“I’ll … tell you a secret, okay?” Natalia spoke earnestly.
“Yes, what secret?”
“Actually, I have a big sister.” Natalia hesitated for a long time before finally telling the man.
Hua Jin’s expression changed.
“Hush. It’s a secret. Don’t tell anyone about it, or my big sister will be furious.”
“What’s your big sister’s name?”
“Natalisa.” Natalia continued, “Actually, it feels strange to call her my big sister, because, presumably, no one has ever seen her but me. She feels more like my other self.”
“You can see her?”
“Yes, probably!”
“Probably?” Hua Jin was confused by her answer. Why did she sound so uncertain?
“So can you actually see her or not?”
“I see her in my dreams, does it count?”
“In your dreams?”
“Well, I feel she can dominate my body. You know that crystal ball?”
“Uh huh…” Vaguely, the actor realized that he might be able to get something out of Natalia that would give him a lead on Natalisa. He listened to her intently.
“That crystal ball was a gift from my sister, Natalisa.”
“A gift?”
Natalia snuggled into his arms, recalling, “Actually, the first time I saw her was probably a long time ago. Back then, I never slept well. I had lots and lots of dreams. Strange dreams. In fact, most of the time, I couldn’t tell reality from my dreams. So she gave me that crystal ball and said if I slept with it in my arms at night, I’d be able to sleep peacefully. At least, I wouldn’t have to have those weird dreams anymore.”
The crystal ball?
Could it be… Natalisa convinced Natalia that she would be able to sleep peacefully with the crystal ball when in fact, it was through the crystal ball that she could truly achieve her goal of controlling Natalia? Perhaps Natalia was being controlled by Natalisa through this crystal ball?
It seemed an important clue.
“I see… Do you have to hug that crystal ball to sleep every night?” the actor probed further.
“Uh huh. Sometimes I forget, but when I do, I get strange dreams at night. However if I hold the crystal ball to sleep, sometimes it will feel as though I’ve slept for days. And I’m tired when I wake up.”
“I see…”
“Actually, I find it very strange.” Natalia frowned and turned to the actor, pursing her lips. She obviously contemplated for a long time before she finally asked the question that haunted her.
“None of you can see Natalisa, can you?”
The actor said nothing, but shook his head in response.
“I feel that Natalisa is evil.”
“Evil?”
“Yeah. She told me not to trust anyone, including you, and Daddy. So, initially, I was always wary of you, but gradually I realized that you were kind to me, gentle, like family, and I wanted to approach you, but whenever I did, she stopped me. It’s strange. She always seemed to know what I’m thinking!”
“Then why do you think she’s evil?”
“Because…” Natalia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, I can’t say. All I can say is that I feel like she’s a demon living inside me.”
