Chapter 8 (1/2)

Chapter 8

A shabby shed on the Atelians’ farmland. Some years ago, deep in the winter, Euclis and Uriel had taken Chesney there.

‘If you escape from here, we won’t torment you for one whole month, Chesney.’

Euclis giggled, slamming the shed door and securing the lock.

‘Euclis, Uriel. Please don’t be like this! I’ll do anything you tell me to do from now on, huh?’ Chesney scrambled to the locked door and banged on it. However, the hard shed door only left red marks on the young girl’s fists.

‘You’ll do anything? Then you can escape from here. That’s an order, Chesney. Try to get out of here.’

Euclis and Uriel retreated from the shed, giggling. Chesney called out from behind them until her voice went out. That year it was a particularly cold winter. In winter, when the ground froze, tenant farmers naturally tended to come around less. On top of that, there weren’t any passersby around this shed in the middle of remote farmland.

‘Is anybody there? Help me, please…’

She used all her strength to get out, but the sole door’s doorknob was so high that she couldn’t even get her hand on it. As time passed, her body temperature dropped, and her throat became extremely dry.

This was an awful nightmare. Nothing came close to the pain she’d already suffered from. She shed tears because of the nightmare about lelangs. But the dream, as if it were her past, didn’t end there.

However, just like in the fairytales, a few hours later, someone arrived to save her. A wad of white fur falling from a high window woke her up while she rolled around on the dirt floor of the shed.

‘Are you alright? Drink this.’

A beast the size of Chesney’s body dropped a bucket down to her. Then her body curled up to feel the warmth.

‘I guess I was dreaming. A talking dog and—’

‘I said drink this.’

‘M’kay.’ Opening the bucket with shaky hands, Chesney took a gulp of water, to quench her thirst Slowly warming up her chilled body.

‘You’ll die if you fall asleep. Open your eyes.’

‘M’kay.’

‘Hey stupid, don’t just answer me.’

The trash-talking white wad of fur became one of Chesney’s only friends. It was so precious for her that the time they spent together remained her happiest memory.

* * *

Chesney woke up in a fancy bedroom decorated with subtle blue and white. The soft bed and warm blanket were wrapped around her as if hugging her.