pozo profundo

Capítulo 80

"Li Yang, Li Yang, help..." A figure was running for his life while shouting, his head down. In his panic, he wasn't even looking at the road in front of him and ended up running headfirst into my arms...

Volume Three: Delicacies of Hell, Chapter Sixteen: Hypnosis

Volume Three: Delicacies of Hell, Chapter Sixteen: Hypnosis

Just after Fang Lei healed my right arm, she, Li Yang, and A Bao went out to look for clues about the two murder cases from back then, leaving me alone. Because the right side of my body was still a bit numb, I could only lie quietly and boredly on the bed to pass the time.

When I was alone, I realized how unusually quiet the guesthouse was. Perhaps it was because of the murder that very few people stayed there, or perhaps the guesthouse was simply located in a truly secluded spot amidst the hustle and bustle. Even during the day, I could only hear my own breathing. This quietness made me uneasy; I kept sitting up and lying down, feeling like I had forgotten something important or that I hadn't done it.

The weather was beautiful, the sunlight so bright it was almost blinding, but I didn't feel any warmth; instead, I felt a chilling, eerie feeling. Struggling to get out of bed, I realized I could barely walk. I began to regret refusing Abao's offer to stay and take care of me.

I walked unsteadily to the table where the thermos was, trying to pour myself a glass of water, but my left hand just couldn't hold it properly, and half the glass of water spilled onto the table. It was then that I truly understood the happiness of an able-bodied person.

"Knock knock!" There was a knock on the door. Who could it be at this hour? I put down the thermos with a puzzled look and practically shuffled to the door. When I opened it, Su Qiao was standing there with a smile on her face. Today she was wearing a chiffon dress with a large floral pattern. She stood there gracefully. Her appearance reminded me of Yin Xue, and I stood there stunned, forgetting to say anything.

"Hi!" Su Qiao waved her hand in front of my eyes and said, "Hello!"

"Oh!" I immediately snapped out of it, gave an awkward laugh, and said, "Hello."

“I ran into Li Yang just now. He said you were sick, so he came to see you.” As Su Qiao spoke, she unconsciously put her hands behind her back, leaned slightly towards me, and let her long, beautiful hair fall down, carrying a faint scent of shampoo.

"Thank you!" I smiled and scratched my head, then said, "Come in and have a seat!"

I led Su Qiao into the room and said to her with a smile, "Please, have a seat!"

Su Qiao sat down in the chair without hesitation, and then asked with concern, "What illness do you have? Is it serious?"

"Oh, it's nothing." I touched my still numb right arm and said, "I just tripped and fell and hurt my arm."

"Hehe, you're so old and you still manage to fall?" Su Qiao laughed. "Looks like you're not exactly a steady forensic doctor!"

"Who says forensic doctors have to be so rigid?" I sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the woman before me who resembled Yin Xue so much. A flood of memories rushed back uncontrollably—her manner of speaking, her unique little gestures, her smile, her pout when she was angry—all of it surged towards me like a burst dam, and I felt a tightness in my chest. Su Qiao's scent was also like hers, a fragrance only a woman as pure as an angel could possess, a scent that had once led me to heaven.

"Lin Xiao?" Su Qiao suddenly stared intently into my eyes and asked, "Who are you looking at?"

"Huh?" I realized my lapse in composure and said, "I wasn't looking at anyone!"

"Although it looks like you're looking at me, I know you're actually looking at someone else, someone who might look a lot like me."

"Do you always like to guess what other people are thinking?" I looked down at my hands, then looked up at her.

"I studied psychology." Su Qiao rested her chin on her hand, looking at me with a playful expression, and said, "Do you like this person who looks a lot like me now, or do you like Fang Lei?"

"How do you know Fang Lei?" I asked, a little surprised.

"Because I can hypnotize people. I've already hypnotized you, so I know everything about you!" Su Qiao said, her big, seemingly innocent eyes wide open.

"Huh?" I frowned, clearly not taking the joke seriously.

"Don't be angry!" Su Qiao smiled, her eyes narrowing. "Li Yang introduced me to you when we met earlier."

"Oh!" I found that my speech suddenly became really bad when I was with Su Qiao.

"Who do you like?" Su Qiao pressed.

"She's dead." I tried to control my tone, to make it sound as calm as possible, but I found that even after so many years, I still felt an overwhelming sadness when I recounted this.

“Even if she dies, this person will still stay in your heart, and you will never be able to forget her.” Su Qiao’s eyes began to blur.

"Are you really good at hypnosis?" I deliberately changed the subject.

“Of course.” Su Qiao nodded proudly and said, “Want to give it a try?”

“I don’t have any psychological problems, why should I try it?” I said.

“Wrong. Everyone has some psychological problems to some extent, it’s just that they are either overt or covert. And those who have overt problems are often referred to as mental illness patients,” Su Qiao explained. “Moreover, it’s not only people with psychological problems who need hypnosis. Some people who feel a lot of pressure at work or in life can also relieve their burden through hypnosis. Some hypnosis can even awaken some long-forgotten memories.”

"That sounds interesting," I said with a smile.

"Want to give it a try?" Su Qiao smiled like a vixen about to pull off a cunning scheme, and I was momentarily blinded by her seductive gaze, foolishly nodding without thinking. By the time I realized what was happening, Su Qiao had already pushed me down onto the bed.

“Hypnosis requires relaxation of both mind and body, so you can lie down in your favorite position,” Su Qiao told me.

"Um... how do you want to hypnotize me?" I was already starting to regret it.

"Close your eyes." Su Qiao smiled gently at me and said, "Then relax your whole body."

Although I was reluctant, I obediently closed my eyes and shifted my body to lie flat on the bed in the most comfortable position.

"Now you feel very relaxed, soft, and light all over..." Su Qiao's voice became unusually gentle. I seemed to feel every pore on my body opening up and breathing in the air. The numbness on the right side of my body was gradually forgotten. I felt as if I were floating on a cloud.

"Imagine you're on a green meadow, the wind is gentle, the sky is clear, and there's a faint scent of grass..." Su Qiao's voice seemed to come from afar. I gradually lost sight of her presence, and the scenery before me went from blurry to clear. There seemed to be colorful wildflowers dotting the green meadow, but the sky was a bit overcast. I felt lonely; I was all alone on the empty meadow. I tried to take a step, but found that my steps were incredibly small. Looking down, I saw that my feet had become very small. Then I looked at my hands and body. What was happening? I had turned back into a child, with tiny hands, feet, and body, yet carrying the thoughts of an adult.

I feel panicked and confused...

Turning around, I saw a small figure walking towards me. It was a little girl whose long, beautiful hair seemed to cover her face, or perhaps there was something wrong with my eyes. I couldn't see her face clearly; it was as if it were shrouded in mist.

“Hey, shall we go play there?” The little girl grabbed my hand. I couldn’t hear what she was calling me. I only saw her lips moving and heard the last part of her sentence.

"No!" I wanted to ask her who she was, but the words of disgust escaped my lips, and my hand instinctively shook off the little girl's. I walked forward, not even glancing at the little girl.

"Wait for me, **, wait for me, **..." The little girl kept calling to me, but I still couldn't hear what she was calling me, yet my body moved faster and faster.

"**, **, boohoo~~~!" The little girl behind me started crying when she realized she couldn't catch up with me. This softened my heart, and I stopped. I turned around and looked at the little girl who was still trying to catch up with me, and said, "You're so annoying!"

"**, **!" The little girl saw me stop and happily wiped away her tears before rushing over. Upon seeing her, a strange feeling welled up inside me, a mixture of liking and perhaps annoyance. When she reached me, I actually reached out and pushed her away.

"Ahhh!" The little girl was pushed off her feet by my sudden push and fell to the ground, rolling to the side. What had been grass beside her suddenly turned into a small river. The little girl didn't even have a chance to cry out before she plunged in with a splash. And I, dumbfounded, watched as the little girl disappeared before my eyes, disappearing into the river...

Suddenly, it became very dark all around. There was no one there; it was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face...

I wanted to shout, but I couldn't utter a word...

In the distance, a group of white figures suddenly appeared, seemingly men and women, young and old. They were talking about something, but I couldn't hear clearly. I could only feel their gazes directed at me, and in their eyes was pity.

I don't understand, I don't get it. Why? Are they pitying me? And what are they looking at all huddled together?

I walked over, and the white silhouettes gradually disappeared. I could only see the little girl's body lying there quietly, but she was far away. I could only feel that her body was much more swollen than before. Swollen? An ominous premonition made my whole body tremble. Fear, sadness, self-blame, guilt and so on all rushed towards me!

I walked up to the little girl, who was now a swollen, almost oozing corpse. Her bluish face was so swollen that her features were no longer visible; only her open, bulging eyes, like those of a dead fish, were fixed on me.

My hands and feet were ice cold, so cold. I shrank back and slowly squatted down. The little girl's face was still blurry. Suddenly, bright red blood flowed from the corner of her eye. The strong smell of blood made me hold my breath. What horrified me even more was that blood slowly seeped from her nostrils, mouth, and ears. Gradually, white, transparent maggots began to crawl out of these places. Their wriggling bodies sent chills down my spine.

The little girl's mouth slowly opened, revealing her rotten, pus-filled oral cavity, and white worms crawling on her mouth and teeth.

She was speaking, she was calling me, and this time, I finally understood what she was calling me!

She's calling me...

The call seemed both near and far, as if it were right beside my ear, as if it were in my mind...

"Brother~~~~!"

Volume 3: Delicacies of Hell, Chapter 17: Meeting

Volume 3: Delicacies of Hell, Chapter 17: Meeting

"Ahhhh!" I practically jumped up, panting heavily. Before me stood Su Qiao, looking at me with a strange expression. I touched my forehead and found it was soaked with sweat. The wind blowing in from the window made me feel unusually cold, and my teeth chattered.

"How are you?" Su Qiao looked at me with concern. I felt my mind go blank, and all that remained in my heart was immense panic and fear, and even a strange feeling, as if it were guilt or self-blame. These feelings came so intensely, each one deeply stimulating my nerves, that I didn't say a word for a long time, just kept breathing heavily.

"What did you see?" Su Qiao asked.

"..." What did I see? I think I saw...who? I don't remember...it was someone, someone very important, but now...I don't remember anything. This frustration of knowing I've forgotten something very important, yet being unable to recall it, made me grab my hair tightly. I wanted to pull that thing out of the depths of my memory.

"One more time!" I suddenly grabbed Su Qiao's hand. I wanted to get back what...?

"No!" Su Qiao immediately refused and turned to pour me a glass of water, saying, "Your mental state is unstable right now and you need to rest. Hypnosis isn't as harmless as it seems. If I force you to undergo hypnosis again, your mental state might collapse."

"But..." I wouldn't give up.

"How about a few days later?" Su Qiao's tone was like coaxing a willful child, which immediately deflated my spirits.

"Didn't you say that hypnosis can help you remember a lot of things? How come I seem to have forgotten something now?" I asked.

"Hmm~~~!" Su Qiao tilted her head and thought for a while, then said, "There is a situation that might happen to you. When a person is subjected to a strong stimulus in childhood, if the subconscious mind deliberately tries to forget it, the person will lose that memory after growing up. Even if hypnosis might make him remember during hypnosis, the brain's memory cortex will also choose to forget it after hypnosis or later."

"You mean, I also experienced some kind of intense trauma when I was a child?" I asked.

"I don't know about that. You should ask your parents," Su Qiao said with a faint smile.

"Mom and Dad?" I frowned; the word seemed too unfamiliar.

"What's wrong?" Su Qiao noticed my strange expression.

"They died long ago." For some reason, I always felt less guarded around Su Qiao and naturally told her some things. Maybe it was because she resembled Yin Xue, or perhaps it was because she had a kind of inexplicable sense of familiarity with me.

"Really?" Su Qiao glanced at me with a touch of sadness, then turned her face away and said softly, "Me too!"

"Do you remember them?" I asked.

“Of course.” Su Qiao took a deep breath and said, “I will never forget it, not even until I die.”

Will I never forget, even until death? Then what about me? Why can't I remember? I felt a little lost, the panic of forgetting something important. Gripping the cup tightly, I suddenly longed to see my sister, Lin Yao. Where are you now?

"Alright, you look tired, why don't you take a rest?" Su Qiao smiled, stood up, and slowly walked to the door, saying, "Get some rest, goodbye."

"Goodbye!" I had no heart to greet her; all I felt was how to find my sister. As soon as Su Qiao left, I jumped out of bed. Although my right side was still not very flexible, it was noticeably better than before the hypnosis. I didn't care what was going on and grabbed my phone from the table.

But as soon as I dialed a number, my hand froze in mid-air. I suddenly remembered that I didn't have her contact number in my phone. Then... what about her friends?

I immediately scrolled through my phone's contacts: this isn't her, this isn't her either, no...no...none of them...nobody, absolutely nothing. It was only then that I suddenly realized I didn't even have one of her friends' phone numbers, meaning I couldn't contact her at all!

Why? Why am I so eager to prove Lin Yao's existence today?

Wait...wait a minute!

What does it mean to prove her existence? I felt a surge of unease about this strange thought in my head. She truly exists, undeniably exists in my memory, in my life, in my being… even… in my soul…

Hehe! I held my phone to my forehead and laughed. A strange thought suddenly popped into my head, and I could almost see the figure of a little girl... so blurry...

Shaking my head, I tried to tell myself that it must be the shadow of my sister from my memories... Yes... It must be!

Just as I was thinking this, the knocking sounded again. Who could it be this time? I looked at the door with a bit of curiosity. Could it be Fang Lei bringing back lunch? I glanced at my watch; it was exactly 11 o'clock. It should still be early.

When I got to the door and opened it, my mouth immediately gaped open wide enough to fit an ostrich egg!

"What, are you so surprised to see your sister?" Lin Yao, my sister, the sister I was just being so nervous about, is now standing right in front of me, carrying a bucket of KFC takeout family meal.

"Here you go!" Lin Yao threw the heavy bucket of chicken nuggets into my hand, ignoring how I almost tipped it over because my right arm was numb. She then shoved me into the room and, rather, kicked the door shut in a very unladylike manner.