Chapter 99 Chapter 99 - Yesteryear III (2/2)

He got onto his feet and grabbed the girl's hand, ignoring her slightly flustered expression as he ran back through the streets, ignorant of whether she could follow him. His heart was racing and he was short of breath, yet he ignored it all completely. It was only joy he felt at the moment, joy over finding someone to help him.

The two quickly raced into the courtyard of the orphanage and immediately saw Alison who was sitting beneath the tree, pressed into the snow, crying. The girl behind Lino glanced once at the girl and her eyes immediately sparkled like gems. Then she looked sideways at the boy and her curiosity deepened.

”It's-it's her, can you see her fairy?” Lino asked, smiling broadly. ”C-can you help her? T-take here away from this place, please!” he suddenly knelt into the snow and buried his head in it.

”... you really want me to take her away?”

”Yes! I'll... I'll do anything! Anything you want!”

”What can you do?”

”I... I...”

”He he, it's alright,” she said as she caressed his hair gently for a moment. ”I'll take her away.”

”Really?!” Lino exclaimed with glistening eyes.

”Yes, really.”

”G-great! Thank you, thank you so much!” although he wasn't this trusting usually, Lino didn't think much; he was grasping at any straw he could see. He couldn't stop himself from crying the tears of joy as he imagined Alison finally leaving this hellhole for a better place.

It didn't even take a few hours till he saw Sister Roa respectfully walking behind an elderly woman and the fairy Lino met, as well as Ally right behind them, her head bowed down. Lino had never seen Sister Roa so flustered and couldn't help but feel slightly gleeful over it. The elderly woman seemed to be ignoring her while the young fairy would only say a word or two.

They all spotted Lino standing in the off corner when they reached the courtyard's exit; Sister Roa's eyes were like fiery blaze, little fairy's were of playfulness, elderly woman's were of slight curiosity, while Ally's were of pain. Her gaze made his heart throb, but he endured it. Just as he was about to turn around and walk away, she saw her whispering something to the elderly woman upon which the latter nodded, followed by Ally walking over toward him in short strides. She was in front of him in no time, wearing new, spectacular cyan one-piece dress, already seeming slightly healthier than yesterday.

”... h-hey...” Lino said, smiling nervously.

”... you know Sisters will make your life a living hell now, don't you?” Ally said, her voice oddly cold.

”... yeah, I know.” Lino said, still smiling.

”I didn't ask you to save me.”

”I didn't ask you either.”

”You're younger than me.”

”You're a girl.”

”What's that got to do with anything?”

”Aren't guys supposed to protect girls they like? At least that's what grandpa Felix says.”

”... I--I'll come back, I promise,” she bit her lip, lowering her head and kneading against her thighs with her fists. ”I'll save you.”

”... you don't have to,” Lino added, smiling broadly. ”I'll be fine.”

”Like hell you will!!!” she suddenly screamed at him, her tears like glistening gems trickling down her cheeks. ”You're an idiot!”

”...” Lino looked at her in silence, unable to process it.

”I hate you!!” after a moment's stillness, she screamed yet again and ran off, not even pausing before bolting through the courtyard's exit, leaving behind only silence.

The elderly woman and the young fairy glanced at Lino once, the latter smiling and waving, before also departing, leaving Sister Roa and Lino alone in the ever-cooling courtyard. He thought back for a moment and realized this was the place he met her at, when she just came and after he spent his two-months' savings to buy an apple which he gifted her because she looked really sad. However, he didn't cry. He held it in. Being strong for her, at the very least for now, was the least he could do, he figured.

He looked up slowly and saw Sister Roa walking toward him, her stride quick and broad, arms hung at the sides, expression that of fury. Before she even said anything she sent her palm flying, hitting Lino's cheek squarely so hard he fell into the snow within a second, crying out in pain. He instinctively reached out and held his cheek while trying to roll backward, but before he could, he felt a foot splatter against his spleen, then his ribs, his back, legs, stomach, even had. Over and over, for nearly five minutes, she stomped on him like he was overgrowing weed. However, after the first time, he never cried out again, holding it in despite the pain.

”Hah, ha, ha,” Sister Roa puffed and panted after kicking and wailing for five minutes, clearly out of breath, still staring daggers at the young, bloodied boy beneath her feet. ”You little runt, you think you're clever, huh? I'll show you clever, mark my words!!”

”Shut up, you bitch.” slightly coarse and childish voice beckoned her, surprising her for a moment.

”What did you call me?!!”

”If it weren't for other kids,” Lino's head snuggled out of the snow as he looked at her; when her eyes met his, she suddenly felt chill far colder than winter blast against her soul. Those eyes... were void of emotion. They were cold, empty, as though he was looking at a bug rather than a person. ”I would rip your heart out and feed it to dogs, you selfish whore.”

”Y-you!! How fucking dare you, you lowlife?!!” kicking resumed, far harsher than before; she increased the strength partly because of anger, and partly because of fear. She didn't want him looking at her with those eyes; she'd occasionally see those eyes, after all. Those were the eyes of soldiers who killed and mowed life as though it was crop; she could hardly understand how a kid barely eight years old could look at someone like that... for the first time in her life, she felt true terror, one bounding any rationality a person had.