CHAPTER XXI. NEVER SHALL I UTTER A WORD TO THOSE DEVILS!
__________________________________
THE house was always so lonely when my sister wasn't here. More than often, she would always allow me to accompany her when she left. However, today, she told me to stay here at the cottage while she went elsewhere. My only thought was about her well-being.
I knew she didn't let me go with her because of the men that had begun to show up at the house more and more. They would come during all hours of the night and wake us with their loud shouting and the banging on the door. They've thrown a stone through our windows, and my sister has boarded them up with slabs of wood she's nailed over them.
They left one window untouched, which is where I resided. Seated in one of the wooden chairs that I had pulled up beside the panes, I looked out over the empty field that surrounded us, isolated by the thicket of the forest. It was like the forest was the only thing that protected my sister and me from the monsters and devils that hid around us.
It was silent. There were no steps across the wooden floorboards, no creaking of my sister moving back and forth across the small cottage. No humming as she cooked, or the sound of water boiling around in the pot and making the lid that was too big bounce around. There was no chatter of my sister complaining that we didn't have enough fish broth or cucumbers. We could hardly ever afford cucumbers. She usually grew them, but they didn't do well this year.
Very seldom did my sister ever leave my side. She'd been with me since Father left for his expedition. He told us that he was going out to find the perfect place for the three of us to live without having to worry about anyone else. I was ecstatic for Father to return. I wanted to run off to that place he'd found so he, my sister, and I could all live together!
A loud bang echoed around the forest, traveling inside of the house. It wasn't loud enough for me to jump and run under the bed, as Sister had instructed me to do. No, this was further along in the distance. I climbed further into the window, placing my hands on the cool glass as I looked out. I saw birds fluttering up into the sky, their dark feathers and deep caws following after.
I stood up in the chair when I saw someone running from the woods. A child, like me. Surprisingly, he was pretty close to the cottage, something that almost never happened. What was he doing? Was he being chased?
I jumped down from the chair, running towards the door. I jumped up and moved the board that blocked it out of my way, and cracked it open. I stuck my head out, peering at the boy.
Sandy blonde hair moved with the wind. It was slightly tinted pink because of the blood that ran down the side of his face. He looked jittery--his chest heaving up and down, hands trembling at his sides as he frantically looked around. I could hear the distant shouts of men coming closer.
"Psst! Psst!"
The boy almost broke his neck when he turned at the sound of my calling. He looked around before spotting me in the crack of the door. I poked my arm out along with my head and quickly waved him over. He took my offer and ran toward me as I pushed open the door wide enough for him to slip inside. Once he was in, I pushed the door shut and pulled the board back over it.
"Thank yo--"
"Shh!"
Startling him, I grabbed him by his wrist and pulled him down, dragging him under the bed with me. His eyes widened when I put my hand over his mouth and backed further into the shadows. I put my finger to my lips and then pointed to the open window.
Two men passed by the window. One led a horse behind him, the other carried a weapon like I'd never seen before. I swallowed hard and kept low to the ground, just as my sister had taught.
"This cottage belongs to the witch girl," The first man, who led the horse, said.
"Is the boy inside?" The one with the weapon asked.
"Nay," replied the first, peering through the window. "It's vacant."
"The elder maiden was in town," The second said, switching the weapon to his opposite shoulder. "She's probably hidden the girl in the forest yonder."
"With our luck," Said the man with the horse. "The bastard boy'll be with the witch, and we'll get both of the devils."
"By the Grace of God!" The second exclaimed with a hearty chuckle as they began to walk away. "May the Lord look upon us to give us such wealth and luck!"
The next reply was cut off as they walked from my earshot. I motioned for the boy beside me to stay put before crawling from under the bed. I snuck to the window and looked out, making sure no one was around. I jumped on the chair and pulled the drapes that my sister had made down over the window.
"Okay," I whispered to the boy. "You can come out now."
He crawled out from under the bed, quickly raising his sleeves to wipe the blood from his forehead. "Thank you for saving me,"
"Why're the townsmen chasing you?" I asked, beginning to walk around him.
He was wearing a white robe--was he wealthy? But it was torn and covered with mud and blood. His hair was tousled and had a few leaves sticking out here and there. He was covered in bruises and had dried blood cracking off everywhere.
"I've been falsely accused," He muttered. "Are you the witch with they spoke of?"
"I was also falsely accused," I said, stopping when I got back to his front. "Why're you beaten?"
"I was falsely accused."
"Is that all you know how to say?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
"You're very sassy for a young girl," He said lowly.
"You're very stubborn for a young man," I quipped back. "How bad are your wounds, dear sir?"
"I can handle the pain," He said, placing his hand on the side of his head. "Why do you ask?"
"For I can heal them for you," I said, stepping forward.
"So you are a witch?" He questioned.
"I am not, sir. I use no witchcraft," I said, sticking my head up.
"Then how shall you heal my injuries with no dressings?" He asked skeptically.
"Bow your head and allow me to show you," I replied.
The boy was indeed skeptical, but I could also tell he was curious. So in which he did bow his head to me, I put my hands over the gash on the back of his head. As I brushed my fingers along it, the wound began to close, leaving no evidence that it was even there. I took my hand back and stepped away from him.
"There you are, young sir," I said, lifting the ends of my dress as I curtsied to him. "You've no more injuries."
He touched the back of his head in shock. "A priestess!" He exclaimed. "You have the healing hand of God!"
"Nay, young sir," I replied. "For I have no belief in the man above."
"A non-believer?" He asked. "Is that why they call you a witch rather than a priestess?"
"That is correct," I said, nodding in agreement. "They call me a witch for my abilities. But you mustn't babble about it to the common folk!"
He shook his head. "Never shall I utter a word to those devils!"
"Then we've come to an agreement," I said. "My name is Eris, good sir. What is thou been named?"
The boy smiled a little. "Sukuna," He said, bowing to me. "Ryomen Sukuna."
[Chapter XXI. End]
[Image does not belong to me]