Eternal Bloodlust

If Anneth hadn't forced Misty to return home, the girl would still be there listening to her stories. Perhaps it was best for her. That she shouldn't go back.

Misty was thankful that she had remembered to bring eggs for her family; otherwise, who knew what Leona would have done to her?

When she got home, her three younger siblings were in the living room setting the table. Maggy, the youngest five-year-old, ran straight to her and screamed with joy when she saw her.

"What's taking you so long?" she asked, sounding worried.

Misty was overwhelmed as the little girl hugged her tightly, as if she had just returned from the battlefield.

"I'm so sorry, Maggy. But I have to find someone to sell eggs," Misty replied as she went into the house.

Maura, 14, and Minna, 20, set the table in the living room. They looked at Misty for a moment before continuing their activities. Misty didn't say anything because she knew they never spoke to her unless they needed something.

"I'm home!" Misty ran quickly to the kitchen in the next room to put the eggs and cheese down.

Maggy was still behind her, chatting away. Misty answered patiently, telling her how she met the injured black cat. Her sister had more questions for her.

But she kept the strange thing about a suddenly moving branch to herself. She didn't want to be seen as crazy.

At the moment, Leona was busy in the kitchen.

Their house was small, two rooms upstairs, a living room downstairs that doubled as a family room, then the kitchen. There were wood carvings on some parts of the house and stairs, which made Misty fall in love with the house.

Even though it was small, Leona kept the house clean and tidy.

"Something happened?" the woman asked with an unhappy face. Her hands were covered in flour.

"Nothing, just difficult to find anyone to sell eggs. Only Giorde from Ederma gave me eggs and cheese," Misty replied, watching as Leona took the eggs and put them in a basket, then picked up some fruit.

Misty stared at a bowl of flour, and when she saw sugar, she knew immediately that Leona was not making bread.

"You're making a cake?" asked Misty, looking happy.

"Yes. Go clean the floor, help your sisters!" Leona ordered.

Misty pouted because she was tired. Leona didn't even ask if she had any problems. At least she asked if she was hungry. She hadn't had breakfast yet.

The house was indeed clean, and Leona kept it that way. But it was mostly Misty's hard work that indirectly caused it.

Misty picked up the mop when she heard Maura asking Minna, "What present did you ask Mom for?"

Misty realized immediately. It was her sister's birthday. And her birthday. In spite of the fact that she was supposed to be happy, she felt uncomfortable.

It was as if her heart was suddenly broken.

Misty realized from the beginning that Leona treated her differently than her younger siblings, and she knew the reason when she turned fifteen. That she had been found by her foster father on a snowy night, on Minna's birthday.

She didn't know exactly when she was born, as Leona thought she was at least three months old at the time. But to make things easier for her, they decided to use the day she was found as her birthday.

And she hated it. Obviously, Leona never liked to make a celebration for her.

Even when her father was alive, Leona was clearly reluctant to show affection. She still didn't understand why Leona didn't give her to someone else if she didn't want to take care of her.

But she knew. There was no one in Odessa who wanted to care for her. She also understood better why she was always called a witch's child and why her parents never protected her from those accusations.

If she really was a witch's child, where was her mother?

"Misty, are you going to give Minna something?" asked Maura, interrupting Misty's reverie.

Misty looked at Maura, then at Minna. Minna would definitely get a present from Leona with her money. She had given her a gift once that her sister ignored. So why would she give something if her sister never liked it?

Instead of answering, she smiled at Maura, "How about yourself? Are you going to give me a present?"

Maura frowned. "You're the one who works, how can you ask me for a present?" she said.

"Sorry, I don't have time to get a gift. And it's okay if you don't get me a present. Just a happy birthday," Misty said. She knew she should have kept quiet because they would just make drama out of everything.

Minna smiled simply. A smile that Misty often interpreted as contempt. Because the girl knew her mother would side with her and get her way.

Maura chuckled in dissatisfaction. "I know you are selfish, but you are the one who works in this family. You get a lot of money from Andrew's family."

Misty felt resentment creep up in her heart. But she had to control herself. She would regret picking a fight with them based on her experience.

She didn't know what grudge Maura had against her, but that girl was very good at making her guilty. And Leona was not smart enough to decide anything. In the end, she was the problem.

Misty worked to help Andrew's family. They were merchants, so Misty usually went to the market with them during the day. But because of the terrible things that happened in the village, they decided not to trade that week.

Besides, the income they received wasn't enough for their needs? Misty even forgot the last time she bought something for herself.

It felt suffocating to hear people who couldn't even feed themselves, who still depended on her, calling her selfish. But Misty always tolerated it because she thought Maura was still immature.

She was sure that her siblings' disrespectful attitude towards her was because they saw how Leona treated her. They felt entitled to putting her down because Leona never taught them a lesson.

Meanwhile, Minna remained silent. She went back to cleaning the chair.

Misty looked away and decided to clean the floor instead. She didn't want to go crazy if she took everything they said to heart. She was an adult. Twenty years old, it's time to stay out of trouble.

Usually, on birthdays, they would invite their closest neighbors to celebrate and have lunch or dinner. But it looked like this time, they would celebrate alone.

Misty was busy preparing lunch. Many times she glanced at the beautiful birthday cake neatly arranged on the table with sweet white and pink decorations. She had to admit, Leona was very skilled at making cakes.

Leona disappeared into the room for over an hour. Her siblings seemed busy in their rooms. She was the only one struggling with spices and vegetables.

As she waited for the meat soup to boil, Misty stared blankly out the window at the snow. Even though she was used to being ignored, she imagined what it would be like to celebrate her own birthday.

A clump of snow jumped into the distance. Her eyes widened. She rubbed her eyes several times.

The snow bounced! She wasn't dreaming!

She wanted to show it to Leona, but she wasn't there. She stared at the snowballs crashing into each other.

They were moving! As Misty watched the impossible dance of the snowballs, she was filled with wonder and disbelief. The heavy weight of loneliness lifted momentarily as her heart fluttered with a childlike excitement.

She should have been terrified by now, but Misty was fascinated by how the snow curled up into snowmen and then pranced around like children playing.

"MISTY!"

Misty was surprised to hear her name called so loudly. A man's hoarse voice. She immediately turned to look for the voice source.

But there was no one. She was alone.