Edith walked past her husband, having fun with his cigarette while looking far ahead. Edith followed his gaze, and she found only trees and a black sky; nothing was interesting to stare at. Maybe he was lost in his thoughts.
He even ignored Edith, who was staring at him for a moment; she was scared and confused. Why was Jed suddenly so calm? Even though he had brutally killed someone earlier, it was as if he wasn't himself.
Edith wanted to know what was going on in his head or how he felt after killing them. The reason why he is smiling and other questions that other people may also ask. Asking Jed didn't seem like the right choice, but leaving it is also not the right choice. But she didn't have the courage to do that; she shrank like a dying plant in front of her husband. She was terrified. Of course, her feelings of fear were normal; there was a murder in front of her.
Jed let Edith walk toward him. He still didn't do anything when Edith grabbed their gate with her trembling hands and made annoying clattering noises. He didn't seem afraid that Edith would go and report him or do anything else that might put him at risk. He sat quietly like he was doing meditation.
But there was something even stranger, even weirder than Jed was doing. There's no one out here, not even a clue that the police were coming; no one wanted to help her, no one cared for her.
Maybe that's why Jed had nothing to worry about.
Edith looked up. She hugged herself while looking at the moon shining above her head; it shone alone in the sky, so graceful and beautiful. It didn't seem bothered by what was happening to Edith either. Was it looking for the stars? So it was so busy it didn't pay attention to anything else.
Edith grimaced as the air stabbed her thin satin pajamas, and through his skin, it felt like there were hundreds of tiny needles piercing every pore in her body; she shivered.
She slowly turned her head around, looking for something. Edith knew no one was there; as far as the eye could see, there were only empty streets, and even stray cats seemed unwilling to show themselves on this dark night.
After that, Edith looked back to find Jed staring at her with a proud smile like he'd just gotten a promotion and got more money.
Edith's lips curled and trembled; she was scared, but at this rate, wouldn't death be the best choice for her? Wouldn't Jed be much happier if he had killed her? Wasn't she supposed to be the person Jed hated the most? Shouldn't it be Edith who died and not her parents and Oliver?
Edith turned slowly, tears falling from her eyes again, only there were no screams or cries for help this time. The only sound was her gasping breath and the sound of friction between her skin and her clothes.
Edith walked, step by step, even though her feet hurt because she didn't put on her sandals, even though it felt like walking on a path of spikes.
As she walked for a while, Edith realized that she wasn't really 'alone' right now.
She realized it when she passed her neighbor's house, a widow named Mrs. Grigg. She lives in a large house with a front-yard filled with beautiful flowers; everyone in her neighborhood knows she loves gardening.
She lived alone in the big house. She spent most of her time in the garden in her yard. Even Edith thinks she spends more time in her yard than in her home because whenever she's bored and decides to go out, she always finds Mrs. Grig shearing weeds or planting new crops.
Edith noticed that see peering through her thin white curtains. Edith could see the horror and fear in her eyes as if she were staring at a monster.
The further she walked, the more eyes met her.
Wright's house is across the street. Their house stands out because of its unique and minimalist design, contrasting with the surrounding homes with a model like most houses; a box model house with a triangular roof.
Their house was small, but it was the tallest, having three floors extending upward like the letter I. Their yard was tiled, but they still had a small garden; lots of ornamental plants in the pots they put in front of the entrance.
The house's owner, Mr. and Mrs. Wright, and their two children were on the second floor. Just like Mrs. Grigg, they stared at Edith in horror and pity.
She feels like in she was in a fuvking horror movie.
The people stared at her without doing anything. It was as if Edith was acting in front of the camera, and once the camera was turned off, she would laugh at the staff and other actors like this nightmare never really happened to her. She feels like there will be a behind-the-scenes video that will air soon.
As if the suffering will end once the film's duration is ended. They will talk about the movie for a while and then move on with their lives.
With feelings of sadness mixed into anger, she is not a spectacle. There is no such thing as duration has expired; she is stuck with this feeling forever.
Her hands clenched and shook. But there was nothing she could do; she couldn't go into their yard and bang on their door, begging for help.
The monster was about to kill them; Edith turned and looked at Jed, who was staring at her. He hadn't taken his eyes off Edith all this time; she didn't have any idea what he wanted to see.
There was nothing to see but her looking confused and disheveled.
But maybe, that bastard wanted to see her like this, enjoying it to the last drop.
Edith groaned then her gaze returned to her neighbor's house. They love their lives more than anything.
After all, Edith would do the same. She will only be silent in his warm and comfortable home, unwilling to go out, especially when the night is cold. There was no point in sacrificing themselves just to save an ugly old girl like her.
Edith smiled faintly, feeling sorry for herself. Come here, ugly old girl. I'll hug you tight.
She stopped his steps right in front of Mr. Choi's house. By the way, he's Korean, South Korean to be more precise—he often gets annoyed when people think he's from North Korea. Edith is copying his signature exclamation—he lives alone in that tiny house.
Her eyes met Mr. Choi, with a smile still on her face. It shocked Mr. Choi, and he moved away from his window while holding his chest. Too bad, Edith hoped he didn't just have a heart attack and die.
"It's a freaking horror movie, everyone! Was anyone surprised and fell too?" Edith shouted as she turned around, looking around at all the houses around her.
It was quiet; no one answered Edith.
Of course, he bad, who will answer? She is making it up.
Edith continued on, shaking her head. But these people, weren't they taught their children about manners? Ignoring others is a bad attitude. Some of them are with children, and they should give a good example as adults.
"Oh, how can this happen? If all adults have lost their morals, where can children learn and imitate?"
Still quiet, even now, it feels more silent than before. A suffocating quietness.
"Adults nowadays set expectations too high," Edith said, pointing her index finger. "You expect the children to have a good attitude, but your attitude is arbitrary. You expect children to understand your problems as adults, but you don't want to understand that they have problems too. Oops, It's confusing!
"You kept them under as an excuse to protect them from the cruel world. Wake up, you idiot! After all, this world is cruel, and no one can change it!"
Edith laughed, looking up with her arms outstretched to the side. Her feet kept walking even though he didn't know where she was going.
She laughed until tears flowed from the corners of her eyes, down his ears. Then it tickled her on her neck.
Edith, who was busy laughing, didn't notice that there was a curb ahead. The way was steeply downwards. She should have trodden carefully, but when she got there, Edith fell to her knees when she got there, making her laugh stop, and the silence suffocated her again.
Edith was silent for a while because her body ached. It was at this time that she suddenly felt sad again. The memories of her parents and Oliver flashed through ers mind again, making her stop the movement to get back on his feet; instead, she knelt down on her knees.
She glanced up again; hey moon! How are you doing?
Her mind suddenly went blank. Before the end, she suddenly burst into tears again.