Chapter 8 ghost island

The story takes place on a secluded island in the Canadian Lake District.The lake there is cool, and it often attracts the citizens of Montreal and Toronto to go there for leisure and vacation in hot summer.It seems that such a little feature is not enough to impress our psychology students.However, we went there anyway. Disappointed, more than 20 people in the company went back to Montreal that day.I was left alone, and was going to be there for a week or two, in order to finish the few legal books I should have read but hadn't. It was late September, and fat salmon and pike were swimming leisurely on the bottom of the lake.They have to wait for the north wind and early frost to come, and then they will swim slowly to the surface of the lake after the temperature drops sharply.The maple groves were crimson and gold, and the loon's cry, like a man's maniacal laughter, echoed over the sheltered bay.Such a weird and strange cry has never been heard in summer.

I stayed on an isolated island to study alone, and I was only accompanied by a two-story holiday cottage and a canoe.In the meantime, the only thing that can be called a disturbance is some small chipmunks, and nearby farmers come to the island once a week to deliver fresh eggs and bread.everything is fine! My companions, however, had been warned several times when they left the island to beware of the Indians, and not to be left alone too long at night to avoid frostbite, as the temperature here would drop to forty below zero.After they left, I started to feel something was wrong.The small island is far away from human habitation and is isolated from the world. There are no other islands within a radius of sixty or seventy miles.A large forest is less than two or three meters behind me, and there is no trace of any human habitation or activity.However, although the island seems to be shrouded in desolation and silence, the rocks and woods still seem to echo the laughter and laughter left by people two months ago, which always arouses my memories.When I walked among the rocks, I would vaguely feel that someone was shouting, and more than once, I seemed to hear someone calling my name.

The hut I lived in had six small bedrooms, each divided by pine boards, with wooden bedsteads, mattresses, and a chair.I only found two mirrors in these rooms, one of which was still broken. Wooden floors creak when I walk around the house.There were clearly traces of previous occupants in the room.I could hardly believe that I was really left here alone, and I couldn't help hoping to find some lost companion.Perhaps, he was struggling to squeeze into a box that couldn't hold him at all and hide.One bedroom had a heavy door and it took time to open it.I naturally thought that maybe someone was hiding in the bedroom, holding the handle tightly.If I opened the door, I would bump into the man's eyes head-on.

After going up and down the whole house, I decided to have my bedroom in a room with a small balcony.The small balcony is just above the corridor.The room was small but the bed was huge.The mattresses were the best of all the rooms, and there was a small transom window to watch the sun rise and set.Below my bedroom is the living room, where I live and read. Maples, hemlocks and cedars grow all over the island.Before the front door and hallway there is only one path through the forest to the lakeside dock.The trees clung tightly around the hut, and the slightest gust of wind would cause the branches to brush against the roof and snap to the wooden walls of the hut.Not a while after sunset, the night is so thick that it cannot be opened. Ten yards away from the door, only relying on the light from the four windows in the living room, it is impossible to see anything a foot away, and you may bump into it if you walk a few steps. on the trunk.

I spent the rest of the day busily moving my things from the tent into the living room, replenishing my food stores, and cutting down a lot of wood for a week's fire for the stove.Near sunset, I paddled a canoe around the island again.Before this time, I would never have dreamed that I would do these things, and now I am alone and have to support myself. When I went ashore, I realized how lonely the island was.The sun is setting on the western mountains, and there is a little twilight in the north.Night is coming soon.Fortunately, the canoe was safely docked. I turned it over and groped along the forest path back to the corridor.Six lights came on in the front room at once, but by the time I went to eat in the kitchen the room was still dimly lit.The lights are not bright enough, I can even see the stars through the gap in the roof.

I went to bed early that day, there was silence around me, there was not even a breeze, except for the creaking bed frame and the babbling stream outside the window, I heard a strange sound.Waking up in the middle of the night, the silence weighed heavily on me.I couldn't help but shudder.Suddenly, I heard what seemed to be footsteps in the corridor outside and in the empty room next to it, as well as the rustling of clothes and low-pitched voices.Eventually, however, drowsiness overwhelmed everything, and my breathing gradually mingled with these mysterious noises, becoming a blurred sound in a dream.

A week went by like this, and my "reading" project was going well.However, on the tenth day of my life alone, a strange thing happened.I awoke that day from a dream with a sudden and uncharacteristic distaste for my room.I was almost suffocated by the eerie atmosphere in the room, and the more I tried to explain where this disgust was coming from, the more I tried to calm myself down and figure it out, the more I felt it.There seemed to be something in the room that frightened me inexplicably.It may seem absurd to say it, but it still lingers when I get dressed.I was shaking uncontrollably, and had an urge to flee the room as quickly as possible; and the more I tried to suppress this urge, the stronger it became.Finally, I dashed out of the room, across the corridor, and down the stairs into the kitchen.At this time, I felt a little better, as if I had just escaped from the extremely dangerous plague area.

As I prepared breakfast, I pondered the events of the past few days, hoping to discover the source of my fear.The only thing I can recall is one stormy night, I woke up suddenly and heard the sound of the hallway floor.I'm sure there are people moving around there.So I took my gun and went downstairs and checked all the doors and windows, but there was nothing wrong except a few mice scurrying by and a few beetles crawling on the floor.This obviously doesn't answer the question in my mind. Throughout the morning, I read as usual.After a short break at noon I'm going to go swimming and then make lunch.Suddenly, that feeling came again unexpectedly, and it became stronger.Just as I was about to go upstairs to get a book, I felt more fear than ever.After entering the house, I felt even more uncomfortable and panicked.So I decided to stop reading and spend the afternoon fishing in the canoe.By dusk I came back with five or six black bass for supper.

At this point, sleep became a big problem for me.I made up my mind that if I still have that inexplicable sense of fear after returning to the bedroom, I will move to the living room to sleep.I also tried to convince myself that it wasn't about succumbing to absurd fears, but just about being able to sleep peacefully, because only after a good night's sleep would I be able to continue reading the next day. So, that night I moved the bed to the living room downstairs, facing the door.I seemed to feel a lot more at ease after that.The door to the upstairs bedroom has been locked by me, so I don't have to worry about any ghosts haunting there.

The kitchen clock struck eight dumbly.After I finished washing the dishes, I closed the kitchen door and walked into the living room.All lights are on.I also wiped the lamp shade during the day, when the living room is very bright. Outside, the night was still still; the air was still, the island was so still, not even the branches of the trees shook.The clouds in the sky covered the lake like a thick curtain, and the darkness was engulfing everything at an unusual speed.At this time, there was still a glimmer of light in the sunset that had not yet disappeared.There was an ominous smell and a dead silence in the air.This often means a storm is coming.

I sat there reading a book, my mind clear.The thought of five black bass in the kitchen, and the fresh bread and eggs from a nearby farmer next morning, even made me feel a little happy, and soon I was immersed in my law book. It was late at night, and the surroundings were even more silent, not even the chipmunk.I was engrossed in my book, until the hoarse bell rang in the kitchen—nine.The bell was especially loud in the silent night, like a big hammer beating heavily. I closed one book and opened another, ready to read on.However, this situation did not last long.I quickly discovered that a paragraph of text often needs to be read several times to understand, and such a simple paragraph does not need to be so.Then I realized that my mind was wandering and it was getting harder and harder to concentrate.What's more troublesome is that I found that when I turned the pages of the book, I would turn the pages twice, but I didn't know it. I didn't know that I didn't read the previous two pages until I finished reading a page.The situation is getting worse and worse.what the hell is it?It couldn't be because I was too tired; on the contrary, I didn't feel tired at all, and my mind was still clear.I tried again to concentrate on reading.After a while, I realized that I could only sit on the chair, staring blankly at the air in front of me. Clearly, something was at work in my subconscious.Something has been overlooked by me.Is the kitchen door and window not closed properly?I hurried over and found that the doors and windows were closed.Perhaps a stove?Went to check, there is no problem.I checked the lights in the house, went upstairs and checked every room, walked up and down the house, and even went to the cellar.everything is normal!Everywhere, everything, is safe and sound.But I always feel that there must be something wrong. Finally, as I sat down to read again, I felt for the first time that the air in the living room seemed to be cooling rapidly.It was a rather muggy day, and it was not cool in the evening.Plus the six lights in the living room wouldn't be so cold.I thought maybe the cold wind from the lake was blowing into the house, so I got up and closed the glass door facing the corridor. After a while, I looked out the window.Because the light in the living room shines through the windows, the lake not far away is also faintly visible.At this time, I suddenly saw a canoe appearing on the lake, but it passed by and quickly disappeared into the darkness.It was only about a hundred feet from the shore, and it was moving very fast. How could a canoe pass the island at such a time?I was quite surprised.Because all the tourists who came to the Lake District for holidays had gone weeks ago, and there were no autumn sailings around this small island. I can no longer read in peace.Somehow, the image of that ghostly canoe gliding across the misty lake seemed to be imprinted on my mind, and every now and again it flicked across the pages before my eyes. I became more and more puzzled.This is the biggest canoe I have seen in the whole summer. The bow and stern are high and the hull is very wide. Isn’t that the ancient Indian warship?I couldn't read a single page of the book.Finally, I put down the book and wanted to go outside for a walk and be active. The night was silent and dark beyond imagination.I stumbled along the path in front of the door to the small pier by the lake.The water was lapping against the shore with a soft grunt.In the distance, the sound of a big tree falling came from the woods, and it echoed in the heavy air, like a gunshot from a distance.Besides, no other sound broke the silence. Then, by the light from the drawing-room window, I saw another canoe, passing just as swiftly before my eyes, and disappearing on the dark lake. This time I saw more clearly, a birch-bark canoe, much like the first, with a high, curved prow and stern, and painted friezes.There were two Indians rowing, one at the stern and one at the bow.They were tall and burly, and I could see them clearly.But even though this second birch-bark canoe was much nearer to the island, I thought they were Indians passing by on their way back to the reserve.Their reserve is about fifteen miles from here. Just as I was wondering what happened to the Indians to come out in the dark, a third canoe appeared, and there were also two Indians on it.The canoe sailed noiselessly past the pier, closer this time.I couldn't help but wonder, could these three canoes be the same?Just driving around the island? This is definitely not a good thing.If the guess is correct, then the canoe that appeared at this time should be directed at me.I haven't heard of any violent conflict between Indians and other inhabitants of this wild place, but the possibility exists... However, I try to put away such terrible thoughts and try to imagine other possibilities to relax Own.This method usually works well, but this time it didn't work at all. As I was thinking, I instinctively took a few steps back and hid behind a big rock.I want to see if the canoe is still around.Just now I was standing stupidly in the light, but now I can see what happened on the lake, but the people on the lake can't see me. Sure enough, as I expected, within five minutes, the canoe appeared for the fourth time.This time it was within twenty yards of the pier.It seemed to me that the two Indians were about to go ashore, and at the same time I recognized them as the two Indians just now, and the burly man was at the helm—I read it right, it was him!I thought they must have some purpose, so they went ashore after going around the island a few times.I stared at them in the dark.But at this moment, they disappeared into the night, and not even the sound of the oars was heard.Then, the canoe quietly appeared again.This time, they probably really want to go ashore.I better be prepared.But I don't know what they're up to, and besides, on an island like this, in the middle of the night like this, it's unimaginable for me to be a couple (again, two tall, burly Indians!). My rifle was lying in a corner of the living room with ten rounds in the chamber, but it was too late to go back into the house to get it.I think it might be more beneficial to go back and guard there.So I turned and ran, carefully turning back by another path through the woods so as not to be seen by them. As soon as I entered the living room, I closed the door and quickly turned off the six lights in the living room.Almost immediately I stood in a corner of the guest room, took up the rifle, and leaned my back against the wall, my fingers on the cold trigger.Between the door and me is my desk, with a pile of books on it, which is now my cover.It was pitch black, and I couldn't see anything for a moment.But after a few minutes, my eyes seemed to get used to the darkness, and the outline of the living room gradually emerged, and finally even the window frame was faintly visible.After a few more minutes, the door and the two windows in the corridor gradually became clear.I was glad, and I figured if those two Indians did come into the house, I'd be spying on them to see what they were up to. I guessed right, there was the sound of the canoe being pulled ashore from the pier, and I could even hear the cluck as they put the oars into the canoe.Then, there was silence.I couldn't help thinking that the two Indians were probably tiptoing towards my house. At this time, the air in the living room seemed to condense, and I couldn't breathe.True, I was terrified, but I assure you I wasn't irrational with fear.I just felt like I was in a strange state of mind: physical fears no longer seemed to affect my inner emotions.Frightened as I was, I held the rifle firmly in both hands, and at the same time felt it impossible to use it against the two Indians.To be honest, I don't feel like I'm living in a real world, and everything that happens in front of me seems to be related to me and has nothing to do with me.I am just a bystander, but I have to participate in it.In short, my feelings that night were too confused and grotesque to be able to explain to this day.But in any case, I will never forget that horrible feeling of dread; if it had been any longer, I would have suffered a nervous breakdown. I stood there holding my breath, waiting for what was about to happen.The room was as dead as a tomb, and I thought I could hear the blood rushing through my veins, so fast it seemed to be rushing. I thought that if the two Indians tried to enter from the back of the house, they would immediately find that the kitchen door and windows had been shut, and it was impossible to sneak in quietly.If they came in through the gate, I was facing the gate and staring at them without blinking. My eyes were completely adjusted to the darkness by this time.I can clearly see that my desk occupies almost half of the living room, and there is only a little space on both sides of the desk for walking; I can also clearly see the straight backs of the wooden chairs next to the desk, and even see clearly My book and inkwell on the white tablecloth.Not three feet to my left was the hallway to the kitchen, and the stairs to the upstairs bedroom were there, and I could see them all.I also saw outside the window that not a branch was shaking, not even a leaf was moving. The suffocating silence lasted for a moment, and I suddenly heard the floor in the corridor "squeak" and the sound of "tuk-tuk" footsteps.The sound seemed to enter my brain without going through my ears.Just when I was extremely shocked, I suddenly saw a human face stuck on the glass door between the living room and the corridor.I was shaking with fear. Then, the figure of an Indian appeared.I have only seen such a tall figure in a circus.His head seemed to emit a dim light, and in this dim light I saw a black and red face with a hooked nose and high cheekbones.He pressed his face against the glass door, not knowing what he was looking at! For some reason, the black shadow stayed there for five full minutes.He seemed stooped to look into the living room, still looking as high as the glass door.Behind him, there was a figure of a slightly shorter Indian.The two figures swayed from side to side, like two big trees swaying in the wind.And I, apart from holding my breath and staring, have been frightened and helpless during these five minutes.I really don't know what they are going to do. All I felt was a chill down my spine and cold hands and feet.The heart seemed to stop beating all of a sudden, and then it was beating wildly again.They must have heard the sound of my heart beating, and even the sound of blood rushing in my brain!I could hardly control myself, a stream of cold sweat fell from my cheeks, and I even wanted to yell crazily.I'm going to yell, I'm going to bang my head against the wall like a child!I'm going to make a big noise in here!Perhaps, the only way to ease my tension and fear. Perhaps because of this, I actually had a little courage.I clenched the gun in my hand, ready to shoot at the glass door.However, I found myself unable to pull the trigger.All my muscles were paralyzed, almost paralyzed by excessive fear.This is really scary! There was a slight rattling of the brass handle on the living room glass door, and the door was pushed open a few inches.Seconds later, another few inches were pushed away.I didn't hear footsteps, but saw two black figures enter the living room, and the one behind touched the glass door lightly. Now, between these four walls, I am face to face with those two shadows.Did they see me?See me sluggish and stiff in the corner?The blood all over my body rushed up all of a sudden, and my mind was buzzing.Even though I couldn't breathe, I was afraid I'd be uncontrollable and gasp. They don't seem to notice me.I stare at them.They neither spoke nor gestured.But I still find it terrifying because the living room is so small and wherever they go, they walk past the desk.If that's the case, if they walk by me, it's only six inches from me!Passing by like this, what will happen? While I was imagining the horrific scene, I saw the shorter Indian pointing to the ceiling, and the other looking up.I get it, they're going upstairs!And the room they are referring to is my bedroom!No wonder, since this morning, I have always felt a strange feeling in the bedroom, which has always made me feel uneasy for no reason; otherwise, I should be there at this moment, and I am fast asleep. The figures of the two Indians began to move, but strangely there was no sound at all.They're going up the stairs, and they're coming my way.They moved so fast and so silently that if I hadn't been nervous and focused, I probably wouldn't have noticed them passing me.And just as they passed in front of my eyes, I noticed that the smaller Indian was dragging something like a tail behind him.The thing slid across the floor, and I saw vaguely what seemed to be a large bale of cedar tree branches.Whatever it was, I could only make out its outline.Because I was so nervous and scared that I didn't even dare to move my body, how dare I stick my head out to see what happened! As they moved toward me, the burly Indian wiped my desk with one of his enormous hands.I bit my lip, breathing so hot it would burn my nostrils.I tried to close my eyes, trying not to see what was in front of me, but my eyelids were also stiff and wouldn't listen to me. Do they have to pass by me?I tried to dodge, but I also seemed to lose feeling in my legs.I seemed to be standing on a small branch or an uneven stone, and I was precarious, even if I was against the wall, I couldn't stand firmly.It seemed that there was a terrifying force pushing and pulling me forward.I was dizzy, my body was shaking, and I was about to collapse when the two Indians passed by me! However, that long moment finally survived.Before I could react, those two shadows had already passed me and reached the stairs.They passed me within six inches of each other, and I just felt like a cold wind was blowing.They obviously didn't touch me, and I'm sure they didn't see me, and the pack they were dragging didn't even touch my feet.In such a thrilling moment, such a little luck, although insignificant, still made me feel lucky. The two Indians went upstairs.I didn't relax at all, I was still shivering in that corner.Other than the slightly easier breathing, I still feel uncomfortable all over.When they were in front of my eyes just now, there seemed to be a strange light that guided my sight and made me see their actions clearly; now that they went upstairs, the strange light disappeared.It was dark again in the living room, and I could just make out the window and the glass door. As I said before, I was in a very abnormal state of mind.As if in a dream, I was both terrified and unreal about what was happening in front of me.My perception has become extremely sharp, and I can remember any slight movement in my heart, but my thinking has become extremely dull, and I may not be able to think about anything except the simplest arithmetic problems. All I know is that the two Indians are now upstairs.They seemed to hesitate for a moment.What are they up to?I have no idea.They seem to be listening intently, but also seem to be looking around.Then I felt, from the slightest noise they were making, that one of them, the tall one, came down the corridor and into the room above me--that was my bedroom!If I hadn't felt strange this morning in my bedroom, where I was lying, and that tall Indian was standing silently by my bed! There was a long and long silence, about a hundred seconds, as if the universe had not yet been formed, the heaven and the earth had not yet been born.Then came a long, trembling, hideous scream, cut through the deathly silence, and stopped abruptly.At this moment another Indian seemed to have entered the bedroom, for I heard him dragging the bundle.Then there was a "bang", as if something heavy fell down.Then, there was silence again. At this time, suddenly, a flash of lightning flashed across the night sky, followed by a loud noise, and the originally lifeless sky suddenly became crazy amidst the lightning and thunder.For five full seconds, I watched in shock as everything in the living room was illuminated brightly.Outside the window, rows of trees stood there; I saw lightning flashes over distant islands, and heard thunder rumbling over the lake.Then, like the gate of Tianchi burst, heavy rain poured down like a flood. The raindrops sprinkled on the lake surface, and the originally calm lake surface suddenly became dotted; the raindrops hit the maple leaves and fell on the eaves, making a "pop" sound.Then, there was another flash of lightning, brighter and longer than the previous one, almost completely illuminating the entire night sky.Blinding white light illuminates the whole cabin, and I can even see the raindrops on the branches outside the window glisten.Then, the wind blew up.In less than a minute, the storm released all the energy accumulated throughout the day. Despite the thunder, rain, and wind outside, I could still hear the slightest movement inside.The silence lasted only a few seconds, and then I could hear them seem to be moving again.I was constantly fighting, terrified and miserable.They left my bedroom and went to the landing.Then they went downstairs.They seemed to be stumbling as they dragged the package, and had to drag it down the stairs step by step.I could hear the pack getting heavier. I wait for their appearance.Oddly enough, I was a little calmer now.It might be numbness, it might be the storm, I seem to have been drugged by nature.Anyway, my numbness at the time was a kindness of nature for what happened afterwards.They were approaching me, as if they were getting closer.The pack they were dragging also indicated they were approaching me, as it was getting louder and louder. They were halfway down the stairs and I was terrified.A thought flashed through my mind: If there was a flash of lightning when they arrived in the living room, wouldn't they all appear in front of my eyes?What's even more frightening is that I will be exposed in front of them too!For this, I could only wait with bated breath, tormented by this foreboding foreboding.Those few minutes were endlessly long, it seemed like hours. At last the two Indians descended the stairs.First came the gigantic figure of the tall Indian, and then there was a muffled thump—the bundle they were dragging fell to the ground from the last flight of stairs.There was another silence.Then I saw the tall Indian turn round, as if to help his companion.They continued to come towards me, and they kept going around the desk from my side.The tall Indian had come up to me, followed by his companion, who was still lugging the heavy-looking pack.It was very dark in the living room at this time, and everything was blurred and shadowy.I opened my eyes wide and looked again, and he was standing straight in front of me.They stopped, and at this time, the storm outside the window suddenly stopped-the sound of wind and rain stopped.Silence, darkness, terrible silence and darkness. For about five seconds, my heart seemed to stop beating.Then, however, my worst fears finally happened.Two bolts of lightning mercilessly illuminated the entire living room.I saw the tall Indian standing two or three paces to my right, looking over his broad, thick shoulders at his companion and the bundle he was dragging, with his head turned.I saw his profile clearly: huge hooked nose, high cheekbones, long black straight hair, and prominent chin; and I instantly imprinted this Indian face deeply in my mind, which I will never forget. Another Indian was nearer, not twelve inches apart.This time I saw clearly that he was so much smaller than his companion that he looked like a dwarf in comparison.He was bending over to rummage through the bag he was dragging, looking even more weird and misshapen.What about the package, ah!I finally saw clearly that it was really a big bag of cedar tree branches, but when the dwarf pushed the branches away, there was a dead body of a white man inside!His scalp had been peeled off, and his face was stained with blood. At this time, the fear that paralyzed my body and mind finally turned into a anger from the depths of my soul.With a roar, I stretched out my arms and threw myself at the tall Indian giant, trying to grab his throat.But I missed it, fell to the ground, and passed out. I recognized the body, and it was my own face! ... It was sunny outside when a man woke me up.I was lying on the spot where I fell, and I saw a farmer standing in the living room with some loaves of bread in his hands.I still have lingering fears about what happened last night, so when the simple farmer helped me up, picked up the gun beside me, and asked me a series of questions with concern, it can be imagined that my answer was only a few words, not only did I not say much Explain, even a little incoherently. I left the island that day, after a fruitless inspection of the hut, and went with the farmer to spend my last ten "book days" with him.When I finally left, I had read all the books I needed to read, and my sanity was fully restored. On the day of my departure, the farmer sent my luggage in his big ship twelve miles away early in the morning, and there is a small steamer that regularly takes the Orion twice a week.In the afternoon, I rowed my canoe to that place by myself.But I still wanted to see that isolated island, that strange place that had so terrified me. I dropped in there, and after going around the island, I checked out the hut again.When I re-entered the upstairs bedroom, I didn't feel the same way.There was clearly nothing special about the place. However, when I re-boarded the canoe and was about to set off, I found that there was another canoe in front of me that was circling the island.I wondered, because the canoe was not only unusual, but seemed to have popped out of nowhere.I followed to see if it would disappear behind the ledge of rock.Not only did the canoe have a high, curved bow and stern, but there were actually two Indians sitting on it.Nervous, I continued to prowl the water in my canoe to see if it would emerge from the other side of the islet.Sure enough, within five minutes it was in my view again, and within two hundred yards of me.The two Indians in the canoe were paddling furiously, and they came straight at me! I, too, rowed furiously; indeed, never once in my life did I row so fast.After a few minutes I looked back and saw that the Indian had changed direction and was circling the island again. The sun set behind the forest by the lake, and the bright red light reflected on the lake. I looked back for the last time, and still vaguely saw the huge black birch bark canoe and the two vague figures on it.They are still circling the island.Then, the sky became darker and darker, and the lake water became darker and darker.I turned a corner and the night wind was blowing on my face, and the island and the canoe were blocked by a raised rock and could no longer be seen.