She stood there. A small child who bore the warmest smile in the world. In her gentle embrace was a pure white teddy bear. A red button eyed, teddy bear filled with soft cotton as a tender fabric wrapped it into one snug, bundle of soft joy.
"Thank you big brother!" Her happiness. Her smile.
It was everything.
Badump!
My heart skipped a beat. It froze and then drummed once more. The sound was too loud as if that heartbeat had come from the very depths of my soul instead.
Beeep!
A behemoth of iron violently smashed against the child's frame. Reducing her smile into a shower of blood and gore. Crimson petals showered the asphalt.
"No!"
I screamed.
-----
Light flushed into my eyes. It was blinding and it took a good few seconds to regain my proper sense of vision. I looked around. Sweat drenching my back. Breathing ragged.
I was still in the baby of a body. The grandma was still ever so patiently watching over me. Resting after knitting more clothes.
The old, gentle woman was once again, sleeping on her rocking chair. Sporting a happy and carefree smile.
Everything was still the same.
But I had a nightmare. A vivid memory of a possibility of what would've transpired if I wasn't fast or decisive enough.
It was supposed to be my little sister who would've been ran over.
Those bastards... Targeting Mary...
Rooo! My stomach churned. The consistent pangs of starvation returned.
It has been four days now. And during those four days, I had refused to eat anything the old lady gave me.
Bottled Milk.
Water.
I even managed to slap away the breast of a wet nurse that the grandma called in. Even if they somehow fed me something, I made sure to reach into my mouth secretly and then vomit it all out.
It was nothing short of a miracle that I was still alive. This phenomenon of a baby surviving without food or water for days when an adult would perish at the lack of water was indeed strange.
It was strange but viable. A baby abandoned in a trashcan once survived 6 days without food nor water. And I was just at a measly 4 days at the moment. A few more and I'll be gone from this world. I'll be able to finally rest, to attain my desired peaceful life.
I had frowned upon this method of achieving it as nothing short of cheating. It was a coward's way out. And this method does not guarantee freedom from all burdens.
It just... Eliminates the possibility of life getting better.
But when you had spent more than a dozen years fighting for a better life. Working tirelessly to change fate. Anyone would lose their calm and grow tired from time's subtle yet consistent erosion.
I'm tired...
Clak! Clak! Clak!
I blinked.
Looking at one of the windows of the house. Fleeting silhouettes passed by. From the number, I could tell there were over a dozen or so. Not only that but warm light pierced from the glass. Light coming from flames.
Dok! Dok! Dok! There was a knock on the door.
Grandma woke up. Yawning, she smacked her lips. Analyzed my state with a frown before sighing. Her hand descended and pinched my cheek. This action alone made me narrow my eyes in annoyance.
Don't do that.
Grandma chuckled. Closing her eyes, her features seemed to grow a little younger. When those eyes reopened, I was amazed by what I saw. The dull gray eyes of an old woman whose face had a lot of wrinkles were glowing. They were glowing. Glowing as a trail of smoke like stream escaped from the edges of her eyes.
I could feel the room temperature plummet. An unknown pressure descended.
BANG! BANG! BANG! The knocking had soon devolved into a rude request for an opening.
Crack! Crack! Crack! The old woman started stretching. Her joints both creaking and popping from old age. A melancholic smile spread from her features.
Twiiing! She started fiddling with silver like strings on her hands. Stretching as hard as she could before nodding. The arms fell limp as they hung down.
Crash! It flew open. The door.
Standing outside in the cover of night were a bunch of armed people. And it seems like the bald headed captain came forward. Stepping with large strides. Flaunting his unusually large frame fitted with leather armor. A chest piece. Two bracers. Pants and even long boots. A scar ran down his left eye.
There were shouts.
Grandma's facial expression devolved into a scowl.
Tension filled the air.
The bald captain laughed. Passed by the old woman after disrespectfully patting her shoulder.
His eyes locked with mine. Now that I think about it. This bald captain resemble those throwaway characters who live only to be trampled by the main character. And looking at his entourage, they seemed to be his goons.
Why are you here anyway?
Shouldn't you be somewhere else. Abusing a boy or a girl who wants to be the strongest at one combat aspect with your generic and cheesy lines? Don't involve me in your sad and pitiful short life.
Baldy's mouth parted. He uttered something. And judging from his smug expression coupled with the hand that was reaching towards me, I read his lips.
"Nothing personal kid." It was a rough translation of what I could understand from his body gestures alone. You're going to kill me? Or to take me away? Well I hope it's the former then. If so, just get it over already.
"Kukukuku~" Grandma giggled.
"YEARRGHHHH!" A howl livened the night.
My spine shivered. The ruffian looking captain trembled. Anguish dominated his expression. He staggered back, screeching as blood splashed everywhere. Even on my face. Staining my bed sheets red.
Alarmed, the man's company burst into action screaming and roaring with their weapons drawn. A deadly glint shone in their wrath filled eyes. It was there that I realized it.
Drip! Drip! Drip! Drops of blood were hitting my forehead.
My eyes widened upon recognizing the object that floated above my small body. It was the bald captain's severed arm. Suspended by taut silvery strings cutting and wrapping through flesh akin to a python constricting it's prey.
"Hehehehe!" Grandma cackled once more.
The room became a landmine. A landmine full of silvery strings.
Screams filled the night.
Every stranger who came here became insects trapped in a spider's web. Grandma's fingers moved as a spider's legs. Gentle and slow. But equally as deadly. Manipulating nearly invisible strings that wound around her targets. Seizing them, lifting them into the air.
Riiiip!
Helpless, everyone became her prey. Strung up as animals waiting to be butchered. One by one, the strings severed their limbs. Drained the bodies of blood as it cut and made them bleed. It was only a short span of time yet all of the unnecessary fellows were disposed of.
This scene started repeating in my mind over and over again.
Grandma's strength that lay in the strings.
Her pair of glowing eyes.
How easily she slaughtered them all like bugs.
This person may be old. She may seem weak. But grandma was an existence who was in control of her fate. She had power to back up her desires, not caring of any consequences. I started to even question how that strength had been attained. How much time? How far did her efforts stretch to in order to be like that?
As the questions continued, my thoughts started warping and changing.
'I want to be like that.'
I wanted a peaceful life. And I nearly got it last time by investing all my efforts in getting richer and earning prestige by streaming and playing a certain controversial VRMMO. It nearly worked out but money was useless in stopping a raging truck-kun.
Wiping off her sweat, Grandma grabbed the arm suspended atop me and played around with it. Tossing it up and down. She looked at me and smiled warmly and pinched my cheek again. A complete contrast to her prior brutality.
It may have been my eyes playing tricks. Or it must've been my grief reminding me of the world, people, and generally everything I lost upon dying and reincarnating. But Grandma's smile was as pure as my little sister's. It was honest, sweet and untainted by anything. A form of true gratefulness and relief upon seeing that I was unscathed.
And I frowned as my memory decided to jump in and add a little extra to these mixed feelings I was suffering from.
"Big brother lived his life wanting to give everything to me. So for my last wish..."
"I hate big brother for being so selfless!"
"Please be more selfish and live for yourself!"
"Mary I swear to god, stop watching all those drama shows. See, it's starting to affect you now."
"Shut up! Go get a girlfriend or something and stop bothering me Big brother!"
A day before the accident. It was Mary's one last request. I used to laugh it off as I didn't really have any dreams to fulfill other than taking care of my remaining family member. I was content with living like that.
Now that I've thought of it. I went through worse things... And now that I think about it more, things are different this time.
It could be shitty. There seem to be gods in this world. And at the same time, it opens up a whole new realm of possibilities. Grandma's power is a testament to that possibility. The possibility of becoming strong and unfettered. A key ingredient in living a peaceful life, as if you are strong and feared by many, no one would bother messing with you.
I have two options. Continue starving myself and die. Or I could struggle again to find my peace of mind. It was a hard decision to make. And I was sure that whichever one I would do so choose...
I would end up regretting it anyway.
-----
In a room showered by carnage. Strings strung all over the place that formed deadly cobwebs. An old woman stood with her fingers attached to said strings. Wrinkles littered her face. Her short, curly white hair reaching down to her shoulders told tales of her age. Dressed in a simple gray robe with long sleeves.
"Was that all?" Antionette giggled. She was old and worn out. A fact many who dared oppose her took too much into consideration. Ignoring the reason why almost everyone fears or tries their best to disassociate themselves with her. An old hag was nothing. But Antionette was not just some old hag.
Not many dared to play with the widow who lords over invisible blades. Fragile looking blades that could disappear. Blades so thin that it deceived all with fragility.
"You! You'll never get away with this! That child has to die!"
Antionette scowled. Glaring at the fallen guard captain crawling and retreating away from her. Clutching his torn shoulder tightly. His eyes were dull, pupils shrunken into dots. Lips trembling as sweat drowned the man.
"Die? I see. That woman still really thinks that she could meddle in my affairs. My grandson is not yours to touch." Vision darkening out of pure spite, the strings cast around the room moved through the air, slithering towards the captain.
Panicking, hysteria corroded the man's mind until it became nothing more than mush and rage. Utter foolishness made him forget of his situation. "You fucking witch! Just wait til Lord Audrey hears about this! Sheltering that demon child would bring nothing bu-"
"Enough." Cold as Ice, a cruel grin accompanied her frigid tone.
Strings closed into the man. Tightening and easily tearing him to shreds. Piece by piece. Limb by limb. Blood splashed everywhere. Another chore she has to deal with later.
The old woman had no qualms on disassembling the man just like that. Silence came back to the house. Antionette's rage completely vanished in the span of a few seconds. Replaced by worry.
Turning around and heading towards a baby's crib. She bit her fingernails. Anxiously observing the baby who was looking at her with an expressionless gaze.
The baby was still alive, breathing and warm. But those cold eyes nearly lacking light told a different tale. Those eyes seem like they've grown tired of living. Tired and apathetic to even their own life.
"Poor little child. Why won't you feed? What could I be possibly doing wrong?" The old woman shivered.
Four days... Four whole days and the child had not consumed any form of food. And he would vomit out anything as if it was the most disgusting cuisine he had ever tasted. Each day may seem like nothing to the child but it was the greatest form of psychological torture the old woman.
"Maybe I have not tried hard enough. If so..." The old woman clenched her hand into a fist.
She opened it again. And waved at the open door. Her strings flew forth, moving as if alive and soon, the strings came back with something in tow. They closed the door before coming back to her.
Squeee! Squee!
A strange creature was trapped in Antionette's strings. A strange creature resembling a bulbous plant that had attained life. The body was of the color of brown. Green hollow stalks jutted atop the thing's body. The hairlike roots were squirming akin to legs.
SQueee! And it was screeching as well.
It was a rare monster that could only be found from the neighboring grassland of the village. A monster many would kill to get and many would scream their lungs out from frustration due to it's elusive, evasive, and cowardly nature. A special living plant the size of a small mug.
Pa! Antionette slapped the poor little thing.
SQUEEE! It was still screaming!
"Quiet you..." She shook her head. And kept on slapping the plant until it stopped struggling. And then she started shaking it. If one listened intently, one would hear sounds of fluids moving inside the plant.
Blurb! Blurb! Blurb! Strange bubbles started escaping the hollow, green stalks on the plant monster's head. With a nervous smile, Antionette carried Dominic and stuck the straws into the baby's mouth.
A second later, the woman screamed.
"Yes!"
Dominic had chosen to live.