Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Once

It took them a while to set things up, but as Dodge had hoped, the marshmallows were a distraction and the tension eased.We used twigs that were not suitable for fire to string together pink and white marshmallows and put them on the fire to roast. After a while, the marshmallows melted into strange shapes, and the edges were blackened.I threw the first candy straight into my mouth.After drinking Darren's vodka, my senses were dulled and I forgot that the core of the marshmallow was molten and very hot.My tongue and upper teeth were burned, and I screamed like an excited parrot.After a while, someone handed me a can of iced drink to ease my pain.I gulped down half of it before realizing it was beer in the jar.It's really bad.I tried to spit it out, but just sprayed it all over my shirt.

After a long time, I wiped my body clean and laughed with everyone. "You know," Darren told me, still squinting at me lewdly, "you're wet enough to be shirtless." "Darren!" Emma slapped him hard on the arm.I laughed after watching it, but I was more embarrassed. "I think I'd better put on a coat," I murmured, "It's getting cold anyway." It was dark in the tent.I unzipped the door and walked in.What was supposed to be a four-berth tent actually only had room for a two-person air mattress, with our sleeping bags side by side on the air mattress.Where are the other two berths, I don't know.I went around the edge of the air mattress to the corner where the canvas bag was, and pulled out a thick black hooded smock, which got caught in my hair and unraveled my ponytail.Impatient, I jerked the elastic out of the last few tangles of hair.My hair looks like a haystack right now, I just hope it's dark enough for people not to notice.I was a little drunk and didn't have the strength to comb my hair.

I went back to the fire, and the marshmallows were almost toasting, and we all fell silent.I really wanted to know what time it was, it didn't feel very late, I looked at my watch, but the dial was dangling, and I couldn't see clearly. "Here you are." Dodge handed me something when I sat down, and I took it to see what it was. "You haven't finished your beer yet." "Thank you." I said holding the beer can. "You look beautiful with your hair down," he commented. "I didn't know you had such long hair before." Hearing his words, my face turned red all of a sudden, I didn't know what to say, so I forced out an awkward smile and took a big gulp of beer.I noticed that the beer tasted slightly better.Maybe it's just that marshmallow that spoiled my taste buds just now.

"What time is it?" Martin asked, and I took the opportunity to look away. "It's midnight," Darren said, lowering his voice to create a creepy atmosphere. "It's a good time for ghost stories." "It seems to me that you've already thought up what to say?" Martin asked, though there was less of the usual sharpness in his tone.He smiled slightly, as if to indicate that he would like to join in the ghost story telling. "You hit it off." Darren wags his fingers. "But you have to sit closer, kids. This story has to be told in a low voice, or it won't be interesting."

He was being cryptic, a little too much, but we obeyed, picked up the folding chairs, and moved closer to the fire.I am very happy.Midsummer or not, it's still Scotland, the temperature is dropping and there's a constant cold wind blowing in from the sea.A breeze blew through the crevices of my clothes, and I shivered with cold. "Is it cold?" Dodge asked, sitting on the beach next to me. "A little bit." I admit.At this point Martin sat on the other side of me.Darren came across from us and sat down, with Emma pretty much lying on his lap, the two of them still topless.Seeing this situation, I feel even colder.

"Come here!" Dodge put an arm around me and started rubbing my upper arm. "I'll warm you up." I know that this is just an action between friends, but I am still extremely nervous, shy and embarrassed.I tried to make myself look at him, gave him a timid smile, and stared fixedly at the flames, blinding white, yellow, and orange flames dangling from side to side, lost in my thoughts.Across from us Darren pulled out another bottle of wine, this time dark amber, passed it around, and then he spoke. "This story was told to me by my father. He heard it from a mountain dweller here when he was about the same age as us. The name of the story is 'Zhi-tiao-ren'."

He prolonged the last three words deliberately, not sure if it was because of the cool night, or the dark and spooky beach, or because of the wine I drank in one gulp while he was telling the story—whiskey, I guess— —Anyway, I shivered involuntarily, feeling horrified. "Are you all right?" Dodge said softly to me.His breath tickles my ears, but his concern makes me feel like a fool.I endured it again and again, and didn't move a little bit. "It's just a little cold." I whispered to him. He responded by hugging me tighter, pressing my head into his warm shoulder.I tried to keep my breath even, and focused on Darren, who was smiling wickedly now, enjoying being the center of attention.

"It is said that hundreds of years ago, that is, the Dark Ages, pagans wandered around..." "That's not it," Martin interrupted Darren in a low voice. "What?" Darren snapped, now that he was no longer speaking in a scary tone, the mystery was broken.Clearly he was annoyed to be interrupted. "In the Dark Ages, those people were called Christians," Martin said, straightening his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "In the Iron Age, they were called heathens." "Does it matter?" Darren growled, his eyes gleaming fiercely. "Just talking." Martin muttered.

"Stop talking nonsense." Darren took a deep breath, looked around the crowd, and captured the audience's attention again. "It is said that hundreds of years ago, that is, the Iron Age—" He gave Martin a look, and Martin nodded with feigned satisfaction, "—the pagans wandered around. They wore black robes and gathered in the middle of the night to worship the evil and barbaric Gods. These gods are servants of the devil, they want more than simple worship, they also ask for sacrifices." A few laughs rang out around the campfire.Darren's voice reminded me of the host of a Halloween special for children's TV, trying to be entertaining while creating a spooky atmosphere, which was actually over the top.Darren curled his lips and admitted that he was acting like a bad actor, but then he frowned and we all fell silent and he continued.

"My friends, the most evil god is a mighty ghost. It has no name, no shape, and the heathen feared this ghost monster most. It was not satisfied with the immediate death of the sacrificed virgin, so he slit her throat with a stone. , enjoying the pain, the torment, the suffering. It longs for the flame." I heard Dodge chuckle again next to me, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Martin roll his eyes—even Emma was looking at Darren's muscles instead of listening to the story.Darren didn't seem to care one bit.His gaze fell on me, and I tried to act as if I was intoxicated by the story, eyes widening in horror.

"To satisfy that evil spirit, the pagans pay homage to it every year by building a gigantic statue of a human figure out of wood and hazel branches. The heart of this branch-man was hollow enough to accommodate a human being. Later, a traveler Just passed through the land of the heathen. He stayed there for some time, looking for food, and delivering news. The heathen were overjoyed: at last the offering came to them by itself." He paused, looking at each of us in turn, as if creating more tension.I suppressed it so that I didn't laugh. "One night they got the traveler drunk with local wine. The man was strong. Seeing him passed out, they bound him hand and foot and locked him in the stick figure. Then...they set fire to the stickman!" For a moment, there was silence all around.No one spoke.We're just waiting for him to move on.Apparently Darren wasn't done talking. "The story does not end here," he said. "The fire grew hotter and thicker, and there was smoke all around, and the traveler woke up. He found out where he was, and saw the heathen standing by the fire singing, They were wearing black robes with hoods pulled forward over their faces." "How did he know that those heretics were the same group?" Martin whispered, but Darren continued to talk as if he didn't hear it. "At first, he wanted to break free from the branch cage, looking for weak spots everywhere, but the heathen was a good crafter, making the sacrificial statue of the branch man very strong. In the end, he had to face the reality: he was going to die. He paused, and smiled like a devil, his white teeth flashing, "The next part is the most interesting. You know, those heretics are not the only ones who are immersed in this dark art. The traveler... ...is a voodoo wizard!" Darren said and made an exaggerated gesture that caused Dodge to cough mockingly next to me.I knew he was trying to correct Darren's nonsense, even I knew pagans predated voodoo, not to mention that they originated in the northern and southern hemispheres, but he didn't say anything. "He cursed the heretics. He wore a string of amulets around his neck, and as his body was being burned by fire, he prayed to the voodoo gods, cursing that if anyone still set fires here, he would do so with great cruelty. and died in the same way. The fire was finally extinguished, the ashes merged with the sand, and his curse was about to be fulfilled. A year passed, and the heathen sacrificed again, and they stole a maiden from a nearby town, and that night, they Without exception, all died on the beach, and their bodies were swept into the sea. Boys and girls, this is the sea, this is the beach, and this is the cursed place." Darren leaned back, clearly pleased with himself. "Of course," Dodge said, breaking the silence at the moment, "Later, in the sequel, the hero came and turned the situation around, lifted the curse on the villagers, and even kissed the girl who was used for sacrifice." "Ah, you've seen it!" Darren laughed, picked up another handful of seaweed, and threw it at Dodge. "Everyone has seen it! When I was in the fourth grade, Mr. Crooks showed it to everyone, remember? But this version of yours is too free!" "Yes." Darren looked a little embarrassed, which made everyone very happy.Except me.I hadn't seen that movie, I had glandular fever in fourth grade and I was out of school for months. "I didn't even know there was a sequel." Martin tilted his head to one side and said, "Is it good?" "It's not good!" Dodge emphasized, and laughed a few more times, as if a coyote was barking, "Don't look at it, it's terrible! But—" Dodge pulled his arm away from me and stood slowly. Get up, "You guys just want a scary story, right? I know one that will keep you awake. Because I'm telling a true story." "Really?" Darren grinned across the face. "Yes." Dodge replied softly. "With all due respect, Darren, no voodoo wizards will come to the hills of Dumfries and Galloway...there are quite a few witches." "Flying around on a broomstick, huh?" Darren asked mockingly, which made Emma giggle. Dodge just smiled.There was another silence. "Witch." Finally, he repeated these two words. His voice was very soft. I had to listen very carefully to hear his voice clearly amidst the soft sound of waves and the slight crackling of the bonfire behind me. "Do you know where witches get their witchcraft from?" None of us can answer this question. "They draw their strength from the sacrifice." Darren also said the word sacrifice, but hearing Dodge say it, I felt shuddering.As if on cue, a gust of wind blew across the campfire, making the flames dance.For a moment the flames were all but extinguished, and we were enveloped in terrible darkness.I gasped, and suddenly the fire flared up again, illuminating Dodge's cheeks and jaw, but his eyes were sunk in darkness like two black holes.It was a horrific scene. "They do sacrifices. A creature bleeds, it feels pain, and witches get powers out of it. If it's not an important spell, they sometimes use animal sacrifices. If the enemy is very powerful, the witch needs to get into their Deep in the dark soul, then the sacrifice must be human." Dodge smiled at us, but there was no warmth in his smile.Even so, I found myself moving closer to him, his cadenced and attractive voice, his sparkling eyes almost hypnotic, "Witchcraft originated with pagans. Specifically, Drew Invented by the members of Islam. They believe that they can gain power from sacrifices. Through sacrifices, they communicate with the gods and absorb their divine power. Just across the ocean-" He stretched out a pale arm, Pointing to the sea, "—the story happened there. One year, the army came from the south with weapons and vowed to take away the land of the heathen. It was the ancient Romans. The number of Druids was not as large as others, and they failed miserably Afterwards, they fled to their most important holy place, Yanyivor. There was an island with strange rocks, desolate and desolate. Yanyivor means 'Dark Island'. There they built altars and selected The sacrificial girl. The sacrificial name was Igrein, the daughter of the lord. The ancient Romans surrounded the island, and the situation was in dire straits. The Druids killed the girl and dedicated her to the gods. "First they strangled her and drove her to the brink of death. Then they called upon the gods to slay the cursed army that had invaded their lands like a plague. They slit her throat , watching her blood flow onto the stone platform. As the life drained from her body, the boss cut open her chest and drank the blood that flowed from her heart. It is said that the maiden witnessed all this, The soul screamed all the time." He paused again.No one interrupted him this time.Dodge allowed the silence to prolong for a moment. "What happened next?" Emma finally asked in a low voice. "The ancient Romans swept across the island and killed them all. Not a single one survived. It was a massive sacrifice, blood flowed in rivers, and the rocky ground was stained red. At last, the gods were satisfied The druids died, and the gods raised them back as ghosts to defend their lands, and so they roamed their lands all day long." By the end, Dodge's tone is exactly the same as it started: soft-spoken and eerie.After a while, still no one spoke. After a while, the tension that had been lingering between us while Dodge was telling the story finally dissipated, and there was a giggle and a gasp of laughter.Martin gave a wide smile, and Darren swigged from the bottle, shaking his head regretfully.Emma rubbed her arms, trying to get rid of imaginary goosebumps, but it pushed her cleavage even deeper, and she was tight against Darren. I am not like them.I just looked at the pitch-black earth, and a sudden fear churned in my heart.There wasn't even a lighted house nearby, not a soul.There is only boundless darkness. At this moment, I feel that there are many evil spirits wandering around. All of a sudden, our campfire seemed so weak it seemed like it was going to go out soon.We were so close to the flames that the flames couldn't even illuminate our faces.How close do evil spirits have to be for us to notice? Dodge next to me stood up, brushed the sand off his jeans, and followed suit with a yawn and stretch. "I'm so tired. If you want me to say, let's go to bed." His voice returned to normal, he looked down at me, and stretched out his hand to pull me up. Just like that, he instantly changed back to my friend, the corners of his mouth hanging With a smile, two dimples appeared on his cheeks. Everyone murmured agreement.Only Darren was a little upset, though I'm not sure if that was because his story wasn't as compelling as Dodge's, or because tonight's event ended so abruptly.He was still clutching the rest of the whiskey.No doubt he would drink till dawn.He probably didn't want to have a party like this.However, Dodge's birthday is two days away. I dragged my weary body back to the tent, feeling very cold as soon as I walked away from the fire.My teeth chattered from the cold, so I quickly took off my clothes, put on the warmest pajamas, turned on the flashlight, and my shadow was projected onto the faded red tent.I put on my sneakers and went outside, toothbrush in hand.The boys were throwing sand over the fire with shovels to extinguish the embers.At least Dodge and Martin are fighting the fire.Darren stood aside, with his arms around Emma, ​​and the two were kissing. When I got back from the bushes, the two of them were still glued together.For a moment, I forgot about the ghosts roaming the darkness.I looked at the two of them, both amused and disturbed.I have already declared to Emma that the opposite sex cannot enter the same tent.Hopefully she doesn't think I'm just playing tricks on our parents.If she wanted to hang out with Darren, she had to sleep in his car. "Good night," I called to Dodge and Martin before entering the tent. As I expected, Emma was shocked by my words.She broke away from Darren's tight embrace, kissed his face one last time, and walked slowly towards me.She didn't change or brush her teeth, she just got into the sleeping bag and watched me stuff the clothes and toiletries back into the backpack and tidy up the tent. "That was a really scary story," she said as I unzipped my sleeping bag and got in. "You look scared out of your wits." "Who made that story so scary," I honestly said, "Dodge is really good at telling ghost stories." "That's true." Emma thought so too. "Do you think that story is true?" "Mostly." I replied.At least I hope only most of it is true.The thought of the ghosts of the druid order haunting this place scares me too much to think. "You think so? How did Dodge know the story?" "That guy's interested in that sort of thing." "You mean the sacrificial ceremony?" Emma looked at me with wide eyes, pretending to be stunned. "No." I lowered my face. "He is interested in history and archaeology. He has many books on this subject. He wants to study this major in university." "Ah, not bad." Emma said softly.Hearing her tone change, I immediately raised my ears and turned to look at her.She gave a knowing smile. "You all applied, didn't you?" "That's right." I knew what she was going to say, but I didn't want to talk about it.I picked up the flashlight and prepared to turn it off. "Can I sleep?" Emma nodded, and I flipped the switch, letting darkness fall. The situation changed immediately.I couldn't see anything, and my ears naturally picked up every sound inside and outside the tent.I could hear Emma's soft breathing, and the sleeping bag would rustle every time she moved to find a comfortable position on the mat.I could still hear the murmured murmurs of boys mingling in the distance.These sounds are very soothing and let me know that I am not alone.However, there are many strange sounds besides this: the rhythmic sound of the waves, as if someone is whispering; the wind whizzes through the weeds on the dunes, as if someone is screaming.There was a dog barking in the distance, and I suddenly became nervous. Come on, I told myself.You are surrounded by people. Yet the tale of druids and blood sacrifices that Dodge told in a macabre tone seemed to follow me into the tent.I always feel like someone is staring at me.Something lurks in the dark, not Emma lying next to me, or Dodge and Darren and Martin in the other tent... My head started to ache, and the wine I'd drank was messing with my stomach. "Martin is here to spoil the fun," Emma said, and when I thought our conversation was over, she started again, loudly enough to reach the neighboring tent. "Emma," I snapped, "be quiet." "It's true," she said again, only softer this time. "what why?" I looked in her direction, but it was so dark that it was impossible to see her. "Think about it," she said, as if her reasons were obvious, "if there were only four of us..." If it was just the four of us, Emma and Darren would run off without a trace, leaving me and Dodge looking awkwardly at each other, trying to figure out what to say.I don't want that, I'm glad Martin's here too. "Do you want to know who Dodge likes?" Emma said thoughtfully. "This guy is so bad that he doesn't answer." "Yeah." I replied absent-mindedly.I'd love to know too.But if the answer is not what I hope, I think it's better not to know. "It might be you," she said. "Unlikely," I said, unwilling to even discuss the possibility.Let me hold out hope, there is no need for it. "Maybe it's you." I tried to use a light tone to show that I didn't care, but every time I uttered a word, I felt very bitter in my mouth. "Perhaps," said Emma thoughtfully, without the least bit of unease or embarrassment at such a statement. "I don't think so, though. I've never seen him look at me that way." "He's been watching you all night," I pointed out, pissed off thinking about the situation. Emma laughed wildly. "Of course I've been half naked! You'd be more worried if he wasn't looking at me." "Hush!" I growled.If we can hear the boys, they can hear us too. "Don't worry about it anymore." Emma replied, but refused to lower her voice, "Besides, don't you want him to know?" "do not wish." "What if he finds out?" "Not one day," I snapped. "He likes someone else, remember?" "Maybe you, Heather," Emma reminded me. There is this possibility.But I doubt it. "I'm tired," I said, hoping to end the conversation quickly. "Go to sleep." She turned around and let her sigh helplessly.I closed my eyes, hoping to fall asleep quickly.I wish I could only think of one thing: maybe Emma is right, maybe I'm Dodge's sweetheart, but my dreams are filled with invisible shadows, staring at me with glowing eyes and mouths wide open come over.