I AM.... [Second Book of Loyal. The Past.]

Chapter 227. The Sky Is Crying.

Cloud sat outside with her sister, Rain who was standing on the porch looking at the dark sky. Holding up her hand, Rain caught a few rain droplets that slid off the roof. Cloud came up behind her sister just in time to see her lick the rain droplets off her small hand.

Cloud: Come inside, Rain. Mother says we are not supposed to be outside in the rain at night.
Rain: The sky is crying, Cloud.
Cloud: Yeah? That's because you are making it rain.
Rain: I'm not. Look up.

Cloud stared up at the sky, It was dark, but it always looked like this at night. Cloud turned to her frowning sister.

Cloud: Well, Rain? What's wrong?
Rain: Look, Cloud. Did you put clouds in the sky tonight?
Cloud: No... I didn't.
Rain: You see?

Cloud and Rain kept staring at the sky until their mother saw them and took them inside. Sitting on Cloud's bed, the two Goddesses looked out the window.

Rain: Cloud?
Cloud: Just pray, Rain.

The two Goddesses were safe in their own home, and yet they could feel the pain of someone.

Down Below.

A young boy sat on the cold ground not wanting to look up at the mean hateful faces of the tribe leaders. Everyone in the tribe stood around whispering to each other and pointing at the boy.

Tears hit the hard ground.

"Why were you there with your parent's dead bodies?"

"I wanted to see them."

"Don't you have any respect for a resting body?"

"He doesn't. What can you expect from a demon?"

"I needed to see them for one last time."

"Why?"

"They are my parents..."

"Do you know how wrong it is to touch a deceased body?"

"No. The others get to do it, why can't I?"

One of the leaders slapped the boy hard across the face. There was a flurry of whispers.

"For you, it's very wrong."

"Why? I want to know."

"A spirit is arising from the body, they must not be disturbed by some child of the devil! Is that why you were there? To steal your parents' spirits?"

"I- I wasn't-"

"Shut up."

"I'm sorry, but I wasn't stealing-"

"How dare you talk when we said no."

The boy did nothing but hug himself wishing his mother was here to hold him. Everyone in the tribe stared at the boy on the floor.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing. I'm just..."

Crying now, the boy covered his face with his hands.

"I want to go home!"

"What home? You have no one."

"I want to go home!!"

"What were you whispering?"

"I was just talking to myself..."

"To yourself, or your father, the devil?"

"No! I wasn't talking to him!"

"Look at him. Look at the child of the devil on the floor."

Everyone in the tribe began to laugh at the crying boy on the floor. Mud was thrown at him along with rocks, and the fecal matter of the animals.

The boy curled up into a ball still crying.

"Mama!"

The jeering went on.

"Papa!"

The leaders did nothing but stare at the boy being hit. A few children ran up to kick the boy on the floor.

"I need you."

At last, the tribal leaders told the people to stop.

"First it was the lie that crazy man told you, and now this?"

"..."

"What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Nothing. Whatever I say, you won't believe."

"Right. Get him."

A few of the tribal leaders shot up, grabbed the boy, and dragged him out of the hut. The sky was raining now showering on the boy and the people.

"Stop!"

No one listens to the boy who was screaming for the leaders to let him go. Soon, the boy and the leaders were inside of a hut. The boy saw the fire and sharp objects in front of him.

"What- what are you-"

Before the boy could finish his sentence, he was shoved hard onto the floor. Looking up, the boy saw a strange man with a large black mask covering his face.

"This is for the peoples own good, so they don't let their children near some demon."

"No! No, don't this!!"

The man in the large mask took one of the objects on the floor, the boy screamed again or his parents who were dead.

"No! Mama!! Papa!! Someone help me, please!!"

The leaders held the boy down for the man in the mask to mark him.

The sharp burning tool pierced into the boys naked back. Everyone stood outside listening to the boys screaming in agony. The sky continued to rain.

Crying.

Two hours later...

Everyone was inside their huts sleeping or just spending time with their family sheltered from the rain.

The boy was lying on his stomach weeping from the pain of the tattoo but mostly because he was alone now.

The tears of the sky kept falling.