No Longer~27

Hue can't help but kick the well's mouth that had his feet hurting. Nod waited for any sign of noise coming from below but they got none.

"I hate how Oak was screaming but I despised this eerie silence." Nod uttered as he face palmed.

"Let us trust them, truthfully this a personal matter for them. Let us hope that it will be resolved." Hue said as the two waited outside the well.

Stirpe jump without thinking but he can't seem to understand how long and deep this well could be. He kept sliding down without reaching the bottom. He held unto his jumper as his ribs started to ache. He was about to stab his father as Oak did but he can't move an inch. If only he was able to have the courage and erase that man in this world with his bear hand then he would gladly do so. But he suddenly got paralyze. He froze and was like a statue with liberty but cowardly allowed his sister take the bloody work.

He used to observe how Oak would avoid their father and would always follow him around whenever he is at the house working. Stripe heared how the maids whiper that Oak was being abused by the old man on the attic. He even chains and lock her up. Stripe thought that he would be happy hearing that but it breaks his heart. The little girl who was following him around was going through such extent, at that moment Stripe regretted envying Oak when he found her chained in the wall like a doll.

She was fourteen back then. Her oak like hair were sprayed in the wall. She was clothed in a dress that is white and pure. Her wrist are bruised from the chain. Their were bites on all over her body. She was treated worst than he was. Stirpe freed her from the wall as her eyes were crying blood. He hid her from their father causing his ribs to be broken. He later on found out that his father was into rituals. He tried to offer Oak in his rituals. When Stripe dig deeper he did the sama as to his mother. Oak went through forced abortion at a young age as a result her grief birthed to blood raining from her eyes. Her tears never came out since that day.

Stripe started to take care of Oak and his mother by having Hue support Oak and his mother. Hue was then later got ganged and chewed by his family for interfering with Pomegranate's business. That is when they started to live in the mountains. Stripe covered his face in distress. He boasted for being the older brother but never really did something to prove his worth.

Oak losed her voice. The woman on the well started to crawl her way. It started to grab her downward in the water. Oak can feel her body sinking as she lift her hand for help. Her voice got trapped in. Oak wished that if it's truly her last day then she wanted to shed some tears even a single one.

Her nose submerged in the water and her fingers outstretched in hope that Hue, Nod or Stripe will save him.

Stripe felt the water. He can feel a bubble rising up. He dive in to see Oak being yanked downward. Stripe held Oak's hand and tried to swim up but the woman pulled Oak with more force. Stripe dive up to catch his breath. His lungs seemed to have expanded. He can feel his illness getting triggered but he needs to save Oak.

"Hue and Nod. Prepare to help us. We will be out here soon." Stripe announced.

Stirpe dive downward again and used all his energy to get back Oak. He interlaced his hand to secure Oak's body. Stripe felt like he was pulling a ship. It was heavy. It felt like the gravity is against him. He had Oak leaned on the wall as he wake her up. He pump her chest in all care. Oak started coughing as she gasped.

"Brother, I got put in the same torture by the woman. She said that it's my penalty." Oak sobs without any tears.

"It's okay, we will get out of here." Stripe assured.

"No, Your penalty should be confessed or you will be with me forever." the woman creepily announced that made Stripe screamed and hid behind Oak.

Oak pressed her lips as she felt Stripe shivered.

"I... killed him" Oak whipered.

"Is that all?" the woman asked.

"I hate him. I will never forgive him." Oak professed.

"Give me that thing you can't give him and this penalty will be over." The woman demanded as she started reaching out Stripe's feet.

Oak hesitated. Can she really give it to this ghost? Can she really allow her hatred to be erased? Can she truly forgive that man? Oak blinked her eyes in all conviction.

"Then i will give this to you. I am casting out this hatred, despise and unforgivable emotions I held on." Oak declared as she protect her brother.

"Then, If so does killing satisfied your ugly heart?" The woman pointed.

Oak got strike down. It did not in fact her anger and rage got doubled. It was accumulated that she even felt happy that she got her revenge.

"I am.. not sorry for killing him. I have no right to take his life but at that moment I don't want to see him doing the dirty stuff he did to me. I don't want him to wreck other people's soul as he did to me." Oak transparently spoke.

The sound of ambulance roaring. The people crowding. The four got back to the same crime scene. Pomegranate's body left a mark on the secluded area that Oak had been bandaging for a long time. Her eyes can't express her sorrow but her heart lament silently as the very subject and cause of her wounds became a scar and no longer a stigma.