Sin of Lust

CHAPTER 27

Sin of Lust by Swapie Achilles

CHAPTER XXVII

OCTOBER

When the wagon stops the first two who went to their location are the two children, running towards them at full speed, but instead that they are happy they’re trembling and agitated.

“Why? What’s wrong?” Myoral hurriedly asked her children, holding Lona’s shoulder gripping it, steadying her, “Lona?”

“There are people in the plaza, they said they caught the murderer Blanche.” Lona explained, and then she was followed by her father.

Her mere statement made Blanche’s eyes widen, “What’s the meaning of this? Another person will perish?!”

“She’s right, they’re in the plaza right now and the execution will be held any minute by now.” Julius breaths out while wiping his forehead.

“Execution of Blanche the priest murderer?” Blanche asked.

“Yes,” Julius answered, “you’re safe now, they put down your face all over the city and the suspect is getting hang. You can get out now, your name is clean.”  

“Good thing they caught the culprit,” they cheer, kids are jumping up and down around Blanche, celebrating.

“How they caught them?” she asked, couldn’t believe what’s really going on.

“He confessed.” Julius replied.

But Blanche doesn’t know if she should be delighted from the fact that her name is clean and now, she’s safe from the grasp of death, or she should be sad from the fact that someone will die out there because of the crime she committed.

“Someone is getting punished on behalf of me.” Her breathing is getting heavier and her vision starts to get blurry, “someone will die on behalf of me. Why did he confessed?”

“Blanche…” they called her out which caught her attention, “isn’t great! You will be able to get out again!”

“I… well,” she blinks a few times, before clearing the lump in her throat. “M-Maybe, but I don’t know, perhaps I’ll take a few more months before I can finally get out so no one will recognize me as former wanted.” She smiles, trying to hide her utter uneasiness.

“Yeah, you have a point there, but then, it’s still a reason for us to have a feast!” Myoral beamed along with her kids.

Their small feast is a success consisting of the whole family laughing and sharing stories as they share bread and soup together. This isn’t as expensive and as luxurious like the others but none of them are looking for more than this, they’re completely contented.

“You know…” Myoral spoke, getting attention of Blanche.

The younger lady looks at her softened feature as the warm light of lamp reflects on her skin and eyes.

“I am so thankful,” she said, “that I get to have kids like them.”

Blanche proceeded to look at the kids, who are playing with their shadows making different animals and creatures using the shadows of their hands.

“I can say, we have everything before. We have a big house that sometimes Lienzo would get lost,” she chuckled.

“Their rooms are filled with their toys, our table are brimming with foods, and we also have numerous servants.” She keeps her gaze on her children, Blanche can see the love intensifies in her eyes, “and now that we have none, they are still happy.”

“You know how much it hurts for a mother when your child is asking for a simple thing and yet you can’t give it to them?” She finally turns her head to her, “that’s more painful than the moment I gave birth to them.”

“But I really am grateful because I have kids that only asked for nothing but a lit candle at night.” She let out the sweetest smile and the most loving eyes she sees.

“And I would like to thank you too, Blanche.” She pats her head, “because you treated them like they’re your own siblings.”

“Thank you too, of accepting me.”

The whole night, Blanche couldn’t get a wink of sleep, her mind is filled with so many questions; what could be the last thing in the culprit’s mind, would he be thinking about his family, or the love of his life? The regrets in his life for the things he has done or for the things he didn’t do because he’s scared.

Or perhaps the most joyous moments he could ever wish for.

But she’s sure that, his soul would never find peace for he has been prosecuted for the thing he has never done.

“Why did he confess?” she asked inside her head as she keeps gazing on the starry sky. “Who is he?”

Blanche was awakened by children playing around and the noise of their steps and their laughs, “Good morning.” She yawns, stretching her limbs while she’s laying, “wow, I didn’t realize I returned to my room.”

But then when she sits up, no one was beside her and it’s still dark outside. She looks around but she saw nothing, “Huh? was it just a dream?” she asked herself.

She proceeded to go back to sleep but she was interrupted when she heard a voice of kid, a tiny familiar voice that she didn’t hear for a long time, “Do you think this is just a dream?” the voice asked.

And this made her sat straight up, “What the hell?” she breaths out, letting her vision adjust to the dark.

And upon looking at the blackness, she saw a figure of a kid, slowly emerging from the shadows of her room and into the moonlight that seeping in from the window, making her eyes widen.

“Do you think, we’re just dreams?” the kid asked.

“What is this?” Blanche couldn’t believe what she finally sees the source of the voice, “Hannie?”

When she called her name two more figures emerge from the dark as well. From behind her, two other kids walk towards the light.

“Do you really think this isn’t real?” the two voices simultaneously said, emerging from the shadows behind Hannie.

“Melody? Caspire? How did you guys get here?” she asked.

“We’re always with you, you know?” they said smiled sickeningly wide.

“Huh?” Blanche tilted her head. “what do you mean? Come on guys, can someone please tell me what’s happening?”

“We are always with you, we never left.” Melody said, “we never left.”

“I…  I don’t get it, why are you here? I thought Sister Mary Jane found you new homes?” she asked.

“Yes, we’ve found a new home,” they all said in unison, “but you can’t leave them.”

“I… don’t know what you’re talking about.” Blanche said, “please tell me.”

“You can’t leave us yet,” they said in unison, “we need you, they still need you.”

“Huh? Who needs me?” she stood up from her bed and decided to walk towards them, “what are you… hey wait!” but when she was close enough to touch them, they started to get back.

She runs after their figures who are getting away from them.

“Where are you going?! What are you talking about?” she runs after them.

“Please return to us, we need you.” they said and their eyes began to bleed and their skin began to melt, “return quickly or you might never see us again.” They said.

Blanche inhale loudly and there she found herself still on the roof and she can see from there the sun rising on her left side. Above the huge horizon of corn field.

She rubs her eyes and yawn, feeling the pain on her back from the long time of laying on the bricked roof, “It feels like I have a long dream.” She muttered to herself, stretching her hands up letting few pops of her sleepy joints.

“Yes, you just did.” The same voice she heard before spoke again once more, and in an instant, she immediately noticed that it was the same voice as before.

“Who are you?!” she hastily asked out loud and stood up.

“Get back already.” The male voice replied, not bothering to answer her question.

She looks around to find him but she failed, thus she makes a demand. “I won’t go back until you reveal yourself to me!”

“Go back to where you from and I will reveal myself.” The voice said.

“No! how can I trust you! you killed Daleon!” she yelled out of nowhere.

“I didn’t kill Daleon. You did.” He replied. “It was you who wanted to kill him, and I listen to your plea.”

“What?” she breaths out. “Why did you help me?!”

“Go back and you’ll find the answer.” The voice replied.

“Wait, Luxuria!” Blanche screeched, assuming that he’s the Luxuria the god they’re town is venerating.

“I am not Luxuria.” His voice is so close to her ears, “don’t lump me with a non-living god.”

“Go back where your heart lies, and you will find answers. All the sinners will lead you to me.” The voice said and in an instant the voice disappears, leaving Blanche reaching for the stars above.

“I woke up twice in my dreams.”