Endless Debt

Amidst the sudden storm and thunder, an uninvited guest came to Hill's door, knocking on the door of bad luck.

Hill clearly sensed that the man in front of him was strange and unpredictable, and that something turbid and full of filth existed in the darkness within his body.

Thick shadows enveloped the visitor, a bolt of thunder streaked across the sky, and a pale light illuminated his body. Only then did Hill manage to see his figure clearly.

The large black robe covered the body of the visitor. The robe was woven with a special material. When the rain hit it, it quickly slipped down without getting even the slightest bit wet... It may be that the visitor has the power to reject all things. No one can intrude.

His existence is so abrupt, as if he shouldn't exist in this world.

The lightning shattered the black fog covering the visitor, and his face gradually became clearer. Hill saw a handsome face with a slight smile on his lips. Under his robe were gorgeous and expensive clothes, and he was holding a A jeweled cane.

"Hill, can you let me go in to take shelter from the rain?"

The man opened his mouth to speak, with the sound of wind and rain, and the roar of thunder, which reminded Hill of people in fairy tales.

Hill didn't understand why the man knew his name. He instinctively felt fear and threat. Men were by no means good beings. But when Hill really wanted to take action, he found that he couldn't refuse the man.

"Okay...okay."

Hill's heart screamed and resisted, but his body made a completely different movement than his mind. He stepped aside, revealing the simple and dark house.

The man walked into the room with a cane, took off his black robe, and hung it on a hanger. The slightly tight and luxurious clothes highlighted the lines of the man's body, as if the stone statue sculpted by an artist came to life. , even though Hill is also a male, he still feels the infinite charm in men.

Like a god.

After Hill realized this, he felt an inexplicable sense of absurdity in his heart.

Are there really gods in this world? If so, why didn't God take away the suffering in the world and why did he let his parents suffer from the epidemic?

What's more, are men really gods?

The man had an appearance and temperament that no one could refuse, but Hill instinctively felt that the man was full of ominousness, like a hallucination. Hill even felt that the shadow behind the man was squirming, and countless ghosts were lingering. Beside him, the evil curse was whispered at him.

Hill asked with difficulty, "Who are you?"

"I?"

The man pointed at himself and said with a smile, "As you can see, he is a tired traveler and a well-meaning businessman."

"peddler?"

Hill looked the man up and down. Except for the cane, he didn't have anything foreign to speak of.

"As a merchant, you bring nothing, so what are you selling? Knowledge? Or divination?"

Hill has seen similar guys. They dress mysteriously and appear in pubs and streets in villages and towns, selling deceptions that seem mysterious but are actually full of loopholes.

My mother had blindly sought the help of those magicians, eager to get good wishes from their mouths, but she knew clearly that such wishes could not cure her father's illness, nor could they change anything.

You shouldn't open the door to a man, Hill had this idea again.

The man said mysteriously, "What I sell is something more precious than that."

Hill became more and more uneasy and vigilant. He looked at the man and asked, "How do you know my name?"

"Well, because I know your name," the man said nonsense, "I know everyone's name."

As soon as the man finished speaking, there were coughing sounds from deep in the room, mixed with painful moans.

The sound touched Hill's heart. For a while, he forced himself to fall asleep early and sleep as hard as possible. Only in this way, he would not be woken up by the coughing sound in the middle of the night, nor would he be awakened by the dark development that followed. And feel panic and pain.

Apart from deceiving himself, Hill could think of no other way.

"Your father is sick," the man suddenly said, "He is very sick."

Hill's face turned pale, as if someone had told him a little secret hidden deep in his heart.

The man's smile became more and more weird and evil, "Not only your father, your mother will also be caught by the disease."

At this moment, the coughing became louder and clearer, hitting Hill's eardrums like a heavy hammer. The whole house shook, and the sound of wind, rain, thunder and lightning quickly faded away.

Hill's breathing became heavy and painful, his chest heaved violently, and nameless rage burned his internal organs.

At this moment, Hill realized the weirdness of the current environment. Her mother had not been sleeping well for a while. The words between herself and the man should have woken her up, but they were clearly in the same house, but they were not able to sleep well. The distance has become extremely far, unable to catch up.

"Hill, I know what you are thinking. You are afraid of what will happen next."

The man raised his chin and looked at Hill playfully, "You have seen the corpses of those who died of illness in villages and towns. They were piled together and burned to ashes."

"You know, your father is going to die, and your mother is going to get sick from working hard, and not far behind.

You love your mother, you want her to survive, and you want to change everything, but you can't. "

The man's voice stopped, and both he and Hill were intoxicated in the brief silence. In the silence, crazy thoughts expanded in Hill's mind.

The man's words seemed to have magic power. With a simple description, he outlined the sad ending in Hill's mind.

Hill cried when he saw his father reduced to ashes in the fireworks, while he held his dying mother in his arms.

"no, do not want……"

Hill became angry and yelled. Just as he raised his fist and smashed the delicate face, Hill suddenly stopped. He read too many emotions in the man's eyes.

Too much too much……

"I'm a businessman."

The man said, "But unlike most businessmen, what I sell is wishes."

"desire?"

"That's right, wish," the man opened his hand, "the wish of omnipotence."

"I can grant your wish, Hill."

The man continued, "I can cure your father and your mother. I can make your family live a prosperous life and never be troubled by suffering."

Hill asked in a strange way, "Then what do I need to pay?"

The man stretched out his hand and struck Hill's chest and heart.

"Don't you already know?"

The man still had that mysterious smile, but at this moment, his appearance in Hill's eyes had undergone earth-shaking changes. Dense, dark capillaries appeared under the fair skin. They spread from around the eye sockets, and the whole pair of eyes sank into There was something squirming in the weird depth, like maggots or sticky tar that was about to drip.

"This is a good deal, don't you think? Hill."

The man tempted again, and at the same time, a more violent cough sounded, as if he was deliberately urging Hill to make a decision.

Hill's eyes were trembling. The man did not specify what this wish required, but Hill knew, he knew, he knew what that mysterious and precious thing was.

Do you want to agree?

The man is right, this is really a good deal. As long as you give your precious things, you can save your parents. What's wrong with this?

Hill tried to reach out his hand and agree to the man's request, but his body seemed to be frozen and he couldn't move at all.

"damn it!"

Hill roared and rolled to the ground, convulsing in pain like an epileptic patient.

He has already thought about it, if he can change everything, what's the harm in dedicating that precious thing and dedicating his soul?

Hill wanted to grab the man's hand, but there seemed to be another force stopping him. Maybe it was his own conscience? Or the fear of evil? That force took control of Hill's body.

In the end, Hill burst into tears. He felt that the reason why he couldn't reach out was because of his cowardice. He was more afraid of losing his soul than the fear of losing his parents.

It was obvious that he had already decided to save everything, but in the end cowardice dominated him.

The man looked down at Hill's ugliness indifferently, and sighed helplessly. The man stood up, put on his black robe again, and picked up his cane.

"Sorry, Hill, it seems our deal is about to be terminated."

The man was not going to force Hill to make a decision, he never forced it on anyone, which is the quality a businessman should have.

Hill watched the man leave, and for a moment the scene of the future played out in front of his eyes. He saw the disease filling the house, and the god of death waiting outside the door for a long time.

"How cowardly..."

A strange voice sounded in Hill's mind, and he was unwilling to sacrifice his soul and face a dark future.

Hill struggled to his feet, threw himself forward, and hugged the man's ankles.

The man lowered his head, as if he saw something interesting, and said softly, "What you want to get, you have to pay for it."

He squatted down and looked at Hill's pitiful appearance.

Fearful yet full of courage, reluctant to give up but still choosing to give.

Beautiful character blossomed in this young child, and the delicious smell made the man feel hungry and wanted to devour the boy right now.

No, not yet.

"I see it, Hill, I see an infinitely brilliant future in you."

The man looked surprised. Although Hill was worthless now, he would become extremely valuable in the future.

Hill would do it, the man knew, and it would be a good investment.

Hill begged, "Take my soul, take it!"

"If it were just now, I think I would indeed take away your soul," the man said, "but it's different now. You have good moral character and excellent quality. You should endure hardships, thrive, and become better. These are like ripe ears of rice, then it’s time to harvest.”

"Are you going to sit back and watch such a tragedy unfold?"

Hill didn't understand the man's words, but he could understand the rejection in the man's words.

He couldn't understand why. He obviously made the decision with great difficulty, but why did the man reject him? Is he deliberately teasing himself?

"Well...listen to me, Hill, you are of extraordinary value. You should not use this precious value for such a boring wish."

Hill's voice rose and became angry, "Boring? You think such a wish is boring!"

The man was puzzled, "Isn't this boring?"

Hill looked at the man at a loss. He was just a child. For him, his world was very narrow. It was only as big as a village and town, and there were only a few people living in his world.

"How about I give you another opinion?"

The man whispered those evil words into Hill's ear, and the words were like a curse, deeply engraved into Hill's soul.

Hill thought that the man was willing to help him, and his tearful face showed a brief moment of joy, and then he fell into endless darkness because of the man's words.

After finishing speaking, the man stood up. He looked at Hill and looked forward to what Hill would look like in the future.

The man left without looking back, "We will meet again, Hill."

The dark figure walked out of the house, and the door closed. Hill tried to chase the man, and he opened the door again, but there was only a turbid darkness behind the door.

They poured in like a tide, directly overwhelming Hill's body. He collided back and forth between the walls. In unbearable pain, the rolling darkness overwhelmed Hill, and a strong sense of suffocation strangled his neck until Darkness completely filled his eyes.

"ah!"

Hill suddenly sat up from the bed. He screamed in horror and broke into a cold sweat. After a brief daze, he reached out and touched his neck and chest.

Nothing happened.

The warm sunshine fell from the window edge and shone warmly on Hill's body. Hill looked around. He was sitting on his bed. The door had been opened. The sound of his mother working could be heard outside the door. The sun was shining brightly. , without the slightest cloud.

Hill stood up in confusion, and then walked outside. Everything in the outside world was as familiar to him. The ground was dry and soft, and the sky was cloudless. It was as if the wind and rain last night were just an illusion, just a strange nightmare.

"Hill, are you okay?"

The woman stopped working, looked at Hill with concern, stretched out her hand and gently rubbed Hill's face, "Poor child, the nightmare is terrible, isn't it?"

"Nightmare?"

"Yes, you had a nightmare last night. You cried for half the night. No matter how I called, you couldn't wake up."

The woman's haggard face showed sincere concern, and Hill suddenly realized that the only person in this world who could show him such an expression was his mother.

Hill thought of everything that happened in the dream, it was just a dream...

"Feel sorry."

Hill hugged the woman, tears welling up in his eye sockets, and said in a very low voice, "I can't save anyone."

"It's okay, it's okay."

The woman rubbed Hill's head affectionately. She thought Hill was afraid of nightmares and comforted the child.

Hill asked, "Are you leaving again?"

"I have to work, don't I?"

"But your body..."

Hill looked at the woman's thin appearance and felt heartbroken. The pressure of life was about to crush this woman.

"It's fine."

The woman waved her hand and comforted Hill, "It's nothing."

In this way, the peaceful days continued for a long time. Hill confirmed again and again, and found that the man's arrival was just a dream, and in the days that followed, Hill never dreamed of a man again.

Hill usually can't remember what he dreams about, but strangely, after such a long time, he still clearly remembers the conversation with the man in his dream, and even said he clearly remembers the advice the man gave Hill.

Every time he thought of that suggestion, Hill felt a sense of inexplicable fear and self-blame.

But he also understood that for the current predicament, that suggestion might be the most correct.

Soon, the day that changed Hill's life came. In the years to come, Hill often recalled that day and lamented that it would take so many years before he could understand the man's words.

It was an extremely ordinary day, no different from any other day.

Hill got up as usual, but this time he couldn't find the woman working outside the house.

"Mom...are you okay?"

Hill carefully opened the door and found the woman lying on the bed in another room. Her face was pale and her forehead was covered with cold sweat.

Eventually the woman got sick too, and Hill became panicked.

"It's okay, Hill," the woman gave him an ugly smile, "I'm just a little tired, I just need to rest."

"You can't work anymore."

"If it's not work, what should he do?"

The woman asked Hill, and the disgusting and angry coughing sound came from the depths of the room. Hill couldn't help clenching his fists.

"Hill, you know what to do."

The man's words echoed in Hill's mind. He aroused the evil in Hill's heart and ignited the fire of sin.

Hill left the room without saying a word. The man kept talking, followed by Hill, and repeatedly persuaded him. Hill stood blankly in the living room, his eyes locked on the tightly closed door. .

"Mother can't work anymore, she will die from exhaustion."

"She needs to rest, she can't keep running."

"Yes, she shouldn't have to sacrifice her life for this. She has done enough."

Hill's eyes were sunken and dark, as if he had been cursed. He moved with difficulty and walked towards the door.

"We don't have enough money to cure disease."

"I'm too powerless to help anyone."

"But there's one more thing I can do."

Crazy ideas grew wildly in Hill's mind. This was exactly what the man planted in Hill's mind. He needed Hill to experience more suffering and grow into a more valuable soul.

That moment has come to change your destiny.

Hill pushed open the door with all his strength. The dark room was filled with an aura of death and decay. On the narrow bed, lay a emaciated figure like a mummy, and his skin seemed to be rotten. , stuck to the bed, with filth everywhere.

As if noticing Hill's arrival, the mummy turned its head slightly, and Hill's figure was reflected in its cloudy eyes.

"I'm sorry," Hill muttered, "I'm sorry."

There was something evil rising in the shadows. He was standing behind Hill, putting his hands on Hill's shoulders.

"You know what to do. Only in this way can the pain end, and only in this way can you save your mother."

A sleepy voice sounded, and Hill followed his words and his own heart and walked towards the bed.

"sorry."

Hill shed tears sadly, and his withered face seemed to know what Hill was going to do. He did not resist at all, but showed a look of relief and expectation.

With trembling hands, he grabbed the throat wrapped in dry skin. Hill mobilized all his strength to grab his father's throat.

Suppressed sounds of pain resounded from his throat, his shriveled chest heaved, and his atrophied limbs twitched uncontrollably.

Hill couldn't bear it anymore. He still didn't have the courage, even if he thought it could help everyone. Just when he was about to stop, another pair of hands seemed to stretch out from the shadow, and he grabbed Hill's hand. Your hands are as if they were cast together and cannot be separated.

"no no……"

Hill cried softly, and along with the cry came the man's weird and crazy laughter.

The man seemed to be right next to Hill, laughing and enjoying himself. He liked this so much. The pain of mortals always made him extremely happy.

Hill wanted to stop, but couldn't move his hands. He could only watch his father's death with his own eyes until the mummy-like body showed no reaction.

it is finally over.

Hill's hands trembled, feeling that his palms were covered with sticky blood. After a brief moment of fear and sadness, Hill suddenly laughed. His father was finally dead, so his mother no longer had to work hard to take care of him, and she could have a good rest. It’s been a while.

Right, that is it.

The mother will be healthy again, she may grieve for a while, but she will survive and that will be enough.

Hill thought this, he turned around and saw a woman standing at the door with a look of despair.

Hill couldn't remember much about what happened next. He only remembered that after burning his father, the woman fell ill. She lay on the bed and remained silent. No matter how much Hill cried and begged, she didn't respond to anything. talk.

Hill tried to feed her, but she vomited it all out. Hill tried to touch her, but she pushed her away harshly. She became sick day by day, until one day, she told Hill that she The first and last words after that.

"I hate you, Hill."

Soon after, the woman died, and Hill burned her with his own hands.

Hill stood in front of the fire in a daze, and a dark figure came next to him and commented on the burning fireworks.

"Many times, our wishes always backfire, don't they?"

The man lowered his head.

"As I said, we will meet again, Hill."

Hill raised his head, his empty and numb eyes reflected the man's contemptuous and evil smile.