Stigma

Prologue

From the main road to a small alley. Left corner then right, right corner then left. The night sharp icy breeze brushes at her cheeks as she run at full speed, and her thin rugged clothing doesn’t help decreases the pain from the freezing autumn wind.

She didn’t care… as long as she can escape, she’s prepared to face any torture or imprisonment.

If she were ever to stop for even a second, she will immediately lose her life. Endure it, endure it. She told herself as if chanting up some prayer.

“HELP!!! ANYONE!!!!” She scream.

No one answered.

It’s not surprising given the time. A week ago, at the very village of Lundy, three female corpses were found in one of its alley. Organs been ripped to shreds, missing body parts, and their faces were crushed like a watermelon. Authorities suggested that a bear or probably a wolf had come down from the nearby forest and started attacking people.

Alwen, a female slave from the wealthy family of merchants—Yale, were out for some shopping for her master’s meal when she found the three corpses. They were already beyond recognizable when she arrived.

Alwen needed a full three seconds for her mind to process that what she just saw are human beings, intermingled to each other, and has lost most of its limbs from an unknown beast. She felt her stomach flip upside down from the horrible scene.

People started swarming to the place of the incident, some gave a look of disgust and some even started puking. The smell is horrendous, with each minute passing by, the smell only intensifies as bacteria kept on multiplying producing maggots out from the flesh and eating what remains from it.

The police arrives and took control of the crowd. But their failed attempt, seemed to have only made it worse.

As Alwen about to leave from the ghastly scene, she noticed one of the hand…. or more specifically the remaining finger of one of the victim. A ring, a silver colored ring.

She couldn’t believe at what she saw, no it couldn’t be. She step forward to get a closer look but the police stop her in her tracks. The distance is only about five meters, but it was enough for her to confirm it.

˾A ̚

Those were the initials that are ingrained from the roughly made silver ring. From the initials, color, texture and its jagged edges… Alwen recognizes all of it. An awkwardly made ring from melting a silver spoon, its shape was elliptical due to the poor craftmanship of its maker.

Alwen left the crowd, and fled from the scene. She has to make sure of it.

Getting late from her duties calls for a severe punishment, but for the first time in her life, she will have to disobey her master.

Arriving at the main market where multiple shops can be found with each stretch of a neck, Alwen darted towards the center, through her hurry, she accidentally bumps from one person to another, knocking several trading products and leaving angry merchants along the way. Arriving at her destination, she anxiously scans the surroundings of the Penyard family’s market place—a rich family of merchants that are strongly connected with the Yale family.

Trying to hold back the tears, she asked the nearby woman who’s mending the meat products for her store. “U-uhmm!”

The woman eyed her from head to toe, clearly not pleased at what she’s seeing. “What do you want?” She said in an irritated tone.

“Uhh… er…” Alwen stammers, unsure of how to converse with the irritated woman.

“If you’re not buying anything then go home! You’re an eyesore, my customers will avoid my shop if you they see you—GO AWAY!!!”