Becoming A Ghost

Kyle slightly tilted his head. His red hair swayed as well when he moved his head aside. He didn't look at Elle in pity, to him there would be no nobles in the world who would suffer as much as he did. He considered Elle to be one of those rich noble children, the ones who would simply need to cry to their parents for their wish to be granted. To those nobles, he looked at them with only disgust; thus he felt not a single guilt when it comes to killing noble daughters.

But he didn't except for him to be hired by a step mother to kill their own step daughter.

"Well what can I do?" Kyle didn't seem to be too sympathetic as he said, "I have been hired so I'm here to complete the task given to me. Five hundred golds is a lot for my boys."

Elle gritted her teeth, it seemed that the man was dead set on killing her. She could tell she couldn't convince him to not kill her, especially when he had already revealed the name of the woman who had indeed hired him to kill her.

Elle bite her lips, "My father would be really upset if he knew that you've harmed me."

"I know of course, Count Arthur," Kyle shrugged his shoulders, "But I could simply hide the trace that could point us as the killer. I can also make it seem as if a wild dog had eaten you alive."

Elle shivered, thinking of what kind of demise waiting for her. She thought even further and tried to negotiate again, "If you release me, I can pay you double, or even more. If I ask my father.."

Kyle didn't seem amused by her negotiation, replying with a bored tone, "If you do that then Lady Gladys would reveal that she had hired us and the Church will now hunt after us. Nothing would benefit me or my men here except your death. I advise you to start praying to the saintess."

Elle clicked her tongue. As she had expected the man wouldn't listen the slightest to her negotiation!

What should she do now?

Her father had left in a hurry, the people near the dungeon didn't seem to notice that she had been kidnapped. She shivered at the thought that no one knows that she had been taken away… was death the only end waiting for her?!

Just as Elle tried to think of a way to escape, the carriage suddenly came to a stop.

Kyle tilted her head to the sides, staring at the forest outside and smiled, "Oh seems like we're here. Bring her out," he then ordered his men.

At once, Elle felt her shoulders heaved upward and her body dragged outside of the carriage by two men. The men were rough in dragging her out nevertheless and she felt her ankle's wounds worse than she had first expected. Her body shivered when the cold air touched her skin and a sense of horror filled her when she looked upward to the darkness that stared back at her like an abyss.

It was dark.

She didn't know how long she had been kidnapped and caged in the carriage but the sky had turned pitch black and the moon was no where to be seen.

Due to the darkness, she couldn't see her surroundings, not even Kyle who had walked before her. But she could clearly hear his eerie voice, "They said that the women who die in the forest would become a ghost."

Elle raised her eyebrows as the two men continued to drag her to follow Kyle's steps. She said, "I thought anyone who die wrongly became ghosts."

"That's the wrong perception," Kyle sing a song.

"As if you have seen ghosts," she retorted, feeling more annoyed upon knowing that this man enjoy killing not simply because he was hired but because he love the thoughts of taking anyone's life.

Turning his head behind, Elle finally see the red haired man again and his grin that matched with the darkness behind him, "Would you believe it if I say I have seen them before?"

A sudden shiver ran across her back. Elle had never feared ghost nor think of it as a horrifying creature but the way Kyle had spoken made chill to seep into her back, causing her to shudder.

"Then you could just not kill me," she suggested.

"I can simply not kill you in a forest," he chided back and began to walk again in front of her.

But weren't they inside a forest?

As if knowing what she was thinking, Kyle turned his head back at her slightly, staring at her oddly bright gold eyes that were akin to the sun, "But when did I say that I don't want ghost? I like ghosts and ghouls."

Elle could only stare at the man in disbelief. This man… not only is he a barbarian, a bandit, but he is also insane!

Her surrounding was deadly silent. Except the voices of the bandits who merrily gathered and told stories amongst each other, the bushes and trees around her were too still. It was as if the wind doesn't exist in the place or the leaves were made from clay that they stay frozen on spot.

Around five minutes into the marching, Kyle stopped and raised his hands, "Here we are, your awaited place of death."

The man had spoken as though he had searched for many places to rest her in peace, speaking as if he was merciful when he wanted to take her life simply for money.

When the bandit pulled the nearby torch near Kyle, she saw the round old well that were covered with vines.

"Toss her in," ordered Kyle and the man dragged her upward.

In shock, Elle struggled but this only annoyed the bandit on her left that raised his hand and grabbed her by her cheeks, "Stop struggling and die peacefully would you?"

"What if I say no?" She snapped back and opened her mouth wide. Turning her face, she sank her teeth deep to the man's flesh and then snapped her face to the other side, ripping the flesh of the man.

The other men were baffled by the scene as although many ladies have tried to struggle their way out of captive, none of them had made such attempt by biting of the flesh of the bandits. Kyle was also shocked as ladies like her, would usually cry and beg.

Wait.. when did this woman ever begged for her life?

She only negotiated since the first time they talked.

She didn't even cry!

Was she really a rich noble lady?!