The remaining hours of the night,no one bothered to get a wink of sleep,apart from Master Konn and Alekk. Both of them, worn out and injured ,were confined to their beds, resting and nursing their injuries. But for Master Konn,he reeled from a more grievous injury: an injury that would need time to heal and come to terms with...
In the orphanage sleeping chambers,laying on their beds, with a burning candle flickering, and a chamber pot lying at farthest corner,the children murmured in whispers of how horrifying the night had been,with the coming of the witches and abduction of Markus. They felt sad for him and mostly for Master Konn but they could not hid behind their crooked sorrowful eyes and faces that they weren't at least glad that it was him out of all of them to have been abducted. His absences was highly welcomed by his past victims. They'll knew too well the misery that he had inflicted on them for his own pleasure and amusement.
Yet still,they felt saddened by it. Markus absences, unfortunately,would soon be felt eventually in no time...he had made the orphanage, in those five years stay, his playing ground and the children, his amusement. While some cried for him others gladdened. It could not be denied that he had deeply scarred some of the children,for them to feel such reserved resentment for him.
As for his minions,they wallowed in despair, unable to come to terms that their leader, Markus,was forever gone from them. In one of the girls sleeping chambers,a burning question burnt their curiousity much more like any other children.
"Do you think those witches will come back?" asked one girl. She sat on the bed,with three other girls. The chamber that they slept in was cramped up and with two twin sets of beds; each one at least had a bed. But for now, they settled for the lower bed, where they huddled together for the sake of safety and warmth.The whole cottage was a buzz. No one dared fall asleep.
"I hope not," murmured another, with greased hair and light tanned skin. The light from the burning lantern flickered roughly,and the crickets didn't ceased their chirping. It was less dark outside. And the fear of the witches hadn't been forgotten from their minds.
"What do you think will happen to Markus?!" asked yet another girl. She was slender and had round eyes. After asking, they'll went silent. With their heads hanging down , they didn't know of how to respond to her. Master Konn had years before,told them of what happened to those captured by the witches. It was a sad reality but... the truth was hard to swallow and accept. Now they slowly raised their heads, as they glued their eyes on her. They were lost of words. To tell her that Markus was forever gone from them.
"We can only hope he's going to be alright, Iryne," replied the light tanned girl, lyingly. Iryne sighed. She was expecting a more gloomy answer from them. Her stay at the orphanage was the shortest of the four . Master Konn's stern warnings on the witches had come before her arrival and stay.
" Yes. We can only hope so,"muttered Iryne. They were not ready to hit the sack,as janette and her friends continued to talk quietly amongst themselves till the crack of dawn. While talking through the night,morning came unexpectedly with the early dawn's sunlight pierceing through the cracks of the cottage, and falling like a spray of water, onto the wooden floor. One after another, their stomachs begun to raise hell in desperate plea's for food to be sent their way.
In doves,they rushed down the stairs looking haggardly,but more alarming was that they were extremely hungry and parched that one could have eaten a whole horse leaving nothing but bones. But misery awaited them. The food store had been broken into by the hordes of rats and boars during the mayhem and consumed the little stocked food they had left, leaving almost to nothing. Only a bag of porridge flour was all that they had left in the course of their gluttonous rampage. Just enough to feed on for a day,or less.
In a rampaging ordeal,they fought a tooth and nail for their own bowls and spoons, as they anxiously stood by waiting for Pumpkin to bring out the food and begin serving them. On the table, usually crowded with pails of porridge and bread was empty. They wondered if whether she had been late in cooking. after all,the night had been one not to forget. Two long lines streached to outside of the eating hall. They were famished beyond just merely hungry. The morning dew was now beginning to die out as the sun brimmed fiercely. And their bellies runned mayhem. Still no breakfast seemed to be coming. In groans and grunts, they'll begun to raise their anger by banging the wooden spoons against their also wooden bowls. The entire hall was brimming with clanking noises and hundred's of grumbling bellies.
"We want our breakfast!" they'll shouted,"We want our breakfast! We're hungry!" Now they resorted to banging their bowls against the table. Some of them couldn't hold it anymore as they begun to rub their bellies in an effort to relieve the stinging pain that was devouring them alive, with others crouching under the unbearable pain. The situation was becoming dire. Gantz stood behind the crowd that had formed around the counter. Esia was behind him. Even she was reeling also from the pangs of unfamiliar pain. On the previous afternoon meal,she barely ate her food. Then to rub salt to the wound,she had gone to bed without having eaten anything. And now this. No food looked forthcoming. Her belly too rumbled in anticipation for something to eat; let's no talk even of Gantz stomach, it's rumbling was big enough to put a waterfall's rumbling to shame.
His yawnings were getting bigger,and frequent by each passing minute Pumpkin delayed further to bring out the food. He was minutes away from passing out. Even his second,third and fourth of servings from the previous day afternoon's mid-day meal seemed now like a distant past. With his drying lips and haggardly looking face,only two or more servings could work the needed magic to restore his sapping life. Now many more were getting agitated.
In the fiery ruckus, Pumpkin emerged out from the kitchen with a pail of half full porridge-her face gloomy and dejected- that it didn't tire her unlike in the previous times. On seeing her was carrying a pail-- loaded with their food- everyone begun to cramp around the counter, desperately to get the first portion. Pumpkin carefully laid the pail down on the table, mindful against spilling even a drop of the scarce commodity,with a wooden ladle almost touching the bottom.She then sighed. The hungry mouths that were before her eyes were more than the porridge inside the pail. She could even hear their rumbling stomach's from where she stood.
"Quiet!" Pumpkin ordered. In an instant, silence reigned within the entire hall. They'll stared straight at her, curious to hear to what she had to say. Esia,still outside of the eating hall, listened in. Gantz too stretched his ears wider. Saber hadn't yet come down. He might've overslept or something. What of Zulu you may ask;he was watching from a corner inside the eating hall, standing all by himself and unwilling to rub shoulders with his peers for the food.
"Children! I need to break some bad tidings," said Pumpkin. A few of the wild one's ceased with whatever they were doing away from her sight. All ears were aimed at her, eagerly waiting to listen.
"Children," she called." Forgive me for being late with your food. The reason behind this was because the food that had been stocked was eaten most of it last night..."
" What are you saying?!"they'll asked, shouting. The eating hall was rocking in noises, with the children confused and scared of the unknown.
" Let's have some quietness,please! What I'm trying to say is that there isn't much food for you children to feed on,"answered Pumpkin." Those witches monsters ate almost everything that we had left for you. Nothing was left after their devastating wake." They couldn't believe what she was saying. No food! But they were starving?! What would they eat now? Their stomachs grumbled even more louder up on hearing of it. Restless and dejected faces were all that Pumpkin could see. She didn't know what to say to lift up their spirits. Only Master Konn had that type of power over them. But he was bedridden. He couldn't move an arm,let alone scratch an itch.
"So there's no food ,is that what you are saying?!" asked Erykk, shouting. "We're hungry! Tell us!" The children keenly listened to what he had to say, while nodding in agreement. Deep inside their eyes, there was barely life in them. They were like a lifeless dolls or husks.
The day was passing by right in their eyes. It was almost to a high-noon and still they hadn't eaten anything or drank for that matter. Their lips were shriveling like autumn leaves.
"There is food for you. But I fear most of it won't last till evening," replied Pumpkin. Gantz was a worried boy. No enough food for them. Especially for him. One bowl of food would not be enough to fill his hungry belly. Everyone was worried. They couldn't imagine having less of what they usually had; even that wasn't much-then what about now? They'll wondered.
" Not enough to last till evening?!"mumbled Erykk. The hall was suffocating. No one had the energy to utter a word. Only their hungry bellies spoke of the pain they were all going through. Esia too was at a pinch. Zulu was starving as well.All of them were paining in the fangs of hunger gouging deeper into their bellies. Pumpkin only thing she could do was watch. She had no coin on her nor a farm with grown crops ripe for the harvest. All that she had was right infront of her. But still;there was something that they could put into their bellies to quell the hunger. It was little, but it was all that they could eat for the time being.
" Children!" Pumpkin called them. With little energy left in them,they raised their weary head's up casting their dejected eyes on her. Others had finally succumbed,as they sat on the cold dirty floor with their heads hanging low. Hunger was reigning victorious in these battle.
"I'm pleading with you all. I've prepared something to quell your hungry bellies as we wait for Master Konn to recover,so that he can handle the matter at hand," she said,"Bear with us and have some porridge for..." In middle of her pleas,Master Konn walked down the stairs covered in bandages almost on his entire body. On seeing him, those who were sitting rose to their feet as if some kind of energy had passed straight into them.
He was not just an orphanage Master nor just any stranger of a man. He was a guardian of the homeless. Not even hunger could change that. What respect they had for him, and he deserved every bit of it from them, as their father!
Pumpkin,perplexed, couldn't believe what she was seeing. This man had almost died an earlier ago but here he was, walking,though gingerly, moving with his own two feet. Pumpkin had cleaned up his wounds, rubbed the healing ointment and dressed them. She had seen the wounds on his legs;not to mention the broken nose and ribs. This man before her had just brushed shoulders with death.Yet he stood before them;alive and kicking. A man that even death couldn't grab for themselves.
"Master Konn...,"Pumpkin stammered." Why...are you... out of bed, you should be... resting... Master Konn. Your... injuries...they are going to open if you... strain yourself." Slowly treading down the stairs,he firmly held his hand against the wall for steady support. He was struggling. His hand was fully covered with bandages. No skin from his hand could be seen. Or the pain he was enduring:so that he couldn't let the children see that he was hurting and that he was almost to shedding a few tears. He needed to be strong for all of them. To show them that he was as strong as ever. And also to show them that he wasn't a weak father. That he was a father whom they could seek safety from when it mattered the most.
"I'm fine...Pumpkin. Don't worry yourself to death," grimaced Master Konn. He was one to talk. At a snail pace,he walked down the stairs with everyone gazing at him. Gazing at his hidden pain... and his devotion as a father.
" Master Konn...!" Pumpkin exclaimed. She desperately wanted to tell him to turn back and retire to his bed. To rest easy that she could handle the matter at hand. But she couldn't. The children wouldn't buy into her promises unless Master Konn told them himself. They respected and admired him to believe anything he wished to say. That's kind of a man he was.
"Children," he called.
"Master Konn," they answered,in whispers. After a difficult struggle,he finally had set his foot down on the floor. He had won one battle and another awaited for him.
Pumpkin hastily rushed over to give him a helping hand. She carefully placed his bandaged hand around her shoulders, guiding him to where the children had gathered. He was a man of heavy muscles and Pumpkin felt every bit of it. With everyone having gathered inside the eating hall, even those outside, eagerly waited for him to speak. The little ones, stood at the front of the bigger kids, and they watched their father hissing painfully. And they too felt his pain, with their eyes almost bursting with tears. He now stood infront of them. With his body,he needed to keep his words short but straight to the heart of the problems.
"What's is the problem?" he asked. He knew what the issue was but he needed them to speak up for themselves. Like men and women they would wish to be in the near future. Pumpkin kept quiet. She also knew the question wasn't intended for her.
"Master Konn, there's no food, that's what Pumpkin is saying!" Erykk answered. "Is that so?" asked Master Konn.
"Yes, Master Konn."
"Have you had your breakfast?" asked Master Konn.
"No!" shouted Gantz, from the back. Master Konn, silently, thought of how to answer. They were scared children,who had come to the orphanage for safety and food. Now those both seemed like a empty dream. He needed to assure them that everything would be ironed out. His next words would be enough to break or bring at peace their worrying hearts.
"Children!" he called.
"Yes, Master Konn!" they answered.
"Don't worry yourself about that. Come evening, there will be food for you to eat.Everything will be fine," he reassured them" As of now, eat the porridge and no complaining,is that fine with everyone of you?"
Where did their frowns go to ?! Pumpkin couldn't believe what she was seeing. The children faces were smeared with grins from ear to ear. A stranger wouldn't not have believed that a few minutes before that their faces were all grim and lifeless. Seeing them at least smiling, with what had happened,She too couldn't help but smile also from ear to ear.
But she knew something that the children didn't know,that Master Konn money bag was light, almost to no coin. Yet she couldn't not dare tell them of that unsavoury fact. Stealing the little hope that they were desperately clinging onto would've been despicably cruel more than having nothing to put into their ravenous bellies.
Master Konn glanced at the children and he could see how much that meant to them. His words had no truth behind them. But what kind of a father would bluntly tell his children that they wouldn't have their meals just because he had no coin on himself. He needed them to feed on his words for the time being,to warm themselves on that hopeful belief and until then,he needed a miracle,a god send miracle,to come to his aid or else his words would never hold weight again infront of the children.
"Is that a promise, Master Konn?" asked Erykk. He didn't know to hold back his words. Always open with his heart,that's what kind of a boy he was.
"It's a promise." Slowly,he trod feebly out of the cottage as the children made way for him. There,he felt the air brushing againist his unbandaged skin, casting a grim gaze at the forest infront of him;where Markus had disappeared into; away from his sight and far from his reach. Everything that had happened felt like an awful dream,a dream that was swirling without any sign of an end. Even the witch's blood was still there for him to see, knocking down any notion that it was just a dream, which he hoped it was.
Basking in the mornings sun,he sighed deeply in thoughts about what would become of Markus who was now under the grip of an entire kingdom of witches.
Inside the eating chamber, children were back to their usual every day to day tussles for a portion of the porridge. There was no bread for them to eat,and the porridge wasn't thicker like usual and more alarming,it was a little bit meagre. But they happily gulped it down frantically, while gluttonously not letting a drop of it spill out of their mouths. They now, more than ever, knew the joy of something precious as food. Gantz digged in, clearing everything in his bowl clean in a matter of seconds with his unusual friend doing as well. It was Esia. She too left nothing for the flies to savage on,striking a shocking yet surprising awakening for Gantz. Like usual,he was expecting Esia to eat little bits of her food and the rest she would gladly offer to him.
Unfortunately for a hungry Gantz,that wasn't the case this time round.Even that wasn't enough to fill her grumbling belly. And this time around,it was her asking Gantz for food, to further Gantz's appalling shock. In a couple of seconds, not a bowl Infront of the children had anything inside, even a measley single drop. Truly,master Konn had his work cut out for him.
He needed his promise to come through or else they would have him as their evening meal. Pumpkin having finished serving the children went back to her sanctuary, the kitchen, where she knew best to be herself...