by Albert Oon
“I’m sure that we’re making some kind of positive progress.” I hope. “Let’s make the walk less boring by talking more. Tell me more about your life back home.”
“Okay. I was gifted everything as I said, so I didn’t get out much and didn’t have any friends at least offline. I read manga and theology books, played video games, and watched a lot of horror movies. Sometimes, I played with my brothers and sisters who were jealous, but also not at the same time because of what I had to do. They both admired me and were jealous.”
“That sounds like a decent life for someone who is born to be sacrificed. My family was loving but strict with me. Go to college, do your homework, get scholarships, do internships, blah, blah, blah. I wish I could do what you did all day. Hey, when we’re out of here, let’s meet up! Where do you live?”
“I haven’t memorized my address since I’ve never had a reason to, but I know that I live in Philadelphia, PA on…South street? There’s a park and a line of stores near a dinner close to where I live. My house is on the corner. I’m sorry if that’s not the best description”
“I know where that is! You live down the street from me!”
“That’s great and somewhat coincidental. You said you have seven brothers and sisters? That means your parents already had a replacement for you.”
“What do you mean? They didn’t act like I was replaceable.”
“It’s a tradition for the families involved in this practice to have seven children in total since the number seven is the perfect number. My family and the other families I know do this to increase their wealth. Your family is doing the same.”
“Since you know more about this than I do, I guess you’re telling the truth. They lied to me my entire life for their own gain?”
“Hey, hey, hey! Don’t cry! It’s going to be okay. There are other kids like you, so don’t feel alone in this. I’m going to help you get through this.”
“Oh, that’s right, there are other people here like me! Why was I thinking so selfishly just about myself? I can’t wait to get out of here and give my parents and their parents a piece of my mind! Thank you for the reminder, Daiki. Let’s go!”
“I’m glad you’re reinvigorated, Sakae. Let’s continue forward and prove our parents and these demons wrong!”
After walking further for a bit, we find a weird mansion. “What do you think is in there? I’m feeling a cold breeze coming from it.”
“I’m feeling it too. Let’s go in there. Maybe it will hold a clue as to how to escape here.”
“It feels so weird in here. It kind of feels the same as when I first entered this dimension.” Daiki is oddly quiet of all times. I barely hear his footsteps. “What do you think? Daiki?”
“Daiki? Where did you go? Daiki!”
“Daiki is no longer here with you, Sakae.”
“Who are you, and what did you do to Daiki?” I feel like I’ve seen this spirit’s face before.
“You should know me. I am your great-grandfather after all.”
“I remember now. I’ve seen your picture and grave. Is it really you great-grandpop?”
“It is, Sakae. You might not remember me because you were an infant when I died.”
“What are you doing here, and where did my friend go?”
“This dimension is where the families who sacrifice their third child go. We live in harmony together, so why won’t you join us?”
“I’m sorry (not really), but I’m not going to be doing that. This is wrong, great-grandpop. How could you be a part of this tradition?”
“How could I? How could you not want to be? The sacrifices of our ancestors have guaranteed the continued success and happiness of our family for generations. Don’t make the mistake of resisting us. Otherwise, we’ll have to give you a painful death.”
“Get away from me. If my family so easily sacrifices the lives of their children, then I’d rather not be related to you.” I run away from my great-grandpop and further into the building. Maybe there’s a secret here I can find that will lead me to an exit. Dang. A door locks behind me as I enter a room.
“Look at me, Sakae. Do you really want to let me down?”
“Grandma?!”
“Yes, it’s me. You know that I would never do anything to you if I knew it wasn’t good for you. Please, Sakae, do it for the family. Don’t you hear their suffering?”
“No, I will not. I thought I knew you, grandma! I thought you were one of the greatest people ever! But now I know that’s a lie!”
“You can’t run away from here, dear. Once you’re inside, you stay in here until we say you can leave.”
“What?!”
“That’s right, and that boy you came in with? When a child enters this house, they enter the mansion of their family, therefore, you two are eternally separated until you give in to us.”
“I’ll never give in to you!” I bust down the door and try breaking down the front door with whatever I can find. “Come on already! You can’t keep me in here without me wrecking up the place.”
“Stop it already!”
“Oh no. Big brother. You’re here too?”
“All of our family is going to be here in this heaven eventually. You know our family will suffer if you don’t sacrifice yourself, so why are you being so selfish? I thought my little sister was better than that.”
“Stop messing with my head!” Sacrifice yourself. Do it for us. Do it for the people you love. Don’t you love your family? They’re in my head! I can’t control myself. Do it. Sacrifice yourself. We love you. Do it for us, Sakae!
“Hehehe. Okay, I’ll do it.” That’s not me talking. You can’t make me do this! You have no choice. You have to! You’ll learn later that you made the right decision. Someone help me! Oh? Daiki is here! How did he get here?
“Hey, Daiki. How did you get here?” We’ll possess him with a kiss. Hey, don’t do that! I barely know him! You can get to know him better when you’re here. Don’t come near me, Daiki. Save yourself!
“Are you feeling okay, Sakae? You don’t seem the same. Your skin looks whiter too.”
“I’m not feeling so good. Can you come over here? I need your help.”
“Ah. Sure.”
He’s going to fall for it. Prepare for your first kiss, Sakae. No, stop it! I can’t move my lips. I can’t make any noise. I’m sorry, Daiki, for putting you in this mess and for making you think we had a chance of escaping.
“Ah ha!”
“AAAHHHH!!!”
“Are you okay?”
“Wow! That was amazing! Where did you get that exorcism cross from?”
“Oh, this? I carried it with me in here. It’s always been something that has protected me, so I thought it would protect me in the afterlife as well. Ah, you’re welcome.”
I just gave him a big hug. “I cannot thank you enough. I thought we were goners for sure. Did you find a way out of here on your end?”
“I did actually. I made one of my relatives talk before I sent them packing. They said to go behind the execution mountain and into the town. That’s where we’re going to find the master of this tradition, meaning the one who started it all. If I can get this cross there, it should break the seal and free everyone from this place.”
“That’s amazing! Now, hurry, let’s get out of here before any more of our dead relatives attack us.” We quickly leave the building and head back to the execution hill.
I can’t wait to see the one who started this all and smack them across the head!
Chapter 3 – Undignified Unity
“This walk back is longer than I thought.”
“You’re right. I think it might actually be longer.”
“I’m right? I just thought I was getting tired and my patience for being here was wearing thin. Did we accidentally take a wrong turn? This forest does look the same no matter which direction we go. The only thing that really guides us is the vague light in the sky that sort of acts like a beacon and even that I can b
arely see.”
“Maybe this is like the mansion we were in. There could be some invisible force keeping us going in circles. I’m going to try to use my cross. Hmmm. Nothing. Let’s keep walking. It could just be our imagination then.”
“I hope it is.” I can’t stand magic and tricks that try to give people unfair advantages in life. Also, is it eternally nighttime here? Or is it just like this on the day where they’re executing people? The sky seems to have grown darker. Is it because we haven’t been sacrificed yet? “Hey, Daiki-!” Not again. He’s gone!
“Daiki! Are you out there?” Please be pulling a prank on me. It’s so lonely out here. I don’t want to end up like how I did last time.
“Boo! Ow! Ooow! Calm down! It was just a joke.”
“I’m going to shove your joke up your butt! Don’t you ever leave me again! You’re the one who has the only thing that can protect us!” I give him a hug.
“You go from zero to one hundred a lot, don’t you? Ow!”
“Don’t scare me like that again.”
“Okay, I promise.”
“Thank you.” We keep moving forward…did he just disappear behind a tree? Where did he go? “Daiki?” He’s gone…
He’s a dead man! “Come out Daiki so I can beat your face into the ground!” He has a lot of nerve doing this after he promised not to. I hear him running around. “Face me like a man so I kick you in your manhood!”
“Hello! Sorry I did that to you again. I couldn’t resist!”
I’m surprised what I said got him to appear. Why is he all the way over there? “Stop messing around already! I don’t want to stay here any longer.”
“Sorry but not sorry. Bye!”
I run over to where he is, but he’s gone. Where did he go and how is he doing this?
“Hey!” “Hello!” “Keep up, Sakae!” “Why are you standing there?” “Come on already!”
He keeps reappearing and disappearing. Is this really, Daiki?
“Boo!”
“Ah!” Another me just popped up behind a tree right next to me. “Who are you?”
“I’m you, silly!”
“How? I’m me so you can’t be me.”
“Of course I can. I’m you right now. You know doppelgangers and all that.”
“I don’t believe in superstitions like doppelgangers, so you can’t be me. Try again. Tell me who you are.”
“I’m not convincing enough? Awww. Okay, how about this? I know how many boys you’ve had crushes on, and the number is five. Two have blond hair, one has brown, and the last has black. You even have some feeling for Daiki.”
“How do you know this?”
“I’m you! Aren’t you convinced yet? If you aren’t, how about this? You have feelings of hatred for your family, but you also want to sacrifice your life for them. Don’t lie to me because I know what I think. You’ve had that thought in the back of your head ever since you knew about the sacrifices.”
“Nice try, but what my imagination thinks isn’t what I think. I love my family and want to prove to them that they never had to sacrifice anyone to be happy and successful. I also don’t want to be sacrificed no matter how good things seem for everyone as a result. It’s still wrong. I’ll ask again. Who are you?”
“Me? I’m Sakae! I’m a selfish girl who only cares about herself. I’m also ugly!”
“HEY! I’m not selfish and I’m definitely not ugly! I’m only doing what’s right. Also, you’re the ugly one!”
“That’s what I said! Now we’re or rather I’m, starting to agree with myself.”
“NO! I’m not talking to myself. I’m talking to someone or something else. You can’t fool me.”
“Aww. I thought I almost had you there. Okay, you win. As your reward for resisting me for so long, I’ll reveal who I am.”
“There we go. There’s nothing like living in your own skin.”
“What are you, and why do you look so creepy?”
“I am the unity of several spirits. My name is Tongyi. I watch over these forests and trap anyone inside who hasn’t been executed already. I try to convince people to agree with me and if they do, they’re trapped with me forever. The master of this dimension tells me everything I need to know about you so I can argue you into a corner, but fortunately for you, you were stubborn enough for me to give up.”
“Okay, but where is Daiki? What did you do to him?!”
“Each individual person faces a version of me or us, whatever you want to say. He could be failing as we speak.”
“Don’t you dare hurt him!”
“It’s all in his hands. You’re going to be seeing very soon if he failed or passed. Hahaha!”
“Coward! Come back here so I punch all the different versions of yourself! I still need to beat you for calling me ugly!”
I hope Daiki is alright. “Daiki! Are you out there? Did you beat Tongyi? Daiki?”
“Sakae! I’m sorry for leaving you again! This thing called Tongyi caught me in a trap and…oh. You aren’t mad?”
I give him a hug. “I was so worried about you. I’m sorry I said I worried about you just because you have the only thing that can protect us. I’m worried about you as well.”
“Um. Ok? I kind of already assumed you meant that.”
“You did? I’m so glad. Let’s get out of here. I don’t want to spend another minute in this forest.”
“Me neither, and uh, Sakae? Can you stop hugging me so much? I know you want to show your appreciation, but-”
“What? You don’t like them?”
“No, it’s not that. It’s uhh…nothing.”
“Okay!” He better not of said that he didn’t like them, otherwise, I would’ve had to beat him up.
Chapter 4 – Chilling Commander
We make it back to the execution hill to see that there are no more kids. Walking up the hill. I hope there were some that escaped to somewhere safe. I wonder. “Hey, why are children primarily sacrificed?”
“I think it has to do with how long the benefits for the sacrifice last. I remember hearing that the first child sacrificed was around the age of fourteen, so families will usually sacrifice their third child at or around that age.”
“I see. How do you think we’re going to get past the guards? There are so many of them and I see Zhenxing from here. He’s probably still mad at us for pinning him to the ground with his own spear.”
“I have an idea, but you’re going to have to put all of your trust in me and the cross.”
“I already do so you don’t have to worry about me.” Daiki and I walk around the execution hill while he holds up his cross. It radiates a light that gives away our location, but it also puts a shield around us.
“There you two are! Wait, what is that? That isn’t…”
“You thought this place was a heaven, but none of you can stand this symbol from the true Heaven.” The guards can’t manage to break our shield. Some even cower and run away. We get to the town behind the execution hill safely without a scratch on us. The cross stops glowing once we step foot in town and the shield disappears.
“You’re going to eventually die anyway. I suggest that you beg for a quick death by your executioners.”
“Oh yeah? They’re not going to be able to fight against us with the strength that we have. Right, Daiki?”
“Right! Let’s finish this terrible tradition once and for all!”
“Yeah, let’s.” The people around us look afraid. Some of them are giving us a nasty look, but they won’t do anything probably because the guards can’t do anything. This town looks a lot like where my family is from. The buildings are designed in a very old way, but they look pleasing to look at. From the looks of it, this is a nice town with happy people in it, well, used to be happy. There’s a large tower in the center of the town surrounded by a river. A single bridge connects to it, so Daiki and I go to it and find…wow.
“Hello there, Sakae and Daiki. I’ve been expecting you.”
T
his commander-looking man has several white heads with black eyes on them that have a weapon or appendage in their mouths. One of the heads even has an eye in its mouth. “Who or what are you?”
“My name is Xietiao. I am the general of the guards here and one of the first in my family to sacrifice myself for them. My family is one who always has their children in the army and law enforcement. We sacrifice our lives for what we love, so I did the same because I care about those who care for me unlike you two.”
“We aren’t the selfish ones, you are! You people forcefully sacrifice your children for the sake of worldly goods and happiness.”
“Do you really think that the sacrifice of a child is an easy one to make? The sacrifice for the love of your family is the most esteemed way to show them that you love them.”
“You’re making the decision way too easy and simplistic. Real people who dedicate their lives for their family work day and night to do so. They don’t just make a single painless decision that will instantly benefit them and theirs.”
“Silence! You talk a lot for a boy who knew he was going to die an early death. Speaking about that…”
“Look out!” Xietiao shoots out arrows from his one head that has a crossbow. We take cover behind the buildings behind us.
“These heads are the ones that challenged me and failed. You’re going to be added to my collection if you don’t make this easy for everyone and sacrifice yourself back at the execution mountain. Even if you come at me with your shield, I’ll just push you back. You might run out of stamina, but I don’t.”
“There are so few of them despite how many kids were sacrificed. Making it this far must be a miracle. What do you think we should do? Huh? Where are we going?”
I grab Daiki’s hand and lead him away. “Shh. I know what we can do.” I lead him to an archery place where I pick up a crossbow and several arrows. “I saw this place on the way here. I think we can use it against him.”
“That’s a great idea, but I feel like someone else would think about this idea. He might have a counter for this.”
