Chapter 4
Back in the room, I still couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was Lucas’s cold expression as he held the knife. The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt. People usually kill pigs with one cut to the throat, but Lucas was torturing it cruelly. After much hesitation, I went back to the basement. His sister seemed to have anticipated my return, sitting on the ground waiting for me even in the middle of the night. I looked at her with pity, but when our eyes met, hers held only coldness. “You don’t believe me.” I smiled awkwardly, not knowing what to say. Suddenly, she stood up, making the small space feel even more cramped. I looked at her suddenly fierce face in the candlelight, feeling a hint of fear, and unconsciously took a step back. There was a “crack” sound, like I had stepped on something. I looked down and almost screamed - it was a human bone! My breathing instantly became rapid, and my forehead was covered in sweat. When I looked back at his sister, I saw her playing with a leg bone in her hand. I was so scared I nearly fainted, and turned to leave, but she stopped me. She shoved the leg bone into my hands, and I quickly let go as if it were scalding hot. In the darkness, his sister’s smile seemed even more terrifying. She leaned in and whispered, “Well, do you believe me now?” My thoughts were in turmoil. The evidence was right in front of me, no matter how much I wanted to defend Lucas. His sister told me that just because she had witnessed her brother killing someone years ago, he locked her up here and buried that person’s bones in this basement. I listened, horrified, and immediately said I would call the police. His sister quickly tried to stop me when she heard I wanted to call the police. I reassured her, “Don’t be afraid, I’ll make sure justice is served.” But his sister still shook her head in fear. “It’s useless, they all say I’m crazy, no one will believe me… If you want to leave, go find Mrs. Johnson at the edge of town, she can help you.” I looked at this poor woman, touched that she was still trying to help me even in her condition. Early the next morning, I made an excuse to go out for a walk. Lucas insisted on coming along, saying he was worried I might get lost in an unfamiliar place. It was a small town with only about a hundred households, and we soon reached the edge. There was an old house there, its door slightly ajar. While Lucas was smoking, I quietly pushed open the door, but was immediately hit by a terrible stench that made me cough repeatedly. It was very dark inside. After my eyes adjusted, I could make out the scene. On an old bed in front of me was a woman who looked like death, tied up. Around her stood at least four or five half-dressed men. They had eerie smiles on their faces, looking at me with interest like predators eyeing their prey. Goosebumps instantly covered my body. I instinctively took a few steps back, only to bump into something. I turned around to find Lucas blocking the doorway, who knows how long he had been there. His eyes were examining me coldly, sending chills down my spine. “This is the town’s brothel. What are you doing in here?”