章 77: Tears and Laughter
"@(#*@"
I felt a nudge and my eyes fluttered open.
My eyes only took a few milliseconds to focus in on the person hovering above me. A smile adorned my face, as I confirmed father's sturdy face above me. Still feeling sleepy I reached up and wrapped my arms around him. I gave him a hug as the warmth from his body made me even cozier.
I stayed like that for a few more seconds, before I moved back and flipped off my blanket. Father flashed me a smile and then patted my head.
"Time to get up Ella."
He spoke quietly, as I felt the cold wind on my skin. These night watches were so annoying. But I knew it was necessary. I was surprised the first time father had mentioned that meals might attack us in our sleep.
Such things never really happened back at home, but after seeing how meals could lie, and their repeated attempts to hurt us, I had lost much faith in them. Why couldn't meals just obediently let us eat them when we were hungry?
I promise that I wouldn't eat them all at once, I may be hungry all the time, but I knew better than to gorge myself. It was better to savor each meal.
But I was getting side tracked; I quickly sprang up and said good night to father. He took a position just next to where I had been lying down and flipped a blanket over himself. I walked a short distance away and started to look at our surroundings.
I was able to sense a lot of things, with the wind brushing by. The darkness of the night was calming, as I sat on a small rock I had found. I could sense father who was lying down, without looking in his direction, and could faintly sense his breathing up and down.
I could also see the portable meal that had been accompanying us, who was situated 20 meters away. When we were having our feast tonight, having taken care of the inferior beings, father had mention why she would want to sleep so far away from us.
He was showing his kindness and wanted her to sleep closer, encase a meal attacked. We would be able to react if such a thing happened, but there was no guarantee that she wouldn't be hurt.
Unlike father and me, the meal was very weak and fragile. Her presence was barely there and it was as if she could be knocked over with a gust of wind. Even though both I and father had gotten stronger and stronger over the day, she hadn't.
As I looked on at her follow us and take a lot of our time, I wanted to eat her. But with how weak and fragile she was, she probably wouldn't taste nice, not filling enough. The only reason I focused on her tonight, is because both me and father were waiting.
Yes father may look like he was sleeping, but he had talked to me during dinner. He wanted to know if the same thing that happened last night, would happen again today. I had informed him about what happened in the morning, and he was shaken from what I observed.
He was so shaken by what had happened, that I wanted to get rid of her right away, she was hurting father in some way. But he had stopped me, he wanted to confirm for himself. And everything that happened last night went exactly the same.
While I had been sleeping, that meal hadn't fallen asleep. It was only when father went to sleep, that she did the same. Just like the night before, about 20 minutes after father pretended to go to sleep, it happened.
My head twitched as I felt it happen and I stood up. Father was even faster than me, as he threw off his blanket and made his way over to where the meal slept. I walked over to stand a little distance away.
Once he reached his destination, father stopped and stood still. And he stood still there for about 30 minutes. I frowned as I started to feel his emotions go all over the place. It was like nothing I felt before, as I was bombarded with an array of conflicting thoughts.
Being able to peer into his mind words and phrases popped up and flashed by, as he continued to stand there and something never before happened.
It all stopped.
I panicked as I was cut off from him, in my confusion I rushed over. I had never had his happen, his emotions, his thoughts, any small connection that I had, that I always had felt, stopped.
It was like it had been cut off with a knife.
'Father?!'
I tried to talk to him mentally as I made my way over, but got no response.
"Father?!"
I talked out loud but I still got no response, my fear started to build as I arrived next to him and grabbed his hand.
"Father!"
I shouted out again to gain his attention, but he was just staring into space as he didn't move, his eyes turned hollow. I couldn't see anything inside them.
My worry was expanding to new heights as he finally moved, after 30 minutes of just standing still he walked away and over to a huge tree trunk. I continued to call out to him, to grab his attention, but nothing worked.
I followed closely behind as he stood in front of the tree and gripped his fists.
Then I finally heard a sound out of his mouth.
"Ha"
It started off small, and remained that way as he laughed out and pulled his fist back. Using his strength he started pummeling into the trunk and continued to laugh. I couldn't feel his emotions, and couldn't understand why he was laughing.
He pulled his fists back over and over again as he pummeled into the tree.
"Hahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha"
Over and over again, he laughed as he hit into the tree, blood even started to come out. Father had mentioned before, that the trees that populated the mountains weren't the ones he used to know. They were extremely sturdy compared to before. So much so that we could cut down branches for fire wood, but not actually knock down the trees.
I had thought it was normal, for them to be so tough, but father had told me different. And now with these trees, he was endlessly punching into them. I had held myself, behind him, as I watched, not sure what to do.
The laughing was like a small sword grinding itself into my brain I don't know if I would forget this sound. I knew that this was hurting him.
I moved closer to look at his face, I had to try and understand what was happening, father was for sure not happy!
I moved around and could finally see his face again. His hollow eyes had changed and showed signs of fury, madness, and a myriad of other emotions, as his lips remained in a permanent expression of agony. The laughing that was coming out of his mouth did not match up and was so hollow.
His eyes were watering so much, as tear cascaded down his face. He continued to be like that for another 20 minutes, before I had to jump in a stop him. I knew that he would be better, later with his bloodied fists and physical injuries, but something even worse was going on here, something to do with his mind.
I was starting to truly hate the meal that had caused father to act like this. The added fact that I wasn't connected to him was of concern. I stepped out in front of him and in the way of his fists and that was when he finally stopped.
His hands that were red with blood and tree bark stopped inches from my face, as his eyes showed a slight hint of familiarity.
"Father."
My voice was quiet as I looked up at him, I slowly reached out grasped onto his bloodied fist and held it tightly.
"Stop"
His body trembled at my touch and I felt him wanting to pull his hand away. I gripped on tightly and stopped him from moving away. I didn't know what I could do at this moment, so I pulled him in for a hug.
It always helped me when I felt his warmth, and it was all I could do. The tears were still going down his face as we hugged. Strength left his body as he fell to his knees and left his hands at his side. I felt my shoulder become wet, as father continued to cry.
Finally after a few minutes, it finally stopped and I felt his strength return, the only problem was I still couldn't feel him. Something was still wrong. I looked up at him worriedly, but he only gave me a small smile and patted my head.
This didn't placate me though and I was still worried. He picked himself up and made his way over to our reserves. I wasn't sure what he was doing, until he picked up one of the pieces of meat.
I tilted my head.
Father doesn't like to eat his meals when they're not cooked.
This was very unusual for father.
*Crunch*
And then he started to eat, there was nothing wrong with eating a meal, I was actually happy that he started eating, it always cheered me up, so I'm sure it would do him the same. I started to think he would be good in no time.
I was still a bit pensive, but after seeing him start to eat, I knew he would be fine. I walked up next to him and also grabbed a piece right in front of his eyes.
I gave him my best smile to cheer him up and ate some. Finishing my piece, I then handed one over to him and he took it from me.
Biting into the piece, blood didn't explode out as usual, as the meals were slightly older, but it was fine, it made less mess. Sometimes father didn't like the mess that I made when eating.
We continued to sit like that as father ate more and more of our reserves, he must really need them.
And finally after another hour I felt my connection to him. The feelings that I had felt before were gone and replaced by his usual ones. His feelings of anger were higher than usual, but everything else had returned to normal.
I could breathe a sigh of relief, as I sat down with him and started to eat. This was the first time he had eaten meals with me like this. It actually made me happy on the inside.
"Hey Ella."
He finally spoke to me as I was taking my favorite piece out of a meal, the heart.
"Let's kill that fucking god. Let's make that meal suffer immeasurably when the time comes."
I didn't really know what he was talking about, he had some times mentioned 'god' and there were always negative feelings towards whatever that meal was. I don't know what the meal had done, for father to hate it so much. But I was going to make it suffer when I found him.
"Yes!"
I nodded my head strongly as I replied, a smile back on my face.
"Let's make that meal suffer!"
クリエイターの想い 
Zevren
Zevren Hey guys here's the chapter. Hope you enjoy.
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