064. Fall
“Sister, are you really okay?”
The small figure covered with a blanket nodded.
“Really? Are you sure it doesn’t hurt anywhere?”
Kalia's question was met with a double nod.
'At least I'm not sick.'
Kalia and Mitch thought at the same time.
“Then lie down for a bit. I’ll leave some bread here, so eat when you get hungry.”
The door closed, and Emilia was left alone.
She got lost in the pitch-black darkness. The endless maze began again.
Everything is confusing. What am I looking for? Is there a way out?
“Are you that upset about not getting a job?”
As soon as he left his sister's room, he started muttering with worry.
“It’s not like you can’t get a job because you don’t have any real ability. After all, it’s all because of the King and that guy Meyer.”
The child's face twisted into a fierce grimace, and his fists clenched.
“Because of those fucking motherfuckers, those fucking bastards...”
“Oh my, honey, please!”
Kalia sighed as if she were tired. But that wasn't enough to keep his mouth shut.
“We have to destroy them all. We have to start a revolution and send them to the guillotine quietly. This is not the time for me to be here doing this. I have to turn everything upside down with my comrades...”
“Oh my god, Mitch Bern!”
Only when Kalia almost screamed did the child flinch.
“Why are you like this, too? Please, I beg you. Mom’s head is about to explode these days. Even your sister is like this, so you should do something too...”
Before Kalia could finish speaking, a cough erupted from the field. The rough, scratching sound of her chest echoed uneasily in the quiet living room.
Only then did Michi panic and quickly bring water to her mother. But Kalia couldn't even drink the water.
After a long period of coughing that felt like her intestines were going to spill out, Kalia slumped down on her chair as if she was going to collapse. Mitch looked at his mother with great concern.
“Are you okay? Mom, you really need to see a doctor. I’ll bring you here before school starts.”
“Don’t do that, Mitch. Calling a doctor is expensive. I was going to go to the hospital sooner or later. I just haven’t had time because I’ve been so busy with work at the factory.”
Kalia answered sincerely. When she looked back on her life, misfortune followed misfortune.
Now that she's finally paid off her debts, it's time to get back on track and start making money.
“Mom will take care of it. I will never let you get sick.”
“Yeah, yes.”
They forgot about the previous quarrel and shared a sweet reconciliation again.
“I’m going to go to work tomorrow and ask Mr. Sid one more time. Is there anything your sister can do at the factory?”
'Boden' was the owner of the spinning mill where Kalia worked.
“Didn’t he say no when I asked you a few days ago?”
“At that time, Mr. Boden was in a very bad situation. Now that the urgent money issue has been resolved, I wonder if he has changed his mind or not. I am thinking of asking him if he can at least pretend to show her the ledgers, even if he really doesn’t want to ask her to manage them. I think your sister is just very frustrated.”
“But... what if my mom gets cut off too?”
“Mr. Boden isn’t that kind of person.”
“Really?”
“Sister, are you really okay?”
The small figure covered with a blanket nodded.
“Really? Are you sure it doesn’t hurt anywhere?”
Kalia's question was met with a double nod.
'At least I'm not sick.'
Kalia and Mitch thought at the same time.
“Then lie down for a bit. I’ll leave some bread here, so eat when you get hungry.”
The door closed, and Emilia was left alone.
She got lost in the pitch-black darkness. The endless maze began again.
Everything is confusing. What am I looking for? Is there a way out?
“Are you that upset about not getting a job?”
As soon as he left his sister's room, he started muttering with worry.
“It’s not like you can’t get a job because you don’t have any real ability. After all, it’s all because of the King and that guy Meyer.”
The child's face twisted into a fierce grimace, and his fists clenched.
“Because of those fucking motherfuckers, those fucking bastards...”
“Oh my, honey, please!”
Kalia sighed as if she were tired. But that wasn't enough to keep his mouth shut.
“We have to destroy them all. We have to start a revolution and send them to the guillotine quietly. This is not the time for me to be here doing this. I have to turn everything upside down with my comrades...”
“Oh my god, Mitch Bern!”
Only when Kalia almost screamed did the child flinch.
“Why are you like this, too? Please, I beg you. Mom’s head is about to explode these days. Even your sister is like this, so you should do something too...”
Before Kalia could finish speaking, a cough erupted from the field. The rough, scratching sound of her chest echoed uneasily in the quiet living room.
Only then did Michi panic and quickly bring water to her mother. But Kalia couldn't even drink the water.
After a long period of coughing that felt like her intestines were going to spill out, Kalia slumped down on her chair as if she was going to collapse. Mitch looked at his mother with great concern.
“Are you okay? Mom, you really need to see a doctor. I’ll bring you here before school starts.”
“Don’t do that, Mitch. Calling a doctor is expensive. I was going to go to the hospital sooner or later. I just haven’t had time because I’ve been so busy with work at the factory.”
Kalia answered sincerely. When she looked back on her life, misfortune followed misfortune.
Now that she's finally paid off her debts, it's time to get back on track and start making money.
“Mom will take care of it. I will never let you get sick.”
“Yeah, yes.”
They forgot about the previous quarrel and shared a sweet reconciliation again.
“I’m going to go to work tomorrow and ask Mr. Sid one more time. Is there anything your sister can do at the factory?”
'Boden' was the owner of the spinning mill where Kalia worked.
“Didn’t he say no when I asked you a few days ago?”
“At that time, Mr. Boden was in a very bad situation. Now that the urgent money issue has been resolved, I wonder if he has changed his mind or not. I am thinking of asking him if he can at least pretend to show her the ledgers, even if he really doesn’t want to ask her to manage them. I think your sister is just very frustrated.”
“But... what if my mom gets cut off too?”
“Mr. Boden isn’t that kind of person.”
“Really?”
Mitch smiled happily, then shook his head.
“No, I don’t want to expect anything anymore. I think I’ll just be disappointed for no reason. I think I’ll go out with my sister starting tomorrow. To look for a job.”
“You’re starting school soon.”
The words "I'm thinking about quitting school" rose to the tip of Mitch's tongue. No one in the family knew it, but Mitch was planning on submitting his resignation letter at the end of the next semester.
The child suppressed his solemn determination and swallowed it, trying to put on a cheerful voice.
“If I go back to school, maybe this problem will be solved easily.”
“What does that mean?”
“I think I’ll ask my comrades to do something for my sister.”
The expression 'comrade' instead of 'friend' sounded a little strange, but Kalia, who was already feeling confused, just brushed it off with a "Really?"
“There are some comrades who are quite well off. Some families are in the trading business, and some run fairly large stores. It is taboo to ask comrades for personal favors... Is there anything in the world that is absolutely forbidden?”
Mitch nodded to himself and continued speaking.
“Even if it’s not a grand job, they’ll give her some chores. Right now, she really needs to wash dishes. They’ll help her out with that. And if she works in one of my comrades’ houses, I’ll make sure to hide her identity so that it won’t be revealed... Ah!”
In the middle of talking, the child suddenly snapped his fingers.
“Why did I have such a good idea only now? I don’t need to wait for school to start. I think I’ll go see my comrades right away. Tomorrow.”
Even Kalia couldn't help but feel anticipation rising in her excited voice. Her wrinkled hands gently stroked her son's back. Mitch smiled at his mother.
Unlike the two warm-hearted mothers, Charlotte, who had been crouching on the stairs all this time, was so anxious that she couldn't stand it.
It was the word 'comrade' that made her feel strange.
Charlotte had been so upset and confused for the past few days that she hadn't been able to sleep properly. It was because of Mitch's revelation about the true identity of 'Hilden Farm'.
At first, Charlotte didn't think much of it either. No matter how much Mitch explained, she didn't understand what a 'revolutionary' or a 'rebel' was.
'They must be rebels who fled from Trunia. There must also be revolutionaries who are working in hiding. I heard from my comrades that they crossed our border in great numbers when the civil war broke out last year. They are hiding out in the mountains and forests and continuing their secret organization activities. Hilden Farm must be one of those places.'
A series of difficult-to-understand words followed, such as 'hideout,' 'secret organization,' and 'assassination operation.'
Charlotte just nodded. All that mattered to the child was whether or not Hilden Farm was dangerous to them. Mitch had said that the people at the farm were not a danger to them, so Charlotte didn't want to worry about that anymore.
But it was what Mitch added at the end that was the problem.
'Once school starts, I'm going to visit the Hilden Farm with my fellow members of the Punishment Squad. We need to see if it's really their hideout, and if necessary, we can join forces.'
The 'Purge Squad' sounded even scarier than the pistol.
Even though she didn't know exactly what was going on, one thing was certain: Mitch's school friends were just kids, and they were going to take on the "revolutionaries", the guys with guns.
What happened every time Mitch Bern made a fool of himself? Things went terribly wrong, and there was a commotion.
It's not important to keep secrets. I have to stop it now!
Charlotte sat up quietly.
She knew that her sister had been having a hard time since she got very sick a few days ago. That's why she couldn't talk to her for a few days and just suffered inside.
But Charlotte can't keep covering up this problem. Isn't this something that could put Mitch in danger? If she keeps her mouth shut to worry about her sister's feelings, something really scary might happen.
“...Sister.”
Charlotte crept into the room and ended up shaking her sister awake.
“You’re crazy, crazy Bern... You... How did you...”
Inside the dark stable, Emilia muttered in a daze. Mitch leaned against the damp wall opposite her and hung his head low.
The child had already been slapped twice on the cheek by his mother, Kalia. The family was shocked because Kalia had never raised her voice, let alone used physical punishment. If Emilia hadn't calmed down her trembling mother and dragged Mitch out to the stable, who knows what would have happened?
“The Purge Squad... Oh my... What’s the name...”
Suddenly, Emilia felt dizzy and put her hand to her forehead. It was just like when she first learned about her stepmother's debt.
Emilia felt like everything was her fault. She thought she had done her best to take good care of her family, but the reality was the opposite.
Why was she so indifferent? She should have noticed when Mitch went beyond simply hating those in power to using extreme words like 'shedding blood' and 'fighting for freedom'...
“It was just a joke, right? You guys just named it that for fun? You didn’t do anything dangerous or... weird, did you?”
“...”
“Answer me, Mitch Bern!”
The child flinched at the scream-like sound. At any other time, she would have given in to that, but Emilia had no time for that now. She barely held back the urge to grab her younger brother's skinny shoulders and shake him roughly.
“If you truly care and love our family, then answer me quickly.”
As Emilia spoke each word forcefully, as if she was chewing on it, Mitch's mouth, which had been tightly shut, finally began to open.
“We haven’t done anything special yet... but...”
The truth about the secret society of Liberty Free School, the 'Purge Society', has leaked out.
As a group of teenage boys, they didn't do anything really scary, but they did plan revolutions, read banned books, and secretly distribute propaganda materials.
Expulsion was a given, and in some cases, dangerous enough to be called 'treason'.
“Oh my god... Crazy..."
Emilia buried her face in her knees.
There was no strength left in her body. A fear so great that it was incomparable to anything she had ever felt before was squeezing my throat.
“That’s treason. You could easily be hanged... We live in His Majesty the King’s country! It’s not like the Republic of Fern Strait or the United Nations of the New World. No, even in those places, the ‘Purge Corps’ are subject to the gallows... Do you know how many people’s throats were cut in Trunia? There are corpses lined up on skewers, adults and children alike! Hilden Farm is an organization that those people ran away to?! How can you imagine something like that just because you saw one pistol? I’m so scared of your thoughts...”
Emilia, who had been muttering in a daze, suddenly sat up.
“Please say no, Mitch. You didn’t get involved... You were just fooled by your friend and left your name behind... There’s no way you would do something so stupid. You love your family, and you’re a smart kid. There’s no way you would do something like that... There’s no way..."
Emilia almost cried.
But the answer that came out of Mitch's mouth completely destroyed her last hope.
“No, I don’t want to expect anything anymore. I think I’ll just be disappointed for no reason. I think I’ll go out with my sister starting tomorrow. To look for a job.”
“You’re starting school soon.”
The words "I'm thinking about quitting school" rose to the tip of Mitch's tongue. No one in the family knew it, but Mitch was planning on submitting his resignation letter at the end of the next semester.
The child suppressed his solemn determination and swallowed it, trying to put on a cheerful voice.
“If I go back to school, maybe this problem will be solved easily.”
“What does that mean?”
“I think I’ll ask my comrades to do something for my sister.”
The expression 'comrade' instead of 'friend' sounded a little strange, but Kalia, who was already feeling confused, just brushed it off with a "Really?"
“There are some comrades who are quite well off. Some families are in the trading business, and some run fairly large stores. It is taboo to ask comrades for personal favors... Is there anything in the world that is absolutely forbidden?”
Mitch nodded to himself and continued speaking.
“Even if it’s not a grand job, they’ll give her some chores. Right now, she really needs to wash dishes. They’ll help her out with that. And if she works in one of my comrades’ houses, I’ll make sure to hide her identity so that it won’t be revealed... Ah!”
In the middle of talking, the child suddenly snapped his fingers.
“Why did I have such a good idea only now? I don’t need to wait for school to start. I think I’ll go see my comrades right away. Tomorrow.”
Even Kalia couldn't help but feel anticipation rising in her excited voice. Her wrinkled hands gently stroked her son's back. Mitch smiled at his mother.
Unlike the two warm-hearted mothers, Charlotte, who had been crouching on the stairs all this time, was so anxious that she couldn't stand it.
It was the word 'comrade' that made her feel strange.
Charlotte had been so upset and confused for the past few days that she hadn't been able to sleep properly. It was because of Mitch's revelation about the true identity of 'Hilden Farm'.
At first, Charlotte didn't think much of it either. No matter how much Mitch explained, she didn't understand what a 'revolutionary' or a 'rebel' was.
'They must be rebels who fled from Trunia. There must also be revolutionaries who are working in hiding. I heard from my comrades that they crossed our border in great numbers when the civil war broke out last year. They are hiding out in the mountains and forests and continuing their secret organization activities. Hilden Farm must be one of those places.'
A series of difficult-to-understand words followed, such as 'hideout,' 'secret organization,' and 'assassination operation.'
Charlotte just nodded. All that mattered to the child was whether or not Hilden Farm was dangerous to them. Mitch had said that the people at the farm were not a danger to them, so Charlotte didn't want to worry about that anymore.
But it was what Mitch added at the end that was the problem.
'Once school starts, I'm going to visit the Hilden Farm with my fellow members of the Punishment Squad. We need to see if it's really their hideout, and if necessary, we can join forces.'
The 'Purge Squad' sounded even scarier than the pistol.
Even though she didn't know exactly what was going on, one thing was certain: Mitch's school friends were just kids, and they were going to take on the "revolutionaries", the guys with guns.
What happened every time Mitch Bern made a fool of himself? Things went terribly wrong, and there was a commotion.
It's not important to keep secrets. I have to stop it now!
Charlotte sat up quietly.
She knew that her sister had been having a hard time since she got very sick a few days ago. That's why she couldn't talk to her for a few days and just suffered inside.
But Charlotte can't keep covering up this problem. Isn't this something that could put Mitch in danger? If she keeps her mouth shut to worry about her sister's feelings, something really scary might happen.
“...Sister.”
Charlotte crept into the room and ended up shaking her sister awake.
***
“You’re crazy, crazy Bern... You... How did you...”
Inside the dark stable, Emilia muttered in a daze. Mitch leaned against the damp wall opposite her and hung his head low.
The child had already been slapped twice on the cheek by his mother, Kalia. The family was shocked because Kalia had never raised her voice, let alone used physical punishment. If Emilia hadn't calmed down her trembling mother and dragged Mitch out to the stable, who knows what would have happened?
“The Purge Squad... Oh my... What’s the name...”
Suddenly, Emilia felt dizzy and put her hand to her forehead. It was just like when she first learned about her stepmother's debt.
Emilia felt like everything was her fault. She thought she had done her best to take good care of her family, but the reality was the opposite.
Why was she so indifferent? She should have noticed when Mitch went beyond simply hating those in power to using extreme words like 'shedding blood' and 'fighting for freedom'...
“It was just a joke, right? You guys just named it that for fun? You didn’t do anything dangerous or... weird, did you?”
“...”
“Answer me, Mitch Bern!”
The child flinched at the scream-like sound. At any other time, she would have given in to that, but Emilia had no time for that now. She barely held back the urge to grab her younger brother's skinny shoulders and shake him roughly.
“If you truly care and love our family, then answer me quickly.”
As Emilia spoke each word forcefully, as if she was chewing on it, Mitch's mouth, which had been tightly shut, finally began to open.
“We haven’t done anything special yet... but...”
The truth about the secret society of Liberty Free School, the 'Purge Society', has leaked out.
As a group of teenage boys, they didn't do anything really scary, but they did plan revolutions, read banned books, and secretly distribute propaganda materials.
Expulsion was a given, and in some cases, dangerous enough to be called 'treason'.
“Oh my god... Crazy..."
Emilia buried her face in her knees.
There was no strength left in her body. A fear so great that it was incomparable to anything she had ever felt before was squeezing my throat.
“That’s treason. You could easily be hanged... We live in His Majesty the King’s country! It’s not like the Republic of Fern Strait or the United Nations of the New World. No, even in those places, the ‘Purge Corps’ are subject to the gallows... Do you know how many people’s throats were cut in Trunia? There are corpses lined up on skewers, adults and children alike! Hilden Farm is an organization that those people ran away to?! How can you imagine something like that just because you saw one pistol? I’m so scared of your thoughts...”
Emilia, who had been muttering in a daze, suddenly sat up.
“Please say no, Mitch. You didn’t get involved... You were just fooled by your friend and left your name behind... There’s no way you would do something so stupid. You love your family, and you’re a smart kid. There’s no way you would do something like that... There’s no way..."
Emilia almost cried.
But the answer that came out of Mitch's mouth completely destroyed her last hope.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment