The Truth (2)

Anna couldn't hold her tears any longer when she remembered those horrible moments

- Yes... That's how everyone knew about me having that black power.

- Why you didn't tell them the truth?

- How could I? I took all the blame so that no one will harm you.

- What did happen exactly?

- When the heart took out all the black power from my body, it started glowing then it turned black. The monk knew right away that it was the black power. I almost got killed, but he stepped in and saved me since I got rid of that dark power.

- What about father? Didn't he interfere?

- He won't be able to stand in front of all those angry monsters. When they realized that I'm a mere powerless human they started to harass us. Alan just watched what was happening without being able to do anything. He also believed that I was the cause of all of that mess, despite it was his fault from the beginning. I put up with everything, hoping things would get better with time, but they didn't. The monsters started protesting about me living there. I suggested to your father to go back to the human land and live there peacefully but he completely refused. I knew it would be a matter of time before I got kicked out.

- Why I can't remember anything from this? I was 3 years old, I can at least remember you, but I have nothing in my memory.

Anna and Tarou looked at each other without answering Aaron.

- What's wrong? Did something else happen?

Tarou sighed:

- You can't remember anything because of what happened the last night that mother spent on the land.

- I lost my memory? How?

Anna continued her sad story:

- When I made sure that all my efforts to convince Alan to leave were in vain, I decided to run away. I wanted to take both of you with me, but I was sure that Tarou will not come along. You loved your father dearly, and you will refuse to leave him, so, I decided to not take the risk and tell you. So, I took Aaron, with me.

Tarou became very angry:

- HOW COULD YOU DECIDE TO LEAVE ME BEHIND. I WAS TEN YEARS OLD BACK THEN. I LOVED YOU, AS WELL, VERY MUCH AND I HAVE NEVER WISHED TO BE SEPARATED FROM YOU. HOW COULD YOU ABANDON ME?

Those words pierced Anna's heart.

- NO, THAT'S NOT TRUE. When I decided to run away with Aaron, I was sure that Alan would follow me to the human world. I thought that if I was already out and I return to my old self, I would easily convince him to let me stay here with the both of you. I thought, till the last minute, that he loved me for real.

Tarou could feel his mother's pain. She wasn't lying or pretending, which made his heart ache and his eyes became full of tears

- You should have told me! I was old enough to understand...

- I'm sorry...I didn't intend to hurt you...I was too desperate to leave that place, that I didn't think too much.

Aaron wanted to know the rest of the story:

- What did happen that night?

- I took you and run away quickly. I opened the door using your father's necklace, then I went outside the land. I found myself in the middle of endless snow. It was freezing out there, I tried to keep you warm as possible as I could, but you turned cold, your breath became heavy, and I was so desperate to save you. Finally, Alan came along with a bunch of monsters. I was very happy to see him, but he was furious. At that moment he snatched you from my hands and turned his back to me. All he said was " don't show your face to me again, then he left. Just like that. You were crying and screaming so hard while watching me getting away from your gaze. My heart broke into pieces. I was hopeless and weak, I just hoped that you will survive and get better.

- Tarou, was that how I lost my memory?

- Yeah, After that night, you went into shock from being separated from mother for several days. When you woke up, you forgot about everything.

Aaron felt a lot of sympathy for his mother. She suffered a lot because of his father.

- If father left you in the snow, how did you survive?

- When your father took you, I felt empty. I just wanted to die, there was nothing worth living anymore. I laid on the snow and I surrendered to death, I won't survive anyway. I started to freeze, my body was as cold as ice, then I fell asleep. That's the last thing I remember from that night. I opened my eyes the next day, I was lying down under a tree near this town. I don't know who saved me, but I decided as long as I'm in life, I will never give up on you. And that's the whole story".

Anna wiped her tears while everyone was silent.

What can they possibly say after what they heard?

Tarou stood up and headed to the door

" Is he leaving, even after knowing the truth?"