Evening.
Evelyn and Lydia were sitting at an outdoor restaurant, having dinner together. Just as Lydia was about to speak, her phone suddenly rang.
While she went outside to answer the phone, Evelyn took out a sketch from her bag. It was a key character for the game development, an angelic gaming figure. While the other sketches are all good. But this one, Evelyn feels it lacks vitality and soul..
Evelyn took out a pen, striving to recall the inspiration that flashed through her mind that day. Before she could start, a pair of dirty hands suddenly landed on the paper.
“Little girl, it’s a waste to use this paper as a tablecloth. How about giving it to me to wipe my hands?” A ragged, long-haired beggar with half his face covered by his unkempt hair stood before her, grinning. Though his teeth were yellow, his eyes were surprisingly clean and bright. Unfortunately, the sketch was still a confidential document and couldn’t be given away casually. She lowered her head, preparing to take a tissue from her bag for him. However, the old beggar snatched the sketch away.
“It’s turns out an artwork. My apologies, young lady.” He picked up a pen, “I’ve dirtied this, so why not let me have it? I’ll give you a new one later, how about that?”
Evelyn fetched a tissue, but the old beggar had already started drawing on the nearby table as if he were an excited child with a newfound toy. Evelyn didn’t bother to stop him; after all, she had many backups, so she decided to give him this one.
Lydia returned just in time, smiling, “My parents keep asking when you have time to come to our home for dinner and even inquire about your favorite food.”
“I’m not picky, anything is fine.” Evelyn casually replied.
If a person had gone through seven days without water or food, as she had, they might still have tastes they didn’t like, but they definitely had no right to refuse any food.
Seeing an inexplicable sadness in Evelyn’s eyes, Lydia was about to ask, but Evelyn had already returned to her normal self in the blink of an eye.
“Remember to find time to come to my house. The sooner, the better, or I’ll be nagged to death by these two.”
“Okay.”
Evelyn turned to look at the old beggar, but he has already gone. Fortunately, the paper and pen were still there. She stood up to retrieve the paper and pen but froze upon seeing the modified design on the paper. Her eyes were instantly filled with astonishment.
The originally pristine angelic figure had been darkened by the old beggar, into a small devil with bright red horns, enormous black wings, giving off a suppressed, bloodthirsty, and gloomy aura. Such a game character would surely be unpleasant, but the old beggar had added a cute white cartoon hat on top of the little devil’s head, making it adorable and tempting.
The character now looked both good and evil, captivating, and had completely achieved a sense of being alive.
Evelyn was now completely certain that the person was not just any old beggar but rather an artist seeking inspiration in the midst of life.
Excitedly grabbing the sketch, she turned around, and left.
“Where are you going?” Lydia stood up.
Without stopping, Evelyn simply waved her hand, “Back to work.”
It would take half an hour to drive back to the company from here, but if she took the alleys, it would only take a little over ten minutes on foot. Evelyn resolutely walked into the dark alley.
Evelyn’s mind was solely focused on the sketch, completely oblivious to the impending danger that had silently descended upon her.
Suddenly, her mouth and nose were covered, followed by a strange smell. She lost consciousness completely.
…
Time passed, When Evelyn woke up again, she found herself in a foul-smelling small warehouse. The dim light inside contrasted with the pitch-black darkness outside. She couldn’t see the surroundings through the small window, but the sound of waves echoed one after another.
A guard noticed Evelyn waking up and approached with a sly smile, “What a pretty girl. Unfortunately, you’re going to die soon.”
“Boss,” the other person rubbed his hands, “It’s a bit of a waste to just throw her into the sea. How about…”
The two exchanged a knowing smile and walked toward Evelyn. The henchman attempted to untie the ropes on her hands but was kicked away as soon as he touched them.
“Boss, why… why did you kick me?” The henchman complained.
“If we untie her and she runs away, where are we going to find her?” The ringleader roared.
“A woman can escape right under our noses? Besides, there are a dozen brothers outside,” The henchman confidently responded.