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墨書 Inktalez
Time seemed to stretch indefinitely as the wind and rain gradually subsided, the dark clouds parted, and a pale light emerged in the sky.
The air after the rain was thick with a metallic, bloody scent, mingled with the acrid smell of burnt talismans. I huddled in the corner, soaked to the bone, my teeth chattering uncontrollably.
I watched as the ropes binding my father snapped under his desperate struggles. He swayed as he stood up, his face contorted in pain.
“Cough, cough…”
He clutched his chest and coughed violently, each spasm bringing forth blackened blood. But with each cough, his gaze began to clear, and that familiar gentle expression slowly returned to his features.
“Mom…”
I tentatively called out.
The body that belonged to my father lifted its head and looked at me with a new light in its eyes. It was a gaze I knew all too well—the same one my mother had when she looked at me.
She stood up, staggering a few steps before quickly regaining her balance.
On the other side, however, a beast-like roar erupted from my mother’s body. That form broke free from its restraints but rolled on the ground like a mindless animal. I saw her eyes glaze over, drool trickling from her mouth as she alternated between piercing screams and trembling in a curled-up position.
That was my father’s soul. In this failed ritual, it had been gravely wounded.
“Wretched woman…”
My grandmother lay on the ground, her life force visibly draining away at an alarming rate. Strangely enough, it seemed that all that lost vitality surged into my father’s body, making it appear more vibrant: “You’ve stolen my son’s body; now you want to take my life as well…”
My mother ignored her.
She adjusted to my father’s body and then slowly walked toward me. The face that belonged to my father now radiated my mother’s unique determination and tenderness.
“Don’t be afraid; Mom is here.”
She whispered softly, using the same hands that had once raised a belt against me to gently wipe away my tears. My father's palms were rough and large, yet the way he touched me was astonishingly tender.
She bent down to pick up the gag from the ground and walked towards the self that was still screaming in madness. Looking at the face that once belonged to her, a flicker of complexity crossed her eyes, but her movements were resolute. She forcibly placed the gag on that body, retying it with a broken rope before dragging it towards the dark woodshed.
"This is what you deserve," she said coldly, her voice laced with a mix of vengeful satisfaction and deep pain. "You’ve hit me for so many years; now it’s your turn to taste this feeling."
After finishing these tasks, she turned to my grandmother, who was still cursing on the ground. She looked down at the frail old woman from above, her gaze as cold as ice.
"Watching your beloved son become like this is your greatest punishment," she said, her voice terrifyingly calm. "The son you wanted has returned, but he is no longer the one you knew."
With that, she began rummaging through the house, collecting all the valuables. These were her dowry, her savings accumulated over the years, finally returning to their rightful owner.
Just as my mother was preparing to take me away from this nightmarish place, a chilling wind suddenly swept in from the corner of the yard. I saw a hunched figure slowly emerge from the shadows—it was Granny A-Lan. Her murky eyes glimmered with an eerie light, and a faint smile lingered at the corners of her mouth, as if she had anticipated all of this.
Her gaze swept over my grandmother, who was writhing in pain on the ground, then glanced at my mother locked in the woodshed, howling like a beast, before finally resting on my father, who had already changed souls.
"Not bad, not bad," she nodded approvingly, her raspy voice tinged with a hint of pride. "Soul exchange for life is indeed defying fate. You’ve used my method and owe me a favor; if you ever need anything in the future, I will come to collect."
My mother fell silent for a moment; I could feel her hand trembling slightly. She pulled me behind her, using her broad body to shield me. "I understand. As long as I can take my daughter away from here, I will accept any price."
Granny A-Lan grinned widely, revealing a row of uneven yellow teeth and was about to say something when I suddenly stepped forward and interrupted her: "You’re not here to help us at all."
I stared into her eyes, my voice trembling yet remarkably clear. "You have a grudge against Grandma; helping us is merely a way for you to take revenge on her. We owe you nothing."
Granny A-Lan was taken aback, surprise flickering across her wrinkled face before she regarded me with a knowing look. "Ah, you're quite the clever girl."
She did not deny it, merely waved her hand lightly. "What goes around comes around. You brought this upon yourselves. Leave this place."
My mother tugged at my arm to leave, but I stopped in my tracks and pulled a box of matches from my pocket.
Looking at the room filled with malevolence, I struck a match. The flame quickly spread under the influence of the wind.
I heard a piercing scream from the woodshed, gazing at Grandma's withered body and this place that had witnessed too much suffering, striking match after match.
The fire painted half the sky red as my mother and I stood at a distance, watching that nightmarish place turn to ashes.
In the glow of the flames, I saw a flicker of relief on my mother's face, while my father's visage revealed a gentle yet weary smile that belonged to Lin Xiu.
"Let's go," she said, her voice low but still reassuring. "We'll start anew in a place where no one knows us."
She extended her hand, and without hesitation, I took it.
This hand had once brought me endless fear and pain; now it was my only support.
Bathed in firelight, our shadows stretched long and far, as if shedding everything from the past and stepping toward an unknown yet hopeful future.
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