Daybreak - Part 2

5 am

Awoken by the creaky floorboards of the cabin the old lady woke up.

"My precious little Mary, are you going out?" Asked the old lady from her bed with a merry voice.

"Yes mom, I was actually about to go find you to let you know, After all I don't want you to worry."

"Okay, well be sure to be careful, understood?"

"Ok mom," said Mary

Watching Mary run out she began to finish her preparations to finally rid herself of the little vermin.

She muttered to herself, "by now my benefactor should have found someone to take her off my hands, oh what fine a toy she'll be for her owner. Nobody but a rich man would be qualified to take her, it would be a pity if she were, I don't know, to be defiled! Yes it would truly be sad for something that awful to happen to a cute doll like her!" She had said those final words with a sickening enthusiasm that it made the one watching her speak out.

"Elizabeth, is the product ready?" Sounded a voice from behind her.

"O-Of course, we just have to wait for her to come back, she should enjoy her final moments of freedom after all." She answered, startled.

"And how long exactly will you make me wait?" Said the voice impatiently.

"Well, we'll just have to see now won't we? By the way I'd love to see your face once considering all the years we've worked toge-"

Grabbing Elizabeth by the throat he spoke in a cold voice, "you should be well aware by now that you don't qualify to know my true identity. Now, please tell me, When. Will. The. Product. Arrive?" He asked with anger. "Or will I have to actually break your bones this time?"

"P-Please, let me go. I'll find her! I swear! No matter what it takes I swear I'll bring her to you!"

Throwing her into a wall he whispered, "very well as we have been partners for, what has it been, 17 years? I'll wait here until sundown, find the child or I'll have the villagers find your head on a stake dripping with your ground up organs. Who knows though, the dogs might find your head before the villagers do." Although his voice was barely audible she could hear him clearly.

"I-I understand, please make yourself at home!"

"Stop wasting time and leave!"

Running out of the house she began to look everywhere for Mary, and with death looming over her she was in a panic, "God damn it this was supposed to be a nice easy job, why the hell did I have to ask him that? I swear he's taken more years out of me than any of my children ever have!"

Attempting to cast aside those thoughts she called out for her brat, "Mary! Mary! It's time to come home! Come on! Please don't make mother worry so much! Now come on Mary!"

——————

11 am

"Eyes of God!" Shouted Mary internally. Although it took quite a bit of time, with her tests she was able to use one of the many advanced nen applications, Gyo. By gathering her aura that leaked naturally from her body exclusively in her eyes she had come to learn the technique, though she couldn't use it for more than 5 minutes. Through her "eyes of God" she could see many things, namely the auras of other creatures, but one thing caught her eyes. Inside the murky water there was something shining amongst the discarded articles. It was a plain looking knife, but on second glance one could see that it had a thin layer of aura surrounding it, and despite it's plainness the knife was beautiful to the evil doll. Her perfect weapon, it's sharpness seemed to cut through the raging rapids of the river and it's plainness would lower her prey's guard. This weapon, in fact, was perhaps the reason why the river was know as the river of steel. With the number 173 engraved onto it, it almost seemed to be living, although that was just what Mary could see. And what she saw was a knife that seemed to be teeming with bloodlust, just waiting to be used.

She dove headfirst into the river, and by covering herself in aura she went straight for the knife, with every movement towards it the water seemed to get colder and colder until what felt like ice began slowing her movements.

"You will be mine!" Yelled the little monster from the bottom of her dark heart. "No you are already mine, so come to me now!"

———————

12 pm

A little girl could be seen talking to herself hugging a plain looking knife by the riverbank, completely drenched in filthy water.

"I can't wait! First, I'll cut the tendons of her legs and hands to immobilize her, then I'll slowly, slowly make very shallow cuts, or maybe I'll make one of my traditional flowers, or, Or! I'll make something entirely new with my aura! after all I really, really! want to enjoy the experience of playing with an old toy."

From afar a voice filled with exhaustion could be heard. It's steps sounded panicked and hurried, their arms moved wildly in the air to make it's presence know to the little girl with a glimmer of greed and relief shining in it's eyes. In response Mary had hid the knife with one hand behind her back as she grabbed a nearby flower and made sure that it jutted out of her pocket.

"Mary! Mary! Oh thank heavens I've been looking for you dear! Now come let's go home for lunch." Elizabeth said with a smile on her face.

"Ok mom, but wait just a second I have a present for you!" Smiled Mary, "now close your eyes and hold out your hands ok?"

While sighing Elizabeth followed her child's instruction, after all this would be the last thing the child would do for her. It was a tad bit strange however as the flower seemed to be freshly picked.

If only there was somebody nearby who could have warned the old woman for her final hour had come.