Chapter 13 – Where did the flavours go?
Chapter 13 – Where did the flavours go?
"Owh really? Then, what about that stuffed animal in your hand? Supposedly , the kitten and puppy ones are for my sisters, while the lamb is for me. Thanks to you taking the kitten one, I got none" Pointed Arston about the girls behaviour.
"Owh… owh… i.. I'm sorry….. I… I really like it, it's just like my little cat when i… " Answered the girl with a guilty expression and started tearing up when she's recalling something.
"Huff.. it's alright… you keep it, my dad will certainly question me where I get it from" Arston took a step back when he sees the girl is starting to cry again.
"A.. anyway… what's your name again?" Arston diverted the conversation afraid that he has to listen to another round of crying.
"I'm… I'm Renica, nice.. to meet you" introduced the girl amidst her sobbing.
"Huff.. nice to meet you Renica, I'm Arston" greeted Arston after a sigh of relieve.
"so, can you tell me where you from and what happened to you?" Inquired Arston more about the girl.
She then nervously tells her memories.
"I… I can't remember clearly, All I know, I was going to sleep, my mom read me a story about some brave knights and princesses, then kissed my forehead saying goodnight. When I woke up, my bedroom already covered by dusts and spider webs, soon, some men and women opened the door and started taking my belongings, including that doll of me which my mom made for me to accompany me in my sleeps. So, I followed them because the doll meant a lot to me"
"How long was it since you woke…" Arston was about to ask more when the little girl put her tiny index finger on her lips, signing him to be quiet.
"Please stop Arston, someone's coming, I don't want to be sent away again, don't reply for now okay…."
True enough, soon the door to his room is opened by Irvina.
"Sweety, did you see anything weird?"
"Umm.. what do you mean mommy? I'm just reading this book that daddy gave me" Replied Arston innocently.
Irvina exhales a short breath of relieve and says
"If you see anything strange or anything out of place at all, please let mommy know, okay dear.."
Arston tilts his head a bit and replies;
"Okay mommy"
The door soon closes, and the girl gives him a thumb up.
"Is it okay for you to continue now Renica?" Arston implied her to continue her story.
Renica gives a nod and continues;
"I also not sure, but I think it's been some ten years ago, Maybe? "
"What have you been doing since then?"
Renica ponders a bit and responses
"The men and women divided my belongings to themselves. But I only followed the doll of me, the woman took it and gave it to her knees I think? And so, I played with many other kids the same age as me and you right now Arston, but once they got bigger, they no longer can see me, even they don't remember me, it's like they never met me at all. And…. And… when I intentionally showed myself to them by appearing at mirrors, they, they got scared by me, I … I tried to make myself be recognized by others, but… bbut… "
Arston stops the little girl since she's starting to tearing up again by wiping her few droplets of tears and finishes her story with his guesses.
"You made yourself known by moving objects and the doll of you which your mom made got sent away, it's that correct?"
The sobbing girl nods and tears starting to fall like a broken dam. Her tears feel like a normal water in Arston's palm, just a bit colder. His palm also got wet from touching it.
"Please don't cry okay… I know it's must be hard for you, but, you need to understand that you're no longer…. Umm… alive" Arston consoled the sobbing girl, yet he also told her of her current condition, with some difficulties on pronouncing it.
"Huh? I'm already died? But, but I, I" Renica stuttered on rejecting her condition but also at lost of what argument that she can use on denying it.
"Have you ever wondered about why not everyone can see you?"
"Umm… I never thought of it, back when I still lived at my home, I'd never gone outside, I think the farthest I ever gone to was the flower garden, and none of the maids nor knights ever spoken to me, they only nodded and smiled"
"Can you describe your home to me?"
"Umm.. it's quite big, I don't remember the whole house, my room was located at the second floor, you just need to go straight, then turn right and then left, it has a large window, you can see the flower garden if you open the window," Described Renica of her old house.
Arston rubs his swelling forehead but says nonetheless;
"Are there any other places where the adults often went to?
"Arr.. Uh, there's this huge… room where grandpa and daddy used to gather, grandpa usually sits on the large chair in the middle of the room" Renica tried to remember and managed to recall one of the room.
Huff.. let's just move on to the part where you can pass through doors, normal , I mean, living creatures can't pass through matters"
"owh.. I thought it's my power of some sorts" The girl looks down in embarrassment
"moreover,"
"Arston points his finger at her neck and says;
"have you ever paid any attention to your neck?
"Well, yea.. it has some black markings on it" She answered the query with a nervous tone.
"do you know where it's from?" Asked Arston, but all he gets is only a head shook from Renica.
"It's a mark left behind when someone inflicted a hard enough hit or clutching, in your case, it's a mark of strangling, which means that you were murdered on that night while you were sleeping" Explained Arston to clarify the origin of the markings on her neck.
"so, so, I'm already …. Already… " the girl was about to cry out loud after the realization struck her like a lightning, but covers her mouth after Arston reminded her about her promise. Thus, it's only limited to a silent weeping.
Arston moves his fingers to touch the black markings on her necks.
"Is it hurt?" Asked him
"N… not at all" Replied Renica after a few tapping of Arston fingers on her neck.
"I see, that's a good sign for a start, don't be too sadden by it, at least you're still here, look at the bri…" Arston wanted to consoled the downtrodden girl who is sitting opposite him when realizes that it's too much of a hypocrite of him by saying so, therefore, he cut it short.
"You're… You're not going to send me away right Arston..? please let me stay.. it's too lonely, no one talks to me, when they see me, they either run or just stood there until I got bored and I went somewhere else" implored Renica to the boy across her and wanted to hug his feet. Yet, she is stopped.
"Hey, stop with the hugging, of course you can stay, its not my house anyway, I'm only a child of the owner, I suggest that you don't make a mess, like moving things when someone is nearby"
Arston reminded the girl, then continues with his assumption;
"Anyhow, you mentioned that the kids before me will no longer able to see you once they got older, right?
He receives some worried nods, and resumes;
"I think it's that transition period where children will have their first memory, I suppose you also have that first memory correct? Where before that you only know what you have done from other people mentioning it to you" Arston speculated the reason behind the kids before him who have met, played, even befriended her yet forgot about her existence all of the sudden.
"Yes… YES!!!.. now that you mentioned it, I too experienced it, my first memory is that time where mommy sang a lullaby for me, I… I.. " Affirmed Renica to the claim and wanted to cry again after recalling one of her precious memories.
"Alright, please don't cry, crying won't do you any good, it's just a waste of time and the liquids in your eyes" He comforted, while thinking "I got discharged honourably from the conscript by dying and four years later, I got recruited on babysitting, perhaps even spiritsitting department"
"I'm not sure whether I'm going to be the same as them, but if I do, you can make the others notice your existence alright…. My birthday will come soon, so it won't be long from now"
"Mm.. okay… umm… Arston" agreed Renica but also wanted to ask the boy.
"yea? What is it?"
"Umm.. how could you know so much?" she spoke the curiosity in her mind out.
"Let's say, if you count this time, it's not my first" Arston gave a vague reply and grinned
"Huh? Not your first time? You mean you already lost your memory once? Did someone hit your head before? Is it still aching? She tried to check the boy's head for injury but he stopped her.
"it's not like that dummy, anyway, are you hungry? What do you usually eat?" Arston changed the direction of the conversation to food.
"I like sweets but anything will do, mommy told me not to be picky on eating"
"Alright"
Arston then took the cake from the day before and take a small bite to check whether it's already spoiled or not. And give it to the girl in ice blue gown.
He sees the cake got lifted by her pale hands, yet, the cake still also remains at the same place. The cake looks like it just got cloned. Arston picks the plate holding the cake up and takes a bite of the cake. It tasted plain, the sweetness from before when he checked it earlier, it's no longer there.
"What the hack?"