"Hey, what are you writing, Jisso?" I asked while trying to get a peek at her journal.
Jisso, when she heard me say that, instantly tucked it to her chest, not letting me get the slightest glimpse of it. She blushed a little; it was out of character for her, usually the girl who doesn't respect any boundaries and doesn't have any self-respect whatsoever.
Jisso calmed down a little bit and then put on her usual smile. "I'm documenting my journey, every step on the way to becoming the greatest." She put aside the journal and looked up at the sky. "I don't want people to forget about me when I'm gone; I want them to remember..." She then paused momentarily.
I didn't think Jisso was that thoughtful; that way of thinking is far ahead for a 9-year-old girl. "Wow, that's pretty—"
"To build me statues, praising me as a legend and the hero of this land!" Jisso then spoke loudly, giggling with a grin on her face.
As she spoke, my face went dumbfounded. Maybe I was giving her flowers too soon. That's on me for expecting too much from a kid, but I'm still curious what is in that journal. "Can I maybe have a look?"
"No!" Jisso replied as soon as I opened my mouth; she stood up and backed away from me, hissed at my face like a wild cat, and held that book even tighter now. Her face was crimson red. "Don't you ever suggest that again, Jagger!"
What sort of reaction is that? I guess that book was more of a diary than a journal; I can see girls her age having one. I used to have one too. But never have I been that overprotective of mine. Well, I guess it's different between boys and girls.
Jisso was still standing there acting like a feral cat. Seeing that, I just smiled awkwardly while scratching my head. I didn't know what to say. Well, there is really one thing I could say.
"Sorry."
"You better be." Jisso was still standing there, puffing her face, but she then came closer; she lay down on my legs, her face looking up toward mine and the leaves of the elder tree, with her journal hugged under both arms toward her chest. She smiled widely and said, "Jagger!"
Jisso's hard, spiky red hair was poking at my legs; there was a mild pain, but it was bearable. But looking down at the gremlin, who was smiling toward me, I couldn't help but feel a scent of fondness toward her. Though annoying, she was always fun to be around.
"My name is Phileas..."
I slowly leaned my body back, ready to rest my back and enjoy the moment.
...
It's cold, the wall. I can feel the shiver up on my back. How many days since I left this room? two or three. I didn't even bother to count the hours anymore.
I was on the bed, covered myself fully in a blanket, leaving only my feet out. The room was dark, leaving only a bit of light creeping from the doorway and trays of food left on the floors. I told Liyu I would eat them, but I never touched any. I have completely isolated myself since that day, since Jisso's disappearance.
I hate myself for this. I should be hopeful. I should be out there helping, but instead, I'm here holding myself captive between these four walls. Maybe it was guilt, maybe it was sorrow, these emotions...
It felt so familiar, just like when he passed away.
I couldn't even cry; I won't let myself. If I let out a tear, that means that my conscience has already considered her dead and already given up hope, but somewhere deep inside me I really have already given out. If not, then why am I here? Why am I being such a loser...
Then from the window, through the heavy rain, I could hear a voice, a very close one.
"Jagger?"
********************
The rain has lasted straight for days.
The front door opened, and walking in was Orista. His body was soaked, he was holding a burnt-out lantern and a rusty sickle, and his movement was heavy and tiresome.
Liyu greeted him as soon as he walked in; she came rushing toward her husband, already prepared with a dry towel. She lent it to him and helped lead Orista toward a nearby chair.
"Thanks, honey." Orista said, putting the sickle and lantern on the table and drying himself off with the towel.
"It's nothing, darling, the least I can do." Liyu said, standing next to him, eyes looking worriedly, "How was the search?"
Orista shook his head. "Nothing but ragged, bloody clothes and some carrying items at the time." His face deepened and stressed out, and bags appeared under his eyes. "It's the fifth kid; the most recent is the Pakisters's youngest."
Liyu saddened upon hearing the news; it was a small community, everybody knew each other, everybody was on good terms, and they helped and held events together, so seeing another family lose their kids also affected her to some extent as well. "Could it be the Hellborn Beasts?"
"No, Hellborn Beasts would leave more remnants other than just items and clothing; they are not smart or cautious creatures, unlike Stalkers, but those things can't survive in this part of the kingdom." Orista said, his face looking puzzled, he was thinking of the possibilities, the cause of all of this mayhem and chaos, "We can't rule out the Witches either."
"Witches?!" Liyu said, dropping the kettle, her face filled with shock and fear upon hearing the word, "They went extinct decades ago."
"They went into hiding." Orista said, "True, most of them are wiped out by the Knights, but some are believed to still roam this land, deep inside the wilderness, and maybe even be living among humanity itself."
Liyu poured the hot water into a cup on the table; her hands were still shaking. "But we shouldn't reach a conclusion like that just based on guesses." Liyu said, "Being hunted by a Witch is a fate worse than death. I don't want it to be placed on anyone. I don't want to think of anyone in our village, especially a child, experiencing such a cruel thing..."
Orista looked at Liyu's disturbed face for a while, then looked back down to the floor. "Me too, darling."
The room fell into silence for a moment; the atmosphere was dense. Orista then broke it: "For the time being, just tell Feli to stay at home and under no circumstances to come outside on his own." He then looked around the house, searching for something or someone. "Where is the boy anyway? It's been days since I saw him; has he gotten better?"
Liyu came over with a cup of hot water. "He hasn't come out of his room since you left."
"What?!" Orista didn't grab the cup; he was surprised and startled by the news, but most of all he was concerned. It took a while, but he finally calmed down and facepalmed his head. "Must have been the Jisso girl's disappearance. I'm such a bad father; I should have stayed back and looked after my own child instead of going for some search that led to nowhere."
"It's not your fault." Liyu said, biting her lips, "I was at home. I was near the boy, but I couldn't do anything. I tried talking to him, but it didn't work. I'm not like you; I can only bring him food and drinks and wait for you to get home. If anything, I'm the terrible one here."
After hearing that, Orista felt more awful about himself, leaving his wife and kid alone at a time of emotional vulnerability while being the man, the pillar of this family, but this wasn't the time to reflect on himself. Orista stood up; his feet grew weak, but he dragged his body to Phileas's room. He put on his usual smiling and jolly self and knocked. "Feli, it's Daddy. Open up, boy!"
A few seconds later, it grew to minutes, but nothing happened; no one opened the door, and no one answered.
Orista kept banging at the door louder and louder, "Feli! Answer the door!" Liyu was at the back, standing and watching anxiously. Phileas was still there answering her when she last checked up on him an hour ago.
Orista couldn't wait anymore; he stepped back and yelled, "Stand aside, Feli! I'm going to break the door!"
With pure strength and size, Orista managed to break the door open with his shoulder the first time; he looked rapidly around the place, but to his biggest fear, there was no one. Just an empty bed, dozens of food trays on the ground, the rain was splattering into the room through the wide-open window—Phileas has disappeared, becoming the sixth missing child.