3.1 Reapers

Maria was preparing their dinner, sautéed potatoes and carrots - again. The sound of the oil as it sizzles in the hot pan sounds pleasing and soothing to Serra's ears. It was like music. The smell of carrots and potatoes dances in the air inside the cabin. Serra was used to that smell as she grows up eating it. She was feet away from her mother, washing the dishes.

The sky was now dark and a crescent moon in a perfect sickle shape, shone brightly above, giving light to the world. The wind was cold and humid, and the minty scent of the village mixed with the smell of the sautéed potatoes and carrots.

After their talk they headed out and prepared dinner. Serra felt a little bit light now. The thorns that wrapped her heart were loosen. There's still pain inside her but at least it's not as heavy as before.

She's still in awe after all the revelations and Serra's still in the process of absorbing them. Her father and mother were Badbloods. Does that mean she and her sister were Badbloods too? But it isn't hereditary and she hoped and prays she isn't.

The water drips on the basin and it felt cold to her skin as she washed the used cups and plates. Her hand was busy as well as her mind. She thinks of Mira. How is she? Where is she now? Is she okay? Is she ... alive? The questions were like needles pinned to her heart.

She breathed. Mira's okay and safe. She's alive, Serra told herself hoping to feel relieved but failed. She remembered her mother said that the wounds inside the heart were the ones that are hard to heal.

She breathed again and tried hard to clear her mind, shove all the thoughts away.

The door opened and Rila entered, looking exhausted and unreadable. Her jacket was on her shoulders and the torch on her hand. Their shift must have ended. She strode forward in an awkward silent and put the torch on the corner. The patrol spears and other weapons were left on the weapon room near the captain's house but they can bring their torches at home. Everyone has torches. It is a must have since the Reapers are afraid of the fire. Not that they wish that Reapers will attack them but it was a sense of safety and readiness. It is the only thing that keeps them safe from the monsters since their weapons does no good to those creatures.

"The council has spoken of your punishment" Rila said in a totally dead dry voice. Serra and Maria suddenly stopped and turned to her. Water dripped in Serra's fingers. Rila sat on the chair and crossed her long legs, they were like spider limbs. "You will be watering the whole farm for the next four weeks" There was no hint of hesitation in her voice.

Serra flinched and her heart sank. "What?" she said in shock. She curled her hands into fist on her sides. "That's too much!"

Rila didn't answer. She just stares at her, poker face. But she knows in her eyes where words she would like to say. 'That's what you got for helping a monster. You deserve the punishment. Suffer with it'.

Rage starting to whirl inside her. It's unfair, she thought. She don't deserve such hard punishment for helping her friend. The farm was huge; there are large fields of potatoes, carrots, beans, tea, and others. Thinking of it already exhausted her.

"Well," Rila finally said. "It's not my decision. It's the council's."

Serra was about to protest but she realized there's no point. It was declared and she can't do anything about it but to follow. She felt a hand on her shoulder and saw her mother with a thoughtful smile. She didn't say anything but her eyes spoke a lot.

Rila stood up and turn to her room.

"Don't you want to eat with us honey?" Maria said to Rila in her sweet calm voice.

"No" Rila answered without looking back at them. "I've eaten already". Then she closed her door with a snap.

Serra met her mother's eyes. "I'm so sorry honey" Maria said sadly. She knows her mother would help her in many ways but this time, she can't. The council will be furious if she interfere.

Her eyes started to glimmer as tears surfaced on them. She took a deep breath and tried to shove the tears away.

"It's okay mom" she said sadly, sounding defeated and gave a faint sad smile.

......

Serra fixed her bed and then wanders out of her room. Maria was not there anymore but there's a pot of hot tea boiling on the fire. Its scent was pleasant and comforting. She picked up a cup and then fills it up with tea. There are boiled sweet potatoes on the other pot and she get some of it then sat up thoughtfully on the chair.

She ate, her eyes on the door - though she don't know why she's looking at it gingerly - and her mind was wandering somewhere, lost in thoughts.

She peeled the potatoes and took a bite. It was a little dry and chalky but it tastes sweet and creamy. She sipped her tea and swallowed, bringing all the contents of her mouth down to the stomach.

She could hear Rila in her room snoring, deep in her sleep. She had her shift last night and she got home when Serra's still asleep.

Serra took again a mouthful bite of the potato and sipped her tea. She felt a sudden kick of energy as her body absorbed the food in her system. She felt energized and alive.

She could see streaks of sunlight poured through the holes of their cabin, announcing that the sun is up and she have to go.

She finished her tea quickly in which she almost got her mouth burned and washed the cup. Without her mother to fix her hair, she combed it with her fingers and tied it lazily in a disappointing ponytail. Tendrils of her silver gray hair strangle down beside her ear which looks like ashes in mid-day.

She stalked out from their cabin and then headed to the farm.

It's the third week of her punishment since that day happened. The council decided to stop the trade for months as the Badbloods outside grew savage and meaner. Some protested to stop the trades but the captain and Maddy insisted to continue but not in the moment, they would give the families of the fallen to grieve for their loss.

The last two weeks has been so hard for Serra. Some villagers would glare at her when they see her around. Their heads would tilt to an impossible angle, glaring and following her until she vanished in their sight. Maddy even yell at her for no reason and Rila got even colder and colder, cold as the ice beyond the mountains. But she's gotten used to it. She learned the art of ignoring them like they're dust in the wind, invisible and useless.

The sun above shone brightly in the sky, giving a little pang of heat on her skin. She's up a little early today and she can see dews of water drops clinging on the tips of grasses and flowers. She took a glance at Mira's cabin, the flowers outside withered and dying. The sight pinched Serra's heart. She imagined Mira every morning watering her beloved flowers, talking to them like they're humans, touching them gently like a toddler. She remembered Mira telling her that plants can hear you if you talk to them. Now that she's a Badblood and can control plants, she wonders if it's true.

It seems like Agatha was not caring Mira's flowers anymore and it hurts her as it was her friend’s memory. She wanted to take them and take care of them but she knows she can't, Agatha will not let her. Soon those flowers will die but the memories of Mira will always live in her heart and soul.

Serra passed the village kitchen and saw Maria cooking. She wanted to wave at her mother but she didn't saw her so she walked straight to the field. There at the edge were water vessels for her. She picked it up and headed towards the river.

Serra was halfway watering the farm and her muscles now aching in excruciating pain. The distance from the river to the field is quite long so she have to carry the vessels in that distance. Though she do it for the last two weeks, her body still not used to such pain and torture. It would take her a whole day to finish watering the fields but her body can't do it anymore. Her fingers now trembling and her legs hurt. It was like she walked on coals of fire every time she took a step.

She lie down on the riverbank, flat to the ground under the cool shade of the tree. It was noon and the sun above burns in an unforgiving heat. The sky was cloudless, blue and clean. She closed her eyes, letting her body rest and absorbs the cold sensation of the grasses beneath her.

She recalled what her mother said on the night they talked. It was in this river where she found out that she's a Badblood. Maria told her that she was playing alone in the river, trying to catch some fish the way kids do then suddenly her fingers glow like the sun, bending the light to the water. She was scared and terrified, but luckily no one is around and saw her. After then, Maria never visits the river again and she learned to control and hides her power to everyone.

Then she remembered Mira in this same river. Her eyes on Maddy while twitching her hands and the grasses strangled the old lady. Her heart ached on the memory.

She sighed. A lot of things happened in this river, all the good things and the bad things. The river has been the witnessed of all the laughter and joy they shared as they play together on the riverbank and its peaceful water. All the tears they spilled as they come and cry when the world beats them. All the frustrations and heartaches they can't voice out. The river has always been there. It was their comfort place and it will never be the same again now that Mira's gone. The unfillable space beside her will always long for her friend's presence. She will always miss her beautiful smile and face. She cleared her mind as her heart starting to feel heavy.

..............

She bolt upright as she heard the loud blare of the horn. She jerked and quickly stood up. Her heart slamming against her ribcage and she was shaking. She felt like all her nerves were given a shot of caffeine, alive and alert. All the pain she felt on her body was suddenly gone as gush of terror and horror rose up inside her. She knew what that sound means. It was the sound she prayed she never want to hear. Three beats of the drum means the traders were leaving or they just came back and the sound of the horn means there's a Reaper attack. The world suddenly felt silent and all she could hear was her breathing and her heart beating in an abnormal rate. She ran.

She passed the fields, stepping on them and saw everyone in panic. They were crying and shouting. She felt dizzy as she saw everyone running, looking for their sons and daughters. Serra was breathing hard as she passes the Captain's house and dashed through the crowd.

"Bring the children and the elderly in the storage house!" shouts the captain. Everyone followed, dragging kids and hauling them to the storage house.

Serra passed through the crowd searching for her mother. She saw her near their cabin, looking scared and terrified, holding a torch and a match on her hand. Her eyes flying around looking for her and her sister. She could see her chest rising and falling in horror.

"Mom!" Serra shouts as she dash toward her. Maria looked in her direction and a gush of relief hits her. Maria hugged her then broke off.

"What's happening" Serra asked, her voice was shaky.

"Reapers are trying to get in" she said.

The gates trembled like some force outside pounded against it. They all look at it at once and whimpered in terror. Serra's body tighten.

"Archers!" The Captain shouted overpowering the crowd of cry and horror. "Shoot them!"

The archers set their tip on the burning cauldron beside them and aimed for the monsters. The arrows fly in a wheezing sound piercing the air. Serra didn't see where those flaming arrows landed but she heard a shrieking sound outside. The arrows can't kill or wound those monsters but it can scare them off.

The gates stopped shaking for a moment but trembled again. Everyone cried. Serra's heart now pleading to come out as it slammed violently in her chest. Her lungs busy filling itself with air.

"Sir! They're not going away" shouts the archer; his voice was rough like sandpaper. "They still keep lunging at the gates!"

"Keep firing!" the captain said in a solid tone. The archers followed.

Serra doesn’t know where to look at. The archers above the wall shoots their flaming arrows outside, there she saw Rila near the gate giving commands to the other patrols, there were others who held a burning torches in their hands, there were crying kids looking for their parents, there were crying parents panicked looking at their kids, there running and walking and shouting. It was a crowd of noise and the sight makes Serra's head hurt. She felt dizzy. She felt lost in all these noise and the terror overwhelmed her.

Maria held her hand and she turned her face looking at her mother. Her eyes were dark, full of unfathomable horror she felt inside. "Serra" she said locking her eyes at her. "Stay here, okay? Here" She gave the torch to Serra and she held it tightly in her hands. "I will come back". Then Maria dashed and disappeared to the crowd.

She stood there shaking, holding the torch in her hands.

"Everyone light up your torches!" the captain shouts.

They all did and in the moment, fire burns proudly on their torches, the red hot flame dancing in the tip. Gush of warmth envelopes the whole village, adding the horror inside them.

On the crowd she saw Maddy crying, holding a burned torch in her hand. "Rodrigo!" She called and looked around. Her tears smeared her ugly face. "Rodrigo!" She called again but Rodrigo didn't show up. She then disappeared into the crowd, along with the cries and shouting.

The gates trembled again and she could hear the sound of the hinges giving up. She swallowed and felt her throat dried. The gates were about to be destroyed. Everyone fall back, the torches in front of them.

"Sir!" the man on the tower shouts. "We have run out of arrows!"

The captain was silent for a moment. Serra could see his face, horrified and afraid. His heart pounding and his mind was blocked with terror which hindered him of thinking what to do. He swallowed hard.

"Everyone step back!" He finally said. There are still children wandering around, crying and lost as they looked up, searching everyone’s faces. "Form circles and enclosed the children. Now!"

They all followed. They gather up in groups sandwiching the kids in the centre while they all looking outside the circle, torches in front.

Serra was now trembling in fear waiting for Maria. She didn't move as what her mother told her. She wanders her eyes around, tipping her toes looking for her mother. Her heart sank in relief when she finally saw her running towards her with burning torch in her right hand. There's a canister if oil tucked in her hips that sways as she run.