Love in Cthulhu

Chapter 30 Hair Monster

What time is it now? She wasn't sure, she only knew that it was snowing on the stone path, and she had even forgotten to wear shoes. Her cotton socks were chillingly cold as they sank into the snow. Walking in the place where she grew up felt incredibly strange, as if she didn't belong here, like a dog walking in the human world.

Yes, it just doesn't belong to you, does it? He's absolutely right. Just because you remember doesn't mean it's all yours. If you want to be Jian Xi, you have to ask her if she agrees.

I feel so sad, but I can't even cry anymore; I guess I've run out of tears.

Is this what heartbreak feels like? I haven't even been in a real relationship yet, whose love story begins with heartbreak? Besides, you're not even human, you're just wearing the skin of a pretty girl. You're a monster, what kind of heartbreak are you talking about?

Monster, monster, monster! You are the monster! I am the monster!

His words kept echoing in my mind, and my heart ached as if something inside had cracked open, releasing a bitter taste.

She was so tired, feeling like she had used up all her strength. She wanted to tell him some good news: she knew where Old Man Li lived. Before coming back today, she even returned his consciousness to him. She wanted to be a good girl.

My face was wet and pale. I was so tired and exhausted that I wanted to find a place to hide and lick my wounds.

She returned to Jianxi's house blankly, hesitated for a moment in front of the door, and then pushed it open.

I took off my dirty socks, went into the bedroom, slowly climbed onto my familiar little bed, and wrapped myself tightly in the blanket, hugging my knees with my arms. Only in this way could I feel a little warmth.

Was this whole thing wrong from the very beginning? If I hadn't eaten Jian Xi, hadn't imitated her, and hadn't come to his side, I wouldn't be in this painful situation right now.

But she herself didn't know why she did that. Before that, she was a being without feelings or thoughts, so how could she have such a strong desire?

The girl who wanted to become human only realized this after she opened her eyes. Among the thousands of messages, there were so many touching moments, so much warmth, and so much affection. From that moment on, she fell deeply in love with this wonderful feeling and thought it was so good to be alive.

But he's right, she doesn't deserve any of these things, and monsters should go back to where they came from.

She had already understood, but she still couldn't bear to part with these few short days of happiness, which were worth more than her entire ignorant life.

Her fingertips tightened around the blanket, turning white from gripping it. A familiar scent filled the air—it was Jian Xi's scent, and also her own. Just sitting here made her feel incredibly at ease, as if being wrapped in the blanket could shut out all the cold and sorrow.

Just one more day, just one more night, and then she'll obediently leave and give everything back to him.

…………

She just left like that, without a fit of rage or a furious act of revenge. The haughty monster lady left like a spineless dog.

Zhou Nan stood there stunned for a long time. From the moment he uttered those fatal words, he had already prepared to die, only wanting to make up for the regret of not being able to say them.

Reality, however, did not unfold according to his script.

why?
He slandered and mocked her so viciously. Doesn't she have Jian Xi's personality? If she were Jian Xi, hearing those words and having the power to retaliate, she would have taken revenge.

But she did nothing. Her thick winter clothes couldn't hide her lonely figure as she left. She looked so frail and heavy, and her figure gradually receding into the distance exuded a sense of solitude.

Do monsters get lonely? Probably not, right? After all, with such powerful abilities, why would they have to hang themselves on Jian Xi, this crooked tree?
She can impersonate anyone she wants, whether it's Jian Bei, Jian Nan, or Jian Dong, just like those ancient monsters in fantasy stories who have lived for countless years and are reborn. She can be a beautiful woman if she wants to be a beautiful woman, or a rich man if she wants to be a rich man. When she gets tired of one body, she can switch to another and live a different life each time.

Look, she's such a powerful monster; she has many ways to continue living. Does she need you, a mere mortal, to worry about her? Beneath that simple exterior, she harbors the heart of a different race.

The ancients were right: "Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts." The people of the Tang Dynasty did not believe this and appointed An Lushan, who was of non-Han origin, to a high position. As a result, they suffered a great misfortune. Their bones were exposed in the wilderness, and for a thousand miles, not a rooster crowed.

Isn't Miss Monster just a very pretty fat girl? She eats people, kills people, and says she likes to nibble on small bread rolls.

After thinking it over, Zhou Nan didn't think he had done anything wrong. The only reason he felt sad was because she looked like Jian Xi. Wouldn't anyone feel the same way? The person you care about most is dead, and a monster comes back with her appearance. What can you do besides sever all ties? Don't defile the deceased. That's just your obsession. Once someone is dead, they're dead. There's no going back.

He slowly stood up, the mere movement causing him excruciating pain all over his body. The impact of being thrown out was so severe that the blood on his forehead had already scabbed over, feeling rough and prickly to the touch.

In any case, this matter should be considered over. He laid his cards on the table, drove away Miss Monster, and didn't even die, which is all good. He can sleep more peacefully from now on and won't always be so terrified.

Now the old house belongs to him alone again, and life can finally get back on track. He can no longer stay at Jian Xi's house, so he will have to spend the New Year here alone, embracing the air. He needs to tidy up and buy some things to stock up, so that it looks like the New Year.

He froze the moment he turned around.

A pale face was pressed against the windowpane, wet as if it had just been pulled from deep water, its long, black hair clinging to the window like seaweed, leaving tiny trails of water.

The face had almost no facial features, with only two deep-set black holes that could barely be considered eye sockets. It was staring at him silently. When Zhou Nan looked over, the face let out a shrill laugh of joy, its facial bones cracking, and the burning black mist rose and fell like the breath of flames.

Gan Tang had said that contact with Miss Monster would attract these things. Thinking about it, that night was a similar situation. Although she had left, the ability to see was still retained in him, and he couldn't help but see her even if he didn't want to.

Zhou Nan glanced at him with just one look, then casually rubbed his forehead and walked into the inner room.

He'd gotten used to it, and he wasn't really afraid of those kinds of things. At most, he'd feel a bit annoyed when he was suddenly attacked, but he could just pretend he didn't see them.

He walked to the table, picked up the kettle, intending to boil some water, when he heard a faint sound behind him.

It was the sound of a glass window being pushed open. He hadn't been staying here for the past few days, so all the doors and windows were securely locked, but that head still managed to open the window latch, roll in, bounce on the sofa, and make a light thud.

Is this ever going to end? Shouldn't there be some basic rules for scaring people? I just broke up with my boyfriend, and you suddenly appear to be partying. Are you asking for a beating? More than fear, he felt angry, but he couldn't let it show. He remembered the advice that as long as he couldn't see it, everything would be fine, and continued to fetch water from the open-air pool at the back.

In the depths of winter, when snow is falling heavily, these old, open-air water pipes are prone to freezing inside, resulting in a weak water flow, but the advantage is that the rusty smell is gone.

He filled the kettle slowly, watching the water level rise gradually. The noise behind him grew louder and louder, getting closer and closer.

It was the sound of soft silk fabric dragging and rubbing on the ground. It was easy to imagine what that pale head was doing. Without legs to move, it would naturally drag itself forward like a mollusk. The wet and slow squeezing sound was like a mollusk that had been soaked in water. As it got closer, the heavy snow could not cover up the damp and musty smell, which enveloped it completely.

The water tank was full, and if Zhou Nan wanted to go back to boil water, he would have to return to the living room. He mentally prepared himself, slowly turned around, and cursed under his breath.

"Fuck your mother!" Only such a bold curse could express his feelings at this moment.

On the only way back, a waterfall of wet, long hair cascaded down from the ceiling, growing rapidly at a visible speed, overflowing the threshold, winding around the beams, and surging into every crack in the wall, spreading and wriggling as if it had a life of its own.

Only then could he see clearly that those were not pure hairs at all; they were filamentous, living worms. In the center of this thick black hair, where the walls and roads were no longer visible, was a head that was vaguely wrapped up. The two deep black holes stared straight at him, and the gaping mouth made a strange, gurgling laugh, like a night owl in the forest.

"Can you see it? Can you see it...?"

Even though his mental fortitude towards horror was off the charts, he still couldn't help but subtly twitch his lips when faced with this spider cave filled with hair monsters.

Pretending not to see it would be very easy, but now he was holding a kettle, and there was nowhere else to go in the backyard except the kitchen. In this situation, the most normal thing to do was to go back and boil water in order to avoid the strange creature discovering that he could actually see it.

That means not only do you have to crawl through the thousands of wriggling hair worms, but you also have to bump into that head that happens to be hanging in the middle of the road.

Moreover, this position... whether intentional or unintentional, looks like it might hit his crotch. Given the size of his head, avoiding it is simply impossible.

Are you weirdos all perverts who died from lust in your past lives? Last time it was someone groping you, this time it's someone aiming for your crotch? Damn, since you like me so much, could you at least be a literary young woman next time? That way I'd at least take a second look!

The pain of parting with Jian Xi just now instantly turned into a furious rant in the face of this thing. He only paused for a second before steeling himself and walking straight over.

He didn't know if he would encounter this thing; it seemed that different species might not be able to find it at all.

For example, the one he faced directly at Jian Xi's house that night, who was practically wrapped around him, was visible to him but he didn't feel anything.

Gan Tang's mother was different. Not only did she look fiercer, but the resistance that rushed towards him and knocked him down the moment he tried to push her away showed that the supernatural could indeed affect normal people.

It would be best if we didn't meet, but if we did...

Therefore, he deliberately made his steps appear natural, and his gaze was relaxed and focused straight ahead.

"Can you see...can you see..."

The head continued to emit that chilling, eerie laugh, black mist churning from its split mouth, and two dark eye sockets fixed intently on Zhou Nan's every step, clearly showing its anticipation.

As they drew closer, the tiny insects that made up the hair became clearer in the dim snowlight. Compared to Jian Xi's teasing caresses, which were not offensive, this thing made him feel nauseous and wanted to vomit.

With a cold, indifferent expression that suggested the whole world owed him money, he held up the water bottle, silently calculating how to avoid directly bumping into that head.

Although it is large, there is still a little space on the side.

He planned to trip over the bottle when he got there, then pretend to catch it, thus cleverly sidestepping around it and avoiding being bitten on the crotch.

Three steps, two steps, one step, and that's it!

He pretended to drop the water bottle by accident and then stumbled forward at an angle. The head that had been watching him walk suddenly lifted up, and dense, worm-like hair surged forward like a tide, catching the water bottle and blocking his body.

He could see nothing at all; his vision was filled with a writhing darkness. All he could hear was the rustling sound of insects biting and chewing. He could clearly feel countless tiny hairs brushing against his eyelids. Those insect hairs were actually real, tangible entities. A huge burst of kinetic energy slammed into his chest like a battering ram, forcefully pushing him back. The violent backward tilt almost tore his cervical spine apart.

The kettle fell in a graceful parabola, and Zhou Nan also slumped down in the falling snow. He could no longer remain calm; his heart was pounding violently. The head seemed to have succeeded in its trickery, drifting eerily, its shrill whistling almost piercing his eardrums.

"You can see it! You can see it! You...can...see—!!!"

The dense swarm of hair-like worms danced eerily, like a bewitching demon. Centered on their heads, the hair strands resembled a black whirlpool, sweeping across the backyard sky, scratching the walls, clogging the pipes, and crushing the kettle to pieces. The ravenous predators had been waiting far too long.

At this moment, he finally became the male protagonist in a horror movie, but he was no longer afraid. A huge anger exploded in his chest, and all the resentment that had nowhere to be vented turned into fiery violence in that instant.

He had been holding it in for so long that when she left, he felt a sharp pang in his heart, a pang of heartache. He forced himself to cut ties completely and did nothing.

He was already annoyed enough, and now some monsters and demons are dancing in front of him? Doesn't he know that heartbreak is the biggest thing in the world?
Zhou Nan leaped up, picked up the coal tongs leaning against the side, and kicked the joint hard, splitting them in two, holding one half in each hand.

"Look, look, look at your mother's ass!"

He leaped into the swirling sea of ​​hair, his eyes blazing with fury, like a young swordsman fresh out of the gate, wielding the village's best twin swords, ready to slay demons and monsters.

(End of this chapter)