Animals possess spirituality. The firefighters gaped at the blood-drenched cat, its front paws mangled, flesh and blood scattered around, even revealing stark white bones. Yet, it seemed immune to pain, sorrowfully digging through the rubble.
Witnessing this, many were moved to tears.
At that moment, Mimi, crouched on the ground, suddenly tensed. There lay a hand, adorned with the bracelet Hamish had given, its once sparkling locks now dull, covered in blood and ash.
“Meow…” Mimi nudged the hand with its head, wanting the touch of the familiar hand, but it remained still.
Mimi licked the nail-less fingers, then trembling, raised its front paw, bone visible, attempting to clasp the bracelet with its mouth, as if trying to pull the person out. However, being just a cat, weakened by injuries, it whimpered helplessly with the chain in its mouth, its blue eyes brimming with tears.
“Someone’s here…” a firefighter hurried over.
Mimi growled, defensively, baring its teeth, not allowing them to approach. It was just a cat, small and weak, now easily crushed by a foot. Facing the towering firefighters, it was afraid, yet more afraid of losing someone important, determined to protect the person behind.
“Little one, we need to get the person pinned down here out,” the firefighter approached.
“Meow.” Mimi seemed to understand, sensing no malice from these people. It glanced back at the hand, its eyes wet, then limped aside, watching attentively.
The firefighters removed the boards and stones pressing down. Upon seeing the woman trapped below, even the experienced fire chief gasped, everyone’s brows furrowed, carefully carrying the person out.
The accompanying medical staff examined, then shook their heads after a while.
“She’s gone, she’s dead…”
“Impossible!” Hamish rushed forward, hearing this statement. His face grew paler by the second, his already pallid complexion now drained of color. “She can’t be dead! Get out of my way!”
The sudden outburst startled the firefighters and medical staff. They exchanged glances, then stepped aside, clearing the area.
A chilling wind blew, unnerving everyone. Despite the sounds outside, Hamish felt an eerie silence, so profound he could hear his own heartbeat.
He staggered towards her. With each step, a sharp pain pierced his chest, as if a hand had reached in, twisting and tearing at his heart. The sudden agony made him clutch his chest.
He could self-hypnotize: Elisa wasn’t dead. The woman lying breathless in the rubble might not be Elisa.
The woman’s body bore extensive burns; her bare feet charred beyond recognition. His gaze moved upward, blurry fingers, the bracelet on her right wrist, then the disfigured face.
Reality was cruel. He could delude himself about the burnt extremities, but if her face was equally disfigured, then the person lying there couldn’t be Elisa.
But her face had been cleaned, half pale as paper, the other half a bloody mess.
He had witnessed a punishment once, branding an iron onto a face. Elisa’s half-face now resembled that exact image.
In that moment, something indescribable collapsed within him.
He stared blankly at Elisa, his mind aching, physically and emotionally drained, his brain reeling from the shock. Tragedy always struck without warning.
Everything had been going so well these past few days. Elisa hadn’t cried or complained, she had spoken to him. Just three more months, and she would have recovered…
Why didn’t she wait for him? Why couldn’t she have waited a little longer?
At that moment, all his self-righteousness evaporated. He felt weak and feeble, faced with his beloved, now lying disfigured by the fire in the rubble.
Mimi watched as Hamish, despite the pain, stood in front of Elisa, growling and snarling at him. The cat, once close to him, now treated him as an enemy, full of resentment, as if wanting to tear him apart. What had he done in these past few months? Even Mimi detested him.
He had only wanted the best for Elisa, yet the outcome was nothing like he had envisioned.
Two hours ago, Elisa’s sudden call, Finn’s “gift” for Elisa, the video that played on the big screen, revealing Lila’s true identity, nine years of deception.
It was like waking from a dream. From the moment they had mistaken each other, their fate had been sealed as a tragedy. No matter how he tried to make amends, to apologize, it only worsened the wound.
Even their embraces, kisses, holding hands-all these intimacies became hurtful actions.
Not to mention his hand in abortingElisa’s child, indirectly causing her legs to be trapped in a wheelchair. Just as Elisa had said: a bird with broken wings cannot survive.
“Bang.” Hamish knelt down, sharp stones piercing his knees, but he felt nothing, not even a furrowed brow. He gazed at Elisa’s intact half-face, then reached out.
A sharp pain shot through his hand as Mimi bit down on it, emitting a mournful “wuwu,” filled with anger and tears.
Hamish didn’t struggle. He used his other hand to grasp Elisa’s right hand. The bracelet, which Elisa had never been able to remove, slipped off with a gentle tug.
His gaze followed it down. It was the first birthday gift he had ever given Elisa, a specially made bracelet with a small lock as an ornament, requiring his key to unlock.
Despite numerous attempts, Elisa had never been able to remove it. Now, her right hand, burnt to the bone, the bracelet fell off in the most agonizing manner.
Hamish froze. His eyes were empty and lifeless, tears streaming down his face as he looked at Elisa lying on the ground, feeling suffocated.
“Is this your ‘surprise’ for me, Elisa? I thought I was cruel, but you’ve outdone me. I know you resent me for confining you here, but I only wanted to compensate, to cure your stomach cancer.”
“Elisa, please don’t sleep. Open your eyes and look at me. Don’t play this joke on me. You were going to leave, right? I was going to heal your legs, and then you could leave. I won’t keep you here…”
“Elisa, I was truly wrong…”
No matter what he said, there was no response. He knelt alone in the cold wind, shivering uncontrollably, as if deafened.
This time, the wolf had truly come.