Ball of Suet: Selected Short Stories by Maupassant

Chapter 22 Orla (4)
August 8th - I get it... I've got it all figured out: I read a magazine called Science World, and there's a report in it that I just saw:
A strange thing happened in Rio de Janeiro.In the province of São Paulo, mental illness, or mental epidemic, is rampant right now.In the Middle Ages, infectious epilepsy spread across the European continent, and the two infectious diseases are very similar.Residents of São Paulo Province claimed that they were harassed, manipulated, and chased by some invisible people, and lived like livestock.These invisible people can be perceived by people. They often suck human blood like vampires when people sleep. In addition, they seem to have no interest in food other than water and milk.Residents of São Paulo are now fleeing their homes.

In order to investigate the origin and specific symptoms of this strange mental disease, in order to find feasible measures, report it to the emperor, and allow people infected with this disease to recover, several medical experts have been in Don Pedro Enri Led by Professor Gus, he rushed to Sao Paulo province.

Ha ha!Haha I finally remembered that beautiful Brazilian barque sailing up the Seine in front of my window on May 5th, I remembered.It is all white, and when I saw it, I thought it was so beautiful, it was refreshing!That man was from Brazil, where all his kin were born!It was on that boat and it saw me and my white house!So, it jumped onto the river bank at once.Oh, God!

Now I have figured it out.Humanity is about to be conquered, and my guess was right.

It has come here.People in primitive society are simply afraid of it.The priest was very anxious about this, and in order to get rid of it, he began to chant spells.On a cloudy night, the wizard summoned it to come down quickly, but it never did.Now the rulers of the earth - human beings are about to lose their status. In fact, they had a premonition of its existence a long time ago. Dwarves, souls, elves, fairies and monsters are all their imaginations about it. Some images are ugly and some are beautiful.In the beginning, when human beings were simply afraid of it, they had already begun to imagine it, and this kind of imagination was still very rough at that time.Later, it was perceived more accurately by certain persons, all of whom were of course fairly keen observations.Its existence had been guessed by Mesmarck.Before it exerts its powerful power, the nature of this powerful power has been researched by medical experts, and the research results are quite accurate. This has only happened in the last ten years.The research results named magnetic hypnosis and hypnotic suggestion are nothing but created by doctors using the weapons and equipment of the new creator: with the help of some inscrutable will, doctors make people's souls surrender to themselves, Make the human body your own puppet.I have witnessed them display this terrifying energy casually, like a child who will not restrain himself!Misfortune is about to happen to us!Humanity is about to suffer misfortune!It's coming...it...it...what's its name...it...although I can't hear what it's saying, it seems to be calling itself...it's...yes... It's calling...I hear it...but I can't repeat it...it's...Orla...I hear it...Orla...that's it...Orla...it's coming soon!

However, once in a while a livestock will kill its owner... I am also thinking... I can do this... But the first thing I need to do is to see and feel it, to know more about it... We What can be seen, livestock can't see, because their eyes are very different from ours, this is what the experts say... I can't see this guy who came here uninvited and bullied me all day.

what is the reason?what!That day on Mount Saint-Michel, what the priest said to me came to my mind again: "Can we see one hundred thousandth of everything in the world? Take the wind as an example. People will be affected by the wind. Standing unsteadily, falling to the ground, buildings will collapse under the action of the wind, trees will be uprooted under the action of the wind, and sea water will set off huge waves under the action of the wind, whose height is comparable to a mountain. Nature The most powerful force in the world is the wind. The cliff is vulnerable to the wind, and the big ship can only touch the reef helplessly in the strong wind. The wind roars and destroys everything. The wind does exist in the world, but you see Ever been to the wind? Can you see the wind?"

Also, I was thinking: I can't even see those transparent solids, although they are almost as transparent as glass, so my eyesight is really poor! . . . Just as a bird that flies into a room hits a glass window and smashes its head out, so if a tin mirror is in front of me, I'll just run straight into it.My eye is always blank, and everything succeeds in deceiving it.Therefore, when an invisible new creature appeared in front of it, it was reasonable even if it couldn't see it, didn't it?
Newcomer!Is there any reason to prevent it from happening?It will definitely appear!The status of human beings will be replaced one day, and what is the reason why they will not be replaced?We can see our ancestors, but we cannot see it.The reason is that our bodies are so feeble, so feeble, so heavy in their constituent parts, that our whole body is a collection of organs of all sorts, which are like too cumbersome springs, all terribly fatigued by overwork; Our bodies rely on air, plants and meat to survive in the world, which is no different from plants and animals; disease, aging and death are always waiting to invade our bodies; although our bodies are made with our hearts, they are An unqualified product, its functions are still at the initial stage, strange, its power is always not enough, and its various parts are not coordinated enough; people can obviously have great wisdom and make a great cause, but Our bodies are poorly made and fragile, and can only be called the primary stage of human beings.Compared with our body, its body is more refined and complete, and its essence tends to be more perfect.

Human beings can be divided into many groups, from the first oysters to the present people.However, these categories are too few compared with all the species in the world.After the emergence of this category, another category will appear after a certain interval, but can another category be added in the interval?Is there any reason to prevent us from doing this?

Is there any reason to prevent us from adding another category?Is there any reason to prevent us from adding a tree that produces large, fragrant, and radiant flowers?The roots of all things include the four categories of fire, air, earth, and water. Is there any reason why we should not add another category to it?There are only these four categories that all living things depend on for survival!Isn't this too little?There can be forty, four hundred, or even four thousand categories, why not?So scarce, so ordinary, so humble, this is all human beings have!You don’t know how to be generous when you reward, you don’t know how to use your imagination when you create, and you are clumsy when you make it, so you have everything in front of you!Ah, the elephants and hippos are so beautiful!Camels are so graceful!

You may want to add to me that butterflies should also join in!They are like flowers flying in the air!I used my imagination to let a huge butterfly appear in my fantasy.Neither the shape of its wings, nor its color, nor its appearance, nor its movements, I can describe in words.However, it appeared in front of my eyes... It flew over one planet after another, and each planet became cool and full of fragrance because of it, because it brought a gentle breath to each planet in the process of flying superior! ... Whenever it flies over a planet, the inhabitants of the planet will be obsessed with it and praise it non-stop! ...

What is the matter with me?The reason why I have such imaginations is because I have been infested by it, and it is Orla!It is attached to my body, my mind has been completely controlled by it, I want to kill it!
August 8th - I'm going to kill it!I've seen it!Last night I sat at my desk writing a letter and pretended to be absorbed in it.I knew that it would appear beside me and walk around there, the distance between it and me was very short, maybe I could touch it and catch it.after! …After that, I will stretch out my hands to grab it, press it with my knees, chest and forehead, and then tear and bite it with my teeth. At that time, I will be as brave as a person who has reached the moment of breaking the boat .

All the organs in my body have entered a state of high alert, and I feel extremely nervous, so I secretly watch its every move.

I lighted the two lamps and the eight candles on the mantelpiece, so that the room was so brightly lit that it seemed to be able to illuminate everything.

Opposite me was an old oak bed with bedposts.The fireplace is to my right, and the door to my left.I have kept the door open for a long time to lure it into the house.At this point, I went to close the door again, and I closed it very carefully.A tall closet is behind me, and there is a mirror on the closet. Every time I pass by there, I will take a good look at my whole body. The most useful thing about this mirror is to show how I shave and dress every day. .

It must have been watching me, too, so I tricked it into pretending I was writing a letter.Suddenly, I felt that it was lying behind me, near my ear, yes, that was the place, and it was bending over to peek at what I wrote, and I was absolutely sure of it.

Both my hands were sticking out, and then I turned around suddenly, stood up, and I almost fell to the ground.what! ... The room was full of light, as if the day had come, but I couldn't see my own reflection in the mirror! ...the mirror is deep and bright and sparkling, but there is nothing in it!My shadow is not in it...but I am clearly standing in front of the mirror!The huge mirror is clear and shining, from top to bottom, and this scene completely fell into my eyes.I looked at the mirror and felt very frightened. I could feel it standing there, and my shadow was blocked by its body, but I couldn't see its body.I didn't even have the courage to move, let alone step forward.I understand, this time I still can't catch it.

I am absolutely terrified!Suddenly, my eyes passed through a layer of mist, as if I saw my own shadow reflected in the mirror from the water, the shadow looked really hazy.I felt that the water blocking my eyes began to flow slowly from the left to the right, as if the solar eclipse was about to come to an end, and my shadow became clearer and clearer.The things blocking my eyes became thinner and thinner. It was originally a transparent dense object, and its shape did not seem to be fixed.

I saw my reflection in the mirror finally become as clear as the one I see in the mirror every day.

I've already met it face to face!I was trembling constantly, and the previous panic had not completely disappeared.

August 8—What is the way to kill it?I can't even make physical contact with it.Poison?I put the poison in the water, and I couldn't hide it from its eyes.What's more, humans can't see its body at all, who knows whether human poison can really poison its body?Can't...can't...of course not...in this case...then what should I do?

August 8st - In order to prevent thieves from entering the house, the owners of some houses in Paris will install iron shutters on the windows on the first floor.I sent a locksmith in Rouen to my house, and told him to install these shutters on my bedroom window, and to replace the bedroom door with an iron one.I don't care about anything, even if this move is to clearly show weakness to it, so what! ...

……

September 9th - Rouen, Continental Hotel.It's over...it's over...but is it really dead?I am still horrified by what I saw.

The locksmith fitted the iron doors and windows yesterday.Despite the low temperature, I kept the doors and windows open until midnight.

All of a sudden it was there and I could feel it.I felt overjoyed, almost ecstatic.In order not to let it have any doubts, I slowly got up and walked back and forth in the room for a long time.Next, I pretended to be nonchalant and changed the shoes on my feet from leather shoes to slippers.Then, I first went to close the iron window, and then walked to the door without haste, closed the door, and then locked the two doors.Then I went back to the window, locked it, and put the key in my pocket.

I can feel that it is by my side, and suddenly, it becomes anxious and wants me to let it leave here, so it turns out that it will also be afraid.I almost gave in to it, but I didn't after all.I leaned against the door with my back and opened the crack that only allowed me to escape.As I squeezed through the crack, my forehead touched the lintel because I was so tall.I finally locked him in the bedroom by himself, and I was sure he couldn't escape.I couldn't be happier!I finally caught it up!I ran downstairs to the living room facing the bedroom, found the two lamps, and spilled the lamp oil all over the room, including the carpet and furniture.Before fleeing the house, I closed the gate and locked both locks.

I hid behind a large bay of laurel growing in the garden.Minutes and seconds pass slowly!It is too slow!The surroundings were pitch black, everything seemed to be solidified, and there was not even a sound.No wind and no stars tonight.There is a heavy cloud in my heart, and at the same time, I can't see the dense cloud in the sky.

In the process of waiting, I have been watching my house carefully.Every minute is suffering!Perhaps, I thought to myself, the fire had extinguished itself or was extinguished by it.Unexpectedly, at this moment, a window on the first floor exploded suddenly, and the instigator was naturally the raging fire.I saw a huge tongue of red, yellow, and yellow spraying out from it, crawling along the white wall to the roof. Such a long tongue of fire seemed soft.The branches and leaves of the tree were trembling in terror.In the gaps between them, only the flickering lights of fire could be seen.As if the day was coming, the birds woke up from their sleep, and a dog began to bark.I saw that the first floor was completely engulfed by the fire, because before that, the remaining two windows on the first floor also exploded.The fire was raging, and the sight was appalling.Suddenly, the night sky was pierced by a shrill and terrifying cry!It's some women screaming, and through the two windows just opened upstairs I see my maids waving their hands in terror!I actually forgot about them! ...

In extreme fear, I ran to the village and shouted: "Help! Help! It's on fire! It's on fire!" After that, I came back with the villagers who ran to my house. What does it look like.

Now, my family's house has become a pyre for burning corpses, which looks quite terrifying and quite magnificent.This fire is very huge, it reflects the place brightly, many people were burned to death in it, including the new man I captured, the new owner, that it, Orla!
Suddenly, the roof completely collapsed and sank into the wall, and the flames sprayed high into the sky.Through the open window I saw a great fire, like a furnace, and it was there, dead, I thought...

Is it dead?probably? ...What did its body look like?Its body can even pass through light. Can such a body be destroyed by fire like a human body?

What if it's not dead? ... This kind of invisible people is really scary, they may only have time as their nemesis.Now that it already has such a ghostly body, completely transparent and unable to be caught by human eyesight at all, it is clear that disease, trauma, disability and premature death are not its opponents.

premature death?All human fears can be attributed to premature death.Human beings die prematurely due to various accidents all the time.Orla is about to take the place of humans.As the successor of mankind, it will survive to its own limit, and it will die only when the appointed day, that moment comes!

"No... no... sure, sure... it's not dead... if that's the case... then I... then I, I have to kill myself!..."

……

(End of this chapter)