deformed bone

"Why don't you go out for a walk?"

A few minutes later, Calvin and Reed arrived at a motel led by Lil—different from the brand-new streets and resplendent churches, this hotel was obviously a remnant of the town's old times.The whole building looks dilapidated. Under the accumulated wind and frost, the lovely flesh-pink exterior wall has faded and peeled off, like the face of a rotting corpse. After entering the hotel, the interior decoration is not much better than the exterior where to go.

Even a person like Calvin, who is not picky about the environment, couldn't help frowning because of the wet and sticky feeling on the soles of his feet when he stepped on the sauce-red carpet that hadn't been cleaned for a long time (that feeling It's like stepping on a piece of raw pork liver).The entire interior of the hotel has a strange smell: the retting smell of old carpet, curry smell with strong onion smell, and the smell of sandalwood is even stronger.The light was very dim, probably to keep out the wind and sand, all the windows were built in a slender and narrow style, and very thick velvet curtains covered the windows tightly from top to bottom, and the light bulbs as the source of light were too dim. Like the reflection of a coin.

Standing at the counter was a dark-skinned Indian. After seeing Lil, he quickly opened his mouth and babbled a lot of words—— Calvin frowned and listened intently for a long time before realizing that the other party was actually Speak English.

Lil got the key after a long dance with the Indian, and as she said, there was an extra bed in the room (if you call a battered Simmons mattress on a dirty floor bed), and then Calvin heard what she said.

"what?"

Calvin looked at Lier blankly. The latter took off her coat the moment she entered the room, revealing her bony arms and chest. She was only wearing a thin sleeveless vest.

"The scenery around here is very nice, I think you should go out for a walk."

Lil stared into Calvin's eyes and repeated.

Calvin's astonishment only lasted for a short moment. After seeing Reed standing in the corner and his whole body suddenly stiffened, Calvin quickly understood Lier's meaning.

God, didn't she intend to wait until dark to eat Reed's body?

Calvin glanced at Reed with some sympathy, he shrugged, grabbed his backpack from the mattress and carried it on his back.

"Well, I guess I'll go out and hang around."

Calvin said.

Reed stood behind Lil and gestured to Calvin.Calvin, who caught the meaning of that gesture, sighed helplessly.

"Anyway, thank you, Li'er, you're a good person." He said to Li'er gently, and then walked out of the small and dirty room.However, he did not "go out for a walk" as he said before, but stopped next to the vending machine at the end of the corridor.His backpack was still on his back.Calvin bought himself a bottle of Pepsi.

He drank the brown liquid full of sugar and carbon dioxide slowly, and the door of that room was opened before the fine water droplets on the surface of the soda can subsided.Reed stepped out from behind the door and walked slowly towards Calvin.

"How is she?"

Calvin raised his eyes, looked at Reed and asked.

Reed took the unfinished bottle of Coke from Calvin's hand, his eyes froze on the bottle for a moment, and then he poured the Coke Calvin had drunk into his mouth as if nothing had happened.

"Huh..." He let out a long breath, "She just fell asleep."

Calvin's eyes were stained with a little bit of doubt, and under the thick black-rimmed glasses, his confusion made that face even more alluring.

Reed's fingers snapped hard, and the empty Coke bottle was squeezed into a twisted ball in his palm.

"It's some harmless sleeping pills." He tilted his head, stared at Calvin and explained sincerely, "I found it in Fogg's medicine cabinet. I just brought it because I thought it might be useful..."

"It seems like everything you found useful ended up working."

Calvin said, pushing his glasses—

Reid's breathing became a little heavier.

[Damn. 】

He heard a voice echoing in his heart, and his body became a little ready to move.Black-rimmed glasses are a good idea, but they're probably also a bad idea, and the way Calvin wears glasses is almost too delicious for Reed to get out of his mind.

"Reed?" Calvin waved his hand in front of Reed's eyes. The latter swallowed a mouthful of dry saliva, and recovered himself as if he had just woken up from a dream.

"Is everything normal?" Calvin frowned slightly and asked.

"Well, I think I'm just a little nervous, you know I haven't experienced this kind of thing before..." Reid took out his mobile phone to check the time, "The woman will probably be able to sleep well until tomorrow, maybe We should go out and 'see' now."

"Isa's in church."

Calvin's attention was indeed shifted to the girl.The slight sense of relief that lingered around him before disappeared instantly like smoke, and his face became gloomy.

"Don't worry, we'll find a way to save that kid."

Reid threw the Coke bottle that had turned into a small ball into the trash can, and said calmly.

-

However, things were not as easy as Calvin thought.

Of course, Calvin never thought it would be easy—but he also didn't expect such a tight security plan around the Advent Church.In fact, the entire town of Angels seems to be under the strong control of the Adventists.When sitting in the car and slowly driving into the town, what Calvin saw were lively streets and bustling crowds, combined with that joyous atmosphere, this so-called parade seemed to be similar to various ordinary festivals across the country Celebration is no different.

However, when Calvin walked towards those crowds in the golden evening sun, the cold feeling pierced his body like an ice cone, and also pierced his overly beautiful vision of this celebration.There are sermons and singing activities everywhere, and people are divided into countless small groups clustered next to each priest, obeying the priests like slaves treat their masters.After each sermon, the crowd spontaneously clapped and laughed, and some shed tears from the over-excitement.There are no musical snacks and performances that a celebration should have, just endless, artificial cult of personality.Before, a pastor made a bow after seeing Lier's sticker with a golden cross - Calvin and Reed hadn't noticed anything at the time, but when they showed the seal on their hands in the crowd However, ordinary believers showed a considerable degree of worship when the pattern was drawn.They would salute Calvin and Reed from afar.Under the eyes full of respect and envy, Calvin felt chills all over his body.That strong sense of class gave him a wonderful illusion. He didn't seem to be in the modern America of the 21st century, but returned to the Middle Ages a hundred years ago.

Apparently Lil's pride was not without reason.

"The more fanaticism and piety you show, the more likely you are to stand out from ordinary believers. In a closed environment plus systematic sermons, the Adventists artificially created status differences among believers, and strengthened this status through brainwashing." His sense of class and superiority..." Reid curled his lips, and said in a low voice, without any emotion on his calm face, "I have to say it's a very smart approach. Even the most sensible person, when Being in this kind of environment will also subconsciously pursue higher status and power, and it will not take long for them to become fanatics voluntarily."

Calvin forced himself not to look at the blushing cheeks of the believers, and he didn't speak because he was worried that he would vomit if he opened his mouth.

And even with the help of the seal of special status brought to them by Lier, Calvin and Reed failed to enter the church to rescue Isa in the end.

A few hundred meters away from the church, a clear boundary was drawn. On this side was a noisy crowd of believers, but on the other side it was empty, with only a few priests in black robes walking back and forth slowly to inspect.The crosses and pendants on those priests are more numerous and more conspicuous.

No one crossed that border, as if they had decided they had no right to set foot on that little green lawn.

The crowded crowd formed a sharp contrast with the open lawn, the fountain and the magnificent church itself, and in this contrast, the building standing at the end of the lawn seemed more sacred and inviolable.

Calvin and Reed just glanced at the door of the church, exchanged glances, and left there silently.

"We can't go in."

Calvin said.

"The problem isn't with the guarding priests...it's with the believers, all of whom have their eyes on the church." This makes infiltration almost impossible.

Compared to Calvin, who was already a little anxious, Reed was as calm as ever.

They had already returned to the hotel run by the Indian and were standing at the door of their room.Reed reached out and pressed Calvin's shoulder, and his palm could feel Calvin's warm skin and the raised bones under the skin.

Reed's throat rolled.

"However, we are indeed lucky," Reid's voice was slightly husky, "we have Lil."

"Lil?"

Calvin watched as Reed took out the key and unlocked the door.

It's only a couple of steps to the bland double bed in the cramped room.

The double bed was empty.