The red room

People were crowding around his house. The moment Keith opened the door, Picco entered and caught his hands.

"Where is she? Where is your mother?"

His eyes were full of fear and uncertainty, they roamed around the room as if he was looking for something.

Keith was dumbfounded by the commotion all around him, the buzzing sound of the villager's gossips was unbearable. Images flashed one by one, those from last night.

"Where was I? What have I done?"

He could feel a cold hand crawling on his back while he stared at Picco, some tears fell on his cheeks as he spoke.

"I don't know where mother is."

"You better."

Picco's grasp left bruised marks on his scarred forearms.

Walking through his door, he saw Domi crying, his mouth tightly shut, holding his mother's hand. She looked destroyed from the inside. He turned toward her and asked.

"What happened? Why are you so sad?"

Alma took a deep breath and calmed her sobbing down before answering.

"My Ublee is gone."

Ba-thump.

Time flown differently. It slowed down and Keith's eyes could capture every pictures around him. Picco was looking around, but there was no place to hide in this house except behind the doors. He used too much strength in every of his movements, making his gestures loud.

The fact he was stressed made unconsciously him double check a few places.

The doors slammed one after the other. The kitchen's furniture suffered as well. While he tried to untie his memory, a new person obstructed light at the entrance.

Keith felt a shiver behind his hear and a cold touch in his right eye, those two inconveniences made him turn around and blink. But he realized too late he winked at Randi who was stunned on the spot. How could a little kid scare him after all.

With an awkward smile he thought.

'Oh, no.'

Randi's mind went full speed. He was thinking about a boy who ate his pinky. A boy with a witch mother and weird nocturnal behaviour. His facial expression turned dark. There was one word in his thoughts: 'guilty'.

Keith saw his expression and knew Randi was already against whatever he could say. But he could still convince other people around him. He mustered strength and spoke.

"Can anybody explain what is going on here? Why did so much people gather around our houses? What do you mean by gone! I don't understand this situation."

Sweat formed on his forehead, he wished to not have done anything. Yotoh who was waiting outside with a grieving face took Keith's hand and pulled him toward his house.

The great number of eyes peeking at him was overwhelming. More whispers echoed around them as they crossed the crowd.

"That's the brat. Where is his mother?"

"He's not even wearing proper clothes."

People said.

"Hey! Where's she? Where's that crazy old rag?"

But a strong and low voice interrupted all of their sayings.

"Listen to me everyone. You shall all return to your work. We must leave some space to this family. They need to breathe fresh air. Now out of my sight."

This imposing person was Leton. He turned around and crotched, touching Domi's head and speaking calmly with him, maintaining eye contact.

Keith's heart rate accelerated as they got closer from the house. He could see a few silver linings slithering on the ground, as if they knew the right direction toward the scene.

Yotoh closed the front door and said.

"Listen, I am about to show you a terrible scene. I am doing so because I hope you can see what I can't. Leton and Picco already had a look. But we need a hint, a detail we didn't see, whatever crosses your mind. Alright?"

Tears fell down Yotoh's his cheeks. He covered his mouth and nose in his elbow.

"I don't understand. I can't bear to not be so incompetent. You might have nightmare for the upcoming year, would you take the risk of helping my family?"

Keith nodded reluctantly. He stared at some floating lines above the floor, thinner than the ones coming out of the window.

There were dark stains scattered around Ublee's room. Most of them were on her bed. Yotoh's sobs became louder with each step they took forward. Keith was so uncomfortable he began to cry as well.

"You know what happened here, don't you?"

A blood spiral went all around her bed. The blood stains formed a pool at its centre and because it was dry, Keith spotted two feet-sized chunks of meat in it, laying on the bed.

'Did I do this? Why is there this thing left, Show could clean things, right?'

And finally Show answered.

'No boy, we were not here yesterday. We hunted a white monkey. This scene is gruesome but that is not our doing.'

Keith couldn't smell a thing. The room was filled with a filthy stink that pained Yotoh to stay.

There were traces of blood from the bedsheet to the doorknob. From the floor to the ceiling. Each connected with a silver lining. It felt like entering a messy wool yarn. The air was high in iron and made Keith sneeze as he neared the bed to touch the two things.

Yotoh noticed his behaviour, he saw the kid did not mind the smell. But breathing heavily to show his disapproval wasn't an option if he wanted his meal to remain in his stomach.

A pool of saliva formed in Keith's mouth, he swallowed it loudly.

'Not now, please!'

He picked up one of the sticky meat lump and the other one was tied to it. Its slippery texture made it hard to hold, when Keith tightened his grip, air escaped with an awkward noise.

"What is... this?"

He said while inspecting the weird thing.

He did not often see any dead nor fresh animal, except fishes and other small dried ones. He had no idea what kind of meat this one could be. But understanding the sense of his question, Mister Show answered inside his head.

'Soft meat that contains air, those are lungs of course.'

"LUNGS!"

Keith screamed while throwing them on the ground. He turned around to see Yotoh's dark and hollow gaze. Keith was very agitated, disgusted. Yet Yotoh stood unmoved and said with a low voice.

"Can you tell me what happened, what you mother did? That can only be her. Why would she vanish the same time as my Ublee?"

His balance moved toward Keith and he began stepping forward.

This was the moment Leton erupted in the room with a fierce and angry face. He punched Yotoh's face and lifted Keith from the ground, shoving the kid's head in his robe.

"Don't look, he shouldn't have shown you that. I apology. I did not see him leading you here."

Leton could hear Keith muttering repeatedly.

"I don't know, I have no idea what happened. I don't know, don't hurt me."

He tried to soothe the boy's mind by talking to him.

"I am here to protect you. Nothing is going to hurt you. We are heading out and no one is after you."

Leton's usual minty smell vanished but his aura remained the same. Strong and imposing, moreover the circumstances had brought him to a sweaty state, his body kept emanating warmth. His stature kept away any curious from barging in his way. The village chief brought Keith to his own house and locked the door behind him.

"No idea where's Raima?"

Keith shook his head.

"Alright. You wait here. I have to settle things down outside. The situation is dire and no one to unfold past events might aggravate it. You'll be with Picco until tonight. I am sorry for Yotoh's behaviour. He is out of his mind just as the rest of the family."

Keith hadn't noticed Picco sitting a few meters away. Leton glared at his assistant and whispered.

"He saw the scene, he shouldn't undergo a questioning this soon. Take care."