Chapter 037 - Eerie Night Fair 09

  No. 25 responded without hesitation. “I remember. No. 32, you stood there staring at it for quite a while. Wasn’t it just a Minnie Mouse with that eerie, unsettling grin? Oh, and there was that tattered sign… What did it say again? I forgot.”

  “*Paradise Lost*,” I answered firmly. And the moment the words left my mouth, something clicked. I finally understood why that mouse’s head had felt so disturbingly wrong.

  “The mouse had only one eyelash—just one, but it was unusually long. Below its head, instead of paws, there were two hands. Human hands. The right one had its index finger raised, while the left was open. At first, I thought it was just a strange pose, but now that I think about it…”

  I lifted my own hands, mimicking the gesture. “Isn’t this a 1 and a 5? And the mouse’s two long eyelashes, combined with its eyes… they form two sixes. So that gives us 1665. Does that number mean anything special to anyone?”

  A tense silence fell over the group. They exchanged uncertain looks, some scratching their heads as they tried to place the number.

  Even Elliot, usually the most well-read among us, furrowed his brows before admitting, “I have no clue.”

  Then No. 9, who had been quiet up until now, suddenly spoke. His voice, though aged, carried a weight that made us all turn to listen.

  “You said the sign read what again?”

  “*Paradise Lost*,” I repeated.

  “*Paradise Lost*…” No. 9 tapped his cane rhythmically against the ground, his expression pensive. “John Milton’s *Paradise Lost* was written in the 17th century. I can’t recall the exact year off the top of my head, but I’d wager it was 1665. When you regroup with the other players later, you should ask around and confirm it.” He paused, eyes glinting with thought. “*Paradise Lost* is one of the cornerstones of Western literature, standing alongside *The Iliad* and Dante’s *Divine Comedy*. Anyone well-versed in literary circles would recognize it, but I wouldn’t fault those unfamiliar with it. Its story, however, has been passed down through the centuries. A simple summary should make it clear to you all.”

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  With my help, No. 9 carefully lowered himself onto a nearby bench. The worn wood creaked beneath him, but his posture remained upright, dignified. Around us, the group fell silent, eyes fixed on the old man, waiting for the tale to unfold.

  He cleared his throat and began.

  “In the simplest terms, *Paradise Lost* tells the story of Adam and Eve, the first humans, who lived in the Garden of Eden. But they were deceived—tempted by Satan, who took the form of a serpent. He lured them into eating the forbidden fruit, and in doing so, they brought about their own downfall. They were cast out of paradise, forced to wander the world burdened by sin.” He let the words hang in the air for a moment, as if allowing them to settle in. “If you’re familiar with *Genesis* in the Bible, then you should already know the story.”

  He fell into brief contemplation before speaking again, shifting seamlessly back to our previous discussion. His tone was almost grave.

  “So, Elliot,” he mused, “in a child’s world, if one of the Seven Deadly Sins were to be erased first, it would undoubtedly be *lust*.” He tapped his cane against the ground once more, his gaze sweeping over the eerie amusement park that surrounded us. His words seemed to linger in the dim air, heavy with meaning.

  “And now,” he continued, his voice quieter but no less intense, “this so-called paradise is demanding that we bring it back.”

  He exhaled slowly, his eyes dark with understanding.

  “To turn this amusement park into a true *Paradise Lost*.”