"I... am... dead?" The question echoed in her mind, while a symphony of conflicting sensations enveloping her. A cold tendrils of uncertainty coiled around her, yet warmth seeped into her very core.
Her eyes fluttered open, revealing a world refracted through the undulating surface of water. Panic surged within her chest and she bolted out from the pool and drew a huge breath. She sat down and laid her back against the wall, coughing.
"Looks like I'm not dead yet..."
She suddenly felt a splitting headache, followed by sudden flashes of images from her memories.
She hugged herself as her body trembled as the flood of recollections revealed the horrifying truth. The scene kept replaying in her mind. The sounds of her tearing flesh and cracking noises kept ringing in her ears.
She clenched her hands and bit her lip. She remembers everything now.
She had endured countless stabbings, the pain almost indescribable as if her very organs were being violently ripped out. The memories of her broken body came rushing back—the sickening sounds of a metal bat relentlessly breaking her limbs, leaving her bones shattered.
The relentless torment played over and over, an endless loop that seemed to have no respite...
What a disgusting thing! That is such a dreadful memory!
Of course, she'd been betrayed by someone she trusted.
Why did she think she could trust him?
The person who sold her was the one who treated her with kindness despite the hate she received from others.
Once she finally allowed herself to be vulnerable, her fate took a dark turn. She fell victim to human trafficking and was mercilessly sold into the underground world as a sex slave. However, her tragic past had left her with devastating scars, making her the target of cruel judgments as people labeled her a monster.
How such a heinous faith keeps repeating itself?
Every day, she endured severe beatings simply because she couldn't be exploited for carnal favors. She was utterly unwanted, and anyone who looked at her twisted their faces in disgust, as though they had encountered a hideous beast.
However, the day still come when they decide to use her body.
Not for men,
But what about her organs?
I felt completely helpless at the time. Perhaps it is better to die than live like this. Perhaps death is synonymous with freedom.
Nobody ever imagined that her feeble physique would save her.
I never thought I'd be thankful for having this kind of body.
Due to the severe damage caused by daily beatings and malnutrition, her organs are unfit for extraction and sale. The doctor informed her that she is in a critical condition, with only a few years left to live.
I only have a few years left? You moron! I've been alive for a very long time—longer than anyone else here.
But...
She stood there in shock, a witness to an unprecedented atrocity. The sight of people, hollowed out and trapped behind the glass, made her tremble uncontrollably. She instinctively closed her mouth, unable to find words to express the horror she felt. Her knees weakened, threatening to give way at any moment.
Maybe death is freedom, but...
That is the most horrible way to die!
They commence with pleading, only to culminate in piercing screams that send shivers down anyone's spine. The intensity of their cries is enough to raise hairs on end. In a state of wakeful torment, their bodies were mercilessly cut open, and their faces contorted with sheer horror as they helplessly witnessed the extraction of their organs, one by one.
If she was not sick, she is probably one of them now, lying and screaming.
All of these b*stards who swear to save people were the ones who did this. They even gave them doses of a specific drug to keep them alive and alert during the operation, as well as to make them aware of what these people were doing to their miserable bodies. Because their eyes were bulging, I am positive that this drug did not provide numbness or alleviate their discomfort.
Their organs, limbs, and even blood were all removed. Nothing remained after the remaining portions were hauled to the corner and ground up to be fed to the canines reared for illegal sports.
She grimaced as an unpleasant taste invaded her mouth, making her stomach churn, not only due to the terrifying sight before her but also the overwhelming stench of death. The experience twisted her insides.
Summoning her inner strength, she steeled herself and took a deep breath, fearful that any sign of weakness might provoke them to lash out at her once more.
But the sight...
How could anyone bear this sight?
She couldn't detect any sorrow or pity. As though these people were used to performing such heinous crimes.
Are they still human?
The only thing keeping her thoughts sane was when the doctor spoke up again.
"Her frail body can be used to beg money on the street."
At the very least, they believe I am still useful. I must be useful or I will end up like them.
She was cast out onto the streets alongside others. Despite her diligent efforts, she found herself reduced to begging, akin to a dog or even worse. In the eyes of some, there was nothing but disgust; others showed pity, while the majority simmered with anger.
As I pondered my inability to escape, the question echoed in my mind: Why couldn't I just run away? However, deep down, I already held the answer.
They're everywhere. They have eyes and ears everywhere in the cities. I am a slave and prisoner of an underground organization.
Should I dare to flee, their watchful gaze track my every move. The consequence of capture was unthinkable - they'd dispose of me without mercy, treating me no better than a hunted animal.
She was grateful that there were so many people throwing money at her; despite their disgust and repulse at her appearance, they were unknowingly saving her life.
All the money she had toiled for was taken away, leaving her with a mere penny, not even enough to afford bread. Consequently, she resorted to searching through trash bins to find sustenance. She considered herself lucky if she could come across half-eaten pieces of bread or meat, although the food she managed to find was invariably scraps on the brink of staleness.
She despised the days when all she could do was drink water and sleep. Consider how fortunate the cats, dogs, chickens, and pigs are to have a hearty dinner before going to sleep. They could even eat a healthy snack, such as fruits.
But one day, all the money she earned from begging was stolen. So they decided I could no longer be used.
They were tired of me. So they decide to play a little. They said, "Break the things that are no longer useful".
And out of the blue, I was hit by something hard, and my foot bent in ways it should not have.
All I heard was...
Cracked!
Cracked!
Cracked!
As she lay upon the frigid floor, her body immersed in her own blood and her limbs crushed, the only sound that reached her ears was their callous laughter. To add to her suffering, they shamefully spat and peed upon her.
There is nothing she wishes for after she dies. If people can really be reincarnated. She would love to be a cat or a dog. At least, being a cat or a dog, she could find someone who cares for her. Feed her and get her sheltered from the cold.
She felt so sleepy. She can still hear their laughter.
Then...
Her dying gaze was drawn to the corner into the shadow. In the shadow, there were smoldering eyes. It growled ferociously as its fogging breath was oozing out between its fangs.
Their amusement gradually went to fear, which turned to screaming.
It went after them one by one. It pulled their limbs apart. Some were cut in half. Some have been mauled alive.
They appear to be unable to see the thing, but she can see it with her dying eyes. Perhaps because she was on the verge of death, she was able to clearly observe the monster that did not belong in this world. It has to be the same creature that appeared from nowhere when she was a child. The creatures that have continued to pursue her until now.
Maybe this is my faith.
"I was able to hide and run from you, but you finally found me. Yet I'm going to die now," she said, smiling while looking straight at the creature before closing her eyes.