Chapter 8 Chapter 6 Memory
There are two houses standing on the outskirts of Shadow Falls, and there is a not-so-short distance between the two houses.One is unoccupied, the other is occupied, and both houses are haunted by haunted and parted pasts.The house on the right is smaller and more modest. It looks a bit in disrepair, but it can be repaired quickly with a little work.It's not too far from the city center, but no one visits it unnecessarily.Three women and a little girl would take turns to stand by the windows of several rooms on the second floor and look out the windows, but there was only one woman living in this house.Her name was Polly Cousins.A tragedy happened when she was a child.She couldn't remember what it was, but the house hadn't.Polly lived on the first floor, and sometimes came to the second floor, shuttling through the rooms, looking out of the window in turn, sometimes to pursue a certain memory, and sometimes to escape a certain memory.And in the room without windows, there were slow and heavy breathing sounds from time to time.
Polly stood in the spring room, watching the oak branches put their first leaves out of the window.The air is clean and natural, which bodes well for the year ahead.Polly, now an eight-year-old girl, had to tiptoe to see out the window.She was a cheerful little girl, with innocent beauty, fair hair, and two long braids tied behind her head.She is wearing the most beautiful dress, which is also her favorite dress.Although she is only eight years old this year, something terrifying has entered her life.She looked out of the window silently, no matter how long she waited and watched, no one came from the small road leading to the city center.
She lives alone in the house (too bad that's not true).The view outside the spring room window is the most beautiful, but it is also the most boring after a long time, and eight-year-old children are very easy to get bored.It wasn't the first time she thought she could open the window and climb outside and be in the midst of the spring scene, but she had never done so.Something (in the house) is preventing her from doing this.Polly Cousins, an eight-year-old girl, sighed, kicked her not-so-fancy shoes against the wall a few times, then turned away and left the Spring Room.
As soon as she stepped out of the room, her body immediately began to grow, and she became an adult in a blink of an eye.She reached out to hold the wall with one hand, seeking some measure of solace in contact with the physical substance and the unchanging nature of the wall.The body changes were over soon, and she took a few deep breaths, adapting to the brief stimulation brought by her new flesh and blood body.Now she is an eighteen-year-old girl who has just moved back to her hometown from her relatives to live with her mother.There was something else in the house, but she didn't know what it was at the time.She was tall, a full five foot ten, with long blond hair falling over a pleasant face.She is not a beauty, and she will never be so beautiful, but if it weren't for those eyes, her looks wouldn't be too bad.Her eyes were very pale, with a bluish tinge, and had a very hard, always cautious look.It belongs to the eyes of the kind of people who like to think a lot, but are unwilling to express their thoughts.She stepped into the corridor, opened the door to the next room, and entered the summer room.
Dazzling sunlight poured down from the dazzling blue sky into the house.Sunlight streamed like honey through the courtyard below; birds flitted across the blue sky outside the window like floating dust.Polly looked out at the summer world like a dream, but the house (or something in it) would never let her go.She turned away from the window.She couldn't face summer for long, for the sights of summer brought back pleasant memories long gone.Bringing back memories of when she had just returned home and didn't know what awaited her at home.She left Xia Tian behind and walked out of the room.
When she came to the corridor, her shoulders sank slightly, and four years passed in a flash, and she turned into a twenty-two-year-old on the spot.Her eyes were lost and lost, and her hair was cut short.It was cut in the hospital, and after she broke down, they sent her to a hospital that had a false sense of joy.She doesn't care.At that time, she didn't care about anything as long as she could leave the house.She's been living here alone since her mother died, and it's been an unbearable stress for her.When they told her she was cured, she came back to the house again because she had nowhere else to go.She belongs here.She straightened her shoulders, walked into the opposite door, and looked at the thick autumn scenery outside the window.
There are still a few scattered golden dead leaves on the oak tree, but most of the leaves have fallen off, and the branches are exposed like dead bones.She likes autumn best.Autumn has a sense of tranquility that doesn't tire her out.When she doesn't want reality to bother her, she hides in the autumn scenery.Besides, the transformative nature of what autumn represented led her to believe that the world would change, and that she didn't need to change herself to fit the world.She watched Qiu silently for a while, then turned around reluctantly.She has been afraid to stay in this room for too long, fearing that she will tire of the sight and lose the magic of comfort.She walked out of the autumn room and stepped into the corridor, and in a blink of an eye she became thirteen years old again, returning to her real age.At this time, there was only one window left on the second floor.
She turned back along the way she came, and walked into the next room.The room was as empty as the others, but the window looked out on a winter scene, cold, strong, and very dark.A thick layer of frost formed in the courtyard, and the cold light reflected on the sidewalk.She dislikes this scene the most, because this is reality, the present moment, the world abandons her and ignores her needs.Winter turns to spring, summer turns to autumn, and it goes on and on, without end.She could go down the stairs and out into the winter any time she wanted, but she couldn't.The house (or something in it) wouldn't allow her to.She shopped by phone, mailed cash, and never left her home.
Polly Cousins was thirty-five, but looked ten years older than she really was.She has a very thin body, like skin and bones, with a heavy burden on her shoulders, which she can't let go of.The eight-year-old girl never imagined that she would grow up to become such a virtue.
A little movement outside the window caught her attention, and she was surprised to find that there was a man walking towards her house on the path outside.She immediately assumed that the other party was lost, because no one would come here unless necessary.Except for two houses, there is nothing to see here.And anyone who has heard of these two houses knows not to hang around here.But the other man went on, without haste in his steps, without any sign of fear or flinching in his steps.His appearance is very friendly, even handsome at first glance.Finally, he finally stopped outside the opposite house, and then stood there for a while.That was the Hart house.
After finding out that the other party was not looking for her, Polly was slightly disappointed.Then she frowned again, because she found that the other party had a feeling of deja vu.She tried to catch the image in her head, but couldn't think of anything, like most of her thoughts.She doesn't insist anymore.If it was something important, she would always remember it.The man stepped forward suddenly, stepped onto the porch, and unlocked the door.Polly blinked, surprised.As far as she knew, no one had visited the Harts' house for twenty-five years.Curiosity tempted her like an unkind friend, and she turned away from the winter room, crossed the corridor, and walked slowly toward the stairs.To go downstairs, she had to go through the last room, the one without windows.She looked up at the ceiling and passed the closed door quickly.She heard the sound of slow and heavy breathing coming from the room, but she didn't turn her head to look at it at all.The room was empty, without anything.All the way down the stairs, she listened to breathing from the empty room.
All the windows downstairs show the same scene, the same season.The world on the first floor is the same as the outside world, without any weirdness.Polly lived and lived on the first floor, and arranged one of the rooms as her bedroom.She tries not to stay on the second floor as much as possible, because the second floor is full of too many memories.But sometimes, the second floor calls out to her.Like it or not, she must answer that call.
She went to the window next to the front door and looked across at the Harts.It happened that the strange man was looking out the window of the house, so she saw his face again.She was pretty sure she had seen this face before, but she couldn't be sure when.Her breathing became increasingly rapid.Maybe he was part of his past, from a time she had forgotten?From the era she chose to forget?The man turned and left, disappearing behind the window, but his face did not disappear with it, it stayed in front of her eyes and laughed at her.She had seen this face before, when she was very young.It was the face of Jonathan Hart, the man who had lived with his family across the way when she was eight.
Does a house dream of those who once lived in it until they came home? James Hart stood in the house in which he had lived as a boy, but he did not recognize him at all.He felt very disappointed, even though he had told himself not to expect too much before coming.According to his memory, he should have never been to this room, but he hoped to recall some impressions when he was there.Perhaps, what happened in this room was so terrifying that some part of him refused to think about it.He still doesn't know why his family left their home in such a hurry.According to Father Time, the prophecy back then was enough to make anyone frightened, but what made his parents abandon everything and leave as soon as they said it?Have they been threatened?Threatened by someone who believes the Harts will lead to the destruction of Shadow Falls and the Gates of Eternity?Or, his parents believed it deeply and decided to leave in a hurry in order to protect Shadow Falls?He shrugged secretly, walked over and pushed the first door on the left.The door opened as soon as it was pushed, without making any sound at all. The light inside the room is bright and the air is fresh. There are a few pieces of inconspicuous furniture, and the color of the walls is also dull.Beside the fireplace stood a great clock that was ticking.Hart frowned.He never liked a big clock ticking.He thought it was because there was a clock like this in his dentist's reception room, but now it seems that the reason can be traced back to an earlier experience... The room is quiet and peaceful, as if the owner of the room has just left, Might be back anytime.The thought disturbed him, and he looked behind him, expecting to see someone, or some ghost, watching him from the shadows, but he saw nothing.He walked out of the room and closed the door carefully. He walked around the house, searching room by room, but never had the slightest impression.The house is very tidy and clean, as if the cleaning maid has just finished cleaning.According to Father Time, no one has lived here since they left, but Time does not explain why.There wasn't even any dust in the house...as if nothing had changed in twenty-five years.He stood at the top of the stairs, thinking about what to do next.He inspected every room, took and put the things in the house, but he couldn't recall any memories.No matter how you look here, it looks like a stranger's home.But he spent the first ten years of his life here, and there must be some traces of the past left here.He stood there for a long time with a gloomy expression, and repeatedly slapped his waist with two fists angrily.I haven't looked for any other places... At this moment, a flash of inspiration flashed in his mind, and he raised his head to look at the secret door leading to the attic on the ceiling. It didn't take him long to figure out how to open the secret door, pull down the folding ladder, and climb up to the attic.The attic was very dark and narrow, and there was a strong musty smell in the air, with a vaguely familiar smell, which he could feel.He reached out to switch on the dim light.It wasn't until he turned it on that he suddenly realized he knew where the light switch was without looking.He took a moment to look around.The narrow space under the eaves is filled with large wooden boxes and paper parcels tied with rope.He bent down next to the nearest wooden box and pulled back the white cloth that covered it, only to find that the box was filled with more papers, bound together in stacks and dated.Hart took out a stack of papers and flipped through them quickly.Tax refund documents, financial certificates, shopping receipts.Hart put the paper back in its place.These documents mean nothing to him.He walked to the next wooden box and tore off the white cloth from it.The box is full of toys. Hart sat down against the crate.All the toys that people have had and lost end up in Shadow Falls.Whether it's a stuffed toy that was broken or thrown away by parents, or a tricycle that couldn't be ridden when it grew up.None of these things are really lost, they just end up in Shadow Falls.This is one such place.Hart squatted beside the wooden box, staring at the toys in the box intently, as if he was afraid that if he was distracted, the toys would disappear.He reached into the crate and took out the first toy he came across.It was a Batman mechanical doll, square and ugly, exuding a strong smell of plastic.He turned the side winder, and immediately Batman's big feet started pumping up and down.Hart smiled slowly.He remembers this guy.He remembers sitting in front of the TV watching a Batman series starring Adam West and Burt Ward.Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel. ("Don't sit too close, Jimmy, it's bad for your eyes.") The memory is fleeting but profound, like a still from a movie.He put the doll down on the attic floor, and it limped forward with a clattering noise.Hart wondered if Batman himself lived in Shadow Falls, but quickly dismissed the idea.Batman is still in vogue.People still believe in his existence. Next up is a hardcover copy of The Almanac of Dalark, a spin-off from the Doctor Who TV series.The series was filmed in the era of black and white TV, when an series with this kind of content could still scare the audience.Hart slowly flipped through the yearbook, and a section of memories gradually came back to his mind-the memory of not going to sleep when it was time to go to bed early on Christmas morning, sitting on the bed and reading the memory of this yearbook.As soon as he got the yearbook, he immediately recalled these images, but they were not complete memories. They could not tell him what kind of person the boy who was reading the yearbook was like. The vehicle of the Thunderbirds.James Bond's Alston Martin sports car with escape chairs.A Batmobile that fires missiles and has a chainsaw sticking out from under the hood.A box full of assorted toy soldiers, all with a battle-hardened look of the world.A pistol in the shape of a jet that fires suction cup darts.A mix of farm animal toys and zoo animal toys.The toy train still in the box.Dawn monster combination. Memories come and go, slowly bringing back a vague figure of a boy.The boy was small in stature for his age, shy and shy, and had to play with toys because of the lack of playmates of his own age, and because even at that age, he showed signs of being different... …Hart sat by the crate, grabbed a handful of Lego bricks, and let them slide from his fingertips like grains of sand in an hourglass.Memories came slowly to the surface, short and incoherent, giving him a vague notion of his own childhood.That's not an interesting sight.Young James Hart had warm care and endless care, but he was still very withdrawn.He couldn't remember why, but he was sure he wouldn't like the answer to that question.His childhood was a bit weird.He is a bit strange. So weird, even Shadow Falls couldn't take it. He suddenly felt shocked, as if something deep in his heart had awakened.He waited with bated breath, waiting for that feeling to return to him in a more definite form, but nothing came of it.He took out a bunch of toys with no expression on his face, but he couldn't recall any more.He looked at the toys scattered all over the place, and he only thought that there are many collectors in the real world who are willing to spend a lot of money to buy this pile of garbage.Several Dawn monster sets hadn't even been assembled yet, lying in their boxes intact.He scrutinized the image on the box cover, looking at the familiar Frankensteins, vampires, and werewolves, and then burst into a smile as he thought about how these guys probably lived in Shadow Falls, enjoying their comfortable retirement Life.Maybe he could get them to sign a couple of toy boxes... He picked up the toy on the ground and carefully put it back into the wooden box.He looked at the other wooden boxes and packages, but he didn't want to continue looking.A voice inside him told him these things were of no use to him anymore.It was the toys that had called him to the attic, and in them he had found what he was looking for.He climbed down the stepladder, climbed back again, turned off the light in the attic, went downstairs again, and pushed back the stepladder.He went down the stairs and finally stopped at the bottom of the stairs.He suddenly felt very strongly that the business here was not finished.There was something else waiting for him, something important.He looked around and felt that the hallway seemed to be watching him too, and he was pretending to be innocent.He walked slowly to a mirror hanging on the wall.The self in the mirror looked at himself with a look of utter bewilderment on his face.Then, right before his eyes, the face in the mirror began to change, and finally turned into his father's face.His father, whose appearance was younger than his impression, looked very nervous, as if he was afraid of something. "Hello, Jimmy," said Father. "Sorry I have to leave in a hurry, but time is not on our side. You should be able to understand. This message was left before we left and will only play automatically when you are in front of this mirror. There are so many things I want to tell you. Now that you are here, it means that me and your mother are probably no longer alive. Regardless of the ending, I hope we have a good time together. For me, You're still a little boy, but I think you're an adult by now. No matter what happens, please remember that your mother and I love you very much." "We left because of that prophecy. I hope you never come back, I hope this message is never played, but your grandfather, my father, was very insistent that you must have the option to come back if you If you want to come back. Then, the content of this prophecy is very ambiguous. Basically, the prophecy just points out that your destiny is closely related to the gate of eternity, and at some point in the future, you will lead to the demise of Shadow Falls. This This prophecy is bound to create fear in the crowd, and once the crowd starts to fear, it will lead to a lot of violence. Now the prophecy has not been spread, so we decided to get out of here before someone tries to stop us. I don't know how everyone will deal with it Your return, but no matter what, your grandfather must still be here to protect you." Jonathan Hart paused, turned his head to look behind him, and then looked back at his son. "Jimmy, we must go. Live happily." The face in the mirror suddenly changed back to his own.He was pale and shocked.He couldn't remember his father when he was young, he didn't have any pictures of him when he was young, and now Hart finally knew why.Tears stung his eyes before he left the mirror.He never got a chance to say goodbye to his parents.They drove out as usual, and he didn't know what had happened until the police knocked on the door and told him that his parents had died in a car accident.He didn't believe what the police said at first, and kept saying that his father was a very good driver and that there was no way he would be in a car accident.He kept repeating this sentence until he went to the morgue to identify the body.After that, he didn't say anything for a long time. "Goodbye, Dad. Goodbye." He took a deep breath and blinked quickly.He didn't have time to say goodbye.It won't be long before the people who drove their family out of Shadow Falls will know the news of his return, and then everything will be troublesome.He must find out the truth about his family and the prophecy, and that means finding out his grandfather.His father's father, who left him maps and directions to help him return to his grandfather in Shadow Falls.The message left in the mirror seems to imply that his grandfather not only still lives in Shadow Falls, but also has powerful abilities enough to protect his grandson.Hart frowned.His parents rarely mentioned family history.He never saw his grandfather growing up, nor did he have any relatives like uncles, siblings, etc.He didn't think it was weird until a classmate pointed it out to him.At that time, he raised such a question to his parents, but did not get an answer.His parents just don't want to talk about it.Later, he began to have various fantasies about his family background.He imagined that he was adopted, or kidnapped, or that his father was actually a witness for the prosecution, who had to remain anonymous because he had sent a mob boss to jail.In the end he decided that he was watching too much TV and stopped thinking about it.He always thought that one day, his parents would always tell him the truth.But now they are dead. It occurred to him that if his grandfather still lived here, there might be other relatives too.Cousins, perhaps, distant relatives of his family might be spared by the enemy.The word shocked him: enemy.Someone would want to hurt him, even kill him, just because he might one day do something.He thought to himself that maybe he should have a sense of crisis and fear, but these things were too novel and unfamiliar to him.He couldn't face it seriously.That's fine, otherwise he might hide in the shadows and dare not show up. shadow.The word echoed in his heart like a loud bell, stirring up many fleeting memories, like the flashing suits when shuffling the cards.He tried to hold on to the memories, but they were fleeting, never cohesive, until one of them hit his heart like a flash of inspiration.He was very lonely when he was a child, so he fantasized about a friend.According to the simple logic and naive thinking of children, he named this friend "Friend".He confides and shares his secrets with his friends, while his imaginary friends guard him at night from all kinds of monsters.The memory surprised him and fascinated him at the same time, because he had never considered himself a man of great imagination.It's a pity that his friend is gone, and now is the time when he needs his friend to protect him. In an impulse, he stretched out his hands, casting a shadow on the wall.He'd only done it as a kid, but the childhood skills came back to him as quickly as if it was just yesterday.A long-eared hare appeared on the wall, then a bird soaring high, a donkey, a crow.The shadow jumped off the wall and danced in front of his eyes, performing various movements and containing various meanings.Hart smiled and lowered his palm, but the shadow on the wall did not disappear. Hart took a step back in fright, his breath stuck in his throat and he couldn't breathe.Both his hands were already hanging on his waist, but the shadow remained on the wall without the projection of the body.The shadow began to move again, first repeating the image it had compared before, and then slowly moving to the corner, transforming into a completely new form; his own shadow.He withdrew his feet, afraid of coming into contact with that shadow.Shadow retreated to the wall, stood up straight, and became as tall as him, but with his arms folded in front of his chest. Hart wanted to turn around and run, but after seeing some weird scenes in the Shadow Falls, a shadow with self-awareness didn't seem to be such a scary thing.Besides, this shadow gave him a...familiar feeling.He had seen this shadow before, when he was a child.He remembers him.He is his friend. "Where the hell have you been?" said a tart voice. "I only left for five minutes, and you disappeared for twenty-five years! You should leave a note anyway? I took care of you for so many years, and this is how you thank me? Your father is always working, and your mother is always Busy, who was with you at that time? I stayed by your side all the time, but ended up like this? Living alone in an empty house for twenty-five years? No one to talk to, no one to accompany you. If it wasn’t for cleaning the house every day I would have been crazy if I hadn't. No visitors, the only neighbor was that crazy woman who lived across the way, poor child. All the TV channels I got on were broadcasting soap operas. Also, Father Callahan came here to die He's been a demon twice. He's lucky enough. I'm just a shadow, not a ghost. My life is much richer than a ghost. What's the matter? Don't you have anything to say to me?" "I couldn't find a chance to chime in," Hart said. "Well, excuse me I don't need to stop and breathe. It's not something I would like to do. If you lived alone for twenty-five years, you would start talking to yourself." "Friend," said Hart. "I miss you so much, even though I don't remember you at all, there is a part of me that always thinks about you. How could I forget you?" "I wouldn't die answering a question like that. Well, don't just stand there. Where have you been? What have you been doing all these years? Tell me everything." "There was a prophecy. We must leave immediately, or the townspeople will turn against us. If I could, I would definitely take you with me. But even then, I knew that you could not go outside Shadow Falls." place to survive. I lost all memory when I left here, but even so, I still dream of you sometimes." "They made you leave," the friend whispered. "I knew you wouldn't leave me alone. Oh, Jimmy, I miss you so much!" The shadow leaped forward, wrapping him like a living cloak.He could feel his weight and his heartbeat.The situation should have been horrific, at least should have disturbed him, but it hadn't.He felt as emotional and moved as if he was hugging a warm puppy.The friend finally calmed down a bit, stepped back, and returned to the wall again. "It's good to see you back, Jimmy. Will you stay here?" "I guess so. The house is mine now. My parents are dead." "Oh, Jimmy, I'm sorry. Really. Listen, obviously a lot has happened over the years, and I want you to give me the details, but there's really no rush, is there? You go first Sit in the living room and relax. I'll make you a cup of good coffee." Hart raised his eyebrows and asked, "You don't have a body, how do you make coffee?" "I'll adapt," said the friend. "I can condense enough entities. How else do you think I've cleaned my room all these years? Do you get what you want? Be good, and I'll have chocolate chips with coffee later." "After twenty-five years, won't the chocolate die?" "Speaking so bluntly is bound to offend someone sooner or later. The chocolate isn't bad, just like everything else in the house. Everything is in the same condition as the day you left. I know you'll come back one day." The shadow slid across the wall, like raindrops on the window, and disappeared in the direction of the kitchen.Hart blinked and walked down the corridor into the living room.There was never a moment of boredom in Shadow Falls... He sank into the chair that belonged to him twenty-five years ago.This chair is much smaller than I thought, but that's how it should be, isn't it?The decoration and furniture in the living room look simple, but a bit old, reminiscent of scenes from sitcoms in the 1960s.The super big TV station seems to be a product of the stone age.He stared at the TV screen, hoping to bring back some childhood memories and let him know more about himself as a child.The TV stayed in place quietly, but ripples had already set off in his heart.He started seeing a lot of TV shows that he hadn't thought of since he was ten years old or earlier. The god horse Qian Ping.The circus is smaller than that.Caravan.Bonescha... These programs flashed through his mind one by one, happy and classic (Lacy the dog and the Lone Ranger), but what made him throb the most was the memory of watching these programs so many years ago.To him, these were black and white cell images, but that mood brought them to life.Hart sighed and leaned back in his chair.Perhaps his shadow friend is the key to unraveling past memories.It seems to know everything.Maybe it even knows who its grandfather is.Shadows... As a child he was afraid of shadows.He didn't like the feeling of the shadow suddenly moving with him, or sneaking behind him.The shadows are watching him anytime and anywhere, but he can't see where their eyes are.How could he forget this thing that had such a profound influence on his childhood?Whenever the sun goes down, the shadow is everywhere, watching him from every corner, waiting quietly.Some nights, even without turning off the lights, he couldn't fall asleep, just because he was afraid that the shadows would swarm him as soon as he closed his eyes.As long as the lights were turned off, he couldn't see the shadows, but sometimes he felt that the dark room was like a huge shadow.So he imagined a shadow friend to protect him from other shadows.Because of being in Shadow Falls, he has an extra real fantasy friend. He looked up in surprise because he heard footsteps in the corridor.Can't be friends, because shadows don't make footsteps.There are others in the house.He stood up, tiptoed to the door, then stopped suddenly, and immediately let go of the hand that was going to open the door.If the friend was real, the other shadow monsters might as well... A sudden sense of dread came over him, but he put it firmly behind him.He is no longer a child.Now he had many real enemies, who had probably been watching the Harts all along, in case he was stupid enough to go home empty-handed...he put that thought behind him, too.The other party is likely to be the neighbor who lives across the street, and he just came to borrow some candy and say hello to the new neighbor by the way. That crazy woman who lives opposite, poor child... Hart shook his head.He'd better take a look in the hallway while he still has the chance.If he continued to think about it like this, he would probably scare himself out of the window first.He opened the living room door and stepped quickly into the hallway.There is no one in the corridor.He smirks, not knowing whether to feel relieved or stupid.It's an old house, so there's bound to be some creaking noises here and there.Then he looked down the hallway and saw that the door had opened a small gap.He tried to recall whether he had closed the door just now, but he couldn't be sure for a moment.He walked carefully through the corridor, came to the door, opened the door, and looked outside.Nothing unusual, no sign of anyone.He looked across the house, but the neighbors were not behind any of the windows.Hart shrugged uneasily, closed the door, and turned around, just in time to see a dagger aimed at his throat. He dodged aside with an instinctive reaction that he couldn't even imagine, dodging the dagger attack at the nick of time.His attacker fell forward, losing his balance from the force of the knife.Hart took the opportunity to raise his fist, but he didn't concentrate because he found that the other party was a skinny and skinny woman with a frightened face.The terrifying light reflected from the dagger, coupled with the determined and flustered expression on the woman's face, finally brought Hart back to reality from the shock.He had no doubt that the other party wanted to put him to death, although he had never seen this woman. The dagger stabbed out again.Hart bowed his head, and the blade plunged into the wooden board of the door behind him on the spot.The opponent wanted to pull out the dagger, but the stab was too deep and he couldn't pull it out for a while.哈特迅速向前一扑，一把抱起对方，将她的双手夹在身侧。她死命挣扎，但是他比她强壮太多了。她逐渐平静下来，两人面对面地急促喘气。接着他在她眼中看见她膝盖上扬，于是用力将她推开。她狂挥双拳，希望能逼他离开门边，以便再度夺回匕首。哈特轻松挡下攻击，但是对方的力道却让他的手臂发疼。就在此时，朋友有如一道黑色的浪潮般自走廊另一端冲来，化身一袭黯影斗篷将女人笼罩起来。她绝望地想要挣脱束缚，但是影子实在太强壮了，随随便便就让她动弹不得。她停止挣扎，接着黑暗中传来听起来像是哽咽的声响。 “记得我刚刚提过的那个住在对面的疯女人吗？”朋友说道。“就是这位了。波丽·考辛斯。她经常喜欢站在窗口，静静地看着时光流逝，很少出门，不过这点你应该已经看出来了。她就像一条躲在鱼缸里的古比鱼，如果你要问我的话。要我如何处置她？” “暂时先像死神一样抓着她不要放。”哈特一边喘气一边说道。“不过接下来我就没有主意了。电话能用吗？可以用的话，我想应该报警。” “不，拜托，不要报警。”波丽的声音很细，听起来像个小孩一样。“我会乖的，我保证。” 她看起一副可怜兮兮的样子，几乎让哈特觉得自己是个欺负良家妇女的流氓。不过在看了一眼插在门上的匕首之后，他立刻将这个想法抛到脑后。 “把她带去客厅，朋友，不过千万不要放开她。我要问她几个问题，然后再决定如何处置。” “悉听尊便。”朋友语气愉快地道。“我的建议是把她交给警长，关在某个非常安全的地方，然后把钥匙吞掉。不过我懂什么？我不过是个想象出来的朋友而已。” 影子沿着走廊飘开，拖着波丽的身体一起离去。她没有继续抵抗，但是为防万一，哈特还是和他们保持一段距离。回到客厅后，朋友将波丽抛到一张椅子上，然后瘫在她的脚前，有如一块毛毯一般限制她的行动。哈特拉过一张椅子，在他们身前坐下。 “告诉我，波丽·考辛斯。”他冷冷地道。“告诉我你为什么想要杀我，据我印象所及，我这辈子不曾见过你。在你告诉我原因的同时，顺便给我一个不该将你当作危险疯子交给警方处理的好理由。” “我很抱歉。”波丽道，她的声音只比自言自语要大声一点而已。“我慌了。我刚刚站在窗口往外看，结果认出了你。你和你父亲长得很像，而我对他印象非常深刻。当我了解到你是什么人，你的身分为何时，我满脑子只能想到当年的预言。就是说你将会毁灭永恒之门，为影子瀑布带来末日的那则预言。我很害怕。我需要永恒之门，以及门对影子瀑布所带来的影响；少了它们，我绝对无法承受我的生活。我必须仰赖它们维持理智。我没有发疯，至少不算全疯。”她面带忧伤地微微一笑。“虽然我相信你们一定不这么认为。你知道，我并非……随时都是我自己，而你碰到我的时候刚好时机不对。我已经恢复正常了。如果你放了我，我保证不会乱来的。” 哈特靠回椅背上。她看起来似乎十分清醒，至少暂时而言。她的匕首处于很远的地方，朋友又在附近，随时可以再度制伏她…… “我强烈地认为我会后悔，但是……好吧，朋友，放开她。但是为防万一，看紧一点。” “我看你跟她一样疯，不过你是老大。要是她又从身上抽出一把刀的话可别怪我。她看起来就是会干这种事的样子。但是当然不会有人把我的话当一回事。我只是一道影子，懂得什么？” “朋友，放开她吧。” 他重重地吸了一口气（哈特忍不住好奇他是从什么地方吸气的），自波丽身上滑开，贴到位于她身后的墙上，再度凝聚成一个人形。波丽小心地伸展手脚。 “很有趣的朋友，吉米。我记得小时候你曾经向我提起过他，当时我也不知道该不该相信你的话。小时候你很喜欢乱编故事。” “现在我喜欢人家叫我詹姆士。”哈特道。“你记得我小时候的样子？我是什么样的人？当年的事情我全都不记得了。” “我们一起上学。当父母在忙的时候，我们也会一起玩。苏珊·都伯伊丝告诉我说你已经回到影子瀑布了，她从塔罗牌里看出来的。我知道你迟早会回来老家，但是真的见到你的时候还是很惊讶。这些年来，许多谣言跟八卦已经把你塑造成一个怪物——一把悬挂在所有人脖子，以及我们所珍爱的一切之上的利刃。我一直不知道自己有多怕你，直到发现我手持匕首走在前往你家路上为止。但是现在我已经恢复正常了。我……不只一个——我的体内存在着不同的自我。其中一个非常年轻，十分容易受到惊吓。” “你是说你具有多重人格？”哈特饶富兴味地说道。“我听说过这种人。” “并不是如此单纯。”波丽微带迟疑地说。“是因为房子的缘故，你知道。我的房子——四季屋。屋中的时间各自切割，我的年纪和个性取决于我身处屋内的哪一部分。” 哈特看向朋友道：“你听得懂吗？” “喔，当然，这比电视肥皂剧要有趣多了，而且又不算多复杂。我认为我们应该过个马路，到她家去看看。” “你可以离开这里吗？我以为你被困这栋房子里面。” “本来是，不过你回来了。如今任何你能去的地方我都能去。我是你的影子。我们走吧，吉米，我是说詹姆士。我已经二十五年没有离开过这栋屋子，而且波丽家听起来真的很有趣。” “不过五分钟前，你还坚持要把她关起来，从此弃而不顾呢。但是你说得没错，她家听起来的确有趣。带路吧，波丽。要是我发现你想要拿刀，我就叫朋友化身一吨重的砖头，把你压扁在地上。听清楚了吗？” “当然，詹姆士。我了解你如此谨慎的原因。请相信我，这一切对我而言并不容易。我都已经不记得家里多久没有陌生人来访了。我会谈论起一些我对自己都不愿提起的话题。但是我想也该是我找人谈谈的时候了。如果你真的拥有传说中那么强大的力量，或许你可以帮我逃出我为自己所设下的地狱。” “我没有什么力量。”哈特说道。“我没有任何特殊的地方。我只是个普通人。” “希望你搞错了。”波丽道。“为了我们两个人好。” 她缓缓站起身来，似乎随时期待他会改变心意一样。她领头踏入走廊。哈特跟在她的身后，必要时随时准备出手抓她，或是拔腿就逃。尽管眼前的她看似无害，但是刚刚匕首袭来的画面在他心中留下深刻的印象。他总是认真看待任何手持匕首的人。波丽在大门前停下脚步，看了插在门上的匕首一眼，接着打开大门，走出屋外。哈特跟在后面出了大门，朋友则有如正常的影子般跟在他的脚下。他小心翼翼地锁上大门，然后三人一同穿越马路，来到波丽家前。这栋房子外表看来非常平凡，但是哈特已经学到在影子瀑布里，平凡的外表不能代表任何事。屋中的时间各自切割……波丽打开大门，走入屋内。哈特和朋友跟着进去，不过始终与她保持一定的距离。 这栋名叫四季屋的房子肯定有问题。哈特光从空气中就可以感受出来——一股无尽的紧张，一种诡异的压力，一种刻意营造出来的气氛。仿佛某人还是某种东西正在屋中屏息以待。他走入走廊，尽管午后的阳光照亮整条走廊，但他还是忍不住心中一股想要回头的冲动。波丽怎么能在这种环境下生活？他才刚进门就已经想要转身离开了。波丽转过头来，似乎想要说些什么，哈特立刻藏起脸上不自在的神色。第一次，他开始了解隐藏在她内心的那股紧张气息与造成她神情紧绷，心情焦虑的原因，就像一根拉得太紧的琴弦一般。在他的注目之下，她突然脸上一红，伸手整理凌乱的头发，似乎终于发现自己的外表有多邋遢。 “不好意思，家里很乱，我也没有打扮。如果知道有客人要来的话，我一定会花工夫整理的。但是很少有人登门拜访，而基本上我觉得这样也好。大家都认为我疯了。有时候连我都认为自己疯了。”她看了看四周，似乎无法决定要请他坐哪。“你必须了解，詹姆士。这是个很危险的地方。这里的时间有它自己的一套规则。很久以前，这栋屋子里曾经发生过一件很可怕的事情，当时我还是个小孩子。非常可怕的事情，只是我想不起来是什么事。苏珊说你失去了所有童年的记忆。我就没你这么幸运了。我的童年回忆依然如影随形，它们纠缠着我，纠缠着这栋屋子。楼上有四间不同的房间，只要进入那些房间，我就会分别变成四个不同的人。四个不同的自己。一楼的情况比较稳定，在这里我可以当我自己。去厨房吧，那里比较安全，距离其他房间都很远，或许它听不见我们的谈话。” 她领着他穿越走廊来到厨房，一路上紧张兮兮，不停说话。哈特根本听不懂她说什么，但是他还是仔细地听，想从她的言语听出蛛丝马迹，进而弄清楚很久以前波丽跟她家究竟出了什么事。厨房很乱，不过乱得很舒服；就是那种乱归乱，但是东西都在定位，不必花费心思寻找的地方。所有空间都摆满杂物，但是却没有任何灰尘与污垢，地板也非常干净。波丽拿起摆在一张椅子上的毛衣，随手丢在沥水板上，然后请哈特坐下。他照做，偷瞄一眼确定朋友还在附近，然后静静看着波丽忙东忙西、冲泡咖啡。她始终喋喋不休，仿佛一停止说话，紧接而来的沉默将会导致严重的后果一样。 “我八岁的时候发生一件可怕的事情，而那件事情至今没有结束，依然在楼上其中一个房间继续着。没有窗户的那个房间。自从事情发生以来，我就再也没有踏足那个房间一步，但是那里面有东西在等待着我。”波丽的声音逐渐冷静下来，似乎有人可以谈论此事令她心情松懈了下来。“我曾经试图面对房间里的东西。十八岁的时候试过，二十二岁也试过，最近的一次是在去年。我办不到。我不够坚强。而我每尝试一次，身体的一部分就会被一个房间掳获，有如困在琥珀中的苍蝇。现在，当我上二楼的时候，屋子会强迫我变成那些年代的自我。那并不算是一种惩罚。我花了一段时间才了解这一点。屋子是在试图治疗我，想要让我藉由面对问题来克服问题。只是我办不到。” 她说到这里停了下来。哈特十分谨慎地选择用字遣词。“你八岁的时候究竟出了什么事情？你一点也记不起来吗？” “记不起来。当时我母亲出门了，我和父亲单独待在家里。我们之间发生了一件十分可怕的事情，可怕到我没有办法记得；可怕到时至今日依然纠缠着我和房子不放的地步。” 喔，老天呀，哈特心想。她一定定遭受性虐待了。一定是她父亲……难怪她不愿意想起。 “为什么不离开这里？”在肯定自己的语气不会过于激动后，他问道。“收拾行囊，离开此地，将一切通通抛到脑后？” “我办不到。屋子不肯放我走。只要楼上那些房间依然拥有我的一部分，我就不是一个完整的人。这栋屋子一方面想要治疗我；另一方面又想要吞噬我。于是我不断尝试着面对自己的恐惧，而在每次失败之后又失去更多的自我。要不了多久，这里就会挤满不同版本的我，大家都没有转身的余地了。” 她试图挤出笑容响应自己的冷笑话，可惜并不成功。她咬了咬下唇，突然偏过头去，不让哈特看见她眼中的泪光。他很尴尬地坐在原地，想帮忙又不知道从何帮起。朋友自墙上浮现，飘过餐桌，像是条围巾一般围绕在波丽颤抖的肩膀之上。 “好了，好了，不要这个样子，小花瓣。没事的，你不再孤独了。你的问题在于长久以来你都是独自一个人面对问题。难道过去从来没有人想要跟你一起上去看看那个房间吗？” “没有。我从不让人进入屋内，就连苏珊也一样，而她是我最要好的朋友。唯一可能有办法帮助我的人是我妈妈，但是她一定不会了解的。她很可能会说一切都是我的错。她是在我十八岁的那年去世的，就是在我第一次试图面对那个房间并且失败之前。那部分的我从窗户中眼睁睁地看着她的葬礼，而八岁的我则在另外一个房间里面观看。那之后，我就独自一人在屋子里面生活，越来越孤独。没有人来造访，他们可以感觉到四季屋蕴含了越来越强大的力量。那股力量十分善妒，不希望任何人前来搭救我。我很惊讶你竟然进得来。你一定非常坚强。即使是刚刚试图杀害你的时候，我心中的某一部分就已经很确定你是一个不平凡的人。” “打从他还是个小孩的时候，我就已经知道他不平凡了。”朋友说道。“一切都会没事的。詹姆士和我会帮助你度过难关。我们从最年轻的你，八岁的你开始，一路追溯下去，直到找出问题的根源为止。到时候我们就可以把它狂扁一顿。” “不好意思，打扰一下。”哈特道。“我可以和你私底下谈一谈吗，朋友？去走廊上讲？” “当然可以，詹姆士，但是不能等一下吗？” “不，我不认为可以等。” “喔，那好吧。真是不好意思，亲爱的，我们不会谈很久。你一个人没问题吧？” “没问题。”波丽道。“我早就习惯一个人了。” 哈特站起身来，走到走廊上，朋友跟在他的身后沿着墙壁滑了出去。哈特轻轻关上厨房的门，向旁边走开一段距离，然后看向自己的影子。 “你以为你在干什么？这个女人需要专业的心理谘商！很显然地，她小时候遭到父亲性虐待，在恐惧、羞愧，以及罪恶感的压迫之下，她宁愿压抑记忆也不愿意坦然面对。这些所谓的其他部分的自我很可能只是多重人格的具体表现。她需要专业人士的帮助。天知道两个好心人会对她的内心造成多大的伤害！” “心理医生帮得上忙的话，早就帮了。”朋友冷静地说。“她一辈子都在承受这件事，我很肯定她已经试过所有可行的办法。我们帮得上忙，吉米。我们很特别。你的特别之处就在于你和她一样失去了童年；我的特别之处则是在于我不是真实存在。没有东西伤得了我，没有东西吓得倒我，不管面临什么样的危险，我都可以保护波丽。在等待你回来的那段日子里，我学会了很多很多东西。况且她说得没错，吉米。你拥有强大的力量，我不知道是什么力量，但是我感觉得出来，像是某种深埋地底的机械所发出的呜鸣声，静待着某人按下正确的启动按钮。这件事我们非干不可，吉米。波丽需要我们的帮助。” 哈特深深地吸了一口气，然后慢慢地吐了出来。“我有非常不祥的预感，朋友。除了波丽之外，这屋子里面还存在着别的东西。我感觉得到对方在观察我们、等待我们。如果我拥有什么神奇的力量，我也一点概念都没有。但是你说得也没错，我们不能弃波丽于不顾。就算只是为了不要让她再拿刀子来砍我也好。如果我注定会有邻居的话，我可不希望邻居是个会拿刀砍人的疯子。” “你变得非常愤世嫉俗，吉米。我有点不能接受这样的你。” “这叫实际，不叫愤世嫉俗。还有，叫我詹姆士，不要叫吉米。听着，我已经说要帮忙了，不是吗？我只是觉得要小心为妙。好了，在我改变主意之前，快点开始吧。” 他微微一笑，朋友则是摇了摇头，然后一起走回厨房。波丽背对他们站在窗前，默默不语地看向窗外。她紧紧抱住自己，似乎突然感觉很冷，又像是在克制自己不要发抖一样。听见他们回来，她并没有转头去看。 “在你们出现之前，我随时都在担心受怕。”她缓缓说道。“我害怕过去可能发生过的事情，害怕躲在没有窗户的房间里的东西，害怕他随时都会召唤我上楼。但是我始终没有了解到恐惧的真义，直到你们出现，带给我希望为止。我迫切地想要摆脱过去，但是可能失败的恐惧却又压得我喘不过气来。” “不要担心，”哈特道。“不管发生什么事，我都不会把你一个人留在这里。如果我没办法帮你摆脱这一切，至少还可以请你过个马路到我家去住。你在那里会很安全的。” “你不懂。”波丽道。她转过身来，面对着他，但是冷淡的目光中却不存有任何希望。“我无法离开。房子不会让我离开。不管躲在楼上的是什么东西，总之都是在我的帮助之下壮大成形的；是我给了它力量，使它得以控制我。而我心里很明白，毫无疑问，它宁愿杀了你我，也不愿意放我走。” 哈特很想上前拉起她的手臂安慰她，但是她脸上的痛苦却形成了一道无法跨越的鸿沟。 "Okay," he said. “计划是这个样子。我们上楼，进入八岁的那个房间，然后一间一间地搜，找回所有你失去的自我，将它们重新融入你体内。先让你拥有完整的自我，然后再进入最后的房间，将一切事情彻底解决。”他微微一笑。 “我不是刻意表现信心，好像真的知道自己在干什么一样，总之这一切都要看你。相信我，波丽，我想不出任何一个不该尝试的理由。即使我并不记得，但是我们曾经是朋友。我发誓会尽我所能地帮助你，朋友也会。以前你之所以失败是因为独自面对的关系，如今我们跟你站在一起了。我们不会让你失望的。我们不会让你失败的。准备好了吗？” “没有。”波丽说。“但还是走吧。”她放开紧抱胸口的双手，走过来站在他的面前。“以前的你是个邋遢的小鬼，衣衫不整、蓬头垢面。而我则是个干干净净、一尘不染的女孩。但是我最喜欢跟你在一起玩，还会告诉你很多我不敢告诉别人的秘密。你离开的时候，我以为世界末日到了；当时我好恨你一声不响地离开，把我一个人留在这里。把我留在这些可怕的事情之中。坦白讲，我想这也是刚刚想要杀你的原因之一。但是现在你回来了，我心中再度燃起了希望。自从你进入屋内，屋子整个感觉都改变了。或许你命中注定要回到此地，帮助我离开。有时候，影子瀑布就是这样子。但是詹姆士……你体内只是可能隐藏了强大的力量，但是这栋房子却肯定拥有强大的力量，许多年来利用我的罪恶与苦难所累积而成的力量。这股力量真实存在，就和我一样真实，而它一点也不希望我能够重新找回完整的自我。我不知道一旦它认定你是敌人之后会做出什么事来。你没有必要这样做，詹姆士。” “不，我有必要。”哈特道。“我们是朋友，不管记不记得都是朋友。带路吧，波丽。” 她面露微笑，伸出一根手指放上自己嘴唇，接着又压在他的嘴唇上。她头也不回地走出厨房，哈特及朋友跟在她的身后来到走廊。波丽的背影看来昂首阔步，只有微微紧绷的肩膀透露出她体内絮乱不已的思绪。走廊似乎比刚才昏暗，压力十足，哈特心中逐渐浮现一股想要伸手扶住墙壁以确定墙壁没有向走廊中央挤压而来的需求。不过他没有真的这么做。他不想做出任何可能令波丽分心的事情，怕会摧毁她好不容易建立出来的信心。他并不清楚波丽究竟有多勇敢、有没有办法面对纠缠她一生一世的梦魇，但是她的勇气已经足以在他心中留下深刻的印象。他不知道为什么，特别是在匕首袭击事件之后，不过他发现自己很喜欢波丽，并且决心要帮助她逃离过去的束缚。不管要付出多大的代价。波丽突然在一扇紧闭的房门前停下脚步，哈特差点撞上她。 “这里就是一切开始的地方。”她轻声说道。“当年我八岁，妈妈出门了，我独自一个人在这里玩耍。爹地人在楼上。他叫我上楼，于是我就上楼，接着事情就发生了，不管是什么事情，总之我的生命在那之后就再也不一样了。” 她深深吸了一口气，打开房门，毫不畏缩地步入房内。进房后，她跨向旁边，好让哈特也跟着入内。他进房时双手紧紧握拳，但说不上来为什么。这个房间平凡得出奇，装潢优雅，家具舒适，午后的阳光自窗外洒来，有如金色的醇酒般在地毯上流动。波丽迎上前去，在火炉前半跪下来。 “当时我就在这里，一个留着两条辫子的天真女孩，蹲在火炉前玩着拼图，不过拼得很差。就我的年纪来讲，那个拼图太难了，但是我不肯对自己承认。当时的我十分认真地看待任何挑战。我的一部分至今依然存在于此，不停地拿起拼图碎片，慢慢地拼凑它们，静静等待父亲的叫唤。” “波丽！上来。我需要你。” 声音很嘶哑，很紧绷，是男人的声音。这声音不断在房间中回荡，过去的回音至今依然不肯消逝。波丽站起身走到门外，哈特立刻跟着出去。波丽不疾不徐地步入走廊，来到楼梯底下。她没有转头看哈特，只是对着他的方向伸出手。哈特牵过她的手，和她一同踏上楼梯，迎向过去。天色似乎更加昏暗，仿佛太阳都已经下山了一样。四面八方都是阴影，朋友好似一头守卫犬般紧紧跟在他们脚边。哈特感觉到波丽体内逐渐高张的紧张情绪，有如拉满的弓弦一般，不过她还是极力自制。不管这股自制力是出于勇气还是出于绝望，总之都支持着波丽继续走下去。哈特紧紧握住她的手掌，试图将自己的勇气传入她的手心。 如果你在上面的话，波丽的爸爸，我这就来找你了。如果你还活着，我会杀了你；如果你已经死了，我会把你挖出来鞭尸。我一点也不记得你，但是你对波丽的所作所为实在令人发指。我会不惜任何代价从你的手中救出波丽。不惜任何代价。 他们抵达二楼，波丽手里一紧，突然将哈特的手掌握得隐隐作痛。她没有等待哈特反应，随即迈开大步迎向前去，推开了眼前的一道房门。门缓缓开启，她微微迟疑。哈特精神紧绷，还以为会发生什么事，但是结果什么也没有。 “我八岁，独自玩耍，听见父亲的叫唤。我首先来到这个房间，因为我想要拖延时间。我不记得为什么，只记得自己很害怕。我现在依然很害怕。” “你这次不再是一个人来了。”哈特说。“朋友和我都跟你在一起。” “我还是很害怕，只是这次没有怕到裹足不前。” 她踏入房间，接着很快地弯下腰去，好像突然之间胃部抽筋一样。她浑身颤抖、身体蜷缩，像折叠式的玩具一般越变越小。她的手自他掌心滑脱，变成一副小女孩的模样，穿着小女孩的可爱洋装，站在他面前。她迅速抬起头来，以成年人的眼神看了他一眼，接着转过身去望向窗外。哈特和她并肩走去，看着窗外的春景。 “我来过这里太多次了。”小女孩说道。“每当那个声音呼唤我，我就会上来。如果我不上去的话，它就会一直呼唤、一直呼唤，直到我上来为止。这种感觉很奇怪，因为不管待会儿发生什么事情，我都没有机会再度以小孩子的样子前来这个房间。我从不知道永远失去童年是什么感觉，不知道再也无法经历童年是什么情况。我会想念身为小孩的模样，但是只要能够获得自由，一切都是值得的。” 她伸出小小的手掌来到他的身旁，他则小心翼翼地将之握在手中。她的手看起来好小、好脆弱，只看得他怒气大发，瞬间抛开了所有恐惧与不安。她转过身去，离开春季房，进入走廊，短短地看了对面房间一眼，然后沿着走廊走向隔壁房门。哈特回头看着没有窗户的房间那扇紧闭的房门。他可以清楚地听见房内传来浓重的喘气声。那个声音听起来并不全然属于人类。尽管波丽的目光没有在那扇门上停留，但是哈特依然可以感到门在波丽心中掀起的那股恐惧与诱惑杂陈的感觉。 波丽带他来到下一个房间，推开房门，直接走了进去。她身形突然拔起，手掌逐渐变大，转眼之间长成青少女的模样。她的目光稳健、下巴坚定，不过哈特已经可以从她眉宇之中看出如今的模样。窗外一片夏季景色，房里盈满耀眼的阳光。空气中充满剑拔弩张的气息，仿佛不停甩门甩到房门都烂掉了一样。波丽看着窗外那副多年之前的夏季景色，脸上涌现一股比当下的年龄世故许多的神情。当她开口时，声音很轻，但是十分沉稳。 “这是第一次我尝试响应他的召唤，尝试面对我的恐惧，并且征服它。多年来，他一直不断地召唤着我，但是我却始终不曾越过第一个房间。我总是太害怕了。我觉得很丢脸，虽然那绝对不是什么平凡的恐惧，比较像是心中一股沉默的呐喊，永不停歇，不得安宁。但是当年，我母亲去世了，我也已经十八岁了。我成年了，自认应该抛开所有的童年恐惧。于是我走上楼梯，进入第一个房间，然后很快地出来，以免自己改变心意。接着我站在门口，看着那扇紧闭的房门。有东西在门后走动，在等待。最后我终于转过身去，走入这个房间。我想我就是在那个时候了解到自己永远不可能自恐惧之中解放。我站在这里，看着窗外的夏季景色良久，然后掉头离开，回到楼下。” 她转身走出夏季房，再度回到走廊。这时她的手开始颤抖，肩膀微微下垂，仿佛肩负了一个沉重到无法放下的重担。不过她依然抬头挺胸，脸上的神情坚定异常，几乎已经达到非人的境界。她推开秋季房的房门，举步走了进去，岁月立刻再度冲击她的外形。她突然间神色疲惫，变成一副短发模样。 “二十二岁的时候，我精神崩溃了。我开始想起童年时所发生的事情，但又不够坚强，无法面对。于是某天下午，我整个人突然崩溃。当时的情况并不很戏剧化，我只是不停地哭，不停地哭。他们带我到一个很舒服的地方，一直待到我再度忘却为止。后来我回到家，那声音再度召唤我。当时我已经麻痹了，以为自己可以面对他。我错了，于是我的一部分就此留在这个房间中。我变得迷惘、失落，比之前还要懦弱。” 她看都没看窗外，直接转身离开，哈特必须加快动作才能跟上她的步伐。她毫不迟疑地走到隔壁房间，推开房门，步入冬季房中。十三年的岁月瞬间飞逝，她的头发迅速长长，转眼之间披上了肩膀。房中的紧张气息几乎令人难以忍受，压力之大，令哈特感到全身上下都遭受挤压。那种感觉就像是面对一阵狂风吹拂，或是在无情的海浪之中挣扎，不管游得多么努力都会再度被海浪卷回大海。 “我几乎成功了，最后一次尝试的时候。我已经不在乎了。我认为没有任何事情能比这样活着还要糟糕。我又错了。我在这个房间站了一整个早上，然后又站了大半个下午，结果还是没有办法让我自己去做那一件唯一可以解放自己的事情。这么简单的一件事，只要走进那个房间里就好了……我痛恨自己如此懦弱、如此害怕，但光是痛恨并不够。最后，我再度走下楼梯，再度将自己的一部分留在楼上。我最远就只能到此为止了。我没有办法继续向前，没有帮手的话绝对办不到。帮我，吉米，求求你。” 她的手掌无力地瘫在他的掌心之中，似乎她所有的力气都已经离体而去。她
Does a house dream of those who once lived in it until they came home? James Hart stood in the house in which he had lived as a boy, but he did not recognize him at all.He felt very disappointed, even though he had told himself not to expect too much before coming.According to his memory, he should have never been to this room, but he hoped to recall some impressions when he was there.Perhaps, what happened in this room was so terrifying that some part of him refused to think about it.He still doesn't know why his family left their home in such a hurry.According to Father Time, the prophecy back then was enough to make anyone frightened, but what made his parents abandon everything and leave as soon as they said it?Have they been threatened?Threatened by someone who believes the Harts will lead to the destruction of Shadow Falls and the Gates of Eternity?Or, his parents believed it deeply and decided to leave in a hurry in order to protect Shadow Falls?He shrugged secretly, walked over and pushed the first door on the left.The door opened as soon as it was pushed, without making any sound at all. The light inside the room is bright and the air is fresh. There are a few pieces of inconspicuous furniture, and the color of the walls is also dull.Beside the fireplace stood a great clock that was ticking.Hart frowned.He never liked a big clock ticking.He thought it was because there was a clock like this in his dentist's reception room, but now it seems that the reason can be traced back to an earlier experience... The room is quiet and peaceful, as if the owner of the room has just left, Might be back anytime.The thought disturbed him, and he looked behind him, expecting to see someone, or some ghost, watching him from the shadows, but he saw nothing.He walked out of the room and closed the door carefully. He walked around the house, searching room by room, but never had the slightest impression.The house is very tidy and clean, as if the cleaning maid has just finished cleaning.According to Father Time, no one has lived here since they left, but Time does not explain why.There wasn't even any dust in the house...as if nothing had changed in twenty-five years.He stood at the top of the stairs, thinking about what to do next.He inspected every room, took and put the things in the house, but he couldn't recall any memories.No matter how you look here, it looks like a stranger's home.But he spent the first ten years of his life here, and there must be some traces of the past left here.He stood there for a long time with a gloomy expression, and repeatedly slapped his waist with two fists angrily.I haven't looked for any other places... At this moment, a flash of inspiration flashed in his mind, and he raised his head to look at the secret door leading to the attic on the ceiling. It didn't take him long to figure out how to open the secret door, pull down the folding ladder, and climb up to the attic.The attic was very dark and narrow, and there was a strong musty smell in the air, with a vaguely familiar smell, which he could feel.He reached out to switch on the dim light.It wasn't until he turned it on that he suddenly realized he knew where the light switch was without looking.He took a moment to look around.The narrow space under the eaves is filled with large wooden boxes and paper parcels tied with rope.He bent down next to the nearest wooden box and pulled back the white cloth that covered it, only to find that the box was filled with more papers, bound together in stacks and dated.Hart took out a stack of papers and flipped through them quickly.Tax refund documents, financial certificates, shopping receipts.Hart put the paper back in its place.These documents mean nothing to him.He walked to the next wooden box and tore off the white cloth from it.The box is full of toys. Hart sat down against the crate.All the toys that people have had and lost end up in Shadow Falls.Whether it's a stuffed toy that was broken or thrown away by parents, or a tricycle that couldn't be ridden when it grew up.None of these things are really lost, they just end up in Shadow Falls.This is one such place.Hart squatted beside the wooden box, staring at the toys in the box intently, as if he was afraid that if he was distracted, the toys would disappear.He reached into the crate and took out the first toy he came across.It was a Batman mechanical doll, square and ugly, exuding a strong smell of plastic.He turned the side winder, and immediately Batman's big feet started pumping up and down.Hart smiled slowly.He remembers this guy.He remembers sitting in front of the TV watching a Batman series starring Adam West and Burt Ward.Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel. ("Don't sit too close, Jimmy, it's bad for your eyes.") The memory is fleeting but profound, like a still from a movie.He put the doll down on the attic floor, and it limped forward with a clattering noise.Hart wondered if Batman himself lived in Shadow Falls, but quickly dismissed the idea.Batman is still in vogue.People still believe in his existence. Next up is a hardcover copy of The Almanac of Dalark, a spin-off from the Doctor Who TV series.The series was filmed in the era of black and white TV, when an series with this kind of content could still scare the audience.Hart slowly flipped through the yearbook, and a section of memories gradually came back to his mind-the memory of not going to sleep when it was time to go to bed early on Christmas morning, sitting on the bed and reading the memory of this yearbook.As soon as he got the yearbook, he immediately recalled these images, but they were not complete memories. They could not tell him what kind of person the boy who was reading the yearbook was like. The vehicle of the Thunderbirds.James Bond's Alston Martin sports car with escape chairs.A Batmobile that fires missiles and has a chainsaw sticking out from under the hood.A box full of assorted toy soldiers, all with a battle-hardened look of the world.A pistol in the shape of a jet that fires suction cup darts.A mix of farm animal toys and zoo animal toys.The toy train still in the box.Dawn monster combination. Memories come and go, slowly bringing back a vague figure of a boy.The boy was small in stature for his age, shy and shy, and had to play with toys because of the lack of playmates of his own age, and because even at that age, he showed signs of being different... …Hart sat by the crate, grabbed a handful of Lego bricks, and let them slide from his fingertips like grains of sand in an hourglass.Memories came slowly to the surface, short and incoherent, giving him a vague notion of his own childhood.That's not an interesting sight.Young James Hart had warm care and endless care, but he was still very withdrawn.He couldn't remember why, but he was sure he wouldn't like the answer to that question.His childhood was a bit weird.He is a bit strange. So weird, even Shadow Falls couldn't take it. He suddenly felt shocked, as if something deep in his heart had awakened.He waited with bated breath, waiting for that feeling to return to him in a more definite form, but nothing came of it.He took out a bunch of toys with no expression on his face, but he couldn't recall any more.He looked at the toys scattered all over the place, and he only thought that there are many collectors in the real world who are willing to spend a lot of money to buy this pile of garbage.Several Dawn monster sets hadn't even been assembled yet, lying in their boxes intact.He scrutinized the image on the box cover, looking at the familiar Frankensteins, vampires, and werewolves, and then burst into a smile as he thought about how these guys probably lived in Shadow Falls, enjoying their comfortable retirement Life.Maybe he could get them to sign a couple of toy boxes... He picked up the toy on the ground and carefully put it back into the wooden box.He looked at the other wooden boxes and packages, but he didn't want to continue looking.A voice inside him told him these things were of no use to him anymore.It was the toys that had called him to the attic, and in them he had found what he was looking for.He climbed down the stepladder, climbed back again, turned off the light in the attic, went downstairs again, and pushed back the stepladder.He went down the stairs and finally stopped at the bottom of the stairs.He suddenly felt very strongly that the business here was not finished.There was something else waiting for him, something important.He looked around and felt that the hallway seemed to be watching him too, and he was pretending to be innocent.He walked slowly to a mirror hanging on the wall.The self in the mirror looked at himself with a look of utter bewilderment on his face.Then, right before his eyes, the face in the mirror began to change, and finally turned into his father's face.His father, whose appearance was younger than his impression, looked very nervous, as if he was afraid of something. "Hello, Jimmy," said Father. "Sorry I have to leave in a hurry, but time is not on our side. You should be able to understand. This message was left before we left and will only play automatically when you are in front of this mirror. There are so many things I want to tell you. Now that you are here, it means that me and your mother are probably no longer alive. Regardless of the ending, I hope we have a good time together. For me, You're still a little boy, but I think you're an adult by now. No matter what happens, please remember that your mother and I love you very much." "We left because of that prophecy. I hope you never come back, I hope this message is never played, but your grandfather, my father, was very insistent that you must have the option to come back if you If you want to come back. Then, the content of this prophecy is very ambiguous. Basically, the prophecy just points out that your destiny is closely related to the gate of eternity, and at some point in the future, you will lead to the demise of Shadow Falls. This This prophecy is bound to create fear in the crowd, and once the crowd starts to fear, it will lead to a lot of violence. Now the prophecy has not been spread, so we decided to get out of here before someone tries to stop us. I don't know how everyone will deal with it Your return, but no matter what, your grandfather must still be here to protect you." Jonathan Hart paused, turned his head to look behind him, and then looked back at his son. "Jimmy, we must go. Live happily." The face in the mirror suddenly changed back to his own.He was pale and shocked.He couldn't remember his father when he was young, he didn't have any pictures of him when he was young, and now Hart finally knew why.Tears stung his eyes before he left the mirror.He never got a chance to say goodbye to his parents.They drove out as usual, and he didn't know what had happened until the police knocked on the door and told him that his parents had died in a car accident.He didn't believe what the police said at first, and kept saying that his father was a very good driver and that there was no way he would be in a car accident.He kept repeating this sentence until he went to the morgue to identify the body.After that, he didn't say anything for a long time. "Goodbye, Dad. Goodbye." He took a deep breath and blinked quickly.He didn't have time to say goodbye.It won't be long before the people who drove their family out of Shadow Falls will know the news of his return, and then everything will be troublesome.He must find out the truth about his family and the prophecy, and that means finding out his grandfather.His father's father, who left him maps and directions to help him return to his grandfather in Shadow Falls.The message left in the mirror seems to imply that his grandfather not only still lives in Shadow Falls, but also has powerful abilities enough to protect his grandson.Hart frowned.His parents rarely mentioned family history.He never saw his grandfather growing up, nor did he have any relatives like uncles, siblings, etc.He didn't think it was weird until a classmate pointed it out to him.At that time, he raised such a question to his parents, but did not get an answer.His parents just don't want to talk about it.Later, he began to have various fantasies about his family background.He imagined that he was adopted, or kidnapped, or that his father was actually a witness for the prosecution, who had to remain anonymous because he had sent a mob boss to jail.In the end he decided that he was watching too much TV and stopped thinking about it.He always thought that one day, his parents would always tell him the truth.But now they are dead. It occurred to him that if his grandfather still lived here, there might be other relatives too.Cousins, perhaps, distant relatives of his family might be spared by the enemy.The word shocked him: enemy.Someone would want to hurt him, even kill him, just because he might one day do something.He thought to himself that maybe he should have a sense of crisis and fear, but these things were too novel and unfamiliar to him.He couldn't face it seriously.That's fine, otherwise he might hide in the shadows and dare not show up. shadow.The word echoed in his heart like a loud bell, stirring up many fleeting memories, like the flashing suits when shuffling the cards.He tried to hold on to the memories, but they were fleeting, never cohesive, until one of them hit his heart like a flash of inspiration.He was very lonely when he was a child, so he fantasized about a friend.According to the simple logic and naive thinking of children, he named this friend "Friend".He confides and shares his secrets with his friends, while his imaginary friends guard him at night from all kinds of monsters.The memory surprised him and fascinated him at the same time, because he had never considered himself a man of great imagination.It's a pity that his friend is gone, and now is the time when he needs his friend to protect him. In an impulse, he stretched out his hands, casting a shadow on the wall.He'd only done it as a kid, but the childhood skills came back to him as quickly as if it was just yesterday.A long-eared hare appeared on the wall, then a bird soaring high, a donkey, a crow.The shadow jumped off the wall and danced in front of his eyes, performing various movements and containing various meanings.Hart smiled and lowered his palm, but the shadow on the wall did not disappear. Hart took a step back in fright, his breath stuck in his throat and he couldn't breathe.Both his hands were already hanging on his waist, but the shadow remained on the wall without the projection of the body.The shadow began to move again, first repeating the image it had compared before, and then slowly moving to the corner, transforming into a completely new form; his own shadow.He withdrew his feet, afraid of coming into contact with that shadow.Shadow retreated to the wall, stood up straight, and became as tall as him, but with his arms folded in front of his chest. Hart wanted to turn around and run, but after seeing some weird scenes in the Shadow Falls, a shadow with self-awareness didn't seem to be such a scary thing.Besides, this shadow gave him a...familiar feeling.He had seen this shadow before, when he was a child.He remembers him.He is his friend. "Where the hell have you been?" said a tart voice. "I only left for five minutes, and you disappeared for twenty-five years! You should leave a note anyway? I took care of you for so many years, and this is how you thank me? Your father is always working, and your mother is always Busy, who was with you at that time? I stayed by your side all the time, but ended up like this? Living alone in an empty house for twenty-five years? No one to talk to, no one to accompany you. If it wasn’t for cleaning the house every day I would have been crazy if I hadn't. No visitors, the only neighbor was that crazy woman who lived across the way, poor child. All the TV channels I got on were broadcasting soap operas. Also, Father Callahan came here to die He's been a demon twice. He's lucky enough. I'm just a shadow, not a ghost. My life is much richer than a ghost. What's the matter? Don't you have anything to say to me?" "I couldn't find a chance to chime in," Hart said. "Well, excuse me I don't need to stop and breathe. It's not something I would like to do. If you lived alone for twenty-five years, you would start talking to yourself." "Friend," said Hart. "I miss you so much, even though I don't remember you at all, there is a part of me that always thinks about you. How could I forget you?" "I wouldn't die answering a question like that. Well, don't just stand there. Where have you been? What have you been doing all these years? Tell me everything." "There was a prophecy. We must leave immediately, or the townspeople will turn against us. If I could, I would definitely take you with me. But even then, I knew that you could not go outside Shadow Falls." place to survive. I lost all memory when I left here, but even so, I still dream of you sometimes." "They made you leave," the friend whispered. "I knew you wouldn't leave me alone. Oh, Jimmy, I miss you so much!" The shadow leaped forward, wrapping him like a living cloak.He could feel his weight and his heartbeat.The situation should have been horrific, at least should have disturbed him, but it hadn't.He felt as emotional and moved as if he was hugging a warm puppy.The friend finally calmed down a bit, stepped back, and returned to the wall again. "It's good to see you back, Jimmy. Will you stay here?" "I guess so. The house is mine now. My parents are dead." "Oh, Jimmy, I'm sorry. Really. Listen, obviously a lot has happened over the years, and I want you to give me the details, but there's really no rush, is there? You go first Sit in the living room and relax. I'll make you a cup of good coffee." Hart raised his eyebrows and asked, "You don't have a body, how do you make coffee?" "I'll adapt," said the friend. "I can condense enough entities. How else do you think I've cleaned my room all these years? Do you get what you want? Be good, and I'll have chocolate chips with coffee later." "After twenty-five years, won't the chocolate die?" "Speaking so bluntly is bound to offend someone sooner or later. The chocolate isn't bad, just like everything else in the house. Everything is in the same condition as the day you left. I know you'll come back one day." The shadow slid across the wall, like raindrops on the window, and disappeared in the direction of the kitchen.Hart blinked and walked down the corridor into the living room.There was never a moment of boredom in Shadow Falls... He sank into the chair that belonged to him twenty-five years ago.This chair is much smaller than I thought, but that's how it should be, isn't it?The decoration and furniture in the living room look simple, but a bit old, reminiscent of scenes from sitcoms in the 1960s.The super big TV station seems to be a product of the stone age.He stared at the TV screen, hoping to bring back some childhood memories and let him know more about himself as a child.The TV stayed in place quietly, but ripples had already set off in his heart.He started seeing a lot of TV shows that he hadn't thought of since he was ten years old or earlier. The god horse Qian Ping.The circus is smaller than that.Caravan.Bonescha... These programs flashed through his mind one by one, happy and classic (Lacy the dog and the Lone Ranger), but what made him throb the most was the memory of watching these programs so many years ago.To him, these were black and white cell images, but that mood brought them to life.Hart sighed and leaned back in his chair.Perhaps his shadow friend is the key to unraveling past memories.It seems to know everything.Maybe it even knows who its grandfather is.Shadows... As a child he was afraid of shadows.He didn't like the feeling of the shadow suddenly moving with him, or sneaking behind him.The shadows are watching him anytime and anywhere, but he can't see where their eyes are.How could he forget this thing that had such a profound influence on his childhood?Whenever the sun goes down, the shadow is everywhere, watching him from every corner, waiting quietly.Some nights, even without turning off the lights, he couldn't fall asleep, just because he was afraid that the shadows would swarm him as soon as he closed his eyes.As long as the lights were turned off, he couldn't see the shadows, but sometimes he felt that the dark room was like a huge shadow.So he imagined a shadow friend to protect him from other shadows.Because of being in Shadow Falls, he has an extra real fantasy friend. He looked up in surprise because he heard footsteps in the corridor.Can't be friends, because shadows don't make footsteps.There are others in the house.He stood up, tiptoed to the door, then stopped suddenly, and immediately let go of the hand that was going to open the door.If the friend was real, the other shadow monsters might as well... A sudden sense of dread came over him, but he put it firmly behind him.He is no longer a child.Now he had many real enemies, who had probably been watching the Harts all along, in case he was stupid enough to go home empty-handed...he put that thought behind him, too.The other party is likely to be the neighbor who lives across the street, and he just came to borrow some candy and say hello to the new neighbor by the way. That crazy woman who lives opposite, poor child... Hart shook his head.He'd better take a look in the hallway while he still has the chance.If he continued to think about it like this, he would probably scare himself out of the window first.He opened the living room door and stepped quickly into the hallway.There is no one in the corridor.He smirks, not knowing whether to feel relieved or stupid.It's an old house, so there's bound to be some creaking noises here and there.Then he looked down the hallway and saw that the door had opened a small gap.He tried to recall whether he had closed the door just now, but he couldn't be sure for a moment.He walked carefully through the corridor, came to the door, opened the door, and looked outside.Nothing unusual, no sign of anyone.He looked across the house, but the neighbors were not behind any of the windows.Hart shrugged uneasily, closed the door, and turned around, just in time to see a dagger aimed at his throat. He dodged aside with an instinctive reaction that he couldn't even imagine, dodging the dagger attack at the nick of time.His attacker fell forward, losing his balance from the force of the knife.Hart took the opportunity to raise his fist, but he didn't concentrate because he found that the other party was a skinny and skinny woman with a frightened face.The terrifying light reflected from the dagger, coupled with the determined and flustered expression on the woman's face, finally brought Hart back to reality from the shock.He had no doubt that the other party wanted to put him to death, although he had never seen this woman. The dagger stabbed out again.Hart bowed his head, and the blade plunged into the wooden board of the door behind him on the spot.The opponent wanted to pull out the dagger, but the stab was too deep and he couldn't pull it out for a while.哈特迅速向前一扑，一把抱起对方，将她的双手夹在身侧。她死命挣扎，但是他比她强壮太多了。她逐渐平静下来，两人面对面地急促喘气。接着他在她眼中看见她膝盖上扬，于是用力将她推开。她狂挥双拳，希望能逼他离开门边，以便再度夺回匕首。哈特轻松挡下攻击，但是对方的力道却让他的手臂发疼。就在此时，朋友有如一道黑色的浪潮般自走廊另一端冲来，化身一袭黯影斗篷将女人笼罩起来。她绝望地想要挣脱束缚，但是影子实在太强壮了，随随便便就让她动弹不得。她停止挣扎，接着黑暗中传来听起来像是哽咽的声响。 “记得我刚刚提过的那个住在对面的疯女人吗？”朋友说道。“就是这位了。波丽·考辛斯。她经常喜欢站在窗口，静静地看着时光流逝，很少出门，不过这点你应该已经看出来了。她就像一条躲在鱼缸里的古比鱼，如果你要问我的话。要我如何处置她？” “暂时先像死神一样抓着她不要放。”哈特一边喘气一边说道。“不过接下来我就没有主意了。电话能用吗？可以用的话，我想应该报警。” “不，拜托，不要报警。”波丽的声音很细，听起来像个小孩一样。“我会乖的，我保证。” 她看起一副可怜兮兮的样子，几乎让哈特觉得自己是个欺负良家妇女的流氓。不过在看了一眼插在门上的匕首之后，他立刻将这个想法抛到脑后。 “把她带去客厅，朋友，不过千万不要放开她。我要问她几个问题，然后再决定如何处置。” “悉听尊便。”朋友语气愉快地道。“我的建议是把她交给警长，关在某个非常安全的地方，然后把钥匙吞掉。不过我懂什么？我不过是个想象出来的朋友而已。” 影子沿着走廊飘开，拖着波丽的身体一起离去。她没有继续抵抗，但是为防万一，哈特还是和他们保持一段距离。回到客厅后，朋友将波丽抛到一张椅子上，然后瘫在她的脚前，有如一块毛毯一般限制她的行动。哈特拉过一张椅子，在他们身前坐下。 “告诉我，波丽·考辛斯。”他冷冷地道。“告诉我你为什么想要杀我，据我印象所及，我这辈子不曾见过你。在你告诉我原因的同时，顺便给我一个不该将你当作危险疯子交给警方处理的好理由。” “我很抱歉。”波丽道，她的声音只比自言自语要大声一点而已。“我慌了。我刚刚站在窗口往外看，结果认出了你。你和你父亲长得很像，而我对他印象非常深刻。当我了解到你是什么人，你的身分为何时，我满脑子只能想到当年的预言。就是说你将会毁灭永恒之门，为影子瀑布带来末日的那则预言。我很害怕。我需要永恒之门，以及门对影子瀑布所带来的影响；少了它们，我绝对无法承受我的生活。我必须仰赖它们维持理智。我没有发疯，至少不算全疯。”她面带忧伤地微微一笑。“虽然我相信你们一定不这么认为。你知道，我并非……随时都是我自己，而你碰到我的时候刚好时机不对。我已经恢复正常了。如果你放了我，我保证不会乱来的。” 哈特靠回椅背上。她看起来似乎十分清醒，至少暂时而言。她的匕首处于很远的地方，朋友又在附近，随时可以再度制伏她…… “我强烈地认为我会后悔，但是……好吧，朋友，放开她。但是为防万一，看紧一点。” “我看你跟她一样疯，不过你是老大。要是她又从身上抽出一把刀的话可别怪我。她看起来就是会干这种事的样子。但是当然不会有人把我的话当一回事。我只是一道影子，懂得什么？” “朋友，放开她吧。” 他重重地吸了一口气（哈特忍不住好奇他是从什么地方吸气的），自波丽身上滑开，贴到位于她身后的墙上，再度凝聚成一个人形。波丽小心地伸展手脚。 “很有趣的朋友，吉米。我记得小时候你曾经向我提起过他，当时我也不知道该不该相信你的话。小时候你很喜欢乱编故事。” “现在我喜欢人家叫我詹姆士。”哈特道。“你记得我小时候的样子？我是什么样的人？当年的事情我全都不记得了。” “我们一起上学。当父母在忙的时候，我们也会一起玩。苏珊·都伯伊丝告诉我说你已经回到影子瀑布了，她从塔罗牌里看出来的。我知道你迟早会回来老家，但是真的见到你的时候还是很惊讶。这些年来，许多谣言跟八卦已经把你塑造成一个怪物——一把悬挂在所有人脖子，以及我们所珍爱的一切之上的利刃。我一直不知道自己有多怕你，直到发现我手持匕首走在前往你家路上为止。但是现在我已经恢复正常了。我……不只一个——我的体内存在着不同的自我。其中一个非常年轻，十分容易受到惊吓。” “你是说你具有多重人格？”哈特饶富兴味地说道。“我听说过这种人。” “并不是如此单纯。”波丽微带迟疑地说。“是因为房子的缘故，你知道。我的房子——四季屋。屋中的时间各自切割，我的年纪和个性取决于我身处屋内的哪一部分。” 哈特看向朋友道：“你听得懂吗？” “喔，当然，这比电视肥皂剧要有趣多了，而且又不算多复杂。我认为我们应该过个马路，到她家去看看。” “你可以离开这里吗？我以为你被困这栋房子里面。” “本来是，不过你回来了。如今任何你能去的地方我都能去。我是你的影子。我们走吧，吉米，我是说詹姆士。我已经二十五年没有离开过这栋屋子，而且波丽家听起来真的很有趣。” “不过五分钟前，你还坚持要把她关起来，从此弃而不顾呢。但是你说得没错，她家听起来的确有趣。带路吧，波丽。要是我发现你想要拿刀，我就叫朋友化身一吨重的砖头，把你压扁在地上。听清楚了吗？” “当然，詹姆士。我了解你如此谨慎的原因。请相信我，这一切对我而言并不容易。我都已经不记得家里多久没有陌生人来访了。我会谈论起一些我对自己都不愿提起的话题。但是我想也该是我找人谈谈的时候了。如果你真的拥有传说中那么强大的力量，或许你可以帮我逃出我为自己所设下的地狱。” “我没有什么力量。”哈特说道。“我没有任何特殊的地方。我只是个普通人。” “希望你搞错了。”波丽道。“为了我们两个人好。” 她缓缓站起身来，似乎随时期待他会改变心意一样。她领头踏入走廊。哈特跟在她的身后，必要时随时准备出手抓她，或是拔腿就逃。尽管眼前的她看似无害，但是刚刚匕首袭来的画面在他心中留下深刻的印象。他总是认真看待任何手持匕首的人。波丽在大门前停下脚步，看了插在门上的匕首一眼，接着打开大门，走出屋外。哈特跟在后面出了大门，朋友则有如正常的影子般跟在他的脚下。他小心翼翼地锁上大门，然后三人一同穿越马路，来到波丽家前。这栋房子外表看来非常平凡，但是哈特已经学到在影子瀑布里，平凡的外表不能代表任何事。屋中的时间各自切割……波丽打开大门，走入屋内。哈特和朋友跟着进去，不过始终与她保持一定的距离。 这栋名叫四季屋的房子肯定有问题。哈特光从空气中就可以感受出来——一股无尽的紧张，一种诡异的压力，一种刻意营造出来的气氛。仿佛某人还是某种东西正在屋中屏息以待。他走入走廊，尽管午后的阳光照亮整条走廊，但他还是忍不住心中一股想要回头的冲动。波丽怎么能在这种环境下生活？他才刚进门就已经想要转身离开了。波丽转过头来，似乎想要说些什么，哈特立刻藏起脸上不自在的神色。第一次，他开始了解隐藏在她内心的那股紧张气息与造成她神情紧绷，心情焦虑的原因，就像一根拉得太紧的琴弦一般。在他的注目之下，她突然脸上一红，伸手整理凌乱的头发，似乎终于发现自己的外表有多邋遢。 “不好意思，家里很乱，我也没有打扮。如果知道有客人要来的话，我一定会花工夫整理的。但是很少有人登门拜访，而基本上我觉得这样也好。大家都认为我疯了。有时候连我都认为自己疯了。”她看了看四周，似乎无法决定要请他坐哪。“你必须了解，詹姆士。这是个很危险的地方。这里的时间有它自己的一套规则。很久以前，这栋屋子里曾经发生过一件很可怕的事情，当时我还是个小孩子。非常可怕的事情，只是我想不起来是什么事。苏珊说你失去了所有童年的记忆。我就没你这么幸运了。我的童年回忆依然如影随形，它们纠缠着我，纠缠着这栋屋子。楼上有四间不同的房间，只要进入那些房间，我就会分别变成四个不同的人。四个不同的自己。一楼的情况比较稳定，在这里我可以当我自己。去厨房吧，那里比较安全，距离其他房间都很远，或许它听不见我们的谈话。” 她领着他穿越走廊来到厨房，一路上紧张兮兮，不停说话。哈特根本听不懂她说什么，但是他还是仔细地听，想从她的言语听出蛛丝马迹，进而弄清楚很久以前波丽跟她家究竟出了什么事。厨房很乱，不过乱得很舒服；就是那种乱归乱，但是东西都在定位，不必花费心思寻找的地方。所有空间都摆满杂物，但是却没有任何灰尘与污垢，地板也非常干净。波丽拿起摆在一张椅子上的毛衣，随手丢在沥水板上，然后请哈特坐下。他照做，偷瞄一眼确定朋友还在附近，然后静静看着波丽忙东忙西、冲泡咖啡。她始终喋喋不休，仿佛一停止说话，紧接而来的沉默将会导致严重的后果一样。 “我八岁的时候发生一件可怕的事情，而那件事情至今没有结束，依然在楼上其中一个房间继续着。没有窗户的那个房间。自从事情发生以来，我就再也没有踏足那个房间一步，但是那里面有东西在等待着我。”波丽的声音逐渐冷静下来，似乎有人可以谈论此事令她心情松懈了下来。“我曾经试图面对房间里的东西。十八岁的时候试过，二十二岁也试过，最近的一次是在去年。我办不到。我不够坚强。而我每尝试一次，身体的一部分就会被一个房间掳获，有如困在琥珀中的苍蝇。现在，当我上二楼的时候，屋子会强迫我变成那些年代的自我。那并不算是一种惩罚。我花了一段时间才了解这一点。屋子是在试图治疗我，想要让我藉由面对问题来克服问题。只是我办不到。” 她说到这里停了下来。哈特十分谨慎地选择用字遣词。“你八岁的时候究竟出了什么事情？你一点也记不起来吗？” “记不起来。当时我母亲出门了，我和父亲单独待在家里。我们之间发生了一件十分可怕的事情，可怕到我没有办法记得；可怕到时至今日依然纠缠着我和房子不放的地步。” 喔，老天呀，哈特心想。她一定定遭受性虐待了。一定是她父亲……难怪她不愿意想起。 “为什么不离开这里？”在肯定自己的语气不会过于激动后，他问道。“收拾行囊，离开此地，将一切通通抛到脑后？” “我办不到。屋子不肯放我走。只要楼上那些房间依然拥有我的一部分，我就不是一个完整的人。这栋屋子一方面想要治疗我；另一方面又想要吞噬我。于是我不断尝试着面对自己的恐惧，而在每次失败之后又失去更多的自我。要不了多久，这里就会挤满不同版本的我，大家都没有转身的余地了。” 她试图挤出笑容响应自己的冷笑话，可惜并不成功。她咬了咬下唇，突然偏过头去，不让哈特看见她眼中的泪光。他很尴尬地坐在原地，想帮忙又不知道从何帮起。朋友自墙上浮现，飘过餐桌，像是条围巾一般围绕在波丽颤抖的肩膀之上。 “好了，好了，不要这个样子，小花瓣。没事的，你不再孤独了。你的问题在于长久以来你都是独自一个人面对问题。难道过去从来没有人想要跟你一起上去看看那个房间吗？” “没有。我从不让人进入屋内，就连苏珊也一样，而她是我最要好的朋友。唯一可能有办法帮助我的人是我妈妈，但是她一定不会了解的。她很可能会说一切都是我的错。她是在我十八岁的那年去世的，就是在我第一次试图面对那个房间并且失败之前。那部分的我从窗户中眼睁睁地看着她的葬礼，而八岁的我则在另外一个房间里面观看。那之后，我就独自一人在屋子里面生活，越来越孤独。没有人来造访，他们可以感觉到四季屋蕴含了越来越强大的力量。那股力量十分善妒，不希望任何人前来搭救我。我很惊讶你竟然进得来。你一定非常坚强。即使是刚刚试图杀害你的时候，我心中的某一部分就已经很确定你是一个不平凡的人。” “打从他还是个小孩的时候，我就已经知道他不平凡了。”朋友说道。“一切都会没事的。詹姆士和我会帮助你度过难关。我们从最年轻的你，八岁的你开始，一路追溯下去，直到找出问题的根源为止。到时候我们就可以把它狂扁一顿。” “不好意思，打扰一下。”哈特道。“我可以和你私底下谈一谈吗，朋友？去走廊上讲？” “当然可以，詹姆士，但是不能等一下吗？” “不，我不认为可以等。” “喔，那好吧。真是不好意思，亲爱的，我们不会谈很久。你一个人没问题吧？” “没问题。”波丽道。“我早就习惯一个人了。” 哈特站起身来，走到走廊上，朋友跟在他的身后沿着墙壁滑了出去。哈特轻轻关上厨房的门，向旁边走开一段距离，然后看向自己的影子。 “你以为你在干什么？这个女人需要专业的心理谘商！很显然地，她小时候遭到父亲性虐待，在恐惧、羞愧，以及罪恶感的压迫之下，她宁愿压抑记忆也不愿意坦然面对。这些所谓的其他部分的自我很可能只是多重人格的具体表现。她需要专业人士的帮助。天知道两个好心人会对她的内心造成多大的伤害！” “心理医生帮得上忙的话，早就帮了。”朋友冷静地说。“她一辈子都在承受这件事，我很肯定她已经试过所有可行的办法。我们帮得上忙，吉米。我们很特别。你的特别之处就在于你和她一样失去了童年；我的特别之处则是在于我不是真实存在。没有东西伤得了我，没有东西吓得倒我，不管面临什么样的危险，我都可以保护波丽。在等待你回来的那段日子里，我学会了很多很多东西。况且她说得没错，吉米。你拥有强大的力量，我不知道是什么力量，但是我感觉得出来，像是某种深埋地底的机械所发出的呜鸣声，静待着某人按下正确的启动按钮。这件事我们非干不可，吉米。波丽需要我们的帮助。” 哈特深深地吸了一口气，然后慢慢地吐了出来。“我有非常不祥的预感，朋友。除了波丽之外，这屋子里面还存在着别的东西。我感觉得到对方在观察我们、等待我们。如果我拥有什么神奇的力量，我也一点概念都没有。但是你说得也没错，我们不能弃波丽于不顾。就算只是为了不要让她再拿刀子来砍我也好。如果我注定会有邻居的话，我可不希望邻居是个会拿刀砍人的疯子。” “你变得非常愤世嫉俗，吉米。我有点不能接受这样的你。” “这叫实际，不叫愤世嫉俗。还有，叫我詹姆士，不要叫吉米。听着，我已经说要帮忙了，不是吗？我只是觉得要小心为妙。好了，在我改变主意之前，快点开始吧。” 他微微一笑，朋友则是摇了摇头，然后一起走回厨房。波丽背对他们站在窗前，默默不语地看向窗外。她紧紧抱住自己，似乎突然感觉很冷，又像是在克制自己不要发抖一样。听见他们回来，她并没有转头去看。 “在你们出现之前，我随时都在担心受怕。”她缓缓说道。“我害怕过去可能发生过的事情，害怕躲在没有窗户的房间里的东西，害怕他随时都会召唤我上楼。但是我始终没有了解到恐惧的真义，直到你们出现，带给我希望为止。我迫切地想要摆脱过去，但是可能失败的恐惧却又压得我喘不过气来。” “不要担心，”哈特道。“不管发生什么事，我都不会把你一个人留在这里。如果我没办法帮你摆脱这一切，至少还可以请你过个马路到我家去住。你在那里会很安全的。” “你不懂。”波丽道。她转过身来，面对着他，但是冷淡的目光中却不存有任何希望。“我无法离开。房子不会让我离开。不管躲在楼上的是什么东西，总之都是在我的帮助之下壮大成形的；是我给了它力量，使它得以控制我。而我心里很明白，毫无疑问，它宁愿杀了你我，也不愿意放我走。” 哈特很想上前拉起她的手臂安慰她，但是她脸上的痛苦却形成了一道无法跨越的鸿沟。 "Okay," he said. “计划是这个样子。我们上楼，进入八岁的那个房间，然后一间一间地搜，找回所有你失去的自我，将它们重新融入你体内。先让你拥有完整的自我，然后再进入最后的房间，将一切事情彻底解决。”他微微一笑。 “我不是刻意表现信心，好像真的知道自己在干什么一样，总之这一切都要看你。相信我，波丽，我想不出任何一个不该尝试的理由。即使我并不记得，但是我们曾经是朋友。我发誓会尽我所能地帮助你，朋友也会。以前你之所以失败是因为独自面对的关系，如今我们跟你站在一起了。我们不会让你失望的。我们不会让你失败的。准备好了吗？” “没有。”波丽说。“但还是走吧。”她放开紧抱胸口的双手，走过来站在他的面前。“以前的你是个邋遢的小鬼，衣衫不整、蓬头垢面。而我则是个干干净净、一尘不染的女孩。但是我最喜欢跟你在一起玩，还会告诉你很多我不敢告诉别人的秘密。你离开的时候，我以为世界末日到了；当时我好恨你一声不响地离开，把我一个人留在这里。把我留在这些可怕的事情之中。坦白讲，我想这也是刚刚想要杀你的原因之一。但是现在你回来了，我心中再度燃起了希望。自从你进入屋内，屋子整个感觉都改变了。或许你命中注定要回到此地，帮助我离开。有时候，影子瀑布就是这样子。但是詹姆士……你体内只是可能隐藏了强大的力量，但是这栋房子却肯定拥有强大的力量，许多年来利用我的罪恶与苦难所累积而成的力量。这股力量真实存在，就和我一样真实，而它一点也不希望我能够重新找回完整的自我。我不知道一旦它认定你是敌人之后会做出什么事来。你没有必要这样做，詹姆士。” “不，我有必要。”哈特道。“我们是朋友，不管记不记得都是朋友。带路吧，波丽。” 她面露微笑，伸出一根手指放上自己嘴唇，接着又压在他的嘴唇上。她头也不回地走出厨房，哈特及朋友跟在她的身后来到走廊。波丽的背影看来昂首阔步，只有微微紧绷的肩膀透露出她体内絮乱不已的思绪。走廊似乎比刚才昏暗，压力十足，哈特心中逐渐浮现一股想要伸手扶住墙壁以确定墙壁没有向走廊中央挤压而来的需求。不过他没有真的这么做。他不想做出任何可能令波丽分心的事情，怕会摧毁她好不容易建立出来的信心。他并不清楚波丽究竟有多勇敢、有没有办法面对纠缠她一生一世的梦魇，但是她的勇气已经足以在他心中留下深刻的印象。他不知道为什么，特别是在匕首袭击事件之后，不过他发现自己很喜欢波丽，并且决心要帮助她逃离过去的束缚。不管要付出多大的代价。波丽突然在一扇紧闭的房门前停下脚步，哈特差点撞上她。 “这里就是一切开始的地方。”她轻声说道。“当年我八岁，妈妈出门了，我独自一个人在这里玩耍。爹地人在楼上。他叫我上楼，于是我就上楼，接着事情就发生了，不管是什么事情，总之我的生命在那之后就再也不一样了。” 她深深吸了一口气，打开房门，毫不畏缩地步入房内。进房后，她跨向旁边，好让哈特也跟着入内。他进房时双手紧紧握拳，但说不上来为什么。这个房间平凡得出奇，装潢优雅，家具舒适，午后的阳光自窗外洒来，有如金色的醇酒般在地毯上流动。波丽迎上前去，在火炉前半跪下来。 “当时我就在这里，一个留着两条辫子的天真女孩，蹲在火炉前玩着拼图，不过拼得很差。就我的年纪来讲，那个拼图太难了，但是我不肯对自己承认。当时的我十分认真地看待任何挑战。我的一部分至今依然存在于此，不停地拿起拼图碎片，慢慢地拼凑它们，静静等待父亲的叫唤。” “波丽！上来。我需要你。” 声音很嘶哑，很紧绷，是男人的声音。这声音不断在房间中回荡，过去的回音至今依然不肯消逝。波丽站起身走到门外，哈特立刻跟着出去。波丽不疾不徐地步入走廊，来到楼梯底下。她没有转头看哈特，只是对着他的方向伸出手。哈特牵过她的手，和她一同踏上楼梯，迎向过去。天色似乎更加昏暗，仿佛太阳都已经下山了一样。四面八方都是阴影，朋友好似一头守卫犬般紧紧跟在他们脚边。哈特感觉到波丽体内逐渐高张的紧张情绪，有如拉满的弓弦一般，不过她还是极力自制。不管这股自制力是出于勇气还是出于绝望，总之都支持着波丽继续走下去。哈特紧紧握住她的手掌，试图将自己的勇气传入她的手心。 如果你在上面的话，波丽的爸爸，我这就来找你了。如果你还活着，我会杀了你；如果你已经死了，我会把你挖出来鞭尸。我一点也不记得你，但是你对波丽的所作所为实在令人发指。我会不惜任何代价从你的手中救出波丽。不惜任何代价。 他们抵达二楼，波丽手里一紧，突然将哈特的手掌握得隐隐作痛。她没有等待哈特反应，随即迈开大步迎向前去，推开了眼前的一道房门。门缓缓开启，她微微迟疑。哈特精神紧绷，还以为会发生什么事，但是结果什么也没有。 “我八岁，独自玩耍，听见父亲的叫唤。我首先来到这个房间，因为我想要拖延时间。我不记得为什么，只记得自己很害怕。我现在依然很害怕。” “你这次不再是一个人来了。”哈特说。“朋友和我都跟你在一起。” “我还是很害怕，只是这次没有怕到裹足不前。” 她踏入房间，接着很快地弯下腰去，好像突然之间胃部抽筋一样。她浑身颤抖、身体蜷缩，像折叠式的玩具一般越变越小。她的手自他掌心滑脱，变成一副小女孩的模样，穿着小女孩的可爱洋装，站在他面前。她迅速抬起头来，以成年人的眼神看了他一眼，接着转过身去望向窗外。哈特和她并肩走去，看着窗外的春景。 “我来过这里太多次了。”小女孩说道。“每当那个声音呼唤我，我就会上来。如果我不上去的话，它就会一直呼唤、一直呼唤，直到我上来为止。这种感觉很奇怪，因为不管待会儿发生什么事情，我都没有机会再度以小孩子的样子前来这个房间。我从不知道永远失去童年是什么感觉，不知道再也无法经历童年是什么情况。我会想念身为小孩的模样，但是只要能够获得自由，一切都是值得的。” 她伸出小小的手掌来到他的身旁，他则小心翼翼地将之握在手中。她的手看起来好小、好脆弱，只看得他怒气大发，瞬间抛开了所有恐惧与不安。她转过身去，离开春季房，进入走廊，短短地看了对面房间一眼，然后沿着走廊走向隔壁房门。哈特回头看着没有窗户的房间那扇紧闭的房门。他可以清楚地听见房内传来浓重的喘气声。那个声音听起来并不全然属于人类。尽管波丽的目光没有在那扇门上停留，但是哈特依然可以感到门在波丽心中掀起的那股恐惧与诱惑杂陈的感觉。 波丽带他来到下一个房间，推开房门，直接走了进去。她身形突然拔起，手掌逐渐变大，转眼之间长成青少女的模样。她的目光稳健、下巴坚定，不过哈特已经可以从她眉宇之中看出如今的模样。窗外一片夏季景色，房里盈满耀眼的阳光。空气中充满剑拔弩张的气息，仿佛不停甩门甩到房门都烂掉了一样。波丽看着窗外那副多年之前的夏季景色，脸上涌现一股比当下的年龄世故许多的神情。当她开口时，声音很轻，但是十分沉稳。 “这是第一次我尝试响应他的召唤，尝试面对我的恐惧，并且征服它。多年来，他一直不断地召唤着我，但是我却始终不曾越过第一个房间。我总是太害怕了。我觉得很丢脸，虽然那绝对不是什么平凡的恐惧，比较像是心中一股沉默的呐喊，永不停歇，不得安宁。但是当年，我母亲去世了，我也已经十八岁了。我成年了，自认应该抛开所有的童年恐惧。于是我走上楼梯，进入第一个房间，然后很快地出来，以免自己改变心意。接着我站在门口，看着那扇紧闭的房门。有东西在门后走动，在等待。最后我终于转过身去，走入这个房间。我想我就是在那个时候了解到自己永远不可能自恐惧之中解放。我站在这里，看着窗外的夏季景色良久，然后掉头离开，回到楼下。” 她转身走出夏季房，再度回到走廊。这时她的手开始颤抖，肩膀微微下垂，仿佛肩负了一个沉重到无法放下的重担。不过她依然抬头挺胸，脸上的神情坚定异常，几乎已经达到非人的境界。她推开秋季房的房门，举步走了进去，岁月立刻再度冲击她的外形。她突然间神色疲惫，变成一副短发模样。 “二十二岁的时候，我精神崩溃了。我开始想起童年时所发生的事情，但又不够坚强，无法面对。于是某天下午，我整个人突然崩溃。当时的情况并不很戏剧化，我只是不停地哭，不停地哭。他们带我到一个很舒服的地方，一直待到我再度忘却为止。后来我回到家，那声音再度召唤我。当时我已经麻痹了，以为自己可以面对他。我错了，于是我的一部分就此留在这个房间中。我变得迷惘、失落，比之前还要懦弱。” 她看都没看窗外，直接转身离开，哈特必须加快动作才能跟上她的步伐。她毫不迟疑地走到隔壁房间，推开房门，步入冬季房中。十三年的岁月瞬间飞逝，她的头发迅速长长，转眼之间披上了肩膀。房中的紧张气息几乎令人难以忍受，压力之大，令哈特感到全身上下都遭受挤压。那种感觉就像是面对一阵狂风吹拂，或是在无情的海浪之中挣扎，不管游得多么努力都会再度被海浪卷回大海。 “我几乎成功了，最后一次尝试的时候。我已经不在乎了。我认为没有任何事情能比这样活着还要糟糕。我又错了。我在这个房间站了一整个早上，然后又站了大半个下午，结果还是没有办法让我自己去做那一件唯一可以解放自己的事情。这么简单的一件事，只要走进那个房间里就好了……我痛恨自己如此懦弱、如此害怕，但光是痛恨并不够。最后，我再度走下楼梯，再度将自己的一部分留在楼上。我最远就只能到此为止了。我没有办法继续向前，没有帮手的话绝对办不到。帮我，吉米，求求你。” 她的手掌无力地瘫在他的掌心之中，似乎她所有的力气都已经离体而去。她