After awhile thinking over, I decided to upload something onto FF again. Since this time I'm writing something different from the usual (aka sappy romantic angst ^^), I'd like to see how readers will react. It's not that big, really, I'm just over talking, sorry :D There are things that I must warn about this fic in case some of you might feel uncomfortable with what I wrote, so if any of the warnings doesn't fit your taste, it's recommended that you do not read further. Since it's the first time I wrote something regarding murder and whatnot, it feels funny, and there may be many things that are unclear in this, so don't hesitate to ask. Again, lots of love for reviews!
Once upon a time, there was an aristocratic family living in a town
The family consisted of a strict father, a kind mother and their three sons
The oldest was smart and handsome, the second was brave and heroic
The last was still a child when it all happened
Since he was born when his brothers had all turned into adults, no one wanted to play with the boy
He became very lonely
Days by days, he played by himself in his room
Surrounded by expensive toys and sweets and books
But the boy was never happy
He wanted friends
Once, he asked if his father could play with him, but the man of the family always went to the palace before the boy woke up
Once, he asked if his mother could play with him, but the lady was always engaged in some kind of party
Once, he asked if his oldest brother could play with him, but he was always too busy reading in the library
Once, he asked if his second brother could play with him, but he was always out with his friends on hunting trips
The boy was always, always ended up alone in this servant-crowded mansion
All by himself.
In the north of the mansion, there was a small woods
The boy played in it often, especially on sunny days
When his maids had all gone out to take care of the laundry
The boy slipped out of the mansion and ran into the woods
Where he could climb the trees and talk to hares and birds
Where, for a moment, he could feel a little freer
Until the sun came down and he needed to go back
One day, he met a stranger in his woods
He came across a young boy picking up mushroom
The boy was around his age
A brunette
He wore the clothes of a peasant, with a straw hat
Nonchalantly picking up mushroom among the fallen leaves
Suddenly, the boy returned, and their eyes met
Green eyes, both had big green eyes
And the brown-haired put out a hand,
"Wanna be friends?"
The last son looked at him, who was grinning widely, down to the hand, which was covered with dirt
But he grabbed it anyway, squeezed it tight as he happily said,
Promised,
"Friends."
So from then on, every day the blond-haired boy escaped from the mansion and the brown-haired boy was always waiting under the trees
They played in the woods all day long, picking berries and climbing trees
Every day was fun, everyday was brought new joy
The little boy no longer felt lonely, he no longer asked for his parents or his brothers
Because now he had a friend
His only friend.
"I won't be able to come tomorrow.", was what the brown-haired said as the sun went down. My friends from the neighbourhood are coming over for my birthday party, so I need to e home."
"Can't you spend your birthday here? I can throw you a party."
"Nooooooo way! My friends are all peasants like me, how can you throw a party for a peasant? Besides, they wouldn't want to go to your mansion, it's no fun there!"
"Then we can have a party in the woods, just you and me."
"Nuuh-uh!"
"Why?"
"It's boring with just you!"
When the brown-haired turned away to go home
He didn't hear the sound of an axe slicing the air, aiming for his neck.
"Don't go!"
Chop, chop, chop
The blond-haired boy breathed heavily as the body of his friend fell down to the ground
Chop, chop, chop
The silver axe, which was his brother's, illegally brought out of the mansion today so that he could show it to his friend, slid off his sweaty little fingers, down to forest floor, with a loud 'clang'
Chop, chop, chop
The boy looked at his friend's blood-stained neck, the head attached to it rolled downhill until it stopped by a big stone, blood gushed out everywhere, dying snow-covered ground with traces of red
Chop, chop, chop
The boy stood up and wiped the tears from his face
Chop, chop, chop
He walked to the stone and picked up the severed head
Chop, chop, chop
He grabbed the body by the ankle and started pulling it downhill
Chop, chop, chop
He came to a small cottage, hidden away in the woods, which he had found out a while ago when playing alone
Chop, chop, chop
He opened the door with a noisy creak
Chop, chop, chop
He left the body at the doorstep and walked inside, into the dimly-lit room
Chop, chop, chop
He looked for all the jars and containers in the abandoned house
Chop, chop, chop
He heaved the body onto a wooden table in the kitchen
Chop, chop, chop
He nailed the limbs down the table, fearing the body would suddenly turn alive
Chop, chop, chop
And he started to chop the body into pieces
Torso and two arms and two legs
Six pieces of his only and best friend
Dipped into jars and containers
Poured with an acid-coloured liquid that would preserve flesh, which he learnt from a magic book
Then the boy went back outside, closed the door and went back to the mansion
That night, all snow magically melted into water
Erasing all traces of blood on the ground.
The next morning, the town major came to see the aristocrat
"There is a boy missing from the village nearby."
But none knew who he was
When they asked the youngest boy
He looked into everyone's eyes, seeing his own green eyes inside, shining like liquid
And he said
"Who knows."
There was a new mansion built nearby
Soon, its owners moved into the new place
A typical family: a father working as a merchant, a wife from a rich family, a sweet daughter with long black hair
The families soon became friends, and the daughter became the friend of the last son
His second, bestest friend
They spent time with each other all the time, from early sunrise until late at night, sometimes the girl stayed over at the boy's mansion, playing and talking to him like a cheerful little bird
The mansion became lively with children's voice
There were always fresh pastries and the windows were opened to allow sunlight to go through
Which made the girl's hair glittered beautifully, like a fountain
Once, while playing house, they pretended to have a wedding
"I vow to be with him always.", she said, her red ribbons fluttered like a pair of butterflies
"Really?"
"Really! I'll marry you when I grow up!"
Such childish vow, such childish words
That tied an invisible red thread on her neck.
The children grew up being best friends
For a long time, it was all peaceful
Until one day, when the boy left the mansion to go hunting with his brother
When he came back, he saw the girl's coat hanging in the hall
Hushing the servants, he tip-toed into their playroom, wanting to surprise his friend
But as he touched the doorknob, he heard voices inside
"I love you, I have always loved you…", was the voice that was so familiar
The door slammed open
Inside, his oldest brother was pinned to a wall by the girl
They both looked up to him, the girl stared at him with watery eyes, wanting to say something, but before anyone could speak, the boy had run out of the room
Out of the mansion
Into the woods, heading towards the cottage, which he hadn't visited for so long
He ran inside and blocked the door with a wooden stick
Towards the jars which contained his very first best friend
He hugged the one which had his best friend's head, one with eyes as green as his own
And he cried
Outside, he could hear the pleas of the girl, knocking at the door desperately, asking him to open it up
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!", until her voice became hoarse and eventually stopped, only her sobbing was heard
Then, the door creaked open, and the girl ran inside, hugging the blond-haired boy sitting on the floor
She buried her face into his chest, she clawed at his shirt and cried like a baby
While he put a hand on her back and pat her slightly
"It's ok… I'll pretend that I didn't hear anything, it's ok…"
"No…it's not okay… I'm sorry, but I'm really in love with your brother…"
"Don't say it, I know that it's not true."
"But it is the truth, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I have always loved-"
"Don't say it!"
And the red thread bind around her neck restrained until the head came off.
Chop, chop, chop
He grabbed one of her twin tails and picked up the head
Chop, chop, chop
He smeared two trails of blood from her eyes, down her cheeks, to her neck, the red blood suited her hair ribbons so well
Chop, chop, chop
When he returned later, blood all over his shirt, he pointed at a deep cut on his arm, saying that he had used the shirt to wipe it up
His oldest brother hugged him tight, apologizing, telling him that nothing was going on between him and the girl, and the youngest brother hugged him back, understandingly
When the girl's family came by later, asking to bring her home for dinner, they asked him if he had seen the girl on the way home
He looked at the worried parents' eyes, seeing his own green eyes inside, shining like liquid
And he said
"Who knows."
Once, his second brother asked if he wanted to go hunting together
He said yes and grabbed the bow and arrows
Into the royal woods where they raised deer for hunting
The youngest brother asked when his brother's friends would come
"We're alone for today", and with that, the two rode into the woods
That night, they camped outside, making dinner from the doe they shot in the afternoon
It was so cold that night, they had to covered the horses with blankets so they would still be able to run the day afterwards
The little brother sat between his brother's legs, chewing on his share of roasted meat
Unaware of his brother's intense gaze from behind
When the boy finally finished his food, he was roughly turned around
Staring into his brother's equally green eyes
When his brother pressed a kiss onto his lips
"I love you."
It was cold that night, very cold, the horses were shivering so much it took a while for them to start moving their legs the next morning
But for the brothers, it was hot, very, very hot
Like burning firewood.
From then on, they would constantly went out hunting together
Because it was impossible to hold one another in the mansion, where watchful eyes always observed their every move
Sometimes, the brothers took only one horse, so that the little brother could snuggle into his brother's broad back as they went against the wind
When the horse was tired, they would stop, and as the horse grazed on the grass, they rolled around in the dirt and kissed and embraced
Like a pair of rabbits, passionately, openly because no one was looking
Secretly and shyly because they were brothers, because they were doing the forbidden
But they still clung to each other's shirts and sighed into the other's shoulder
Clinging onto whatever they had
Unspoken pledge.
On one of their rendezvous, it started raining heavily
So instead of going to their usual place, the little brother suggesting taking shelter at the cottage
He pretended the door was locked, so the brothers could only stay under its roof, embracing tightly, listening to the rain above
As the rain got heavier by the minute, they snuggled even closer to each other, the younger one resting his head on the other's chest, feeling the heart beneath thumping, thumping, racing
"I…might have to get married soon."
His brother said, voice sounded as surreal as it could
"A few years ago, when I was staying for the weekend with some friends, we went out, and we met this girl… you know… and she wrote a letter to me earlier this week, saying that she gave birth to my child, but she could no longer support it alone, so she's asking me to take responsibilities. Father sort of read the letter by mistake, but now he's furious, and he wants me to marry her and take the child in."
"And, what are you going to do about it?"
"You know that we can never fight against father!"
"That means you're going to leave me?"
"Of course not, that doesn't mean…"
"Didn't you say that you loved me, brother?"
"I love you, but-"
"Brother!"
Chop, chop, chop
There was a loud cry in the woods, mingled in the rain, as the boy held his brother tightly, crying into his chest, which no longer went thumping, thumping
Chop, chop, chop
He embraced his brother's head, kissing those cold pale lips again and again and again
Chop, chop, chop
As the rain persisted, the boy stopped crying, he wrapped a piece of cloth around the neck, temporarily reattached the head and the body, and placed his brother's head in his laps
Chop, chop, chop
The rain washed away the blood when he moved his brother's body inside
Chop, chop, chop
He looked at his brother's sleep-like face on the table, then he looked at a corner of the room, where a few giant glass tubes were placed, the ones that he secretly ordered a year ago
He stared at the south wall where two tubes were already hung up
One with a brown-haired boy, one with a pair of red ribbons
Chop, chop, chop
"I love you too, brother."
At the end of the week, the boy returned home, riding alone on his brother's horse
He told his father that his brother had run away in the night, running away from the marriage
When his father, enraged, asked where his brother had gone
He solemnly stared into his father's eyes, seeing his own green eyes inside, shining like liquid
And he said
"Who knows."
A horse carriage stopped in front of the mansion one day, out was a little boy and his guardian
The old woman explained that the child's father was the second son of the family, now his mother was dead from overworking, it was the family's responsibility to take care of the boy
As the head of the mansion read the confirmation letter again and again, the youngest son appeared from the end of the hall
He walked to the black-haired boy who was standing by the door and greeted him with a smile
"Welcome to the mansion, my nephew."
The child was officially taken into the household, and after a short time, he became strangely attached to the last son
The boy followed his uncle everywhere he went, he accompanied him in the garden for tea, in the library when his uncle studied, he always ate with him and asked to sleep together every night
From an outsider's view, they looked just like father and son, despite their very different look
One blond with emerald-like eyes
One with black hair and equally black eyes
For a long time, it was a pretty sight, watching the two caring for each other with all their hearts
A black Cocker Spaniel quietly sat by his owner's feet during afternoon teatime
A duckling following its mother unconditionally
A lowly human worshipping his god.
Once, the youngest son suddenly woke up in the middle of the night and felt the little boy crying into his shirt, calling to his mother, apologizing again and again, hiccupping loudly
The next morning, when being asked, the boy suddenly got very quiet, he shook his head like it was nothing, and he became air-headed the whole day
Like he was hiding something
Afterwards, the youngest son noticed that his nephew would go out very late at night, leaving the bed for hours and only returned near dawn, his body always cold, as if he was outside all night
So, once, he pretended to sleep and waited until the child got out of the room
He followed the boy down the hall, and indeed, he went outside
He ran silently, like a little thief, into the woods, heading east
Then he stopped at the end of the woods, where the metal fence was
He traced the fence with his small fingers, because he didn't see the way, until he saw a dim light from afar, and he ran towards it
The boy knelt down at the source of the light, and from a bush, the youngest son could see a hand reaching inside through a hole on the gate, and his nephew giving said hand a bunch of documents
Documents about the work of his family
The hand retreated after taking a bunch of papers, and from the sound of flipping paper, it was clear that the person was reading the content
"Tch, not these either", a low voice grumbled, and the papers were shoved back through the hole
The boy nodded and whispered something, then he put the documents inside his jacket
He waited until the light was no longer there, then he heaved a sigh and started going back
Until he realized that there was someone watching him.
"Tell me, boy, who are you really?"
"Forgive me, sir, forgive me, there's nothing I can do about it…"
"Didn't you hear what I asked? TELL ME, WHO ARE YOU?"
"I…I'm just a peasant child… My mother, she used to spend her nights with your brother, and she thought that he wouldn't remember… when we ran out of food a few months ago, she told me to go to the mansion…pretending that I'm really a person of the family, so that I can steal the documents from the study… dad said he could sell them… Forgive me, sir, I know that what I did was wrong, but my parents…my little brothers and sisters… I need to help them… sir… uncle…"
"DON'T. EVER. CALL ME THAT AGAIN!"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!..."
"In fact…don't ever speak again."
All this time, he was nurturing the child of someone else
Some lowly bastard who used his son to ruin his family
Some bastard whose face he didn't even know
Someone else, not his brother
Not his beloved brother whose life was destroyed because of a woman's scheme
Not his beloved brother who could have stayed true to his pledge until the end
All this time, caring for that child who looked nothing like a family member
When he stared into those giant black orbs, he was trying to look for it, a tinge of something that resembled his brother
A flash of green eyes, a mob of red hair, something, anything, but there was none
Maybe this child looked like his mother, he thought, and clung to it
And he cherished this little boy, who, after all, was supposed to be the only son of his brother
His only beloved brother
Chop, chop, chop
As he sow the head back to the slender neck, he looked up and saw his brother looking at him
Chop, chop, chop
He took a hand of the boy and waved it to him like a doll
Chop, chop, chop
"Good night, fake papa."
"Has anyone seen Hong? It was already breakfast time and he's still not down the table yet."
"Hong won't be having meals with us anymore, mother."
"So that peasant woman's finally learnt her place and came to take him back?"
"Darling! Please don't say something like that."
Listening to his parents' conversation from the other end of the table, he looked at his cup of tea boringly, seeing his own green eyes inside, shining like liquid
And he said to himself
"Who knows."
Ever since the incident with his childhood friend, it seemed like his oldest brother had changed his attitude towards him
He became nicer, he talked to him more frequently and acted more brotherly, he lent him his treasured book, he gave him bits of sweets and often took him downtown
In short, he was trying to make up for the misunderstanding
Thinking his brother was still unhappy about it, thinking that perhaps his brother still mistook that there was something between him and the neighbouring maiden
At first, the younger brother found it funny, but soon, he realized that his brother was serious
And he once asked his brother if he would give up everything for him
"Of course, anything."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Until one day, when the royal family from a neighbouring country came to this island
As aristocrats, they were invited to the grand ball
The youngest son and the princess immediately fell in love when they waltzed in the ballroom, graceful and synchronized
At the end of the ball, he asked if she would like to come to his mansion for a visit during her stay
With a shy smile, she nodded, hiding her blushing face behind the feather fan
And he planted a kiss on her hand
The next day, when the princess came to the mansion and introduced herself to the family
Unbeknownst to everyone, the oldest brother was love struck with the beautiful princess
As his younger brother escorted her around the mansion, he watched them from his room, eyes full of raw jealousy
As the couple enjoyed tea in the afternoon in the rose garden, he sat next to his brother, secretly watched the princess like a hawk
As the princess decided to stay for the night, he quietly followed the maiden up to her room, in the middle of the night, when all was asleep, he stuffed a cloth in her mouth and tied her to the bedpost
The princess, surprised by the stranger in her bed, tried to wriggle out of his hold and as she shook the bed, a flower vase on the nightstand nearby crashed onto the floor
From the room next door, the younger brother, worried by the noise, came to check things out
And found her brother tearing the princess' dress apart
He grabbed the nearby chair and hit it onto his brother's head
Then he rushed for the princess, untying her arms and freed her from the cloth
When she cried herself to sleep in his embrace, his family had all come to her room
Deciding that it was a heroic act to save the innocence of her highness, the brother wasn't charged of any guilt, and his dead brother was decided to be buried in the family's graveyard.
Chop, chop, chop
On the night of the day his brother was buried, he sneaked out of his bed and went to the graveyard
Chop, chop, chop
He carried a shovel with him
Chop, chop, chop
He dug up the newly-buried coffin
Chop, chop, chop
He took the body out of the coffin and buried the case back underground, before putting the body onto a wagon and carriedt it to the cottage
Chop, chop, chop
He looked at his brother's face as he raised the silver axe up his shoulder, and he sighed
Chop, chop, chop
"I'm terribly sorry for what my brother had done to you, your highness."
"It's ok, after all, you were right there to save me, my hero."
"Your words are too much for me, my princess."
"I just hope that he had learnt his lesson and is finally resting in peace…"
As he watched the royal carriage going through the gate, he looked at the graveyard from afar, imagining the face of his brother from last night, seeing his own green eyes in his brother's, shining like liquid
And he said quietly
"Who knows."
Soon the man became the head of the house
He got married to the fair maiden from the neighbouring island
Soon, the maiden gave birth to a little boy
Whose blond hair resembled that of his father
They lived happily in the mansion of the family
An enviable image: successful father, beautiful mother, angelic son
It was so perfect.
One day, the son got himself lost while playing in the woods
He called for the servants, but they were too busy tending the mansion to hear him
He called his mother, but she was out of town with her sister
He called his father, but he was busy working in the study
The boy was scared of being alone, he ran frantically around, trying to get out
But the mansion was nowhere in sight
Instead, he ran into a cottage
In the middle of the woods
The door was locked, but one of the windows wasn't
So tired and desperate, the boy climbed through the window inside, hoping to see someone
It was dark and cold inside, the boy couldn't see a thing
So he drew a curtain
When he turned around
He saw faces
Faces and faces and faces and faces
Blue eyes and green eyes and brown eyes
Auburn, red, blond like himself
Staring at him with pale cheeks and slightly-opened mouths
The heads floated in a moss green liquid
In giant tubes, hanging on the walls
Their bodies stripped naked, porcelain-like skin,
The residents of the cottage greeted the boy with burning gaze
"Welcome to the show."
The little boy was so shocked
Frightened, his nerves were frozen
He couldn't move, he couldn't scream
He couldn't hear the door being unlocked
And his father staring at him from behind.
Chop, chop, chop
The boy turned around and looked at his father with wide green eyes
Chop, chop, chop
The man raised his arm and there was a flash
Chop, chop, chop
The son slumped down by the father's feet, totally at his mercy
Chop, chop, chop
The man tenderly brought his son to the table
Chop, chop, chop
He cut off the child's clothes
Chop, chop, chop
He hammered nails onto the ankles, the wrists, the shoulders
Chop, chop, chop
He went behind the house and brought back a bucket of water
The boy was already conscious when he returnedThe child wanted to scream, but there was a cloth in his mouth
The child wanted to run away, but his limbs were nailed to the wooden table
So he pleaded with his eyes, watery with shiny tears
For a moment, the man looked at him, then he sat down by his side and gently wiped the tears away
He combed his fingers into the soft strands of hair, tentatively and lovingly
Then he grabbed the axe
And severed his son's head
"Peter, didn't you promise never to go inside the cottage?"
Chop, chop, chop
The wiped the stain of blood on the body and drained the rest out of the arteries with a pump
Chop, chop, chop
He washed the torso and limbs with care
Chop, chop, chop
He brushed the soft hair, hair that was as blond as his own
Chop, chop, chop
He sew the head back to the body with silky thread
Chop, chop, chop
He opened the lid of one of the empty tubes
Chop, chop, chop
He lowered his son into the greenish liquid until the child was completely submerged
And he sealed the lid with a kiss.
That night, when his wife woke him up with strong shakes, asking him if he knew where their son might be, he looked into her eyes, seeing his own green eyes inside, shining like liquid
And he suppressed a yawn
"Who knows."
The police had come and gone, but their son was never found
The perfect family was now deep in sorrow
The wife never made a step out of the mansion again, she spent all days in their son's bedroom, clutching tightly at his pillow, weeping, cursing herself
The husband, while not looking around the town for news of the boy, were at home, soothing his miserable wife
But months had passed and still there were no signs of the sweet child
The wife cried more each day, refusing to eat, her long silky hair got rough, her plump face was pale, her lips quivering all the time, her bright eyes always shut tight as she cried into her husband's chest
And her husband, a responsible gentleman, always tried to cheer her up
"Darling, I'm still here with you, aren't I?"
One stormy night, the wife woke up on her son's bed from the howling of the wind
As she tried to close the windows, she saw a silhouette walking into the woods
When the person rose the lamp up, she recognized her husband's blond hair
She called out for him, but the wind had deafened him and the man continued to walk into the woods
The wife, stood by the windowsill, was worried
What was he doing in the woods in such a storm?
Where was he going in the middle of the night?
Why didn't he tell her before he went?
Did he have a mistress?
Worried, jealous, the wife followed her husband into the woods
The shroud couldn't keep her dry in such a heavy storm
The small lamp in her hand couldn't light the way well
But she followed him into the woods
Following the tiny dot of light from his lamp
To a small cottage
Did he really have a mistress, my wonderful husband?
When she saw a light coming from a room in the back, she gathered all her strength and came to the house, pushed the door and got herself in
The kitchen welcomed her with the very dim light from her lamp, so she raised it up high to see the place clearer
Her eyes followed the lamp and she met a pale gaping face
Staring at her through glass and green liquid
She screamed out loud and dropped the lamp onto the door, burning the curtain nearby
The room was suddenly lit and she could saw the rest of the residents
Faces and bodies sown back together at the neck
Soulless eyes stabbed at her weak heart
All were dead, all seemed alive
Hanging like Jesus Christ on the wall, nails at their limbs
She screamed even louder, her eyes were tearful
Suddenly it was all silent
A hand covered her mouth, a wrist that bore the perfume that her husband used
"Darling, I just bought a new curtain."
And all went dark.
When the lady regain consciousness, she was nailed onto the table
Her wrists and ankles were bleeding so badly it hurt so much and she felt like fainting again
She raised her head and looked around, trying to escape, and with the dim light from the lamp, she could see her husband standing by the wall, mumbling something to it
She wanted to yell out, to ask her husband, to ask why he did this to her
But all sounds were dead when her husband turned around
In his arms, the tube containing her lost son
"Say hello to Peter, darling, he misses you."
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO PETER? WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SON?"
"I just punished him for not listening to his papa, I've strictly forbidden him not to go to this cottage."
"YOU MURDERER, YOU KILLED MY SON! GIVE ME BACK MY SON, YOU SICKO!"
"Whoa, whoa, calm down dear, it's all right, Peter needs to be punished or he won't learn, will he? You're always so soft to him, it's not very goo…"
"PUNISHED? YOU KILLED HIM, MURDERED HIM, HID HIM IN THIS GODDAMNED PLACE, AND YOU TOLD ME YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHERE HE WAS-"
"Of course, if I told you, you'll go see him right away, right? Peter's grounded, he needed to be alone and think about what he's done, you meeting him will make it all useless…"
"WHY, WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME, TO PETER? GIVE MY SON BACK, GET ME OUT OF HERE, NOW!"
"Shhh, it's all right, I'm still with you here aren't I? Peter had to pay for his mistake, but we can always have another child, then we can teach him better than we did to Peter…"
"YOU THINK THAT I'LL STILL STAY WITH YOU AFTER ALL OF THIS, YOU THINK I WANT TO STAY WITH A PERVERTED AND MAD MAN WHO KILLED MY SON?"
"…what did you just say, darling?"
"I'LL REPORT YOU TO THE POLICE RIGHT TOMORROW AND I'LL GET THE HELL OUT OF THIS PLACE, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I'VE SPENT ALL THESE YEARS WITH A MURDERER!"
"Didn't you vow to be with me forever when we got married?"
"I WAS A TOTAL FOOL FOR NOT SEEING THIS BEFORE, I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO MY SISTER WHEN SHE SAID THAT YOU AREN'T NORMAL, I SHOULD HAVE-"
"So you'd rather stay with your sister than with me? But darling… Didn't you promise?"
Chop, chop, chop
The fair maiden's silky brown hair tangled on the floor, rolling to the end of a wall, her eyes still twitched a bit as she stared at her body on the table, dripping crimson blood from the neck
Chop, chop, chop
The next day, he announced to the servants that his wife would like to stay with her maternal family for the time being, to forget about the pain of losing their son
When the butler asked how long the mistress would be away, he looked out of the window, seeing his own green eyes in the glass, shining like liquid
And he said
"Who knows."
One day, a lone rider on a hazelnut horse came to see the master of the mansion
She rode the horse through the well-cared garden, banged through the door, went up the stairs into the study
She jumped off her prized stallion and stomped to the desk, grabbed the man by his collar and shouted
"Where is my sister?"
"Please calm down, sister-in-law…"
"I SAY, WHERE IS MY SISTER?"
But the man had detangled her fingers from his shirt and stepped back, looked into her eyes, challengingly, until the lady calmed down a bit
She walked to the couch and dropped herself down to the sofa, placing her booted legs on the coffee table and staring at him with narrow eyes
"As you know, my dear sister-in-law, my wife is still very unwell from the shock of losing our son, she's been resting in one of our sub-buildings, and I'm afraid that she's in no health to talk to you."
"I've sent her letters, ever since the incident, I sent her letters but she's stopped writing back three months ago!"
"Oh, right, the letters. I make sure that my wife reads them all, but I'm afraid she doesn't want to reply."
"That child never dislikes writing to me, she always writes letters to me, how sick could she be that makes her lose her mind?"
"I'm afraid that is the truth."
"Hold on, I cannot go back just like this, I want to see my sister. Where is she?"
"She's in no condition to meet anyone right now, she's very mentally fragile."
"Then tell her to write something for me, so that I can be sure of her wellbeing. I'm sure my little sister won't refuse even that."
"…Fine. I'll talk to my wife and tell her to give you a note. But her condition is really terrible right now, so promise me you will patiently wait for her reply and not go ask for her yourself, all right?"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever."
"Thank you, kind sister-in-law."
The lady was assigned to sleep in the guest house on the ground floor, but she couldn't sleep a wink
She had never slept in this mansion before. She didn't trust this place, nor its owner
Suddenly, there were footsteps outside of her room
"That pervert", she thought, "so his wife's unwell right now and he decides to sneak up onto her sister? I've always known that he's no good!"
But, as she braced herself for the sound of door opening, there was none, instead, the footsteps continued pass her door down to the hall
Was is just a servant after all?
Curious, the sister-in-law took a peek from her door and saw her sister's husband, not dressed in nightwear, grabbing a coat and opened the front door, into the garden
"So he's not interested in me, because he already has a whore out there waiting for him? My poor, poor sister, I've always warned her not to marry this traitor…"
And she followed him outside, only to be surprised that he was actually going into the woods
As she stalked him into the bushes, she got even angrier, had he been hiding a whore inside the woods all this time, cheating her sister as he pleased?
Her suspicion was only confirmed when they reached a cottage
And when he lit a lamp inside and started whispering to someone with a sweet voice
"My darling…"
Must be where he kept that slut!
The hot-headed sister banged into the cottage, "You traitor!"
And she froze at her spot
Seeing the man sitting by the table, with piles of letters which she herself had been sending her sister
With a quill and paper, he was writing something, the reply which she had requested
Beside him was a giant tube, filled with slimy green liquid
Floating in it, her sister's body
"Sister-in-law, didn't I tell you not to try to go get it yourself?"
Chop, chop, chop
On the west wall were two tubes
That of his precious son and that of his loving wife
Chop, chop, chop
Then he placed a newly-filled tube next to his wife
That of her dear twin sister.
The next day, he told the stable boy that the lady's horse would be in his care from now on
When being asked why the lady would want her beloved stallion to stay here, he looked into the horse's eyes, seeing his own green eyes inside, shining like liquid
And he said
"Who knows."
After his parents' sudden death, the huge mansion got extremely deserted
With him being the only resident, the servants all staying in a different building, it got immensely empty and lifeless, especially after the strange cases of disappearance of many family members
For a while, he thought, it was still unbearable
But once he went out for work during the day and saw the children joyfully chasing each other around, his chest hurt, as the children reminded him greatly of his lost son
The sweet, angelic son whom he kept in a giant tube, whom he visited almost every day, who looked as if he was sleeping, floating peacefully in a green sea, but also could never move and speak again
Every time he saw a blond-haired child, he had to turn away to hide his yielding tears
It was frightening to be alone
Then one day he came across an orphanage and saw a glimpse of his son
A blond-haired child, with shiny blue eyes, about seven years old, playing in the yard
He immediately told the carriage to stop, he almost ran into the orphanage when he grabbed the boy by his shoulder
"Peter…", he mouthed, but when the child turned around in surprise, he stopped
That was not his son
His son could never play in the mud like this again, he could not look at his father with widening eyes like that ever again
So he took his hand off the child, suppressing a sad sigh
"Sir, would you like to adopt this child?", a woman's voice said, possibly a nun, and he looked at the child, whose face suddenly brightened up
The face which looked so much like Peter's, but wasn't his
But still, he took the boy into his arms and nodded
"I'll adopt him."
Alfred, the child who was adopted, got used to life in the mansion incredibly fast
He had been an orphan ever since he was born, he had never seen, let alone, lived the life of an aristocratic child before
He fearlessly ran around the house, making as much noise as he could, he touched everything, looked at everything, talked to everyone
As if what the master brought home wasn't a human child, but an overexcited puppy, frantically running up and down the stairs, full of glee
The child, obediently called him 'papa', was allowed to stay in his son's old room, which was right next to his own, he was dressed in Peter's old clothing, he inherited everything which used to be Peter's, therefore, despite a slight difference in appearance, one could mistake that the real son had been found and returned to the house
In fact, sometimes, he looked too much like his late son, it made him cry
Then, the boy would always hug him and pat on his back
"I'm here, papa, I'm always here for you, so don't cry, okay?"
So he repeated those words again and again every day, to remind himself that indeed, he did have someone by his side now
Maybe this time he could finally believe in one's promise
Maybe…
From then on, they started living happily with each other
Like father, like son, like a family
The mansion was lively again
And his heart once again felt at peace
Ten years passed by in the blink of an eye
One day Alfred was picked up from the orphanage, now he was already a fully-grown man, taller and stronger than his father ever was
He attended boarding school and returned home very summer, he helped the servants around the house despite being the young master, he studied hard at night, reading books until late
But somehow, he remained papa's boy, following his father like the child of the past, he enjoyed playing and talking with his foster father, he was so attached to his father, it could make people wonder
For a long time, it felt just right,
And in the man's mind, this was finally it, happiness.
Until one day, after the afternoon teatime, his son came to him and looked straight into his eyes
"Papa, I will join the army."
"Why would you? It's not like we lack soldiers or anything."
"But papa, I want to go. Many of my friends are going, and I just can't stand staying here doing nothing, while my pals are out there fighting their ass off for the country."
"But you're a noble now, Al, think of your position, you're different from those peasant friends of yours. You don't have to go to war like they do."
"Wasn't I an orphan before I came here? I am of peasant birth too, I'm not different from those guys, besides, even if I am an aristocrat, why should I coward away in safety while others
sacrifice their lives to protect it? It's not right."
"Do you even know what joining the army in this wartime means? You'll going to be shot right when you enter the battlefield. You won't have time to be heroic, you'll just be dead. You can achieve way more if you stay home, study and continue the line of this family…"
"One cannot achieve anything if he cowardly relies on the death of his friends, it's injustice. I'm sorry, papa, but I've made up my mind. I will join the army, and that's final."
As the son walked away in anger, the man looked at his broad back, and murmured
"Are you just going to break your promise like that son of mine too, Al?"
Chop, chop, chop
He asked if the boy would like to take a walk with him into the woods, where they may talk
Chop, chop, chop
He took the boy to the cottage and asked him once again, if he would really decide to leave him
Chop, chop, chop
The boy nodded without hesitation
Chop, chop, chop
And the axe swung down with no hesitation either
Chop, chop, chop
On the north wall, there was a new tube
Close to that of his late son
A grown-up version
Floating silently in emerald green liquid
Chop, chop, chop
"When will they stop making empty promises, my beloved brother?"
At the front gate that morning, there were a group of students, wearing the same uniform as that his son used to wear
"Excuse me, sir, but is Alfred still home?"
The man, looking down at the young men at the gate, eyes clear and bright as that of Alfred, seeing his own green eyes inside, shining like liquid
And he said
"Who knows."
Chop, chop, chop
On the north wall were three giant tubes
One of a brother whom he had loved all his life
One of a son who had kept his company for ten long years
One of another son whom he adopted after that, who also decided to betray his trust in the end
The recollection of the beloved.
Chop, chop, chop
On the west wall were three giant tubes
One of a wife whom he had devoted his life to
One of her sister whom he respected until the end
One of an adorable, everlasting child, his own blood and flesh
The recollection of family.
Chop, chop, chop
On the south wall were three giant tubes
One of a lovely boy who was his first best friend
One of a charming girl who betrayed him for his brother
One of a long-time friend, who accidentally went astray to this secret cottage
The recollection of friendship.
Chop, chop, chop
On the east wall were three giant tubes
One of a brother who had been almost too generous
One of a boy who tricked the entire aristocratic family
One of a fellow merchant who broke a contract at the wrong time
The recollection of betrayal.
At night, there would be strange voices whispering
Then the sound of nails, piercing through flesh and bone and tendon, being hammered into a wooden table
Then the sound of liquid gushing out of small and big wounds
Then the sound of wind, of metal hitting the vertebrae, and a head was chopped off the body
Then the sound of running water
Then the soft humming when people enjoy a good section of embroidery
Then the sound of liquid being poured into an apparatus
And something thrown into it
Splash
Quietly
All sealed in the memories of the residents of this land
All sealed up with a kiss on the lid
To the best friends of a lonely child
To the brothers of this mansion
To the wife whose tears were pure like crystal
To the children brought up in pain
To the ones that had broken their oath
To the ones, whose never-closed eyes forever looked down to the dark floor from the walls
To the ones that ever lasted.
"That was quite a tale, Kirkland-san. I'm very impressed."
"Why, thank you, Honda. Stories about murdering cases are highly popular in my country, after all. The mist here tends to hide all sorts of crime, doesn't it?"
"So that's why you have such intriguing series like Sherlock Holmes and those of Agatha Christie… But the one you've just told me, I don't think I've ever heard it before. What's the name of the story?"
"That one doesn't really have a name. It's been passed down orally for a long time, I'm not even sure who started it. The story I told you, it was mostly from memories."
"I see…"
"Are you tired from your long trip across the planet, Honda? Have I perhaps been too uncourteous?"
"No, it's all right, I wanted to hear your interesting story as well, it wasn't your fault, Kirkland-san. But, if you excuse me, I would like to retire to my room for the night."
"Of course. Surely you don't mind me not seeing you to your room. I've got a few things to do in the study before bed."
"Oh, please don't be bothered by me, I'll manage just fine. Don't work yourself too hard, Kirkland-san."
"Thank you. Oh, by the way, even if this is a safe residential district, it's still pretty dangerous at night, especially moonless ones like this, so please don't go out after midnight, for your own safety."
"Are there druggies around?"
"Nah, just some minor burglars, no big deal, but one can never be too cautious, right?"
"Right, thanks for the warning, Kirkland-san, I won't go walking around after this. Good night to you."
"Good night, Honda."
"Are you sure about the location?"
"It's a cottage built in the woods, seems pretty out of place. Don't you think this would be the perfect place to hide a corpse?"
"Could be. Are you going in?"
"Of course. I've vowed to get to the bottom of Yao-san's disappearance at all cost."
"Be careful then."
"I will-"
"Kiku? What's wrong?"
"Nah, just got the chills. Damn that bastard for telling me a horror story…"
"You sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine now, don't worr-"
"Hey, Kiku? Kiku?"
Chop, chop, chop
"Honda, Honda, Honda, didn't I tell you that it'd be dangerous to go out this late?"
Chop, chop, chop
"So you're cousin of that man who broke my most prized contract because he suddenly felt like it? So that's why you befriended me on the train in order to infiltrate this mansion and look for him?"
Chop, chop, chop
"Hey, Honda Kiku, did you feel safe because all of my walls were full, that I might spare your life after all? Are you that optimistic, huh, Honda?"
Chop, chop, chop
"Hey, Honda, do you know…"
Chop, chop, chop
"… that there're more rooms in this cottage than just the kitchen?"
"I'm sorry, Duke Kirkland, but we've been reported a case of possible abduction of an Asian man last seen around your mansion. Do you happen to be acquainted with a Japanese man named Honda Kiku, age twenty-five…"
"Oh, Honda, I talked to him on the train last week and he came to stay here for the night as all the hotels were fully booked. But sadly, the next morning he said he had something important to take care of, so he bid me farewell and left early."
"I see. Do you know where he was heading to?"
Tea in the cup swirled ever so slightly. The man picked up the cup, staring half-heartedly into it, seeing his own green eyes inside, shining like liquid
And he said
"Who knows."
In case people are confused with the characters (some are OCs that aren't Kitayume-official yet, plus the fact that some do not have their names mentioned), this is the order of victim: Spain - Seychelles - Scotland - Hong Kong - Wales - Sealand - Northern Ireland - Ireland - USA - Canada - France - China - Japan (with Canada, France and China's murders not mentioned in their own arcs). No need to spell out the identity of our murderer, do I?