't you bring an umbrella? Come in and take shelter!" He greeted me eagerly, and walked over to open the door.

"I'm fine...thank you, Uncle. That..."

His attitude reassured me a little. It seems that the search team of Yuwujia has not spread the news of my search to all parts of the town.I knew that my appearance at the moment must be terrible and very suspicious, but I didn't care too much about the situation, so I asked directly:

"I'm in a hurry and want to borrow your phone... May I ask?"

"Uh...this..." The enthusiastic boss was speechless after hearing this request.His heart sank immediately, but before I could ask, he pointed to the outside of the house and added: "Don't you know? Yuejian's phone can't be used recently because of the continuous rainstorm. It is said that the landslides have damaged the line. This It's impossible to repair it right away in this kind of weather...Speaking of it...you look very bad, why don't you even bring an umbrella...huh?"

Before he finished speaking, I turned around and ran away.

how come!

At a time like this...is it impossible to tell anyone who can be trusted?Why is it such a time...!

After wiping off the rain that blurred his vision, Qiang pulled himself together and turned to another path.Can't give up yet, there's one more place I can try...and the one I decided to go to from the start.No matter what happens to this body, we must stick to it. As long as we are alive, we must try to convey everything there, otherwise all our efforts will be in vain... and the tragedy will continue!

Cautiously walking through the remote alleys, avoiding all the pedestrians on the road, after half an hour, I finally arrived at the Tsukimi City Police Station with great difficulty.Suppressing my anxious and nervous emotions, I observed in the dark for more than ten minutes, and after confirming that there was no ambush near the gate, I took a deep breath, rushed out of the hiding place, and went straight to the gate.

Every beat of the heart can almost break the tense nerves, and the violent beating seems to jump out of the chest cavity at any time. The continuous high fever makes the feeling of cold rain on the skin disappear, and he has no power to care about anything other than the target in front of him. Things, all willpower is driving my mechanical steps at the moment, and there is only one thought in my mind:

please!You must let me in!Don't be stopped at this time!

The distance of 100 meters is so far away, and I have exhausted all my strength, I can only see that building at the moment——

★★★

When I took the hot tea handed by the person in front of me, I felt my fingers still trembling violently uncontrollably.

"Drink, let's warm up first...in this kind of weather...it's terrible..." The man smiled kindly, while flipping through the address book at hand: "Please wait a moment, the situation you want to report is very important, I Inform the person in charge now, and you will tell him in detail when the time comes."

"...Okay...Thank you..." Still in shock, I held the cup and stared at him as he continued to rummage through, my thinking was dull due to the high fever and I still couldn't keep up with the situation in front of me.

Although I can relax physically and mentally and slump on the chair, I still can't believe that I came to the police station so easily, and I can immediately tell the public what I saw.Surprisingly, there is no one from the Yuwu family to monitor near the police station, and the only on-duty patrolman who was present accepted what I said... Is this a dream?

"Ah, I found it. I'll go out to contact the person in charge and notify the hospital by the way. Please wait here for a while. I'm sorry." The man retreated from the reception room as he spoke, and the door was gently closed with the metal buckle The crisp sound of the impact "clicked", but it was inexplicably amplified in my consciousness.

The room where I was left alone suddenly became quiet, only the sound of the rain outside the window continued non-stop, and the water droplets blown by the strong wind shattered on the closed glass window, making a monotonous and repeated "tick" sound, which made people feel tired. I felt great fear and uneasiness.

He dragged his heavy body to the door, pressed his face against the closed door, and vaguely heard a male voice outside.His voice was higher than before, and he seemed to be inexplicably excited, which seemed to be a subtle violation of his job duties.Is it because what I said still shocked him?After all, they have been stationed in Yuejian for many years. Even if they are policemen, it is not surprising that they are superstitious about Yuwujia due to the influence of folk customs...

While appeasing the different feelings in my heart, a sentence that made my consciousness almost stagnate pierced my ears:

"Come quickly!..."

you…?Do the general police use such wording when reporting work to their superiors or colleagues? (Note)

My heart beat wildly, and I immediately grabbed the doorknob and turned it secretly, but the knob of the ball lock didn't move at all.The door was locked from the outside.

The tightness of the nerves made my whole body convulse, and I retreated from the door in a daze, and slumped against the wall by the window.

There was no time for me to hesitate, and my eyes turned from the closed door to the window sill.This is the second floor, and the closed windows have been blurred by the heavy rain.He stretched out his hand to pull the window lock, and the metal catch flicked open.

Heavy rain and strong wind poured in wantonly through the opened window, and there was a loud noise of the door being roughly pushed open, followed by a panicked roar.

I didn't have time to pay attention to the restlessness coming from the building behind me, I plunged into the nearby jungle again, and ran wildly without looking back.

The rain curtain overturned more and more violently, the sound of howling wind and water mixed together, and the whole world fell into a hazy and dim enchantment.

I ran desperately, not knowing where to go.His consciousness has been completely infiltrated by the gray in his field of vision, cloudy and heavy, and he can't find any target.

It's over!

There is no way to think about it!

I was so naive... If you recall what Holo said, you should understand how foolish it is to go to the police station!

This is not the everyday world at all, I am the "heretic" who tries to correct all this, right?I finally understood how stupid and overwhelmed I was.

As for why Yuejian was hit by such a heavy rain in this season and caused the communication to be interrupted, that is no longer a question I can figure out... Is it all a coincidence?Or... is this God's punishment for me?

Is this a sanction for "disrespect" against stupid people who violate taboos?

if so……

Do not!

I don't admit it!

Why are those innocent people being sanctioned?I absolutely do not agree with the "gods" who tolerate such cruelty!

There was chaos in my mind, and the scorching heat in my body had already turned into uncontrollable pain and spread.Exactly why he hasn't fallen down yet, I don't even know why, but there is only strong anger and unwillingness in my heart.Just relying on that willpower to support his body, which was about to lose consciousness, he ran non-stop, passing through one after another forest in front of him.

I must have sprained my ankle when I jumped from the second floor of the police station. If it was at that height, I would not have been injured... The shoes have long since disappeared, and now every step I take on the ground feels like I'm on needles.The numbness spread from the toes to the base of the thigh, and no matter whether it was a fall or being cut by a sharp branch or rock, the pain was no longer felt.I just continued to walk mechanically, repeatedly reminding myself not to stop.

While stumbling, a road appeared at the end of the forest gap ahead, which was the only road leading to the outside of the mountain.Although I dare not walk directly in such a place where people can easily find it, but if I walk along the path next to it... it should be able to lead to the outside of the town, right?

Go south along the road for about ten kilometers, and finally you will reach the harbor behind the island.There may be an opportunity to leave Oki Island... If you can reach a place other than Tsukimi, you should have a way to contact the police... Or Mantai and the others...

Tightening my chest with bouts of dull pain, I tried my best to suppress the severe cough and the rising vomiting sensation in my throat, and I adjusted my direction and continued to walk along the side of the road.

The rain has never stopped, and it has no tendency to weaken. I don't know if it is because of the diffuse fog or my gradually cloudy consciousness, the scenery in my vision is gradually blurred.

Note: From a Japanese point of view, "you" here is not polite and does not conform to normal workplace language, so Masumi will sound very strange.