Lilly gazed blankly at the Hatcher Mansion. Her small face betrayed no emotion, and a dull ache pulsed through her head. The events felt like a distant dream, shrouded in the haze of her memory.
She pondered, Where are those eight uncles who showered me with affection? Was it just a fantasy from before I died? Yet, upon waking from my dream, I find myself still in the same old place.
Such thoughts lingered in her mind, causing her memories of her uncles, Grandpa, Grandma, Lisa, Mom, Dad, the weakling spirit, and the Harem spirit to fade gradually. The line between reality and illusion blurred to the point where Lilly questioned if it had all been a dream.
She struggled to crawl and retrieve the phone from the snow. In her dream, she had a Master who, as she faced death, shared Gilbert's phone number, urging him to come to her rescue.
As she dialed 159… her frustration grew. In her dream, she vividly remembered each family member's phone number, yet now, the sequence escaped her memory.
This marked a turning point for Lilly. For the first time, she resisted. Her mind plunged into chaos, consciousness wrestling against the turmoil within.
She remembered—Gilbert's phone number. Overjoyed, she immediately dialed the familiar digits. The phone rang twice before being quickly answered.
"Hello, is this Uncle Gilbert? It's me, Lilly!" Her voice choked with emotion as she finished speaking.
To her surprise, the person on the other end responded with, "Who is Lilly?"
Gripping the phone tightly, Lilly hurriedly added, "My mother is Jean Crawford. Are you Gilbert Crawford?"
The voice was so familiar, so warm—it matched the one from her dream. But disappointment washed over her again. Although the voice on the other end remained gentle, it shattered her hopes, saying, "Kid, you must have dialed the wrong number. I'm not Gilbert Crawford, and I don't know any Jean Crawford."
A chill enveloped Lilly's heart. She pondered, Isn't that Uncle Gilbert?
The person on the other end hung up abruptly, leaving her in a panicked state.
Relying on her memory, she promptly dialed Anthony's number. She thought, Uncle Gilbert seems to draw a blank, but Uncle Anthony, he surely won't forget me, right?
"Uncle Anthony, it's me, Lilly... I'm Jean Crawford's daughter. You're my uncle, right?"
The voice on the other end, though still recognizable, exuded an icy and authoritative air. In a brisk tone, he responded, "Huh? You've probably got the wrong number, kid."
Lilly could almost picture Anthony furrowing his brow on the other end. Yet, to her dismay, he didn't recall her either. He ended the call decisively, treating it as a mere hiccup in his demanding workday.
Her heart turned cold as she mustered the courage to dial Bettany's number. The phone took its time connecting, and finally, Bettany's kind and warm voice came through. "Hello..."
Gripping the phone tightly, Lilly burst into tears, pouring out. "Grandma! Grandma, it's me, Lilly! Grandma, I miss you so much. I'm so cold and hungry..."
A pause on the other end hinted at the strangeness of a sudden, tearful call from a child.
"Kid, don't cry. Did you get lost? I'll help you call the police, okay?"
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