CHAPTER ELEVEN

THE DEVILS AND THE MOON

For days Melione walked enduring the harshness of nature with an unwavering faint smile. Following her nose. When she gets hungry, a fruit or two would appear on the road, sometimes a dead animal; if she gets thirsty, she would find a river or a water spring. Lost? She can’t be lost. Every step is exactly the one she needs to make. Guided and protected by an invisible hand of the world, she makes her way; unyielding. This is her way.

“I am bored,” One says.

“I am bored,” Two adds

“Bored!” One and Two say in unison.

A deep forest stands before her. She stands at the entrance thinking about her next step.

“Should I go in?” Melione asks, there is no one around, only her and the voices inside her head.

“Go in,” One says.

“Yes. Go in,” Two adds.

“Didn’t Ekateh warn me not to wander in the forest?” Melione asks.

“No! Not this forest,” One says.

“Yes! Not this forest,” Two adds.

“She said one should always look out for danger,” Melione says, "But what is dangerous?" she asks, pondering. A slight pause at the question.

“I do not know. Two, do you know what is dangerous?” One asks, breaking the silence.

“Hmm. I think dangerous is if something can kill us,” Two says, explaining the meaning behind the elusive word of danger.

“Kill us?” Melione asks innocently, looking at the forest.

“Yes, if we get killed we will die,” Two says.

“Die? Isn’t that good? We like death, don’t we?” One asks.

“Dead like bunnies in the fields, dead like bunnies in the fields...” Melione sings as she claps her merrily claps her hands.

“Dead is good. But not if we are dead,” Two explains.

“So it is good if others are dead, but not us? I understand,” One says.

“Dead like bunnies in the fields, dead like bunnies in the fields...” Melione continues singing ignoring the conversation of One and Two. They will agree sooner or later and she does not wish to be bothered. Especially when a catchy tune is caught in her ear.

“So we do not go to the forest?” One asks.

“No. We must go to the forest,” Two says.

“Why?” Melione asks.

“Because I’m bored,” Two says.

“I’m also bored,” One adds.

“Is the forest fun?” Melione asks as she shifts her head in its direction, tilting it left and right as if trying to find... fun.

“Yes! Must be,” Two says.

“What about the danger?” One asks.

“Danger, danger, danger...” Melione repeats, joyfully.

“Danger is to die, right? The danger is if we get killed, right?” Two asks.

“Yes,” One answers.

“So, if danger is if we get killed, there is no danger. Danger doesn’t exist,” Two says as it laughs maliciously.

“I don’t understand,” One says.

“Die, die, die...” Melione joyfully sings, stuck in her little world.

“We cannot die! If we cannot die there is no danger,” Two explains and laughs maliciously.

“There is no danger!” One says and laughs maliciously.

“Go in the forest,” One says.

“Go in the forest,” Two repeats.

“Go in!” One and Two say in unison.

Melione looks once more at the forest as she joyfully walks towards, still singing. "Dead like bunnies in the fields, dead like bunnies in the fields, dead like bunnies in the fields…"

At first glance, the forest doesn't stand out. Same old. Covered with tall trees, green grass, muddy earth, vibrant bushes, and everything that your run-of-the-mill forest has. It looks ordinary… at first glance.

Melione cheerfully transverses, gazing around in awe. She feels something. Melione can't see anything but there is something off about it, something slightly off. Hard to tell at first, but as she spends more time, the oddity becomes more noticeable. Ever so slightly. It is gold. The forest exudes a golden aura. Looking pleasing but feeling off. Slightly off. She smiles for the shine is pleasing to the eye and warm.

Walking for some time she notices something else; she notices the lack of something. There are no animals in the forest. Usually, animals would stay clear of humans, but being in it for such a long time it is more than common to see a rabbit, a deer, or perhaps a wild hog; anything?

Melione sniffs. A sweet scent like sugar with a citrus flavoring added to it floats in the air. It smells nice. Very nice.

“What is that smell?” Melione asks.

“I can’t smell it! Why can’t I smell it?” One asks in panic.

“Because you have no nose,” Two answers as it laughs.

“I have no nose? What happened to my nose? Did someone take my nose?” One asks in a panic.

“You never had one!” Two quickly responds.

“No nose? That is right! I never had a nose,” One says as it laughs.

“No-nose!” Two repeats as both of the voices laugh.

Amid the hysterical laughing of her inner voices, Melione looks further ahead. Trying to discern the location of the smell.

“Where is the smell coming from?” Melione asks.

“From over there,” One says.

“Where?” Melione asks as the answer does not help.

“I’m pointing at it,” One says.

“I can’t see,” Melione says as she looks around.

“You can’t point, One. You have no finger,” Two explains.

“No finger? What happened to my finger? Did someone take it away?” One asks.

“No. You never had a finger,” Two says.

“Never had a finger? You are right!” One says as it laughs.

“No-finger!” Two adds as it laughs.

Both of them laugh in unison.

“So, where should I go?” Melione asks.

“Go straight,” One says.

“How do you know where the smell is coming from when you have no nose?” Two asks.

The voices pause for a moment.

“I don’t know!” One says as it laughs.

They menacingly laugh in unison; a laugh that would scare a normal person away, if they could hear it. Luckily no one else can hear it.

Melione prances onwards accompanied by the symphony of manic laughter.

Following her nose, she reaches a wooden cottage. The golden light shines brightest here. Light gathers around the cottage, changing the way a human eye can see; dark colors become darker, bright colors become brighter. Soothing? Strange? Atop the cottage and all around it lie many wooden stakes, all of them stuck as if they were ornaments.

“What do we have here? A visitor?” a voice says.

Melione turns as she finds an old woman smiling at her.

Tattered rags covering most of her body; the uncovered parts reveal grey dried-up skin. She bears an enormous smile on her disturbing visage as she snickers. A long nose, hard-dry skin, and an even uglier smile.

“Ka-ka-ka,” the old woman laughs like gasping for breath.

“Welcome traveler. My name is Cawii. Might I ask what brings you here to my humble abode?” Cawii asks.

“I smelled something sweet,” Melione says, still sniffing.

“A bit simple, are we? Ka-ka-ka! I have something sweet inside. Won’t you come in?” Cawii asks as she points to her house.

“Is it going to be fun?” Melione asks.

Cawii looks at her with joyful surprise.

“More fun than you can handle,” Cawii says as she bursts out laughing.

“Fun is good,” One says.

“Fun is fun,” Two adds.

“Go in, go in,” One and Two say in unison.

“Wait!” One screams.

“What?” Two asks.

“Is there danger here?” One asks.

“Danger? Danger is if we die. We cannot die, so danger does not exist,” Two adds.

“You are right. I forgot,” One says as it laughs.

“Go in, go in,” One and Two repeat in unison.

Melione walks in.

Inside the cottage, Melione looks around; she smells the sweet fragrant aroma, but she cannot find where it is coming from. Her mouth waters from the tempting fragrance.

“What is that sweet smell?” Melione asks.

“I’m glad you asked. I have brewed something special. Would you care for a taste?” Cawii asks as she snickers.

Melione nods with a faint smile on her face. The smile doesn't fade. Why should it? She is about to get a delicious treat. What could be more fun than that?

Cawii goes to the other room as she quickly returns with some biscuits. The sweet smell emanates from them; she gives them to Melione who, without a moment’s hesitation, eats a few. Their sweet scent fills her nose and an even sweeter taste fills her mouth. The gentle sugary treats melt in her mouth. Making her forget about everything... for a moment. Delicious.

Melione stretches her arms and yawns.

“I feel sleepy,” Melione adds.

“You should take a nap if you are sleepy,” Cawii adds with a creepy smile.

Melione closes her eyes and her body drops to the ground.

“This will be the last sleep you ever take. Wait! Almost the last,” Cawii says as she bursts out in manic laughter.

Outside the forest with the golden light, a man approaches following a trail; crouching, he touches the earth as he feels it amongst his fingers. "Fresh footprints. Is she here?" he thinks out loud.

The man runs into the forest armed with a sword, dagger, and a crossbow with the words Everose engraved upon it.

“Moon, I shall not fail you,” Ulric yells.

Looking around, he notices there are no animals and sees a golden light in the distance. He frowns at the sight.

“Smart. Animals know to avoid danger. Not like the person who went in here. Not smart. He is not smart at all,” Ulric says as he stops. He looks at the tracks again.

“Small? Perhaps a she?” Ulric adds, following the tracks.

Back at the cottage, Melione wakes as she finds herself tied to a wooden pillar. She tries moving, but the rope is tight. Is this part of the fun, she wonders?

The old woman draws weird symbols and signs around her in a circle; with a dagger in her hand. The shapes, words, and signs remind her of what Ekateh did. They remind her of home; she smiles.

Cawii grins with murderer and malice.

“Can I have more cookies?” Melione asks.

Cawii expression of menace and murder quickly turns to that of befuddlement.

“What?” Cawii blurts out.

Does this girl not understand what is happening? Is she so blind to her demise? Can she not comprehend what horrors will befall her? Could it be she is so simple, Cawii ponders?

She approaches Melione.

“Girl, I will tell you what will happen. When the spell is complete, I will slowly cut you up with this dagger,” Cawii says as she shows Melione the dagger; placing it right under her throat.

“You will bleed. You will scream. When the end comes you will die,” Cawii says as she turns her back to Melione and continues making her signs and words on the floor.

“But fear not. When you die, I shall take your youth, your essence. I shall be reborn and powerful once again,” Cawii says as she manically laughs.

Melione remains unphased; she is wondering if this fun. Cawii turns around to see the unhinged expression of Melione as she shakes her head.

“You will know. You will know soon enough, simpleton,” Cawii says as she grunts.

The voices whisper.

“She plans to kill us? Can she kill us?” One asks.

“No,” Two quickly answers.

“Should we kill her? Can we kill her?” One asks.

“Yes, and yes,” Two answers.

“What are we waiting for?” One asks.

“For more fun,” Two says.

“Yes! Fun!” One says.

“Soon! Soon there will be death,” Two says.

“Dead like bunnies in the fields, dead like bunnies in the fields...” Melione sings. Cawii looks at her with utter confusion. Madness. This girl is mad, Cawii says to herself as her mood changes to visible annoyance.

Suddenly, the door of the cottage gets kicked in. Cawii turns around, looking like a wild beast, her mouth hissing.

Ulric stands in front with a crossbow in his hands. He shoots.

Cawii moves her hand as the wooden table in the cottage flies in her direction, blocking the bolts from the crossbow.

“Damn witches!” Ulric curses as he looks for an opening.

With another movement of her hand, the wooden spikes all around the cottage tremble. She points her hand at him as a wooden spike pierces the cottage roof and flies in Ulric’s direction. He jumps and rolls away from it; leaving his crossbow on the ground.

“Who in blazes are you? Do you want to die? Leave now,” Cawii commands, shielded by the wooden table.

“I am here to slay you under the orders of the Moon,” Ulric says as he unsheathes his sword. Trembling with fear. What excitement!

Any emotion is pleasant, even fear.

“The Moon?” Cawii blurts out, confused.

”First this girl and now this man! Are both of them escaped lunatics?” Cawii says, “I will not warn you again,” she adds as her right arm trembles.

Another wooden stake comes flying at Ulric; he parries it with his sword. The wood breaks as small splinters burrow in his skin.

“I am here for the girl. She is one of the Moon,” Ulric says.

Melione smiles at the unfolding spectacle. This looks fun, she concludes.

“The girl? Blah,” Cawii shakes her left hand as the table comes flying in Ulric’s direction. He slashes it in two with a swing of his sword.

The old woman shakes both arms. One wooden stake comes flying, followed by a second one and a third one. Ulric stands there evading the onslaught with quick dodges and quick blocks with his sword. Each parry is paid by a small price of pain and blood. He is afraid of dying, his body hurts from the pain, his knees shiver but he can feel. He can feel alive.

Ulric grins amid the chaotic swirl of emotions.

Evading all of Cawii’s attacks, closing the distance, he attacks; cuts the witch across her face and body. She screams in pain as she claps her hands the air explodes loudly; it launches Ulric, flying as he crashes on some old wooden shelves. His impact, broken by the wood and glass jars. He feels the blood pouring from his face. Everything hurts, blood flows, fear grips him. What joy, Ulric thinks.

“Fresh scars? Good!” Ulric gets up with a bloodied smile on his face.

Cawii gasps for breath as blood pours from her wound and her mouth. She quickly goes to Melione as she places the dagger on her throat.

“Stay back! Stay back or I will kill her,” Cawii threatens in panic.

Ulric stops.

“Let her go or I shall hang you, set you on fire, and cut you all in one,” Ulric threatens Cawii as bloodlust oozes from his every pore.

Melione looks at Cawii, she looks at Ulric. This is fun, but she doesn’t like the fact that she is all tied up.

“Remove this rope,” Melione says.

“What? You stupid girl! Shut up or I shall cut your throat!” Cawii places the dagger on her throat as it cuts her flesh. Bloods sips.

Melione tries to move, but the rope constricts her.

“I want this rope gone,” Melione yells.

Both Cawii and Ulric pause for a moment.

Melione moves again as the rope falls off as if it decayed. If Melione wants something, the world shall provide. This is her way.

“What?” Cawii blurts out dumbfounded by this turn of events.

Without thinking, she cuts Melione across the throat; Melione makes no sound as she falls with a smile on her face.

“YOU DESPICABLE CROW!” Ulric yells.

Cawii takes a step back as fear grips her.

Anger? Another emotion? What excitement, Ulric thinks.

“Stay back, stay back!” Cawii screams as she shakes her hand. She tries twice as only one wooden stake flies towards Ulric. He slightly shifts his body as the stake misses him; he approaches. Ulric looms over the old crow.

“You have made me embarrass myself. The Moon trusted me, and I have let it down. How will you pay for this transgression? How can my anger be appeased?” Ulric rhetorically asks.

Cawii swings her dagger at Ulric. He casually swings his blade, knocking the dagger out of her hands.

“It is time for you to die,” Ulric says as he looks at her with cold emotionless eyes with the sword in a position ready to cleave her head.

He stands looming over her, death stands looming over her, but he does not strike. Instead, his face changes to pure surprise.

“I don’t believe it,” Ulric blurts out as he drops his sword in disbelief.

His mouth opens wide as he stares beyond the old witch.

Cawii doesn’t understand what is going on, but she feels something behind her; she slowly turns around.

Melione stands behind her, covered in blood.

“How are you alive?” Cawii asks as her trembling knees make her fall to the ground.

“Kill her,” One says.

“Kill her,” Two repeats.

“Kill her,” One and Two say in unison.

Melione put her hand on the old woman’s shoulder; she looks at her hand with confusion. Suddenly, she shakes.

“What? No! I did not know,” Cawii says as the shakes intensify.

She falls to the ground, screaming in pain.

“I did not know, I did not know, I did not know...” Cawii screams as blood pours out of her eyes, mouth, ears, nose, and everywhere it can come out of.

She takes one more look at Melione as she gathers a tiny fragment of strength; grabbing her leg and looking at her with bloodied eyes, and a broken body.

“I did not know,” Cawii says as she dies.

“She is dead,” One says and laughs.

“Dead and bloody,” Two says and laughs.

“Bloody and broken,” One adds and laughs.

“Broken and dead,” Two adds and laughs.

“Dead like bunnies in the fields, dead like bunnies in the fields...” Melione sings as she looks at her body, innocently like a child. A thought occurs to her.

"If she is dead she cannot make any more of those delicious cookies," Melione says as she frowns.

Ulric falls on his knees as tears pour down his eyes.

“You are of the moon! You are of the moon!” Ulric joyfully screams.

Melione notices the white rose amulet.

“I was looking for you,” Melione says as she smiles.

Ulric quickly stands as he takes Melione’s hand and smiles.

“The Moon has provided,” Ulric screams.

“The Moon?” Melione asks.