Even in the darkest moment there is light

Shiro Aput has always been a silent girl anyone who knows her inside Shinto village would always tell you she doesn't talk at all, no it would be understatement to say that she doesn't talk at all it more like she can't talk no madder how hard she tries she cant talk. Of course this is all due to the fact she got her tongue remove at the delicate age of eight years old. Reason be she is the shrine maiden of Shinto village one would normally think that this is an honorable position only given to the purest of heart but been a shrine maiden in this village is a fate far worser than death why you ask its quite simple.

A 150-years ago when Shinto village was at it best it was originally called Lilitha city which mean Ray of light the reason for this name was because Lilitha city was known as the best part of the entire Northern region to view the Northern lights. Everyday different people of different ethnicity would come and travel from all over the world to visit Lilitha city just to see the beautiful sight of the Northern light when sunset arrives. When my grandmother was still alive she use to tell me stories that her mother use to tell her when she was a little girl that Lilitha city was one of the most famous city in the entire world. Many people would also come to see the many huge building made from ice after all back then they were countless building made from nothing but ice even some that reach the heaven or that's how grandma describe it.

Back then when I use to have my voice I use to listen to Grandma Alice stories everyday like a child watching their favorite show on the television. You see I wasn't like other children who found joy and entertainment out of playing with dolls, watching tv or playing with any other kids in a whole. No I was child that found joy out of the simplest of things such as reading, cooking, sleeping washing etc. It's basically just simple house chores but what made these simple little task so meaningful to me was the fact that I spend all my time doing them with the one person I have left in my life. My grandmother her name was Alice Mizuki she was one of the 4 village elder that govern this village she love me dearly after all she was my mother and my father at the same time since she took care of me.

You see both my mother and father died at the hands of the God of the frozen mountain Shinto you see my mother was the previous Shrine maiden of Shinto village and just like me she got her tongue cut out at the same age as me why you ask. Well to tell you this reason I will first have to tell you who and what is Shinto.

A 150 years years ago when Shinto village was still called Lilitha city a giant blue ogre at least 20 meters in height it has 4 arms and 4 red eyes along with 4 spears in each hand it also ware a complete red samurai set on for clothes it suddenly came from nowhere and disturb the peace of the people within the city. No one knewed were it came from and why it do what it does but it was clear that this monster only wanted one thing and that was blood. From the first day it arrives it killed almost all the man in the city and drink the blood of all the teenage girl under the age of 18. The people of the city try to fight back but in the end they fail miserably. This back and fourth happen for about 10 years, at this point and time the once great and beautiful city that had many buildings that reach the heaven was now nothing more than a field of blood and rubble.

The City was reduce to such a state that it couldn't even be called a city anymore what made this even worse was the fact that the Ogre keep coming back everyday and start killing and destroying everything in it path along with eating the children and women. In the stories grandma use to tell me she said that the Ogre gain more power the more he eats but this was only a theory, this went on till a little amount of people was left alive until one day. When all the remaining people of Lilitha city were despairing about the fact that when the Ogre comes at mid-night again it would be their last.

As the remaining citizen were in the city waiting for their impeding destruction they saw the Ogre came once more many were waiting for death to come while a few kill themselves. At least that way they died knowing that they decided how they will end their life. The Ogre continue to approach closer and closer until it reach in front of the remaining citizen everyone was waiting for the Ogre to just kill them so they can finally be free from this hell but Surprisingly the Ogre started to talk. It sayed his name was Shinto and he was the God of the frozen Mountain he then took the head of a young girl no more less than 10 years old surprisingly thou everyone knewed who the girl was. It was the youngest daughter of the Aput household who were well known hunters of course everyone would immediately know who they are since they were the only one in the entire city with Crimson hair some believe their hair turn red because of all the animals they hunted and kill. Shinto then place the head of the young girl in front of everyone.

Shinto then explain saying.

"Here is the head of a young girl I have eaten she was by far the most delicious I have tasted so much so not even a 1000 young virgin blood can compare to it quality if you worthless livestock's don't want to die bring me a sacrifice of her lineage every 15 years it has to to be a female in return I will spare the life of everyone here".

From their Shinto leave and head for the frozen mountain were he resides

They didn't have much of a choice it was either them or the Aput family so that night every remaining citizen came together and attack the Aput household from there they locked them up like cattle and took every woman and rape them that night. It didn't madder if they were young or old as long as they were able to conceive children. While all the men that were married to the Aput females were killed off only the brothers were kept alive to breed with their own family since everyone taught that would make their bloodline more pure.

One would normally wonder why didn't we run when we had the chance well that's a very easy question to answer im living proof to that Answer. You see to make sure we don't escape this land the city monarch hired a specialist to put a curse of eternal bounding on us so we can never leave this land and every time a child of the Aput bloodline is born their is a chain like birthmarks on the necks it is proof of the curse that bind us. The years continue like this and everyone started to live happily once more, of course my ancestor wasn't happy at all since there fates were seal from the day they were born. Many changes happen such as the name of the city it was now name after the Ogre God Shinto hence the name Shinto village since the city was reduce to such a state and the population dwindle to such a great amount it was now turn into a village.

The villagers all live happy lives never worrying about Shinto reeking havoc on the village as long as the offer their sacrifices every 15 years of a Young girl of the Aput bloodline. Till one day a100 years later prior to when Shinto arrive and cause his mayhem. Shinto came before the villagers once more demanding a sacrifice of young children or young women under the age of 20 every two weeks while maintaining the previous sacrifice of the Aput bloodline strangely thou every times he came back he grew bigger and bigger. This continue every 2 week for the next 50 years always sacrificing young children and women a like till the point one doesn't fall in love to live a happy life inside Shinto Village but to reproduce and make more food for Shinto.

After 10 years of constant sacrificing and reproduction everyone in the village start hearing strange voices when Mid-night hits. The villager believe that it is the voice of all the souls who couldn't rest in peace because of the constant sacrificing they did. So they made a sick ritual were they take the current shrine maiden and cut their tongue out and offer it to the spirits of the dead to make them silent that's how both me and my mother lost our voice at the age of 8. We sacrifice our own flesh and blood so much in this village no one here considered each other family. Things like love, trust, friendship and happiness doesn't exist here. We don't need love and happiness in hell so why bother, after all everyone in this village can only hope they reach at the age of 21 or constantly look among each other wondering who is next.

But surprisingly thou when everyone taught all love was dead in this place my father met my mother and they fall in love and gave birth to me. Sadly thou their love would never reach me not even in 1000 years why you ask well that simple because when I was born Shinto came 3 months later and demand someone from the Aput bloodline to satisfied his hunger he was 5 years earlier and the only girls at that time was my younger aunt Minori and my mother. Shinto end up taking my mom and in a blind rage my father went up into the frozen mountain to kill Shinto, I don't think I need tell you how that ended.

Year past and I continue living a happy life with grandmother but even that was taken from me you see one day grandmother was plowing the fields and she suddenly fell down. I ran to her as fast as I could and drag her back into the house trying to wake her up but she didn't wake up she was dead. I later found out that grandma died from a sudden heart attack from the village doctor and after I buried her under a Spruce tree that my grandma spend most of her time looking at the moon when she was alive. With her death I was force to live with my aunt were things take a turn for the worse during my stay at her place you see my grandma die when I was 7 years old and when the time came to choose a new shrine maiden I was sadly chosen over Minori.

I guess I was chosen for the reason Minori was acting like nothing more than a breathing cattle she already have 4 sons and 3 daughters and already pregnant with twins so that would only left me as the only valid candidate. Even if I wanted to fight back I couldn't so I became a shrine maiden the same day I lost my tongue on my 8 birthday. These time were the hardest for me I always ask myself why me?

"What did I ever do to deserve this all I ever wanted was to live my days peacefully with grandma"?

"Why me"?

"Why is it that our life is decided from the day we are born"?

"I hate it".

"I hate Shinto".

"I hate the villager I don't know why grandma love it here so much".

"I hate the fact im powerless".

"I hate the fact that I cant speak".

"I hate myself".

"I hate how grandma is dead".

This village and everyone in it I hate it I hate everyone, everywhere I go im force to see their disgusting faces. All I see is coward, hypocrites, pathetic spineless bastards that sacrifice us to save their sorry asses I hope after im dead Shinto eats you all.

Do you know what it is when your not able to express your feelings in words its hell it absolutely hell.

"I miss grandma why should I go through this im only 16".

"C...R...E...a...…..K".

In my brief monologue of self despair I heard the loud sound of the rusty old iron door been open slowly. I know when this door open it either to give me food or free me from the cell they keep me in during the night so I can enjoy my day walking in the morning. Of course I'm still living with my aunt Minori but im locked up in the cell inside her room. You see she want to keep an eye on me if I decide to kill myself then it like she herself is killing herself you see if I die then she will be the one that the villagers will offer up to Shinto.

Many of days im force to watch as hundreds of different man come here to partake in the free fruit that they give you at the market. Many men would come to her house and fuck her till they are satisfied after all she is the breather cattle of this village her job is to reproduce and relieve as many man as she could it a small price to pay after all. If she can survive and avoid been kill there is nothing too shameful she cant do hell or neighbor 12 year old son is one of her regulars.

Odo

Odo odo

Odo odo odo

Odo odo odo odo

From the very loud creaking sound of the door I can hear the footstep of multiple people it doesn't take an idiot to know why they come here. As the door open I see the figure of 3 people 2 man and and 1 women obviously the woman is my aunt. The two men is the village doctor David and the oldest village elder Ronald all of them have dead eyes which is very normal in this village Ronald then said.

"Its time David make it so she cant walk tonight Shinto comes for the blood".

David then approach me each step he took towards me it like the count down to my life.

Step

"Stay a way".

Step

"Please don't come near me".

Step.

"God please help me".

Step

"Mommy daddy please help me".

Step

"Grand grandma grandma please help me help help me help me".

Of course to them my word just sound distorted I tried to fight back but Minori and Ronald hold me down as David began to slit my back open and damage my spinal chord.

"I tried to scream".

"I want to scream".

"I cant scream".

After about forty minutes of constant torcher I cant feel anything from the neck down im completely cripple they finally did it the finally took everything away from me all I can do was cry.

Minori then began to dress me in ceremonial sacrifice clothes and the villagers then place me on a alter I know it was approaching midnight because that's the time all sacrifice are given then I heard it.

Bamm

Bamm

Bamm

Bamm

The loud foot step of the 200 meter colossal came towards me it then said.

"At least you Livestock no how to please this offering has such a pitch black soul it will definatley raise my power to new heights Hahahahahahahahahh".

All the villager just bow and said in unison.

"We live to serve".

Shinto then reach his giant blue hand towards me I couldn't move because im cripple from the neck down I could kill myself because I cant bite a non existent tongue.

As the hand was reaching toward me a loud cutting sound was heard along with Shinto cries.

SSLLIICEEE!

"Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Who the fuck dare to damage this great me I KILL YOU I WILL KILL".

Then as his blood stain me I saw it I saw the sun a huge bright flame floated high in the sky bring day to the cold embrace of the night as it shine brighter than anything that I ever saw then Shinto flew straight into mountain as invisible force slam him into them causing a huge creator to immerge in the mountain the light then flow towards me and said.

"You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness".