Chapter 2: The Smell of Past (2/3): A Song from the Previous Life.

"Huhuhuhump~ Hu Hum Hump~ Huuuump~"

The little angel, Tenten, mumbled the tune of the song to cheer the already cherished atmosphere. As it should be in the park of her creation, the origin of the millions of smiles. 

"Hum Humhumhump~ Hu HuhumhuUUMhummp~~"

While her mother searched for the ball in this mini forest, she mumbled abysmally. Faced the sky with gentle eyes carried away by the ease melody from the flute of the wind. It all led to her loosened eyes closing and letting the lyrical abysmal from the visitors' thoughts piling up, yet it's still a beauty of this place's nature during its creation.

"Na-Nana Naaana Naaaa~ NaAa NAaAaNa~"

The calm of the storm, the opportunity amidst the chaos. Seven years since then, in that amount of lucky number, she's lucky enough to experience her ascetic dream, love, and desire to have more desires. Things have changed and didn't change in this place. Their long-lasting promise is proof of it. 

"Nana Nanaa~ Nanananaaaa~"

Let her mumble the distant memory, beyond the tragedy, with the chirping birds as the choir.

"Laaaaala laaa"

"La la lu la la lo"

"Lala laa~~ la laa~~ la lalala."

". . ."

An angelic melody by your truly little angel.

"Find anything up there?"

The mother asked what she saw from the sky. Did she see a plane, heaven, or the soccer ball they were looking for?

"Nothing. Not found anything from Tenten's eyes,

"…except by smell," Tenten noted. 

The smell is acidic, kind of caustic under Tenten's nose. Something about it influenced Tenten. 

"It's the usual smell. It already smells that way from the moment we step in this park." her mother nodded at Tenten's statement. 

"But," There was inconsistency, something didn't align with the smell here. "there wasn't anything vile in here." 

Tenten looked left and right, searching for anything. Hearing Tenten's words, Koko added, "The smell is everywhere, it ain't gonna helped us find anything."

"Everywhere, huh…" That's right. This place was a reminder of many memories for Tenten. "like Tenten's previous life."

The smell influenced Tenten more than she realized.

"Are you okay?"

"About?" Tenten asked.

Before Koko can rectify her concern, Tenten answered her own questions. 

"If it's about Tenten's previous life, no need to worry since Tenten is a grown-up, now. Ehe~."

"Ha! That's the spirit."

She gave a sole response to push one spirit. Therefore, their quest to find the soccer ball continued. Tenten let her know that ten minutes have left before they were about to go home. 

"Hey, about our previous topic. I found the source of the disgust bellowed here."

She stated the second her ears detected a finding. The buzz of many flies. The smell already picked it up a long time ago. 

Corpse.

"No need to look, Tenten."

Despite her warning, she observed the corpse of the man from above her shoulders. In his bulging eyes can be seen the small bloodshot veins. His plain t-shirt was torn apart―revealing some tattoos on his body―and the bottom part of his body was covered in bushes. And the expression, the same face when everyone kissed the hell's gate.

Sorrow. Horror. Bleak.

"He looks familiar."

The little girl can't take her eyes off this corpse's face. Not because she's sadistic―because the law of normality of a human being staring at a corpse of a stranger is considered strange. The reasoning is quite simple. 

"Tenten knows him."

The instance she mentioned it, the inside of her swelling. She managed to hold it, but it was like swallowing medicine. Not helped that she made a sound of almost retching.

"Tenten, don't look!" 

Her mother carried her shivering body and put her feet on the ground. Tenten's excuse to get carried by her mother―because of her jelly legs―now was truer than ever.

The moment she put her feet on the ground, she stumbled backward and fell.

"Tenten!"

"T―Ten…Tenten's fin―"

"No, you're not."

Laying there on the ground with her mother in the front helped her block her gaze toward that corpse. Her mother hugged her in her chest, yet she can't appreciate her attempt. She's disgusted with herself.

Why? Why? Why? 

She still can't tell why?

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? 

Why this? Why that? Why did she question the answer to the question why? Why questioned to get an answer for it to be reasoned with a question of why? She's disgusted.

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

As the invisible hand clawed his way up from her back, to his neck, she choked on the question of this. Disgusted.

Why?

The core of her disgust hasn't yet been answered.

Because of the smell? Should have thrown up a long time ago. The appearance of the corpse? The jellied organ that can replace her legs at any time? 

What made it so different from the other corpse?

The more she questioned this, the more her mother was riddled with her worry.

The more she worried, the more of Tenten's thought stacked, the more the imaginary fleeting in her head. More like a nightmare to her. Disgusting.

Disgusting. Disgusting. Disgusting. Disgusting. Disgusting. Disgusting Disgusting. 

This is disgusting. This is… this, huh? What is this? Haha.

GO. AWAY.

"URMPHHHHHH"

Tenten who sealed her lips prevented her scream and her vomit to come out, but a small portion of the scream still leaked out.

Soon, the vomit followed.

※　※　※　※　※

After spending a good seven minutes, she calmed down. Three minutes left, but knowing Domini, he can wait.

The temperature was now more suited to the evening sky around three to four. Lying down here on the bench, little did Tenten thought that the clock necklace was soooo useful. The timeline of a day felt clearer with it when you can bring it around with you.

She's also glad she learned math in her spare time.

Drink some water and calm yourself!

Around one minutes ago, her mother advised her to do so.

It's indeed effective to gain her composure her back. Spent another minute in that state, she could drink her own tears.

Stay here!

With that order planted in hers, she can only lie down like this for a while. To keep herself busy, she just watched her back―still blocking the corpse―and whatever her mother did to observe the dead body.

It made the little girl curious, just like earlier when she saw the fleeting image. 

What exactly is that image?

A nightmare? A previous life? Or―

"You're alright?"

Her mother back to check on her. She's put her palm on her forehead for her wellness. Tenten confirmed it further with her words.

"Tenten is fine, sorry to make you worry."

"Oh, thanks goose," she was relieved as she hugged Tenten.

She can't tell if this comfort benefitted her more or her mama. But if it benefitted a comfort to her mama, she couldn't be happier. Both needed it before they would touch on their concern.

Koko stared at her face. Her blonde bang was covering her left eye while her right was dead serious.

"When did you see that body?" she questioned, more like interrogated her.

"Ten…Tenten doesn't―"

"Did he do anything to you? Is it related to your pre―"

"TENTEN DOESN'T KNOW."

"…"

Silence. It's a perfect setting for both of them to contemplate.

Her mother, Koko, said, "Sorry." One word that sufficed her regrets in this matter. Tenten replied with the same word―while they both stated and directed their respective blame to themselves.

Koko toned herself down to make amend. "If you don't want to say it, it's fine, but I need to know what happened with you earlier."

While it's more on the softer side of her interrogation, Tenten felt the pressure to answer her mother. It pushed her brain to work and find the answer in her contemplation.  A plausible reason, a reasonable theory, and a consistent logic to break her confusion. And she answered, "…doesn't know."

"Tenten is sorry. Tenten tried sooooo hard to remember, but Tenten couldn't. Tenten just…

"…doesn't know."

It's disappointing to be in this powerless state. For most of her life, she tried to do the opposite of it. Why like this?

"Disgusting."

The frustration from the soccer game earlier was more like a child tantrum compare to this. All she needs to do is to act out her words. That's what she needs to avoid frustration. All she's ever wanted was―

"You're wonderful, my little angel." 

Ah!

The mother caressed her hair and Tenten opened her eyes to reality. Steady winds noticeably sway her hair. And, your mother was there for you too; hugging you. 

"Feel better, right?"

"Haha, yeah." Though it's not much, Tenten's finally able to give her an answer. 

She caressed her mother's upper arm in response. 

"That's all that matters, for now."

It was a relief to her heart. It was tranquility at the moment. Did she wish for it to be an eternity? It's an answer for another day as time went by. Unlike the ice in her headspace, the water in reality constantly flowing. 

"Let's put an end to it, okay?" 

It's 4 o'clock.

"Time to go home."

She carried her toward their promised pick-up car. The wind started to lose its warmth and changed into a breeze. Her mother's back itself was the warmth that was missing. She reminisced about the past. All things like the loud crackle, the danger, or the adult around her faded into a shadow. It's good to say that she's able to have a good dream.