Tragic News!
1657 Words
Chapter 3
Tragic News!
Kim's POV
After a long day at Benson's place, I was exhausted and feeling hungry like never before.
My mood has improved a bit from what it was when I went to Benson's.
Mrs. Benson was one of my best clients. She is nice and jovial. She also tips me off with enough pay after working at her place. It must have been the reason why I wasn't feeling that bad.
But when I exited the luxurious town of the beta's into my poor omega village, I couldn't help but realize the gap between the poor and the rich.
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I stepped on our doorstep. Then I knocked on the door for Mom. But she didn't answer the door.
It was quite strange. Mom used to wait outside the corridor waiting for me to return. But today seems different. She is nowhere to be found! Where could she be? I was beginning to panic as I knocked even harder and yet, she didn't answer the door!
"Where could she have gone without informing me?" I thought.
"Could she have gone to the farm all by herself?"
I decided to check the store for our farm tools. When I got there, I became more confused.
"There's no way she would go to the farm without taking these tools! Are we supposed to weed those stubborn and prickly weeds with bare hands? Something is not right!" I said under my breath.
I ran back to the house in fear of the unknown.
When I got to the door, I called out to her while knocking aggressively.
"Mom?.... Mom, where are you?" I screamed at the top of my voice but still got no reply.
"What could have happened while I was away?" I asked myself.
I scanned the environment for any sign or trace but I found nothing to be out of place.
"Everything is just how they used to be!''
Then I decided on what to do next.
"I have to get inside! Even if it means breaking in through the window!"
I sprinted off to the store. Found a mallet and went towards the window to break in.
Then I decided to knock on the door one more time before breaking in.
But before I could make contact with the door, I heard footsteps approaching!
I leaned closer and pressed my ears against the door. Truly, someone was coming towards the door!
Could it be Mom?
If it's her, why was she not responding?
Why would she even lock herself up in the first place?
I was confused as ever. I moved backward and held onto the mallet as if my life depends on it.
I was ready to attack whoever it was if it turned out not to be Mom.
But I prayed it was her. I can't handle anything happening to her. Not after losing Dad!
The doorknob slowly turned. I braced myself for what was to come.
Then without warning, the door swung open, taking me by surprise! I jerked back out of impulse.
But when the figure stepped out, I became even more terrified! It was Mom, but she looked unrecognizable. Her eyes had gone red with crying. Tears still flowed from her eyes.
The last time I saw her looking this disoriented!.... was when Dad passed away.
I quickly dropped the mallet and rushed towards her. I was feeling confused and curious.
"Mom!... What happened? You seemed to have been crying for a long time! What made you this sorrowful?" I asked her with panic in me.
Mom tried talking but she broke out crying instead.
"Mom, please talk to me! What happened to you?"
I asked her again.
"Welcome Kim. Has it been long since you returned?" Mom tried switching things.
"That doesn't answer my question,
Mom. I've been knocking for the last half-hour and yet, you didn't open up! Can you just tell me what's going on here? I don't like the suspense!" I fired back.
"Am sorry to have kept you waiting out here! I just couldn't get to the door even though I heard you knocking!" Mom said, sobbing even more.
"Mom, I don't like this! I almost broke the window!
Why are you crying? Please say something!" I said to her,
At this moment, I had already become emotional looking at Mom while she sobbed. Tears began flowing down from my eyes.
"Kim….I…I just received news from the neighboring village where your aunt lives!" Mom finally said.
"What about her?" I asked
Mom kept crying without saying a word.
"What's wrong with Aunt Hanna? Is she sick?" I suggested.
"It's worse!.... they're dead!" Mom said and burst out crying out loud.
"They are dead? I don't understand what you mean Mom!" I asked her. I was confused.
"She got sick with her husband while working at the farm. The heartless soldiers made them work without rest for weeks all day! Their bodies became weak as they got sick!" Mom explained.
"That's heartless. But they should have taken time off to recover from their sickness before going ahead to work at the farm again!" I suggested.
"They did Kim…but the heartless delta guards went after them. They were brutalized and sent back to the farm to keep working!" Mom explained while sobbing.
"It's becoming unbearable. How could they murder innocent victims in such a painful way!" I said
"They pleaded with the cruel delta guards but they said they were strictly following orders from the king! Nobody was allowed to rest off from work. Even when sick!" Mom said, almost whispering.
"The king just keeps giving strict orders by the day! Why would they be banned from rest?" I questioned.
"It's because of the upcoming ritual! He wants enough harvest to entertain his guests! I can't believe she's gone. She doesn't deserve to die like she's worth nothing!" Mom said.
It was a hard time for Mom. losing her only sister and my dad within two years.
I felt terrible. But I knew Mom's pain was more intense, so I got up close to cheer us up.
"Mom, it's a huge loss for us both. The deed has been done. Every day, more people just keep becoming victims of the strict rulership of the king! We need to think of how to end this reign before it wipes one after the other!" I comforted Mom.
"We need to pray fervently to the moon goddess! Only she can salvage us from the cruel king.
We can't take matters into our own hands. And please, stop talking about planning a way to end the reign of the king! I don't want to lose the last thing left in my life!" Mom warned.
"Wipe your tears, Mom. Remember, you're the one that always asks me to stay strong no matter what I encounter. So, I need you to apply your teachings to yourself!" I said to her,
"I will wipe my tears…..but you need to promise me something first!" Mom demanded.
"What could that be?"
"Promise me that you will never speak of the king to anyone again!.....not even to myself!" Mom said.
I suddenly realized what Mom was doing. She had lost two valuable people in her life. She knew that talking about the king would get me killed if the king ever got to hear about it. Mom was trying to protect me.
I hugged her tightly.
"I cross my heart, Mom. I would never say a word about the king to anyone ever!" I promised.
Mum wiped her tears and hugged me tightly.
"Now, what's next Mom?" I asked.
"Their bodies were confiscated at the palace. They can't be buried until the king released them. But I still need to go over to her place!" Mom said.
"What do you intend to do when you get there?" I asked her, surprised.
"Hailey is out there alone! Have you forgotten about your step-sister so quickly?' Mom asked.
"Oh. Poor Hailey. I wonder how dreadful she would be right now. " I said
"It won't be easy on her. Losing both parents on the same day might break her forever if she remains on her own! I need to adopt her so she would stay with us. What do you think?" Mom asked.
"It would be nice if she agrees to come with you. She must be going through a lot at such a young age!" I said.
"She's just the same age as you!" Mom reminded me.
"I know…..it's just that it's been ages since we last saw each other!" I said
"Yeah. But if she decided to come with me, please accept her like you would do to your sister! Okay?" Mom said
"You need not worry about that Mom. She would keep me company! Something I've never had before!" I reviewed
"I'm glad you're already seeing the positive side of things from your perspective. Am happy with the knowledge you're growing up with, Kim" Mom said.
"Thanks to you for bringing me up the right way, Mom. Can I come with you?"I asked
"No. You need to visit the farm while I am away.
Don't over labor yourself " Mom warned
"I won't. So what do you want me to do?" I asked
"Just help me and pack some things up. I need to start going immediately so I can return in two-days time. I don't want her to wander off. It will be hard to locate her then."Mom said.
"Alright. Let me help you get ready then!" I said
And with that, I stood up and left Mom in the sitting room to get her ready for the journey.
When Mom left, I just prayed and hoped Hailey would come back with her. It would be nice to have her around. Her presence would keep me occupied.
And most importantly, I would love to help her adapt to life here in Antlax.
- Writer
