Memory in the End

Chapter 26: Henry's Past

This was a story that Henry told me back when we were waiting for the others to wash up after the incident in the sewer.

It's dark. I can't see anything. I can't breathe. Please, someone, help me!

Suddenly I'm pulled up by the back of my hair. My shirt is soaked, and the cold is beginning to numb my wet skin. I'm coughing and gasping for air, looking at the person who was still clutching my hair. Her face was twisted with disgust, rage-filled coal colored eyes glaring at me.

"Wretched lil' brat. If you han't been born, we'd be better off. He wouldn't 'ave left me!" She dunked my head back into the bucket of water, holding me down. I held my breath the best I could until she finally got up and left. I pushed myself out of the bucket and slumped next to it, trying to catch my breathe. My teeth chattered in the cold, biting air.

My mother was supposed to have married my father, but when he learned that she was pregnant with his child, her disappeared. There were many rumors of him having met a beautiful young daughter of a butcher, and that he was living a very content life. My mother was forced to raise me on her own, in a little hut out in the countryside. I've heard that we once had a proper home in a town, but when they'd learned that she had a child out of wedlock, she was scorned and ultimately had to leave. Ever since, she has blamed my existence for every unfortunate thing that had befallen her. Every single day of my life, I did my best to tread carefully around her, to make myself as useful as possible, but regardless of how hard I tried, she always ended up angry and subjected me to the punishment of the water bucket. But not today. I'm done wasting my efforts, only to be tortured again and again.

Peering into the water bucket, I stared at my reflection. My face was dirty and smudged, and there were scrapes and bruises from the times that she's hit me. I kicked over the bucket, the water splashing onto the ground and the bottom of my pants. I clutched my wet clothes in a futile attempt at warmth, and made my way to the nearby hilltop. The wind blew my frail body back, but I persevered onward. When I got to the top, I turned around and took one last look at the lonely cottage, with a small puff of smoke coming from the chimney every so often. Even if only death awaits me, I will leave the hands of that woman.

So I climbed over the hill and went as far as I could. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew I had to leave. I refused to stay there any longer. But...perhaps this wasn't a good idea. There aren't any towns close by like I thought there would be, and it's getting colder. It was a little after noon when I left, and the sun is already beginning to set. Have I been walking for that long? I should find wood to make a fire. But it had just rained the night before. Any wood that I find will be wet. My body is beginning to shiver even more. I don't have many options for warmth.

The only thing ahead of me was a river. The rain from the previous night has flooded it, and the water was flowing rapidly. It would be risky to try and cross it, as there were rocks protruding down the stream, and hitting those with the force of the river could be deadly.

Sitting at the bank of the river, I stared down into the moving water. I saw my reflection get washed away with the current. I heard myself chuckling silently. It seems that water will always find a way to be against me. Going silent again, I got up and stood as close to the edge of the river as possible.

Perhaps I should hand my life over to the river. Water was destined to be my killer, either by my mother drowning me, or getting swept away here. Well, at least now she won't have the satisfaction of seeing me die.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and let myself fall into the river. It was cold, but I was already freezing to begin with. At this point, my body was becoming numb. The only noise I could hear was the river flowing as it carried me further and further downstream. It felt so peaceful and calming. A death like this might not be so bad.