Nuturing Evil

9- F*cked up

“Rylan, wake up!” A stern voice came, shaking me to wake me up from my deep slumber. It’s been a month since Crystal came and I am still unable to encrypt. How she can be so attached to me while I have done nothing to win her trust. Even others give her more attention and affection than me but she tends to stick around me.

"What?" I asked rudely, covering myself with the duvets but she pulled it down, "Tomorrow is the festival, you promised to let me explore the town and watch the preparations." She demanded, still shaking me, talking about the promise I don't even remember I have made. "Shut it, Crystal. It is not running away, calm down." I frowned, groggily opening my eyes and turning to her. "Get up." She said sweetly, sitting beside me, "Did you freshen up?" I asked, thinking of finding an excuse. "Yes." She nodded with a grin. "Finished your work?"

"Yes!" She nodded again.

"Had breakfast?"

"Yes! I have done everything, now get up." She beamed, eyes flickering in excitement for being able to watch things like this for the first time so I can't blame her for this felicity. "Fine then, I will wake up, give me an hour." I sighed, getting up, "Yay!" She shouted and ran out of the room.

I sat up, ruffling my hairs, emitting long breaths while rubbing my temples to provide myself some equanimity. I am amazed how I am managing to survive with this curse for so long. A person dejected with life like me should be hastily agreeing for death but here I am stuck with this kid.

"Ah well, what choice do I have now?" I talked to myself, turning to look at Rose's picture hanging on the wall with an invisible smile, "I have to comply with my promise after all." Whispering sadly, I got out and freshened up as me and Crystal left for the town.

She was looking around in fascination. Because of her condition, I kept her away from others mostly, her presence could affect everyone so I kept her close to me and away from others and because of it, we had to stay at the mansion.

"What are those, Rylan?" She asked, watching everyone setting up stalls. "These are called stalls. Tomorrow all of them will sell something specific, be it toys, food or games." I replied casually, walking with my hands in my pockets, whistling as she walked, holding my shirt.

"Oh my, Crystal. How are you doing?" Hays came, patting her head and she is still scared of him because of his appearance, "F-Fine." She whispered, hiding behind me. "You're scaring her." I replied casually. "I haven't even done anything." He frowned, closing her arms at his chest. "You look scary."

"No, I am not- oh Look, Miss Robin!" He called Robin, "What is it?"

"Do I look scary, Miss Robin? Seems like Crystal is afraid of me." He asked. "To be honest, you do." She nodded. "See."

"No way!" He said in disappointment, turning to Crystal, "Hey Crystal, wanna see my stall?" He offered with a smile. Crystal looked at me, unsure about what to do, "Go. He won't bite but if he does, I will kick his ass so don't worry." I told her nonchalantly. She nodded innocently and went with Hays to help him set up his stall.

"Seems like your are doing well ever since she came." Robin smiled. "What do you mean?" I asked, perplexed. "Better than watching you lying around somewhere, drunk." She reminded me, making me feel embarrassed about the unbelievably tight phase for me to grasp and slip through the gap to gain redemption but I managed to at least try to not exist but live... I guess.

"Dunno." I shrugged and left after waving at her. "Rylan, Look!" Crystal grinned, standing on the stool to level with the counter. "Oh, are you the seller here?" I smirked, leaning on the counter. She grinned. "Well then little miss, What are you selling?" I asked, teasingly. "Hot dogs." She chirped. "Oh yeah, Mrs Bruce recipe of hot was famous all over Bougainvillea." I hummed, putting my elbow on the counter. Hays' late mother was well known for her special recipes.  "I know, right? They were fan of it." Hays smiled, setting the stall.  

"Hmm. I hope you don't destroy the recipe." I joked which made him curl his lips downward in ire but shaking my hand, Disregarded his words as nothing and took Crystal with me as we looked around for the rest of the day where she watched things being done in admiration as I stared at her eyes filling up with hopes she treasures for leaving the puzzle of misery which trapped her in tender deceit used to ply her movement but not anymore.

We were walking as I asked, “Crystal, do you need a dress for tomorrow?” 

“A dress?”

“Yeah.. Any pretty dress for the festival?” I asked monotonously. She held her chin, lost in thoughts and nodded. “Sure.” 

We turned to go to the nearest shop to get her a dress and saw Brandon. "Hey, what are you doing here?" I asked. "Nothing, just got some toys. I will be opening a toy stall." He smiled, show a bag. "I see."

"A toy stall?" Crystal asked in spur of glee, "Yes. I expect to see you there." He smiled, patting her head. "Anyways, How are your sleeps nowadays?" He asked, turning to me. Since the curse can't let me relax, I got help from Brandon to give me some sleeping pills or else I would never be able to have a sleep of solace. "Better than before, thanks." I replied. "Good. See you tomorrow, Crystal." He waved at us and left.

"Why can't we open a stall as well?" She asked. "Do you want to?" I asked, looking at her to which she nodded vigorously, "Too bad, I don't so we are not." I told her coldly as we went inside, she frowned, muttering something under her breath what I didn't pay heed to.

Later, she found a pink dress with a bow in the middle and frills, reaching to her knees, "What do you think, Rylan?" She asked, unsure about the dress. "Don't you like it?" I asked. "I am not sure. I have never brought something." She shrugged, "Try it in green color, it would suit your eyes." I suggested and she tried a green one which actually suited her more, she looked absolutely adorable, "It looks great." I complimented her. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Then will you buy me this dress?" She asked in a sugar coated tone, "That's why we are here." I replied as we bought the dress and went back.

The next day, Crystal's exuberance was at its utmost extent to wear the green and go to the festival. I went to her room, Brenda was combing her hair and tied them with a matching bow, completing her elegance by turning her into a princess.

"Are you done?" I asked, knocking on the door. "Yeah, look, Rylan. How's it?" She asked, spinning around while showing the dress. "You look like a princess." I mumbled, contemplating her form but she doesn't seem impressed by my praise.

"What?"

"I think you are forcing it out." She shrugged, "Why?"

"You never smile. It's either a smirk or empty chuckles, you should smile." She scolded, "Smile, Rylan. Like me." She smiled widely, gesturing to me to do the same. "I don't want to."

"You have to." She demanded. "Damn brat." I scoffed and forced out a smile which made me look like a vacuous creature which is about to devour a human.

"Uh.. I guess I was wrong. You don't have to smile." Crystal said, making a weird face after watching my smile. "See, I told you." I sighed,  rubbing my jaw. "Come on, let's go." I motioned her to come after me, she grinned and bid Brenda goodbye and went with me.

I never thought I would go there but I did.

It was unwanted on my side but why would I blame the events and things for what’s lost? No one can alter the wheel of time yet I avoided it.

“Wow!!” She beamed, watching balloons flying in the sky, her beautiful eyes glimmering brightly to witness a sight she never did before, the expression of delights dripping from her very presence, looking at the effervescent sights with blithe. How the sound of sweetness was dispersed in the sky and she indulged in each moment of it.

"What do you want to try first?" I asked, "Hays' hot dogs!" She giggled, pointing at it. "Sure." I sighed as we went there, "Oh my, we have a princess here." Hays smiled, "Thanks." She smiled sheepishly as she tried almost every stall. She wanted to try out biscuits as well but was too terrified to visit Ed's stall. Well, I can't blame her, this man can scare an adult too.

"It's fine, I am with you." I told her, going to his stall. "Biscuits again?" I asked. "You know it, Mr Scott. I share what I love~ Too bad, killing is a crime." He cooed, tapping his fingers on the counter, "My what a lovely princess, how beautiful your corpse-" His words made my heart clenched terribly, "Ed, watch it." I growled slowly, motioning him to shut his mouth.

"My, you are saying as if you don't know." He chuckled, covering his mouth with his sleeve, I arched a brow and opened my mouth to ask but Crystal pulled on my shirt, "Be quick, Rylan." She whispered. "My, don't be scared. I am simply a caretaker of your final ceremony." He giggled, leaning over the counter, Crystal squeak and moved back and was about to fall but I helped her, "Hey, Stop scaring her." I scolded, pushing Ed back. "Okay, okay. What can I do for you?" He grinned wickedly, pointing at his shop, pointing at the biscuits in different shapes. "I have special heart shaped biscuits for you~" He beamed, showing us the box. "Well, do you want that?" I asked, offering Crystal one, she nodded as we got it, "See you again." He waved, "I hope not." I muttered to myself as we walked around.

"You know Crystal, it will last three days. The festival was celebrated to pay a tribute to the founder of Bougainvillea. Gabriel's great, great grandfather. On the third day, they will light up fireworks. What are they?" I asked, "I have seen it in the picture book you bought." She replied eating the biscuits, "Do they really light up the sky?" She asked, I nodded, "It will be a memorable sight." I hummed as we walked. "The place is crowded, hold on tight, okay?" I  told her, "Okay- Rylan! The game stalls. Let's go there." She grinned while pulling my shirt.

"Do you want to try it?" I asked, we were at the archery stall. She nodded and tried to hit the target but failed. "Let me try."

"Why are you even trying? You think you can miss a target?" Robin said standing beside me. "Oh, you're here too." I asked. She hummed and won a teddy, I looked around the prizes and got Crystal, my palm sized teddy bear joined with a key chain.

"Why didn't you got a big one?" She asked. I bend on one knee and pulled her closer and fastened the chain of teddy to her belt, "It will remain with you all the time now, okay?" I asked, my hand was about to pat her head but the last time I patted a kid's head was five years ago. I couldn't bring myself to do it. "You're right. It looks cute here." She smiled, holding the teddy hanging from her belt. She was giggling, charmed by the teddy. The sound of her laugh made me feel strange, I felt it should be protected at all cost, so free from taint even being the defiled one.

"Can you protect her?"

Inhaling, I got up as we continued our walk but I sensed she was not holding my shirt, "Crystal?" I called, turning to her. "Rylan!" She called me, waving her head, "Look!" She pointed at a black bracelet at the jewelry stall, it was in the corner, "Oh my, what a choice, it's made from pure obsidian," A gypsy woman who wasn't from the town, probably here to celebrate festival offered. "It's one of a kind, pure black, different from others." She smiled, showing it to her, "Just like you, isn't it?" Crystal whispered slowly to me, she couldn't grasp the depth of her words which bore than they should, "I don't know." I lied, "Do you want it?" I simply asked, not wanting to finding stupid reasoning behind a damn bracelet. She nodded slowly and got it. It was too big for her but I wrapped it around her tiny wrist twice and secured it, "There you go."

She smiled and traced her fingers over it, "It's darkness will remind me of you, Rylan." She smiled, grabbing my shirt again but I was too stunned to react.

 Darkness...

I guess, I can't hide from my own reflection after all.

"I guess you are right." I hummed and got up as we walked down but soon Crystal called me, "Rylan.."

"What is it?" I asked. "I.. am not feeling well."

"Why? You were fine just a moment ago and the festival has just started." I asked, curling my lips downward, "Crystal..?" I asked, turning to her, "My heart..." She gasped moving back, holding her chest.

 s**t, there are so many people. I shouldn't have brought her here. I thought dreadfully, "Crystal!" I panicked, not knowing what should I do, "It hurts!" She cried, falling on her knees, trying to breathe properly.

"You always make wrong choices, Rylan." Not  now. She was gaining attention so I picked her up and tried to take her out of the crowd, "It's gonna be alright, hold onto me, okay?" I whispered, hugging her closer as I ran. She was crying, writhing in pain, "It... won't.. let it." She cried and coughed up blood, "Crystal, no..." I didn't know what to do, she was in too much pain I was unable to annihilate, the evil forces existing within her were aching to burst, I could feel this pain in me too as I was the target of this curse and since I can’t die, it was looking for another target but I can’t let this happen. 

Not you too.

“It’s gonna be alright, Crystal. Hang on.” I tried to reassure her, taking her away from others so she might not hurt herself or then because of this curse and having the worst luck, when we got out of the crowd, I bumped into the asshole Gabriel, "Rylan..?" He asked, taking a long inhale from his cigarette.

"Rylan!" Crystal cried, falling back with her left eye filling up with blood, "Crystal? What happened to her?" He asked, coming closer and touched her but she growled and attacked his face as her nails grew, scarring him, indicating the fact-

Everything has been f****d up.