บท 4: Strange Voice
I woke up to the sunlight blazing down upon me. My eyes were tender and my head was pulsing. I realized my bottle disappeared; I guess either the wind blew it elsewhere or someone stole it. Well, there goes my water source. I devoured half a scrap of bread to save the rest for later. I dragged back on my cloak and got up and clambered from under the dumpster. I noticed women bustling with baskets in their hands and people shouting out their goods and just how good they were.
I thought it might be a wonderful idea to get food. I went to a fruit stand and looked at what they displayed; I got constant stares from everyone and people were mumbling while shooting me disgusted glances. I bit my lip, but ignored them instead, looked at bright red apples, apples? Red? BLOOD?! My pupils shrunk, and I shivered lightly and my limbs became jelly as I reflected on my blood-covered body and the endless streams of blood and the musky odour that permeated through the air that night it felt as if I was re-living those moments. I began hyperventilating; I gripped my chest and twisted on it as I fell on my knees.
My heart felt like it would explode out of my chest and I couldn't think straight, my head was spiralling and my ears were ringing and cold sweat streaked down my forehead and got lost between my eyebrows. My skin was clammy and chilled. I hugged my body and continued wheezing. I noticed from deep within in me, a burning fever that soared to the top of my head and to the tips of my toes. My throat was dry and sore. I got thirsty for something, but I could not pin-point it.
"Blood..." A strange, eerie voice resonated within me "I want blood, give me blood" The strange voice said again. I held my head with both hands and bit my lip on instinct, but I didn't scream. It was as if a thousand hot knives had embedded themselves in my skull and took them out slowly before stabbing again, even hotter than the last.
"Give me your body, let me take over.... I'll quench your thirst," The eerie voice rang once again
"No, no, no, no, no, no, NOOO!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!" I shook my head, enduring the constant pain that clanged in my brain. My heart burned and throbbed as if someone was trying to yank it out of me.
"Kekekeke! Just give up, you want blood, your thirst for it endless," The maniacal voice laughed.
"NONONONNONONONONONONONONONONONO!!!" The many sensations going through my body at the same time overwhelmed me. I took deep breaths, trying to calm myself. I was unaware of what was going on around me, all I cared about was dealing with that growing thirst in me.
"Calm down, calm down, calm down. CALM DOWN INDIGO!!" I took another deep breath and endured the pain by picturing my mother's gentle smile and her encouraging voice as she comforted me after a day of abuse and rocks being thrown at my head. I took another deep breath and imagine her sweet singing voice. Another deep breath, her warm embrace as she hugged me while I cried. Another breath, her caring hands as she dressed my wounds. Every breath I took seemed to calm me down more and more.
"Phew, I relaxed my body, you're good you are fine, count with me," I said to myself "1... Phew... 2... Hah... 3.... 4.... 5 ...6...7...8.. 9...10," I counted slowly and with each number I relaxed more and the pain gradually subsided.
"Phew," I exhaled and wiped the sweat from my forehead, I stood up and wobbled slightly. I looked up and saw everyone's eyes on me and whispering to each other.
"Look at her, is she crazy? Poor child, she looks so young and scrawny, yet she is already crazy," A man whispered.
"What do you mean 'poor child' she's possessed," A woman said
"I say where are her parents tsk," A man pointed at me
"Her parents don't want her, she's so crazy, would you want a mad child under your roof,"
"You have a point, but look at her silver hair so strange,"
I realized my hood had dropped while I was trying to settle down, so I pulled it back down. The people staring at me looked at me in disgust and pity before talking again.
"Hey, did you hear about the massacre of the Weather clan?" A woman said to a man.
"Yeah, I heard that all the bodies were so mangled they weren't even recognizable, all of them cut in half and their organs were thrown around everywhere, even the law enforcers and detectives couldn't help but gag and throw up paling at the scene,"
I bit my lip again, although at this point the flesh was visible and it hurt to even lick. I turned around and ran as fast as my weak limbs could carry me, which was at a very sad stagger. I 'ran' back to the dumpster and ate another half of my bread while sitting. With how things were now, I couldn't go to an inn as they probably won't let me in.
"Hey, Lil, silver-haired girl!" I heard a deep scratchy voice call me. I looked up and saw a man in dirty clothes with a similarly dirty beard with two more men behind him.
"What do you want?" I glance at them suspiciously and held my knees and pouch tighter.
"Hehehe, I say you wouldn't even go for two copper coins with how ugly and scrawny you are, but you have some money on you, right?!" The man laughed and the men behind him followed in laughing with him.
"I don't," I hugged my pouch tighter
"Come on, just hand the bag over Lil girl!" The man sneered and leaned down towards me.
I was thinking about how to resolve this situation; I knew I couldn't beat them as a 10-year-old malnourished girl, there was no way I could beat three full-grown men who know the way around and are used to fighting. I knew I had to come to a compromise.
"Ok.... But I have one request," I asked deliberately, making my voice shaky
"HAHAHAHA!!" They cackled out loudly, lifting their heads to the sky, "You're not in the situation to be negotiating Lil girl!"
"I know, I just want the two pieces of bread in the bag," I looked down and said "They are already mouldy and they are harder than stone," I took the two bread out and showed them "See! I wouldn't want these three handsome, manly, brave sirs to get a stomach," I said as sweetly as I could, which instead, came out hoarse and cracked.
"Hm, you talk good here, gimme the coins you can keep the bag and bread. HAHA think of it as a charity," The men left cackling and joking and I handed them the sack I had put the money in. Although I was sad to part with the money, I rather not get beat up and lose my life.
"You're a smart kid," My eyes widened, and I looked to the source of the hoarse voice and saw an old man dressed in clothes with holes. His clothes were beyond discoloured and yellow, his grey hair appeared brown from all the dirt in it, his beard was long and mangled and the long mangled brittle hair on his head fell past his shoulders. He was unbelievably skinny and I could see his bones through his skin that was pale and unidentified, blotched with brown spots.
"Who are you?" I asked as I hugged my pouch, "This bread is mine, old man," I looked at him with hostility. Although I couldn't beat those men, this old man didn't seem too hard to beat.
"Ha-ha, don't worry child, how about this you give me one of those bread there and I teach you the laws of the street? I'll tell you where not to go, who not to mess with, and which dumpsters are the best. A good deal, won't you say?" He smiled and drawled, enunciating each word with his hoarse dry voice.
"Why do you want to help me?" I looked at him with suspicion seeping from my eyes.
"It would be a shame to see a youthful girl swallowed by the harshness of the streets, my name's Barnes don't call me old man."
"Why should I trust you, old man?" I wouldn't budge so easily.
I heard him sigh softly, I could smell his sour breath from here and his black and yellow teeth made me twist my face up. "You have nothing to lose either way if you don't come with me someone is gonna steal your bread or your gonna be sold into slavery or into prostitution. No matter what with your inexperience, you won't live long."
I clenched my teeth. What he said made sense. I chewed on my lip for a few seconds and the old man didn't disturb or rush me. "Ok old man Barnes, let's do this," I held out my bread and looked at him with determined eyes.
He grabbed the bread, "Nice doing business with you,"
"Likewise," he held out his skinny hand to help me up, I grabbed it pulling myself up,"
"How old are you and what's your name?" he asked
I thought for a while and decided on a fake name "Ten and I'm Indi,"
"Pretty name,"
"Thanks, old man Barnes,"
"Don't call me an old man,"
"Kay... Old man," Although I wanted to know who or what that voice was, I just decided it was must just be me hallucinating and that I was really going crazy.
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