Part Six: Sloth
Another day, another massacre down in the department of Wrath. Screams and crashing could be heard from the floor beneath us. Their latest outburst shook the walls causing tremors. Whatever wasn't bolted to the ground went tumbling off the shelves. I'm surprised that the building hasn't collapsed in all these years.
In all honesty, I'm a little jealous of how passionate those guys in Wrath are. Here in my department, it's like a perpetual graveyard. The fog that ghosts through the department is cold and numbing. The silence that never goes away is deafening. Sometimes I dream of a better afterlife. One where it's sunny and warm, where people can raise their voices above a whisper without their throat burning.
But that's not how things work here.
You don't get to walk away once you've made a deal. You either resign to having your soul collected or you become an employee. Even then, the only way employees are let go is once their soul begins to wither under the weight of their sin. Even in the afterlife, nothing lasts forever. For some, it happens quicker but for people like me, it takes a while.
"Daiyu, Boss is looking for you."
I turned towards the voice that emerged from the thick fog to see my co-worker standing with a stack of folders in her hand. "Alright. Thanks for letting me know," I whispered back. Straightening the lanyard around my neck I made sure my name was visible.
Daiyu Acedia, employee of the department of Sloth.
I made my way to the department head's office. The name Belphegor was neatly printed on the sign in front of the door. I knocked and watched as the door creaked open slowly. Inside the room, it was so quiet that the sound of my footsteps made my ears tingle with how loud they were.
"You needed me, sir?"
Belphegor looked up from his desk. The dark circles around his eyes were as prominent as ever. Yawning, he handed me a golden coin. "You're on chariot duty today. You know what to do," His airy voice resounded in the silent room, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Fantastic.
I took the coin and nodded. Exiting his office, I hurried down to the stables. Our department was probably one of the oldest departments here and so we often dealt with...older ways of doing things. From the architecture to the little things we had to do in order to get our jobs done. Belphegor was asleep most of the time, so he missed oh I don't know, hundreds of years of progress. It made him a stickler for tradition. Kind of makes me wish I was in a different department so I wouldn't have to handwrite my reports.
Descending the long spiral staircase in the tower leading to the stables, I pondered what kind of things I would see in the fields today. It was never a pleasant place. The fog that permeated our department was even denser outside. So dense that we needed a guide to make sure we wouldn't get trapped inside. I handed the charioteer the coin as payment and got on his chariot. He wasted no time in riding off.
The clouds of fog wisped around us. If you listened closely you could hear the whispers of all the souls who had been lost within. The further in we got, the colder it became until an unnatural silence hung in the air and distant shadows began to move behind the fog. The charioteer was handpicked by the CEO to serve as our guide. If you weren't careful, the mist would begin to drive you mad as well. You could say that the charioteer was meant to not only serve as our guide but make sure we didn't succumb to the fog.
See Limbo was where all the souls who rebelled went. Occasionally the CEO would throw in people who refused to make contracts with us as well and while cases like that rarely happened, when it did, they would be trapped in here to live out horrendous loops of torture. He doesn't take rejection well.
It was our job at the department of Sloth to manage Limbo. I imagine all the souls that had been butchered over in that riot down in Wrath would soon find themselves in here as well. If you rebelled against the Morningstar policies, you were banished to limbo. It didn't matter who you were. The previous department head of Greed was banished here just last year when he tried to take the CEO's position. Limbo was an endless field of silent madness, so I never quite run into him, but everyone knew he was here.
It wasn't uncommon for other employees or visitors to the department to be lured in by the fog. Each day an employee was chosen to do rounds throughout the fields. Partly to remove anyone who shouldn't be here and also to ensure that everything else was running smoothly. I always hated when it was my turn to be on chariot duty. The fields were cold and isolating. If I wanted to constantly be reminded of such feelings I would have made a deal that let me live longer.
After all, when you're constantly faced with the curses of humanity how can you call this any different from being alive? Just as the thought crossed my mind, a figure came wandering through the fog.
"Mother? Mother where are you? Please don't leave me here!"
It was an employee from another department that had come to deliver something the other day. The mist had a way of trapping you in your own worst fears so I had seen quite a few people wandering in search of loved ones, past lovers, people who betrayed them in life, running from their sins, you name it. Her eyes were white and glazed over. I gently guided her to the cart we were pulling along with us. Once seated, she continued to mumble, crying out for her mother.
Others were not so meek. For the souls that thrashed and fought tooth and nail to escape, we had no choice but to restrain them. It didn't take long for the cart to get filled up with wailing souls. Many cried and screamed, others were basically catatonic and others still struggled relentlessly against their restraints.
I felt a pang in my head. "Mama! Mama...help me!" The distant call of someone I knew could not be here with me was enough to let me know that the fog had begun to take its toll on me and it was time to go. "DAIYU...ARE YOU LISTENING?"
Despite my best efforts it was almost impossible to resist the call of the mist and I couldn't help but drift back to distant memories of my time as a human.
148 Years Ago
"IMBECILE!"
The crack of the straw whip echoed in the room as it drew across my calves.
"WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT WATCHING HOW MUCH YOU EAT?"
I stood at the center of the room, biting back my tears as my darling mother-in-law drew the whip across my calves once more. I clenched the hem of my skirt tight enough to feel my nails digging into my palms through the fabric. If I dared to drop it, my punishment would only worsen so I remained as still as possible, willing time to move faster so I could leave this God-forsaken room.
"LOOK AT YOU! YOU'LL BECOME A PIG AT THIS RATE! HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO KEEP YOUR HUSBAND IF YOU CAN'T TAKE CARE OF YOUR APPEARANCE? YOU DISGRACE THIS FAMILY."
"I'm....sorry! I'm sorry!" I whimpered.
The sound of the sliding door opening cut through the crack of the whip.
"Mother, I think she's learned her lesson. Don't be so harsh on her."
"Yuze! Don't be ridiculous! This is the third time I've warned her. I will speak to the chef about her meals."
Mother marched out of the room, leaving my husband and I alone with the servants. He cupped my face in his hands, wiping my tears away with his thumb.
"Are you alright?" He asked softly.
"No! I'm sick of this! Why must I endure this?"
I clung to him, hiding my face in his chest as I sobbed. He rubbed my back soothingly and I sank into his warmth, my legs finally giving way. Yuze carried me to our room and put me down on our futon.
"I'm sorry you have to deal with this. I know how intense mother can be."
The soft sheets soothed the ache in my legs. "Intense? This is more than intense. She's too strict Yuze!"
"She's just on edge because of the exhibit coming up."
I frowned. It was always like this. Yuze would make an excuse for his mother's behaviour and I would have no choice but to let it go.
Noticing my displeasure, he brushed a strand of hair out of my eyes. "Why don't we go for a picnic tomorrow to get your mind off of things?"
"...I can make some snacks for us..." I said.
Yuze smiled. "Sounds like a plan then."
With no more words to exchange between us, Yuze laid down next to me and turned over, ready to go to sleep. I let my eyes close, wanting to forget the memories of what took place today, I drifted off into a deep sleep.
I had been cooking all morning. It was peaceful in the kitchen. Nobody was there to bother me or tell me what to do. I packed the snacks I made into a basket and excitedly made my way over to Yuze's study. When knocking on the door yielded no response, I carefully pushed it open.
Empty.
Where could he have gone? This was the time he said we should go for our picnic...
"Lady Daiyu, are you looking for the Master?"
I spun around to meet the curious gaze of one of the servants.
"Ah, yes, do you happen to know where he is?"
"At this time? He's in the dining room with Madam Lanfen."
I cocked an eyebrow. The servant escorted me to the dining room. Inside I was met with Yuze and Lanfen sitting at the table and eating breakfast.
"Daiyu! Why are you so late? Have you learned nothing about punctuality?" Lanfen scowled as soon as she saw me.
"I...well...I was just making some food for a picnic with Yuze.....I didn't know he was already having breakfast...."
"What nonsense! Leave the cooking to the servants. All you have to do is sit quietly and elegantly. Like a doll. There's no need to go out either." Lanfen snatched the basket from my hands and passed it to one of the servants.
I looked at Yuze, confused and at a loss for words. Yet all I was met with was an idle smile as he took another mouthful of rice.
"Come sit and have some breakfast!" He said happily.
I remained frozen in place. Why was he so calm?
"Did you not hear him? He said sit!" Spat Lanfen.
I reluctantly took my seat at the table with them. Shufen had the servants bring me a meal...if you could even call it that.
"U-Um...excuse me but this...this isn't—"
"What? I told you I would speak to the chef about your meals, didn't I? You've been stuffing your face like a gluttonous hog. This is to get you back on track."
I looked to Yuze again, hoping he would finally say something to her, but instead, he took another mouthful of rice and continued eating.
"Yuze...I thought we were going to—"
"Change of plans. Mother is concerned about your health. You should be a little more grateful Daiyu."
My heart ached. Knowing that I would get no support, I picked up my chopsticks and began to eat.
That was how my days went in that godforsaken house. Day after day Lanfen managed to find something I was doing wrong. Maybe I wasn't sitting straight enough or my hair was out of place. Sometimes it was because I didn't speak elegantly enough or because there was a wrinkle in my Hanfu.
Nothing I did seemed to please her. There was always something wrong. At some point the fear of doing something incorrectly far outweighed the idea of attempting to do anything at all. I simply left everything to the servants as Lanfen wanted. I sat and ate and slept when it was time for me to do so and nothing else. Perhaps it was the naive fantasy I had held onto when I first married Yuze that kept me going. The Liu family was wealthy and prestigious, and Yuze was a kind and loving man...until our marriage was finalized.
"Yuze and I are going to the main estate to visit the family."
"B-But it's my wedding anniversary with—"
"FOOLISH GIRL! You think I don't know that? That's precisely why we're going," snapped Lanfen.
"But then...shouldn't I go with—"
Lanfen sneered. "You have a long way to go before you're even remotely presentable for us to show the family."
"But it's been a year! I've been doing everything you've told me to do!"
"Do not talk back Daiyu. How unbecoming. It's clear that our lessons are not working."
Lanfen snapped her fingers and the servants wasted no time in grabbing me. Before a word of protest could even leave my lips I was dragged out into the back shed.
Lanfen stood in the doorway, blocking my exit with her towering form. "Perhaps a stricter approach will get through to you."
She nodded towards the servants and several of them came in. My hands shook as I reached out to Yuze standing behind her. A servant pulled me back and held me down as another one stood over me with bandages.
"W-wait!" My voice cracked as I pleaded in horror.
"It's okay Daiyu," said Yuze. "Mother is just trying to teach you. She knows what's best don't worry. Besides, your mother should have done this for you when you were little. It might be a bit more painful now that your bones are pretty much developed but you'll look great afterwards!"
Before I could say anything else the servant wrapped their hands around my foot and pushed until I heard the bones crack and break. My feet bent unnaturally. I was sure that Lanfen was saying something but I couldn't hear anything over the sound of my screams. The servant bent my toes beneath my feet, tightly wrapping the bandages around them to hold them in place.
"You are no longer permitted to walk. You are meant to represent the elegance and grace of the Liu family. You continuously fail to uphold these values. As Yuze's wife, you do not need to do anything other than display yourself appropriately next to him. Hopefully, some time to reflect on yourself here will finally make you understand. With this, you will at least look the part of an ideal wife."
With that said, Lanfen had the servants shut and lock the door to the shed. My gasps and cries echoed back to me in the empty room.
3 years later
I couldn't tell how long had passed. I wasn't allowed to leave the room. Servants would bring me food and keep me clean but my only glimpses of the outside were when they opened the door. Every so often the servants would come to repeat what they had done my first night in the shed, but each time the bindings on my feet became smaller and smaller until it was as small as a delicate lotus.
The pain that plagued me left me unable to walk. I lost count of all times I cried into the night, kept awake by the unrelenting pain in my feet. By the time sun began to filter through the bottom of the door again, I had lost the will to fight it.
When the shed door slid open this time I was resigned to whatever I would have to face. What did it matter anymore? What did I have to show for my devotion to this blasted family? Years spent trying to win their approval and a future that looked as grim as the years I would never get back.
"Clean her up," was all Lanfen said. Not a single word towards me was spoken.
At her command, the servants got to work. Finally, back in the estate, my legs were properly cleaned and fitted with custom shoes meant for how small my feet had become. The damage was done. I couldn't tell if I didn't feel the pain anymore simply because I had gotten used to it or because it was no longer there.
Yuze came into the room the servants had set me up in. As soon as he laid eyes on me, a big grin found its way onto his face.
"Daiyu! Oh my, mother was right! You look absolutely beautiful! Like a doll!"
I scowled. My darling husband who didn't show his face once these past three years knelt in front of me and took my leg into his hands to examine it. Because the initial binding of my feet had skipped certain steps, it was much more painful. Although my feet were numb to the pain now, I can still remember it. I still remember how each day they unbound my feet to make sure it wasn't infected just to bind them even tighter than the day before.
Yuze smiled up at me. "Once you're adjusted to being in the main estate again I'll take you out for a walk!"
I hadn't used my feet in years what nonsense was he talking about? I didn't respond to him, but I'm sure he wouldn't think it strange. After all, my silence was what they wanted right?
"Master Yuze, you have a guest."
Yuze dropped my foot and shuffled to his feet. He wouldn't look me in the eyes. A small part of me hoped that it was guilt that prevented him from doing so but after all this time, I knew better than to hold out hope that these people still had a conscience.
"Ah, that's right. I have some business to attend to today so I won't be home until night. The servants will take care of you Daiyu."
Without even sparing me a glance, he hurried out of our room, leaving me with the servants. Perhaps I needed the confirmation to steel my heart even further, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something more than what I was seeing had changed since I was gone. The servants brought in a tray of tea and set it down in front of me.
"Madame Lanfen has instructed you to begin taking these tonics."
"What for?" I asked.
"She feels that it's passed the time for you and the young master to have made an heir. This tonic will aid the chances of you producing one."
I couldn't help but laugh. Maybe if she wanted an heir she shouldn't have kept me locked up for three years. Since Lanfen had ordered it, I knew the servants wouldn't leave until they saw me drink it. I grabbed the cup, downing the drink in one gulp before slamming it back onto the tray.
5 Year Later
Just as Lanfen wanted I became pregnant and gave birth to an heir, but of course, even when she got what she wanted, she still managed to find something wrong. So what was wrong with me this time? Well, it was because I gave birth to a baby girl.
Lanfen was adamant about having a grandson. She made me take tonics and herbal baths daily to make sure she would have one. Every aspect of my life since coming out of that damn shed was dictated by her. What I ate, where I went, how long I spent doing things. I was not allowed to decide on anything for myself. Being denied those things instilled a feeling in me that I couldn't quite shake. It was a deep-rooted apathy that wrapped itself around my heart as tight as the bindings on my legs. By the time my daughter was born, I was sure that I wouldn't be allowed to even raise her and I was resigned not to fight it.
But all that changed the moment they put her in my arms for the first time. When Ruyi's little fingers reached out for me something shattered in my heart. I knew... I would have to protect her lest she become a victim of Lanfen's tyranny as well. Lanfen didn't make it easy for me though. Now that I had Ruyi, her daily complaints worsened.
"You don't have enough milk to feed her."
"Yuze never cried like this when he was a baby."
"She isn't walking yet because you aren't raising her right."
Anything and everything she could do to make me feel incompetent, she did. My only solace was when I took Ruyi out to play in the gardens. The older she got, the more Lanfen refused to go outside, often complaining about the heat and bugs. At least that's what I thought until I came across a rather concerning scene in the garden one morning.
The servants had taken Ruyi to the gardens ahead of me as I was being examined by the family physician after an issue with my feet arose. As the servants were helping me to walk in, I noticed that Ruyi wasn't at the spot we normally went to. So I went in search of her. Laughter could be heard in a secluded corner of the garden. The servants seemed to recognize who it was before I did and were reluctant to bring me there but did so at my insistence anyway.
Under the flowering trees sat Yuze and Lanfen with a woman I didn't recognize and in her lap was my Ruyi.
"Your mother doesn't love you like this does she?" Asked Lanfen as she pinched Ruyi's cheek.
Ruyi, only being 5 years old, didn't know how to respond so she remained quiet.
"Don't worry mother, I'll give Ruyi enough love for the both of us," said the woman.
Yuze leaned towards her and kissed her on the cheek and I felt my heart break once more. The sinking feeling I felt in my chest spurred me forward and I shook off the servants, stumbling towards the group under the tree. Despite my lack of balance I managed to make it there quick enough for the group to not even notice my presence until I was directly in front of them.
"Who is this woman? HOW DARE YOU LET HER HOLD MY CHILD?"
Yuze looked pale and refused to meet my eyes. Suddenly I was reminded of the day they took me out of the shed and the way he avoided my gaze as he left. For the first time in years, I felt all the rage I had been holding back simmer and erupt from within me.
"Mama—"
Ruyi looked up at me, clearly uncomfortable being on the woman's lap. I quickly grabbed her and pulled her away from them. Lanfen stood to try and take her back but I pulled away.
"Daiyu! What kind of behaviour is this?" She scowled angrily.
"Mother is right. Let's sit down and talk for a bit! We're going to be sisters, it's about time we had a proper introduction don't you think?" The woman stood and touched my arm.
I slapped her hand away, stumbling back with Ruyi. "WHO'S YOUR SISTER? HOW DARE YOU!"
Yuze rushed to her side and she clung to his arm meekly. "Daiyu! Don't take things out on Jia Li! At least listen to us!"
"YOU HAVE THIS WOMAN PLAYING HOUSE WITH MY DAUGHTER AND EXPECT ME NOT TO BE ANGRY?"
"That's enough! I suggest you get used to it. Jia Li will be entering our family as Yuze's second wife."
"How can you agree to this?" I asked, exasperated.
Yuze sighed. "Jia Li and I have known each other for a long time now. She was there for me when you were away for those three years. Mother thinks that she would be a good addition to our family especially since you weren't able to give me a son."
I eyed the arm he had around her shoulders. If I could I would kill him. How can he talk as if I merely took a vacation somewhere? The entire time I was going through that hell he was frolicking around with this woman? If I could go back in time, I wouldn't have married him at all. How could things have turned out so horribly? My infected feet ached the longer I stood on them. Having been made to give up every time I wanted to do something for myself, even my own anger felt foreign. Knowing my legs would not take me very far I resolved to do as I always had.
"....you're right...pardon my outburst. I simply haven't been feeling well. I think it will take some time for Ruyi to understand what is going on though so please excuse us. I would like to take some time to explain things to her."
Lanfen smiled triumphantly. It was clear that her smile was not because she was proud that I was acting like the "ideal wife" but rather because she was getting exactly what she wanted yet again.
"Ah yes, we hadn't thought of that. Please do so," she said.
I had locked Ruyi and myself in her room for the rest of the evening. I felt confident that nobody would come looking for us since Yuze was sure to spend the night with Jia Li. I had not taken action for myself in years but after today I was determined to get out. I packed whatever I could and climbed through the window with Ruyi. I had no choice but to move slowly as my legs would not allow me to move any quicker. Eventually, I was able to get passed the gates to the estate and begin making my way down the lonely dirt road that lay in front of it.
Not long into my journey, it began to pour. The raindrops slipped through the canopy above and drenched us. Ruyi was asleep on my back. I made sure that she was shielded as best as I could but with the rain and the ache in my feet, I knew it was best to find shelter quickly. It might have been a little reckless to bring Ruyi with me but there was no way they would treat her kindly if Jia Li had a son. Ruyi was bound to be neglected and abused and I couldn't just abandon her.
I was apprehensive about going to an inn. The Liu family was powerful, nobody dared to offend them. The innkeepers were sure to inform them if they found out the Liu family was searching for me. Luckily for me, I caught sight of a small, dilapidated hut further up the road. It was located off of the path and difficult to get to with the condition my feet were in.
"Are you alright ma'am?"
I slipped, falling into the muddy path upon hearing the voice.
"My apologies for startling you but you looked like you were having some trouble."
A man with long shaggy hair stood over me, arm extended for me to take.
"I'm looking for shelter..."
"You can wait out the storm in my hut if you'd like."
"Yes, that would be very helpful!"
The man helped me to the hutt. It was barely held together by creaky planks of wood. On every surface, there was a scroll of some sort. Scrolls detailing the geography of the area, history, herbology, many different practices scattered haphazardly across the hutt.
"Have...you lived here long?" I asked.
"Not long. Just passing through like yourself."
"Are these scrolls yours?"
"That's correct." He pulled out a place for Ruyi and I to sit.
"You must be a learned scholar! What on earth are you doing here?"
His laugh was sinister. "Oh, I'm no scholar miss. I'm simply a man with many ideas."
Across from me buried under stacks of paper was a scroll that caught my eye. It didn't take more than a glance to recognize that it was some kind of demonic art. The man noticed my gaze and chuckled.
"Has this old thing caught your eye?" He pulled the scroll out from underneath the papers and handed it to me.
"I don't know too much about—"
"No worries. It makes sense that a woman like you would be attracted to such a thing."
"Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean."
The man laughed once more. "I don't mean to offend you, miss. I simply mean that you look like someone who is plagued by many grudges."
"...is it that obvious?"
"Not really. I'm just good at picking up on these things. You look like someone who harbours a lot of resentment...I could help with that if you want."
I quirked an eyebrow. "How?"
"Well I c, could teach you how to make the thing in this scroll."
I glanced down at the scroll. "I don't know... I don't particularly want to mess with those kinds of things."
"That's understandable...but this is quite a simple contraption. You see all you need to do is construct it and it will do all the work for you."
A chance to put them through the same hell they subjected me to? I'd be lying if it didn't sound tempting. The thought vanished as quickly as it came the second I took a look at Ruyi sleeping next to us.
"Still...I think I'll pass."
The man shrugged. "Suit yourself."
He tucked away the scrolls and brought us some dry blankets. Before I knew it, I was out like a light.
I awoke the day to a splitting headache.
"Mama! Mama, please wake up!"
I pried my eyes open to see Ruyi in tears. I weakly lifted my hand to her face, wiping away her tears with my thumb. "What's wrong?"
"You're feet are infected."
At the sound of his voice, I darted up, the room spinning as I did so. The man sat in front of us, cleaning my feet. Compared to a few days ago, the skin was unrecognizable. A nauseating greenish-black colour replaced the skin on my feet and it emitted a foul odour.
"I know that. They'll get better if I clean them!"
He scoffed. "And who told you that? Some quack doctor? It's too late. The infection has already spread. You have a fever, you've been struggling to breathe all night. I'd say you have about a day left if it's already gotten to this point."
"You have to help her! Please cure mama!" Ruyi pleaded desperately.
I held onto Ruyi. My feet were already rotting. Just like everything else that had happened to me, it was futile to struggle for the outcome was already decided. Now, the one time I decide to push back and death decides to stand in my way. Do I not deserve happiness? Do I not deserve something more in life? Perhaps now...
"Sir, that thing you said you would teach me to make...what is it?"
The man stopped and looked at me, a crooked, inhumane grin spreading across his face.
"Are you sure? These kinds of things often require a sacrifice of equal value to be made."
"If I'm going to be dead by tomorrow then what else do I have to lose?"
"NO! Mama can't die! You can't!"
"Ruyi, go and play outside for a moment. This uncle is going to help mama with her sickness."
Ruyi reluctantly let go of me and exited the hut. When he was sure that she was gone, the man got to work helping construct whatever it was in that scroll. It looked like some sort of wooden box. The pieces were complicated, making it difficult to open if you didn't know the correct order in which to solve the puzzle. When he was finished building it he turned to me with an eager expression.
"Now comes the fun part. You see the curse feeds off of your resentment. To activate it we need to put part of a soul inside."
"How do we do that? Do you want me to cut a finger off or something?" I asked.
It was becoming increasingly harder to focus so I just wanted to get this over with.
"Not you. Your grudge has been festering for years. It has weakened over time. We need fresh resentment." The man gestured towards the door that Ruyi had run through earlier.
"You want to use my daughter?"
"How old is she?"
I shook my head. "It doesn't matter we're not using her."
The man rolled his eyes. "I didn't know you'd be this lazy. You've already committed to making the box. When you die what do you think is going to happen to her? I'm not going to waste my time caring for her or do you want me to go and leave her at the place you were so desperately trying to escape? She's as good as dead without you. At least this way, her death will still have some meaning."
My hands trembled as I took hold of the box. I hadn't cried since the day they bound my feet. Yet here I was. The warm tears falling onto the box on my lap.
"If it makes you feel better, I can do it so you won't have to see the bloody parts. Trust me. This would be a mercy for her. Now then, how old is she."
"...five..." I croaked.
"Perfect. I just need a finger and some intestines then."
The man grabbed a dagger from the table and made his way outside. He spoke excitedly, with no remorse whatsoever for what he was about to do but who was I to judge? At this point, I was no better than him.
"Hi, little girl! You wanted to help your mama get better right? I know a way you can help!"
I heard his muffled voice through the flimsy planks of the hutt.
Ruyi's excited response soon became excruciating screams. At some point, I couldn't tell if it was her screams or my sobs that I was hearing. When the silence finally crept into the hut, I thought I would suffocate with guilt but before I did, the man walked back in drenched in my daughter's blood. Without a moment's hesitation, he knelt and proceeded to shove her fingers and intestines into the box I was holding.
By the time he finished, I was gasping for air, drenched in sweat. The markings on the box began to glow a deep red. If I didn't know better, I would think that all that red was Ruyi's blood. The glowing markings let me know the curse was completed. All that was left was to deliver it to them. The only problem was that I wouldn't be able to do it.
"I...can't" I slurred, my vision going black.
"...where....take..." I heard the man ask.
"Liu es...tate...."
"Okay."
I could vaguely hear his footsteps getting further and further away. Closing my eyes, I leaned back. I could smell the blood that had smeared all over me when he was filling the box. Strangely, it made me feel close to her.
Don't worry Ruyi.
Mama will see you soon.
"Mama! Mama...help...me!"
I awoke once more to the sound of Ruyi calling for me. Feverish and desperate I stumbled to my feet, searching the misty forest for her to no avail. Each time I got close to her voice it would get further and further away.
"Ruyi! PLEASE! I'M RIGHT HERE!" I cried.
I ran until my lungs were on fire and my legs had given up on me. There seemed to be nothing around for miles. Just a thick fog that seeped into your skin and into your bones. I slumped to the ground, unable to chase after her voice anymore and that's when I felt a hand yank me back onto some kind of chariot.
"Looks like we got to her before the fog. Perfect timing if I do say so myself."
That voice...
I knew that voice.
My head snapped up to look at the man that pulled me onto the chariot. "It's you!" It was none other than the man who taught me of that curse. "Where are we...what happened to Yuze and Lanfen?"
The man shushed me. "You died shortly after the curse was completed."
"S-So then...am I...is this hell?"
"You could say that. Oh but don't worry I delivered the box for you. I hid it beneath the floorboards so they wouldn't find it. Your husband's mistress and her unborn child were killed by the curse. So were all the other women they tried to bring in afterwards."
A strange sense of relief washed over me. Ruyi's death wasn't for nothing! "Wait...then...have you died too? Who exactly are you?"
"You may call me Belphegor. I rule over this place and you are one of the many people who work for me. Welcome to Morningstar Inc. Daiyu."
Present Day
As we returned to the tower and retreated from the thick of the mist, the voices of Lanfen and Ruyi faded into obscurity along with the disorienting dizziness I felt. I was never truly able to bask in the relief of finishing a round in Limbo. After all, it was only a matter of time before I was made to come back. And when I did, I would relive my naivety in believing I was marrying into the perfect family. I would be forced to relive my horrendous life and at the very end, I would be faced with the consequences of my sin once more.
"All that glitters is not gold."
~William Shakespeare
ns 15.158.61.12da2
