Margaret's Secret

Chapter 9 From Shanghai to Paris (1)
"Has he flown away?"

Lin Hai lay at the window of his dormitory, looking up at the blue sky of Shanghai, only hearing the faint roar of planes in the sky.At this moment, his parchment is already on the Air France flight, all Lin Hai can do is pray silently.

He retracted his head from the window, and slowly spread out his left hand, the red writing on the palm was still dazzling - "Aider moi".

Lin Hai washes his hands every day, but he can't wash off the writing on his hands. He also thought about going to the Chemistry Department for help, but he gave up.Maybe he still wanted to keep those words, because it was some soul asking him for help, but he didn't know what to do.

Yes, since seeing Margaret in the painting in the art gallery, Lin Hai's life has been completely changed. He spends most of his time huddled in the dormitory, and dare not go out at night, even if he goes to the toilet. I have to hold back until dawn.As long as there was any movement in the dormitory in the middle of the night, he would be frightened into a cold sweat immediately.

Every morning, Lin Hai would have the same dream. He saw Margaret...the face in the oil painting appeared vividly in front of his eyes. She stretched out her left hand to caress Lin Hai's hair, while holding a human head in her right hand.Lin Hai let her caress mesmerizedly, until he gradually saw the shape of the human head, and it actually had a face exactly like his own—it turned out that it was his own head.

Whenever he saw this scene in his dream, he would scream and jump up from the bed, scaring several roommates half to death.Now his roommates almost regarded him as crazy, and he also felt that he was not far from hysteria.

"what should I do?"

So, Lin Hai thought of the old house again, since he spent the night in the attic that night, he never went there again.Since no one has been inside for ten years, why did the paintings on the attic disappear?And the parchment book found under the dormer window, who actually hid it inside?
Grandpa has long since died. I am afraid that only father in this world knows the answer.

Lin Hai nodded, yes, why don't you go to find your father?Maybe the answer to the mystery can be found from him.

He immediately left the dormitory, lowered his head, rushed out of the school, and got on a bus to Qingpu, a suburb of the city.

People used to call Lin Hai's father Dr. Lin. He used to be the best doctor in the mental hospital. It is said that he was very handsome when he was young, and many girls secretly liked him.It's a pity that he spent his whole life in a mental hospital, dealing with a bunch of paranoid people all day long. He didn't have the chance to be promoted until he was 50 years old, but he didn't want an accident to happen.A patient with severe hysteria imagined that the people in white clothes were demons, and locked him up just to steal his internal organs, so he attacked Dr. Lin in the middle of the night.The unlucky Dr. Lin was not only seriously injured and had to lie in a hospital bed for three months, but more importantly, he was severely stimulated psychologically and could no longer work in a mental hospital.Dr. Lin could only go through the formalities of sick leave, and returned home sadly. After the catastrophe, he was exhausted physically and mentally. He could no longer bear the noisy environment of the city, so he moved to the suburbs with fresh air, rented a two-story farmhouse, and spent all day in the house. Cultivate the body and mind in the fields to restore the body and mind that have suffered serious injuries.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, Lin Hai arrived at the side of the road in Qingpu countryside.In April, the countryside is full of rapeseed flowers, and the scene is spectacular. The farmhouse rented by my father is in a rapeseed field.

The door of the farmhouse was not locked. Lin Hai quietly pushed open the door and walked in. He saw his father watering the flowers by the window sill.I haven't seen my father for more than two months, and his expression is still so serious.Fortunately, Lin Hai has already gotten used to this stern face. When he was a child, he rarely saw his father’s smiling face. He was silent and indifferent all day long. It seemed that he was influenced by the patients in the mental hospital, or it might be inherited from his grandfather. Grim gene.

Although they are so old, Lin Hai still has a natural sense of fear towards his father. He first asked tentatively: "Dad, I suddenly remembered something recently. It has been ten years since Grandpa passed away, right? Why don't you rent out an old house, what a waste to keep it empty?"

"No, I don't want to rent."

His father categorically rejected his question.

Lin Hai hesitated for a moment, and finally said tremblingly: "Well, I went back to the old house to take a look a few days ago. I remember seeing a small portrait in my grandfather's attic when I was young, but this time I went to see it. did not see."

"Small portrait?"

"It's a portrait of a foreign woman, it's hanging on the wall next to the small wooden bed, dad, do you know?"

My father shook his head and said, "No, there has never been such a portrait. After your grandfather passed away, I went to the small attic and saw nothing but a wooden bed."

"You mean that this portrait didn't exist ten years ago?"

"Yes, it never existed. One year before your grandfather passed away, when I was redecorating the old house, I also climbed to the attic to look at it. There were no portraits at all."

His father's words were so loud that Lin Hai couldn't tolerate doubts at all.In an instant, Lin Hai only felt his heart sink, and a terrible thought popped up... No, this is impossible!He closed his eyes and dared not think any more.

However, his father told the past that he dared not recall: "Son, do you remember that when you were young, you often sleepwalked, saying that you saw someone who had already died?"

Lin Hai's face suddenly turned pale, and his lips trembled as he replied, "Yes, I still remember, I remember seeing my mother."

"But at that time, your mother was already gone, and all you saw was air, a phantom in your own heart."

"Don't, don't talk about mom!"

Lin Hai lowered his head in pain. When he was five years old, his mother died in a sudden car accident.For so many years, the image of his mother in his mind was always a young woman.It was his father who raised him alone, so he was a child who lacked maternal love, and often cried secretly for not having a mother.When he was about ten years old, he often sleepwalked in the middle of the night, always saying that he saw his mother in the kitchen, and whenever this happened, his father would slap him to wake him up from his sleepwalking.

My father continued to speak sternly: "Because you have no mother since you were a child, you have always liked to fantasize. When you were young, you also developed sleepwalking problems and even mild delusional symptoms. Fortunately, I discovered your problem in time and treated you. With some subtle treatments, your sleepwalking and delusions will disappear in no time.”

Listening to the analysis of the former psychiatric doctor, Lin Hai only felt creepy. He took a few steps back and said, "Father, could it be that the portrait I saw in the attic of my grandfather was also my delusion?"

"Yes, have you seen the same or similar portrait recently?"

His father actually guessed it, Lin Hai could only nod obediently.

My father continued: "The portraits you saw recently stimulated your nerves immediately, reminding you of your childhood experiences, and those memories caused by delusions have resurfaced, so you will be born in the attic. Had the illusion of a portrait."

Lin Hai said in a daze: "Is that really an illusion... or is it a delusion?"

"Yes, think about it for yourself. I think your complexion is very bad. Did something happen to you these days?"

But this time Lin Hai shook his head vigorously: "No, nothing special, maybe I have caught a cold these days."

In fact, Lin Hai didn't want to tell his father, but he was afraid that his father would not only not believe his words, but would think that his son might be insane out of professional habits, so he would be sent to the old unit for treatment.

Lin Hai's mind was already in a mess. After hearing what his father said just now, he couldn't tell which ones were reality and which ones were fantasy.Originally, he wanted to show his father the words in the palm of his left hand, but now he clenched his fist tightly, not daring to let his father see it.

In the end, Lin Hai could only bid farewell to his father hastily, and got on the bus back to the city.Looking at the yellow flowers all over the place outside the car window, he felt a loss in front of him, not knowing where he should go.

After wandering in the car for an hour, when he just drove into the urban area, he suddenly thought of the Western Art Museum. He heard that the exhibition of treasures at the Saint-Louis Museum in France will end tomorrow, which means that Marguerite will leave China. , maybe never again.

No, I should go see her again, see her for the last time!
Within a few seconds, Lin Hai had made up his mind that he would go to the Western Art Museum again to see Marguerite in the oil painting for the last time.

He got off the bus early, ate something casually on the street, and then rushed to the Western Art Museum.

When the night was dim, Lin Hai came to the entrance of the Western Art Museum. The closing time was [-]:[-] pm, and he had less than an hour left.

Although a ticket cost 200 yuan, he bought one without hesitation, and hurried into the gate of the art museum.

At this time, the Western Art Museum was deserted, and there were almost no people in sight. It seemed that there were more heads in the portraits hanging on the walls than there were visitors.In such an environment, Lin Hai could only slow down his pace, so quiet that he could hear his panting clearly.

After briefly looking at dozens of paintings in the St. Louis Museum, he went straight to the innermost treasure exhibition room. The anti-theft door is still open, but it will be firmly closed in another hour.

Lin Hai always felt that there was a shadow following him behind him, but now he couldn't care so much. What he wanted to do most was to take another look at Margaret, no matter if she was a real existence or a phantom in his imagination.

He gently walked into the secret room where the treasures were exhibited, and he was still the only one here.In the narrow and cramped space, he only felt a sense of suffocation and oppression, which made him hardly dare to open his eyes.

But Margaret's eyes were on him.

Finally, Lin Hai looked at the wall in front of him, and saw that the oil painting from the [-]th century was still hanging there, and his gaze happened to hit Marguerite's breathtaking eyes.

Facing this oil painting more than 400 years ago, Lin Hai completely calmed down and looked at Margaret in the painting quietly.Yes, she is still the same - her long black hair hangs down like a waterfall, her translucent emerald eyes are looking forward, her lips are slightly pursed, it seems that she is hesitating to speak, what exactly does she want to say to Lin Hai?

No, how could she be a phantom?How could it be a delusion?She is simply a living person, but living in the world of oil painting.

Yes, Margaret in the painting is alive, but what is she thinking at this moment?

In the secret room of this art gallery, a leisurely breath emanated again, slowly getting into Lin Hai's nostrils.He could only hold his breath, and moved his head forward a little more.There seemed to be a slight change in Margaret's eyes. She seemed to be more sad and affectionate. She must have a lot to say to him.He finally couldn't control himself, and said softly to the oil painting: "What do you want to say? Please tell me everything."

Suddenly, Lin Hai seemed to hear Margaret's answer...

What is she saying?
As if a sword had pierced the back of his heart, his eyelids slowly closed, and he couldn't feel anything in a blink of an eye.

He fell into hell.

After sleeping for an unknown amount of time, Lin Hai finally woke up leisurely, opened his eyes in pain, but couldn't see anything, as if he was in the dark seabed.

Yes, because he heard the constant dripping, the trickling water seemed to drown him.

Where are you?Is it the seventh or ninth hell?

Lin Hai was in a daze for a while, and finally felt the existence of his body, and his limbs seemed to be able to move. He stretched out his hand and touched forward, and there seemed to be a door in front of him.Also, there is a cold plastic object under the buttocks, and my back is leaning against a board.

So he struggled to stand up, but there was still darkness in front of his eyes. Could it be that his eyes were blind?He didn't dare to confirm this terrible idea, but reached out and pushed the door in front of him, but it seemed to be locked or bolted, and he couldn't push it open anyway.He knocked on the door again, only to hear a terrible echo from all around.

He gasped for breath a few times, and felt that he could still make a sound, so he yelled: "Hello! Is anyone there? What is this place?"

As if in a dark cave, the echo spread far away and bounced back, but still no one answered.He sat down again in despair, and the frightening sound of dripping water continued, as if there were many small insects crawling on his legs.

Suddenly, Lin Hai thought of something, and quickly touched his waist. Fortunately, the phone was still on him.He hurriedly took out his mobile phone, and the screen's fluorescent light illuminated a small piece of darkness. It turned out that his eyes were not blind!

He took a picture of the surrounding area with the screen of his mobile phone, only to realize that this is a toilet. Just now, he was sitting on the lid of the toilet, with plastic baffles on both sides, and the small door of the toilet cubicle in front, but it seemed to be locked. Yes, as for the sound of dripping water, it is naturally unique to the toilet.

It turned out that he was locked in the toilet cubicle.

How come here?Lin Hai looked at the time displayed on his phone again. It was ten o'clock in the evening, and the art gallery had already closed at this time.

He calmed his breathing first, and then carefully recalled everything that happened a few hours ago.

Yes, tomorrow is the last day of the treasure exhibition of the St. Louis Museum, so he came to the Western Art Museum, walked into the treasure exhibition room, and was alone in the secret room, facing Marguerite in the oil painting...he smelled Some kind of atmosphere, Marguerite in the painting seemed to say something to him, and then he didn't know anything.

God knows why I was locked in the toilet.Lin Hai shook his head vigorously. He wanted to call for help, but he didn't know where he was. How could he be rescued?
He had no choice but to save himself. Lin Hai took a fluorescent light on the top of his head with his mobile phone. The partitions on both sides were only about two meters high, and there was a long distance from the ceiling above, so he could climb out from above.So he stepped on the toilet lid and poked his head out of the partition, but it was still dark outside.He supported his body with his hands, and then put his feet on the toilet door, and finally turned his whole body outside.Fortunately, when he came down, he hung the door panel with his hands, so he didn't fall.

After breaking away from the prison of the cubicle, Lin Hai took a fluorescent photo of the surrounding area with his mobile phone. This is a men's toilet, which looks very clean.The door of the toilet was not locked, and he walked out quietly. Under the dim light of the mobile phone, he could vaguely see a corridor outside.

Cautiously walking through the corridor, still couldn't see a trace of light, and could only rely on the dim light in his hand, which made Lin Hai's heart beat faster and faster.Listening to the sound under my feet and the echo of the surrounding space, it feels like entering an ancient marble tomb.

Suddenly, a human face appeared in the dim light from the mobile phone. Lin Hai was so frightened that he almost screamed. He tremblingly raised his mobile phone to take a photo in that direction, and found a faint face of a Western man in the darkness.He took a few steps forward slowly, only to realize that it was an oil painting, and the man in the painting must be some French king.

He finally let out a sigh of relief, but he didn't dare to be negligent, so he quickly took pictures of the wall in front of him with his mobile phone, and it turned out that there were still a few Western oil paintings.Those Europeans hundreds of years ago gathered in the darkness, looking at Lin Hai with various postures and eyes, as if they would walk out of the painting at any moment.

It turned out that he was still in the Western Art Museum. After the museum was closed, the art gallery was empty, except for these people in the paintings hanging on the walls.Lin Hai continued to walk forward, the screen of the mobile phone was as faint as candlelight, and the faces in the oil paintings on the wall were illuminated from time to time... You can imagine that in an empty and dark art gallery, you are walking alone, surrounded by hundreds of people. The oil paintings from years ago, the ancient figures in the paintings, swaying like ghosts in the dim light of the mobile phone...

In this ancient tomb-like environment, Lin Hai no longer dared to shout loudly, he was afraid that his voice would wake up the people in the painting, those kings running out of the painting would not be easy to provoke.

Suddenly, the faint light of the mobile phone revealed a piece of metal reflection, which turned out to be the anti-theft door of the treasure exhibition room, but the strange thing was that the door was still open.He reached out and groped into this secret room. He knew that Marguerite's oil painting was inside. How did she spend the long night?

In the dark secret room, Lin Hai walked forward slowly, holding the mobile phone high in front of him, the fluorescent light from the screen was like will-o'-the-wisp.There seems to be a faint reflection in the front, which seems to be where the oil painting is located. The mobile phone is getting closer and closer, and a hazy face can be seen faintly.

That was Margaret's face.

Lin Hai moved his head closer, and under the faint light of the mobile phone, that face unexpectedly became so lifelike, and a pair of emerald eyes were watery, as charming as real Burmese jade.

She blinked.

Marguerite in the oil painting actually blinked her eyes!Lin Hai would never be wrong, he even felt the fragrance exhaled from the oil painting.

Indeed, Margaret stood up in the oil painting, still with the black cascading hair, the pair of amber earrings, the court dress, and the velvet shawl.

This is not his hallucination, let alone a delusion, but what he actually saw with his own eyes.

This is a ghost in a painting.

But at this moment, Lin Hai had forgotten his fear, he looked at Margaret like a devout believer, and watched this miracle of humans and ghosts happen.

Finally, Margaret came before his eyes.

The distance between them was only a few centimeters, the phone screen was almost close to her eyes, the fluorescent light shot directly into her translucent eyeballs, and her pupils could even be seen shrinking.

Lin Hai breathed the breath in her mouth.

It was a wonderful feeling to exchange air with her.

Suddenly, Margaret's hand grabbed him. The ghost in the painting was not cold-blooded. The warmth from her palm passed through Lin Hai's whole body like an electric current.

A miracle did happen—Margaret walked out of the painting.

What made Lin Hai even more unexpected was that she actually spoke—

(End of this chapter)