BLOODY LOVE'S
Chapter 46's

“Which brother? When?”

“Jacob.” Rolan grimaced when he saw Jose's grim reaction. The two kids never got along in the first place. Jacob was too organized and Jose was too happy to rebel. “Well, your mom needs a talkative. If only you weren't recalcitrant and a little more submissive.”

“That's indeed Jacob's traits. Impossible to want that from me.” Jose gave a mischievous grin as he escorted Rolan outside the room.

The young doctor walked away leaving Jose's room in relief. It turned out that his strange premonition just now was indeed true, Jose hid the matter of seeing a ghost for the third time. The important issue was hidden only because Jose saw his ghost south of Bjork. Maybe for fear of being scolded by Marco. Rolan recalled back to the book hidden behind the sofa cushion, then he raised his shoulders and immediately forgot about it. It's just an unimportant clipping book.

Inside the room, Jose made sure the door was locked, then pulled the sofa cushion. He smiled to find the leather-bound book there had changed position vertically. Even the front behind him was also different from when he put it last time. It turned out that Rolan did take it and saw it when he was off guard. Maybe when he closed the door for the first time.

Sorry Uncle, Jose said in his heart, I'm not that stupid.

He picked up the old book on the couch, then put it back in a bookcase attached to the wall near the desk. The leather-bound book was inserted between rows of other leather-bound books, into the ranks where it kept all the nautical sundial clippings.

After shifting the glass cover back to where it was, Jose walked around the workbench, pulled the drawer half open, and pulled out another book from inside. Blue book with mica-coated cover. On the cover section clearly stated the writing “Klipping Events in Bjork”.

Jose reopened the book on page eighteen, then observed the faces listed there. That was obviously Sir William. It doesn't make sense to see the man in the old picture. He did not want to tell this to Rolan because he still wanted to investigate alone. His two uncles were suspicious after all. There's a lot of things they don't say. Jose can't trust people who don't want to trust him either.

Jose tapped the monochrome photo on the clipping with his index finger. His eyes panned confusedly looking at the gloomy face that was photographed. The man did look like Sir William, but looked a bit older. Jose took out a magnifying glass from inside the drawer and looked at the photo in more detail. There are fine lines on the face in the photo, but Jose has a hard time deciding whether it is indeed a wrinkle on the face or a paper texture. After all, what he was staring at right now was old newspaper clippings.

Maybe it was Mr. Bannet, Jose thought. After all, how could anyone not grow old?

Jose flips through clippings boredly. He had read the article dozens of times that contained the photo. No names of William or Bannet are listed there. Jose realized that he would not come to any conclusion if he just looked at the photos all day. He has to ask someone. People who know a lot about all the archives. Jose rubbed his jaw slowly, Nina's name clearly in his head.

He's going to see the girl. Tomorrow maybe.

***

Nolan held the blanket down his chin. His eyes were glued to the terraced ventilation, staring at the white mist that permeated through the sidelines of the bars. The fog had always entered from there since he could already remember, always terrorizing him three times a day. The fog always comes down at indeterminate hours, but the tempo is sometimes the same. Three times in twenty-four hours. In that period of time the white fog sipped into the cracks of the house. The fog always makes his head pulsate lightly, like giving a sign of the existence of something foreign.

Sleep will help.

That's what Nolan always repeats when the fog comes. Sleep will help him through the time when the fog comes. By the time he wakes up, the fog will be gone.

The flame in the oil lamp swayed gently in the wind, making the shadows move like dancing.

Nolan flipped his body, breathing heavily.

“Can't sleep?” whisper a voice.

“You yourself why don't you sleep?” reply Nolan softly. His hand moved down the thin strands of Loma's hair. He looked slightly behind Loma, his two older siblings undisturbed in their sleep.

"Loma was afraid of the fog." Loma closed his eyes as he spoke. The child's face was tinged with anxiety.

“Why be afraid? It was just an ordinary fog. Already, just crumple. Later if Loma wakes up, the fog is gone.” Nolan patted his sister on the shoulder, trying to calm the child even though he was also agitated.

He still vividly remembered the figure he had seen earlier this afternoon with Jose. A black figure sniffing to and fro.

Whatisit? Satan or man?

Nolan bit his lip, beginning to regret not telling anyone about the alien creature that walked across the river. But he himself did not understand what he was going to report. If he supports Jose's statement about how dangerous the forest is, Nolan knows what he will get is just a sneer.

“Whose sister was this afternoon, anyway?”

Nolan opened his eyes, finding Loma still awake and now looking at him.

“Only people from across the bridge.” He smiled, knowing that the “Kakak” his brother meant must be Jose. That guy's been the subject of conversation all day. Although Nolan has repeatedly explained that he only accompanies the North Bjork people for walks in the forest and fishing, people do not immediately believe. The gossip mums begin to encourage her, encouraging her to seduce Jose.

“Who knows you are rich splashes,” is a sentence they use every time.

Some people even act like Nolan is already rich and borrowing this is what Nolan does not have.

“Said earlier, in the river was a danger, right?” Loma gripped the blanket in her small fist. “He saw what?”

“Not see anything.” Nolan paused for a while, thought for a bit longer, then added, “But mending you don't play into that river in the forest anymore, deh. Promise, huh? There will be a weasel!” The last sentence was whispered by Nolan while launching a tickle style.

Loma screeched, pushed him with a laugh, then the two of them sizzled at each other warning to be quiet.

“There is indeed danger,” Loma hissing gently. “Loma never saw a black ghost.”

Loma's voice was as tender and as funny as an ordinary ten-year-old. But this time it sent a gentle chill, propagating a cold vibe on Nolan, making the girl's back crumble.

“Black ghost?”

“Loma never saw,” reset Loma, now more tightly closed eyes.

***