frightfiction Chapter 186: Nightmare on the Eve of Returning Home
Chapter 186: Nightmare on the Eve of Returning Home
In Hannibal's hometown shrouded in gloom, the sky seemed to be always covered with a thick gray veil, and even the sunlight became stingy, unwilling to easily penetrate the desperate atmosphere.
Every journey is accompanied by the flickering flames on the roadside. They are not only a source of warmth to dispel the cold, but also a symbol of helplessness and despair.
Under the raging fire, there is the end of countless innocent lives, the transmission of grief among families, and the deep imprint of the scars of the times.
These flames are not the curling smoke from ordinary homes, but a testimony to the cruel reality.
The Grim Reaper's scythe swung down mercilessly, taking away the fresh life and leaving behind the corpse covered with the virus.
In order to prevent the further spread of the virus, people can only take the most direct and heartbreaking method - centralized incineration.
The air was filled not only with the smell of burning wood smoke, but also with the smell of death, mixed with endless sorrow and fear, making people feel suffocated.
At first, Hannibal had a childlike curiosity about all this. He tried to understand the fragility and impermanence of life from the jumping flames.
However, as time went on, the scene before our eyes gradually became shocking.
Those once lively faces are now reduced to distorted outlines and bleeding skin, as if telling of the endless pain and struggle in life.
The stench came like a tide, corroding his senses and impacting his soul.
At that moment, he deeply felt the horror and ruthlessness of the Black Death. It was a despair that transcended life and death, which made people tremble involuntarily.
Although he had received urgent letters from home, dissuading him from returning, and even mentioning that the whole family would soon move away from the plague-ridden land, Hannibal had an indescribable persistence in his heart.
He knew very well that although escape could save himself, it would be a betrayal of the grace of this place that raised him.
Years of education and moral bottom line told him that he could not stand idly by in the face of disaster, nor could he choose to escape at the critical moment.
This sense of responsibility and mission is as hot and firm as the blood in his body.
So he resolutely embarked on his journey home, with fear of the unknown and deep love for his hometown in his heart.
He longed to witness it all with his own eyes, and even more hoped to find the legendary plague doctor - the mysterious figure who was said to be able to use extraordinary medical skills to fight the Black Death and save people from disaster.
He believes that as long as there is a glimmer of hope, one should not give up.
Crunchy——
The long friction sound between the wheels and the cobblestone road gradually stopped, and the carriage, like a tired traveler, slowly stopped in front of a quaint and slightly simple hotel.
The afterglow of the setting sun lazily sprinkled on the mottled exterior walls of the hotel, adding a bit of warmth to this corner that was about to fall at night.
Hannibal jumped lightly off the carriage, his eyes showing an eagerness to return home as well as a hint of complex emotions that were difficult to detect.
He knew that even though his nominal home was only twenty kilometers ahead, everything there, including those cold walls and hypocritical faces, made him feel disgusted.
However, thinking of the innocent smile of his sister whom he was about to meet again, and the loving and warm gaze of his grandparents, his heart softened involuntarily, and a warm current slowly flowed in his chest.
As he entered the hotel, a mixture of old and disinfectant odors hit him in the face, stubbornly invading his sense of smell through the gauze scarf he had carefully prepared to protect against the pollution from the outside world.
Hannibal frowned slightly, but then felt relieved. He had already gotten used to all kinds of discomfort along the way, so this little difficulty was no problem at all.
The hotel was dimly lit, with only a few flickering candles barely illuminating every corner.
Behind the counter, a fat, white-haired old man was lying on a table piled with account books and old things. He seemed to have fallen asleep and even the noise from the outside world could not wake him up.
Hannibal knocked on the table softly and politely. The slight thump echoed in the silent air and finally woke up the sleeping old man.
"Uh--"
The old man slowly raised his head, his eyes still somewhat confused and sleepy, but then his professional acumen quickly brought him back to consciousness.
He squinted his eyes, looked Hannibal up and down, and then said in a slightly hoarse voice: "There is an empty room upstairs. Although the environment is simple, it is still clean. One silver coin per night. Are you satisfied?"
Hannibal smiled slightly, and he did not hesitate at all about the price.
In his opinion, this was just the value of a quill pen that he could easily throw away on a daily basis, but it could buy him a night of rest, so why not do it?
"Okay, that's it."
He responded readily, then took out a glittering silver coin from his purse and placed it gently on the table. The crisp sound was particularly pleasant in the quiet hotel.
After paying the bill readily, Hannibal carried his luggage. Although he felt a little bit of anticipation for the upcoming rest, he was more filled with complex emotions towards his hometown.
He stepped lightly onto the stairs, and every step seemed to echo his farewell to the past and his longing for the future.
However, just as the tranquility was about to completely envelop him, the seemingly ordinary old man suddenly narrowed his eyes and spoke with a barely perceptible urgency: "Wait, are you from out of town?"
Hannibal paused involuntarily when he heard this, and a hint of doubt and vigilance flashed through his mind.
In this era, travelers do have to face a lot of prejudice and suspicion, especially the fear of disease.
He quickly turned around and explained in a calm tone, "Don't worry, my clothes have been carefully washed, and I have paid special attention to hygiene during the trip. I haven't felt any discomfort these days."
But the old man's eyes did not relax. Instead, they appeared even deeper under the dim light, as if they could see into the deepest secrets of people's hearts.
There was an inexplicable chill in his words: "You came back alone?"
This simple question sounded like an invisible rope tightly binding Hannibal, making him feel uneasy.
"No, I came back with my coachman." Hannibal tried to make his voice sound more natural. He pointed to the door, trying to ease the old man's doubts with the coachman's presence. "He is not staying at the hotel. He needs to watch our carriage."
After hearing this, an indescribable light flashed in the old man's eyes, as if he was satisfied with this answer, or he had other plans.
The corner of his mouth curled up into an ambiguous smile, and his voice returned to its previous calmness: "Is that so? Then you can go upstairs and sleep. I will bring you breakfast tomorrow."
Although Hannibal had a thousand questions in his mind, he had no choice but to nod silently and quicken his pace up the stairs.
He wondered to himself why this old man had such a strange reaction.
Is he worrying too much, or is there really some unknown secret hidden here?
After Hannibal disappeared around the corner of the stairs, the old man slowly stood up, his smooth movements in stark contrast to his rotting and festering legs.
Those legs seemed to tell of endless pain and vicissitudes, but they did not restrict his movements. Instead, they gave him an unusual flexibility and strength.
He licked his cracked lips, his eyes flashing with greed and excitement. He picked up the rusty hatchet in the corner that was already stained with traces of time and walked out quietly.
"Haha, it's open again..." The low and strange laughter echoed in the empty hotel, making people shudder.
The old man's back gradually blurred in the night.