Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 9
Chapter 35: Carly's Folly
(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)
It was a harrowing day at school as Carly was mainly busy doing her schoolwork in which she also had to deal with having things thrown at her from the usual suspect. Turning around, she noticed Ingmar who was not happy with her being in school with the other children as he kept hurling nasty messages at her in which she read one of them. She saw the words, "I'm watching you Neko-Chan," in blue ink as she turned around and did the worst by sticking her tongue at him and later resumed her work. With the clock reaching three in the afternoon, Carly was nearly done as she was about to turn in her assignment until she saw Ingmar getting up from his desk and was ready to give her a lecture.
"Girls aren't allowed to make faces at boys," he said. "All they need to do is to serve their fathers and brothers until they're old enough to be wed to their husbands as property."
"Shut your mouth!" yelled Carly. "You're just a spoiled and rotten boy who continues to tease any kind of girl you see at school!"
"Turn in your assignment, Carly," said the teacher.
Carly did as she was told as she sat back down at her desk. When the clock finally reached three, the bell rang as everyone was leaving for home as Carly was ready to do the same. When she was about to get her backpack, she saw Ingmar digging into it as he was doing it to be the usual bully he is. Anger flooded her as she wanted to attack him, but to no avail as he held her backpack aloft while trying to get it back, for she didn't want him to destroy what she had.
"Give it back!" she yelled.
"Why don't you come and make me, Neko-Chan?" yelled Ingmar as he dumped out her textbooks from her backpack. "Girls like you should know your place in which it's the men and boys you have to serve, not act like a harlot!"
"Mr. Sam cares about me and he also tells me to chart my own path once I get bigger!"
"Your path is the one that all women and girls follow and that has them becoming maids, caretakers, and cooks! You'll never step out of that path because you should also know your place!"
"Know my place?!" Carly grabs a chair as she was ready to let Ingmar have it. "You are a rude and rotten boy and the only one who should know their place is you!"
Carly used the chair to hit Ingmar with as he felt the blow hit his head when he dropped her backpack onto the ground. The teacher was alarmed at what she saw as she had to break up the fight between them in which she saw the backpack with the contents strewn on the floor. It wasn't long until Moro arrived as she saw the ruckus that was started earlier, for she never saw anything like it before when she noticed Carly glaring at Ingmar, who had a bruise on his head.
"What happened here?" she asked.
"Ingmar was teasing her by not letting her have her backpack," said the teacher. "Please, be lenient with her because she's not the only victim of Ingmar's attacks."
"Is that true?"
"He started it!" yelled Carly as she pointed at Ingmar.
"She stuck her tongue out at me!" he yelled.
"Well, you had it coming when you provoked her," said the teacher.
"I don't care who started it, but they're both to blame," said Moro. "Carly should've had more restraint in which her temper got the better of her. As for her tormentor, he kept making fun of her and later dumped everything out of her backpack. Both of you are being punished in which you won't be able to wriggle out of it! After what happened, you're not going home tonight in which you're gonna spend the night in the schoolhouse until you learn not to fly off the handle like that, you got that?!"
Carly was devastated that she had to spend the night in the schoolhouse with Ingmar as she couldn't get past Moro. She was about to spend the rest of the evening here as she had no choice when she saw everyone leave for the day. The only one who was barring her from doing so was Moro as she also didn't want Ingmar to pussyfoot out of the schoolhouse, for it was their punishment for fighting.
"I don't wanna spend the night in the schoolhouse with that annoying Neko-Chan!" he yelled.
"Don't care; you were acting like an ass in which your days of taunting were numbered," said Moro.
"I wanna go home," said Carly.
"No! You got yourself in this mess and spending the night in this schoolhouse is a fitting punishment for you! You got what was coming to you when you hit that boy with the chair! I don't care what Sam or Reiko say about this 'cause you're not going home until you think about what you've done, you got that?!"
Moro left the schoolhouse as Carly was left alone with Ingmar. She didn't want anything to do with him as she was left in the classroom. She was trapped with her tormentor as she saw him still with the bruise on his head where she hit him, for he was not too thrilled with the same punishment she got and that was spending the night in the schoolhouse…
I was in the sitting room as I was knitting a pair of booties. I stared at the clock as it ended up reaching four-thirty in the afternoon. Something was a little off as I was noticing some of the children returning home from school in which I sensed that Carly wasn't there. When Moro was there caring for the other children, she was also not allowed to do much due to her pregnancy in which she ended up having to sit back while everyone in the castle were busy preparing dinner. When I left the sitting room, I went towards the kitchen as I also found that Carly wasn't there at all in which I was starting to worry, for she was always the first to speed home just in time for dinner.
"Where are you, fusspot?" I said to myself.
I left the kitchen as I returned to the main hall in which I heard the sounds of frustration coming from outside, for I spotted Ingmar's mother at the front door venting her anger and desperation. I also noticed Reiko standing there as she was concerned about what was going on, for she had to know more about the situation that happened earlier.
"Where is he?!" cried Ingmar's mother. "Where is my son?!"
"We haven't seen him," said Reiko. "Is something wrong?"
"He was supposed to return home on time, not dawdling at teasing wayward girls!"
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Carly home, either…"
"So, your cat-eared ward is missing, too?"
"They're not missing," said Moro as she came towards the front. "They're spending the night in the schoolhouse as punishment for fighting."
"What?!"
Ingmar's mother was shocked to hear what her son is put into as she was worried about his safety. Reiko was also worried about Carly's safety as she was disappointed in what Moro pulled earlier in which their lives were at stake. Still, she was adamant into forcing Carly to stay in the schoolhouse with her tormentor as it would be a living hell for her in the future, for it was also her punishment for losing her temper in the first place. I was also not too happy with Moro as she overstepped her authority when it came to dealing with unruly children, for I was also powerless to rescue Carly from her fate.
"What the hell were you thinking, Moro?" I said as I was getting worried about Carly's safety.
"She's being punished, Sam. I had no other choice but to keep her there in the schoolhouse after what her teacher told me," she said.
"Please, I need to speak with Carly's guardian!"
I saw Carly's teacher burst into the castle as she was concerned about what was going on. She was desperate enough to talk to me as she was worried about what was about to happen. Reiko noticed the concern in her eyes as she had to do her best to comfort her in my stead, for I was in no condition in doing so right now.
"Are you Carly Rutherford's guardian?" she asked.
"I am," said Reiko.
"Please, you can't let them spend the night in the schoolhouse!"
"Is something wrong?"
"Every November, a spirit haunts it in which it even sucks the lifeforce of any stray children that get left behind in the schoolhouse."
"A spirit?"
"A few years after the end of the war between the Oranges and the Blues, I was forced to spend the night in the schoolhouse with a girl who kept bullying me. I… saw the spirit that haunted the place in which my tormentor wasn't lucky when her lifeforce was taken away. I left the schoolhouse in which I fled, only to see the victim's family pointing fingers at me until the spirit was found and sealed away. With the Second Galvanic Uprising over and those terrorists still at large, I kept vigil to prevent anyone from disturbing it until it was broken a week ago."
Reiko saw the teacher display a tablet as she showed some security footage that appeared a week ago. She noticed a familiar face unsealing the seal from a pillar that stuck up near the schoolhouse as a spirit came out of it. She knew that Iago would cause this as he was adamant into giving everyone in my family trouble, for she never forgot how he nearly killed her on that day.
"He was here a lot longer than I thought," she said.
"Do you know him?" asked Carly's teacher.
"His name is Iago Arkhelios and his family is one of the Four Houses who rule Alecrast, but have been met with protests," I said. "His demeanor and temper make him dangerous, but for now, he's in a jail cell."
"I hope he doesn't hurt anyone else… As for the children in the schoolhouse, please get them out of there…"
Reiko was alarmed at what Carly's teacher said as she was looking at Moro in which she was disappointed in what was heard. She also didn't have time to deal with the drama as she had to go and save Carly from a terrible fate, for the presence of a spirit was bad news indeed. When she went to the front, she gathered up an angel blade and the shotgun with salt rounds as she was ready to go towards the schoolhouse, for dealing with a shtriga was something that couldn't be taken lightly.
"Are you sure about this?" asked Moro.
"Carly and Ingmar are in danger from that thing," said Reiko.
"They're still in detention right now after getting in that fight earlier."
"Detention or not, they need to be rescued. I'll decide on their punishment later."
"Carly hit that boy with a chair, Reiko. She needs to show restraint in school and ignore the problem at hand."
"Her tormentor may have far worse problems at his own home than we believe. That is why he clings to stale habits of 'trying to man up' and forcing women and girls to 'know their place.'"
"Yeah, and his mom ain't no Mother of the Year because of the fact that I've seen her working all over the Tsubaki District. She works at the Peppermint Lounge as a janitor after her husband past away. She's struggling to make ends meet in which ended up taking a job at Flossie's doing the same line of work. How did her husband die? He was mainly the epitome of manliness in which he ended up dead at the hands of drowners three years ago. It gave her an edge to not give enough love to him or his siblings while struggling to make ends meet."
Reiko saw Ingmar's mother sitting down on a bench as she was weeping for the safety of her son. She was worried about him as she couldn't hold back tears in which Ingmar's safety was far more important when it came to saving him from the spirit that Iago unleashed from its prison and onto the schoolhouse. Still, Reiko had to go and rescue the children as she couldn't let the spirit bring harm to them, for it was out and wanting fresh lifeforce on the sly. When she saw me seeing her off, I was worried about her safety as I was also staying put due to the condition I had, for I was carrying the four passengers that I had in that crafted womb of mine.
"You're going to the schoolhouse, aren't you?" I said.
"I know that you're worried, but I can manage," said Reiko.
"I also know that Ingmar is someone that is often teasing women and girls to 'know their place' in which his mother wanted to force one of our wards to 'be proper and be nice to boys, not act defiant like a whore.' What I heard earlier was that she was working two jobs in the Tsubaki District as a janitor at both the Peppermint Lounge and Flossie's, which is basically a gay bar."
"Moro told me that her husband was killed by drowners three years ago. She's struggling, Sammy. She's trying so hard to keep a roof over the heads of her children and putting food on the table for them. That's why Ingmar bullies everyone at school. Still, he's in danger just like Carly in which I'll rescue them from the spirit that haunts the schoolhouse, for I had my fair share of hunting."
I was glad that Reiko was ready to rescue the children as she was more than likely to face off with the spirit that was freed from its seal. She was more than just a mother as she couldn't let Carly and Ingmar suffer a terrible fate, for she was more than likely to stop the haunting spirit before it caused further trouble...
Carly was at her desk as she was keeping her head down while ignoring Ingmar entirely. She was also hungry as she wanted to return home and have some dinner, but she wasn't going to be able to do that right now. She was in the same room with her tormentor as he was busy throwing a tennis ball against the wall. Both of them were enduring the punishment for their behavior as they had no other choice but to spend the night in the schoolhouse. It had been two hours since the school day ended as both of them were in the classroom just for one night only, for it was starting to get boring for the both of them.
"I'm stuck here and my mom's gonna chew me out for this," said Ingmar.
"And I'm stuck without eating Reiko's cooking," said Carly.
"It's your fault for getting us in this mess."
"Well, it's your fault for dumping out my backpack!"
"You didn't have to stick your tongue out at me!"
"You got what was coming to you when I gave you the chair!"
It wasn't long until Ingmar heard a whispering sound as he also felt a chill in the air. He was starting to feel scared out of his mind as he ran towards Carly like a frightened dog. He never believed in scary stories before until now as he wanted to go home, but to no avail. When he noticed the windows opening up, he was starting to panic as Carly noticed the same thing in which she heard the stories that Reiko and I told her when we first took her in. She also heard the morals of the stories we told her as she closed the windows and later left the classroom for the cafeteria. She wasted no time when she found two canisters of salt in the cabinet as she took them out of there in which she returned to the classroom to see Ingmar hiding from under the desk. What she didn't see was that a shtriga was coming into the classroom as she opened up the canister of salt and sprinkled some of it on the intruder. When it vanished for the time being, Ingmar came out of his hiding place as he was aware of what he saw, for he saw Carly to be a little braver than he thought.
"What was that thing?" he asked.
"It was a shtriga," answered Carly. "Dirk told me about them in which he fought one. They're strong, but they're only vulnerable when they feed. That is when you strike at them."
"Do we even have any weapons?"
"We do, but Mr. Sam won't let me use them because they're only made for grown-ups."
"And that salt you used… Does it get rid of creepy-crawlies?"
"It's more than just an ingredient. It's often used on funeral pyres to welcome those who departed. You can use it to protect yourself with so we can face off against anything awful."
Ingmar was starting to regret his regular taunts towards Carly as he noticed her salting the windows. She had to protect herself and her tormentor as they were stuck with dealing with a shtriga that haunted the schoolhouse. With the door closed, Carly had to salt the door as she didn't want the spirit to attack as she was worried about the safety of both her and Ingmar, for she had to be brave when it came to going up against the unknown.
"You may have salt all over the classroom, but we don't have any weapons, Neko-Chan," said Ingmar. "What I saw is scary in which I was often told from my mother that spirits never exists, only the will of the gods."
"Salt is what keeps the monsters out," said Carly. "As soon as we make it till morning, we'll be home."
"Home…" Ingmar was starting to feel a little bit depressed. "All I see is nothing but an empty house with no food on the table for me and my siblings while my mother is busting her rump trying to make ends meet after my father was killed by a drowner three years ago. And do you know where she works? She works in the Tsubaki District in both that brothel and restaurant that caters to grown-ups all because she's been doing it all by herself after some of our relatives died in that old war between the Oranges and the Blues. And what about you, Neko-Chan? Did you have any family where you lived?"
"I was born on Alecrast, but I lived in the village of Bilbo in which my parents were farmers. One day, a meanie with a group of demons ravaged our home in which I took the full brunt of his lashes after the deaths of my parents. I fled down the river and made my way to Mr. Sam's castle and that was where he found me while I was eating some melons at the time. Mr. Sam found and cared for me in which he worries about me a lot like the other kids in his care."
It wasn't long until the whispering of the spirit was rushing to break into the classroom as it was trying to get towards Carly and Ingmar. Both children were in danger as they also didn't have any weapons to attack the shtriga with except for the salt that was there. Carly was scared to death as she saw the door about to be busted open until she saw the shtriga burst into the classroom in which it backed away due to the salt near the doorway. Both Carly and Ingmar hid under their desks as they saw the shtriga trying to blow the salt away until it backed away once more.
"Is it gone?" asked Ingmar as he came out from under his desk.
"Someone's here," said Carly. "That's why the shtriga up and left."
Both Carly and Ingmar heard the sound of footsteps approaching as they left the classroom to see who was there. With the salt canisters in their hands, they had to be on guard as they had to steer clear of the shtriga that was haunting the schoolhouse in which they later noticed it standing still. It was waiting for them as it flew towards them until a few gunshots were pelted into it.
"What just happened?" asked Ingmar.
"Someone pelted the shtriga," answered Carly.
"Oh, no!"
Carly and Ingmar saw the shtriga return to them as it was ready to attack them. Both children were running for their lives as they ended up getting out of the way. When they reached the girl's bathroom, they were hiding from the shtriga as they were scared for their lives. Ingmar, on the other hand, wasn't too happy with being in the girl's bathroom as he noticed the dispensers for tampons and fempads on the wall. It was too much for him as he wanted to leave until he felt the room get extremely cold, for the lingering spirit was closing in on where he and Carly were.
"This place isn't for boys!" he yelled as he was not too happy with the pink tiling all over.
"What did you expect? This is the girl's bathroom after all," said Carly.
"We could've gone to the boy's bathroom!"
"And split up? If there's a creepy-crawly coming, Mr. Sam told us to never split up, you got that?! Dealing with dangerous spirits or monsters can be messy in which most of them are often salted and burned. That's what Mr. Sam tells me, but he also told me to leave the hunting to the grown-ups."
"But there aren't any adults around in the schoolhouse until I heard gunshots earlier."
Without warning, the children saw the shtriga rush into the girl's bathroom as it was ready to strike again. This time, it was enraged as it wasn't about to miss its annual meal the moment it trapped Carly in one of the stalls. At that moment, Ingmar was ready to be brave as he didn't want anything bad to happen to her in which he lunged at the spirit that was cornering her. When the shtriga turned around, it pinned Ingmar to the ground as it was ready to feed on his lifeforce. Carly was stunned to see something like that in which she also didn't want to abandon her tormentor the moment she got out her salt canister and poured some on it. Just as Ingmar was about to be the shtriga's next meal, gunshots were fired at it as it finally ended up dead the moment he got up and turned around to see Reiko to the rescue. She was happy that the shtriga was gone as the children were safe and sound, for they had to go home before the night was over.
"Reiko!" yelled Carly as she ran into her arms. "What are you doing here and where is Mr. Sam?!"
"He's at home, sweetheart," she said. "You had Sammy worried after he found out about Moro punishing you to spend the night in the schoolhouse. As for your former tormentor turned friend there, he's safe in which his mother is also worried about him."
"I bet that Mom's working at the Peppermint Lounge as usual," said Ingmar.
"We need to get you home. Besides, tomorrow's Saturday and it's also the weekend for the children."
Reiko escorted Carly and Ingmar out of the girl's bathroom as they were ready to leave the schoolhouse. After dealing with a shtriga, they were ready to go home as they were heading towards the front doors. Just as they were about to leave, they noticed Beryl standing there as she was here to know about how I was doing, for she was more than likely to do her worst than offer up an olive branch on the horizon.
"Good evening, Lady Reiko," she said in an icy voice. "It seems that you ended up going hunting in your husband's stead."
"I only came here to take the children home and nothing more," she said.
"Iago was here before the accident you had in which he made sure that the shtriga that was once sealed began to haunt the schoolhouse again."
"If it's about the spirit that nearly killed one of the children who were forced to spend the night in the schoolhouse, it's dead in which I had to shoot it with salt rounds. In the lore of the Elder Days, most shtrigas are invulnerable, but they're only vulnerable when they feed."
"Yeah…, and I was about to be a meal out of that old hag," said Ingmar.
"Hold your tongue, boy," said Beryl. "I'm talking to the adult in charge! As for your husband, Lady Reiko, he's been a target for the Zenith Vectors in which they'll stop at nothing to obtain him to unlock other bits of leftover Draaza tech like what was found in the Freleng. Sooner or later, I'll contact the Zenith Vectors to take him and he'll bend the knee unlike the likes of Epsilon and his twin brother, Aleph. Tell me, is your husband home?"
CH-CH!
The sound of a shotgun being pumped rattled Beryl as she turned around and noticed the Elf woman who was here on business after paying respects to the fallen soldiers. From what Reiko noticed was that the Elf woman wasn't having it as she didn't want any trouble, for she also didn't trust anyone from the Beauchamp Family. The Elf woman herself had black hair and green eyes as she was dressed in Sindar clothing with a pair of boots and coat. She never trusted Beryl due to her support for everything that is associated with war, for it was a deadly industry that couldn't be taken lightly.
"Carmelita Josefita Webber nèe Trujillo…," she said in her icy voice. "You never falter, do you?"
"My mother told me that you would be in town, but for all the wrong reasons," she said.
"You should put that pop gun away if you don't want to alert the police here."
"You're wanting to alert the terrorists into stealing the one who is carrying the legacy that Aloysia and Te'Katri left behind, aren't you? Yes, he is with child, but not by choice when Neville and his underling jumped the gun and milked the latter's seed to fertilize the legacy that is destined to be realized."
"How dare you?!" Rage boiled over Beryl as she was ready to attack Reiko and the children she rescued. "How dare you neglect your duties as a mother when a man is bearing offspring that are not yours!"
Reiko saw the Elf with the shotgun display her angelic aura as she wasn't having it. She didn't want Beryl to harm everyone who left the schoolhouse as she stood her ground the moment that the Draaza girl showed up to fling a rock at the icy latter, for she didn't want her to cause too much damage or drama. Beryl didn't do anything else as she was cornered by the ones who arrived late, for she was more than likely to leave in a hurry after this.
"Don't you have somewhere to be, Beryl?" she said.
"Manuela, don't be vulgar," said the Elf.
"But, Mom—"
"—No buts, hija. We may be women, but that doesn't mean that we can act like children and throw stones."
"Have it your way, then," said Beryl. "As for what is born through an Incubator, it's very unnatural for men to be with child in which it goes the Law of Nature. As for your husband, Lady Reiko, I hope he dies in childbirth!"
Reiko was angered by Beryl's words as she punched her in the face. She had her reasons to protect me as she also had to watch over the little ones I bore. When she saw Beryl get up, she was ready to fight back until Manuela stood in the way, for she couldn't let her sully a lady's honor further. When she saw Beryl leave in disgust, she was glad that no further problems emerged as she was later bowing in Reiko's presence, for she was mainly the goddess of the Ashizoka System after all.
"There's no need to bow, Manuela," she said.
"Sorry, but I can't disrespect your presence," she said.
"Beryl is rude and she'll end up broken if she continues her icy path."
"Well, you did swing at her," said the Elf.
"C.J.! Manuela!"
Alonzo was sprinting to where they were as he was blessed that there were no further confrontations in which he also bowed in front of Reiko. He was happy that he met her as he was also adamant into protecting the legacy that his sister and her wife left behind, for he also wanted to protect it as well.
"I beseech you, Lady Reiko," he said as he stood up on his feet.
"There's no need for adulation right now," she said. "All we need is to return the children home…"
Reiko escorted Carly and Ingmar back to the castle as Alonzo and his family followed them away from the schoolhouse. What they didn't know was that Jack was standing in the distance as he had a primal disdain for Beryl and her conduct in which he was also concerned about what was going on earlier. When he spotted her, he wanted to smite her, but stayed his hand as he was aware that someone else would finish the job, for she was a threat that reveled in war and what it does. All he saw from her was an icy smile on her face as he also bore a heavy grudge against her, for he was waiting for a befitting fate for her after what was heard earlier.
"I won't let you hurt Sam or Lady Reiko," he said as he saw Beryl leave.
"I never liked that bitch," said Ferdinand as he appeared out of nowhere.
"Grandfather's meddling has made Sam's life worse, but he bore the brunt of what got put in front of him."
"Well, he won't be doing anything for a while 'cause I keep sending him all the toilet paper that he can get."
"Sam has a resilience that never wavered in which he went through the turmoil, cruelty, sadness, and self-loathing in which he has now shaped himself to be closer to us than he thinks. As for him being with child again, no thanks to Grandfather's meddling and Neville serving jail time, he's had the most inner courage that was dormant until now."
"It won't be out on display for long because Beryl Beauchamp has a knack for being turned on by the glories of war and how it affects both sides of the battlefield. As for what she said earlier, that threat should be taken seriously."
"And may Beryl burn if she harms Sam or Lady Reiko, for there will be someone other than us that will smite her."
Jack had to step up his a-game as he saw Beryl as a threat to our lives. Even though he was now aware that I was with child again, he had to do his part into protecting me as there would be the lingering presence of the Zenith Vectors on the horizon, for their conduct alarmed everyone all over the galaxy. Still, everyone had to be on high alert for the Zenith Vectors as they were making their mark on collecting abandoned Draaza tech, for they still wanted humanity to become top dog in their unholy crusade. As for what was yet to come, the new about Beryl Beauchamp causing widespread chaos was nothing new as she was mainly a warmonger that kept everyone on their toes, for her dance of war as only the beginning of our worries and battle against the Zenith Vectors all over...
Reiko made it home with the two children in tow as they were in the main hall warming themselves by the fire. After dealing with a shtriga, everyone was ready to call it a night as Ingmar's mother spotted him near the fireplace after spending a few hours in the schoolhouse. When she noticed Carly there, she was ready to scold her for not 'knowing her place' as she viewed other women and girls as caretakers, maids, and cooks in her worldview, for it was what she thought after all.
"Where have you been?!" she yelled.
"I was in the schoolhouse," said Ingmar.
"I was worried sick about you and you're here displaying emotions like a screech owl."
"There was an old hag haunting the school in which I saw Carly's guardian taking it out with salt rounds while haunting the girl's bathroom!"
"That's a lie!"
"It's the truth!" yelled Carly as she defended Ingmar. "If Reiko hadn't showed up to kill it, we would've been a meal out of that shtriga!"
"Know your place, whelp! Ingmar knows his in which he's striving to be a real man."
"She knows her place and it's not just being a cook, maid, or caretaker," said Ingmar as he defended Carly. "She's someone who had to deal with that old hag in the schoolhouse earlier. Her guardian finished it off in which she saved our lives unlike you still working at the Peppermint Lounge and Flossie's in the Tsubaki District!"
Ingmar saw his mother raising her hand as she was ready to slap him until Moro stepped in and protected him. She didn't want her to hurt him as he went through enough after dealing with a shtriga earlier, for physical violence wasn't the way to go for a child after all.
"Take it somewhere else," she said.
"My son needs to be punished for backtalking!" yelled Ingmar's mother. "He needs to be a real man by not showing emotion nor being defiant towards his parents."
"And where does he get his defiant behavior from? It's mainly from your absence while working as a janitor at a brothel and a gay bar in the Tsubaki District after your husband passed away three years ago. You're barely making ends meet in which you and your kin can hardly afford food on the table. As for your talk about 'knowing one's place,' 'not show emotion,' and even 'defying one's parents,' it's nothing more than toxic masculinity in which all that talk of being a 'real man' ain't working. A real man knows how to be emotional and asking for help. A real man knows how to stay strong for his family and friends. A real man knows how to be kind and compassionate. A real man knows how to take responsibility to acknowledge his own faults and not blame others for his problems. A real man never abandons his family when it comes to tough times in which he also cares about those in need. That is what you should be teaching your son instead of 'manning up' all the time!"
Ingmar's mother looks at him as she noticed him getting bolder instead of relying on his old bullying tactics. All along, she was wanting him to 'man up' as it mainly did the opposite. He was changing for the better as he also had to face off against a shtriga earlier. After what happened in the schoolhouse, he now knew about the existence of spirits and other monsters who had the gall to come and attack the innocent as he would stop at nothing to protect his family from harm. That was his promise to better himself after he was saved from certain death, for he also had to be compassionate instead of steeping in the usual kind of thinking that he believed in for the past three years. That was also his promise to do good after what he saw earlier tonight, for it was also a reason to protect what he cares about the most…
Later on in the evening, Reiko was in our room as she was thinking about what Beryl said to her earlier. Even though Ingmar and his mother went home earlier, we were also glad that Carly was safe as she went to bed after that. Still, Reiko was shaken about the horrible words she words that Beryl said as she was touching at my stomach where the four little parcels were nesting in. When I sat up, I stared at her as I touched at her hand in which it was shaking with fear, for she was worried about my safety after all that has happened.
"You're worried about something," I said to her.
"Beryl Beauchamp is a monster with an icy smile and a heart of marble," she said.
"We all know what she's capable of, but her actions will be her undoing."
"I heard the nasty words she said before I punched her, Sammy. She said, 'As for your husband, Lady Reiko, I hope he dies in childbirth,' in which I feel scared for your safety, especially with the little ones you bear."
"Nothing bad will happen to Mr. Sam!"
We saw Carly run into the room as she was sitting on the edge of the bed. She was more braver than we thought as she was no stranger in feeling what I had in me once. After what happened in the schoolhouse earlier, she was also adamant into knowing more about all forms of lore as she also had to be aware of her surroundings. Even though she would be turning ten three days before Christmas, Carly was getting more braver than normal, for she had a family who cared about more than anything.
"It's late, fusspot," I said.
"After what that mean lady said to Reiko, I can't let anything bad happen to you or what you have," said Carly. "I'm used to what's in our family in which this isn't the first time that you had babies in your tummy."
"You can protect Sammy tomorrow," said Reiko. "He's not going anywhere right now because he needs all the bedrest to accommodate what he's carrying."
"I don't like that mean lady! She hopes that Mr. Sam doesn't survive!"
"She's also a terrible woman who revels in war," I said. "None of us would want another one after the Second Galvanic Uprising ended almost a year ago in which we have to deal with some more bad people."
"And I hope that she doesn't hurt you! We also have Dirk in the Hunter Corps now. He's eager to help us and everyone here on Skald Island anyway. If I get a little older, I'm gonna do my part in the Hunter Corps."
"You can do that later, fusspot, but for now, you need to get to bed."
Carly didn't say another word as she left our room and went towards her own. What she didn't expect was that there was a note on her bed as she unfolded it. The message came from Ingmar as she saw the words, "I'm watching you, Neko-Chan," in blue ink complete with doodled hearts and a salt shaker. She never had someone love her back before as her former tormentor was now her friend after what happened in the schoolhouse earlier, for she also had to look after him in return. Looking out the window, she saw the sky clear without the presence of the northern wind as it was also very cold outside, for the premature snow was already there for the lingering winter that ensued...
The next morning, Ingmar was at home as he was busy taking care of his siblings while his mother was working in the Tsubaki District at Flossie's. With everyone eating breakfast that consisted of hot oatmeal with maple syrup and brown sugar, Ingmar was the only one who wasn't hungry right now as he was examining his surroundings due to the fact that he and his siblings were in a dilapidated house with boarded-up windows and a fireplace without firewood. When he heard a knock on the door, he answered it as he saw Reiko with some food stuffs and clothing in which he was glad that someone was there to help him and his siblings. He also noticed Carly with her as she was holding some boxes of other stuff that were for his house, for he needed them more than anything.
"My mom's at work right now," he said.
"It's fine," said Carly as she went inside of the house. "Reiko said that you and your siblings need all the help you can get."
"There's enough food to last us until Mom's next paychecks."
"There's enough canned meat, flour, bread, and other stuff to keep you fed," said Reiko.
"Is there some extra salt?"
"There's some extra salt for cooking and keeping monsters out," said Carly. "At least you're doing your best after what happened last night."
"I'll do my best to be better… I have my mom and siblings to protect, right?"
Ingmar was blessed to have help as Reiko and Carly began to show him more than just gratitude. He now knew kindness as he also vowed to protect his family from harm in which he had to do his best to step up and take charge. The sight of Carly here made him change as he viewed her more than just a cook, maid, and caretaker, for she helped him deal with a spirit that nearly made a meal out of him. Still, he was changing slowly for the better as he couldn't let anything else happen to his family, for it was his way to do his part of helping others in the future…
To be continued...