One's Eden: Sword of Ren!

Chapter 14: Lost children (part 4)

Waking up on a cold lazy morning. The snow-covered the surrounding of the house in white.

Kids playing snowball fight can be seen outside. Their laugh and smiling face make me feel jealous.

I who don't want to or don't have a will to stand up and wake up. Continue to curl me in my soft mellow blanket and hug the giant teddy bear beside me.

As I hugged my teddy bear.

"Lenny! Lenny! This kid really is not moving in this season."

Said the brown-haired woman wearing an apron.

She stashed my teddy bear and force me to get up.

"Mama! Mama! I wanted to sleep more..."

I said.

"No more sleeping. We have lots of things to do you know. There's a fruit in the forest that can only harvest every winter morning. It's a shame if we didn't get it."

"Then you should go by yourself."

I protested and go back to curling my self.

"This little kid is growing up irresponsible."

My mother said as she scratches her head.

"Lia-chan, I think it's okay for Lenny to stay like that. It's winter vacation after all. Once winter passed, Lenny will go back to school and will have a busy day."

The one talking to Mother is Grandma with a cup of tea at her table.

"You're spoiling Lenny again... The time is passing better go now. Lenny, I'm going out now."

Mother said before she left the house.

"Take care..."

I lazily said and go back to sleep.

That's how mostly I spend my winter morning.

It's too cold to move from this warm spot. It's too comfy making me want to sleep in the entire winter season.

I wonder if mother will cook later... Can't wait."

On the following day. Almost the same thing happen.

Now this time I get up and said to myself.

"What's the matter, Lenny? You're awake this earlier. It's not even sunrise."

My mother asked who is cooking for breakfast.

I walked to the dining table and sit down.

"I started to get LAZY being LAZY."

Said with lifeless eyes.

"She said it with capitalized letters?! How shocking? Is it possible to be lazy about being lazy? Hmmm... Seeing your eye's I guess, it's true. You've started to get lazy."

"No no no I'm being lazy and I feel tired being lazy. THat's my point. I want to do something."

I said.

My mother smiled and get a cute apron from the drawer.

"Here... Lenny, wear this and let's cook a warm meal for winter. Guess what we're cooking?"

"What is it?"

"It's your favorite Mushroom soup."

"Ehhh... I wanted fried chicken."

"Fried chicken? It's to heavy for morning maybe I'll cook it later on lunch. Come to think of it, chickens are selling like pancakes in the market. Need to shop early before they run out of stock."

Mother said as she gets the mushroom soup ingredients.

After that, Mother and I started to cook together. I chop the mushroom. Mother help me in using fire and teach me how to cook.

It's a fun memory, of a fun family.

Then...

I started to feel like something is off.

Something is off here.

I put my hand to my head and saw a shadow outside of the house.

It's a shadow of a woman.

This's snowing hard outside, who is that woman.

I open the door a little and take a look, but I saw no one.

"It's weird."

"Lenny, it's done. Exact time as the sunrise."

The mother said and started to make a portion of mushroom soups.

Grandma wakes up and is surprised at what she saw.

"Oh, you two make this mushroom soup."

"I taught Lenny to cook her favorite mushroom soup."

Grandma takes a taste of my mushroom soup and surprised.

"It's good. the ingredients are simple but it tastes great."

I started to act high stack and confidently said.

"It's because of the rabbit meat. It brings out that meaty flavor."

After that, we got a fun conversation like a family.

"Mother, Lenny wakes up this morning saying she's tired of being lazy. I was surprised when she says that. It's a little funny."

"Mama... I'm aware of me being lazy, please don't say embarrassing things like that to Grandma."

"It's okay, Lenny I saw everything on you. Like when you're a baby y used to pee in the bed all the time and you run naked outside when you don't want to take a bath."

Granda started teasing me.

My face started to get red as a tomato. Because of embarrassment.

"Stop it! Stop it! You're making me cry."

I yelled.

"Hahahahaha."

They laugh.

Time like this is normal in this family. It's peaceful and happy.

Even we are not that rich. I feel like I wanted to stay everything like this.

"Hanayuki."

This woman's voice's familiar. A shadow of a woman appeared again outside of the window.

I stared a little to the window and after that, a rumble of thunder is heard.

"A thunder? That's very usual in this season."

Said Mother.

Thunder? Lightning?

They feel familiar... I feel like something is off.

My head started hurting, I put my hands to my head.

With a worried expression mother and granda get me.

"Lenny! God, she's burning with fever."

"She's just okay a moment ago."

"Let her get some rest. I will get some warm water and medicine for Lenny."

They are such a nice person. They take care of me like a precious jewel.

I wanted to stay in this family.

"Hanayuki!"

I woman with crimson red eyes. It's scary yet so gentle. Some of these memories flash in my eyes.

A picture book of drawings flashes, Ruins with dead people, and a dying giant wolf.

"Gwaaaaahhh! Graaaahh!"

I started to scream in pain. My heart is so tight.

"Lia! Lenny-chan is..."

"Lenny doesn't worry mother si here... Mother is here... Lenny..."

Mother hold my hands gently and comfort me.

"Mama... Mama... Someone is calling me... She's calling me Hanayuki!"

"?!"

Shocked expression of Lia is drawn to her face.

"What's wrong Lia? Hanayuki... Sounds like a name from the country of the sun. Who is calling her? No one is here beside us."

I fell asleep, after that.

In the following days, I became bedridden.

"I'm back in my bed."

I said as I look outside of the window.

…

What is this dream?

This river and path seem so familiar to me. It's so familiar for me, letting my body move on its own.

It feels like I know my destination.

That's right when I cross on these river stones. I will arrive there.

To that house.

I'm so happy and excited about running.

I wanted to see you again.

"Mother."

Surrounding started to make a creaking sound. The land and the mountain started to crumble in my own eyes.

I keep on running and reaching my hand to the house.

...

Opening my eye's I found myself in the bed.

"Lenny? Do you have a bad dream?"

Grandma asked.

"I have a dream... But I don't remember it..."

I replied and get up.

"Then, Lenny why you're crying?"

When grandma said that I found myself crying.

I use my hand to whip my tears.

"It's nothing grandma... By the way, where is Mama?"

"She goes out to buy medicine."

I turn my head toward the window and look outside.

It's already dark and the moon is shining bright. the moon is shining bright in crimson red color.

I pointed out the moon using my finger and asked my grandma again.

"Grandma? Is the moon always look like that?"

"Huh? What are you talking about? It's always in red color. Didn't your teacher teach you about that..."

"But the moon is supposed to be a bright yellow or white..."

"What is that non-sense Lenny... Your head might be dizzy making your memories jumbled. Go and have some more rest."

Grandma left me in my bedroom.

Maybe Grandma is right... I guess I will have some more rest.

In the following days. I started to get better and better. The Winter season is about to end.

We get a big celebration.

"Happy birthday Lenny!"

Said, my friend, and my family.

Many people are currently in the house to celebrate with me. There was cake, Ice cream, spaghetti, carbonara, roast meat and of course Fried Chicken.

Everyone is so cheerful and happy.

I reach the age of 7 and it's about the time to give me my crest. It's a tradition in this town to give the children the family crest. It's the symbol that you're a member of the family. The crest also gives the bearer a boost in magic.

My Grandma uses her magic to put the crest in the back of my neck.

"There, there Lenny-chan is now officially recognized as a part of Astria family."

Grandma said.

I can feel that magic at my fingertips with this I will be able to see magic like a mother. I'm so happy.

"The party continues!"

...

Days later the snow is piling up around the house. I get the shovel and go outside.

I climb the roof and started shoveling snow.

After that, I go down to shovel the snow in the backyard.

Then a stranger came.

I didn't recognize her face because of the hood covering her face. She is having a katana on her waist.

Maybe she is an adventurer.

I turn my head toward her and asked.

"Ma'am, do you need something? Ma'am?"

"Yeah, I need something... Hanayuki."

She replied

"Hanayuki?"

I'm puzzled after she says those words.

Then it rings a bell.

When I was having a fever someone from my head is calling me Hanayuki.

"Hanayuki, you need to die."

She continued and draw the sword in her waist. The sword started to spark with lightning.

I saw her crimson red eye's gaze toward me.

I don't get what's happening? But it makes me step back and run away.

It triggers me that this person is a dangerous foe.

"Hanayuki... I didn't teach you to run to your opponent..."

Lightning blade strike!"

She cast a spell toward me.

The lightning spell directly hit me. Giving me some minor burn. I collapse in the snow.

The woman started to walk toward me.

"Remember, it Hanayuki this is not the reality."

She said and faded.

My mother came to help me get up.

"Lenny... Are you okay? What happened to you? Lenny?"

Then again I was bedridden for the whole day.

...

That lightning shock reminds me of something.

It's in the middle of the night and my mother is beside me looking at my face.

"Mama... Why you here?"

"I just missed my little princess... I wanted to sing a lullaby while looking at her cute face."

She replied.

"I'm already a big girl you know."

"No, Lenny is always my little princess."

She said and patted my head gently while humming a lullaby.

It's so comfy.

Is all mother like this? I wonder... I would love to stay like this forever but something needs to be done.

"Mama... Why you're killing children?"

I asked.

"Huh? I didn't kill children... What are you... Saying... Len... nny... Your eye is so sad. What's the matter?"

She replied in a confused expression.

The expression of sadness is on my face.

I started to cry silently. Big tears started flowing out of my eyes.

"Mama... I'm sowwy... I'm Sowwy..."

Lightning blade.

I use a lightning blade to my mother who is beside me. Making a hole in her belly.

"I'm sorry..."

After that, the dream spell is broken.

Making both of us wake up in reality.

We're still in the forest. Lying in the soft flower bed.

The white petals of the flower got stained by the red blood from the fairy.

"Lenny how could you do this to your mother..."

I continue to cry after waking up.

This feeling, It's so painful. This fairy restarts my life in a dream world and takes care of me. Giving me a wonderful life. I'm so grateful that someone like her makes me feel like I'm the world. She is a true kind mother, but why everything needs to be like this.

Reality sure is cruel.

But I need to save the children.

"I'm not Lenny... I'm Hanayuki Travel, I don't like the idea of killing. Especially someone that give me a lot of fond memories... Lia! Free the children and surrender now!"

I said to the fairy.