Lin Yuan thought he would sleep more soundly tonight. After all, he had encountered many good things at the party and came back very late, so he was very tired.
Unexpectedly, I fell into another strange dream.
In her dream, she knew clearly that she was dreaming, but she couldn't wake up.
In the dream, I am not a human being, but a huge monster with countless tentacles crawling in the dark.
Lin Yuan found himself coiled in a dark castle. Huge and vivid tentacles were slowly crawling and crisscrossing, occupying the entire bottom of the castle.
Wrapped in so many tentacles, Lin Yuan felt very safe.
She felt safe and comfortable, as if there was no one else in the world and nothing else needed her attention. She could sleep well, deep in this dark world that belonged only to her.
I just always feel a little lonely. It seems that she has been sleeping here for a long time, I don’t know if it is a thousand years or ten thousand years. Time seems to have frozen, imprisoning this huge monster in this dark cage forever.
I don't know when, the moonlight shines through the broken roof. A princess who has pledged her life to a debtor, holding a rose, is forced to lie on a huge altar.
The moonlight shone on the altar, illuminating the man lying on the altar. He was wearing straight trousers and a snow-white shirt. One hand hung from the altar, and he was wearing a black glove.
Lin Yuan immediately knew that it was not a princess but a sentry she was familiar with.
She felt very happy in her heart, and the tentacles began to wriggle excitedly, climbing up the steps covered with bright red carpets towards the high altar.
The sacrifice lay powerlessly on the magnificent altar, motionless, seemingly without the slightest ability to resist.
A pointy tentacle arrived first, penetrated into the black glove, lifted the glove open, and slowly peeled it off.
A sweet fragrance began to fill the air, like a piece of sacrificial candy that had its paper shell removed and was emitting a sweet aroma.
Lin Yuan began to feel hungry and she liked sweet food.
The tentacles' wet skin and fresh flesh rejoiced.
Under the moonlight, Yue, wearing a snow-white shirt, began to breathe rapidly. A dull voice echoed in the empty hall.
"Hold me."
Then the monster crawled out of the cage in the damp underground, climbed happily onto the altar, and tightly entangled the offering in the moonlight.
A pair of human male arms stretched out from the gaps between the numerous tentacles, slowly retracted in the moonlight, and were hugged back by those strange and sticky tentacles.
Lin Yuan suddenly opened his eyes.
Found myself lying in the attic of my home.
The sky outside the window was already turning white, the air in the early morning was very cold, the world was silent, and she could hear her heartbeat quickening.
It was a dream, an absurd and strange dream.
Why do I have this kind of dream? Why do I always dream about that sentry recently?
When he is awake during the day, Lin Yuan's emotions are very indifferent and it is difficult for him to experience strong emotions. But every night, the world in his dreams is completely the opposite.
Her dreams were always intense and scorching, filled with fire, ice, death, separation, anger and sorrow...
Now it seems that there is a new picture.
Lin Yuan sat on the bed and thought about it carefully. He felt that maybe it should be attributed to the word love and desire.
I heard that humans will develop such emotions when they grow up and their bodies enter maturity.
I always dream about these things, maybe it’s because I’m growing up.
She wiped her face and sat up from the bed.
The weather was very cold, and the glass of the window beside the bed was covered with a circle of white frost. Looking out through the frost, I saw an old milkman pushing a cart, walking with difficulty on the uphill road outside the manor.
In the room, toys and dolls of all sizes lay quietly on the cabinet, looking at her. An old windchime with various glass beads hanging on it swayed gently by the window.
Lin Yuan took out the killer whale doll with a small hole in it from the cabinet against the wall and played with it in his hand for a while.
The cabinet was filled with all kinds of toys, both new and old. The killer whale was taken down, revealing a shabby wooden box underneath it.
It was the wooden box that Lin Yuan brought back from the shipwreck on the bottom of the sea when he dived into the No. 5 contaminated area.
It was once filled with precious ancient energy stones, and was the object of private competition among the noble elders in the upper floors of the White Tower.
Now, the precious energy stone has been taken away. The old wooden box is just a neglected decoration, mixed in with the old toys and not conspicuous at all.
Lin Yuan played with the killer whale with his head down for a long time before he raised his head and reached for the wooden box.
The fair fingers stroked the old wood grain on the surface of the box, and the holes left after the gems were picked out.
Outside the window, the old milkman, pulling his cart, walked to the gate outside the yard.
In the courtyard downstairs, a girl in a maid outfit ran through the overgrown courtyard and ran out to answer the door. She took the milk from the crack in the door and paid for it.
He ran back quickly with a box of fresh milk, his steps quick and his mood happy.
Lin Yuan looked at it for a while, then raised his hand to turn the string of wind chimes hanging by the window.
The wind chime has been hanging here for a long time. Glass beads of various sizes are strung under the chime. Those glass imitation gems are covered with a layer of oil and have lost their original bright luster.
It was simply an old child's toy, dull and inconspicuous.
Lin Yuan's fingers moved among the strings of hanging glass beads, and he accurately found a blue square gem from among the numerous glass beads and picked it up.
The surface of the sea-blue square stone was covered with a thick layer of stains. It looked dull and lifeless in Lin Yuan's fingers, as if it was no different from other glass beads.
If you look closely, you will find that it is not an ordinary glass product. It has four standard and exquisite cut corners and a charming central symmetrical pattern. It is a real gem.
If you stare at it carefully, the blue in the center of the gem seems to be floating, like a mysterious world like the ocean, flowing slowly in it, as if it can suck people's souls into it.
Lin Yuan aligned the blue square gem with a groove on the box, and the quadrilateral Asscher sapphire fit seamlessly into it.
As soon as the aquamarine gem was embedded, the shabby wooden box that was retrieved from the shipwreck on the bottom of the sea was instantly enveloped in a layer of hazy light.
A vague, inaudible mysterious whisper sounded from all directions, and the voice murmured softly, as if telling some ancient story.
The blue gem on the wooden box shone with dazzling light, and above the gem, a three-dimensional image of a shipwreck emerged.
The majestic ship, half-hidden by the sea sand, was slowly rotating above the gem in the form of a tiny phantom. Upon closer inspection, it was the Mary shipwreck in the No. 5 contaminated area.
The shimmering blue light flowed along the edge of the blue gemstone and began to flow along the cracks on the surface of the wooden box.
The blue light liquid passed through the gap like the first figure on the ground and reached the next groove where the gem was missing.
Blue light liquid was injected into the empty groove, and it began to glow.
A small golden tree emerged above the groove.
The golden trunk and golden leaves, the little phantoms are lifelike, and you can vaguely hear the crisp sounds of the metal leaves in the air.
The mysterious whispers from all directions murmured for a moment and gradually dissipated.
The illusions of the shipwreck and the golden tree also disappeared.
The wooden box in Lin Yuan's hand was still the tattered box, except for the blue gem inlaid on it whose light had faded and turned back into a greasy glass bead.
golden tree.
Lin Yuan muttered the word, stroked the box for a while, and stuffed it back into the pile of toys.
Let the killer whale doll with a hole in it squat on the box and cover the wooden box.
"Keep an eye on it for me." Lin Yuan poked the killer whale's chubby head, got up, washed up, and prepared to go downstairs for breakfast.
Inside the restaurant.
Lin Yuan sat at the dining table, holding a spoon and yawning while waiting for his meal.
The light was on in the kitchen, and there were tinkling sounds coming from it.
"Miss, what happened at the party yesterday? Why did you not come back until morning?" A young girl's voice came from the kitchen.
"Well? It's nothing serious. It has nothing to do with us." Lin Yuan answered absentmindedly, twisting the spoon and thinking about something in her mind.
"Xiaosuo," she finally decided, "I have a few friends who are coming to visit us. Please make some preparations."
There was a flurry of falling sounds coming from the kitchen.
"Are you...a guest?" A girl with a bob haircut and wearing a maid's uniform timidly moved half of her head out of the kitchen.
She had smooth hair that just reached her collarbone, beautiful features, and lively eyes. She was wearing a neat dark dress and a snow-white bib. The fluffy skirt was very long and dragged on the ground, completely covering her feet.
"Yes, guests. You have to help me entertain them." Lin Yuan said.
The girl named Xiaosuo walked out of the kitchen in a panic. After thinking for a while, she used both hands to smooth out the folds of her skirt and restored it to a normal straight line.
She walked gracefully, with her fluffy skirt completely covering her legs, not even revealing a bit of her feet.
“我，我也?要招待嗎？”她的兩只手交疊在身前，白皙的手指不安地?搓動，“小姐，可是我……”
“沒事的，”林苑說?，“你不應該天天躲在屋子裏，以?後要習慣見見外人，我也?一?樣。”
“可是，萬一?被她們發現了怎麽辦？”
“我覺得他們會喜歡你的。”林苑伸出手，捋了捋小鎖垂在臉頰邊的柔順發絲，“萬一?她們不喜歡我家，我就讓她們滾蛋。”
小鎖的腦袋低垂下去，“那樣的話，我又會連累小姐。小姐的朋友本來就很少。”
“別想多?餘的事。”林苑收起難得一?現的溫柔，恢複那張标志性的沒有?表情的面孔，敲碗，“我肚子餓了。快給我飯吃。”
早餐很豐盛，熱的牛奶和烤過的土司，還有?一?個半面煎的溏心蛋，外加一?盆伴了芝麻醬的冰菜。
林苑吃得很開心。
“啊，要怎麽辦？我第一?次招待客人。該準備些?什麽？對對對，先應該打?掃。”
屋子裏的小鎖很慌亂，團團亂轉中，又變成了她習慣的橫向行走。
女?孩雙手拿着打?掃工具，移速度遠超過常人，在遠離餐廳的寬大客廳內溜來溜去，甚至輕易地?沿着牆壁垂直走了上去。
動作快了，裙擺翻飛，白色的襯裙下露出了數條節肢動物的腿。那是完全不屬于人類的，帶甲殼的堅硬步足。
小鎖全名郭鎖，是畸變生物。
林苑不知道?她是怎麽來到自己家的。
自從?父母雙雙離世?，林苑被送到白塔中生活，這座別院的仆從?也?就漸漸散去，偌大的庭院一?直無人居住，門庭荒鎖。
林苑成年之?後，才被允許離開白塔回家。
第一?次進入家門，大門鏽跡斑斑，庭院荒草叢生，院子裏高達五層的主樓和矮一?些?的附屬樓黑洞洞的，像個鬧鬼的屋子。
但真正走進樓裏，卻沒有?想象中那樣積塵滿布，蛛網遍地?。
相反的，很多?角落，都像是有?人時常打?掃過一?樣，留有?一?點點隐晦的生活痕跡。
林苑獨自一?人，背着行李，摸黑走上樓，一?間間屋子看過去。
她離開的時候太小，情感上又受到過劇烈的沖擊，如今已經不記得幼年時期在這裏生活的情景。
一?步步走去，長長的走廊裏回響着她的一?個人的腳步聲，走廊兩側，是一?間間黑洞洞的屋子。
到處都靜悄悄的，沒有?人，沒有?活着的生物，沒有?聲音，甚至沒有?什麽生活着的氣?息。
她在這裏，找不到任何屬于自己的記憶。
每個人都有?家，林苑一?直以?為自己也?有?。
原來這個空洞的大樓和荒蕪的庭院，就是她的“家”，她在白塔中期待了很多?年的家。
長長的走廊，旋轉向上的樓梯，父母的主卧，書房，健身庭，放映室，還有?一?間屬于小女?孩的閣樓。
牆壁上挂着很多?照片，照片裏面滿臉笑容的年輕夫妻和小小的女?孩，讓林苑覺得很陌生。
詭異的是，這棟樓裏幾間主要的屋子，全都保持着一?種古怪的整潔。
沒有?人動內部擺設，桌椅和牆上的相框都被擦過，打?掃得整整齊齊，就像是主人不曾離開太久一?樣。
林苑把黑暗的屋子一?層層走過，最終在女?仆居住的附屬樓裏看見被翻動過的衣服和一?點生活的痕跡。
“出來。”林苑在一?道?樓梯前停下腳步。
屋子很大，庭院很寬，但觸手們無處不在，很快就找到了隐藏在大樓中的那個“幽靈”。
“滾出來。”林苑站在黑暗中，冷冰冰地?說?。
一?個小姑娘怯生生的腦袋從?樓梯下的陰影中冒出來。
“對不起。”她咬着手絹，眼淚汪汪，“你別生氣?，我這就出來了。”
小鎖是一?個畸變生物，她擁有?人類少女?的上半|身，和無數節支動物步足支撐着的下|半|身。
她不記得自己的來處，只依稀記得自己最早的時候渾渾噩噩地?生活在污染區中。
某一?天，一?群哨兵闖入了那裏，把沒有?什麽戰鬥能力的她從?污染區內帶了出來。當做禮物一?樣，送進了一?位喜歡豢養畸變物的貴族老爺家中。
她稱呼那位貴族老爺郭先生，一?直生活在地?下室一?個巨型的生态缸中，每天唯一?能做的事，就是饑腸辘辘地?等着郭先生的投喂。
她被要求在那個魚缸中學習人類的說?話，模仿人類的行為。
艱難地?學會了，讓郭先生滿意，才能得到一?點點根本不夠飽腹的食物。
直到有?一?天，她機緣巧合地?從?那個逼仄的大型魚缸中逃了出來。
那天她翻過很多?牆壁，庭院，馬路和花園，躲進過下水道?。一?路驚恐萬分，倉惶無措，引來了很多?人的尖叫和追打?。
但她很幸運，最終躲進了這個荒蕪了的庭院裏，沒有?被追兵找到。
這個院子長年寂靜無聲。在這裏沒有?人打?罵，也?不再有?人強迫，日子過得很幸福。
她偷偷摸摸觀察着周邊的人類，模仿着人類的行為，生活了很多?年。
小鎖的心裏，很感謝這個院子的主人。
她每一?天都在小心翼翼地?做自己學會的事情，盡量保持着屋內的整潔，盡量不弄壞屋內的東西。
希望這裏的主人有?一?天回來時候，能夠不要太生她的氣?。
如果，那位主人，還能再讓她繼續住在這裏，那就更好了。
這只是她的一?個夢，她知道?自己是一?個怪物，人類很厭惡她們這樣的怪物，看見了，不是尖叫就是打?殺。她是很難活在陽光下的。
最終，她等到了屋子的主人回家。
那個夜晚，強大的精神?體?鋪天蓋地?，讓她無處躲藏。
“滾出來。”背着背包，穿着一?身白色裙子的小姐站在樓梯口，她面無表情，黑暗中的雙眸冷冰冰的。
小鎖覺得自己完蛋了。
可能會被打?，也?可能會被切片，說?不定還會被放進鍋裏蒸成紅色的熟食。
她咬着手絹，挂着眼淚，一?點一?點從?陰影中挪出來。
拼命把自己那些?怪異的步足壓在裙子裏。
她知道?沒有?用的。
這位小姐的精神?體?異常強大，強大到能夠洞察一?切，輕易地?找出她，
強大到能壓制得她幾乎想要抱緊腦袋匍匐下來，逃都不敢逃。
那位臉色冷冰冰的小姐看了她一?會，把四散的精神?體?收斂了。
“家裏的衛生是你做的？”
小鎖流着眼淚，咬着手絹點點頭。
“你平時住在這裏都吃什麽？”
“院子裏果樹的水果，還有?……”小鎖不安地?攪動細白的手指，“從?附近的鄰居家，偷偷拿一?點回來煮着吃。”
“你會煮飯？”
“會，會一?點。”
“好吧，以?後我帶吃的回來，你煮飯。”
林苑小姐就這樣給事件定了性。
沒有?驅趕，也?沒有?虐待和打?罵。她讓自己住在原來的屋子裏，還像從?前一?樣生活。
小姐說?自己也?是怪物，不介意和她這個畸變物生活在一?起。只要她能夠負責一?日三餐和基礎的打?掃衛生。
從?此以?後，她惶惶的一?顆心終于安定了，不用再躲躲藏藏，擔驚受怕。
以?女?仆的身份，正式生活在了這棟她很喜歡的庭院中。
唯一?的苦惱，就是偶爾會吓走前來幫忙打?理?庭院的園丁，以?及來幫忙采買和清理?垃圾的保潔大姐。
但小姐沒有?一?次責怪過她。
郭鎖很高興，她很喜歡自己的小姐。希望能夠讓林苑小姐也?得到快快樂樂的生活。
餐桌上的林苑叼着熱乎乎的吐司，也?覺得有?些?煩惱，“我也?不知道?邀請客人該做些?什麽準備？”
如果有?什麽人可以?問問就好了。她想。
林苑點開自己的個人終端。
個人終端是一?種昂貴的通訊設備，只能高價購買，或是在污染區內獲得，并不是人人都擁有?。
她的終端上只加了幾個人。
林苑滑動名單，看到了羅伊，沈飛，倪霁，妮可等幾個名字。
該問問誰呢？
她想了一?會，點了一?個自己覺得交情算比較深的姓名。
那個姓名的頭像，是一?只小小的虎鯨。