Ananiel

Traversing throughout the market district, Monty keeps his head high, walking with an exaggerated stride. Barely keeping up with a brisk walk, I stumble along the sidewalk. Suddenly, something taps on my shoulder.

“Where were you?”

I glance to Lily's concerning pout.

“Uh… can I explain later? I got invited for food by this guy.”

I point to Monty, who slows down his pace and waves back to Lily.

“Fine, but I’m coming with. Don’t vanish on me like that next time, please?”

I nod and we continue onward to a rather run-down building. Without the “Restaurant” label, no one would assume that a business was here.

“Come on in! She serves good food here. And it’s cheap too!”

Monty smacks his lips in anticipation and swings the door open.

“Hello, granny! Are you there?”

He calls out to the empty restaurant, but to no response.

“Are you there, Granny?”

Calling out again, concern twists into his face as he darts to the kitchen. There were no signs of activities in the kitchen. The stove was cold and yesterday’s firewood was ashened. Monty, slightly relieved, comes back to us with a hesitant smirk.

“Wait here… I will check upstairs”

Lily and I look at each other as Monty goes upstairs.

“Should we go up with him?”

I look at Lily as she shrugs and goes up the stairs anyway. Not knowing what to do, I also shrug and follow along.

Stepping past the creaky stairs, we both peer into an open doorway. Getting closer, Monty crouched by the bedside, holding onto a wrinkly, and rough hand.

“Please wake up…”

Monty pushes words through his brewing worry. We get closer, standing beside the door. Suddenly, with a slight shuffle under the bedsheets, the old lady’s eyes snap open. Twitching her finger along Monty’s hands, she stares off into the ceiling.

“Are you awake?”

Monty asks, glancing up from the floor. The old lady chuckles and slowly turns around the bed.

“Yes, I’m awake now. Keep those tears for later.”

Patting monty on the head, the old lady pushes herself upright and looks towards us.

“You even brought friends over! There’s no need to be sad.”

Giving us a smile, she gestures for us to come over.

“What a familiar young man, you remind me of someone. But I don’t seem to remember.”

She directs her eyes towards me. Scratching my head, I awkwardly chuckle and step back,

“Haha, that can’t be right. This is my first time here in this city!”

Seeing her unconvinced gaze, I tense up and keep quiet. The old lady also glances at Lily with a peering eye.

“You… weren’t you on the news?”

Lily smiles and walks over confidently,

“Indeed, I am quite well known for my looks.”

“I guess so, especially if I could remember it”

The old lady lets out a childish giggle and extends a hand to Lily,

“I’m Isabella. How about you two?”

Lily gestures to me,

“This is Clover, and I’m Lily”

“It’s nice to meet you both, how about I serve you all some food?”

Isabella brushes off Monty’s hand and tries to get out of bed. However, her legs give in as she tries to stand up, falling back to the bed.

“It seems my legs are tired.”

Attempting once more, Isabella tumbles forward as Monty catches her. Monty gives a concerning look,

“Please lay back down. There’s no need to push yourself, granny.”

Monty stops Isabella from getting up a third time. However, Isabella struggles against Monty’s small hands.

“I have to tend to the restaurant downstairs! There are guests, I can hear them shuffling the chairs.”

I closed my eyes and listened, but no sound was heard below. Lily and I looked at each other, confusion clearly plastered over our faces.

“What do you mean? I don’t hear anyone around.”

I take a ask as the words fall into Isabella’s ears.

“No that can’t be… Surely there’s guests down there. I need to go to the stove. I have to make today’s soup!”

Isabella clutches her legs as she attempts once more to get up.

“Come on, these legs haven’t failed me now!”

However, Monty stopped her from getting up. Tears start trailing down Isabella’s face as she starts cackling,

“Please… The guests below are starving. Do you not hear them pounding on the tables?”

Dead silence filled the air, not even a squeak from a mouse could be heard from below. However, her insistent pleas made us question our own hearing. Lily perks up,

“Fine, I will check downstairs. If there are customers down there, we will help carry you down. If there aren’t any, you will stay in bed. Deal?”

Lily hints annoyance in her tone as she glares at Isabella.

“Fine, have it your way. But I insist there are guests down there!”

Lily turns around and heads down. Isabella starts biting on her nails as she curls into a ball,

“I need to go down there… I need to go down there…”

She mumbles over and over as Lily turns the corner of the stairwell.

“I’m back.”

Lily smiles at Isabella. Isabella glares at her,

“I told you, didn't I? There’s guests down there. Please, let me down there now!”

“But there aren’t any guests. I couldn’t see anyone down there.”

Lily scoffs at Isabella who scratches her face and starts shaking violently.

“No! That can’t be! They demand my food! I can hear them shouting through the floor!”

Isabella screams as she flails her arms as exhaustion overcomes her old body and falls onto the bed.

“That can’t be… That can’t be…”

She mumbles over and over before passing out on the bed. Monty falls to the ground, and crawls away from the bed. Glancing at Monty I ask,

“What’s wrong with her?”

Monty gives a concerning look of confusion,

“I… I don’t know. Granny was never like this, at least from what I can recall…”

Scratching his head, he pulls up a chair and sits on the bedside.

“I will stay here and keep an eye on her.Can you bring me some food?”

“Sure, we won’t be gone too long.”

I respond, turning away from the bedroom. Lily and I glance at each other and we both search for another restaurant.

***

The quiet bedroom hummed its monotonous tones. A silence of sorts, where liveliness was displaced with stillness. This silence pressed Monty down on the chair. Not knowing what to do, he held still. Caught in a daze, Monty starts dozing off. Weariness tugged on his eyelids as the noises around started becoming dull and muted…

…

Monty sat in a chair as a sickly yellow light illuminated behind him.

Come to me… I will forgive you…

The light called out in a gasping, whispery voice. But the voice didn’t call out to him. A thin and pale figure raised from the bed, its hollow eyes peering directly to the light.

“What… a beautiful light…”

The figure whispered weakly. Raising its twig-like arms, its frail hands grasp towards an unknown warmth.

“Ah…”

Flames start sprouting from its fingertips as its sickly skin flakes away.

“No!”

Out of desperation, Monty grabs hold of the figure. The unusual fire trails across its arm, and scorches his finger tips.

Snapping awake, Monty rubs his cold fingertips as they quivered in pain. Suddenly, a voice breaks the subtle silence.

“Oh, you’re awake now.”

Isabella sat upright, smiling at something in the distance.

“Did you see the light? How absolutely delightful”

A restrained giggle forces its way from her throat. Rubbing her arm, she glances at Monty with an eerie smile. Monty sat there, a weight pressing down on his shoulders.

“I didn’t see anything…”

Monty mumbles quietly as Isabella starts cackling. Her laughter cuts off as she gazes at the wall ahead of her.

“You don’t have to tend to me. Please, give me some time alone hun.”

As if caught in a trance, Isabella continues staring at the wall.

“A-alright… I wait downstairs.”

Monty stumbles on the chair and rushes out the door.

***