The exhaust fan in the sculpture classroom made an asthmatic hum. When Elvira squatted in front of the mold rack and wiped the table for the third time, she found that her fingertips were stained with brown-red particles. The sunlight cut in through the high windows, shining on the crystals embedded in the gaps of the plaster, reflecting a fine metallic luster.
"Did yesterday's students use non-standard consumables?" She asked the air, scratching the clotted blood with her nails. Wind poured in from the ventilation port, blowing up the "Sculpture Material Safety Guide" scattered on the workbench, stopping at page 47, "Biological Contamination Treatment Process."
The sudden loud noise of the water pipe bursting frightened her so much that she knocked over the mold rack. Cold water wrapped in plaster powder spread on the ground, forming a milky white stream. When Elvira picked up the broken wolf head mold, her knuckles were cut by the sharp fracture - the moment the blood dripped on the plaster fracture, the fluorescent lights in the entire classroom began to flicker.
The broken images pierced my retina like a leaky screen: someone's palm pressed on the wolf head mold, and the utility knife cut the flesh along the lifeline. There was a sizzling sound when the blood seeped into the clay, and blood vessel-like lines appeared on the surface of the plaster. The ring finger of that hand was wearing a fingerless glove, and the red skin was exposed at the hole.
"That's Lucas's hand." Elvira stepped back in shock at what she blurted out. When her heel tripped over the bucket, she saw two reflections in the ripples on the water - a tall figure in a hoodie standing behind her.
The alarm suddenly screamed. When the security guards rushed in, they saw Elvira curled up behind the overturned mold rack, holding tightly in her hand a half-bloody plaster wolf tooth. A yellowed note floated in the water at her feet, the handwriting on it blurred by the water, leaving only a few words: "Don't believe in the full moon..."
"Stress reaction," the school doctor scribbled on the diagnosis sheet. "Possible exposure to hallucinogen residue."
When Max came to pick her up, there was a brand new pipe wrench in the toolbox: "The Academic Affairs Office said the water pipes were old, but I found this in the valve." He held up the sealed bag, which contained a button-sized metal wolf head with dried blood stains on the fangs.
The dream that night was extremely clear. Elvira stood in the empty sculpture classroom, watching "herself" dip the wolf head mold into blood. The blood outlined a star map on the plaster surface, and the smell of cedar mixed with rust drifted in from the window. When she reached out to touch it, the mold suddenly cracked, and a silver leaf bookmark rolled out - exactly the same as the one in her bag, except that the leaf handle was engraved with "LN2015".
The next morning, an anonymous package was placed in the locker. When Elvira used Max's Swiss Army knife to cut the tape, the cold air of the medical ice pack hit her face. In the foam box lay three tubes of dark red liquid, with the Neumann Group logo printed on the label and the expiration date marked with the date of her car accident.
The test report slipped from the bottom of the box. Max's pupils shrank when he picked it up: "It says here... the telomere length of the blood sample is abnormal, like..." He suddenly fell silent, crumpled the paper into a ball and stuffed it into his trouser pocket.
Elvira used a cotton swab to apply a little liquid to the broken wolf head mold. The moment the blood touched the plaster, the surveillance screens in the entire classroom flickered at the same time. She saw herself in the video suddenly turn around and say to the empty classroom: "Memory is hidden in the angle of the moon phase."
Max's cane suddenly hit the main switch. A second before darkness fell, Elvira caught a glimpse of the corner of a gray sweater passing by the window - exactly the same figure in the dream. When the emergency light came on, "The Wolf in the Thorns" on the mold stand was crying, and blood-red wax gushed out of the wolf's eyes, forming a pattern of the North Star on the ground.
"It's time to call the police." Max wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.
"Wait." Elvira took a picture of the wax star map with her mobile phone, "Send these blood samples first--"
The sound of police sirens interrupted the conversation. Two police officers stood at the door of the classroom, holding a search warrant in their hands: "Ms. Elvira, we have received a report that you are illegally in possession of biohazardous materials." Their eyes were fixed on the foam box on the table, "Please cooperate with the investigation."
Max suddenly coughed violently, knocking over the alcohol lamp used in the experiment. The flames jumped up along the wax star map, instantly engulfing the blood sample and the test report. In the thick smoke, Elvira saw a silver light flashing on the back of a policeman's neck - there was a miniature Black Moon family emblem tattooed there.
As the water from the fire hydrant dispersed the ashes, Elvira picked up half a burnt film from the wet ruins. When she held it up to the sun, it showed Lucas holding the unconscious girl at the explosion site. Strangely, this time she could see the girl's face clearly - it was fourteen-year-old Lila.