Chapter 38 - The Girl Wants to Be M*rdered

**Chapter 38: Friends** The darkness of the forest descends more quickly than anticipated, especially in autumn when the sun’s height starts to diminish day by day. After parting ways with Sia, I returned to the cabin Ellie built in the forest and began recounting the events of my day. Ellie listened attentively to my every word. The very epitome of a true listener. The modest cabin, though appearing small, was more than ample for just the two of us to live comfortably, quickly filling with my youthful chatter. When I first saw this cabin being built, I was astonished. From wolves with black fur to deer, bears, crows, and even big cats of unknown kinds—creatures I couldn’t even name—appeared collectively to build the house for us. Their actions, as if they had intelligence, cutting trees, stacking stones, and assembling the cabin with a swift precision, left me gaping in awe. While watching them construct the house, a cat approached my feet, and I petted it. Before I knew it, an entire house had materialized in the once-empty clearing, confirming to me once again that Ellie was an extraordinary being. Amazing, aren't you, sister? "—So, Sia and I made this for you, Ellie!" "Thank you, Alice. Did you have fun today?" "Yep!!" I awkwardly moved my two hands and placed the flower crown I had brought on top of her head. Oops, a mistake. Hehe, let me adjust it again. —Though I say two hands, one of them was just a clumsy hunk of flesh. My aim was off, making the process lengthy, but after numerous attempts, I eventually succeeded. "Wow! Ellie, you look just like a princess!" "....Do I?" Ellie, your smile is most beautiful during moments like these. Her delighted yet conflicted expression, accepting my gift, was a blend of joy, regret, affection, and sorrow. Her eyes, shifting here and there, focused intensely on my left arm, to the extent even I could notice. A grotesque reminder, as though bitten by some creature, messy and scarred—a token of her past actions. Crunch. Rather deliciously, I might add. "Hehe." Could she be feeling remorseful? Does she think she's forgiven? But sister, sins are such that even imprisonment, taking on similar injuries, paying penance, or escaping through death cannot truly atone for them. It's impossible to erase them, just like my eternal scars, one might look away, but they would never disappear. So, sister. Don't live wholly bound by my scars. They can't be repaid, nor undone, so it's futile. Admit your mistakes and vow never to repeat them. That's all that's needed. It's not so grave as to merit deep dwelling. Just a passing memory, you know? "Hehe! I wish I could always be like this with you, Ellie." "....I wish that too." "Really!?" I climbed onto her lap, swinging my legs back and forth. The wooden chair creaked in rhythm with my movements, blending with the crackling of firewood in the hearth, creating a melody exclusive to our little cabin. Ellie enveloped me in a tight embrace. To ensure I wouldn’t accidentally fall from the chair. That I wouldn't descend from her knees. "Alice, I promise to protect you." Ellie's firm words of assurance rang in my ears. Hearing them, I smiled softly. Oh, Ellie. "Yes, I trust you, Ellie." If I don't trust her, whom would I trust? --- The ancient chapel in the village of Syria. Within its walls, whispers of sobs, sighs, and fear-laden words reverberated endlessly. "Oh...oh dear..." "The relic, it’s...!!" In the center of the chapel. There once stood a sacred relic bestowed by the Vatican. Now, to be precise, it only existed in memory. "How could...this happen..." "P-priest—!!" Obeying the rule that every church must hold at least one relic, the elderly priest had arduously made his journey to the capital, receiving a hallowed cross directly from the Vatican. Delicately encased in glass to ensure no one could tamper with it. And now, it lay crumbled into a blemished heap—powdered and white. The holy cross, from before their eyes, unraveling from its very roots, akin to a diseased entity crumbling away. Witnessing this, many gathered hands in prayer, gazing on in confusion. An inexplicable occurrence. A curse from the divine? As if anyone had incited divine wrath. The church was filled with tumult. Once capable of hosting many, it had turned into a venue for debate. "A-a witch..." One murmured quietly among them. The room fell silent immediately. Plop. It was like a single drop disturbing a tranquil surface. The ripple began spreading outward. Voices of agreement began to grow louder. "Yes...it's the witch!! That's it for sure!" "—Come to think of it, wasn't there that sudden rain and frozen ground!?" "Right...there's no other explanation for the relic's sudden collapse!!" Madness, believed to be a divine curse. Transcends customs and traditions, sending ripples of fear. Ordinary folk can't withstand heavenly dictates. It's just coincidence crammed together. A returning ice age, a stroke of bad luck with freak weather conditions. Inadequate food leading to weaker bodies that easily fell ill, spreading sickness throughout the village, and a cold spell that crumbled pewter, failing its purpose. Yet they couldn't fathom this truth. The blame had an obvious target. Petty grievances had long brewed beneath the surface. Recently, her strange behavior and visits to suspicious locations have been noticed. This fueled suspicion and fear among the people, igniting into a contagious madness. It was simply a bit of bad luck. ** Two months passed—whether that’s a long or short time depends on perspective. In those months, Alice and I continued to nurture our budding friendship. Despite the strengthening of our bond, the mood in the village steadily declined. Villagers anxiously locked their doors even during ordinary outings, and tempers flared over the slightest inconveniences. How could it not— "—There’s no work for you today." "What...!? That can't be true..." "Things have gotten worse. Even if you’re of no help, you must’ve heard something, right?" Droughts, hailstorms, poor harvests, famines, and abnormal weather. Recently, even something akin to the flu has begun spreading. Our village was struck by all sorts of disasters. Truth be told, the signs had been there. Unlike in the past, the temperature had noticeably dropped by several degrees, affecting crop yields, which steadily decreased. Anticipating this change, villagers had begun stockpiling grain in advance. Yet, as time wore on, no resolution appeared. To make matters worse, the late autumn had seen unusual torrential rains, even as requests for harvest preparations for early summer’s crops had been planted. If only it had ended there. Soon after, a cold snap took hold, freezing the earth solid—an unprecedented catastrophe. The crops that had started to sprout likely perished. Adding illness to the mix, their mindset was understandable. Perhaps we could manage to endure this year, but... It's only a matter of time before the storage runs dry. "Anyway, with all that, there’s no longer any work for you." "Ooh... Alright, understood." Bang. The front door slammed shut with an unnecessarily loud noise. Click, the sound of locking followed. I was left to sulk with empty hands and a downcast tail outside the house. Though I had some money in my pocket to last a meal or two, it was scarcely enough for the long winter ahead. "Really... What kind of ordeal is this..." Dragging my feet, I aimlessly roamed the village. Once a place that, while never bustling, at least held some vibrancy, it had now become a desolate ghost town. From small windows, I felt the stares—that unsettling gaze bore upon me. Eyes. Those eyes, eyes, eyes. Staring from every crevice and corner. What's this? "......" What's going on? Gulp, my throat went dry from the tension. The hostility in those stares—though one could claim it was the usual, my gut was warning me of something different. Something dangerous. "....Let's investigate." With uncanny caution, I went to observe townsfolk out in the main street. In clusters, they gathered, discussing in whispered, suspicious tones. "—Ga...—, —." "...—, —?" "—!?" What were they talking about? Curious, I moved closer to eavesdrop. However, one among them noticed me, quickly turning and fleeing. Fleeing. The swiftness with which he disappeared from sight was alarming. ...What? "—, —!!" "It’s her!!" The remaining group, seeing his reaction, turned their eyes on me with palpable hostility. Those who noticed my approach dispersed rapidly. Leaving me behind. Not long after, the bustling alley was devoid of anyone but me. It felt like ostracization—a scene that unmistakably painted me as the outcast. "....What’s happening?" Confusion lingered in the air long after they vanished. Checking my surroundings, I found others also whispering and glancing nervously my way. As if they'd seen something terrifying. As if confronted by something repugnant. With every gaze, villagers avoided me, or worse, fled. "What in the world... is going on?" Isolation. It’d be inaccurate to say it never existed. From the start, abandoned by my parents and scrambling to earn my keep, one could argue my life had long been a suffocating struggle. Yet, perhaps out of a minuscule shared humanity, they treated me just enough to survive. The bare minimum of human decency. Giving work and, in exchange, a small sum or a meal. Absent that, I would’ve surely perished of hunger. However, never had they treated me with such blatant aversion before—seeing me as some foreign creature or showing open fear. They did have their pride, after all. But that seemed to have ended today. Despite over a decade in this village, everything around felt unfamiliarly alien, as when I first set foot here as a child. Faces once familiar now felt as distant as strangers. The once-comforting air of the village now so unsettling. "Is it dangerous...?" Enough troubling thoughts plagued my mind, especially concerning Alice's arm. Now, on top of that, this happens. —This arm... because I misbehaved. Sister punished me, so it ended up like this. —.....!!!! —I’m... a bad child... But I’m happy because I was forgiven! Oh, and this is a secret, okay? The account of Alice’s arm, which she had once confided—a story so unsettling I had hoped it was false or misunderstood. Having glimpsed such a horrifying fragment of reality, I wanted nothing more than to focus on resolving the situation... "Ugh... This is driving me crazy." After a brief walk, I decided to head back to the barn I called both my home and my resting place. I needed a nap before I could think clearly. Approach everything with a calm mindset. Who knows what could happen next? And so, I returned. ** * * *