Trafford’s Trading Club

Milk-strawberry-flavored candy seemed to fit Lena’s taste.

“Big brother, can you tell me a story?” Lena suddenly asked.

“Story?”

The little girl nodded, “Every night, my mother tells me a story to coax me to sleep.”

Luo Qiu suddenly remembered someone asking him for a request. It was when he met those little monster children at the Taoist temple of Yang Taizi… Unconsciously, he thought of something weird.

Was it because he looked like a story-teller to those naughty kids?

“What kind of story do you want to listen to?”

Lena thought for a moment, “Big Brother, do you know the ending of the story that my mother told me in the train?

Luo Qiu said, “Didn’t your father ever tell you that?”

“Lena didn’t believe the ending my dad told me!” The little girl pouted, “I want to listen to the real ending!”

“What do you think the real ending should be?” Luo Qiu suddenly asked.

The little girl bowed her head and thought for a while, “Well…Poor Mr. Monster, he should marry the little girl and have a happy life together!”

“What Mr. Monster?” Allie suddenly interrupted… She started to talk, perhaps due to staying silent for too long.

“It was a very kind but ugly monster.” Luo Qiu looked at Allie, and told her the first half of the story he heard from Mrs. Maggie in the morning.

“Oh, it turns out it’s this story!” Allie revealed a look that she understood. She saw the gaze of the little girl, and smiled, “I’ve heard this story in my childhood… Well, it has been passed down in this area.”

Lena suddenly went to Allie.

Allie touched her head and said, “But at the end of the story, Mr. Monster didn’t marry the little girl or live happily with each other.”

“Ah? Why?” Lena suddenly said with disappointment, “Did Mr. Monster really eat its bride?”

‘Wait… Why did it suddenly jump to the part of a bride? Luo Qiu was amazed at the little girl.

“No,” said Allie. “On the contrary, it was that the little girl that ate Mr. Monster’s heart!”

“Why did she eat Mr. Monster’s heart?” Lena showed a sad look.

Allie said indifferently, “At the end of the story, the little girl grew up and left Mr. Monster. She went to the outside world, saw a lot of people and learned a lot of things. After that, she fell in love with a noble boy. However, the little girl didn’t become beautiful and the boy didn’t like her. However, she met a wizard, who told her to eat Mr. Monster’s heart, which would make her beautiful and everyone would love her.”

Allie sighed, “Mr. Monster was sad since it knew the situation; but it still dug out its heart because it liked the little girl very much. Even if the girl grew up, and didn’t like it, it still hoped to see her have a happy life. Therefore, Mr. Monster dug out its heart, passing it to her, and left alone.”

“Then, did she marry the noble boy?

“No.” Allie shook her head, “After eating its heart, she didn’t turn beautiful, but uglier, just like the monster. So the boy didn’t like her at all. Even her parents abandoned her. In the final part, she had to go back to the forest and avoid seeing people. She lived alone without Mr. Monster.”

Lena felt sad, “Did Mr. Monster die?”

“I don’t know, the story ended here, but it said that Mr. Monster wandered out in the world after it dug out its heart.”

Allie said slowly, “People say that a monster without heart was like a walking corpse; however, it wanted to find it back, so it attacked innocent little girls everywhere to obtain its heart again. Nevertheless, it failed even if ate many many girls. In the end, Mr. Monster walked to a lake and jumped in. Since then, it has never appeared.”

“What a poor monster!” Lena said with sadness.

Ellie had to touch Lena’s face and softly comforted her.

“Is this a local legend?” Luo Qiu suddenly asked.

Ellie nodded and smiled wryly, “I don’t know the intention of the story writer, but when I grew up and thought about it, I feel that it’s not suitable for children.”

But didn’t you just told the original tale in its entirety?

Boss Luo shook his head, he didn’t know Ellie’s thoughts, but he looked outside and softly said, “That lake…”

“Right here, Lake Ladoga.”

…

…

The three men opened the car windows. Flashlights shone at the tree shades on both sides of the road, while they called the name of Mrs. Maggie’s husband.

But they didn’t hear any response the whole the way.

“Logically speaking, there shouldn’t be houses at such a remote place. The closest place is at least 30 miles away from here… Did he meet some wild beasts?”

Branham suddenly raised his hypothesis. Len had to elbow this guy.

“Mrs. Maggie, don’t worry, it’s not a danger zone where brown bears would appear. This place probably has more squirrels.” Len quickly comforted her.

“Right here, I parked my car here just now.” Maggie stopped the car at this time.

“Then let’s get off and check carefully.” Arex suggested.

Mrs. Maggie nodded, then pointed at one direction, “My husband’s cellphone was found in front.”

Several people then walked towards the direction into the forest; they stepped on the dry branches and leaves, which gave an extremely loud sound.

“I have a feeling.”

Branham walked at back, lowering his voice, murmuring at Len’s ear, “We’ll meet her husband’s…dead body!”

Len gave a start, saying quickly, “Don’t talk nonsense!”

Branham smiled, “Don’t you feel excited? When we found the dead body, then he suddenly says ‘wow!’ and stood up! After that, you run in front, and he keeps chasing after you! What’s wrong? I just wanted to make up a story, are you scared? If you are so timid, how can you go f*ck Allie?”

“Branham, are we… lost?” Len swallowed saliva, and his flashlight shone the front.

Nobody was there.