BLOODY LOVE'S
Episode 145's

Rolan broke away from Jose on the main runway and walked down back to the maid's room. He himself also needs to make sure of one thing on Nolan. George had somehow arrived sooner than Rolan and he was delivering a message to Gerald and Hans. The two thick-mined giants nodded in understanding hearing the orders given to them.

"I'll gather people. Hans will stay here with the Doctor" Gerald said before leaving.

Rolan nodded. He was calmer when one of the two men was with him. Who can guarantee that the black ghost will not come during the day?

Nolan fell asleep on the sofa, but his eyes opened wide, staring up at the ceiling.

Seeing that attitude, Rolan suddenly feared that Nolan would turn into like Anna or Linda. He had tried to throw the two ladies into the bathtub, figuring out if the way he used Jose would work for others, but it failed. The condition of the two maids was still the same, even worsening because they both did not eat.

"Nolan?" call Rolan slowly. Hans looked inside as soon as he heard Rolan's voice a little strange.

Nolan turned his head, blinked once, then fixed the place of the blanket tighter.

Rolan exhaled more relief. He approached, re-examining the bandage that was rubbing the girl's arm and measuring her temperature. The girl's body was rather hot. It's no wonder. It is remarkable that Nolan walks at night in this state of injury and remains fine.

Hans was invited to sit inside because Rolan was still always feeling apprehensive. It is still always haunted by the shape of a peyot shadow inside the Higgins cottage, the face still imprinted in memory, terrorizing it. If he could, he would rather always be in the middle of a lot of people right now.

Hans walked in obediently and sat on a single bench with no backrest located beside the sofa where Nolan slept. He can watch the entire room from where he sits.

"I want to ask you something" began Rolan. "You can blink once as a yes, and blink twice to answer no. Understood?"

Nolan blinked once.

Rolan was happy because the girl was smart and easy to understand when given instructions. He pulled another bench and sat down in front of the sofa, facing Nolan's face. "You said you were tailing three men in the woods. One of them is the cop who put you in jail: Robert Dawson. Right?"

One time job.

"You see those three guys calling a black ghost?"

Nolan thought for a moment, then blinked twice.

"Lho, wasn't that the order? Or did the three people take a walk in the woods and meet a black ghost?"

Nolan blinked again twice.

"Those three guys made a black ghost?"

One job.

Rolan opened the black carry bag he always carried, took out a leather-bound notebook from there, then glanced at Nolan. "I'm going to read you something. If you know him or have heard of him, reopen your eyes."

"Halizza," Rolan spelled out, looking closely at Nolan. The girl shrugged one shoulder, giving a sign that she did not understand.

"Soluzen?"

Nolan closed his eyes, but his forehead shriveled, like trying to remember.

Rolan smiled faintly. "Or did they say it like this? Abdia, ballaton, bellony, halliy, halliza, soluzen!"

Nolan opened his eyes wide. He even almost jumped up if his bones did not hurt every time he moved. Hans opened the lid of his fist, feeling uneasy at the strange language that Rolan spoke.

***

When Jose called her to apologize, Maria wasn't actually sleeping. He was talking seriously with Susan and Edna in the room, discussing the sleepwalking phenomenon that occurred last night. Dale was also there, the butler picked up the phone. He returned to face Mary as soon as he had finished rejecting Jose. The four of them were in Mary's room, in her sitting room.

Susan insisted that she saw a black shadow with Mary in the lake. Edna panicked and called the doctor, but Maria stopped. He knew what Susan and Edna were thinking, both worried about his honor.

Maria was sure it was okay. Precisely if the doctor is called to come to make sure of it, then the gossip will certainly spread immediately. Everyone will wonder what Maria Garnet has done so it is necessary to call a doctor to check her virginity.

It is not important that the doctor say that she is still a virgin, the fact that he called the doctor to examine it alone will make the name of Mary fall so low. It's a serious thing. Finally both Susan, Edna, and Dale agreed to keep the events of last night from anyone. Mary even asked them to swear one-on-one with their hands on the scriptures.

"Did Miss remember anything last night?" ask Dale concerned. "Anything?"

Mary hid the sacred scriptures wrapped in her rend behind a pillow. He sat back on the sofa, in a room whose windows were covered with thick curtains in layers until the sun could not enter. The lighting in the room only came from a few scattered fairy lamps. Maria tried to remember what really happened last night, but not a single one showed up. He doesn't even remember whether he was dreaming or not.

The door interrupts them. Mary moved her head, and Susan opened it. A servant called Dale and Edna, needing their clue for some things.

"Go away" said Maria. He only realized that he had been holding his butler and lady-head for too long in the room. They must have other jobs piling up at home. "I'm going to be with Susan all day. Please cancel Madam Polignat's classes, I need some alone time."

"Miss has not taken the lesson three times" Edna reminded.

"And I'm making it four times now." Maria smiled, then waved asking them to leave immediately. As soon as the door closed, he turned to Susan again, this time with an anxious expression. "You should watch me tonight, Sue. I don't want to go missing! I don't want my name printed on a list of missing people's names in a newspaper in Bjork!"

Susan approached Mary and knelt in front of her. He grabbed both of the girl's delicate hands and grasped them tightly. Mary did not cry, but Susan knew the girl was very frightened. "I won't sleep" he promised.

Maria smiled faintly. He had not told anyone yet, but since a few days ago he felt his body had turned into something different, something foreign to him. He forced himself to swallow some mouthfuls of porridge this morning, but his stomach refused. Food and drink are tasteless. He was no longer even excited to see the custard pudding he used to love.

This change happened so slowly, that Mary was initially unconscious. He thought his body only felt bad because he wanted to come to the moon. He always experienced it regularly, on the exact same date. But the date has passed and he has not yet menstruated. Susan had called the doctor two days ago, who assured Maria that it was still normal to be a few days late and that she was just exhausted.

Mary was not tired. From day to day, he felt very awake. He is very aware of many things, especially his own body.

He could feel his breath lengthening. At first Maria thought everyone was breathing too fast, but it was impossible for everyone to breathe at once and still look normal. But he didn't think too much about it. Only now did Mary realize, not those who were breathing too fast, were those who were breathing slower and longer.

Mary felt she was not alone in her body. Something strange was deep inside, urging him, like wanting to master it. It still felt so small and trivial, but Mary knew it was only a matter of time until it became strong and big. The problem is, he himself does not even know what something is and why he can think so.

"Miss? What is Miss thinking?" susan asked, anxious to see Mary silently for so long.

Mary does not wink. "I don't feel alone" he finally admitted.

"Of course Miss is not alone. Miss has many friends. Miss has a family. Me and all the servants of Garnet are also there for Miss."

Maria smiled faintly. "I know that, Sue. But I mean in my body," he said. "I felt like I was in a small house, and something was screeching the house like a mouse. Exactly like a rat, he hides when I'm around, and I don't see him with my own eyes—but I know he's there, he's there, and it'll appear as soon as I'm not home or when I'm sleeping."

Mary catches Susan's eye, realizing that her lady-in-waiting is confused. But Mary did not stop. He felt he needed to say what he was thinking. "And ever since that rat has scratched my house, I feel like I'm in someone else's house. The house was like it wasn't mine anymore, when I slept there, the whole wall was screaming at me."

Susan could not understand what Mary was saying, but she kept trying to follow. "Yell how, Miss?"

Mary closed her old eyes, like trying to listen in her heart. Next to her hand gently massage the temple. He opened his eyelids slowly and looked at Susan. "Soluzen," he whispered. "Only that part sounds so obvious. Soluzen. Soluzen. Soluzen. It feels like a smash."

***