No One Sleeps in the Purgatory

"Leo! Come on, let's play on the swing!" a girl in a pleasant yellow frock called out to Leon as he sat crouched down playing with pebbles by the brook.

"What? It's our turn already?" he asked as he abandoned the pebbles to join his friend.

"Yes, Now hurry before Eric gets it!" she rushed.

It was a warm summer day, in the Sullivan's orphanage.

"Oh, what do we have here? little Leona, why wear pants Leo?– go get your hair done and wear dresses like Clara!"

Leon felt a smack on his head, he was sure of who it was but he couldn't do anything about it.

"What are you glaring at you wimp?!'' The guy who smacked Leon was at least eighteen, he was a shameless brat who mocked kids while working at the orphanage.

"Come on, Leo let's not mind this nuisance," Clara dragged Leon back.

This angered that bully even more as he pulled Clara's hair as she walked away, "What did you say you little bitch?! Nuisance?!"

Clara started crying as Leon bit off the guy's other hand but just then a tall woman arrived, her crooked nose and black gown resembling a raven.

"What are you trying to do Alex?" She said her voice was as cold as the winter breeze as she stood towering behind them.

"These kids were not behaving Madame! I was only teaching them a lesson!" Alex lied desperately.

"You don't have to do that, you go mow the lawns," she added.

Alex slouched, not having won his argument, he went ahead to do his duty as a lawn mower.

Madame Melvina turned toward Leon and Clara, "Clara dear, Come with me, I will get you something."

Leon stood there for a moment oblivious to her but then she looked at him sternly, "Leon, you go play with the other kids, Clara has something to do."

"Okay, Don't cry much!" Leon nodded as he waved goodbye to Clara, sprinting towards the others.

Leon didn't think much of it until Clara didn't show up the other day.

"What happened to Clara, Sophie?" he asked one of the girls who hung out with her.

"I don't know, she is not with us." She shook her head.

Leon and the other girls spent their day asking for Clara, No one knew anything about her suddenly disappearing from the orphanage.

"Maybe she got adopted?" Sophie suggested.

"No way, she would've told us before she left!" Leon denied.

But they all knew deep down what happened.

"Hey dipshit, what are you doing, polluting the area!" It was Alex.

"Hey Mr. Alex, Do you know where Clara is?" Leon ignored the insults and threw his question.

"No?"

"Oh, Okay" Leon turned to walk away.

"Yes? I know, but I won't tell you!" Alex mocked.

"Hey, don't you think it's a bit pathetic of you to bully a nine-year-old kid?" Leon responded without batting an eye ready to get his ass whooped.

All the other times he got in trouble with Alex were because of him talking back.

"Oh?" Alex was not having it, his face reddened with fury as he removed his belt. He yanked Leon's hair within a span of seconds to which he grunted in pain.

"What did you say, prick?" Alex snarled, whipping Leon's back.

"Where's my friend?" Leon shouted, coughing as his tears barricaded his words.

"Your little girlfriend is gone! you will be too!" Alex whipped again, this caused Leon to fall down and he curled up weeping.

But Alex was not done, he kicked Leon's back and he stopped crying altogether.

Just then, Madame Melvina trudged behind Alex once again, towering over him. Her crooked nose came before her judging eyes.

"What are you doing, Alex?" she said in a calm voice.

Alex was stuttering, "I -- this brat kept yelling for Clara, so I--"

She completely ignored him and walked toward Leon. Leon now acted as if he was dying and catching for breath from all the crying, he pretended it was aching more than it actually did.

"Leon dear, Go to your room I will send Pammy to dress the wounds," she said softly.

"Clara will be back tomorrow, don't worry," she added, helping Leon stand up.

Leon knew something was off when the kids go missing for days and come back like nothing happened, when questioned they would refuse to tell anything and eventually forget about it. Now it was Clara's turn, he was getting anxious and curious about when his turn would be.

Unlike most kids who came back from being gone for a while in solitude, Clara was awfully quiet contrary to her usual annoying nature when she came back. When Leon questioned her, she simply smiled back telling him that she was not supposed to discuss anything.

This pissed off Leon further, he had thought at least Clara would give him the details but what a waste of friendship.

"Why not?"

"Don't ask me anything! I'm leaving," Clara walked away looking upset.

Two days had passed by, but Clara wasn't improving from her mournful mood, and then all of a sudden she blacked out while playing.

"Oh no, Clara!" Sophie yelled trying to grab Clara.

"She is not waking up!" The other girl was on the verge of tears.

Leon noticed something, Clara's abdominal left side was drenched in scarlet.

"Hold up," Leon crouched, taking a close look, it was blood indeed. Leon's whole body froze in fear, he grabbed Clara with the help of Sophie who now saw the blood and started weeping.

"It's because of them, I know," she rambled.

Madame Melvina came running toward them as the other girl had informed about the scene.

"Oh good heavens, give her to me," she carried Clara as her friends followed.

But she turned to them, "I will take care of it, you guys go do your thing."

Leon wasn't listening, he wanted to know what was happening and made a mental note to ask Sophie about what she blabbered.

"Leon, there's someone you want to meet," she said all of a sudden.

Ms. Pammy came to get Clara and went back inside, now Madame Melvina's attention was all toward Leon.

"Me?"

"Yes, Leon. Come with me."

The memories faded away, as Leon slowly came back to consciousness. He swirled his drowsy eyes and navigated the place, right he was still in the purgatory.

All of a sudden he got slapped tightly, which felt both nostalgic and painful. The baby was standing on his lap looking curiously at him.

"What the fuck with you guys slapping a sleeping person?!" Leon stood up causing the baby to fall off to the ground but it was a fine roll landing like a pro.

"Sleeping? No one sleeps in the purgatory young man! You looked like you were being sucked into the void!" the baby yelled in its high-pitched voice.

"What?" Leon was furious but then he realized something. The tiredness he felt earlier was all gone and the dream he had, made him anxious about his troubled past.

"Why the long face? I didn't hit you that bad! c'mon, I have such tiny hands," the baby said, showing off its small fists.

"Right," Leon shrugged, "How long was I asleep?"

The baby shook its head, "You fell really silent when I was talking about the healer's place and you looked like your Qi dropped down to zero."

"Oh yeah, and?"

"I slapped you," the baby added.

'Hmm, I thought I was out for a long time," Leon wondered.

*ding*

[Your Qi level was retrieved by 50%]