Chapter 27:
Volume III. Chapter 6. Threshold
Welcome to my lost Jungle🪴
Chapter 6. Threshold
Lately, there's been a tension in my jaw. This week everyone is working only three days because of the holidays, and also at the end of the week there's going to be some kind of check‑up, like a medical examination. The aftermath of what I've been through makes me wary whenever I hear the word "medicine". After doing the laundry, my body, which is constantly tingling, just lies on the bed hugging a pillow, while my eyes staring blankly at one spot. Sometimes I drift into sleep, and sometimes I can't tell where reality ends and dreams begin.. I keep waiting for the loud clang of the breakfast bell. Because of this messed‑up sleep, my eyes hurt. I can't explain why my body aches, and on top of that, this weakness, since I eat very little keeps me from getting up from my sleeping place. At times it's stuffy in the room, my head feels heavy inside, and it's hard to breathe... Suddenly, someone knocked on my door, and Christopher peeked inside.Cr-today is the medical check‑up, so let's go.He said it and we went. After walking through many locations, we entered the church. The guy left to get another person, while I waited for my turn. Everyone went into the small room one by one; thankfully I was allowed to sit, just male gender had to stand. My turn came too. While waiting, I kept closing my eyes because I was so sleepy, even though my body already felt as if it had been sleeping for days. Christopher accompanied me, and we went into that room together. Inside there was a girl I knew named Aura, and several other people whose faces suggested they were either tired or didn't like what they were doing. One of them had dark‑burgundy hair and glasses; he reminded me of someone who had bullied me for a long time – his face even looked like Kenji's, just as emotionless, tired, and harsh. He also spoke briefly and clearly, and I followed all his instructions, because if I didn't do what Kenji said, he would hit me…After his examinations, he circled around me with a ribbon that had little sticks and numbers on it. Aura came up to me with a sheet of paper and handed it to me, saying:Ar-Kasye Peach, please read the text written on this sheet.She instructed me quite clearly in her soft voice. There were letters on the sheet, but… I am a threshold creature - that is, this world is alien to me. I don't understand their alphabet; because I've had frequent contact with them, I've managed to memorise some new words, and I'm also endowed with intelligence, meaning I can think, and my native language is Elvish belonging to my race. In my entire life, I had never had contact with the living before, but sometimes I heard them on recordings, on tapes. I mean, I understand the language they speak, but… I only learned to speak not so long ago (around the beginning of this story). But I never learned to read during that time…Ks-I…I cannot understand what is written here…Their faces showed surprise; Aura even relaxed after handing me the sheet, because she thought I was about to read and she wouldn't have to interact with me anymore.Ar-Uh…Ks-my native language is Elvish; the one I speak with you – I only know by phrases I've picked up from those who around me…They kept looking at me in surprise, and on Aura's face there was even a hint of sadness.Ks-so I can't read this…I even felt uncomfortable that they expected something from me and I couldn't deliver… That guy with the burgundy hair and glasses was probably very angry with me, so much so that Aura whispered in response to his reaction: "This girl is from a psychiatric hospital. An orphan. Her doctor took her in and gave her to us, because she wouldn't survive in a normal environment". "So that's what they all think of me!"- flashed through Kasye's mind. "Ah, he said that for their sake, but he himself knows that I…"Ar-Kasye, please, can you read this!Before the girl could think further, a sheet of paper was thrust under her nose, on which something was handwritten in Elvish. Without thinking, Kasye began scanning the written text with her eyes, but she was interrupted by Aura's words, spoken rather awkwardly, as if worried about something:Ar-please, read aloud what you're reading…Ks-"Leaves of an unknown plant were found near a dirty swamp, placed under tree bark…"Ar‑g-good, that's enough!She stepped back and brought an old book; opening it, she handed it to Kasye, having first taken away the previous sheet of paper. The book contained runes, some layout, and a question at the top. The elf girl with peach‑colored hair studied the information with interest, and then said in Elvish:Ks-"It says here about the upcoming full moon, and the rune Jera means something good after the work done, but that doesn't mean one should continue being lazy…"The girl lifted her head and thought that they didn't understand her, but at that gesture Aura nodded and smiled. The book was taken away from the girl, they played with her body a bit more to test her reactions, prayed, and let her go.Later that evening, back in the room, Christopher came to Kasye again and said that Aura was very much waiting for her to talk. Without delay, the two of them went to the beautiful girl who had gone through an enormous amount of suffering to become the head of this territory.Let's go back: after the examination, Aura returned to her place anxiously and wrote a letter about that elf girl with peach‑coloured hair, addressed to the one who had sent her there. According to the rules, three months had passed since this girl had been here. It was time to write a letter to the one who had sent her, as an encrypted reminder of what he had done. Monotone. Everything returns to its usual course. But was it pleasant to stay in that flow? Heavy early rising, the same boring work in the same room you don't want to leave, but you have to. Humiliation at work. A constant desire to stop it all, not to drink that tea. Because of this routine every day, you want to sleep; your body is exhausted because it hasn't rested at all. A walking zombie, simply obliged to go to work so that… so that you can eat. The food is the same, even the taste has become the same. It's a very heavy state; the only thing that brings joy is the blackness when you sleep – you don't want to wake up, if only it could last forever. You want darkness around you, you want to hide and not go anywhere. Just leave me alone. Everything is too much, and I feel too much. Sometimes I wish, the light, would just turn off forever...Rot. Darkness. One night with vomiting; in the morning he didn't come to work. The only day off, in the middle of which you can be urgently called in. Kenji reached the point of no return; life has no meaning, everyone ends up the same – one soul came here to learn, another to have fun, but is suffering a choice for everyone? … Life returns to a difficult time, to the time when it was warm and the sun's rays warmed the leaves! Bugs crawled on the ground, but there was no strength to watch any of it. The hardest time, a time that one didn't even want to count. Everything was the same, it was very hard.The fall came, it got cold, cool enough to breathe fresh air. Amid the same work, amid the same pain, with empty eyes, a strangeness appeared among the same stack of documents. "Who is she!? Bring her to me, dead or alive!" – Kenji still doesn't understand why he got so worked up back then… Haha, and then he watched her without taking his eyes off her in the white room, even when her body sat in a static pose – he still watched; whenever any part of her changed position, it was something "destructive"!! When he looked at her, he wanted to keep looking longer, even when her body was still. She cried, didn't want to go to sleep... And when she came out of that room healthy..the one who kept her locked up (and the fact that he kept her in the basement is...), what an idiot! He was so glad she was walking, she was walking and talking!! Her workers dragged her around in a straitjacket while she slept! ... For her sake, he wanted to come home from work, because she was sleeping and moaning next to him! Cutely sniffling and twirling her fingers under her nose. He wanted to watch her!Kj-Kasye Peach..come back to me..Whispered Kenji Crassus and fell asleep at his workplace.***Kasye: Uwaaah…Yawned Kasye Peach, wanting to take Christopher's hand as he walked beside her, but alas he wouldn't allow that. The girl found this boy interesting in terms of "having a laugh." She wanted to study his reaction to things that were forbidden to him! He's probably so shy...Kasye didn't even think about where he was leading her, and he brought her to one of the rooms where Aura was surely already waiting for both of them.Ar-Kasye Peach, have a seat.And she pointed her palm toward a bench, while she herself sat at the table, and the partner who had brought the main character sat down next to the speaking Aura.Ar-tell me, please, how old are you?An unexpected question, she asked it without even looking at the girl.Ks-I‑I'm 182 years old.Kasye answered uncertainly to the unexpected question. Not long ago, the same question had been asked by Kenji, who was also interested in how long his freedom would be taken away – she had calculated approximately..wrong numbers. She recalled those numbers when she was asked the identical question.Ar-how did you end up in the hospital?Ks-...I do not remember. I just woke up and there were many long‑eared people like me looking at me; they were talking about something, but I didn't understand what. Only after some time did I learn to speak this language...Ar-someone helped with that, right?Ks-Yes! I had a friend, sort of bun, and she talked to me in my language all the time while I was in the hospital. And then..Kenji caught me, and I rarely saw my bunny after that..Kasye Peach meant Sonar. The girls communicated almost by gestures, and later Leafy Citrusses even remembered a few words in Elvish.Ar-Okay..do you eat well here?Ks-yes, after hard work I want to eat.Christopher, who was holding a transparent jar filled with something like candied honey, only slightly yellowish and not quite white, intervened:Cr-Kasye Peach, I'd like to treat you for good work – please, have a spoonful of this—During his speech, he opened the little jar and, taking a small plastic spoon, scooped up some of the contents, which had a honey‑like texture. The guy approached the main character of this gathering and stopped, watching how the girl sat and didn't understand that she should stand up too. Kasye even raised her head and looked at the face of the dissatisfied Christopher, who was holding the spoon above the jar; eventually, he crouched to her eye level and brought the spoon to her mouth. The girl ate it – it tasted like candied honey but actually flavourless, just some mass with no taste. At that moment, Christopher examined her face and seemed gradually amazed.Ks-can I have more? I didn't catch the taste..And the guy was even more surprised when she asked for more. He scooped up a little more on the spoon and brought it to her mouth, even starting to smile. While Kasye was spreading the substance around her mouth, she looked at Aura, who shook her head, while Christopher closed the jar and put it on the table, placing the small spoon on the lid. Kasye Peach began to feel weaker, as if her arms and legs were becoming limp. Her head started to spin a little, her lips became dry and cracked, and she felt thirsty.Cr-uhmm, Kasye, how do you feel?Christopher hadn't expected to laugh at the start of his sentence.Ks-I want to drink…Kasye's body became translucent. In other words, this indicates that she is a threshold creature. In the Church, such beings are not particularly respected, because "threshold ones" are considered as if cast out from heaven – not accepted by heaven, given a second chance at life. Aura is a kind girl; the peach‑haired girl is not to blame for her fate turning out this way – surely she herself doesn't even understand her own belonging. Even if so, no one deserves rudeness! Aura waved her hand as a sign for Christopher.Blinking, Christopher poured water from a bottle into a mug that was on the table and handed the mug to Kasye. While the girl was drinking, he squeezed cream onto a cotton swab and, coming closer to the little elf – who had moved the mug away from her mouth to the side – he began to run the cream‑covered tip of the swab over the girl's lips, holding her chin. The girl, meanwhile, examined his slightly flushed face, which he tried to keep under control without showing emotions. When he finished and pulled back a little, he noticed that Kasye was curious about what he had smeared on her – she licked her upper lip slightly, sticking out her tongue and putting it back.Cr-don't lick it!The cream didn't taste very good – quite bland and with a hint of acidity.Cr-or I'll put some more on…Christopher said in a low voice, then hit a plush toy that was lying on the table. All this time Aura had only been watching the girl, constantly shaking her head and raising her eyebrows. The guy came over and handed the plush toy to the girl – it was very warm; it turned out there was a heating pad inside, because her body had started to feel cold due to becoming translucent. The girl hugged it and watched what the adults were going to do next. Christopher quietly talked with Aura while she wrote something. He kept his hands behind his back.After a few minutes, Aura raised her head, looked at our main character, and said:Ar-you may go, put the toy on the bench where you were sitting.Standing up and putting down the toy, Kasye left the room and headed toward the building where the rooms were. Already in her own room, she fell asleep easily, since it was evening.In the morning, Aura was checking the letters, and in one of them there was a filled‑out document for "termination of contract" – that is, to take back the person who had been sent here, back home. A specific date was signed when the guy would come to pick up the girl – all signatures, checkmarks, everything was in place. The document was filled out by the hand of a certain doctor, so it wasn't very clear what exactly was meant. Fortunately, every worker sent here has their own number. The number indicated in the letter belonged to the lovely elf with peach‑coloured hair, the girl Kasye Peach. ... Additional description of personal information, such as the specific house where the worker would live, and a few words about the person taking her, were written at the very end of the document. Kenji Crassus – so that's the name of the ordinary medical staff member. Bon voyage, my dear...***By the evening of that same day, Aura again called for a meeting in the same room, but without Christopher. The constant summons to her raised both interest and a little fear in the main character – the head wouldn't call someone several times for no reason.Inside, the room seemed small; in the middle stood a table with two chairs beneath it, and benches lined two walls. One candle burned, but there was also a small window that let in some light, though it was already getting dark outside, so the candle gave more warm light.Ar-Kasye Peach, have a seat. Tell me, has anything been troubling you lately?She offered kindly. Next to each other on the table stood two small cups of tea on small saucers.Ks-not really..nothing, and why?Sitting down, the girl answered.Ar-Kenji Crassus, who brought you here..what do you think of him?Hearing this question, Kasye immediately tensed up, clasped her hands together, and hung her head, looking at her knees.Ks-well...I don't understand him sometimes, I don't understand his emotions and why he acts that way. He often gets angry and takes it out on me, and sometimes he completely changes and..plays with me like a doll... He can stare and poke me with his finger, tell me scary things about blood and then start biting me, hitting me if I don't obey...he can cut me.Listening to this, Aura stared coldly at the table.Ks-I have to obey him, otherwise it'll be worse for me. I have nowhere to run, I really tried, but it only got worse. ... Actually, I'm even a little grateful to him for feeding me and for the fact that I sleep warm.Ar-You're clearly not safe with him... Situations are never hopeless, maybe we just don't like the choice. Perhaps you should change yourself.Aura said these words in a calm tone, observing the girl. Kasye Peach grew sadder, these words were not at all what would help her. Her whole body ached, listening to someone who had turned her whole life upside down... her head spun.Suddenly, Aura took the main character's hands and continued in her quiet, gentle voice:Ar-Inside yourself, you possess a power that can destroy evil. In your hands there is much more than just combat weapons. You are strong first and foremost in your soul – the more you believe in yourself, the stronger you become. Don't you want to know how much more you can grow? You are so much more than those insults and that horror you've experienced. Where he will end up and where you will – no one knows...Ks-he has friends. He will live, I am alone.Kasye joined the monologue. She perfectly understands what spiritual strength is being talked about, but doesn't it weaken every time she receives harshness?Ar-you've already lived through the worst days – believe me, it only gets better from here.Ks-I don't believe it. I've heard that many times, but every time after that it only got worse. Dreams won't come true.Kasye stood up and was about to leave, by the way she never touched the tea. Aura said her last words:Ar-I forgot to tell you the good news – your schedule has changed! Tomorrow you don't have to work, and the day after tomorrow either.The girl, already approaching the door, turned around and opened her mouth slightly in astonishment.Ar- I just… I see how tired you are, how bad you sleep and eat. Take this weekend. ... Good luck in your life ♡She said it warmly. Without opening the door, the main character bowed low. She was truly glad that her efforts were valued here. Joyfully, she walked toward her room, but on the way she met Lauren, who was returning from the library.Lr-hi Kasyy! Why aren't you asleep?Ks-why didn't you tell me at all that if you follow all the rules and work well, you might have a few extra days off!Lr-how so? Who told you that?Ks-Aura, of course! Who else is the head of this place? She called me to herself!Being proud that the head of the territory calls for private talks is considered very embarrassing for Lauren. Suspicious that an elf girl working here for almost three months was suddenly noticed for efficiency and given two whole days off, while Lauren, who has worked here two months longer, works without any days off at all! Also, there is a system of black tokens – those who have a one weekend cannot accumulate tokens that can be used to get a day off, extra food, or change rooms.Lr-and what, excuse me, did you talk about with her approximately…?Lori wasn't angry at all that someone got more days off; on the contrary, she became even more curious about how it happened. Thanks to the peach‑haired girl, Lauren at least gained a little courage that asking something personal might not be considered rude. And also the elven race..from her perspective, it seemed that elves walked around with arrogant faces, and because of their lifespan they are very smart, and interacting with "simple, stupid rejects" like Lori for example, who was of some unknown race – didn't interest elves at all. But it turned out that these thoughts might have stemmed from the frequent insults she received from adults during her childhood. All living beings seemed to have harsh grimaces; even those who smiled already had some kind of hidden agenda. No one knows what's in another person's head, no one knows what someone else might think of you, and even if they do think something it's just their own everyday opinion – what they themselves think about, or what they lack in this life. Kasye was the first person who spent a long time looking at the crookedness of Lorönne's appearance. The only one who wasn't repelled by the dirt on her hands, the pimples on her face, the smudged glasses..naturalness. Fashion forces all kinds of different people under the same magazine cover. Kasye is the one who for the first time didn't follow the rules ingrained in Lauren's head since childhood. The one who broke the childhood cage.Ks-she supported me! She said some really nice things.Hearing this and replaying all the memories connected with the main character in her mind, Lauren gently hugged Kasye. They both stood like that for a few minutes. Her friend understood too much.Lr-Kasya! A‑are you okay right now?Ks-well, yeah..why?Lr-that's good..since...we don't know what to talk about, I'll tell you a little about myself. A‑as you've noticed, I often stutter and tremble a bit, so don't think bad of me, I've had it since birth.Ks-what could I have thought?Lr-well, that I was traumatized, for example.. I told you about my childhood... And what did you think about my accent?Ks-you're so beautiful, Lori! A butterfly doesn't see its own wings either – that accent and stutter are only yours. Doesn't that make you different from other people? You're wonderful ♡Lr-th‑thank you…Lorönne blushed all the way to her crooked, though strange, ears.Lr-I..haven't heard something like that in a long time… I have an accent because I've lived in a village my whole life and spoke my native languageKs-woah..just like me! I didn't speak at all at first – when I came into this world, I started repeating words after the people who live here. By the way.. I still haven't learned how to readLr-for me, on the contrary, reading is easier than speaking. By the way, in my native language my name is Lorönne – that's how it's written in my birth‑place passport, but for some reason in my main international passport it's written as Lauren. In the village, since childhood, everyone always called me Lauren or Louren. That's why I told you to call me whatever you like..Ks-my name is Kasye – sometimes they call me Kasie, I like Kasya..or just two letters K and C !Lr-and my last name is..skitch – it means the scythe you use to cut grass. My whole childhood I was afraid to interact with other people – they'd make fun of me!Ks-and mine is Peach – Kasya Peaches..Lr-that's so cute!Ks-..why am I Peach? Ahh – once my friend Leafy asked me what my second name was, or however it works, my last name? And she probably realized I had no relatives, so maybe that's why I got to choose my last name. I told her that when I was little, a small peach tree bloomed nearby – I loved it and took care of it. Later she said it's better to call me Kasye PeachLr-if you lived without relatives, without knowing your last name, then..how did you find out your first name?Ks-oh..that...it was just very, very, very long ago – 180‑something years ago…Lr-woahh!! You live such long..Ks-..so I can't answer that, sorryThe girls were just walking around the area; it had already gotten dark long ago, and there were many lit lanterns around, so it wasn't scary to walk at all – but unexpectedly, as they passed by the church again, Christopher decided to shoo the girls off to sleep.Cr-girls. Kasye, why aren't you in bed? You've already found yourself a friend here?Kasye was about to answer, but Lori stood up on her tiptoes a little and covered Kasye's mouth with her palm so she wouldn't say anything unnecessary, and answered herself:Lr-yeah, we can't sleep much – we'll go to bed soon!Still, it was noticeable that Christopher was looking at the elf girl with a sad gaze...As they got closer to the rooms, the girls kept talking, and then, deciding to say goodbye, they hugged each other very tightly – as if before a parting. The main character only thought it was a little strange. Maybe Lori had finally accepted a sign of friendship...In the room, Kasye lazed around for two days – she slept, woke up and managed to read half a book. She rested, but kept feeling drowsy all the time, and the quality of sleep was poor – she woke up several times. After breakfast, she could fall asleep while reading. Because of the constant drifting into sleep, Kasye Peach stopped being able to tell where reality ended and what was a dream. Her body ached – that happens on weekends when you lie around too long and do nothing. There was a time when, reading all night, Kasye didn't even notice that morning had come. She even went outside, wrapped in her blanket, to feel the fresh early‑morning air. Then she slept through the whole day. Her sense of time was lost. Day, night – it was just life flowing, time that never stops. ...Where am I? And am I, me? What does my body mean? Strange thoughts came into her head and became impossible to control. She got scared. Memories from the life the girl had lived began to paint themselves in her mind. The path she had walked – and... what was the point of it? What had she ultimately gained after going through so many trials? ... Talking to herself, Kasye began to answer her own thoughts: life has no meaning; we all came here to have the opportunity to learn something. Don't stress, don't think about it – we're all here to create memories. But the strange, uncontrollable thoughts were stronger. Her whole life flashed through her mind – all the memories before her eyes, seen from a third‑person perspective. Who is that girl? Is my soul living in her body? So, those places I visited long ago – they no longer exist; they've been destroyed, rebuilt – I can never be there again. Those people who once interacted with me, long ago – they are no longer in my life. All of that remains only in my head, in memories. Terrifying thoughts began to describe the girl from the outside, as if this entire lived life didn't really belong to her..That place where I cooked at an early age – it's completely overgrown with tall plants. I got lost back then, that place... And those things I made up in my head while learning to fly – that there are multiple worlds where all the equally living beings can't settle their relationships…Kasye Peach felt sick from all the uncontrollable thoughts. It was horrifying. Even hugging the blanket, she couldn't focus on emptiness. Frightened, she still managed to fall asleep – into a deep sleep.
Lately, there's been a tension in my jaw. This week everyone is working only three days because of the holidays, and also at the end of the week there's going to be some kind of check‑up, like a medical examination. The aftermath of what I've been through makes me wary whenever I hear the word "medicine". After doing the laundry, my body, which is constantly tingling, just lies on the bed hugging a pillow, while my eyes staring blankly at one spot. Sometimes I drift into sleep, and sometimes I can't tell where reality ends and dreams begin.. I keep waiting for the loud clang of the breakfast bell. Because of this messed‑up sleep, my eyes hurt. I can't explain why my body aches, and on top of that, this weakness, since I eat very little keeps me from getting up from my sleeping place. At times it's stuffy in the room, my head feels heavy inside, and it's hard to breathe... Suddenly, someone knocked on my door, and Christopher peeked inside.Cr-today is the medical check‑up, so let's go.He said it and we went. After walking through many locations, we entered the church. The guy left to get another person, while I waited for my turn. Everyone went into the small room one by one; thankfully I was allowed to sit, just male gender had to stand. My turn came too. While waiting, I kept closing my eyes because I was so sleepy, even though my body already felt as if it had been sleeping for days. Christopher accompanied me, and we went into that room together. Inside there was a girl I knew named Aura, and several other people whose faces suggested they were either tired or didn't like what they were doing. One of them had dark‑burgundy hair and glasses; he reminded me of someone who had bullied me for a long time – his face even looked like Kenji's, just as emotionless, tired, and harsh. He also spoke briefly and clearly, and I followed all his instructions, because if I didn't do what Kenji said, he would hit me…After his examinations, he circled around me with a ribbon that had little sticks and numbers on it. Aura came up to me with a sheet of paper and handed it to me, saying:Ar-Kasye Peach, please read the text written on this sheet.She instructed me quite clearly in her soft voice. There were letters on the sheet, but… I am a threshold creature - that is, this world is alien to me. I don't understand their alphabet; because I've had frequent contact with them, I've managed to memorise some new words, and I'm also endowed with intelligence, meaning I can think, and my native language is Elvish belonging to my race. In my entire life, I had never had contact with the living before, but sometimes I heard them on recordings, on tapes. I mean, I understand the language they speak, but… I only learned to speak not so long ago (around the beginning of this story). But I never learned to read during that time…Ks-I…I cannot understand what is written here…Their faces showed surprise; Aura even relaxed after handing me the sheet, because she thought I was about to read and she wouldn't have to interact with me anymore.Ar-Uh…Ks-my native language is Elvish; the one I speak with you – I only know by phrases I've picked up from those who around me…They kept looking at me in surprise, and on Aura's face there was even a hint of sadness.Ks-so I can't read this…I even felt uncomfortable that they expected something from me and I couldn't deliver… That guy with the burgundy hair and glasses was probably very angry with me, so much so that Aura whispered in response to his reaction: "This girl is from a psychiatric hospital. An orphan. Her doctor took her in and gave her to us, because she wouldn't survive in a normal environment". "So that's what they all think of me!"- flashed through Kasye's mind. "Ah, he said that for their sake, but he himself knows that I…"Ar-Kasye, please, can you read this!Before the girl could think further, a sheet of paper was thrust under her nose, on which something was handwritten in Elvish. Without thinking, Kasye began scanning the written text with her eyes, but she was interrupted by Aura's words, spoken rather awkwardly, as if worried about something:Ar-please, read aloud what you're reading…Ks-"Leaves of an unknown plant were found near a dirty swamp, placed under tree bark…"Ar‑g-good, that's enough!She stepped back and brought an old book; opening it, she handed it to Kasye, having first taken away the previous sheet of paper. The book contained runes, some layout, and a question at the top. The elf girl with peach‑colored hair studied the information with interest, and then said in Elvish:Ks-"It says here about the upcoming full moon, and the rune Jera means something good after the work done, but that doesn't mean one should continue being lazy…"The girl lifted her head and thought that they didn't understand her, but at that gesture Aura nodded and smiled. The book was taken away from the girl, they played with her body a bit more to test her reactions, prayed, and let her go.Later that evening, back in the room, Christopher came to Kasye again and said that Aura was very much waiting for her to talk. Without delay, the two of them went to the beautiful girl who had gone through an enormous amount of suffering to become the head of this territory.Let's go back: after the examination, Aura returned to her place anxiously and wrote a letter about that elf girl with peach‑coloured hair, addressed to the one who had sent her there. According to the rules, three months had passed since this girl had been here. It was time to write a letter to the one who had sent her, as an encrypted reminder of what he had done. Monotone. Everything returns to its usual course. But was it pleasant to stay in that flow? Heavy early rising, the same boring work in the same room you don't want to leave, but you have to. Humiliation at work. A constant desire to stop it all, not to drink that tea. Because of this routine every day, you want to sleep; your body is exhausted because it hasn't rested at all. A walking zombie, simply obliged to go to work so that… so that you can eat. The food is the same, even the taste has become the same. It's a very heavy state; the only thing that brings joy is the blackness when you sleep – you don't want to wake up, if only it could last forever. You want darkness around you, you want to hide and not go anywhere. Just leave me alone. Everything is too much, and I feel too much. Sometimes I wish, the light, would just turn off forever...Rot. Darkness. One night with vomiting; in the morning he didn't come to work. The only day off, in the middle of which you can be urgently called in. Kenji reached the point of no return; life has no meaning, everyone ends up the same – one soul came here to learn, another to have fun, but is suffering a choice for everyone? … Life returns to a difficult time, to the time when it was warm and the sun's rays warmed the leaves! Bugs crawled on the ground, but there was no strength to watch any of it. The hardest time, a time that one didn't even want to count. Everything was the same, it was very hard.The fall came, it got cold, cool enough to breathe fresh air. Amid the same work, amid the same pain, with empty eyes, a strangeness appeared among the same stack of documents. "Who is she!? Bring her to me, dead or alive!" – Kenji still doesn't understand why he got so worked up back then… Haha, and then he watched her without taking his eyes off her in the white room, even when her body sat in a static pose – he still watched; whenever any part of her changed position, it was something "destructive"!! When he looked at her, he wanted to keep looking longer, even when her body was still. She cried, didn't want to go to sleep... And when she came out of that room healthy..the one who kept her locked up (and the fact that he kept her in the basement is...), what an idiot! He was so glad she was walking, she was walking and talking!! Her workers dragged her around in a straitjacket while she slept! ... For her sake, he wanted to come home from work, because she was sleeping and moaning next to him! Cutely sniffling and twirling her fingers under her nose. He wanted to watch her!Kj-Kasye Peach..come back to me..Whispered Kenji Crassus and fell asleep at his workplace.***Kasye: Uwaaah…Yawned Kasye Peach, wanting to take Christopher's hand as he walked beside her, but alas he wouldn't allow that. The girl found this boy interesting in terms of "having a laugh." She wanted to study his reaction to things that were forbidden to him! He's probably so shy...Kasye didn't even think about where he was leading her, and he brought her to one of the rooms where Aura was surely already waiting for both of them.Ar-Kasye Peach, have a seat.And she pointed her palm toward a bench, while she herself sat at the table, and the partner who had brought the main character sat down next to the speaking Aura.Ar-tell me, please, how old are you?An unexpected question, she asked it without even looking at the girl.Ks-I‑I'm 182 years old.Kasye answered uncertainly to the unexpected question. Not long ago, the same question had been asked by Kenji, who was also interested in how long his freedom would be taken away – she had calculated approximately..wrong numbers. She recalled those numbers when she was asked the identical question.Ar-how did you end up in the hospital?Ks-...I do not remember. I just woke up and there were many long‑eared people like me looking at me; they were talking about something, but I didn't understand what. Only after some time did I learn to speak this language...Ar-someone helped with that, right?Ks-Yes! I had a friend, sort of bun, and she talked to me in my language all the time while I was in the hospital. And then..Kenji caught me, and I rarely saw my bunny after that..Kasye Peach meant Sonar. The girls communicated almost by gestures, and later Leafy Citrusses even remembered a few words in Elvish.Ar-Okay..do you eat well here?Ks-yes, after hard work I want to eat.Christopher, who was holding a transparent jar filled with something like candied honey, only slightly yellowish and not quite white, intervened:Cr-Kasye Peach, I'd like to treat you for good work – please, have a spoonful of this—During his speech, he opened the little jar and, taking a small plastic spoon, scooped up some of the contents, which had a honey‑like texture. The guy approached the main character of this gathering and stopped, watching how the girl sat and didn't understand that she should stand up too. Kasye even raised her head and looked at the face of the dissatisfied Christopher, who was holding the spoon above the jar; eventually, he crouched to her eye level and brought the spoon to her mouth. The girl ate it – it tasted like candied honey but actually flavourless, just some mass with no taste. At that moment, Christopher examined her face and seemed gradually amazed.Ks-can I have more? I didn't catch the taste..And the guy was even more surprised when she asked for more. He scooped up a little more on the spoon and brought it to her mouth, even starting to smile. While Kasye was spreading the substance around her mouth, she looked at Aura, who shook her head, while Christopher closed the jar and put it on the table, placing the small spoon on the lid. Kasye Peach began to feel weaker, as if her arms and legs were becoming limp. Her head started to spin a little, her lips became dry and cracked, and she felt thirsty.Cr-uhmm, Kasye, how do you feel?Christopher hadn't expected to laugh at the start of his sentence.Ks-I want to drink…Kasye's body became translucent. In other words, this indicates that she is a threshold creature. In the Church, such beings are not particularly respected, because "threshold ones" are considered as if cast out from heaven – not accepted by heaven, given a second chance at life. Aura is a kind girl; the peach‑haired girl is not to blame for her fate turning out this way – surely she herself doesn't even understand her own belonging. Even if so, no one deserves rudeness! Aura waved her hand as a sign for Christopher.Blinking, Christopher poured water from a bottle into a mug that was on the table and handed the mug to Kasye. While the girl was drinking, he squeezed cream onto a cotton swab and, coming closer to the little elf – who had moved the mug away from her mouth to the side – he began to run the cream‑covered tip of the swab over the girl's lips, holding her chin. The girl, meanwhile, examined his slightly flushed face, which he tried to keep under control without showing emotions. When he finished and pulled back a little, he noticed that Kasye was curious about what he had smeared on her – she licked her upper lip slightly, sticking out her tongue and putting it back.Cr-don't lick it!The cream didn't taste very good – quite bland and with a hint of acidity.Cr-or I'll put some more on…Christopher said in a low voice, then hit a plush toy that was lying on the table. All this time Aura had only been watching the girl, constantly shaking her head and raising her eyebrows. The guy came over and handed the plush toy to the girl – it was very warm; it turned out there was a heating pad inside, because her body had started to feel cold due to becoming translucent. The girl hugged it and watched what the adults were going to do next. Christopher quietly talked with Aura while she wrote something. He kept his hands behind his back.After a few minutes, Aura raised her head, looked at our main character, and said:Ar-you may go, put the toy on the bench where you were sitting.Standing up and putting down the toy, Kasye left the room and headed toward the building where the rooms were. Already in her own room, she fell asleep easily, since it was evening.In the morning, Aura was checking the letters, and in one of them there was a filled‑out document for "termination of contract" – that is, to take back the person who had been sent here, back home. A specific date was signed when the guy would come to pick up the girl – all signatures, checkmarks, everything was in place. The document was filled out by the hand of a certain doctor, so it wasn't very clear what exactly was meant. Fortunately, every worker sent here has their own number. The number indicated in the letter belonged to the lovely elf with peach‑coloured hair, the girl Kasye Peach. ... Additional description of personal information, such as the specific house where the worker would live, and a few words about the person taking her, were written at the very end of the document. Kenji Crassus – so that's the name of the ordinary medical staff member. Bon voyage, my dear...***By the evening of that same day, Aura again called for a meeting in the same room, but without Christopher. The constant summons to her raised both interest and a little fear in the main character – the head wouldn't call someone several times for no reason.Inside, the room seemed small; in the middle stood a table with two chairs beneath it, and benches lined two walls. One candle burned, but there was also a small window that let in some light, though it was already getting dark outside, so the candle gave more warm light.Ar-Kasye Peach, have a seat. Tell me, has anything been troubling you lately?She offered kindly. Next to each other on the table stood two small cups of tea on small saucers.Ks-not really..nothing, and why?Sitting down, the girl answered.Ar-Kenji Crassus, who brought you here..what do you think of him?Hearing this question, Kasye immediately tensed up, clasped her hands together, and hung her head, looking at her knees.Ks-well...I don't understand him sometimes, I don't understand his emotions and why he acts that way. He often gets angry and takes it out on me, and sometimes he completely changes and..plays with me like a doll... He can stare and poke me with his finger, tell me scary things about blood and then start biting me, hitting me if I don't obey...he can cut me.Listening to this, Aura stared coldly at the table.Ks-I have to obey him, otherwise it'll be worse for me. I have nowhere to run, I really tried, but it only got worse. ... Actually, I'm even a little grateful to him for feeding me and for the fact that I sleep warm.Ar-You're clearly not safe with him... Situations are never hopeless, maybe we just don't like the choice. Perhaps you should change yourself.Aura said these words in a calm tone, observing the girl. Kasye Peach grew sadder, these words were not at all what would help her. Her whole body ached, listening to someone who had turned her whole life upside down... her head spun.Suddenly, Aura took the main character's hands and continued in her quiet, gentle voice:Ar-Inside yourself, you possess a power that can destroy evil. In your hands there is much more than just combat weapons. You are strong first and foremost in your soul – the more you believe in yourself, the stronger you become. Don't you want to know how much more you can grow? You are so much more than those insults and that horror you've experienced. Where he will end up and where you will – no one knows...Ks-he has friends. He will live, I am alone.Kasye joined the monologue. She perfectly understands what spiritual strength is being talked about, but doesn't it weaken every time she receives harshness?Ar-you've already lived through the worst days – believe me, it only gets better from here.Ks-I don't believe it. I've heard that many times, but every time after that it only got worse. Dreams won't come true.Kasye stood up and was about to leave, by the way she never touched the tea. Aura said her last words:Ar-I forgot to tell you the good news – your schedule has changed! Tomorrow you don't have to work, and the day after tomorrow either.The girl, already approaching the door, turned around and opened her mouth slightly in astonishment.Ar- I just… I see how tired you are, how bad you sleep and eat. Take this weekend. ... Good luck in your life ♡She said it warmly. Without opening the door, the main character bowed low. She was truly glad that her efforts were valued here. Joyfully, she walked toward her room, but on the way she met Lauren, who was returning from the library.Lr-hi Kasyy! Why aren't you asleep?Ks-why didn't you tell me at all that if you follow all the rules and work well, you might have a few extra days off!Lr-how so? Who told you that?Ks-Aura, of course! Who else is the head of this place? She called me to herself!Being proud that the head of the territory calls for private talks is considered very embarrassing for Lauren. Suspicious that an elf girl working here for almost three months was suddenly noticed for efficiency and given two whole days off, while Lauren, who has worked here two months longer, works without any days off at all! Also, there is a system of black tokens – those who have a one weekend cannot accumulate tokens that can be used to get a day off, extra food, or change rooms.Lr-and what, excuse me, did you talk about with her approximately…?Lori wasn't angry at all that someone got more days off; on the contrary, she became even more curious about how it happened. Thanks to the peach‑haired girl, Lauren at least gained a little courage that asking something personal might not be considered rude. And also the elven race..from her perspective, it seemed that elves walked around with arrogant faces, and because of their lifespan they are very smart, and interacting with "simple, stupid rejects" like Lori for example, who was of some unknown race – didn't interest elves at all. But it turned out that these thoughts might have stemmed from the frequent insults she received from adults during her childhood. All living beings seemed to have harsh grimaces; even those who smiled already had some kind of hidden agenda. No one knows what's in another person's head, no one knows what someone else might think of you, and even if they do think something it's just their own everyday opinion – what they themselves think about, or what they lack in this life. Kasye was the first person who spent a long time looking at the crookedness of Lorönne's appearance. The only one who wasn't repelled by the dirt on her hands, the pimples on her face, the smudged glasses..naturalness. Fashion forces all kinds of different people under the same magazine cover. Kasye is the one who for the first time didn't follow the rules ingrained in Lauren's head since childhood. The one who broke the childhood cage.Ks-she supported me! She said some really nice things.Hearing this and replaying all the memories connected with the main character in her mind, Lauren gently hugged Kasye. They both stood like that for a few minutes. Her friend understood too much.Lr-Kasya! A‑are you okay right now?Ks-well, yeah..why?Lr-that's good..since...we don't know what to talk about, I'll tell you a little about myself. A‑as you've noticed, I often stutter and tremble a bit, so don't think bad of me, I've had it since birth.Ks-what could I have thought?Lr-well, that I was traumatized, for example.. I told you about my childhood... And what did you think about my accent?Ks-you're so beautiful, Lori! A butterfly doesn't see its own wings either – that accent and stutter are only yours. Doesn't that make you different from other people? You're wonderful ♡Lr-th‑thank you…Lorönne blushed all the way to her crooked, though strange, ears.Lr-I..haven't heard something like that in a long time… I have an accent because I've lived in a village my whole life and spoke my native languageKs-woah..just like me! I didn't speak at all at first – when I came into this world, I started repeating words after the people who live here. By the way.. I still haven't learned how to readLr-for me, on the contrary, reading is easier than speaking. By the way, in my native language my name is Lorönne – that's how it's written in my birth‑place passport, but for some reason in my main international passport it's written as Lauren. In the village, since childhood, everyone always called me Lauren or Louren. That's why I told you to call me whatever you like..Ks-my name is Kasye – sometimes they call me Kasie, I like Kasya..or just two letters K and C !Lr-and my last name is..skitch – it means the scythe you use to cut grass. My whole childhood I was afraid to interact with other people – they'd make fun of me!Ks-and mine is Peach – Kasya Peaches..Lr-that's so cute!Ks-..why am I Peach? Ahh – once my friend Leafy asked me what my second name was, or however it works, my last name? And she probably realized I had no relatives, so maybe that's why I got to choose my last name. I told her that when I was little, a small peach tree bloomed nearby – I loved it and took care of it. Later she said it's better to call me Kasye PeachLr-if you lived without relatives, without knowing your last name, then..how did you find out your first name?Ks-oh..that...it was just very, very, very long ago – 180‑something years ago…Lr-woahh!! You live such long..Ks-..so I can't answer that, sorryThe girls were just walking around the area; it had already gotten dark long ago, and there were many lit lanterns around, so it wasn't scary to walk at all – but unexpectedly, as they passed by the church again, Christopher decided to shoo the girls off to sleep.Cr-girls. Kasye, why aren't you in bed? You've already found yourself a friend here?Kasye was about to answer, but Lori stood up on her tiptoes a little and covered Kasye's mouth with her palm so she wouldn't say anything unnecessary, and answered herself:Lr-yeah, we can't sleep much – we'll go to bed soon!Still, it was noticeable that Christopher was looking at the elf girl with a sad gaze...As they got closer to the rooms, the girls kept talking, and then, deciding to say goodbye, they hugged each other very tightly – as if before a parting. The main character only thought it was a little strange. Maybe Lori had finally accepted a sign of friendship...In the room, Kasye lazed around for two days – she slept, woke up and managed to read half a book. She rested, but kept feeling drowsy all the time, and the quality of sleep was poor – she woke up several times. After breakfast, she could fall asleep while reading. Because of the constant drifting into sleep, Kasye Peach stopped being able to tell where reality ended and what was a dream. Her body ached – that happens on weekends when you lie around too long and do nothing. There was a time when, reading all night, Kasye didn't even notice that morning had come. She even went outside, wrapped in her blanket, to feel the fresh early‑morning air. Then she slept through the whole day. Her sense of time was lost. Day, night – it was just life flowing, time that never stops. ...Where am I? And am I, me? What does my body mean? Strange thoughts came into her head and became impossible to control. She got scared. Memories from the life the girl had lived began to paint themselves in her mind. The path she had walked – and... what was the point of it? What had she ultimately gained after going through so many trials? ... Talking to herself, Kasye began to answer her own thoughts: life has no meaning; we all came here to have the opportunity to learn something. Don't stress, don't think about it – we're all here to create memories. But the strange, uncontrollable thoughts were stronger. Her whole life flashed through her mind – all the memories before her eyes, seen from a third‑person perspective. Who is that girl? Is my soul living in her body? So, those places I visited long ago – they no longer exist; they've been destroyed, rebuilt – I can never be there again. Those people who once interacted with me, long ago – they are no longer in my life. All of that remains only in my head, in memories. Terrifying thoughts began to describe the girl from the outside, as if this entire lived life didn't really belong to her..That place where I cooked at an early age – it's completely overgrown with tall plants. I got lost back then, that place... And those things I made up in my head while learning to fly – that there are multiple worlds where all the equally living beings can't settle their relationships…Kasye Peach felt sick from all the uncontrollable thoughts. It was horrifying. Even hugging the blanket, she couldn't focus on emptiness. Frightened, she still managed to fall asleep – into a deep sleep.
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