Chương 35: Laughter of a travesty
The sky was abysmal , it had been for the past three days . Grey clouds hung like the withered wig of an old Count in his grave . They brought humidity with them but no rain not a drop of water , they only obscured the already frail light , killing it before each dawn .
The orphanage presently held a stale scent in the air , that was partly incense and partly apprehension .
Why would there be an air of apprehension you wonder ?
Because Henric was at death's door .
After Stuart screamed his lungs out and awoke the sisters in the orphanage , everyone rushed out from their rooms to check on the commotion . The sisters had to tell the children to return to their rooms at once .
Whilst in the garden , two sisters had rushed to check on what was happening , what they found was ... ghastly . Two boys , scantly dressed , were looking at the fountain where another boy was floating on the waters surface , his face under the water .
The first sister rushed up and pulled Henric out of the water , her bodice being soaked in the process but she didn't care .
" What happened here ? You best tell me the truth ." The other sister had said to Stuart and Link .
" He's not breathing ! " The first nurse had yelled back at them , " forget them , we can deal with them later . Call the nurse ! "
" I'm here ! I'm - Henric ! " Irene had screeched when she saw Henric's wet and still form in the hands of the nun .
She'd rushed over , shoving the other nurse aside and placed him gently down. She'd tested his pulse and when it remained still for nearly an minute , her heart almost broke to pieces .
Then she felt it , a faint throb but it was all she needed. She grabbed him , that's right , a middle aged woman lifted a nearly twenty year old man with her bare arms and carried him bridal style to the infirmary . There the nuns who saw her were flabbergasted but Irene at that moment had no care about the rules , only helping Henric .
Now the Pearl orphanage infirmary was no hospital or clinic. They did not have the full set of medical equipment needed to help someone who lost a limb or caught the pox . They would , as they did in the past , put such a person away and call the coroner to prepare themselves . It was a harsh thing but that was the state of the place , most of it's resources were used to keep the Reverend father healthy and strong , so if the Reverend was ever injured and this medical situation required something not at the orphanage , then all efforts would be made to get it .
But for simple orphans like Henric , they were not that important , so Irene could only use what was at hand . She cleaned his lungs of water by making him cough , by giving him CPR , an action that made one nun faint .
Then she asked Serena to boil some towels in water as often as she could . These she used to keep Henric warm and any available blanket she could get was placed on him .
" Have you lost your senses ? He's just a mere orphan . " Sister Becca told her after hearing about the blankets .
Irene gave her a good glare , " And I thought you were a Christian . He is a child , I have to save him if I don't wish to burn in hell. But you don't have that worry , do you ? "
" What is that meant to mean ? " Becca asked her .
" If you end up in heaven , then God isn't fair . " Irene said and before sister Becca could say anything else , " And if he dies then this place is hell and I'll know then I'm al'ready to die . Because I'll kill myself if he does . "
Sister Becca was too stunned to speak and Irene went back to treating Henric . But despite all her efforts , despite all the things she did , Henric was still too hot , his pulse too weak as if one second he'd just stop breathing .
That's why Irene did so much.
Why she tried so hard .
Why she kept trying .
Because ... she was so afraid .
.....
" The rose thorns are growing longer than before . Cut the branches not the stems ! Do it precisely ! " Sister Maria yelled to the boys and Chris gave a disgusted sigh .
Here they were , cutting up plants when one of their own was hanging to his life by a thread . When Chris had heard the news about Henric he had been stunned , his body shocked and his mind blown . To think such misfortune would fall on someone so pure. It made his faith waver and his belief blunt . How could God let such a thing happen ? It just wasn't right !
" Hey buddy , you bit your lip too hard . " The boy working with Chris said . His name was Alec and he was shorter than Chris with low shirt hair . His voice was bland and he sounded bored everytime he spoke .
" What ? " Chris asked him .
" Your lip ... It's bleeding . " Alec said pointing to his lip and Chris touched it and drew back to see blood . He hadn't know that he was biting his lip so hard .
" It's fine. Let's get back to work . " Chris said and Alec nodded his head but then his eyes became glazed over. He frowned and blinked before his eyes turned to Chris .
" You are very beautiful . I love your hair . Like wheat , or delicious bread . Can I sniff it ? " Alec said but his voice was not his .
Chris looked at the other boy with wide eyes . Gone was the distant boy who agreed to cut rose thorns with him , in his stead was a grinning clown . And that voice ... he's heard that voice before .
" Who are you ... what are you ? " Chris asked Alec , " Well ? "
" I'm River. You remember ? I was in your dreams . " River said through Alec , " I wanted to talk to you . And ..."
Alec raised his hand and placed it on Chris lip , he rubbed the spot where Chris was bleeding . An instant later a cold feeling fell on Chris's lip and he backed away .
" I healed you . Now you can stop running from me . Because I'll always find you ... " River said with a big smile before he left Alec's body .
Alec shook his head as if clearing it of something . Chris waited to see if he would remember .
" I just felt the strangest headache . We best get back to work . Sister Maria will notice soon . " Alec said in his dull voice again and he went back to cutting the roses .
Chris gritted his teeth , that darned pest ! That ghost had been doing this for days . Popping up into people's bodies and touching him , taunting him and just being an annoyance . Chris didn't know what to do . He'd thought about talking to someone but the likely hood of someone believing him was microscopic . They'd say he was mad or possessed by demons and Chris shuddered to think how he'd live his life after that .
So , he silently endured the phantoms antics , all whilst secretly ... he'd never admit it to anyone but ... it was growing on him . The ghost had practically become routine now .
So with a small smile and an annoyed sigh , Chris went back to cutting the roses whilst River sat on the fountain and watched him .
A cute one , River thought , how fun .
.....
Serena unpacked her trunk , spitting out the dust that got in her mouth . This thing was ancient .
She had gone into town the other day and a man on a carriage , who had been looking for her , said that her grandmother had died , no news of her brother though . Then he'd given her a trunk , saying it was her grandmother's last wish for her to keep it .
Serena had taken it out of good will but honestly she didn't want it . What would she do with old dresses and useless garbage from her olden days ? She hadn't even liked the old cow and it had been obvious . The house had been a war zone when she grew up with her grandmother , they always argued and faught . Her grandmother had hated her mother apparently and thought badly about her practice of witchcraft . That explained my father's reaction when I told him , Serena had thought .
So they had faught and faught , but when Serena said she was marrying Gerald Fox , her grandmother had hesitated a moment before sending her away . Serena had thought that would be the last time they saw each other and apparently that was true .
The old woman was dead . But Serena was discontent , which was strange . She had always thought she'd be over the moon when her grandmother died . Practically dance over her grave with a cheer and a song but she felt no cheer .
Then it came to her ... Henric. That boy had been in her head for a while now . It was hard not to think about him too , Sister Irene kept nagging her for warm towels . Serena had liked the kid well enough but she couldn't say they were friends .
But one thing was in his favor . Henric had a secret , a magical secret and if there was one thing Serena liked intensely it was magical secrets . The mirror the devil showed her had to be quite powerful to trap souls but so many other questions rose up as well .
Where did he get it ? How does he use it ? Is the soul inside talking to him ? Was that what she had seen on her first day there ? Did the mirror have something to do with the storm and Henric's condition ?
So many questions , Serena thought as she rummaged the dirty trunk her grandmother gave her , yet little answers .
" Oh , my ... " Serena glanced at the bottom of the trunk in shock .
The trunk had by now provided her nothing she didn't expect . There were dresses , baby clothes her grandmother knitted ( as if she would ever use those ) a few children toys from her and her brother and some old lady under garment . Serena had shivered at the former .
Now the trunk , a construct of oak wood with a flat lid and an iron handle on the side was empty . At least to a normal person it would appear empty but because Serena was a witch that made her different . She had a secondary vision , that allowed her to see magical auara . Of course, she was a relatively weak witch , her spells were nothing powerful and so she could not notice small magical auras , only powerful ones . And right then , a magical aura was flowing from the bottom of the trunk . But the auras color was confusing .
Magical auras came in shades , the brighter the color the more it was likely to be white magic and the darker the color, the more likely it was black magic . Her own spellbook gave off a dark green color and so she knew it was dark magic . Henric's mirror was a bright blue and Serena knew it was white magic at least .
The aura coming from the trunk however was a grisly black crimson . It ebbed and bubbled from the wood like toxic poison and made the hair on Serena's neck stand on end . She reached down and touched the bottom of the trunk and closed her eyes .
An evil face appeared in the darkness behind her eyes and Serena started . What is that ? She wondered .
She looked down into the trunk , curious to see if there was a mechanism or tool to open the base . At the right corner she found it , a piece of wood with a pink dot on it . She reached in and pulled the wood and the bottom collapsed like a castle of toothpicks .
Serena removed the pieces from the way and when she saw what was at the bottom of the trunk , she gasped in shock . Slowly she reached in and pulled out a book . But it was not just any book , it was a dark spellbook . The cover was brown and looked liked burned and boiled flesh . A wicked face was on the front with disgusting small yellow teeth and souless eyes that seemed to gaze at Serena with a smile .
" Where did grandmother get you little thing ?" Serena said out loud and she gave a mirthful smile .
" You and I , are going to have a lot of fun . " She said happily .
Little did she know , she had just received her death with open arms .
....
Stuart was on his knees in the chapel , his head bowed and his body in the appropriate state of submission . Link was next to him and in a similar state .
They had been kneeling in the chapel for hours , their backs were pricking with pain and sweat drippled down their bodies . Stuart was in a far worse state , he had dehydrated his body by crying again and again . First he had wept for Henric then after they came to the chapel and were told to kneel down , he wept for them both .
He hated that Link had to suffer this punishment and Link had not eaten that much dinner the other night. Now he was hungry , sweaty and tired . Oh , Stuart thought dejectedly , why ?
Why did Henric have to have a secret ? Why had he been possessed by that ghost ? Why had they not pulled Henric away from the fountain ? Why had they not left ? Why .... just why ?
" Why ? " Stuart said through his chapped and dry lips .
A moment later a ruler landed on the side of his head and he was knocked down .
" Up , child " Sister Terry said coldly . She had been assigned to watch them as they were punished . Any talking , unless it was prayer earned them a strike from her ruler . Link had red all over his left face and his ear had bled from countless strikes .
" Stuart , are you okay ? " Link asked and Sister Terry dealt him a brutal strike on his left side again and his ear bled anew .
" Silence ! Chút ! " Sister Terry yelled and then as if realizing her mistake , she crossed herself , " Forgive me father for losing my peace . "
" And us as well . " Stuart and Link said simultaneously and Sister Terry nodded her head .
" Now , continue to beg for forgiveness . Only when the boy wakes up or the ghost leaves him , will you get up . Only then . " She said sitting down with her ruler on her lap.
Stuart glanced at Link and saw his left eye was getting swollen but he still gave his lover a smile . They both turned to the alter and begged for forgiveness , Link didn't mean anything he said but as for Stuart ... he truly was begging for forgiveness .
Please let Henric live , he prayed , even if you take my life ... please let him live .
...***************...
Henric glanced up at the sky and was nearly blinded by the blazing sun . The blazing ball looked twice as close as it usually was and Henric had to cover his eyes with one hand .
But he blinked when he saw his hand was clothed in a blue fabric ... his whole body was . He seemed to be wearing a flowing blue garment with a golden and brown sash on his waste . It looked like a robe and a dress put together .
Henric touched it and felt it's soft texture , surprised by how soft it was and how clean as well . It gleamed in the light of the sky . After a few moments of looking at himself , Henric gave his attention to his surroundings .
He was not in the orphanage , or anywhere he knew . The sky was normal so he was not in that strange place . But he wasn't home , he knew that .
Henric was on a dusty dirt street in a town that looked to have been made of dirt and stone . Everyone around him was moving and speaking in a strange language . Shouts and calls could be heard from different places but Henric didn't even know what was being shouted for .
The people wore the same clothing like his , garments and flowing robes . The people were different ethnicities and races . He saw people wearing daggers on their hips and men walking away with women behind alleys . There was a smell of burnt meat in the air and a sour taste in it as well .
" Where am I ? " Henric asked out loud and everyone froze . Literally .
From the women calling out , to the bug on the rock and to the buzzards in the sky . Each one of these things froze and a still silence fell upon the place . It was slightly unnerving and Henric looked around himself to see what had happened .
That's when he saw him .
Someone was moving in the crowd of frozen people , he was walking towards him infact . He was at least two feet when Henric got a good look at him .
The strange person wore a flowing blue fabric on baze trouser like pants . He wore a baze fabric on his upper torso , and on his neck was a dark fabric he wore like a cape around his neck . It billowed in the wind and added a nice touch with it's various patterns . A ring of blue gems and gold was tied around his waste .
Golden ear rings hung on his ears and a string of necklaces were around his neck , of blue stones and gold . His skin was a delicious brown and his eyes a dark pull like a pit in the earth , brown and infinite . His hair was wild and untamed on his dark head . Tatooes were on his hands and forearms and his body was very lean .
His lips were thin and defined , his face sharp and his skin smooth looking . He held an aura of coolness and torrential emotions layed inside his heart , but that , Henric did not see .
" Who ... are you ? " Henric asked and the boy gave a depreciating smile .
" I guess I wasn't that important that you forgot me in less than two days ." The boy said and Henric instantly knew who he was .
" You are ... Him ... It ... Carey ." Henric said pointing at him and the boy smiled slowly .
" You remembered me ... and ," Carey came up to him and grabbed his cheeks , " you submitted to me . "
Carey then pressed their lips together and kissed Henric for the third time since they had met . But unlike those other times , Henric did not draw back at all . He let himself drift in the kiss like a fish in a merry stream .
He lacked experience though and so Carey had to teach him . First he bit Henric's lower lip and sucked on it gently and afterwards presented his own lip to Henric to do the same . Henric hesitated before doing exactly what Carey taught him . When he did it right , it was Carey who drew back .
" You ... kissed me back . " Carey said with confusion written on his face , " why ? "
Henric looked at him and gave a sigh before answering , " You keep doing that no matter what I do . I found it would be pointless to resist . I submitted . "
Carey narrowed his eyes and gazed deeply into Henric's eyes . After a few moment he let go of Henric's cheeks and gave a tsk of disgust .
" You think I'd fall for that ? " Carey asked him and then he pointed all around them , " This is my mind and I know what goes on in my mind . I know when you are plotting against me . "
His mind ? Henric thought but his face remained cool .
" Why have you brought me here ? " Henric asked Carey , he didn't deny he had been trying to trick him . Which was true , he had .
" I wanted to talk to you. To touch you . But if you only want to use me then you should leave . " Carey said glaring at Henric, " I'll stay in my prison and if you should want to talk , then call me . I should have known ."
Carey snapped his fingers and Henric disappeared in a cloud of dust . After he was gone , Carey looked around himself as the crowd began to move again . He gave a painful sigh before turning around and walking back into the crowd , to only disappear .
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
NixelLazuli
NixelLazuli The moment when things get heated is approaching ... may all children and innocent readers kindly be aware of this and skip the chapter that will be prewarned for them .
Also , check out the images of the characters . Quite lovely , I do say so myself .
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