Another World Story

Day Seventy-Two: Lara (2)

Where am I?

As I looked around the room, I wondered.

This place looks extremely familiar - Ah!

"Mama and Papa!"

"It's me, Mama! Papa!"

"It's them, it's my parents! Mama, Papa... they came to take me away from here!"

"Mama! Look! Mama! It's me, Lara!"

I've got to go to them.

"Huh? why can't I move? move! move! Please move...! They're getting much further! Mama! Papa! Lara is here! Mamaaa!!"

"Please let me move... Please...!"

I closed my eyes and pleaded for my body to move.

"Please don't leave, Mama...! Papa....!"

I opened my eyes with such strong wishes in my heart.

"!!"

What struck me was a place I never want to see again. A gloomy room filled with the smoke of incense. Whips, batons, ropes, and various torturing instruments were thrown across the ground; there were also blood trails for each tool, which I traced from the tool to the floor, then to the wall.

Then to myself...

"No... no... no! NO! NO! NO! NONONONONONONONONONONONONOOOOOO!!!!"

I'm tied up, my nails are gone, my hair is almost charred up to my scalp, my legs are no longer functional, both of my arms are broken, and my teeth no longer exist as they once did.

I'm back at his house... I'm back at that monster's home.... I'm back at the marquis's mansion!

My body trembled as I remembered all the things the marquis did.

He r*ped me...

Tortured me...

Used as a punching bag...

A target practice...

A plaything for his companions...

I remembered them all.

The disgusting smell of their saliva... The different objects they inserted inside of me... The pain... The suffering... The way they used me... Then healed again and again as if as they saying that they are not yet done.

All of them, I remembered them all!

Used as a toy, they pass me to one another. Without rest they assaulted me one after another.

Wanting to die many times, I tried to kill myself. But even those attempts failed miserably.

The only thing keeping me sane was the image of my family in my thoughts... My tearful mother, my pale father, and the baby they are holding as they put poster after poster of me, the only saving grace was the memory I have with them.

I persevered, just as I had the first time I was taken. I put up with the pain, the disdain, and everything else they did to me until the day I was able to flee.

But it didn't work either; I tried to flee several times, but they kept bringing me back!

Punished over and over! In the end, I was unable to flee..

They surround my cage with guards and monsters.

I ate the food they gave me despite knowing it contained aphrodisiacs. I didn't care what they did to me anymore. I ate to simply survive. I need to survive till I get my chance to flee.

I AM GOING TO SURVIVE!

The b*stard continued in assaulting and tormenting me. I was given the opportunity to flee when I was transferred to one of that b*stard's acquaintances. Even that, though, ended in disaster. After my return, I was tormented until I was half dead before being abandoned for his fellow monsters to play with.

Years passed, and tears no longer streamed from my eyes, and my body no longer reacts to pain, as if I'd gone numb.

My hair grew longer as they left it like that. My chest grew, my hips widened little, and my waist shrank slightly. My skin retained its original color as a result of continuous healing, but the scars remained, but then my voice disappeared.

Not being able to scream, and respond to the pain, the bastard had become bored of me and just kicked and punched me whenever he vents his anger.

At that moment I thought. I will definitely kill you!

Regardless of how long... I'll wait and when the time arrives....

"I'll give you the most heinous death imaginable."

My mind went into the abyss with those thoughts. And then...

"Good morning, Lara."

Came the warm voice of my mother.

I was inside my room, back in the village where I used to live.

After ten years of agony, I was finally able to free myself from the clutches of that monster. I was set free by his knights and chased to death by monsters as I ran to the shallow parts of the Seira Forest, the demonic forest on the edge of the Memphis Kingdom. My father used to take me there whenever he went hunting, and I was able to familiarize myself with it, so even though I just knew the shallow areas, I consider myself to be one of the most knowledgeable individuals about that forest.

I was backed into a corner and forced to jump down a high water fall as I escaped the monsters pursuing me. Even though I was on the brink of dying at the time, I was able to survive. I owe it to John and Rabbit, who helped me. They treated my wounds and even removed my scars. Despite my selfish request, they trained me so that I could fight. They also gave me a place inside the cave, as well as food, water, clothing, and even armor. And all they asked was for me to be their guide.

At first I was vigilant towards John, no, even up to now that his not around I still am warry of him. But my gratitude towards him was far greater. If I would be given another chance, if he's still alive, I wanted to thanked him. We were able to survive thanks to him. 

I know it's not a good thing to think this but... If he didn't stay back then, I wouldn't have been able to reunite with my family. 

"Good morning mama" 

I sat down on the bed. When I looked towards the window, I could see that it was already noon. I slept quite a lot. 

"Wash your face now, it's time for lunch" 

"Uhm" 

I did as I was told. I stepped out of my room, and went to the bathroom, getting a basin from the cabinet, I chanted.

"Oh Mana Grant form -Aqua-"

When I said those words, a small ball of water the size of a marble appeared in thin air, then gradually grew larger and larger until it sank towards the basin when I shut off the supply of mana.

"I'm still struggling to get used to it..."

I'm currently learning magic from Rabbit, and while his instructions were simple, he was also strict. 

Just like a certain someone... 

Rabbit, like John, can use magic without chanting, and thanks to his enormous mana reserve, he can constantly shoot out magic of variable degree and power, particularly his Earth-Type magic, which was stronger than an adventurer mage I knew.

"Good morning, Big-sis!"

Laer entered the bathroom as I was cleaning my face with a towel. Her honey-blonde hair, which we both acquired from our mother, was unkempt, and her electric-blue eyes, which we both inherited from our father, were droopy. She was yawning as she approached me.

"Good morning, Laer; come here, and I'll wash your face."

"Hmp... I'm no longer a kid, Big-sis, but I'll take you up on that offer. Hehe"

"Oh my?"

Laer closed her eyes with a satisfied smile on her face. I knelt down and took another towel to wash her face. It's been more than two months since our family was reunited, and every day spent with them has been a blissful joy for me. If only these happy days could last forever...

"Bis-sis?"

Laer called out to me as I was thinking this. My hands seem to have come to a stop.

"Nothing, I was just taken aback by how adorable my little sister is~"

"Eehh~? Big-sis is much cuter than I am though?"

"Nope, we're sisters and you're younger, so you're much cuter than I am~!"

"Big-sis is much more beautiful!" 

"Hehe~ Thank you~"

I spent this time with my younger sister, and after washing our faces, we went towards the living room. Mother had already placed the meal on the table.

"Good morning papa"

"Good morning~!" 

"Oh? Good morning, Lara, Laer. Did you wash your hands already? If so, sit down"

"You're free today papa?" 

"Hm. I am. So we are going to practice the sword today as well!" 

"Yey! Can Laer come? Can She? I want to learn the sword too papa!"

"Of course! But. You would only be using a stick for now. You're still 7 years old after all" 

"Yey!! I love you papa~!"

Seeing them again warmed my heart greatly. I never want to be apart from them again.... I'll do all in my power to keep that from happening.

"Mister Mason, Miss Laer, Miss Lara, Good morning" 

A voice so deep that those who aren't familiar with it would imagine it originated from a very large person. Even though I'm used to it, I still can't believe how much his voice has changed. I turned my head in the direction of the voice, and coming from the kitchen, Rabbit, who was wearing an apron and holding two plates with both of his front legs, approached us.

"Good morning, Rabbit" 

"Good morning Mr. Rabbit!" 

"Good morning" 

As he set the plates on the table, the three of us greeted him. Rabbit, who had nowhere else to go, was currently staying with us, and mother and father, particularly Laer, liked him. He was supporting Mother in her job as the person in charge of the sick in the village, and he was also the one who healed the scars on my body caused by the Night wolves. Mother was so taken aback at that time that she instantly hired him. Father, on the other hand, didn't say much. Rabbit is one of the two people who risked their lives to save me, so father asked Rabbit to stay with us if he had nowhere else to go. Laer loves animals, especially rabbits, and when she discovered Rabbit could actually talk, she asked mother and father to let them keep him. That was also why father asked him to stay with us.

And during this few months. Rabbit who had nothing else to do, was the one who who cleaned and cooked. When mother ask why he was doing that he responded: "Since I have nothing much to do, I'll spend my time cleaning" he said. However, because he was a guest, Mother forbade him from cleaning, but she did not prevent him from cooking. Rabbit was also teaching both Laer and me magic on a daily basis, so he didn't have time to clean.

"Is everyone here? Let's sit down, and don't forget to pray to the Gods."

Mother, who arrived late, was carrying the food that Rabbit couldn't carry. She sat down beside Father, putting her left hand in front of her, and began to pray, as did Father and Laer. After what happened to me, I lost faith in the Great Gods, but I still pretended to pray, and Rabbit did the same. After a few moments, Mother declared with a satisfied smile.

"Let's Eat~!"