第2章 第1節 忘れる町
The Town That Forgets
Saltmere had been swallowed by long before Nora reached the .
The old called The Gull leaned against the wind like a tired man.
Nora signed the and wrote her name in careful letters.
"Hale," the read aloud, and the room went suddenly quiet.
Three fishermen at the bar turned their faces toward the cold window.
A woman stopped wiping a glass and would not meet Nora's eyes.
"I'm looking for anyone who knew Marion Hale," Nora said gently.
The name seemed to freeze in the smoky air between them.
Nobody answered; the fire only cracked and spat in the .
"You've come a long way for nothing," the finally muttered.
"My mother was born here," Nora insisted, keeping her voice level.
"Lots of people were born here," he said. "Few are remembered."
Nora had been warned that small towns keep their secrets.
But this silence felt older and heavier than simple .
Her room upstairs smelled of salt, dust, and forgotten years.
From the window she watched the black water swallow the .
She had not slept properly since the first tape had arrived.
Later, the knocked and left a tray without a word.
As he turned, he paused, and his hard face softened strangely.
"You really don't know, do you?" he asked in a low voice.
"Know what?" Nora said, her heart beating against her ribs.
"Your mother was buried twice in this town," he whispered.
"Once in the sea, and once in everyone's silence."
Then he was gone, and the stairs creaked under his weight.
Nora sat alone, holding the tape, listening to the ancient house breathe.
Somewhere below, a door was locked, and a secret stayed hidden.