The Shattered Cottage core

Oriana starts talking after a long silence.

"Let's go out Leila, we should take a walk outside." "Feeling stuffy already, huh?" Leilani smiles wryly.

"No, yes. No! I think you can use some fresh air now more than me." "Yeah, you're right although I haven't said half of the story yet." she

sighs.

"I can guess the half of it, Leila. And I would never blame you for that." "How? What do you guess?"

"I'm sorry if it's preposterous of me to assume anything regarding such a sensitive issue. It's just, I assume since then you've developed that disorder and later on, hurt your father in some way."

"Ah! You're good, Oriana. Do you write novels or something?" Leilani chuckles.

"I'm really sorry... I think I completely went overboard in making this stupid assumption. Really, so sorry..."

"No, no! Come on...it's alright. I was just surprised at how almost correctly you guessed the subsequent events." Leilani wraps her arm around Oriana's shoulders.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah! The only thing you miscalculated was I didn't hurt him...I killed him." she says slowly.

Oriana thought it'd be impossible for her to be shocked any further after hearing the hideous tale from Norway back in the cafe. She shudders at

Leilani's words more than ever.

"But I promise, Oriana! I would never do that in my right mind. I still cannot remember any bit of it...but people saw what happened." Leilani's voice trails off, hot tears flood down her face.

Oriana puts her arm around her shoulders to comfort her, although she has no idea how to really comfort a person who's been through every level of hell in her 23 years long life, literally and metaphorically.

"I didn't see him after that incident in Norway for a long time until I was in college..."

"Where were you?"

"In Berlin. I was living in Berlin with my sister but we still visited Norway once a year."

"Oh! So when did he get out of prison?"

"After 7 years...he was out mainly to get his treatment." "So, he wasn't actually released from the prison?"

"Yes and no...I don't know. The laws and regulations are complicated and I still don't understand them."

"Ohkay." Oriana licks her lips trying to keep her head steady enough to process the words. "What was the treatment for?"

"He's got leukemia, terminal stage."

"Oh..." Oriana gulps the automatic "I'm sorry" down as she is never sorry for a perverted pedophiliac monster.

"So he was almost dying... I went to visit him in the hospital, hopefully one last time. I remember just sitting there replying to his stupid questions every now and then... until, I went blank. I lost track of time and place and

for God's sake, I completely forgot what happened over the next hour." She lets out an exasperated sigh.

"Was anyone there with you?"

"Yeah, my bestfriend and the only guy I loved...yeah, he's still the only guy I love." Leilani's lips quirks up to a small smile.

"Alvis?" Oriana blurts out.

"What?" Leilani laughs nervously, "No, of course not Alvis. I just met him after coming here...to the UK. Not before that and besides, I have a

considerable amount of crush on him doesn't mean I LOVE him." "Ah sorry! I didn't mean to say that out loud."

"No worries, happens. So, after that, when I came to my senses, I already did it...I killed that ugly murderer. I strangled him with my own hand, Oriana. I became a killer myself..." Leilani's hands tremble as she stares at them, still hurt and a bit terrified of what she could do.

"It wasn't your fault, Leilani. Please, don't beat yourself up for that."

"Maybe it's not that straightforward, girl! I cannot seem to shake off that feeling of guilt, sadness, anger and helplessness that day in front of the

hospital." she wipes her tears. "I'm so sorry, honey."

"And then, a lot of ambulance sirens, a lot of interrogations, long time at rehab...losing my best friend in the process..."

Oriana stops herself from asking about the best friend but she knows better. She should let Leilani just breathe at this moment. She's been through impossibles.

"Do you hate me now, Oriana?"

"I'd be insane to do that...never even think about it." she squeezes her hand. "But... I don't know, your story just reminded me of a poem I've read

at one of my lowest points in life." "O yeah? You like poems?"

"I love poems...it was on my favorite online journal... The poet's pen name was The Wandering Nomad and I still remember the whole poem... Somehow I can relate to the words so much."

"You still remember it? You must've loved it then." "Yeah, every single word... by heart...

In my little cottagecore

I dreamed to be a princess. Running across the rocky shore

I hoped to wipe out all the distress.

The wild flowers danced ever so daintily the stories never stopped to flow.

I relied on you, jumping up so happily I never wanted any unexpected blow!

In my little fairytale

you became the monster.

You shattered my magical castle

you made my enchanted garden sinister.

The glamorous festivity ended

in my little magic-land!..." Oriana's eyes become moistened.

"Now, the sun doesn't rise anymore

in my little cottagecore!" Leilani finishes the poem. "You...you know this?" Oriana looks surprised.

"Yeah, word by word."

"Wait, are you... The Wandering Nomad?" "Yeah, yours truly." she smiles.

"O my God! No wonder your stories reminded me of your poem..." "Yeah, I wrote it when I was 14."

And when I was 18...yeah exactly at that time, Oriana thinks to herself and sighs. "Wow! The world really is small and so round."

Leilani laughs, "It is, isn't it? We two have more common things than we thought we'd have, right? It's crazy."

"Yeah, seems like if we were in a Netflix series, they'd turn us into lesbians so that we could end up together." Oriana chortles.

Leilani laughs in reply, "So true, that's what they always do...and speaking of which, it's your turn now."

"For what?"

"To share your story?"

"You know what? We'll do that next week. Let's lighten up the mood a little. Wanna go to karaoke?"

"Sure, sounds good to me. Oriana, I'm so grateful to you for being so sweet and kind all the way...you never judged me for a second."

"Shut it, now. Why would I judge you?" Oriana gives her an eye roll. I'd never judge you for something that's not your fault, Leila. You can find a friend in me."

"I already did." she hugs her. "So, karaoke, is it?" "Yup!" Oriana grins.