"That should do it."
Alexander said with a heart-full voice, placing his headless body upon the cart that I help him carry outside, he adjust it perfectly, as he also tosses the pair of shovels inside the wooden pan of the cart.
He stretches his hand behind his back to loosen up his tense muscles, giving himself a sense of freedom, with the body now firmly placed on the cart, he turns to the house as he prepares to inform me that we are leaving.
Meanwhile, however, I was mopping the floor, removing the blood and brain matter that was steining the wood, with the large puddle of blood that was dropping through the cracks of the floorboard, leaking into the basement below.
Normally I would take my time to clean down there as well; but I see no point in doing so seeing that it was mother's torture chambers, especially since someone is still chained up below.
And to make things worst is the fact that the basement is where mother Deliah kidnaps, and chains her victims up on hooks, it is there she will do what she likes to call orchestrating a choir, to get useful information from the victim that attends her show.
And lately, she has caught a stray bandit that was spying on the village behind the wooden walls, it appears these bandits were going to raid the village to enslave the man and woman while also seizing the noble household of baroness Hale.
Mother being mother was, of course gleeful, and thankful at the revelation when she caught him if there is one thing mother has thought me, is the fact that bandits arent people, instead there are walking wallets, and as such we plunder from them.
So even if some of Alexander's blood spilled in between the floorboards it wouldn't matter, our prisoner is probably in a bloody mess right about now, so nothing will change, either way.
However, at the same time when I was talking about the prisoner below, a cold sensation crawled up my shoulder as a figure slowly emerges from the floorboards, levitating in the sky.
Moments after I felt something or someone grabs my neck from behind, however, their fingers quickly phase through my neck.
I didn't turn around not yet that is, all I could say was.
'I see, so you finally passed away well it's for the better I guess.'
However, at that same moment, I began to hear the voice of a familiar woman, and the room began to feel cold, as an ominous presence fill the atmosphere with contempt and hate, but despite all of this I did not flinch, I was already used to this after all.
"Bastard...
"U-U-unforgivable Demon... How could you be so heartless...
"Even after I begged, I pleaded, I knelt, I cried, but none of you turn a blind eye to me...
"Yo-You fucking monsters...
"All of you, are monsters...
"I have a husband... a kid, and a sick mother who needs me...
"¡I-sniff- I-I! Was so close to reaching the desired goal, and yet you took that away from me!...
"¡I could have saved my mother from her sickness!"
"¡I could give my son a better life!"
"An.. hahaha... An-d-d-d move them all to a better country!"
"A country with better health care, a country with less violence."
"fuck... ¡I hate you¡... ¡I hate you¡... ¡I HATE YOU ALL!!!"
Her voice and power were so strong that all the windows began to slam in and out, as the dishes and cups in the kitchens fell to the floor, the small shack that we live in began to shake momentarily.
Her anger, her grievance, her hate, and her regret, was all projected before me, even though I didn't kill her, she shows clear hate toward me, well it's understandable I guess.
But her ramblings would not end, as she continues to slander me.
"Give it back...
"Give me back what you have stolen."
"Take responsibility, die, give me your body you fucker!"
"¡I-I-I want to live, I don't want to die, Finn darling.. sniff!.. Dennis sweety, I'm sorry-- mommy failed you."
All this emotional banter echoed in my ears like a raging drum without an end.
Of course, this was the voice of the bandit mother captured and tortured, even now her hands and feet were phasing through me as she tries many attempts to kill me.
Her anger was evident and quite clear, I'm sure if she was alive these attacks would have hurt.
However I sighed at this, after all, it was getting annoying.
So I turn around in annoyance, it was then that I meet with a teary eye figure trembling in anger and regret, with a clear hate for everything that wronged her.
She was a clear skin woman, and her body had a few scars here and there, but noticeably on her forehead was a large scar, infliction might have been by a seriated bat, from the way it looks like.
Her bust was of normal size, but she did have thick thighs, and large, and bouncy rear.
Meanwhile, she had short brown hair, and eyes, clothes-wise however, she wore nothing but a red bra, with baggy brown pants tied with red strings at the ankle, her feet were covered in bandages, along with her hands, and her stomach area, looking at her she was alright looking girl, and she seems to be in her late thirties.
Although despite her natural gifts, and alright-looking face, what ruin it was the fact her expression was filled with rage, contempt, hate, and sadness.
Our eyes met closely, as she clenches her fist, punching me in the face in vain, all for it to just phase through my body, like all other attacks.
"Just die... die... sniff... I hate you, I despise you... I curse y-y-you Sniff. AHHahaAA!
"So unfair."
"I didn't deserve this injustice."
Her teary voice echoed across the room, however only I can hear her, as such I sighed and said to her.
"Woman, you can hear me right?"
Upon hearing this, her eyes open up with shock, as she slowly looks up and said.
"Y-you can see me!?"
"Loud and clear sadly, but anyways I will say this only once, for both your sake, and my sake, no as a matter of fact; take this as a warning, and advice."
She didn't reply but her face says, "Go to hell", it didn't take a genius to notice it, but I made my words loud and clear for her to hear, so she could understand where I am coming from.
"Forget your grievance, let go of your hate, and quietly pass on to the afterlife."
However, my words only have the opposite effect on her.
"Quietly passed on... haha... how funny~~ how can you monsters say that, after all the horrible things you did to me, sniff!... DONT FUCK WITH ME!, you did this, you kill me, and torture me for seven days, and six nights and you want me to just forgive and forget, am I a joke to you?"
"..."
I didn't answer back, but she continue her ranting otherwise.
"I had a son, a husband, and a mother... Your family took it all away from me, I will never see them again because of you, you bastard!"
These were the hypocritical rants of this annoying female bandit, however, I call her out on it, as I ask her.
"Then why are you, bandit?"
"Ha?!"
"I ask why are you a bandit, if you had such a loving family, then you had no reason to stoop so low to the petty life of a mere bandit."
"PETTY, hahaha.. boy your mother is a murder, and she even boast that you guys were a family of wanted criminals across multiple contents, and you're asking me why I am a bandit, is not simple; I steal from others to give my children and family a better chance at life, so don't question me, you, hypocrite."
"I might be a hypocrite, but I'm an honest hypocrite, unlike you, I have nothing but these guys, you have a son, a husband, and an actual mother that loves you, that's something I no longer have."
"Ha?!"
"My real mother sold me to a slave master at the age of seven because she was hungry, could you believe it, I was sold for a single loaf of stale bread, two bronze, along with a half-eaten chicken leg."
"..."
"If it wasn't for my powers then I would probably be the toy of some fucked up noble by now, for eleven years I was forced to walk the streets with nowhere to go, I bet you had a bed at least."
"..."
"You slept comfortably with your husband, while I sleep among the alley rats, in the pouring rain or the cold of the ghastly night."
"B-B-But.
"But nothing, of course, life is hard for us lower borns but still, unlike you; I have no choice but to become a criminal, I don't want to die, however, you had a choice at the very least."
"..."
"You could have a decide a better future for yourself and your family via a different alternative, than becoming a bandit for quick money."
I said with a neutral and firm tone.
However, her response was as expected of a selfish bandit, who has stolen and kill from others as well.
"J-J-Just shut up, what do you even know about me?"
"I know a lot, your life wasn't bad, you had a mother, a son, and a loving husband, your only reason for stooping to my level is because your mother was sick, the sad thing is your husband was pebler too, so you had other options other than murdering others for fast cash or selling innocent children to a slave dealer, and you call yourself a mother, honestly as a former parent and husband I'm ashamed just looking at you."
The girl had a shocked face, along with a creep-out expression as she said.
"How do you know all of this?"
"Well, while mother was torturing you, you beg her to stop, and spare your life, maybe because you were in so much pain you didn't even remember you said all those things, in hope of her showing mercy by pitting you, this house is filled with a lot of holes, so sound escapes the basement easily, thankfully where deeper in the village so no one could hear your pleas but us."
"If you heard all of that, why did you not stop her, you could have saved me?"
"Can you stop playing the victim for once, honestly I have no reason to save you, even now I don't pity your sorry existence, not in the slightest?"
I said to her reaching the limits of my patience as I continue.
"And you want to know why I don't pity you, because one, I don't care about you, two you choose this life, and three you tried to kill mother when she caught you spying, honestly; the only ones who should kill, are those who are prepared to die."
This made the spirit step back as she said, with anger.
"Eh... but regardless, it still doesn't change the fact that I was killed in such a brutal way, how do you expect me to pass on like this, take responsibility at the very least you bastard."
"I refuse."
"Ha, what do you mean by you refuse, you killed me."
"Correction mother kill you, and as I said, my mother isn't an angel, and I'm sure her crimes will come back to bite her one day, all of our crimes will come back at us one day."
"I'm also sure, hell, has a very hot place for her indeed, the same could be said for my eldest brother as well, and even I, but that's ok, as long as I have my family I care for no one else, to me they are my only attachment to this world."
"That's why I don't pity you, family is the most important thing in this world, and you fail your family by becoming a bandit for the simple reason of wanting more money all for their sake, no one asks you to do it, no one put a gun to your head and forces you to do it, but you did it out of your own accord; if you where contended with what you have then you would have never ended up dead."
Upon hearing this the girl contorted in disgust for my being as she said, out of a fit of rage.
"Fine, but I swear I will haunt you for the rest of your life, I will make every living day a hell for you, I will annoy you to death if I can't hurt you."
"Is that so?"
I ask with zero care in the world for this stray ghost, honestly, if another senior ghost were still around they would teach this girl the basic of why I am feared among their ranks.
It pains me to do this, the woman just die, but I guess she will have to die again, although by doing this I'm erasing her soul from existence killing her permanently beyond repair.
"YEAH, you heard me right alright, even in your sleep, in your dreams, in the toilet, around the table, when you're lying down, everywhere, I will be there to haunt you, and not just you but your entire family will feel my wrath, I won't rest till I get my revenge."
However after hearing that I place my hand's right index and middle finger on her head, to which she replied.
"W-W-What are you doing?"
I didn't answer, right after, I said.
"Erase."
"Wait Wh.
Immediately after I said that she disappeared, there were no special effects, no grand our exonerated last words, she just disappeared into nothingness, it was as simple as that.
"I did give you a warning, and instead you chose to annoy me when I said fuck off, and worst of all you threatening my family, tsk, as long as I am alive, I will protect them from vengeful spirits like you."
"This is why the dead are so hard to deal with sometimes, there are some ghosts with a nice and understandable personalities, others with evil intent, and they are the annoying ones like these, thankfully I can simply erase them, if I so please, family first after all."
But at that same time, a voice came from the side me, saying.
"Was it another evil spirit?"
With the sound of the voice I turn in the direction of it, and it was Alexander, who was before me, he was slouching on the wall with his arm folded just watching me with a neutral face.
"How long have you been here."
"From the moment the house starts shaking."
"I see."
"From what I heard it would seem it was the spirit of that bandit, what her name again."
"Tyra."
I responded.
As I remember she introduce herself when mother forces her to do so.
"Yeah that's the name, sigh let's take her body out of the basement and also bury her as well."
Alexander said with a playful tone.
"Yeah. Her soul has been deleted you know that right?"
"Yeah, but we can't leave a random body in the open."
"True, very well then big brother, I will get the key to open the basement."
With these words said I began to walk into mother's room, as I took the lock key from under the floorboard where she hides all the money she has collected for the month.
From there both me and Alexander walk to the basement door, and we head out the back, immediately after reaching it however we immediately regret our decision.
"Ahhh, the air smells like a thick mist of iron, stale piss, and rotten meat covered with feces.
"Come on now little brother, let's just retrieve the body, and hurry it before sunset."
"Yeah."
Alexander then proceeds to open the basement door, unlucky the locks, and remove the old rusty chain wrapped around its handle, however down below was dark, and cold, thankfully however, I brought a lamp, as I began to lead the way.
As we traverse deeper into the basement, the only thing that could be heard where creaking sound of the old stairs holding our weight, along with the dripping water with an old pipe that was leaking from the underground well that came with the house when we bought it, from farmer Teo.
"It's kind of spooky down here don't you think?"
"Eh, I have seen worse."
I responded with little to no care regarding the area, of course, Alexander look at me from behind with a defeated expression as he laughs it off and said.
"Hahaha... I always forget that your fear factor is almost a perfect zero."
"A perfect zero ha. Well I don't think so, I still feel fear when I'm close to death, when I'm in pain, and so on, and so on, although I will admit I am immune to jumpscares"
"Jumpscares what's that?"
Alexander asks intrigued by my weird vocabulary.
"It being scared when not expecting it?"
"I see."
"Yap."
Our small talk soon came to an end there, because approaching the bottom we both cover our noses at the same time as the stench of a rotten corpse could be smelled.
Immediately I direct the lamp in the direction of the stench, and both me and Alexander flinch a little at the sight before us, so much so, he commented as such.
"Does that crazy bitch don't know the meaning of restraint, by the Gods, this shit is taking things a little bit too far you know."
I remained silent at the sight, although just watching this remind me that my new family is by no means redeemable, mother especially, I love the woman, but deep down I also fear her.
She is a sadistic money loving murderer, a psychopath, and a dangerous force of nature with gorilla-like strength, she is as flexible as a cat, and overall, her moral code is almost none existent.
This woman is Deliah Prelati, the witch of clowns, and we are her beloved children, if I was in my real world, I would never encourage any of this behavior, but so far these people are revered as monsters, and are the most human there is.
Mother is not innocent by any means, however, she would never kill a child, personally, that's her moral code, us brothers well she doesn't judge or question what we do, each of our own I guess.
But as I watch this gore fest before me, I soon snap out of it, as I place the lamp on the table filled with all sorts of tools such as needles, knives, scalpels, bone saw, and many other pointy and sharp stuff, with few blunt objects here and there.
I instantly look at Alexander and said.
"Alright help me pick up the body."
"No problem but it's all over the place, where do we even start?"
I couldn't blame Alexander to ask that question, after all, before us was the same woman, although completely unrecognizable by all accounts, her hair was shaved off her scalp, and the majority of her skin was peeled off, as she bathed in heated honey, flies where pitching off her body, as maggots seem to crawl over body eating away at her flesh.
All four of her limbs were cut off to the hilt, and the wounds were cauterized, she had no teeth, it was as if it was pulled out one by one, even now the rats were eating away at the now rotten limbs, and her eyes seem to have been pulled out, rods where shove into places that where not lethal but it would still cause pain.
To make things worse the body was hanging on an iron chain with a giant hook grappling at her back, as blood dripped down to the ground soaking the dirt beneath her.
I sighed at this as I whispered under my voice.
"Kyrie eleison."
"What was that brother, you said something?" Alexander asked with a rather troubled expression on his face.
But I refute his claim, as I said to him.
"Nothing let's just clean this mess up."
"Y-Yeah."
From there, for the next hour, both I and Alexander began to clean the basement as we move the body up to the cart, with all the scattered limbs, we of course left open the basement door so it could air out to get rid of the thick scent of blood and piss, along with any excess feces that remain may it rats or the unfortunate victim.
"I thought something stinks, but I never thought it was a bandit below, mother sure waste no time given those she hates the amputee treatment."
I said out loud, to which Alexander said to me.
"Either way let's head into the forest now."
I nod my head, as I help Alexander push the bodies through the back to avoid the eyes of the crowd, he was pulling from the front via two handles of the cart, and I was pushing from the back.
We did this until we reach a large wooden wall, crafted to take the shape of giant fifteen meters spikes, held tightly in place by thick ropes wrap around its interior, these thick walls circle the entire village, within a ten km radius, of North, East, West, and South.
The crazy thing about this village though is the fact that you have to pay to go outside and pay to come back inside, we, of course, decided that's is bullshit so we made our gate located deep west of the village, aka the blind spot.
Before us is a large hole in the wall big enough to fit a can't through, it looked like was vaporized by something of course it was Denzel that made the hole for us.
It was well hidden by large bushes and a giant rock that block the entrance, preventing anyone from using it, only those who are witches or warlocks have the strength to push a rock of this size.
Alexander place the carriage down as he look at me and said.
"Help me push this thing aside."
Ask no more of course, because moments later, both I and Alexander began to push the large boulder to the side, revealing the large exit.
"Fwhee... Honestly, I don't know how that witch can push this by herself with zero effort."
"Relatable as hell, I feel slightly peckish after that."
I commented as I went back to help Alexander push the cart out of the wall escape hole.
"Great, now then let's begin our long walk."
"Yeah, Yeah, I heard you, but what time is it?"
"Hmmm, one-moment little bro."
Alexander then began to pull out his old pocket watch, as he began to read the time, moments after he place it back and answer me as such.
"It's currently 1:27 p.m. we have a lot of time before night falls."
"I guess so, well then let's get going."
From there both me and Alexander prepare for the journey ahead, however, none of us was ready for what we were about to run into.