I'm Trying to End This Possession

Natty also helped me get dressed.

 

“Except for your ankle, you seem fine, so you could participate in the ritual.”

 

What ritual is everyone strongly urging participation in? Just as I was about to ask,

 

“Look at her, what’s she doing?”

 

A girl emerged from a path and came running, panting.

 

What’s with her?

 

She looked dirty, as if she had rolled in the mud. Was she rushing to bathe?

 

But then,

 

“Where do you think you’re going, girl?” An older woman caught the girl’s arm. “Come on, let’s go home, shall we?” She dragged her away, surprisingly violently.

 

“Oh gosh, she’s at it again.”

 

“She still hasn’t come to her senses.”

 

The village women just laughed and chatted casually, showing no concern.

 

The dissonance caused me to feel profound discomfort. Is this funny? They’re dragging a girl away like she’s a slaughtered animal. But there was more.

 

“Help me, please!” The girl looked at me and cried out. “Please, save me!”

 

What? I instinctively stood up. Save her? What’s going on?!

 

“Aah, it’s okay.” Natty gently pressed me back down. “It’s not a big deal. She does that often.”

 

She whispered as if feeling sorry for the girl. “That girl is a little unwell in the head. Poor thing.”

 

The other women clicked their tongues in agreement.

 

“Poor thing, her parents must be suffering.”

 

“She stirs up the whole village like this at least once a week.”

 

“Tsk, tsk, she’s so pitiful.”

 

Unwell? I looked at the girl being dragged away with a hardened expression. The girl was now being dragged away with her mouth covered.

 

“You know, those kids who are a bit slow.”

 

“Remember when she went into that forest and got lost? The whole village couldn’t sleep and worked so hard to find her.”

 

“Lady, you don’t have to worry.”

 

“Come on, don’t worry about her.”

 

I silently watched them. They were so ordinary women you could commonly see on the street. They repeatedly waved their hands, saying it was no big deal.

 

“I see…” I replied quietly.

 

I wasn’t naïve enough to blindly trust their words. However,

 

“I understand.” I just nodded. It wasn’t like I was foolish enough to openly reveal my suspicions. More importantly, I didn’t have the luxury to worry about other things right now.

 

“That’s really unfortunate.”

 

* * *

It was on the way back after finishing bathing.

 

“Dana!”

 

I heard Carl’s shout from afar.

 

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you.”

 

“Un…” I almost called him uncle but managed to swallow the words.

 

“Did you just take a bath?”

 

“Yes.”

 

As Carl approached, the women who had been chattering just a moment ago suddenly became shy.

 

“I-I helped her out. She seemed like she wanted to take a bath.”

 

“Thank you, Natty.”

 

Carl said that and lifted me up. He must have been searching for me for quite some time; his breathing was a bit heavy. His chest, pressed against mine, rose and fell rapidly.

 

“Let’s go back, Dana.”

 

“Wait a minute…”

 

I tugged at his collar. It would be difficult if we just went back. I needed to lure Carl to ‘that place.’ By coincidence, this bathing area was near the very spot I had been searching for. Just a bit further, and we would reach it.

 

There wasn’t much to do. All I needed to do was show Carl that scene.

 

“Can’t we take a little walk before heading back? It’s so suffocating…”

 

I thought he would naturally accept since it was my request. However,

 

“Please be patient.” Carl gently but firmly refused. “Sometimes, feeling stifled isn’t a bad thing.”

 

What is he talking about? I was baffled and spoke again.

 

“Ah, but I—”

 

“Let’s go back and rest. Okay?”

 

“Um? But—”

 

“Please.”

 

“…”

 

He cut me off before I could say anything. It wasn’t like him.

 

What’s going on? Was something happening?

 

Was something happening?

 

“Hey, Carl!”

 

When they were passing through an open area, some men shouted.

 

“Carl, there you are.”

 

“Why don’t you join us for a drink here?”

 

When did they get so friendly? However, Carl just gave them a smile of refusal and walked quickly without answering. Moreover, I felt as if he was turning his body so I couldn’t be seen. Almost as if he was…

 

Is he hiding me?

 

It was as if he was trying to hide me from the villagers.

 

* * *

There was definitely something going on. I sensed it and didn’t say anything afterward.

 

When we get to the mill, he will tell me something. That’s what I thought. But when we arrived…

 

“Is it tasty?” Instead of saying something, Carl fed her more bread. “Here, have some milk with it.”

 

Gulp. As I drank the milk he gave me, I glared at him. Like a mother bird, Carl was focused on feeding me.

 

“Uncle.”

 

“Eat more, eat more.”

 

“…”

 

I was convinced. Carl was deliberately avoiding conversation.

 

“I saw a carriage in the stable.” Pretending not to notice my gaze, Carl wiped the milk from my mouth. “If we take that carriage, we can leave… Dana?”

 

I finally grabbed his hand tightly. “Uncle, what’s going on?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Why won’t you say anything? There must be a reason.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Uncle, are the villagers forcing us to attend the ritual?”

 

Carl’s expression vanished. He was silent for a moment and then asked back. “How did you know?”

 

“I’m not an idiot. How could I not know?”

 

This village was very strange. Even aside from that girl being taken away.

 

They’re too kind.  They made crutches for me, gave me soap, lent me clothes, helped me bathe, and even applied fragrant oil on me.

 

This isn’t some generous rural village.  They’re people who live in a ghost town on another continent. They must have their stories, and they couldn’t be affluent, yet they were being kind, providing soap, oil, and clothes. There had to be a purpose.

 

“…Yeah. They kept insisting that both of us should attend the ritual today.” Carl finally sighed and admitted it. “That’s why they’re being so nice.”

 

The conversation had reached this point, so I couldn’t help but ask. “What exactly is this ritual?”

 

“You don’t need to know.”

 

“…”

 

It was an immediate answer without hesitation.

 

I narrowed my eyes. We’ve come this far, and you won’t tell me?

 

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