Sin of Lust

CHAPTER 42

During the game, Ester’s eyes are just looking from the top hill to see how the children plays, observing each of their moves. In the end of the game, Carmelle managed to get all of them before the time ended. But instead of the mayor being happy, her expression is far from being glad. Carmelle is happily running towards the mayor to tell her that she has caught everyone and so she doesn’t have to do anyone’s wishes.

But when she is near enough, she got to see her face and anyone who can see her from that distance they can tell that she is angry that is why Carmelle decided to stop and halted from her tracks. The mayor is absolutely furious but her anger is not towards the servant girl instead her eyes are on a certain girl from the group of orphans. Her orbs are burning holes on the head of that girl.

“Do you think she found any clue?” Lino asked as he wiped his own sweat.

“I don't think so, do you?” replied by Stephen doing the same, “we are just playing this game just the way we played before. I am sure that there is nothing more in that.”

“I know that, but there is something I just can't get out of my head, Mildred stated with concern written all over her face.

“What is it, Mildred?” Stephen asked as he walked closer to her but Mildred remains silent yet her eyes are kept gazing on something. Stephen followed her gaze only to find himself gazing over the mayor.

“What about the mayor?” he asks.

“I don't know but shouldn’t be she happy? I mean she has won again from our game; she should be happy but why do I feel like she's angry more than ever.”

Stephen watched the mayor from where they are standing and he can’t help but believe to what Mildred is saying since she has the most capable instinct from all of them.

While they are watching her, they didn't notice that Kim is going closer to her. They watch their every move and that's when they realized that there is something going on between her and the mayor. Lino gave the two a nod of confirmation to follow them. And because of these, they decided to follow Kim so they would know what are their secrets are and there they found them behind the house.

Mildred and Stephen decided to get closer so they can hear what they are talking about. However, they are still too far and they can't hear anything from that distance.

They began to get closer to them and that's where they heard what they didn't expected.

“I thought you were good at this!” Ester screamed on Kim's face.

The child is clearly scared because no one has ever screamed at her face before and this is the first time someone has ever done that to her, so her smaller figure starts to tremble under her deadly gaze, “Y-Yes, ma’am. I know what I have been said, they are all planning to escape.” She mumbled her hands are on her chest clutching her heart through her shirt.

Both Stephen and Mildred are shock from what they have just learned, Mildred look at Stephen as if she's asking "Kim is a traitor? You’ve got to be kidding me…"

Stephen only gives her a glance as if he is answering her eyes, “We can't be too sure.”

“Don't you dare mess with me kid!” Ester yelled at her once again. “I am the mayor of the city and the most powerful wizard here, so you better not lie to me because you will not like what I can do to you.” She blatantly threatened her, Kim’s little stature is now trembling from utter fear.

“You said they are planning to escape, right?” Ester walked around her as if she’s a prey that is only waiting for a predator to devour her. “You said they are training and they are all doing their best to improve day by day but what's happening right now is far from what you have been said.”

“B-But that is the truth--” Kim was immediately shut up when she sends her a deadly glare.

“I can see no training at all, there's so improvement. They are just a bunch of kids who are just running around here and there trying to get away from the chaser without planning anything! What the hell on earth are you even thinking?! Are you sure you are not messing with me? Because the moment I learned that you’re just f*cking with me you and your entire family will gasp your last breath as I strangle your thin neck un my hands.” She growled at her.

“B-But… I assure you that they are planning to escape. They have been preparing everything, they are training as every day.” Kim defended her answer, “They have been training us every day. Not just our physical bodies, but also, they are training our minds how to think and what to think.” Kim added.

But even though she's telling the truth, the mayor is not pleased at all. Instead, it only makes her angrier. Ester grits her teeth, she then proceeded to grip Kim's face. And then pulling her up from the ground beneath her.

“You brat…” Ester growled as her eyes looked at her is she’s just refraining herself from killing her right then and there. Kim on the other hand is grasping air and clawing the hands on her face while her feet are dangling in the air.

Stephen and Mildred are shocked from what they are seeing. Mildred was about to do something about it. But Stephen holds her back so that she wouldn't do something that she will regret in the next few seconds of her life.

“Stephen let go of me!” Mildred shouted in hush tone as she pushing his face away from her.

“Mildred, you should not let your emotions. Rule over your mind!” he retorted. “If you go there and help, what can you do?”

“But she's hurting her!”

“Yes, I know she's hurting her. I can see that! But if you go there, theirs is no guarantee that she will not hurt you too!” he hissed. “We can't lose two people at the same time.”

“And what do you want? What do you want me to do? Leave her like that. She's going to kill her!”

“No, she's not going to kill her.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because we are high valued items. She can't afford to lose any of us. If an item will be damaged there’s no one out there who will buy a damaged product.”

“So now let's just keep our figures hidden. We can't let her see us or else. All of us will be doomed. The worst is all of us will be shipped out in this.” He added.

Somehow, Mildred calmed down.

“Listen here, kid.” Ester snarled at her, slowly the thorns are creeping from her arms towards Kim’s face. “I can take you out and do whatever the hell I want and I will just get another kid that is more useful than you. Remember this, you don’t have what I need, I have something that you need, so you better do your job if you want to live.”

She then let go of her by throwing her to the ground before stomping away. Kim remained on the ground, too weak to stand up and too scared to even open her eyes, so she just crouched down and let her tears flow.

Mildred was about to go and comfort her, but once again she was stop by a hand of her companion, “Why?”

“We can’t let her know that we knew what she’s been doing.”

Mildred shut her eyes and looked away from her, “You’re right. We should go now before the mayor look for us.”

But then Mildred can't help but think, “Why would she betray us?” She asked under her breath.

Stephen can tell that she is sad and not angry, from the fact that her tone is still and clearly is concerned about Kim even thought they have just learned that they are being betrayed.

“What do you think is the reason why she's doing that?” Mildred asks Stephen with her eyes looking at him hoping that something is going to happen and that is a miracle that everything they heard and see is not the truth.

Stephen could only clench his fists on his side. “I think there's some merit out of it.”

“Merit, what do you mean merit? She returned the question.

“You see when people are doing something, they are not just doing it for others. Most of the time, they are doing it for themselves.

“Doing it for themselves, huh?” Mildred muttered.

“Yes, they are just doing it for themselves. I'm sure. Kim has seen something that she wanted. That's why she's doing this in return.”

“What do you think she wanted? I think. As far as we saw earlier, the mayor knows that we already are planning our escape. That's why she's here to spy us using one of our owns. And Kim was chosen to be the spy.

“But what does Kim really want? Why? what did she have to do this to us?”

“I think. The mayor promised her that she will not be shipped out and she will have a safe and promising future if she helped her, that’s why.”

“But Kim is with us all the way, we have been planning all this time. We have been sharing information. She just told us that she will help us, isn’t she?” Mildred can’t help but to think of her friend. “Do you think everything she have done till this day is not true? She's on our side, right?”

“We don’t know about that. We can trust each other one of us from now on.” Stephen simply stated, “Mildred, I will ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“Would you still take the traitor with us in our escape?”

Mildred didn't hesitate to tell him. “Yes, I will.”

“But if that person doesn't want to go with us. What would you do?”

“I will do everything to take her with us. Even if I have to use force

“Why do you want to save her that much? She's a traitor.”

“If she's really a traitor or she's just doing it for some kind of merit. I don't care. If we escape and she was left behind. There's no guarantee that the mayor will not hurt her. There's no guarantee that she will be safe anymore. That's why even if she hated me, I will drag her out of here. Even if she hates me for the rest of our lives.”

“Stephen smiled at her response. What are you smiling at?” Ask Mildred.

“Nothing. I just thought that you were going to say that. And just like, what I expected. You did. He laughed at her.

“What in the world was that?” Mildred pouted.

“What are we going to do now?” Mildred asked.

“We really have to tell the others about this.” Stephen replied as they watch the children play on the grass with happy faces and smiling lips.

“We really have to do it or else, everything will be in vain and I don't want that.”

The day has ended and the night has come once again the bell rang once again.

“What the hell? Twice in a day?” Lino groaned. “What could it be this time?”

“I’m starting to hate the sound of the bell.” Mildred commented.

“The moment that I heard that thing first thing in the morning, I already hate that.” Blanche stated with a deadpanned expression.

“You’re not a morning person, are you sister?” Stephen asked.

“Nope, I hate mornings, I love evenings and peaceful, cold night sky.”

“I see…” Stephen laughed at her. “But, do you have any idea what’s going on sister, the bell rang twice now.”

“That’s what I would love to know too.”

And this time this is something they are not expecting something that is more ominous than the mayor. “My children, I must tell you this.” Mary Jane started with gloomy voice.

“Someone will get adopted sooner than what we expected.” Mary Jane said with all seriousness in her voice. Her tone is far from what they were used to since she's happy whenever someone is get adopted but now there's no hint of happiness.

“What?! It hasn’t been six months!” Mildred exclaimed as she threw her hands on her head, pulling her strands of hair from aggravation.

But she’s not the only one who was shocked when they heard the news, almost all of their stomachs start to turn their stomachs, “For real? No, I don’t want anyone to go.” Rani whined as her eyes starts to brim with tears.

“Wait… what?! Hey!” Lino finally exclaimed when he finally his brain finally processed what just happened. “It hasn't been 6 months since Istella was adopted, this couldn't be happening right now! We still have more or less a month from now!”

Mary Jane couldn't look at them in the eyes for she as well couldn't believe that this is happening, “I… I don't know what happened. Six months is always been the rule before one child will get adopted but now, they don’t seem to follow it.”

“What are we going to do?” Mildred panics as she asked herself over and over as she pace back and forth. “What should we do? Should we escape already? But it’s too soon, but if don’t escape right now…”

Lino grunted from the thought that one of them is going to be shipped out while they were planning all this time that no one will get shipped out. But luck is not on their side, even though they are waiting patiently for six months. And now there they are, at lost in the middle of the most familiar place they knew.

“Nunna, what are we going to do now?” Blanche asked Mary Jane with concern plastered on her face.

The older nun looks at her and ask, “Is everything ready? Are all the preparation has been done?”

Blanche replied with her head swaying from left to right, “No they are not on the level where they can escape on their own, they still need time to train.” Concern is bare-faced on Mary Jane's face as she heard her thoughts.

She clenched her jaw and her fists and said the same thing she ought to say long ago, “Then we can't do anything about it.” Her heart is breaking as she said those words yet her tone is perfect for, she’s been practicing this her whole life. “We can’t do anything now…” she whispered under her breath, full of grim.

“What do you mean we can't do anything about it?” Blanche asks but even though she asked the question, she already know the answer to that, or rather she doesn’t want to hear anyone answering that question for it would only break her core.

“One of you… will have to be taken away.” Mary Jane simply stated.

All of them who heard the news starts to panic some of them started to cry. Blanche on the other hand grits her teeth from aggravation. “Is that all we can do? Is that all we got? Come on, please tell me there’s something we still can do!” she asked, but her question is not for anyone else but to herself.

“Is this really happening? all this time that I do my best to be the help but now, that all is going down I can't be any help. Nunna was right, I shouldn’t have done everything I did, I shouldn’t have promised them that we can all escape if we can’t do it.” She said so low and quiet that it barely even recognized as a whisper but despite the fact that she mumbled it to herself, Mary Jane still heard her.

The older nun pats her shoulder and whispered her name with absolute gloominess, “Blanche…”

“You were right, Nunna, you were so right.” She groaned, trying to swallow the lump forming in her throat. “I shouldn’t have feed them all these lies.”

“Blanche, don’t ever say that…” Mary Jane pats her shoulder.

“But…”

“The children still want to fight, look at them. They are still not giving up, so don’t give up.”

“Nunna, a child will be sent away. And we can’t do anything about it but to accept.” She hollered to her in a silent way.

While the two elder nuns are talking, Stephen stepped up and told them, “Why don't we escape now, this evening let's get out of here.” He told them with a mad smile plastered on his face. “Let’s get out of here… tonight.”

Mary Jane and Blanche look at him in the eyes with their orbs showing fear and confusion, Blanche also look at Mary Jane to see if she is going approve his idea. But she can’t see any hint of any approval in her.

“I'm sorry but we can't do that.” Blanche said.

“What do you mean we can't do that? we've been training all this time I’m sure we can pull it off. We’ve been doing our best for this moment and now you’re telling us we can’t do it? Are we just going to stay here and pretend that there is nothing wrong here?” Lino’s thread of patience snapped out. But he was immediately stopped by Mildred before he could do something.

“But…” Stephen trailed. “Is there anything we can do?”

“I'm sorry child but there's nothing you can do…” Mary Jane said with defeated look on her face.

All of them become sad, some of them became a crying mess, “I don’t want anyone to go away, but I don’t to go too!”

“Me too! I don’t want anyone to be taken, I don’t want to be taken as well!” Hanabi and Rani began to cry as well as they hug each other.

“Guys, don’t cry. It’s going to be al--…” Kanna wanted to tell them that everything is going to be alright, but she herself can’t see any light in the end of the tunnel, and all she can do is to hug them tight.

“Who will be the one who will get adopted?” Kanna was hesitant but still proceeded to ask.

“It is all up to you…” said Mary Jane.

“It's all up to us? then if so, no one will get adopted. We will not let anyone be taken away from us.” Kanna replied quite demandingly.

“Mary Jane and Blanche are both thinking, of course they don't want anyone to be taken away from them but they can't just go and tell the people who wanted child to back off.

“If it's all up to us then…” Kim muttered as she walks closer to her Nunna, looking at her with dead seriousness. “I’m going…”

Everyone of them was too shock to even move a muscle. Until one of them exclaimed.

“What?! you're not going anywhere!” Mildred roared, as she run to Kim and yank her arm so she could face her. “You’re kidding, right?! Tell me, you’re kidding! You are not going away!” she shouted on her face and shake her back and forth.

But Kim only pushed her hands on her shoulder and stepped away from her, “I'm sorry, Mildred.”

That simple gesture brought Mildred and the most of them on the thin line between dread and peace. However, Mildred wasn’t one of the latter, “Why are you even, apologizing? You’re not going, right? This is just a prank, come on tell me the punchline.” She can’t believe what she’s seeing and hearing from her.

“Mildred, please just let go of. It will be harder for me.” Kim bestowed her a pained smile before turning her back from her.

“Kim!” Mildred shouted. “I won’t allow it!”

“But I have to… this is the only thing I can do to compensate with the things I’ve done.”

“No!” she retorted back.

“I will, I’m sorry. Mildred.”

“I told you no!”

“But there's something you should know before I leave.”

“Stop talking! you're not going anywhere!”

“Mildred, I am the spy.” Kim said, Mildred and Stephen were not surprised but some of them are confuse on why she has done that nor what’s she’s talking about. “I am the one telling the mayor that you are planning to escape.”

The shock was visible on the faces of many, that they even heard series of gasps.

“And as a result, this happened. One of us will be shipped out immediately.” Kim mumbled in despair. “So, I have to.”

Lino darted his stares to Stephen as if he's telling him that ‘you didn't tell me about it!’

“Kim, I already know that…” Mildred spoke to her, “But that wouldn't be a reason to do this. I’m sure we can come up with something.”

Kim shook head from left to right, “No there's nothing we can do one of us must be shipped out or else…”

“Or else what?

“I’m sorry, Mildred. But I really have to go please escape, go away from here, far from here.”

“We’re not going to escape without you. We can't do that; we are not going to leave you behind!”

“Mildred, please just go away. Let me go, this is all my fault so now I have to face the consequences. I started this alone that’s why I have to face it all alone, I don't want to drag you, this is my problem.” Kim then walks towards Mary Jane she looks at her in the eyes as if she's regretting everything she has been said but she can’t go back now. “Nunna, I’m ready…” she said with her fists clenching the hem of her skirt.

Mary Jane and Blanche, everyone in the room can see that she's sacrificing herself. Max run towards her and hug her on her torso, wrapping his tiny little arms around her waist, “Kim, I don't want you to go please just stay here with us, Mildred, Stephen, and Lino are smart. I’m sure they can think of something just don't go!”

Max pleaded with his eyes that are wide pure of innocence look at Lino’s location, hoping that he will receive an answer just a simple yes but he receives none, “Right, Lino… you can do something about it, right?” But even though how smart the three are, they can't think of anything that will help her at this point.

“Max, please just stop it.” Kim says she ruffled his hair.

“No, I don't want you to go. Please, just stay here, we have been through so many things, we shouldn't give up with each other now.” Max still persisted.

Kim’s eyes have started to brim with tears, and before she could break down, she then pushed max away from her, resulting for the younger male to stumble on his feet and land on the floor with a loud thud, “Do you really think that I am going to escape with you?! Don’t make me laugh!” she scoffed loudly

“Kim?” Max called out her name. Mildred on the other hand immediately went to Max’s side and help him. “Are you alright max she asked?”

But Max can't decipher on why Kim did that to him, he has never been brutal to him and she never used any violence before so no one can apprehend why she has done that.

“I don't want to escape with you! I don't want to go to the places that I don’t even know if it was safe! Like who are you to take me with you?! You can't just decide anything for me, I am going to the mayor and we will be happy together she will give me family she will give me dresses and every food I wanted. Did you hear me? everything I wanted!” She yelled to them, “I don't want to be with you so go let me go and I will be happy on my own.”

And after those words left her mouth, she turns around and stomp away.