Whispers From Below

Chapter 6

 School break started in the beginning of summer which meant being able to spend late nights at the bakery. Jace had left for a few days, so Ryland and I were left alone to prepare a very important order for the King of Ernaline who lived in Lambegus where Jace lives. His name is Evander and he would have us send out breads and sweets to the city every so often or request that Ryland even go to the Kingdom.

I stayed super late tonight, to the point of actually falling asleep and woke up in the small bed Ryland had set up for me. Since it was becoming common for me to stay late and he would not want me walking alone at night. Some nights Ry would have to step out for a while and not be able to take me home. I stayed late here purposely now, since it was better than going home to angry nuns and taking care of the kids.

Though I did miss June and Henry and it did put an ache in my heart. I was distancing myself from them even more now since they are being looked at for adoption. I think that slowly breaking away from them would be easier than not having them one day ever again. Though it is probably going to be hard no matter what.

The mumbling in the other room had woken me up, furious yet quiet arguing. Rubbing my sleep away I walked out to see Ryland speaking with a cloaked man, who stopped talking and looked straight at me.

"Who's this little one?" A grin slowly crept across his lips, while Ryland whipped around to me.

"Someone who needs to get back to their room." Growling through his teeth he bared at me.

Wide eyed and nodding with fear, my body automatically turned and went back into my small room. Trying to listen to their conversation was useless since they ended up walking out of the backroom. So I decided maybe it was just a good time to go back home and snuck out the back door to the alley.

Kardama in the very early morning was always peaceful, it was mostly quiet except for bugs and birds singing. The fog was pretty thick due to humidity, yet it was starting to break up with the sunrise.

Walking up to the front gates I noticed the entrance was cracked slightly open. I assumed someone must have just gone out quickly to pray and would be back soon.

Anticipating being yelled at right upon getting into the foyer for staying at the bakery again all night I tiptoed in but was met with a deafeningly quiet building.

Slowly and cautiously moving forward looking out for the Nuns, I stepped onto a part of carpet that sloshed and squished under my shoes with wetness. Gross, this better not be vomit or baby poo, fearfully looking down.

It definitely was not anything that came out of a baby's mouth or bum, but a pool of dark red liquid. Small bare footprints trailed in a skipping pattern to the dining room in the back. My head told me to turn around and leave to get help but my heart and gut kept pulling me forward to the threshold of the room.

The foul smell hit me before I looked, smelling just like a slaughterhouse, copper and warm meat. The summer heat was definitely not helping with it.

My eyes followed from the footprints on the ground and into the room, to a scene that was immediately and would be forever imprinted into my mind.

Sister Nan was the first to be noticed since her upper half was nearly at the doorway, arms stretched forward and mouth ajar as if screaming and trying to crawl away.

The rest of her was torn off and twisted in half at the waist with her legs caught up in the chandelier above. Intestines and gore hung and trailed behind leading to her torso. Ribs poking out like spikes and her lungs spilling out of their cavities.

The scene got worse while looking around, all the toddlers were torn to shreds, their tiny body parts thrown around the room. There was no way to know who was who, or what belonged to who.