Chapter 13: Woman with a Sewn Mouth

A lunatic laugh could be heard.

As the laugh got louder, Erland began to shake more and more. In an instant, he gnawed the person's hand who was behind him. His brown-hazel eyes became dark blue. He looked behind smiling. The person behind him didn't back away. His face was still left unseen because of the white mask. He kicked on Erland's belly as hard as he could.

But Erland himself was not one to back down...or at least, which arose in him, wasn't. Erland's palms got flamed with a black fire. He held the person's leg when he was about to move away. The leg got burnt into ashes, where he held. The person fell and made sounds as if they were pleading. It seemed as if the person is dying to speak and plead yet they could not.

Erland grabbed the mask and burnt it. Behind the mask, there was a face that had sewn lips. Erland slowly got back to his senses, because of the shock as his eyes were slowly getting back to normal. With a mildly furious face, he got even closer to the person. He whispered in his ears,

"If you or the kids let anyone know about what happened just now, I will kill you and them sooner than you think. About you sewn lips...we gotta talk about it. After your threads are removed of course."

Erland backed away. He hinted the person to cover their face. The person's gender still seemed unknown to Erland. When he looked back, the kids were gone. Erland rushed to Frode and asked,

"Where are they?"

"They went that way." Frode pointed. Don't leave me!" He pleaded with his innocent face.

"Okay. Frode, don't let anyone know about this. You and I have to be careful from now on." Erland frowned.

"Alright...Even mommy can't know this?"

"No."

"Okay..." Frode nodded.

"We'll go inside and tell them that we found this uncle while playing. Let's go."

"But he tried to-"

"I don't think that he did it on purpose. Let's go."

"O-Okay..."

Erland knocked on the door and yelled out like a child as if nothing has happened,

"We brought another guest! Look, it's a troubled uncle!"

Such actions made Frode confused about his own friend. "How could change so fast?..."He wondered.

"You little brats-" said Svend. He rushed to the door and opened it. Everyone at the table got up from their chairs.

"Sorry, we snuck outside. But we met a new uncle!" said Erland with an awkward smile, trying his best to keep the demeanor on.

"How do you know if this person is an uncle or not. Ugh...forget it. Get inside."

They got inside looking happy. Even though Frode seemed to be hiding something. Frida noticed it. From the time being, she stared at her son keenly ever since.

"The man is wounded...his lips are sewn...I'll take him to my chamber. It isn't that far so it won't be much of a problem. I'll be going then. Frida, take care of the kids-" Svend couldn't finish his words.

"We want to go too. At least I want to go. Frode should stay here, he is wounded." said Erland.

"Alright, you troublemakers...Clean those dirt out of your clothes. Can you walk well- Oh Lords..." Svend took his hat off the wall hook and wore it as he looked behind to see the wounded person. He has noticed that the person was missing a part of his leg.

"Was that a draug who did that?"

The person nodded.

Svend immediately cleaned the place and bandaged the wounded part. While bandaging, he noticed burns. He was out of bandages but the bleeding didn't stop. He kept the person's leg on the table and kept a bowl beneath the leg so the blood won't ruin the table. Frode kept his eyes closed the whole time, with fear in his heart.

"I'm going outside to get a carriage." said Svend and left.

"Why does he seem to be more expressive today?" said Erland.

"He is in a good mood...Perhaps he was. Ladies, it's goodbye for today. I wish you all have a wonderful night." said Frida.

"Yes, darling. And you kids, don't do anything like this you two get it? My little Bo is younger than YOU! He is only three and you...seem like you are five. YET HE NEVER DOES ANYTHING LIKE THIS." said one of the ladies. Her hair was abnormally curly.

"Uh...I'm three actually." said Erland.

"No no, darling. You shouldn't lie. You are clearly five anyone can tell a person's age, HA HA."

"(This lady's pissing me off. I have to keep my baby attitude.) Aunty, are you fifty years old?" Erland got a finger on his mouth and stared to lick it how a baby would.

"WHAT? Who IS YOUR MOTHER?"

"Gunhild Hephaestus."

"Oh...you are a Hephaestus. No wonder you are so-"

"I have stayed quiet for enough time but you three were supposed to go. You were only allowed in the house because grandma Ase has brought you having no idea about your personality. I wouldn't let some ladies in who nitpick on kids." said Frida.

"Shut that mouth up! You think that you can speak like this because you are young and pretty?" said another one among the ladies who's face was filled with nothing but makeup.

"Thank you for your compliment and for admitting that you don't have it, even though you have put on a lot of makeup."

"(Way to go aunty Frida!)" Erland smiled at Frida brightly. 

Frode was still processing how Erland is so numb about this situation.

"You little BRAT! I will tell your old father about this. Girls let's go."

"Girls? Huh..." said Frida with a lower tone of voice.

"Aunty Frida, Frode's wound." said Erland.

"Yes. Come here my boy. No more going out for one week. Mommy will bring you more books." said Frida and lifted Frode up.

"Hey, are you coming or not?" Svend yelled.

"Coming!"

Svend helped the person to go to the carriage. Three of them got in Svend's chamber. The nurses started their work with the patient. Erland was about to walk in the room but Svend stopped him.

"Aren't you even a little bit concerned? Aren't you scared to see such wounds?!? Go sit over there." Svend yelled out.

"(I always saw those on someone...Not entirely this sort of wounds but...Wait who was it?)" Erland became silent.

Svend without any care, entered the room and locked the door. Erland stood there still, thinking about 'the person' he is looking for deep inside.

A middle aged lady approached him from behind and asked him if he needs something. He replied that he doesn't and sat still on a chair.

"I'm getting bored." said Erland and got off the chair. He was about to go upstairs of the building. The receptionist stopped him and asked him where he was about to go.

"I know where I am going. Thank you for asking! Bye!" said Erland and got upstairs.

The upstairs was dark. There was barely any light. He could see two doors on each floor he went. The upper he went the darker it got. Sensing danger, he stopped going upstairs anymore.

Out of curiosity, he pushed a door. It seemed to be open. Once again, he sensed something unusual and after that he started to go downstairs. Taking each step made him more and more curious yet concerned about what happens if he opens one of the doors.

"(Should I go?...I feel curious but what if I get in trouble again? Screw it, I'll just take a look.)" Erland took the nearest candle he could find and pushed the opened door little by little. There were several beds in the room. He started to go in but someone grabbed his hand from behind.

"What are you doing here young boy?" said the nurse who welcomed them to the hospital last time.

"I was just checking." said Erland.

"You were checking what? Ghosts? Those are ghosts who eat children alive. Let's get out, they will catch us. Hurry!"

"(She is lying...It's probably a morgue.) Wh-What? Am I going to die?"

"No you won't die. Come with me, I won't let you go."

The woman took him downstairs and told him to sit there. She later brought a candy and told him that if he behaves for five minutes he will get it. Erland behaved for the rest of the time.

The nurse stayed assured whilst Erland was actually wondering about 'the person'. From the moment he saw the morgue, his desire to know about what he seeks became intense for an unknown reason. He started to look pale wondering about the many possibilities about the person. Sometimes, he thought that he might have killed the person and that is why he feels a guilt or sometimes he felt like the person has killed him and now he wants to take revenge.

"Wakey wakey, it's time for a treat." said the woman and handed him the candy.

"Thanks!" said Erland as his face brightened up and he took the candy.

Erland sat still. Time passed...some people left. Suddenly someone opened the door wearing an apron. It was no other than Svend. He approached Erland and said,

"Okay I'm sorry. I went too harsh. Being a doc isn't easy, I can't always keep my head cool. You can go see your 'uncle' now. It's an 'aunt' by the way."

Erland went to the room to see her. The threads were removed and she could talk even though her words weren't accurate enough.

"Can I chat with this aunty for a while? Alone?" said Erland.

"Yes you can. Call me or the nurses if something happens. I'm gonna go in my chamber now. Don't do anything dumb again, I heard that you snuck upstairs." said Svend.

"Oopsies." Erland grinned. He locked the door from inside and sat on the bed.

"I was a bit too rough eh? Sorry, I didn't mean to be that rough, I was a bit too angry." said Erland with a guilty face.

"It'sh fine." said the woman.

"Do you know how to write?"

She nodded. Erland brought a notebook which was lying on a table in the room. The book contained several texts about uses of herbs. That made Erland wonder if Svend is a new doctor or not. He tore a blank page out of the notebook and took the big bottle of ink from the table along with a brush.

"Please write the answers of my questions. Firstly, who are you?"

"My name is Zoe Adamos. I will explain it in a way you can understand. I was captured by some people who hunts children and...hurts them. They captured me for three years. After I became ugly and rough, they told me to hunt down children. I refused them so they sew my mouth so that I cannot ask for help. They gave me a mask so I wouldn't stand out. The kids you saw last time are from the neighbors around the house. They got bribed with something I don't know about."

"(I did such thing to an innocent woman...I'm the worst, I'm an idiot. I messed things up. Something got in my mind that sort of hypnotized me with anger so what? What I did was still...still...I can't believe I did this...I have to make up for it.) You got straight to the point. Thanks. How...how can I pay for what I have done?" said Erland with a gloomy face.

The woman wrote in the notebook,

"You wield a power. Can you protect me?"

"(She is asking ME to protect her? I can't even protect myself well.) I will do my best.(I can try convincing Frida to take her as a free employee so that it will sound convincible. I will give her more than half of my salary since she is an adult. Yeah, that should do for now...Wait a minute how do I know if she is entirely telling the truth...)"

Erland pondered on the matter for a moment. Then he asked her where he can find the boys and where she lives. The woman answered that the boys probably live somewhere near the neighborhood since she has seen them there when she first met them.

"(I think that she is wrong...I saw those brats somewhere in my neighbors before.) So, where do you live again?" said Erland.

The woman answered that her only home was the house she used to live in with those men. Erland knew what this was all about but he kept himself silent.

"(Keeping her at our house will bring us troubles...I feel like I am already targeted.) Is there any safe place you consider where you will be able to live safely?"

The woman cried and answered that she does not know. The paper was filled with her words. The words got blurred by her tears. Erland tried to comfort her by stroking her hair. She cried out even more and it left Erland with more confusion.

"Oh Lords, what did I do...Okay, I'm sorry. Look, I think that I can-"

Svend started to click the doorknob. Hearing the sound, Erland hid the paper underneath the bed and placed the ink where it was. Having no other choice, he put the brush underneath the bed as well. He then opened the door and gave Svend a confused smile.

"You look a bit too happy. Why did you lock the door?" said Svend.

"I wanted to have a private talk with her." said Erland.

"You have to use 'conversation' there. Anyway what kind of 'talk' did you two do?"

"It's a secret. Can I spend a while more with her?"

"No. I have to make sure she gets escorted to her home safely and prescribe her medicines. You can stay here whilst we do it."

"But we didn't talk about the day when we will play again! Oops..."

"*sigh* Kids..." Svend rubbed his forehead. "Okay. I will give you five minutes to talk about it. Do you want me to tell someone else about it?"

"Please don't!" Erland murmured "Darn it! It slipped out of my mouth..."

Svend laughed a bit "I will be back in five minutes. Make it fast...and don't you dare cause trouble. She is a stranger...remember."

Svend left the door open and left. Erland locked the door once again and started to proceed their conversation.

"So...I will ask a relative of mine to give you a job. You will say that you will work for free. I will give you more than half of my salary-"

The woman looked at him with a confused face.

"Yes, I think that I will get a job soon. Even if that doesn't work out, I have another option. There is an orphanage in west Gaion. The orphanage despite having a lack of security is quiet well guarded. I will look onto it more. Until then please take shelter in this hospital."

"I gan't." said the woman.

Erland looked at the woman's leg. The leg was replaced with an artificial leg. He understood that she cannot stay in the hospital for long.

"Uh...(What could be a safe place for her...Should I ask Svend...I don't care if he yells at me for acting immature or for any other stuff. I will just ask him...) I will go ask the doc who treated you."

Erland left the room and saw Svend talking with a nurse. He ran straight to him.

"Uncle Svend, I have something to ask for." said Erland.

"Not now." said Svend and proceeded the conversation. They moved further from the crowd of people. They both looked anxious.

"(Oh right. They've just cured a woman who's face has been sewn and had a part of leg burnt into ashes. Of course they are anxious.)"

"Okay, what do you have to say?" said Svend.

"The aunty needs help. She has nowhere to go to. Can you help her? If mommy and daddy hears about me sneaking out I will be bored to all the HELLS. I will be grounded for months..."

"I am concerned about something else Erland." The atmosphere becomes quiet and cold as Svend's demeanor is as cold as the atmosphere itself. It was as if the surrounding changed along with him. "Aren't you a bit too 'advanced' than a kid should be?..."