Today was a Saturday, a weekend where the caretakers typically buy additional supplies for the orphanage. Other than donations and the monthly delivery of lasting foods supply, there was also a need to buy food that lasts a shorter amount of time, like bread to give variety to our menu.
Staying cooped up in the orphanage wasn't really doing it for my mental health, so I had asked Catherine to bring me on her shopping trip. I had offered to carry the bags, but she said it was fine without my help.
We were typically allowed to go into the backyard of the orphanage and play, this allowed the inside of the orphanage to be less cramped. Most kids our age were active and went outside, while I stayed inside and either read books or dolls with Cress. It was initially embarrassing to role play with Cress, but I slowly grew out of the embarrassment and decided it was better to entertain Cress.
I hadn't noticed before, but after a while of observing, it seemed that I had slightly lighter skin tone. From what I can conclude, the kids were always playing outside, getting a tan under the hot sun. Was my previous background perhaps privileged enough to avoid sunlight? Will I get isolated? What will happen then? All of these thoughts cleared up when I saw Cress. She was friendly with anyone, though she was in a similar situation whereby she frequently stayed indoors everyday. She was a sort of ideal, to be so outgoing, and carefree. I realised after a day, I was always wary of my surroundings. Why? I don't know. Perhaps it had something to do with the curse.
Exitting the orphanage, it had been the first time I entered the outside environment since I woke up. Waking up in the orphanage without memories, I was rather hesitant and feared the outside. But if I was going to fulfill my dream of being an explorer or adventurer, this was a necessary step. It was progress, being able to observed the outside world. There was a variety of people, in all shapes, sizes and colour. As an orphan, I was provided the bare minimum of clothes, I hadn't thought of the possibility of a worser state of life...
Walking quietly among the crowd... Since it included the average citizen, there would of course be people who are worse off... Circumstances that I'm unaware of, situations that I cannot help in, they threaten my safety for who knows what they can resort to. The average citizen would have too much to lose to attempt law breaking. These people do not. For once, I was thankful for my extra wariness in my surroundings. I had learned to observe, and feel the gazes of others in the 9 days I was at the orphanage.
As I had mentioned before, the orphanage only offered fairy tale books, there was no useful information. However I had come to another conclusion. There was information everywhere... Not only in the books. I quietly observe the others in my surroundings, learning over time how it feels when someone was about to stare back, how to shift my eyes down before they notice and avoid suspicion. How it felt to be stared at.
Frankly it was quite terrifying, everyone looked like a unique species. Waking up in a foreign environment, and then being told I belong there. I had only gotten used to it after 3 days. Common sense was a horrible subject to learn. It required guessing if my orphanage mates were being normal in the current situation or not. Typically, the behaviour that don't warrant others laughing at you was considered common sense. I believe this is something that has to be cultivated over a year.
Occasionally I could feel glances on my back, the streets were terrifying. From the costume of the caretaker, they should be able to tell that I was an orphan. Unless they weren't aware or they had been mistaken. There shouldn't be any...worth in...
Shivering went through my spine, a horrible revelation. Even if I was too young, they could still... I knew it, it was better to just be careful. Though, I don't think Catherine here could protect me. For this purpose, I picked up a weapon to defend with. Though I doubt I could do much with it.
After picking up our food and heading back, the surroundings grew more and more empty, and civilians grew sparse. Quieter and quieter... Even with this small amount of people, there should be more noise in the environment... What is happening? My steps grew heavier as an unknown pressure assaults my nerves.
There was a barrier of some sort that tempered with people's mental state. I could only think of mental manipulation as the only possibility, this was the same exact path to the orphanage. It shouldn't be possible for the flow of people to decrease this much in such a short amount of time. Something happened right after we walked by. The shivering on Catherine's body was slowly intensifying, she was getting unstable just walking through here, yet she's not aware of her own mental state... Something was abou-
My surroundings blacked out as if light had been flushed out of existence... No I was blinded? At the same time I wasn't. It felt like it happened and it didn't at the same time. A searing pain had also enveloped my body before dissipating, it went just as fast as the light vanishing. Heat had consumed me yet it did not?! What was happening?!!!
My surroundings had been slightly altered as well.. What was it... Ah~. I see. The feeling of Catherine's palm around my fingers had vanished. Sweat flowed down the side of my head, hesitant as I was, I had to confirm it. Twitching my neck severely, I craned it with all my effort to my side. To my left, where Catherine was suppose to be... Fluid gurgled around my stomach, forcing itself through my throat. Unable to intervene in time, a large amount of digestive juices shot out, covering the previous scenery.
Catherine was layed on the ground, her face facing the opposite direction. I didn't dare to look at it either... I could easily tell from evidence... A pool of dark crimson had formed around her body, there was even a mix of... Viscous white liquid between her thighs... Dying the a portion of the blood puddle pink... As well as my newly hurled out vomit. Surrounding her were multiple men, they were all dead as well and had formed a sea of blood. This sea of bodily fluid should have disgusted a child like me beyond just vomiting, or at least harm my mental state, traumatise me... So why is it... That I could feel so calm... Did someone cast mind healing magic?... Or was I just like this...