I've never written anything like this before so this one's a challenge. Enjoy reading if you can…
Note: I used GSD characters to facilitate character recognition...
"Burn that bitch!"
The town was filled with anxiety, that night of the second full moon. The villagers were gathered at the assembly area, watching the persecution of a branded witch.
"Burn that bitch and send her to hell!" People shouted at the two men in charge of guarding the convict.
People were scrambling forward to look at the convict's face. Some whispered curses on her ear, the others spat on her face. Some found the opportunity to grab her hair and hit her knees.
"Silence everyone!" the chief shouted.
"We will bring death to this creature, yes we will. But your actions could bring the punishment to haste! Be calm my people, for this is the night that this forsaken child would pay for her transgressions. The last of her clan!"
People rejoiced upon hearing this. Though the chief's words were clear, it wasn't fully understood. Fragments of rock and rotten vegetables came flying around, hitting the girl of the face. Blood starts to flow from her temple.
"Who do you plan to call now?" one of the spectators jeered.
"Call your god and save yourself!" said the other.
The lady was tied with ropes, and pieces of straw and wood were placed beneath her. The torch was lit and the town priest approached her.
"Please, you could still save your soul if you ask forgiveness. These fires are inevitable, but salvation could still be yours."
The girl whispered her response.
"I will burn priest, but I will come back. And each one of the faces that I see will receive my vengeance."
"Please my child," the priest said worriedly. "Don't come back, for you will experience an eternity of pain."
"You will be spared," the girl replied.
Flame starts to flicker on the side of her dress. The priest retreated.
"I will come back. You and your sons… and the sons of their sons will pay for this!" She laughed while the smoke engulfed her being. She was burned to ashes. Nothing left.
Chapter one: The Black Curtain"Good morning ma'am, sir! We have a new product called the ' one-touch food processor'. You could chop, mince, slice or even make sushi in an instant using our product."
She was standing in front of the grocery store, and no one bothered to stop and listen.
Most of the shoppers weren't interested in food processors or anything unnecessary for that matter, because of the financial depression. That time of year, the sales for kitchenware and other appliances were at their lowest.
"If you buy this product now, we will give you a 40 discount plus a set of these fine kitchen knives. Along with this product is an instructional manual and a cookbook for your convenience." Her jaw began to twitch from hours of useless talk and fake smiles.
"Just stop it lady. No one's buying your product," the security officer said.
"Well if I stop talking as you say, then who's paying for my apartment bills and my food expenses?" she sarcastically said.
The security officer read her nameplate.
"Miss uhh…Miriallia, I was just being concerned that's all."
The girl read the officer's name too and answered.
"Well Mr. La Flaga, thanks for your concern, but I need to sell these or the store owner would kill me."
"I couldn't help you miss. I'm having troubles with my work too. Double shifts with no overtime pay…"
"I guess everyone's belts were tied up."
One of the shoppers must have noticed the girl and approached her.
"Yes ma'am would you like you take a look at our product?"
"You… be careful child," the woman said to her.
A cold breeze sent shivers to Miriallia.
"Is there something wrong ma'am?"
The woman was wearing a drab dress exposing only her hands and boots. She had a scarf tied around her neck and a sign on her forehead.
An inverted V.
"She will come back. You will hear her cry soon."
Miriallia couldn't understand what this woman had meant. But it did give her an odd feeling.
The woman left after saying these words, leaving Mir speechless.
"What did she say?" officer La Flaga asked.
Miriallia shook her head.
"Nothing sir."
The silhouette of the woman faded among the faces of strangers. The cold feeling had disappeared soon after.
"I'm home."
Miriallia opened the door of her shabby apartment. Her brother was there lying on the bed. It's been two days and his fever hasn't gone down.
"How are you Shinn? You feeling better?"
He sat up and coughed twice.
"I think… I'm dying."
"Don't say that! I'll take you to the hospital tomorrow. I haven't sold anything today, but I'll try to borrow cash from Mr. Djibril. I know he'll spare me some."
"Don't. You're already paying for everything. I'm such a burden." Shinn once more coughed and this time, streaks of blood were on his palm.
"Oh no. Please stay here. I'll get some help."
Miriallia rushed towards their neighbor, the Yamatos.
She saw her childhood friend Kira standing on the doorway.
"Kira, oh please help me!" She was on the verge of crying.
"What happened?"
"It's Shinn. He coughed some blood and he's fever…"
Kira immediately called his housemate Dearka.
"Hey, we have an emergency. Prepare the car."
"Why, something happened?"
"Mir's brother. We'll go to the hospital."
"Okay," Dearka answered. He hurriedly went to the garage while Mir took Kira towards their house.
"Shinn, Kira's here. We'll take you to the hospital," Mir said as she opened the door.
But her brother wasn't there. The bed was empty. Pieces of broken glass were on the floor. The curtains were flying as the strong wind rushes in. The window was open.
"Shinn?" Mir searched around for her brother. Kira followed her.
She searched around the house. No trace of Shinn.
"Oh my god what's happening," Mir cried. She was already in the state of panic. Not long after, Dearka stormed inside.
"I thought we we're to take Shinn to the hospital?"
"He's gone," Kira answered.
"What do you mean gone?"
Mir collapsed on the nearby chair. Her head was reeling from everything that was happening.
"Where is he…"
A neighbor suddenly appeared on the doorway, with her expression unreadable.
"Miriallia! Your brother…"
"What?" the three answered in unison.
She found him lying on the street. Dead.
"Shinn! Please god, don't do this!" She held his lifeless body in her arms. People began to crowd around the area.
"He jumped off the roof," one of the bystanders said.
"No. No. He wouldn't do such a thing! You bastard!" Miriallia shouted.
Kira held her as she scrambles over the man who said those words.
Her brother committed suicide.
"No, no…" she was crying helplessly.
Policemen came and carried the dead body with them.
"Ma'am, we will take his body and do some autopsy."
Mir's face was white. Her mind felt numb. It was just moments ago when her brother was still alive, talking to her. Now, his corpse was lying on her feet.
"No. He didn't kill himself!" she shouted at the policemen.
The police officer advised Kira to take care of Mir while the autopsy is being done.
"Mir, let's go back to the house," Kira pleaded as he held her shoulder.
"Dearka, call Cagalli please. Tell her to come home early," Kira instructed.
"Okay."
Her brother was her only family. Their mother died when she was three, while her father had another family and left the two of them. Shinn was a year younger than her. He was the weaker one, as people say. He grew up with a feeble body and a gentle spirit. He was diagnosed to have bronchitis when he was still five. Not long after his sixteenth birthday, he was found out to have tuberculosis. Miriallia wanted him to be in a special health institution to facilitate his recovery but she couldn't afford the expenses. She saves almost half of her monthly salary just to finance her brother's medicines and to provide for his basic needs.
She wasn't prepared for what he did. And she refused to believe that he was capable of doing it.
"Mir…" Cagalli slowly entered Mir's home.
"They say Shinn's body will be here any moment."
Mir was sitting alone staring at the gray sky.
Cagalli was Kira's sister and both of them were Mir's close friends. She received a call from Dearka, and learned about what happened to Shinn.
Shinn was also Cagalli's friend. He had confessed to her about his feelings, a year ago. But she wasn't feeling the same.
"He didn't kill himself Cagalli. I know it."
"Mir, you have to let him go. He's already in peace now." Cagalli stroke her friend's back, soothing the pain that was almost unbearable.
"He wouldn't leave me Cagalli. He wouldn't," Mir sobbed.
" You have to accept it Mir. Pull yourself together. Look at me." Cagalli cupped Mir's face.
"He will be here soon. He doesn't want to see you like this." She brushes away her friend's tears.
"Mir… he's here," Kira said behind the two girls.
He was laid on a simple coffin. A white one. Guests started to arrive one by one until her small house was filled with people giving condolences and donations.
She was sitting on the chair beside the coffin while Kira and Dearka receive the guests, and Cagalli prepared some simple snack.
She looked at her brother's pale features beneath the glass. He looked so young and fragile. Tears well up on her eyes as she ran her fingers through the glass barrier.
"Sister…"A voice has spoken. It was as cold as the wind. She paused and listened.
"Sister…""Shinn?" She mumbled. She didn't know where the voice came from, but she was sure.
It was Shinn's.
"Help me…"She looked at her dead brother's face. Nothing has changed. Her eyes then riveted on the window.
Shinn was there, reaching out to her.
"Shinn!" She shouted as she scrambled among the guests, chasing after her brother.
She ran towards the window.
"Don't leave me sister…"She was gasping for air as she watched his image as it faded. She was able to see him being carried away… by a woman.
"No don't take him!" she shouted.
She ran towards the fading vision, but it was too fast that she couldn't keep up.
"I'll take him with me…" the lady said to Mir.
"No!"
"His spirit will wander with me. He will not go to heaven, or to hell."
"Mir!" Kira grabbed Mir's waist and pulled her from the edge of the window. She could have fallen if he was a little late.
"Snap out of it Mir!"
A deep breath came out of her as she returned to her senses.
The other guests have left. Shinn's body was still there.
"What happened to you?" Dearka asked.
"You were pretty close to throwing yourself on that window. Are you trying to kill yourself too?" Kira said worriedly.
"It's Shinn. He didn't kill himself."
"Mir, just stop it. It must be diff …"
"I knew it! He didn't kill himself! Someone took him. I saw HER!"
Her eyes were filled with sorrow.
"Her?" asked Cagalli.
"I knew it. The woman… The woman who warned me earlier. She knew this would happen!"
"Mir calm down…"
"I will not calm down! My brother is dead and someone killed him," she screamed at them.
"I will find that woman and I will bring Shinn back."
She left her seat and headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" Kira tried to stop her but her pulled him away.
"Do not bury his body yet. If I haven't returned after three days, then do so."
"Mir wait!"
She didn't look back and walked farther. She knew it. The lady that she saw took her brother away. And she will bring him back.
There you go, the first chapter. I'd like to know how you feel about this so please review… just in case you wanted to.
