…
As El stepped out of the door, just like any other day when he ventures to the outside, he instinctively glanced toward the side of the house where the steel barbed wire fence stood silently, with some rust adorning its surface, casting a haunting shadow over the area. It was a harrowing ambience for anyone who glimpsed at it.
Meanwhile, the alleyway beyond the fence presented a grim and distant sight. Puddles of stagnant water dotted the path, and on particularly fine days, El would spot rats scurrying about. They were big yet also bony, with matted, dirty fur. Their squeaks echoing in the air.
The sunlight rarely reached this part of the alley, making it feel even more foreboding than it already was. After gaining a moment of this weird satisfaction from the unsettling view, El subsequently turned away.
*
*
*
Before he could even step fully into the outside of the alley, he heard a commotion rising from the street.
'What's happened?' he wondered inside his mind, while frowning. He had been cooped up in the house for three days, reading books and writing something on his notebook, which had turned into some sort of diary at that point, leaving him unaware of the events that might be currently happening in the city.
He quickened his pace as the clamor swelled even louder, a cacophony that surged toward his ears.
Finally, he emerged onto the street, where rows of people moved in unison, all heading in the same direction. What struck El as particularly peculiar was the sea of black button-down shirts and long-sleeved garments, paired with dark trousers. It was as if an unspoken agreement had swept through the crowd, compelling them to don this somber attire on this day, creating a striking tableau of shared purpose and muted sorrow.
There was also murmur of voices rising above the oppressive silence that hung in the air.
He felt a peculiar mix of fortune and misfortune – for today, his 'inscrutable senses' seemed to be heightened, reminiscent of the time he spent with 'that man.' The somber atmosphere enveloped him like an unseen, heavy shroud; and he could detect the simmering anger beneath the surface of the crowd, a collective indignation about something he could not quite grasp. What was the situation, exactly? He didn't know. Yet, he understood that the weight of their shared emotions was potent enough to leave him breathless, accompanied by occasional sharp pangs of pain that stabbed at his chest.
Approaching one of the middle-aged men who walk with knitted eyebrows, wearing the same outfit as everyone else, El asked him about the situation politely. "Excuse me sir, I wanted to know what is actually happening? Where do people walk to?"
After inspecting El carefully, the man then replied solemnly, "Go back to your home, boy!? This isn't for a kid like you."
Swiftly contemplating the best course of action inside his mind, El once again raised a question, with his eyes pleading to the middle-aged man, eager for more information.
"Please, sir, I wanted to know. My parents didn't tell me anything…"
"No… go back to your home! Listen to you parent, kid…" stated the man firmly, refusing to be swayed by the pitiful boy with his pretty emerald eyes that somehow slightly gleamed even in the daylight, reminding the man of his daughter and son at home.
"Please sir, please!" El keep begging, this time with his palms clasped together.
"No…"
"Alright then…" El's pitiful expression melted away in an instant, replaced by a blank, unreadable mask. His gaze dropped, the faintest shadow of discontent flickering across his face. Without another word, he turned on his heel, leaving the man staring after him, bewildered. The man, who had never witnessed such a swift and deliberate shift in demeanor, stood frozen, as if rooted to the spot. El, however, moved on quietly, with his eyes scanning the crowd until they landed on a young woman – a striking figure with a kind, approachable air. Without hesitation, he made his way toward her.
"Excuse me, big sis?" El said with a respectful tap on that woman's shoulder.
"Yes?" the woman replied as she turned around to face him, finding El whose height only reaching her eyes.
"Can you tell me what is actually happening? Where is everyone walking to right now?"
The woman's expression subsequently fell after hearing El's question, emanating an emotion of sadness. "It was. Do you know that famous restaurant called Merriment, little brother?"
"Ah, what's happen to them?" asked El in shock. It felt as though a jolt of electricity had risen from the top of his head to the rest of his body. Merriment Restaurant – of course he had known that place. It was the very same eatery where he had eaten in this city for the very first time with that man, and also where he had met with 'kids from the underside'. And today, he had just so happened to want to visit that place again for the second time. Now, though, he suddenly felt a bad feeling rising from his chest.
The woman lowered her head, eyes brimming with slight tears as she continued walking following the throngs of people. "They. All of them who work there will be executed today…"
"What???" El exclaimed with a voice that promptly grew louder, causing the woman to flinch in surprise at El's outburst of emotion. Few pedestrians around them also turned their eyes towards them upon hearing El's cry of surprise.
On the other hand, El heart sank even further in that instant.
"So, you know that place too? I guess that restaurant will always be the most famous here in this city after all, heh heh…" stated the woman dejectedly. She wanted to chuckle woefully at the end, but instead ended up with an awkward, ugly smile. However, even that smile didn't last long as she couldn't bring herself to lift her trembling lips, as the terrible tragedy today was too much for her.
"W-what. What is actually happening? You are joking, right? Hahahaha, yes, you are joking. Maybe I heard it wrong earlier…" El responded with a mirthless laugh, still unable to believe what he had heard from the woman. In fact, it was more as if he was refusing to accept what she had said.
"Kid, what did I tell you earlier. Go back home!!!" it was the first man whom El asked about it. The uncle following him here, then put his hand on El's shoulder. Even though his words were harsh, his hand on El's shoulder who wanted to guide him away from the crowd was gentle, as he nudged El to go back to his 'supposed parents.'
"No, sir. I'm sorry. I wanted to know more," El said, his voice steady yet resolute. He turned to face both the man and the woman from earlier, with his emerald eyes locking onto theirs with an intensity that was both fierce and unyielding.
…