incontrôlable

Chapitre 4

I saw the mustachioed man's face darken noticeably, and he looked furious. I admired the dutiful middle-aged man, but the vampire threat had to be eliminated, and it seemed we would have to ask the priest for help in the end.

The long-haired clergyman sighed and offered a concluding suggestion: "Don't get agitated, gentlemen. At least we're safe during the day, so let's calm down. I think I have a way to protect you; at least I know what to do next."

(7. Swamp Adventure)

16:00:09

The priest's assurances seemed to have a calming effect, and we all quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

The edge of the dark clouds was tinged crimson by the rising sun, and the weak yet invigorating light pierced through the curtains and shone on our cheeks. I felt the fear in my heart slowly subside, and my emotions and reason returned to a normal level.

“Father,” I asked, “what do you mean by the next step? May I know?”

“Ah,” he smiled gently, “of course, Mr. Green, and I will need your and everyone’s cooperation.”

"us?"

“Yes,” he said. “We must get to that abandoned church cemetery before nightfall. Vampires can only lie in coffins during the day. If we can find it, pierce its heart with a stake, and cut off its head, then we can be rid of the danger forever.”

His calm and confident tone made Mr. Dewey raise his head as well: "You mean, we find where it's hiding and then kill it?"

“This is the best solution.” The priest nodded. “What do you think? Does everyone agree?”

We looked at each other, neither of us speaking: it was clear the priest's idea was excellent, but somewhat impractical to implement. We had absolutely no experience dealing with the devil!

"How do you know it's definitely hiding in that abandoned churchyard?" Mr. Brooks asked somewhat suspiciously. "Did you follow it from the beginning? Even Hans said he didn't know if there were really vampires in this area. Did you dare to go to such a place so rashly? And what if we didn't find the vampire there before dark? Wouldn't one of us become its dinner?"

Although it is an annoying and cowardly statement, it is also true that we must be extra careful about things that are uncertain and life-threatening.

“I see,” the priest brushed a strand of long hair from his forehead. “Please don’t worry. Since I’ve asked you all to go, I’ll guarantee your safety. As long as you bring your weapons and your crosses, we won’t be in any danger before sunset. Even if we don’t find the vampire’s lair, I’ll do my best to get you through the night safely. Besides… it’s always better to be proactive than to sit and wait to die, isn’t it?”

His words finally persuaded everyone, and I saw Attorney Field nod slightly as well.

The priest smiled at Hans Luther and said, "If possible, please allow me to borrow some silverware, preferably sharp knives, which will come in very handy! Only silverware can harm its body, and we can distribute them to everyone for self-defense."

The old butler glanced at Attorney Field, who nodded, and then, expressionless, told the priest he would go and prepare immediately.

“Alright then, gentlemen,” the priest stretched. “After a long night, how about we rest for two hours before setting off?”

This was truly a very practical suggestion, and therefore no one objected anymore.

I rubbed my throbbing temples as I walked towards my room, glancing out the other side as I passed the second floor. Miss Palmer had been moved to another room since last night; she should be taking her medication and sleeping soundly now. I decided to go see her anyway.

The maid named Mary was tending to the feverish patient at the bedside. I gestured for her to remain silent so as not to disturb Miss Palmer. The poor girl's cheeks were flushed, and she looked very fragile. Her tightly furrowed brows told us she must be having a nightmare. I was curious about what had happened to her last night, why she had been thrown outside, whether she had seen a real vampire, and why the monster hadn't bitten her.

I don't know if the priest also had these questions in his mind. Although he didn't say it, I always felt that he couldn't be blind to them.

About half an hour later, I changed my clothes and went downstairs to the lobby to meet the priest, ready to head to the swamp. I left the first mate in the room, giving him a piece of buttered bread for food. I didn't want anything to happen to him in the dangerous swamp—he wasn't very brave.

However, I hadn't expected anyone to be even more timid than him; when I arrived at the hall, I discovered that Mr. Brooks was missing from the group that had decided to go. Mr. Dewey told me with a wry smile that the man preferred staying in the manor to the damp, cold swamp. So, the group that went consisted of the priest, Attorney Field, Mr. Dewey, and myself and Hans Luther. The old butler accompanied us as a guide; I didn't know if he had already arranged for someone to take care of things at the manor, but he gave me an affirmative answer. Surprisingly, however, just as we were about to leave through the gate, Mr. Austin also arrived in a hurry.

"I cannot let the monster who harmed my wife get away with it." His handsome face was filled with determination, and no one dared to object.

We set off with three hunting rifles and seven silver knives.

It was still raining, and even with umbrellas and raincoats, the cold raindrops kept falling on our skin. We walked along the muddy path towards the swamp, and soon we smelled a putrid odor—the smell of waterlogged plant remains and mud. About half an hour later, as the tall trees gradually shrunk into dense bushes, we could vaguely see a blurry building appearing in the rain, with a huge, leaning cross on its spire.

“This is it,” Hans Luther said. “The cemetery is behind the church, but half of it is already underwater in the swamp.”

“Let’s go over and take a closer look.” The priest, holding an umbrella, led the way through the bushes. White mist drifted around us like invisible ghosts, and I forced myself to follow him, enduring the nauseating smell.

Damn it, my shoes are soaked!

This place indeed made me feel uncomfortable: the collapsed chapel stood beside us like a giant mountain monster, and in front of us were seven or eight graves covered in moss. Some of the tombstones were broken in half, some were completely sunken in the mud, and some coffins were exposed on the ground, entangled by grass roots and vines, and could no longer be seen as they were.

“Now everyone disperse,” the priest said to us. “Look around and see if anything looks amiss. Take your weapons, gentlemen, be careful.”

I touched the knife in my pocket and then pressed the pistol close to my body, and the fear in my heart subsided a little.

The swamp waters had gradually overflowed onto the slippery cemetery. I saw several small black stones protruding from the murky surface, perhaps the submerged tombstones. A small patch of land on the bank slowly sloping below the water, covered with a thick layer of silt. We examined the remaining graves on this land: it was clear they had been visited by grave robbers long ago; beneath the broken stones lay pools of foul-smelling sewage, and the bodies of their owners had long since been devoured by rats, lizards, and insects, leaving behind a trail of decay.

I doubt whether there really is a vampire here. It would be a miracle if it could endure all this, unless it has no sense of smell; and last night I didn't smell any swamp stench on it either.

Just as I was filled with doubt, a voice filled with fear and astonishment came from behind me: "Come quick, I found it, look!"

The one shouting was Mr. Carl Dewey. He stood only five yards away from me, slowly backing away. We quickly gathered around him, looking in the direction he was pointing: it was also a collapsed grave, but the moss-covered coffin lid had been lifted, revealing a scarlet lining, pristine velvet fabric as new as if it had been laid out yesterday, and a tattered black cloak…

However, there was nothing else in the coffin.

“This is it!” the priest exclaimed. “The vampire did indeed reside here!” He knelt down and picked up the cloak, and everyone watched him with suspicion. Attorney Field asked cautiously, “...But why is the coffin empty...vampires should hide in coffins during the day.”

“The legend says that,” the priest said, looking around, “that it should be afraid of sunlight, because vampires are the living dead.”

"but……"

Everything before me seemed to be filled with an eerie atmosphere. I felt a chill run down my spine and couldn't help but shiver. The empty coffin looked like a gaping maw snapping at us. I glanced at the people around me; they were all looking warily at the dark bushes, as if a terrifying monster might leap out at any moment.

The priest thought quietly for a moment, and I saw him purse his beautiful lips, then suddenly throw off his cloak and stand up: "Have any of you seen vampires before?"

We looked at him strangely, not understanding what he meant, but we all shook our heads in unison.

"Since no one has ever seen a vampire before, how do we know that it's not truly inactive only during the day?"

My face turned deathly pale: "Father, you mean..."

"It might be chuckling to itself from where we can't see it."

His words struck our hearts like a cold arrow, and my blood froze at that moment.

“God…” Mr. Austin murmured, “What do we do now? What do we do…”

The dark-haired clergyman frowned, folded his umbrella, and jumped into the coffin. He bent down and carefully ran his hands over the velvet lining, as meticulously as an experienced hunting dog. Suddenly, as if he had discovered something, he ripped open a piece of the lining and pulled out the sponge inside. We were stunned for a moment, then all rushed over.

Inside the damp coffin, near the head, was a small, circular carving, about the size of a palm, but it was so blurry and indistinct in the rain and mist that it was impossible to make out clearly. I crouched down, bringing my face close to that dreadful resting place, and finally saw it clearly—it was two lilies carved in an intertwined shape…

(8. Death's Feast)

16:00:46

What could be more terrifying than the unknown? Perhaps the prelude to the devil's arrival is more unbearable than seeing it with one's own eyes.

As I stared at the lifelike carving, a chill ran down my spine: the lily, which I had been searching for everywhere, had appeared in the place where it should have been. What was going on? Could this be a premonition of something even more dangerous to come? Was this the lily emblem mentioned in my aunt's will?

Questions flashed through my mind like lightning, but the priest had already stepped onto the muddy ground. He said with a solemn expression, "Gentlemen, it seems we have found what we were looking for. Perhaps we should return to the manor."

“Oh, yes, yes.” Attorney Field’s expression told us he couldn’t wait to leave this gloomy place, and the others didn’t object much. Mr. Austin nodded repeatedly: “That’s right, there’s only one man in the manor. If there’s any more danger, it might be difficult to protect the injured ladies.”

So our group began our return journey. No one spoke the rest of the way; the atmosphere was incredibly tense. The rain seemed to be getting heavier; water seeped through my raincoat and soaked my neck, sending shivers down my spine.

Soon I saw the gate of Flores Manor, which seemed to be slightly ajar. I noticed a window on the third floor was open and not properly secured, being blown open and closed by the wind.

For some reason, a sense of foreboding suddenly welled up inside me, and it grew stronger and stronger. I don't know if others felt the same way, but this feeling certainly spread widely after we all entered the hall. Everyone saw the vase, shattered on the marble floor.

"Mary! Mary!" Hans Luther called out the name of the maid who remained at the door, but there was no response; the empty building was eerily quiet.

The priest walked over and squatted down beside the shards of the vase. He dipped his finger into something on the ground, then his expression changed: "Blood!"

A loud buzzing sound went through my head.

He shouted, "Upstairs, quick!"

The men immediately understood and rushed upstairs. I ran towards Miss Palmer's room, while Mr. Austin ran in another direction to see his wife.

Before I even reached Miss Palmer's room, I noticed the door was wide open. Stepping inside, I saw the maid lying on the floor, her throat a bloody mess, blood splattered everywhere. A man was slumped over the bed, his head twisted in a strange position behind him—it was Mr. Brooks, his neck broken.

Mr. Carl Dewey and I were stunned by the horrific scene in the room. The priest shoved us aside, avoiding the corpses on the floor, and forcefully pulled back the covers from the bed.

"Where is he?" The clergyman frowned, searching around. "Where's the other person?"

When we came to our senses, we suddenly realized that Miss Palmer, who should have been in a deep sleep, was nowhere to be found. In this room where two corpses lay side by side, she should have been the one least able to move.

Perhaps my previous experience had honed my skills, because I forced myself to open all the cabinets where people could hide, despite the pungent smell of blood, and then pushed open the tightly closed window, looking down. Unfortunately, I couldn't find that white figure this time.

She's gone!

He heard a panting sound behind him; it was Attorney Field. Mr. Dewey helped him up and calmed him down.

"God, God..." The man, terrified, almost slid down the wall.

I turned to look at the priest, who was staring intently at the corpse on the ground, saying nothing.

“What’s going on, Father…” Mr. Dewey asked in a trembling voice, “Could it be…could it be again…”

Although he didn't say that terrible word out loud, he had already successfully made me tremble with fear.

The priest was silent for a moment, then suddenly strode out of the room, his face ashen, and walked towards the other end. Ah, right! Why did I forget there was a lady there?

When we walked down the corridor to Mrs. Austen's room, we breathed a sigh of relief—thank God, we saw the lady, weakly weeping, nestled in Mr. Austen's arms. She was still alive, thank God!

Hans Luther leaned against the door, and Mr. Austin kissed his wife's head, his face filled with a relieved expression. We all breathed a sigh of relief.

But in this silence, I suddenly thought of the first mate left in the room. Why hadn't I heard it bark? The scene I saw when I came back flashed before my eyes—oh my god, that swaying window on the third floor…

I turned and ran towards my room.

My poor, long-haired friend was indeed not blessed by the Lord; its throat was ripped open, and it lay face down on the floor, a pool of blood beneath it, but there was something on its paw. I sadly picked it up and looked at its last remaining possession: a piece of lace torn from its clothes.

Two people are dead, including my loyal Indian friend, and it happened in broad daylight. One person is missing, perhaps already a corpse. Has this place truly become a paradise for death?

As we were cleaning up the body, the priest briefly asked Mrs. Austin about her ordeal, then gathered everyone in the small living room. We were all so depressed and fearful that we skipped lunch.

The priest leaned against the fireplace with his arms crossed. He had changed into his black coat, wore a cross, and looked as solemn as if he were in a chapel. His handsome face was filled with a seriousness completely different from yesterday.

“Now I can basically tell you all,” the man said in a clear voice, “that we are now facing a ferocious demon! We underestimated it; it can be active during the day and hide from us, killing us silently. This… is very dangerous… I saw the bodies of the maid and Mr. Brooks; the former was drained of blood, and the latter had his head twisted off. Mr. Green also told me that even the monkey's body had almost no blood left. And Mrs. Austin, after being awakened by the terrible noise, only escaped by desperately chanting prayers while clutching her crucifix. Clearly, the vampire is hungry, but it is also clever. It avoided attacking us when we were at our strongest, targeting the ladies… this is practically premeditated…”

"What does it want to do?" I felt a chill run down my spine. "Is it going to eat us all one by one?"

The priest closed his eyes and took a breath: "Yes, if we can't catch it soon."

These words caused a stir of panic in the crowd. Attorney Field asked in a panic, "How is this possible? It's hiding where we can't see it. How are we going to find it?"

"Don't be afraid, sir. I hope you won't be defeated by fear. Everyone, keep your silver knives and crucifixes with you at all times, and don't go alone. Those secluded corners are very dangerous, so try not to wander around if possible."

"But how do we defend ourselves?" Mr. Dewey asked worriedly. "What if it attacks us first, and we can't hurt it?"

“We can do it, sir,” the priest said firmly. “Mr. Green wounded it with a gun last time, which proves that human weapons can subdue it.” The dark-haired man looked up at the ticking clock. “It’s three in the afternoon now, four hours before dark. At least we can still see our surroundings during that time. Gentlemen, perhaps we should gather all the weapons we can use. And please, pray to God as much as you can…”

When faced with the threat of death, unity seemed essential for survival. We gathered our scattered thoughts and, as the priest had requested, converted a relatively spacious room into a common lounge. Then, we distributed knives and guns in pairs. Because Mrs. Austin was injured, Attorney Field received an extra hunting rifle to protect her alongside Mr. Austin.

Then we locked the front door and shut off all access to the building, including the attic windows and vents. Hans Luther put plenty of fuel in the fireplace and brought over a few lamps.

The priest and I were on the third floor checking if all the doors and windows in the corridor were intact, as this was the most dangerous place after nightfall.

The rain outside intensified, and the light was as dim as dusk. There were no lights in the corridor, and the figures in the paintings on the walls stared at us with strange smiles.

My thoughts are still on my deceased friend: the First Mate's lovely brown eyes are now closed forever. I still remember how helpless he looked when he first came into my life, like a helpless baby. We lived together for two years, like he was my child. Grief has overwhelmed me.

I also felt sorry for poor Mr. Brooks. Although he was unlikeable, no one wanted him to die. His suffering before his death was truly unbearable. And Miss Palmer's fate was unknown; she was very likely murdered as well. What a beautiful and lovable girl she was…