Interlude 2: The beautiful flower in the snow
1113 Words
The flower in the snow
It's been forever since the sunrise. The sky is always covered by snow clouds. Every day is like an eternal night. The clock is only the way to tell the time.
The world is freezing cold and humans can't last any longer. Even in this situation, two girls are currently doing their best to survive in this cruel unforgiving world.
"Yusa-san are you really okay with this?"
The girl named Hanayuki then get an axe and started trembling.
"Don’t be afraid we’re doing this for a very long time now. Just chop my arm and everybody in the village can have food in their tummy."
Yusa said.
Hanayuki closes her eyes and chops Yusa's arm.
“Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh--!!”
After the intense pain Yusa felt.
Her Arm re-grow and go back to normal.
"It’s still really painful, I thought I can do it without screaming in pain.”
“I’m so-sorry… Yusa-san.”
“It’s fine, it’s my idea. With this arm, we can eat and survive tonight.”
Hanayuki then looks toward Yusa’s eye’s seriously and said:
"Let me do it too. I have regeneration ability like you."
"Nope, you’re regeneration is far too weak from mine. It's more painful if you’re the one doing this, I also, don’t like seeing you in pain.”
Yusa then lay her hand again on the chopping board.
“Why do need to have more? One is enough for us.”
“I want to give the elder food to eat. Since the world became like this the animals started to decrease and looking for food is very hard. I feel bad for those people who can’t eat because of this icy climate.”
"But those people just want our free food. They are s**t heads."
Hanayuki protested and angrily look toward Yusa.
Yusa stood up and put her hands to Hanayuki’s shoulders.
"Don't say that, they didn't do anything to us yet. If they commit a crime against us. I will chop their heads off."
"Yusa you’re scary."
"Yes, I’m super scary. With this immortal-like ability we have. I can m******e all of them.”
Yusa and Hanayuki go back in chopping.
Yusa withstand chopping her arms 50 times and packed it afterward. They then go and leave their home to give the chopped arms to the elders of the town.
Knocking each door in the town. Yusa distributed her arm to the elders.
"Thank you for giving us free food Yusa. We really are happy about your help.”
"It's nothing, we are grateful when this town welcomes us to stay here."
The woman lying in the bed then shouted:
“Don’t come back here again, we want to die as humans. Don’t come back in this place anymore!”
“Sorry about my wife's attitude.”
After that, the old man averted his eyes away from Yusa and Hanayuki. He then closes the door.
“What’s their problem? We’re just helping them.”
Hanayuki said.
“Shhhhh…”
Yusa gestured to make Hanayuki stay silent.
After that, the two girls go back to their home that. Hanayuki lights up the house using the small lamp and hangs it to the wall. Yusa then makes a fire in the camp inside their house to warm up the surrounding.
"It's amazing that the tree still grows even it's so cold."
Said Hanayukias she put small branches in the fire.
"Well, the tree adopted to this icy environment already... Honestly, these trees didn't exist before. The humanity is busy in surviving they didn’t have time to name this new kind of tree."
From the window, Hanayuki lookup in the gloomy sky. She then stood up and get a picture book.
"Yusa-san is older than me, do you know what is the feeling of living in a warm world?"
"I don't really know the feeling of living before, but they said it's ugly beautiful.”
“Ugly beautiful.”
“They said it’s beautiful and wonderful. You will meet many people and there are many wonderful places, but also, ugly because of the people living in this world.”
“Does that mean god punished us and make us suffer because we make the world ugly?”
“Well, maybe…”
Hanayuki believes she has a sudden realization and started praying to god.
“My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong, and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In His name, my God, have mercy… Amen.”
Hanayuki then makes a sign of the cross and amen.
“You’re such a good girl Hanayuki.”
“Of course I am…”
Yusa looks at Hanayuki and hugged her. She then squeezed her cheeks and tickle her to make her laugh.
“You’re so cheeky…”
“Yusa-san… How did you find me?”
“I already told the story right?”
“I want to hear it again.”
“A long long time ago. While I’m traveling with my mother and father. We heard a crying voice of a baby. We followed the voice and saw a beautiful flower. It’s so cute it made me forget my hunger. My mother blushed in happiness and my father can’t even avert away his eye’s from you. That beautiful flower is this chestnut in my hand right now.”
“Then why my name is Hanayuki?”
“Because we found you in the snow(Yuki) and you look like a beautiful flower(Hana). We combine the flower and the snow. That’s why you're name is Hanayuki.”
Yusa then sniffs Hanayuki’s armpit.
“... It’s sour…Did you take a bath before laying here?”
“I didn’t take a bath yet.”
Yusa stood up and get a pot. She filled it with water and started boiling it so that Hanayuki can take a bath.
These innocent times are something very important to Hanayuki. The time she spends with Yusa in this cruel unforgiving world.
- Writer
