Chapter Nine

          'Don't cry, Méah' a cold, deep voice echoed in her head.

           Another bolt of vivid images flashed like a lightning strike before her eyes. There were voices screaming....people...hands dripping with blood...all pointing at her!

         'Méah! You're a monster!'

         'You don't deserve to live!'

         'You're a demon's daughter! You must die!'

         'You'll pay for everything!'

   

         'You brought disasters to this town, Méah!'

        'Monster!'

        'Unfortunate orphan!'

       

         'Mother, why did they called me a monster? Is that my real name?'

        'No, my dear. They're lying. You are Méah. Your father and I gave you that name since you're a baby.'

        'But, they also said that I am a demon's daughter and an orphan. Is that true?'

        'Listen, Méah. Everyone's opinions meant nothing. You don't listen to them nor believe in them. Only give your trust to those who trusted you. And that is us. Your parents...your family."   

        "I...I am...Méah. My name's Méah..." She mouthed without her knowing.

       Without knowing, tears had been trailing down her numb cheeks and her jet black eyes, turned into a clear shade of light brown. She didn't even know why she felt so relieved and satisfied after that. But she loved the feeling.

     A cold wind blew, embracing her exhausted, pale body like the world was comforting her and making her feel that she's not alone.

       Just as the sword was swung inches above the woman's nape, drops of liquid from her mournful eyes fell to the dry ground, creating small holes as they quenched its thirst.

       The clouds from up above quickly darkened, conquering the last strips of fading radiance from its submerging source. Wind can be heard furiously whooshing nearer by how the winged creatures from a distant forest dispersed widely up above it. In a blink, the only remaining light from the fire was doused, leaving only the live coals and its tiny sparks as they danced upward to the breath of wind passing by.

       As everything went pitch black, the earth dreadfully tremored, knocking off some layers of seats inside the arena. Everything swayed back and forth. Everything was jumbled at a high level in the air. The gleeful and excited massive cheers were replaced into helpless screams of horror.

      Méah held on to the ground tighter as her heartbeat raced in an instant. She tasted the dust and dirt on the tip of her tongue. Some even sprayed unto her eyes and to her damp face. And about the huge men who were supposed to watch over her, no one in the world knew where they were. They just disappeared in the chaos of darkness. Coincidentally, familiar words came across her mind at this deadly time, 'Don't cry, Méah.'

      And it was too late for her to realize what those words meant. Huge cracks originating from where the droplets of fluid from her tear glands landed, crawled indefinitely on the hard ground, spreading its claws everywhere. While everyone was desperately chasing for the safety of their lives, strands of black smoke sneakily leaked out of it like a fierce beast hunting  carefully hunting for its prey. First, they appear thinly and then eventually grew thicker until it has filled every occupiable space.

      No one knew because no one had seen it coming as it fused perfectly with the unending darkness of the world. No one knew that they've been joined with something else that's out of this world. Something extraordinary. Something unexplainable.

        And the worst had come. Death. Inevitable as it is. Run and die. Hide and die. For there's no escape from the gaping cracks of the wicked ground that craved for flesh and blood and soul. Once the lethal emissions locked them into the ground, an unimaginable way of torture made them wish death would come to them as soon as possible.

       Méah has nowhere to run. If she'd only see a dot of light, she would surely chase it. Not to mention the grounding earth, cracks would unpredictably appear anywhere.

        A lightning flashed as if it has heard her thoughts, allowing everyone to take a glimpse of the world before taking their last breath. Only they saw nothing but black mist, pinning them to where they are. And a purely unforgettable scene—blood pouring out of their noses, eyes, ears, mouth; and fleshes being hulled out from bones, melting their way down to at least satisfy the earth from its infinite hunger.

       Méah was petrified at the scene. Deep within her, a sudden thought struck her—like all of these was a repetition of what she had witnessed in the past. But how come it only attacked them and not her, to think that she's the most vulnerable and incapable of them all?

       Frozen at the horrible slaughter, she couldn't absorb what kind of hell was happening under the furious flashes of lightning. And the overwhelming feeling of agony and sorrow squeezed her dying heart, making her unaware of the slithering crevice behind her.

        Méah was only alarmed when she felt herself falling backwards. Her hands searching for something to grab on, depending on the light emitted from the angry flashes from the dark sky. But she failed. She couldn't even speak out her horror.

      Falling down the hungry crack, something grabbed her hands up, preventing her falling.

      "Hold...on!" a woman's voice grunted above her, trying to bear her weight on one of her arms.

      Méah felt hope arousing within her. Not because there's half a possibility that she could be saved, but because there's still someone who's willing to help her, to save her.

       All her entire life, she'd been running away from almost everyone she met for the reason that they want her dead. Now there's something she can fight for, to live and continue to seek what her heart yearns for.

      "T-Thank you..." she whispered, almost just faint as her breath.

       She didn't know why on earth did her mouth chose to let those words out. It was something she can't control as though her body had betrayed her.

       With that, Méah crawled up gathering all the remaining strength left in her. Pain from her previous injuries started waking up again but it didn't let her bother her concentration.

       "You're almost out! Come on!" the woman encouraged her, still pulling Méah other hand up.

       Finally, her body was already half way through the crack. But something tore her the flesh on her palm open. It was something that she unknowingly grabbed with her hand, thinking that it was something that could support her weight up.

       She winced at the burning sensation, though, it was just for a second. Her determination to live was nothing compared to it. She didn't mind how much blood she'd lost, after all it felt like it was just a small cut. Unknown to her, something was nipping the fluid coming out from it.

      But not long afterwards, the earth shook again and to their horror, the cracks had started closing.

      "Come on! Hurry!" the woman panicked, trying with all her might to get her out of the crack or else she'd be cut into halves.

       Giving with their combined strength, Méah sprouted herself up just before the crack completely closed. They were sent flying to the ground.  She fell flat on the ground, face first. And right after it happened, she could feel it stinging. Lying beside her, the woman growled as her back hit the hard ground.

        Chasing her breath, Méah flipped herself, facing the darkness of the sky. With eyes half open, it grew wider when a pale radiance glowed behind the thick, dark clouds. Certainly, it wasn't a flash of lightning no more. It was something steady.

        After a few thick wave of clouds passed, the restrained radiance had completely showed its beauty, flaunting itself in its perfect shape.

      The chaos had fallen silent. Crackling bones of white shone everywhere under the spreading light, like spots of lanterns' pale luminance.

      There were no more terrified cries. No more lingering black smoke. No more cracks. And no more than two lives was left. Soon, the stars started smiling down sorrowfully.

       "Come on. Let's get out of here before the lady gets her hands to us." The woman grabbed her up.

       Méah dizzily recovered herself as soon as she stood up. Walking swiftly along with the woman's force on her wrist, she stumbled on the remnants under her feet.

        Chains clanked as they took the path to nowhere. And this made the woman familiar to her. The both have chains on the feet, neck and hands.

        "You...you are..." she hardly spoke with her dry mouth.

        "Sure, I am," the woman answered, giving her a slight glimpse of her smile. "And thanks to you. I owe you my life."

         Méah almost collapsed. Did she heard it right? Did she really thanked her? But how? How's that possible that she saved her life when she actually did nothing?

        "What...how?" she unbelievably asked.

        "I actually don't know either. I only remember you crying but it somehow made me feel safe in such a weird way," the woman answered, "I'm Ferlah. And you are?"

       "Mé...Méah. I'm Méah," she answered, still digesting what this woman said.

      The moment she spoke her own name, no one could tell how relieved she was. It was like the half of the world that she was crarrying had been lifted off her shoulder.

       "Méah," Ferlah mimicked her name. "Thank you, Méah."

       Now her heart leaped lively inside her rib cage, overjoyed. She was right. She had heard it clearly. It's been ages since she heard those heartwarming words.

        "But for now, I could only bring you here," Ferlah spoke as if she didn't care whether Méah would say a word in response for her gratefulness.

        "What is this place?" Méah asked wondering what's this eerie place called.

        She could feel the strong resentment in this place and the grim whispers of sorrow and anger.

       Ferlah let her wrist down. "Graves of The Unknown."

         Méah woke up with a sickening smell of fog. Birds chirped lively but somehow it sent chills into her spine.  Cold swoosh of wind lingered from trees to tress, plucking down its last remaining brown leaves off its almost naked branches.

       Looking up as well as side to side, hard, gray wall of rocks surrounded her. But there was no front door nor windows on it. Only a wide opening of which where the light came, striking her face.

       'A cave, maybe?' she thought.

        Her sight moved around only to be greeted with unevenly thick fog. There were also mounds of the different sizes unevenly sprouting on the ground that almost looked like ashes. And of course, countless skeletons as white as snow-covered branches scattered everywhere. Some still had ragged clothes on. Fear crept inside her.

        'Graves of the Unknown,' a voice in her head said.

        And Méah was suprised again for she felt like it was the first time she recalled after a long time. But another thing bothered her. Where was that woman she's with last night? Did she abandoned her too?

         Her thoughts was bothered by an indistinct chatter outside but something like a ringing bell also mingled with noise. Why would she hear a bell?  Certainly, she could distinguish the clattering sound of the chains on her and it wasn't it. Curious, she walked out of the cave. But the gray clouds had started releasing few, big droplets of rain, occupying her attention. The fog slowly cleared as soon as the rain fell madly that it sent cute tickles of pain on her exposed skin.

      She wandered to the direction where the noise came from. At last, blurry figures loomed from far away. Taking more steps, the figures went clearer amidst the pouring rain.

      Men. Three men to be exact, wearing big, rounded straw hats. And...and they were trying pinning an old man on a gigantic trunk of a leafless tree. Chains as thick as hers, jingled as it was wrapped around a struggling victim.

     Méah went even closer, hiding behind the thick leaves of brown bushes, now completely soaked. This made her hear their conversation better.

       "There, crazy old man. Go on, scream your lungs out! No one would ever help you!" the tallest man laughed manically. She seemed familiar to her.

       The other two into a crackled in laughter, too.

       The old man was just quiet as he had been, preoccupied of how he can break himself free.

       "Let's go," he said to his companions, "See you in hell, crazy oldie."

       He started walking away, keeping the key inside the pocket of his trousers. But the other two couldn't just get enough at how miserable the old man's situation was.

       "Look! There's a ghost!" the taller one mocked the helpless, old man.

       "Where?! I'm scared! Get me out of here!" screamed the old man, hysterically.

       But he just got laughed in return.

      "Absolutely crazy," the taller man, chuckled.

       Before they turned their backs, the shortest fellow left a spit on the old man's face, followed by a laughter.

       'How rude!' Méah's mind yelled.

       After those ruthless jerks left, Méah found herself in front of the old man who gave her a terrified expression as though he had seen a literal ghost.

       "Maldecido! Maldecido!" he yelled at her, jaw trembling uncontrollably. "Mantente alejado de mí!"

       Méah didn't know what he's saying. Instead, a familiar feeling aroused inside her. But she couldn't recall anything. She can't tell what exactly it is. His face...his voice...

       And there the feeling like she missed something that she didn't even know about, started bugging her. Her heart felt heavier than before. It was yearning for something—something her heart only knew that was so dear to her.

      Just then, her vision glitched and the light faded instantly, sending her into the dark world of nothingness.

         Again, Méah woke up and it was already dark. Her eyes was directly staring at the gray ceiling and a red-orange light danced on it. She realized she's in the cave again but her body felt free–no more cold chains clinging unto her skin. 

       And then, she heard something popping beside her. It felt warm and comfortable. When she turned her head to the side, she saw a small fire, flaming just enough to warm her.

         "You're awake."

         Méah expected that it should be Ferlah's voice but no, it was someone else's.

         She dashed her sight to the direction where the voice came and stopped at a figure sitting down on a huge rock with a smoking pipe burning outside in his mouth.

        Her eyes narrowed when she saw the smoking man. Weird but she felt like familiar to her! But how did he broke himself out of those chains? Did someone set him free?

       "I set him free," Ferlah's voice interfered from the opposite corner.

       So that explains everything. But how? It was impossible to do it without a key though! Her brows furrowed at such thought.

        "I chopped the tree off. Almost took me half a day to break the trunk down," Ferlah said proudly after noticing her expression, like she knew what she's thinking.

       Méah responded a nod.

      "So how do we get out of here?" Ferlah turned to the old man.

       But why would she consult to him? Isn't he crazy? She remembered what those men called him. Confused, she waited for his response to find out why on earth would Ferlah ask a crazy, old man.

       "I don't know. Lady Shiah had strengthened the security throughout Beggars' Town right after the disaster," he said shaking his head lightly. "They're searching for you. Someone had reported your escape."

        Méah was surprised how he responded seriously. He was completely different from back then.

        "So I guess, we're gonna be stuck her forever," Ferlah concluded, losing hope.

         She also thought the same. After all, this is already a graveyard. No one would waste time preparing a proper burial whe she dies.

        "No, we won't. I have a plan," he insisted.

        His idea sent the two women into curiosity and somehow hope is rekindled within themselves.

        The three of them gathered around the fire and started talking.

        First, the old man or Bek as he introduced to them, will sneak out at night figuring out the shift of the guards and their formations. And then the rest of them would draw a map and establish counter plans once they would get caught on their escape.

       They planned their escape through the misty forest behind the graveyard, crossing the River of the Dead and the Valley of Kings. With that they would reach the northern kingdom, Noartias.

       But it would take them months to perfect their plan. They made sure it has no loopholes that may cause delay or even death once they're caught.

       After that, the women knew the story behind the graveyard's name and the reason why its walls are unbreakable and unbelievably high and why there are bad spirit trap talismans hanging around.

       According to Bek, it was once the ancient graveyard of the exiled royal personalities—the wronged and guilty. By means of eradicating their evil traces and for justice, they were buried nameless as a symbol they should be forgotten by everyone, including their families and relatives. Thus, the graveyard acquired such name. Though such law of justification had long been taken down centuries ago. Now it serves as a vacant lot where kidnapped and sold people who became useless and sick where left to die.

      But what really sinked in their mind was the kind of business that Lady Shiah had. She had been making money out of people or anyone who came to her domain, the Beggars' Town. If she found them healthy, she would personally take care of them and then sold them to some rich personalities as slaves. But if not, she'd threw them here at the graves of the unknown. Why? Because she can't earn from the crappy ones. Best that they would die useless as they were.