—Squelch
Grotesque, the sound is abhorrent,Completely vile; To her ears it was a disgusting ensemble.
The ringing after a hammer to the dome or perhaps that sound should more aptly be called—
—An Unmannered bite.
Squelch.
The first one wasn't visible to her, she was confused. That sound, it's origin. Where was it?
She had thought someone stepped on an apple. But the second one was clearer.
???:"HK—!"
That small sound of shock made her wrinkly friend croak with a face uglied by a smear of horror.
Beholdening that sight with worry she stepped once forward; a hand raised with her voice calling the name of the uglied face.
Then, the mouth widened ajar. The woman's tongue spat out saliva as her neck bobbed to form a sound.
—Squelch
That time. She could hear clearer—Nay, she could see.
She could see—She could feel it.
God. She could feel that blood on her hand. She saw—She saw that aunt's fore neck be gouged and vanish. As the blood splattered across the ground.
???:"—ghk—haaaa—glogh!"
No words spew out, after all her vocal cords had no ability to birth them. Yet what did pour like a waterfall was that wretched scent of iron.
That sight.
It didn't go away. It couldn't. It was burned into her retinas.
That sound.
It didn't vanish, it wouldn't. That cacaphony was piked into her ear and marked into her eardrum.
Oh but indeed. What truly stuck—was the Fear.
She was afraid.
She had no forthwarning of that happening. With joy and every day thoughts did she but those apples. Quotidian was her daily life moving.
But that sound—that face. Came from the left field. Like a hammer to the back of the head. Dazed into a murky swamp of fear she could not go outside.
For Outside housed The monster.
She could not see what the monster was.
That would be the reason she is afraid.
Never know when The monster bites, Never know who it bites, Never know where it bites.
She was weak. And so she sanctioned herself within false asylum.
.....
It was that aunt's funeral that day. She heard so beyond the haze of her own thoughts. She was asked to attend.
Mourn the dead at their death, then at the burial, thereafter their soil. A saying she had read in passing. Simply, It meant that the living shall mourn the dead no matter when.
But it is accurate to say that it had three meanings.
Death will not stop hurting.
Mourning for the dead is the least you can do.
Mourning is all you should do, not join them for you living is their best gift. Living for the dead is the best you can do.
Call her childish and influenced easily, yet she was stubborn. She wished to live by that saying. Her philosophy.
So she tried to conjure courage. She took a step off her bed. Walked some steps towards the door.
She wished so badly to go to the funeral that she felt her heart pain.
Yes...she burned within to have courage. But...
It was Shadowed by the shade of titanic Fear.
She was afraid.
She was so...so afraid.
Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid.
Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid.
Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid.
Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid—
Ah. She was on the bed again. It seemed she was too Afraid to mourn the dead.
^^^~~^^^^^^~~^^^
Ramiel:"What do you think doctor?"
The house remained in that charged state of worry as Ramiel asked the bespecled man checking through his documents for the next appointment. Arthur stood next to Dr.Tom as Rall stood behind the wheelchair seated Ramiel.
Tom:"hm.....hm? Oh yes, I'd say she needs to sleep more."
Arthur:"Seriously? That's it?....Dr.Tom, please take this seriously—"
As Arthur tapped his feet in minor annoyance, the bespecled man closed his file and looked at Arthur with a hardened face, as if feeling insulted.
Dr.Tom:"Mr.Arthur, I assume you have enough common sense to understand that Mrs.Serf is extremely sleep deprived. The Monster She speaks of is making her unable to sleep."
Arthur aptly shut his mouth, he should calm himself. Along with lethargy, he is being imbued by impatience and frustration as well it seemed.
He could tell that Serf had been losing sleep. Her eye bags were heart-breaking to look at. Especially on someone so young.
Dr.Tom continued.
Tom:"I also advice..."
Although he had worn a lackadasical attitude for the time of his stay. Arthur had been told by Ramiel that it was simply how he acted. He was still professional in his work.
Yet at this moment, a dire expression formed on Dr.Tom's face as the next words came out his mouth.
Tom:"...That Mrs.Serf stay indoors."
Although Ramiel seemed confused, Arthur and Rall had an idea of the reason behind Tom's words.
The implications were greatly troubling.
Rall:"it's because she is afraid of the outside yes?...But that won't make you wear such an expression."
Rall gritted his teeth, clamoring a silent sound of grinding that had Ramiel concerned.
As though in concurrence, Tom nodded and continued.
Tom:"While that is a reason...The most important factor behind that advice is that...That Serf has been hallucinating from sleep deprivation."
^^^~~^^^^^^~~^^^
Tap...Thap...Thap...Thap
She can never go outside, she can Hear it, that sound of a head gently banging against her window. Beckoning her to come outside.
The curtain was useless....she knew so. She remembers seeing a sillhoette...many sillhoettes behind those curtains.
So she knew they weren't enough, hence the covers ontol her. Snuggly and warm. She can no longer see anything out the window. Yet those sound were so silent yet loud.
Thap....Thap.....Thap
When she sleeps....what if the monster simply opens or breaks the windows? That's why she can't sleep. She can't sleep.
^^^~~^^^^^^~~^^^
Ramiel:"Ha-Hallucinations!? Oh my poor baby...."
Ramiel held her face, a silent sob coming out her covered mouth.
Tom:"I hope so. Other wise..."
He trailed off, not fully revealing what he means.
But Arthur and Rall understood it.
Arthur:"Uncle Rall. Can you talk to Stern?"
Rall nodded and began walking out with Ramiel. Much to the protesting of Ramiel.
Ramiel:"Dear....Please, I don't want to leave my child alone. She needs us!"
Rall:"Yes, Raz and his family are coming over. They'll take care of her. You need to be in Selera's dear."
A bump in the floor made her wheelchair bop up and down as she contraverted.
Ramiel:"Then-Then let's just ask Selera to come and take care of me in our house. Isn't that a good idea dear?"
Rall:"You know she needs to do her job Rami...I'll come visit daily. You can come with too okay?"
Ramiel:"...*Sob* can't we do anything for her?"
Already outside, Rall was about to close the door—But the pleasant voice of a slightly high pitched man intervened in their conversation.
Tom:"Mrs.Ramiel, I sincerely tell you this. You did what you needed to. Mrs.Serf feels guilty for not attending the funeral of madam Zenna already. You corroding your health will do more harm than good. Take rest."
He was a man of his career, knowing how to convince the pained and hurting.
Ramiel:"....Please take care of my granddaughter."
Those words were uttered not to Tom but to Arthur himself. He understood and returned a nod.
Click
The door clicked shut.
With them gone, the house was occupied by Tom, Arthur and Serf upstairs.
Within such silence, Arthur spoke. A revelation that is daunting.
Arthur:"—Are you saying Serf might be a target?"
That would be so, for the reasoning behind such advice did not seem simply related to the mental state of the child.
Tom:"Im not Saying that is the case, I simply say it could be. I may not have been in Dalumen for longer than 5 years. But 5 years are plenty to learn of Dalumen's history."
Arthur agreed, he himself only stayed for a couple of days in Dalumen and an idea of what dalumen is settled in his head already.
Weird, mysterious, beautiful, friendly and bewitching.
Such terms go together as colours of the same palatte go on the convas. Differing wildly but enpainted harmoniously.
Tom:"I was going to just tell the family to unwind and let Serf out more so she can get some fresh air. But the moment I set foot in the house and saw Serf, I had to rechange my outlook on her treatment."
Tom sat down on the couch, admiring a good painting hanged on the wall. While scanning the room in seeming habit he continued.
Tom:"All manner of homicides regarding these... unique killings. Happen outside homes. Some small cases had symptoms of insomnia, hallucinations, anxiety and paranoia all in ones."
Those symptoms....
Arthur:"They align with Serf's...that guy, what kind of mark does he even have? Does he have nothing better to do than terrorize innocent people?"
Although seething outwardly he went into the kitchen and grabbed a tea kettle and tea cups. Coming back he placed them on the table.
Arthur:"Tea? Aunt Ramial has a fashion for—"
Tom:"—Tea vases and old time tea partying. That hobby of hers is unique. Making ancient designs for Tea Makers just for the sake of politeness....yes, I would like some tea."
Arthur poured a cup of tea and sat down on the other side after pouring himself one as well.
Tom:"—let's continue. I'm not a crime specialist but these cases come together to form a pattern. This pattern coincides with the layout of the circumstances regarding Mrs.Serf. That is why having some security for her and people to keep her company should be important."
He took out his phone and tapped it thrice in a pattern. A blue empty panel hologram shot up with no sound.
With some shuffling he picked up the documents and tapped the panel with them. All the writing in the documents—which seemed to be about what he had been writing for awhile—entered into the panel.
Arthur looked on in confusion as to why Tom used such a device.
Tom noticed this expression and spoke, fumbling in his bag as did so.
Tom:"I work better with writing, so the W.D(Writing Digitalizer) helps make it digital, I just so happen to be done with my home appointments for today so I Digitalizer the docs. Ah, take these. These are sleeping pills for Serf."
The pills given to Arthur were small blue tablets.(2)
With that said Tom stood up and bid farewell.
Tom:"I don't remember seeing you around Mr.Arthur. with that hair I assume you are a severa? Honour to meet you. I hope you can meet me again."
Is he...saying that he hopes I'll need mental help? This guy...
Lampooning inwardly, Arthur shook his hands and lead him outside. Although Tom seemed a bit...dazed. he quickly walked off. Saying he actually did have another appointment.
^^^~~^^^^^^~^^^
Night was encroaching, this was the most prone time in which the monster comes.
With dainty small steps as though she could be heard by giving even the smallest creak of wood, she unfurled the curtains and covered the windows with them;She turned on the lights as well and went back to bed.
She couldn't let herself see it. If the lights were turned off then she would see that sillhoette again. That's why...she—
Knock Knock
A sudden knocking sound interrupted her.
???:"Serf? Can I come in? I brought you dinner."
It was an unfamiliar voice. But from what she could remember it probably belonged to a friend of Rally and Rami.
If only she wasn't too Afraid to move, she could have opened it herself. But instead, she said.
???:"Come...in..."
The door creaked open. The face of a young man peered through. His locks of hair were so dark that it seemed as though they absorb light.
He held a plate and dish in his hand.
Arthur:"Here you go, I brought you dinner."
A delicious smell was wafting towards her, a smell she could not resist. She will eat good today, even if it is with a stranger.