He picked Roderick by his waist and increased his heat in his hands. Fire also wooshed from side of his fingers, making the torment unbearable for Saer.
“Rain.” Roderick said in rib crushing pressure and urinated in his pant. But it did not rain.
Why can’t I make rain? I just pissed myself. Roderick’s guts gave him an unpleasant feeling. The feeling comprised of excruciating pain rather than odd palpation. He had never been scared like this in his entire life.
Few drops of urine left his body in fear.
Clouds came and surrounded moon, making everything dark. Devil also looked up to see what was happening. A droplet of water fell on his forehead. Droplets grew bigger and bigger from there on till the drops became painful.
For Roderick, the rain was least hurtful thing which could exist at the moment. The fire on devil’s hand had died and his grip had become slippery. Roderick pushed his way out of his clutch, freeing himself.
I need to learn how to get scared. Roderick gazed at the sack. As far as he could see, water had not seeped through the sack.
The devil was struck by what he had just witnessed.
“What did you do?” he looked down when he was fed up of seeing clouds above him.
The devil met another blow of a broken tree. This blow was more painful than the last one. As a result, the devil was left stunned for longer time. Meanwhile, Roderick carried the cotton, then sprinted for the village.
Still, Roderick’s offense could grant him enough time. Devil was still not done from him. Roderick ran faster, trying to outrun him, but the devil soon came near to him.
Devil stopped walking abruptly. Roderick turned back at the devil and saw him running away.
“What the hell?” Roderick whispered, then gyrated to direction of the village.
Ghosts which had attacked Roderick in the morning were floating around him. Roderick was surrounded by them in no time. He picked some pebbles and darted them at ghosts but they passed through them without damaging them.
They are not solid at night. Roderick’s heart came to his mouth.
The biggest ghost came near to him and pointed towards its ear. Every ghost in there did the same. Then the ghosts spread its hands as if demanding something.
“You want to hear things?” Roderick questioned.
Ghosts who read his lips nodded.
“WE CAN’T CROSS THIS GRAVEYARD.” A ghost said from sign language, “WE CAN COME OUT OF THIS AREA ONLY IF SOMEONE WILLINGLY PERMITS US TO LEAVE. NOBODY HAS EVER TOLD US TO LEAVE.”
Roderick’s eyes fell on human skeletons.
“And you kill those who don’t obey you?”
“THEY TOLD US WE CAN GET OUT BUT THEY DIDN’T MEAN IT. THEY ONLY TOLD IT BECAUSE THEY WERE SCARED AND WANTED TO SAVE THEIR LIVES.”
“So you killed them?”
“NO. WHOEVER DOESN’T ALLOW US TO GO OUT WILLINGLY DIES RIGHT HERE. D’AGATA HAS TRAPPED US IN THIS CURSE. BECAUSE OF THE BODIES, PEOPLE THINK WE ARE THE MURDERERS. AND LOOK, HE HAS MADE US MUTE SO THAT WE CAN’T EXPRESS OURSELVES.”
“D’Agata.” Roderick nod, “You ghosts must have done terrible things to end up here like this.”
“WE HAVE BEEN LAMENTING ON OUR ILL DEEDS FOR CENTURIES. WE WILL NEVER COME BACK TO THIS LAND IF YOU LET US GO.”
“If I say no, will I also be dead?”
“NO. YOURS WILL MATTER THE MOST.”
Roderick thought for a while, “Listen…”
