After the noon has passed, the children are now inside of the house. preparing for the guests that will shortly arrive.
The continuation of chapter 1 - to realize what something is
Care taker: "alright kids, how is it going right now? have you guys taken care of the places that are in need of some sparkle (clean)" after hearing the question of their care taker, the children quickly answered yes as they have finished their objective. but after being answered by the kids, the care taker can't help but feel odd... as she squints her eyes and look around, she notices something in the kids.
Care taker: "hey you guys, is something wrong here? Why does it feel like something is different— wait... one, two, three, four f— wait where's ashika?! Have you guys seen her?!" she asks the children, but they seemed to be confused as well. looking at each other in a confused way, and shaking their heads indicating that they have no knowladge of her whereabouts. but after a brief moment of confusion within the room, a female girl suddenly raised her left hand. the other kids look at her and she also got the attention of the care taker.
Care takee: "Yes, lilya?!"
Lilya: "uhmm before i entered the house i saw her sitting behind a tree. I think she fell asleep right there, so that's why she missed everybody going back inside"
The girl answered the care taker. when she heared her reply, she shook her head and gave out a sigh before heading outside, looking for ashika. meanwhile in outside, ashika's silhouette can be seen behind a tree. behind her movements, she can be perceived holding a blade, slashing her own right wrist. while she does this, she barely showed any emotions. only her eyes, widening a little bit, it seems like this is not the expression for pain, but rather something more diffrent, perhaps, fascination...
And after a brief moment of ashika doing her activity, the care taker has finally stepped in outside. she looks around for a bit, and there she notices someone sitting behind a tree. she squints her eyes, not in an uncertain demeanor, but an irritated one it seems. noticing this, she started walking quckly towards ashika, who's behind the tree.
Once she got close to ashika, she immediately grabbed ashika's left arm, immediately dropping the blade, and ashika stares at the blade as it fell and went away from her, landing on a place where a line of ants were delivering food from their anthill, which the blade caused significant disturbance in their process of delivery, as the impact ended many members of their colony.
as these ants were panicking, moving around and splitting up everywhere, ashika stared at them in awe. she did not even notice she was getting yelled at by the care taker, but her attention was in a deep focus on the panicking ants. her hearing started fading away, her perception started slowing down, and as her senses shifted, her mind suddenly spoke out something,
"Huh... so, this is... this is the world"
She said in her head, before hearing a sharp sound that disturbed her deep focus, slowly returning to her senses, and finally noticing the care taker who was been yelling at her. she hears her words and slowly turned her attention to her, with an expressionless look. she saw the care taker's irritated face and only stared at it for a moment, before getting dragged back inside the house, and thrown in the floor by the care taker.
Ashika, who was still getting back from her senses was clueless of what was currently happening. the only things she was noticing were the other children around staring at her and being back inside the house. she looks around and there, notices the care taker who seemed like was going to say something.
"Hey! how much of a hindrance are you gonna be for the rest of your life?! you're really weird you know that? and pretty much annoying as well, you dont even do anything, like anything! and that's what makes you irritating to face. you know i have seen enough of you, maybe we should just—" her words were short when she got interrupted by care taker amy, who shouted "That's enough!" behind them.
Care taker: "M-Ms. Amy! what are you doing here? (said with a nervous tone) i thought you were gonna be away for a while—"
Amy: "that's not a reason to apply right now. what were you doing to ashika?! (she goes to ashika to help her stand up) we're care takers! not abusive people"
Care taker: "b-but you see, it was her fault she was doing nothing while—"
Amy: "and that is an excuse for you to treat her harsly? you are well aware of the consequences that you can bear with such a treatment right?"
Care taker: "Y-yes..." she said with an irritated expression
Amy: "good. I expect better things from you now on. I expect you to act like a real care taker. not a person who is not deserving to be one" as she declares her last words, she looks at ashika, and to her surprise ashika's glare at her changed. suddenly, ashika's stare were more comfortable now. her eyes violet eyes faced to her, and her eye brows were raised like she showed an expression of shock, she has never knew.
This made amy feel less scared of the child. while they both stared at each other, amy gave her a pat and smile, as she stands up and closes her eyes in order to exit the house and go somewhere, but before she reached the door, she stops at her tracks when to whisper something to the harsh care taker.
Amy: "I'll be meeting you at my office later at evening" when amy said this, the care taker was furious inside but kept it inside to not cause any more trouble. but when amy left the house, the harsh care taker said something before letting out her anger.
"you little piece of shit!" she said with a whisper and irritated tone before...
running to ashika and grabbing her shoulders, shaking her and slapping her really hard after, which made ashika fall down to the her right side, infant of everyone who were terrified of what was happening, and Painfully kicking ashika in the stomach before running away outside of the orphanage and somewhere else.
Ashika on the other hand was just laying down. It was painful due to her lips that were bleeding and her hands on her stomach, but she still did not express the pain. but be expressionless and stare into the void once more.
The other kids behind her were shocked on what they witnessed, and immediately came to ashika in order to aid her. While they were gathering on ashika's lying, her thoughts were again lost in her own mind.
"huh... that was quite bizzare... someone just smacked me to the ground just now while earlier i felt something i have never felt before. why did she stood up for me anyway... isn't she also uncomfortable around me. was that an apology to make me feel better and not think of myself as a weird individual?or for something else. Kindes...? bizzare, as unexpected it was..."
She said in her mind, before her eyes closed and her mind turned blank once more, but it wasn't due to thoughts going in her head, but her mind falling into unconsciousness.