I couldn't sleep that night, even though it was dead silence. There weren't even crickets or frog singing, and I was so tired from what I've been through today, but I still can't sleep. I still thinking about what happened over and over again.
Today I woke up with a dream that made my heart ache on every thoughts of it. I was dreaming about my beloved mother. I saw her and she opened her arms to welcome me, but when I tried to run after her, she disappeared. I woke up gasping for breath in my silent cottage. I knew it was no use for me to visit my previous home, since it was now nothing but ashes. I also knew that when I visit my family's old cottage in the middle of the forest, I would find nothing but silent that would remind me of that horrible day … when my mother tried to hold her urge to cry over my father, when we found him lying cold on his bed. Beside him was my little sister, Gracie. Her eyes were also closed. There weren't any life left in them. I thought my father left me with my mother so I could protect her, but then he took my mother away to heaven as well.
I walked out of the cottage, trying to distract myself by walking into the forest. I had known this place since I could remember so I could simply let my feet led the way. I walked and walked until I knew I reached the meadow that separated the forest and the field that belonged to the villagers. I should have stopped there, but the sight in front of me caught my attention.
I was used to the crazy angry mob from the village, since they were the reason I had lost my childhood on the first place, but this time there were only three men. They were shouting and chasing a man. I couldn't see his face clearly since he was wearing a cloak with a hood on.
"Come on … run faster, they wouldn't dare to chase you after you reach the meadow!" I said.
He looked up and saw me. He couldn't see me clearly since we were so far away but it was as if he could hear me, because he kept running until he reached the meadow. The three men were still shouting at him, they looked at each other and then one of them pointed his pitchfork at him. They started to run after him.
"Not a good choice …" I said as I pulled out my gun from my waist and waited until they became closer. I shot one of them on their shoulder and he fell down. The two of them stopped and staring at him, their face white. The poor stranger stopped too, but he was closer to me so now he could see me at last. I could only see his eyes shined towards me.
"Who are you?! Show yourself!!" one of them shouted.
"It must be the Leonard's family!" the others said.
"No, it cannot be! All of them were dead. We found their bodies on that wretched cottage, didn't we?"
"Look at him! He was bleeding! Tom, can you hear us? Tom?! Good heavens, look at his blood! Take him back to the village, quick!"
"Begone you wretched monster! If you go as far as near our village again, there won't be any mercy for you!"
The poor stranger stood still, staring at them before he turned and walked into the forest. He slumped under one of the three and opened his hood. His face was chalk-white and almost filled with wound-mark. He clutched his shoulder as he opened his mouth in a silent scream. He must be badly injured. I walked over to him.
I didn't know what to say to him, since this is my first time talking to the others for the last five years of desolation. His eyes focused on me. "I …" was the only thing he could say before he once more winced in pain. I looked at the back of his cloak, it was stained with blood. Still didn't think about the right words to say, I helped him to stand and led him to my cottage. He hesitated at first, but then he followed me because he didn't have any other choice. When we arrived, I told him to lie on the bed so I could examine his wounds. I took off his cloak and shocked when I saw the white-shirt he wore underneath was covered with blood. I cursed angrily when at last I saw the size of his wound. What on earth did he do to deserve this? I thought. But then a memory flashed before me …


"Alex!!"
Alex turned in surprise as his mother furiously walked towards him. He pulled the little girl behind him reflexively to protect her, but then his mother pushed him away so fiercely that he fell into the ground.
"Alex …" the little girl called him too, but with a weak shivering voice, that was before his mother slapped her hard until she fell on her back.
"What in God's name are you doing with this demon child?!" Alex's mother demanded.
"Her family was ill, mother …" replied Alex as he tried to stand. "I only give her some of our leftovers so she could bring them back to her family."
"You little fool!" Alex's mother glared at him. "Do you realized what your foolishness might bring to our family?! As for you, you little demon!" she pulled the little girl's bony arm so fiercely, forcing her to stand up. "I'm going to give you punishment you'll never forget, so you'll know what you'll get if you go as far as our village again!"
"Alex, help me!!" the little girl cried helplessly to him.
"Selena!!" Alex cried, but there was nothing he could do. He just watched in fear and regret as his mother dragged his little friend away…

I clenched my hand into tight fists to hold my own anger. I looked at his wound and I quickly thought of a way to cure it. I remembered some leafs my mother had taught me to cure wounds. "Wait here. I'll try to get something for the wounds." I said before I walked out of the cottage to find them. When I went back, I used them to put on his wound. After that, I used one of my father's old shirts to wrap it.
I looked at his frightened face and his scars. I had almost the same one on my back, where I once got severely beaten. He looked so afraid, hiding his face behind his dark hair and looked around my cottage as if this was some kind of hunter's trap. He stayed shivering even after I lent him one of my father's flannels. I heated up a bowl of stew for him.
"Don't look so scared, I am not going to cook you!" I said in annoyance when I gave him the bowl and he practically jumped away from me like I was pointing a kitchen knife at him.
"Forgive me …" he said, bowing his head. I sighed and put the warm bowl in his hand. He hesitantly spooned the stew into his mouth but then he started to eat it fast. He must be very hungry, so I gave him refill after he finished the first bowl. He calmed a bit after he had finished the whole pan.
"Thank you …" he said weakly, hesitantly looking at me behind his hair. "Thank you for being very kind to me."
I nodded silently, but then I shook my head when I saw the scars on his face more clearly. "Did they do this to you?"
"No." he shook his head. "My creator made me this way."
"Your creator?" I tilted my head, confused at his words.
The more he told me about him, the less I could understand. It was strange, he was made? Not born? He told me he just woke up one day and saw his creator. He was stitched from death, that's what he said. Could anything that absurd be real?
"So this … father of yours, do you see him much?"
He shook his head.
"Do you have any other family?"
He shook his head once more.
I wanted to ask him more, but then I gave up. "You'd better have some rest, so the wound would heal faster."
"It's very kind of you, but I better leave." he said with a forced smile.
"You won't last more than fifteen minutes walk down the hill with that wound."
"What would your family think if they come home and find a monster like me in their house ..."
"I don't have a family. They had gone long time ago But never mind that, now have some rest."
He hesitated for a moment, but then he agreed to stay. That was the first time over more than five years I had someone else beside me in the cottage. It felt strange and somewhat comforting to know that I wasn't alone.
"May I know your name?" I asked him before we went so sleep that night. I told him to sleep on my bed since I knew he needed a good night rest after what he'd been through. It was all right, the couch was comfortable enough for me to sleep on.
"I don't have any name."
"What do people usually call you?"
"Monster. Or fiend." the answer came in a very bitter tone.
None of us said anything until I heard his steady breath as he fell asleep. I looked at his face, which was hidden behind his hair. I walked towards the couch and curled myself under my blanket. I was just starting to drown into my dream when I heard him spoke.
" … no!" his voice was filled with fear and terror.
I was tense; I thought there might be an intruder came into my cottage. I woke up and grabbed my father's dagger, ready to stab whoever it was being so foolish. But there wasn't anyone there. The stranger was still lying on the bed, but he was restless. Every now and then he shook his head as he spoke in his dream.
"No! Father, please! Put that lamp away! Don't! Nooo …!!"
I quickly went beside him and shook him. He woke up, gasping for breath as he looked frantically around the room. His eyes focused on me at last.
"You have been dreaming." I said.
His body started to shiver. He looked so afraid and helpless, so I warily put my arms around him.
"I … I'm scared …" he said shakily.
"Don't be. It's just a silly dream." I ensured him.
"No, it happened. My father … he burned my wife into ashes … she was burned. I couldn't protect her …"
My mouth fell open in shock. "Your father did what?!"
He put his trembling hands over his face. "No, I don't want to remember it! I don't want to … don't make me look at it once more."
"Ssh … tt's all right. You are safe with me now. No one's here to hurt you …" I said softly. It felt as if I was comforting my little sister Darcie when she was having a nightmare. How long had it been since?
"Shall I light the candle?" I asked to distract myself from the memory I didn't dare to think about.
He nodded so I went to get a candle and lit it. He calmed down a bit when the light started to illuminate on the cottage. "Thank you …" he said. He took my hand and squeezed it tightly and kissed it. I patted his hand on return. I felt strange then when I tried to comfort him, something I had never felt for a very long time. Long after he went to sleep, I looked at his face and all of the sudden a great wave of emotion washed over me. It seemed like there was a memory waiting to arise to the surface. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to remember it or not. I closed my eyes and quickly remember what my mother had told me.
"It will be easier for us if we forget what happened in our past …be brave, my dear child, and face your future."
I went up to my couch and quickly shut my eyes. Yes, I didn't have time to think about the useless memories from my past for I would become nothing but a pathetic little girl who could only hold her tears when an insane woman whipped her back mercilessly until it bled. I was stronger now and will become stronger and stronger each day …
So I could deliver my family's vengeance