I woke up with a jolt—gasping for air. Beads of sweat trickle down on my forehead. I gasped vehemently before looking up, only to see that I'm on a different place.
What happened? Wasn't I just drowned? Where am I?
I looked around—my eyes skimming the place. Curtain hangs on an open window sill. A small table lies on the corner of the room, as the lamp shade lit the papers. A white blanket covered my lower extremities and two pillows lie sullen behind me.
I pulled the blanket aside and slowly creep out of bed. The cold floor touched my bare skin, sending goosebumps throughout my body. I walked towards the window and pulled the curtain aside. Sunlight hit my eye causing me to flinch away. My sight adjusted on the bright scenery as the wind blows.
"Ah, you're up."
A voice boomed.
I looked behind the curtain and found a man with golden blonde hair that glints under the penetrating sunlight. His green eyes staring back at me. Who is this familiar guy?
"How are you feeling?" He asked.
"I'm okay," I answered.
I moved away from the window and looked back at him. He stood on the doorframe in a pink shirt and a plain jeans. A fluffy slipper covered his feet.
"Are you my saviour? What's your name?" I asked.
He's brows furrowed as if he was confuse of my inquiry. He stared at me for seconds with his brows knotted together.
"Nina, are you playing a guessing game with me?" He asked.
My eyes widened. How did he knew my name? This time, it was my brows that furrowed.
"Ah, nevermind. I actually came here to check on you. And since you're awake, you have to fill your stomach. You've been down for days," he said.
"Come on."
He gestured for me to follow as he disappears from the door. I absentmindedly followed. I don't know who that guy was, but the feeling like we've meet before. I just don't remember when and how.
How did I managed to end up here, anyway? The last thing I remember was hearing the children's voices as I surrender to slumber in the depths of a river. Who saved me? Was it him? If I remember, someone pulled me out from the cold water after how long I've been down there. As I tried to dig on my memories, my head started spinning and the next thing I knew was—I was leaning on that guy's chest.
"Hey, are you okay?" He asked.
I could see the worry on his face. And as much as I want to assure him, I couldn't bring myself to answer. All the strength of my body left me. He sighed and in an intant, he scooped me up with ease. I rested my head on his chest. I feel awful. It's like a part of me was lost. It was like my heart is somewhere else. Unconsciously, tears started falling down on my cheeks.
He gently placed me on the bed and wiped my tears away.
Who is this guy?
"You have to eat, okay? I'll bring you the food," he said.
I nodded and he went to exit the room.
I sighed and looked at the window. Memories about Hamelin and the children flashed in my mind. They told me to live. They told me that they don't want me to die the way they did. Why? Why is Ruth blind, and Robert handicapped? My heart clenched as I thought of my last moments with them. Those were good children. Hamelin is a loving mother. But why do I feel like they're gone? The kind of gone where you never get to see them again. Like they died. Did they really died?
When I heard Robert's prayer, I didn't quite understand why he refers her sisters as lonely and why the village chief took the other children away. The mystery left me hanging on a cliff. I can't quite figure it out. What could be the village chief's reason to such thing? Why would he took all the children away? Carried away by my thoughts, a voice pulled me out to reality.
His green eyes looked at me.
I uttered not a word as I ate my food. The moment when I swallowed it made me realize that I was so famish. I slowly ate as I felt my strength coming back to me. The numbness of my legs are starting to fade away. As I finished my fill, he carefully placed it on a bedside table as he handed me a glass of water. I took it with my hands and drank a mouthful.
"Thank you," I muttered.
He looked at me with surprise before his lips break into a smile.
"I'm just returning the favor," he said.
"Favor?"
What is he talking about? We just met. How come he owes me a favor. I laughed aloud causing him to frown.
"Nina, stop pretending. You know what I mean," he seriously said causing me to stop from my laughter.
"I'm not pretending. I don't even know you, so how come you owe me a favor? And besides, how did you know my name?" I stated.
He stared at me in bewilderment. His eyes look lost for a moment.
"What are you talking about? I thought you already figured it out," he said
"Figure what?" I inquired.
He sighed exasperatedly before dropping down on the foot of the bed.
"About me knowing your name. Remember, I am a son of a fallen god. Being that, I still have powers. So knowing your name on my first day of school without you telling me is a piece of cake," he explained.
"What?" I exclaimed.
I don't get it. I just met him today. What is he talking about me meeting him at school? And what is a fallen god? I have not known such a thing. I looked at him blankly. Do I know this guy? As I dig into my memories, nothing about him came out. Or to make it more specific, as I dig into my memories, it was all blank like a white sheet of paper. The only memories I have are those moments with the children, Hamelin, and the village.
I heard him sigh. He somehow looks deflated.
"Fine, I'll introduce myself again, I'm Lucas Blackwing," he announced.
Lucas Blackwing. A familiar name. I sit still as the whole atmosphere carried the word silence. I looked up to his face. It feels like I'm missing something. My eyes scan his face, hoping a thought would come to mind, when suddenly, images flashed. I instantly groaned in pain and my hands went to grabbed my head. An image of a tall human silhouette stood as Lucas held me in his arms. Images of a long staircase and a tori gate, two masked children, an ice cream, a chocolate box, Lucas frowning at my side, a cake,and a feeling of something warm embracing me.
"Nina, are you okay? What's wrong?"
My groaning voiced resonated with Lucas' worried tone. My head hurts. Tears started streaming down on my cheeks.
"Nina!"
A could feel Lucas shaking me, holding my shoulders. But I can't seem to switch my focus back at him.
"Nina!"
There is a familiar voice calling me. And I think I've heard that voice over and over again. A voice that I will never get over with. A voice of someone I hold dear. A voice that I will never forget. Realization struck me like lightning and tears went down on my cheeks even more. I have forgotten the owner of that voice. I have forgotten our memories. I have forgotten.
"Nina!" Lucas yelled and causing me to look at him in the eye with my face contorted into pain.
In a span of a short time, he pulled me in a tight hug. As if it's the only thing I'm waiting for, I burst out.
"It's gonna be okay, Nina. You have me," Lucas whispered.
I cried my heart out as images of myself standing outside of Hamelin's house flashed. I was looking at the back of a stranger with white hair and tails. Is he that person? I remember hearing his voice back then. He has cold eyes. Eyes that convey only hatred and dread. That was him. But what was his name?
Lucas cuddled me up into sleep as I slowly lost my strength again after weeping too much under the influence of foreign yet familiar feelings that pierced my heart.
And that night, I dreamed.
The children together with Hamelin, stood just by the shore. I was supposed to ran towards them, but I can't. The man with the white hair that I saw at the village was behind me, locking me in his arms. I couldn't see his face for it was dark. From the distant shore, I could hear the children giggling at me. I looked back at them.
"The village chief was once a noble man." The man spoke.
"He cherish the village more than anyone. He has brought the town to prosper. He has given them many things. From wealth to power. And in return, the people love him. And all throughout that, the village chief still remain broke. Vulnerable for starvation and lack of money, and all he has is his flute. And he was fine with that. But when man gets to taste power, they become greedy, capricious, and seduced by power itself. The chief's closest friend, Hamelin's husband wanted more. He wanted the chief's power. And so, he made a fool out of the chief. He made a monster out of him."
I looked at Hamelin from the distance, and somehow I can miraculously see her face. Tears glint from the corners of her eyes as she held young Daisy's little hand.
"Although the village did prosper, there is not a day where pests would attack. Rats. They would come and go. Destroying clothes, contaminating foods, and would sometimes disturb the townsmen on their idle talks. Seeing that the chief is a piper, where he can lead any creatures anywhere he wants when he plays his flute, Hamelin's husband made a deal with the chief. If he were to chase after the pests out of their village, the townfolks would offer him help to build him proper shelter and golds enough to chase famish away. The village chief was happy, seeing that the people cared for him, and so, he agreed."
I listened to his voice as I watched the children smile at me; there faces were of sorrow and pain.
"The chief did what was promised. He played his flute, alluring all the pests out and drowning them on the river of Wesser. But when he went and asked for the bargain, Hamelin's husband denied his claim. He told the chief that the agreement was void, for it was but a verbal agreement. The chief, knowing he was deceived, felt enraged. So he came out with his flute on his hand. He played a sweet yet sad melody, calling all the children away from their mothers. He marched towards a giant tree, together with the children, as the townfolk pleaded him. On the trunk, a hole appeared, and each child disappeared. Never to be seen again. The sad tune of his melody ended with a painful message. It said: I have given you everything yet in the end I was still betrayed. Now I am taking what I once deserved. The townfolk could not do anything but watch in terror as the children disappeared. And only three children where able to get back, one is a girl, while the other is blind, and the other is limp."
Daisy.
Ruth.
Robert.
They are the three children from the story. My eyes burned and tears threatened to flow. They saved me. They waved their hands at me from the distance before turning their backs, slowly retreating back.
"You must have understand now," he said and freed me from his arms.
What happened on me back there was a recreation of the incident that happened a long time ago. And those family prevented it. Daisy pushed me into the river to save me from the grasped of the village chief.
I turned and looked at him, but I couldn't see his face. Only his smile were seen.
"Did you save me?" I asked.
He smiled and his hand reached out, wiping away my tears. I didn't notice that tears were springing out from my eyes.
"Of course, I did," he said.
"But I didn't save you just so you could end up in that man's hand. That damn good-for-nothing god tricked me."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Listen, human girl, I may find you again and by that time, I will claim you. But if I manage to find you together with that shameful butterfly who's entitled as the fallen god's son, I will kill you."
And before I could even asked, I was being pushed into the darkest void.