Devada squinted as the painting by Francis Bacon bled and fell. She walked while looking closely at the wall on which the painting rested. There are moving cracks that cause the coating to peel off. The pulse seems to be getting bigger and bigger. Devada’s body was dragged backwards when suddenly a head appeared from it. Explosive anger has now turned into rage. She couldn’t control her heart.
A child’s head appeared perfectly from within the wall. Pointed-toed fingers trailed down to the floor, dragging her body perfectly. The small body stood with long hair hanging down to cover part of the face. One of her black eyes pierced Devada full of hatred.
“Happy death day to you!” The characteristic voice of a child came out of the pale-faced figure. Her tall legs swing around Devada. Her small mouth didn’t stop singing a line of sentences in a low voice full of sorrow.
“What do you mean?” Slowly, Devada began to hold her head as if she was fighting a sudden radiating pain. The red liquid moved into the groove of the lips. Dev rubbed it roughly, making the red liquid smeared lightly on the rest of her face.
“Happy death day to you!” The same word slipped on the child’s blue lips. This time, accompanied by the ringing of a pinch of laughter. Devada tried to fight the great force that attacked her organs. The chaotic roar of breathing created a small growl. She moved forward to fight the shabby white-robed little girl. However, the child’s physical form slowly melted into a black mist that broke apart, leaving behind endless echoes of laughter.
“Argh!” Devada screamed out all the feelings that made her want to end her life.
“That damn brat … isn’t she the one I met in the forest?” mumbled Dev.
“Who’s she? What does that have to do with me?”
***
In the morning, all television channels reported about the death of a young man with severed genitals. Some members of the military police, and explorers speculated that a tribe of assassins in the forbidden forest had entered the populated area. Nick stood in front of the screen indecisive. Several times his Adam’s apple went up and down. He doesn’t know how many times, he had to deal with such a dilemma.
Turning off the television, Nick walked into his child’s room. Several knocks went unanswered, he immediately took out a duplicate key. Reluctantly, he entered without permission. Scattered items float in the eyepiece. The child was curled up under the bed. Exhaling, Nick approached the tall figure, and carefully moved her onto the bed. Seeing Dev’s tired eyes, Nick put off her goal.
“Dad!” Devada called out in a hoarse voice.
“Finish your sleep, you look exhausted!”
“I’m sorry about my attitude last night.”
“No problem! Get some rest!”
“No, I want to wake up!”
“Alright, clean yourself up! I’ll be waiting at the table. We have to talk!” Nick flashed a smile, then left Dev.
At the dining room table, Nick prepared white bread and various kinds of complements such as lettuce, tomato slices, beef patties, and jams of various flavors. He prepared warm UHT milk in a glass teapot. At a glance, his memory wandered to Jess and Elfara. Sorrow shone in the corners of the eyes. His mind wished, if only those two ribs were here. A dining room of that size wouldn’t be as cold as it is now. They will be a happy whole family. Nick really missed them. Especially to Elfara, who has not been found until now.
“Daddy!” The chair creaks. Nick came back to his senses.
“Hey, Son!” Devada glanced at her father, then busied herself with the breads that were served. The man forgot the current gender of his child.
“I don’t know if I deserve to be called that.” Devada said as she took a bite of the bread covered in peanut butter. Nick stopped chewing, feeling guilty for calling Dev by a slightly moody name.
“Dev, don’t be discouraged! Whatever your current physical form, you are still Daddy’s proud son!”
“Daddy, what do you want to talk about?”
“I’ll talk about it after you tell me about your condition last night.” Devada poured milk from a glass teapot into Nick’s empty glass until the white liquid was completely filled. Nick saw the worry on Devada’s face.
“Don’t hide anything from me!” said Nick.
“I was terrorized!” Devada said, drawing her father’s attention.
“How many are my enemies that Erhan’s family can’t escape terror? Tell me, what kind of person is bothering you!”
“Not from among humans!” Devada explained.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know if you will believe it or not. A girl from another world tried to kill me with a lyric. It has enormous power.
I’ve seen her when my soul flew into a strange forest while I was in a coma.”
“What?”
“What kind of forest?”
“I don’t know exactly! However, in that forest there is a strange village separated by a boiling river.” Nick is surprised to hear Devada’s story.
“Did you see a group of women with dragon tattoos?” Devada looked at her father in surprise. The man asked as if he knew something.
“When I went there, there was no one, but one woman who was going through torture that I didn’t know about. Just like you mentioned, that woman has a dragon tattoo on her arm. Her hair is black, long, and well groomed. Her eyeballs are blue, but can turn red, just like me when I’m in pain.” Devada stops her story, she catches something fishy on Nick.
“Why? You seem to know better, Daddy.” Devada drew the glass in Nick’s eye which was about to shatter. A new question that she had to get an answer for immediately.
“I don’t know what to say. Dev, those are the traits of your mother I know. Only she has blue eyes.” Devada was silent. Suddenly, her blood flow seemed to stop. Devada felt a pounding shake the recesses of her heart.
“If what you say is true, chances are, your mother is receiving punishment from her ancestors.” A series of anxieties instantly add to Nick’s list of misery.
“Punishment?”
“Dev, they will continue to harass you for the rest of your life. Boys are their taboo. That’s why they killed all baby boys born from their own wombs. It’s only fitting that Masma suffers her bad fate.”
“So … Daddy, what should I do?”
“Actually, what I want to say may be related. Dev, I heard on television, a young man died with a severed genital.” Nick’s words led Devada to think of something else. The girl wanted to know what Nick would say next.
“Then?” asked Devada, trying to figure out what conclusion the man in front of her would draw.
“We have to stop them before they fall to the next victims, especially you and our families! But how? After all, we are not equal opponents.” Nick believes the news of the murder is related to their supernatural enemy.
“I will go! They’ll follow me everywhere, right?” Devada deliberately did not tell about the truth. Let it be, Nick assumed like that.
“Okay! If it’s time, I’ll be with you.”
“What about mommy?” Nick looked thoughtful for a moment.
“I have no other choice. I’ll leave this task to Doctor Michele.”