Just vanished into thin air. The phrase sounds simple, but until you've witnessed it yourself, it doesn't carry the same impact. So, even though Elizabeth's words were meant to instill fear, for Lisa, the shock was not as strong as seeing Elizabeth transform into a giant wolf.
After all, Lisa had seen it with her own eyes, a phenomenon that was unheard of, suddenly happening right in front of her. So now, even though she still sees Elizabeth as her good friend, there's a strange feeling at the bottom of her heart. It's not fear, but it's enough to make her feel uneasy.
Elizabeth could sense this change, but she knew it was normal. Lisa would need time to adjust. Perhaps there would be no barriers between them after all.
"Elizabeth, is this how you see Huan? As a terrifying and trembling figure? Has he ever hurt you?" Lisa asked incredulously. "As a child, I felt that he was different. So this strange sensation has always been with me. I think this could be what they call 'like'. Yes, that's my definition of 'like'."
Elizabeth pursed her lips and looked at Lisa with a hint of disdain. "Okay, if liking someone means being intrigued by their mystery, then I guess you must be in love with the snake in this lake. It's the most mysterious creature, honestly, this world... it's far more complicated than you think!"
"There's a snake in this lake?" Lisa looked astonished at Elizabeth and then towards the lake. With its calm surface, it was hard to believe there could be a large serpent beneath.
"Oh, my God... I need to think about this. Like you said, what's going on with the world?" Lisa, feeling dizzy, backed away a few steps, opened the car door, and got into the passenger seat.
Elizabeth shook her head and got into the driver's seat. She didn't force any explanations on Lisa, who had already had her fair share of shocks for the day. However, things had turned out much better than Elizabeth had anticipated. Lisa hadn't fainted, hadn't run away, and most importantly, hadn't rejected Elizabeth as a friend.
In fact, Lisa's reaction exceeded Elizabeth's expectations. That was enough. Now, all that was left was for Lisa to digest everything she had seen that day.
The day's events had shocked Lisa more than anything she could remember from her past.
The sun was setting, its fading light making the lake even more glittering. Birds skimmed the water's surface, and every so often, fish would leap out, creating ripples.
"Let's go home. Just drop me off at my house. I think... I don't want to go anywhere else today," Lisa said quietly. "Take me home, I want to have a good talk with my father."
"No, Lisa, you can't tell your father about me and my family. It'll put me in danger. My identity must not be revealed," Elizabeth quickly stopped her.
"Then who... who should I talk to?" Lisa looked at Elizabeth. "I need to talk to someone about how I'm feeling. This world has completely overturned everything I thought I knew. Oh — damn, it's such a shitty world."
Elizabeth looked at Lisa with a bit of pity, reached out, and held her hand. "If you really need to talk to someone, then... go to Jason. He might be a good listener. At least he won't hurt you."
"Alright then, take me to him now!" Lisa said determinedly. "And… I want to have a proper conversation with him. He told my father about the things I did!"
"What things... Oh, I see. He's quite a jerk, but... Lisa, I don't think Jason likes you. If he did, he wouldn't behave this way. At least he would have asked you out on a secret date..." Elizabeth joked, trying to lighten the mood.
Both of their nerves were on edge, which was not normal.
"I know, that guy... I don't even know what to say. I also hate that I have these feelings. He plainly lacks manners and grace, so why do I have this feeling..." Lisa mused, her frustration mounting.
"Haha — I guarantee, he's a peculiar person, and... maybe his approach to women is even more bizarre..." Elizabeth laughed and then turned serious, "Hey, Lisa, have you ever seen him with a woman?"
"No, I don't know, I saw a woman coming out of his room once. I was only nine at the time, but I remember it vividly. It was a woman from our **** town!" Lisa blurted out reflexively. "God, now that you mention it, I don't even know what I like about him…"
"It's simple. Mysterious men are more likely to attract women. Because women, by nature, are like explorers, venturing into the exciting world of jerks or weirdos like Jason."
"Maybe you're right. God, I'm only sixteen, what should I do!" Lisa raised her hands, waved them about in frustration, then held her head, "I don't want to think about anything now, even you are enough to give me a headache. Hey... tell me, if we were to end up together, would you bite off my head if you were starving?"
"What?" Elizabeth was startled, the steering wheel jerked, and they nearly veered off the road. She quickly steadied the car and asked Lisa, "What are you talking about?"
Lisa turned to Elizabeth, her eyes gleaming mischievously. She coughed a couple of times, cleared her throat and said, "Listen, Elizabeth, I know we're friends and under normal circumstances, you wouldn't eat me, right? But think about this, we're stranded in a desolate, uninhabited place — like the South Pole, surrounded by ice and snow, with nothing to eat, and we've been starving for days. Under such conditions, would you bite off my head? Would you eat me like a snack?"
"Oh, damn—" Elizabeth couldn't help but flip Lisa off, then dismissively said, "Let's talk about this when we get to the South Pole, and you have to make sure we have gone without food for days!"
"Alright, I was just making a hypothetical..." Lisa pouted. "You're clearly avoiding the question, but that's okay. I won't be going to the South Pole anyway…" As they spoke, the atmosphere between them improved significantly. It felt almost like old times. Even though it was a bit unnatural, Lisa knew this awkwardness would fade away with time.
But as they neared Jason's log cabin, Elizabeth couldn't help but slow down the car. She carefully pulled into the space in front of Jason's house, came to a stop, and gestured for Lisa to get out. Whispering to herself, she said, "Hey, darling, I won't accompany you in there. I'm feeling a little tense."
Lisa waved her off, and Elizabeth quickly reversed her car, driving away. Lisa watched as Elizabeth's car disappeared. She then slowly made her way to the cabin's stairs. She rarely came here alone, except for when Joseph asked her to deliver something to Jason.
As she ascended the steps, countless thoughts ran through her mind, including the shocking revelation from Elizabeth. She wanted to know who Jason really was. Elizabeth portrayed Jason as a mysterious and terrifying character, but Lisa had never felt this in her daily interactions with him.
"Knock, knock, knock..." Lisa took a deep breath, then gently rapped on the cabin's door.
"Come in, Lisa. I know it's you!" A voice came from inside. It was Jason. Lisa recognized his slightly lazy tone and less-than-authentic accent. "The door is open."
Lisa pushed the door open and stepped inside. She moved into the small living room with its familiar, simple furnishings. Jason was seated on an old fabric sofa, leaning back, holding a book. It seemed like there was always a book in his hands.
"Have a seat," Jason set down his book and gestured for Lisa to sit.
Lisa had many questions she wanted to ask Jason, but changed her mind at the last moment. She took a deep breath and said, "Huan, I know my behavior the other day left a bad impression on you, but that's not why I'm here today... I came to ask about... Elizabeth."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Lisa wanted to slap herself. She refrained, though, sitting upright, looking at Jason.
Jason nodded, chuckling, "I thought you were here to talk about your confession of love. But... it doesn't matter. There's nothing between us. And about... Elizabeth... I don't think she's a problem. She's never hurt you, in fact, she's even saved you!"
Seeing Lisa's unsurprised expression, Jason nodded again, "It seems that Elizabeth has already told you about her. This shows she's a great friend. Risking her identity to tell you the truth, not deceiving you... Cherish her. She's really good!"