Rose Garden: Chapter 01

Content warning: This novel contains descriptions of sexual content. I will not be adding a trigger warning to each chapter with graphic content, so please consider this a general warning.

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The branches stretched overhead like a canopy, their overlapping leaves blocking out the sunlight midway. Even at midday, the forest of Oliva was dim, as though caught in a perpetual twilight. Snair ran, trampling over the overgrown weeds, weaving between the thick tree trunks. Fallen leaves and tangled undergrowth covered the ground, hiding the gnarled roots that jutted out from the earth. The uneven terrain caught at his feet, and his small, slender body would sometimes pitch forward.

One stumble too many, and this time he couldn’t catch himself. He faltered, lurching toward the nearest tree and clutching its trunk for support. With his head bowed, he gasped for breath. The moment he stopped moving, the argument with his grandmother came flooding back. Snair kicked the tree trunk hard with the heel of his leather shoe. A shrill cry pierced the air “Kii!” followed by the rustling flap of wings above.

Startled, he dropped into a crouch and clamped his hands over his ears. The high-pitched cries echoed, fading into the distance like a lingering shriek. Then, suddenly, the forest fell into an eerie silence.

“You must never go near the forest of Oliva. Not even during the day. That place is a playground for monsters and devils. If a child like you gets too close, they’ll snatch you up and crunch you to pieces, starting with your head.”

He remembered his grandmother’s words. In a panic, he turned around, but whether he looked left or right, all he could see were more tree trunks, all just the same. He no longer knew where he’d come from. Lost and helpless, a shiver of fear ran through his entire body, raising goosebumps on his arms. What if night falls and I never make it home? Would a child like him be caught and eaten by devils?

I have to get out of the forest. He made up his mind and stood, but he had no idea which direction to go. Every way seemed both right and wrong at once.

That was when he heard the crunch of dry leaves underfoot. Snair pressed his back against the tree and trembled. Even adults won’t enter this forest, Grandma had said. His heart pounded in his chest. If it’s not a person... then what kind of footsteps are those? They were coming closer. A twig snapped nearby with a sharp crack, and at the same moment, something inside his head seemed to shatter. With a loud cry, Snair bolted into a blind run. He didn’t look back not even once.

“Grandma... Grandma...”

He had just been cursing her not long ago, and now here he was, repeating her name and pleading, Help me. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’ll never mess with Benny’s cows again. I won’t pretend to be a corpse in the graveyard anymore. I’ll go to church every Sunday like I’m supposed to. So please come help me. Please…

Suddenly, the world grew bright. The darkness that had filled his heart opened up all at once. Behind him, the forest of Oliva came to an abrupt end, and before him stretched a vast meadow. On his right rose a gentle hill, split neatly down the middle by a narrow, yellowish-brown dirt path. At the base of the hill ran a small stream, winding off into the distance.

It was a place he’d never seen before. He hadn’t known there was such an expansive meadow near the village. From where Snair had exited the forest, the path forked one direction led toward the hill, the other ran along the edge of the woods. Without hesitation, he chose the path that led to the hill. He had no intention of walking anywhere near the forest again.

If I follow this path, I’ll definitely run into someone eventually. I can ask them which way leads to Torney Village. With that hope in mind, Snair began to walk. The meadow wind was strong, and with only a thin shirt on, he trembled a little from the cold. Even after cresting the hill, the barren plain continued, stretching on and on with no sign of houses no, not even another human being.

His legs were so tired they felt like wooden sticks. His stomach growled and felt as though it was about to cave into his back. So when he finally spotted a grove of trees in the distance and what looked like the wall of a house, he leapt with joy. But as he got closer, a strange feeling began to creep over him.

The wall encircling the house was built from red brick tiles and stood taller than a grown man. Even craning his neck, he could only make out the tip of the roof from behind it, and there, perched atop it, was a rusted weathercock with a bent neck. Is the wind on the hill really that strong? Tilting his head in wonder, he circled the perimeter. There were no other entrances besides the gate facing the road, and though the iron gate was rusted, it looked sturdy and solid.

If someone comes out, I can ask them where I am. With that hope, Snair paced up and down the small path in front of the house. But no matter how long he waited, there was no sign of anyone appearing beyond that heavy gate. When he finally reached out to knock, his hand pushed the gate open with a creak it hadn’t been locked.

Inside the wall was a garden, lush with green grass spread out like a carpet. A flower bed followed the line of the brick wall in a full circle. Though no flowers were in bloom, the beds were covered in thick blue-green leaves, free of weeds and clearly well tended.

At the center of the garden, enclosed by the tall walls and immaculate greenery, stood a small house. Tufts of grass peeked out from between the reddish-brown roof tiles, and some of the earthen walls were beginning to peel away. It looked old, but there were signs of someone living there.

“Hello?” Snair called out from just outside the gate. His voice was swallowed by the greenery and disappeared. I’ll probably get in trouble for going in without permission, but maybe if I explain, they’ll understand. Hesitantly, he stepped inside the wall and made his way to the front door. The area was raised slightly, with white stones set into the ground. Weeds had grown between them, but there were signs they’d been stepped on and crushed.

“Excuse me, is anyone there?”

He knocked hard on the wooden door don, don. But there was no answer. He tried the handle, but unlike the gate, it didn’t open easily. With a sigh, he let his hand fall just as the door creaked with a groan and slowly swung outward.

What appeared before him was a cascade of dazzling golden hair. He had never seen such bright, sun-colored gold before. Snair stood frozen, mouth slightly agape. The figure before him looked almost too perfect to be real, like a doll come to life. Their skin was milk-white, and their eyes were a brilliant, transparent green far brighter than the beryl pendant his grandmother owned.

He couldn’t tell whether the person was a man or a woman. But they wore a long-sleeved cotton shirt and black trousers, so it must be a man… probably.

"A child, huh..."

The voice was beautiful like a canary's song.

"What brought you all the way out here?"

"Um..."

Staring into those green eyes, Snair felt like he might be pulled in and disappear. His heart pounded. Holding it down with one hand, stumbling over his words, he managed to reply.

"I got into a fight with my grandma, and, um... I went into the Forest of Oliva, and before I knew it, I ended up here..."

The green eyes widened, startled.

"You came from the Forest of Oliva? That’s either brave or reckless. That place is home to demons and monsters. Even during the day, if you wander too far, they’ll catch you. It’s a miracle you made it here unharmed."

The man tilted his head, and his golden hair swayed gently.

"Didn’t the adults ever tell you not to enter the forest?"

"They did... but..."

He mumbled in a small voice. A pale hand reached out and brushed his hair. As he gently stroked Snair’s head, the man smiled a breathtakingly beautiful smile.

"When you leave, take the road in front of the house and go north, away from the Forest of Oliva. That’ll lead you to Neneka Village. Never go through Oliva Forest again, understand?"

"Okay..."

Snair responded vaguely, his mind drifting back to the mural at church. There was one where angels surrounded God. Their forms were so beautiful they didn’t seem of this world. If angels really existed, they’d probably look just like this person.

“Then be careful out there.”

Just then, Snair’s stomach growled loudly. His face turned bright red with embarrassment. The man stifled a laugh behind his hand.

“Are you hungry?”

Unable to lie, Snair gave a slow nod.

“Come inside. I’ll get you something to eat.”

He was gently guided inside. The house was tidy and orderly. A wooden table with two chairs, and against the wall, a well-worn horse saddle lay casually. It wasn’t just the age of the furnishings the space felt oddly lonely. Maybe it was because not a single painting or relief adorned the walls.

“Wait here.”

The room he was led to had many windows. Sunlight poured in, filling it with a gentle warmth. At the center of the small room stood a tea table. By the window was a large rocking chair, and opposite it, a single wooden chair. After the man left, Snair perched nervously on the hard wooden seat.

The man didn’t return right away. Bored, Snair began swinging his legs back and forth in the air something he’d once done during a church service and gotten a severe scolding from his grandmother for.

The door creaked open. Startled, Snair immediately stopped swinging his legs. The man came in holding a tray. On the tea table, he placed a small plate filled with Isli berries and a large one piled high with roses.

“You’ll be eating this one.”

The man pointed to the berries.

“This one’s mine.”

His finger indicated the crimson rose petals.

“But… that’s a flower.”

“Yes.”

The man nodded without hesitation.

“Go on, don’t be shy.”

His stomach was still growling. Unable to resist any longer, Snair reached for the Isli berries. They were sweet and nutty, similar to chestnuts, with a pleasant crunch. As he munched eagerly, he kept his eyes fixed on the man. Is he really going to eat the flowers? I want to see it with my own eyes if he does...

The man sat in the rocking chair and opened an old, leather-bound book. Now and then he turned a page with a soft rustle. Finally, he reached toward the flowers but just as his fingers neared them, they returned to the book to flip the next page.

So he wasn’t going to eat them after all…

That’s what Snair thought until he looked at the plate and froze. The once-vibrant roses had dried up, crisp and brittle.

He couldn’t look away. Why had the flowers suddenly withered? It was as though in that one small spot, time had surged forward by days in an instant…

“Thank you for the meal.”

Perhaps noticing Snair’s gaze, the man gave him a gentle smile. Snair swallowed hard. He was afraid, but he had to ask.

"Why did they turn brown? Just a moment ago, they were so vibrant..."

A line appeared between the man's brows, and his face took on a somber expression.

"That can’t be helped. I can only consume the essence of flowers."

He can only eat flowers? Snair had never heard of such a thing. A slow, black haze began to creep through his chest. His grandmother had warned him evil demons sometimes take the shape of beautiful humans to lead people astray. If that’s true, then... is this person standing before me a demon?

"Are you… a demon?"

The man’s expression changed in an instant. His face flushed red with fury as he leapt from the rocking chair, his golden hair whipping around as he glared at Snair.

"What a blasphemous child! A demon, of all things how could you look at me and say such a thing? Just look at this golden hair. There’s no hair brighter or more beautiful in all the heavens. Only Lady Agatha and I have this color. And these eyes don’t they shine like melted emeralds? Demons serve the darkness. They could never have eyes like this."

The force of his presence made Snair tremble atop the chair. The man pressed a hand to his forehead and let out a weary sigh, then collapsed back into the rocking chair.

"It’s no wonder you find me strange. Angels don’t stay on earth for long. We spend most of our time in the heavens and only descend for inspections, or to retrieve souls..."

Large tears spilled from the man’s green eyes.

"I want to go home too. I want to return to the world above. I’m tired of this small, shabby house. I want to serve Lady Agatha again, in the heavenly court, in the gardens where roses bloom."

He wept with such sorrow that Snair couldn’t bear it. He ran up to him.

"D-Don’t cry. It’s okay. You’ll be able to go back definitely."

The man wiped the corners of his eyes with a fingertip and gazed at Snair through a film of tears. Even crying, he was beautiful.

"Thank you. I know it’s only a kind lie, but it still means a lot. You’re a kind child."

He smiled with a radiance that made it hard to believe he had just been crying moments earlier.

"Now that I think of it, I haven’t asked your name yet."

"It’s Snair."

The man tilted his head.

"What an unusual name. I’ve heard words that sound like that in a faraway country to the south."

He rose from the rocking chair and knelt in front of Snair. He whispered something softly and pressed his index finger to the child’s forehead.

"In the name of Kyle, Guardian Angel of Flowers, may this one Snair always love and be loved by flowers, and receive their protection."

The moment the man withdrew his finger, Snair felt a faint warmth pass through his body but it lasted only a second.

"I’m Kyle. I’m the Guardian Angel of Flowers."

"A flower angel?"

"That’s right," Kyle replied with great pride, smiling brightly.

"But… the flowers were all wilted earlier."

Kyle’s beautiful face twisted into a look of despair. He clutched his head with both hands and began sobbing aloud. Startled by the rawness of it, Snair reached out to comfort him and was pulled into a tight embrace. Unable to move, he just sat still.

"This body of mine... it’s all because of that demon. I’m being held captive. It’s over. No one’s coming to save me. Even Lady Agatha has probably forgotten all about me by now..."

"I’ll save you!"

Snair shouted the words before he could stop himself. He just wanted to ease the sorrow of the beautiful angel somehow. Kyle gently stroked the child’s head as he held him.

"Thank you. You’re such a sweet child. But no human on earth could stand against that demon… The power it holds is terrifying beyond belief."

It was frightening but Snair felt he couldn’t let that fear win.

"Then run away with me. My grandma would help you too I know she would!"

Kyle gave a faint shake of his head.

"I can’t. I can’t leave beyond the walls of this house."

"It’s okay. Let’s go anyway."

The green eyes slowly fell shut.

“I lost my angelic powers because of the demon. That’s why now, I’m even weaker than a human. If I were to take even a single step outside the fence, I’d be caught by a monster and devoured right away.”

With gentle hands, Kyle softly stroked Snair’s back.

“Your feelings alone are enough. Thank you.”

“But… but…”

Overwhelmed with pity for Kyle, Snair cried a little. He was such a beautiful angel, and yet he couldn’t return to the heavenly realm. It must be just like how I’d feel if I couldn’t go back to Grandma’s house. The thought made his chest ache so badly, it was unbearable.

“I haven’t done anything wrong,” Kyle murmured.

“I didn’t do anything. That demon… it captured me when I descended to earth, and it trapped me here.”

Snair clutched the beautiful man’s hand tightly.

“If someone comes to get you, you’ll be able to return to heaven, right? Then I’ll pray to God. I’ll go to church every day and ask the great God and the angels to come and take you home.”

Kyle’s despair-filled green eyes slowly closed.

“Even if God… even if Lady Agatha were to come for me, I might not be able to return to the heavens. Because I no longer have wings to fly freely through the sky…”

The man who had been gently stroking Snair’s head suddenly looked up.

“Oh no. The sun’s already this low. If you don’t go home soon, it’ll be dangerous. There are monsters that can only stay in the Oliva Forest during the day once dusk falls, they start to wander the paths. If you’re caught and dragged into the forest, you’ll be in real trouble. You need to hurry home.”

Turning around, Snair saw the light through the window had turned a deep orange.

“Take this with you,” Kyle said, handing him a small leather pouch filled with the leftover Isli berries. He urged Snair toward the entrance.

“Be careful. The sun’s already too low I can’t walk you to the gate now. We’ll have to part here, but go the way I told you: north. Just keep heading north.”

Snair was ushered out the front door, which shut firmly behind him. He felt torn, unable to shake the sadness of leaving Kyle behind this unhappy angel who had cried so much. But there was nothing a child like him could do. Clutching the pouch of Isli berries now tied at his waist, Snair slowly crossed the grassy yard.

As he pushed open the iron gate and stepped outside, a wind far colder than before cut across his body, making him shiver. He hadn’t walked more than a few steps when he heard the sound of someone running up from behind. Turning around, he saw a figure sprinting toward him from the path that led to the Oliva Forest.

The man’s face was twisted in such a terrifying expression that Snair panicked and bolted. But he was caught almost instantly.

A rough hand seized his shoulder. He struggled to break free, twisting his body, but in doing so, his feet tangled and he crashed to the dirt path in a cloud of dust.

“You little monster!”

The man shouted as he grabbed Snair by the chest and yanked him up. Paralyzed by fear, Snair sank his teeth hard into the thick wrist holding him.

“Gah!”

The man let go, and Snair took off again. He veered off the path, fleeing wildly into the open grasslands. But once more, he was quickly overtaken this time, dragged down and pinned.

The man straddled Snair’s stomach and glared down at him. His eyes and hair were black as pitch, as if they had been painted in pure darkness. His heavy breathing revealed a flash of pointed molars behind his parted lips.

Kyle had warned him. At dusk, the monsters of the Oliva Forest come out to wander the paths. And now, Snair had been caught by one.

“You’ve got guts, sneaking into my house in broad daylight. I had it sealed with strong wards. How’d you get in? You didn’t do anything to it, did you?”

“No! Help me! Help!”

Snair covered his eyes with both arms, sobbing and crying, “Grandma! Grandma!”

Then, all of a sudden, the weight pressing on his stomach vanished. Cautiously, he lowered his arms and locked eyes with a sharp gaze staring down at him.

The man crouched slowly and gripped the child’s slender ankle.

He’s going to eat me from the feet up. Snair’s knees trembled uncontrollably.

The man leaned down and, as if to taste it, ran his tongue along Snair’s scraped, bleeding knee.

“So you’re human.”

Murmuring softly, the man gently touched the corner of Snair’s tear-streaked eye with his thumb.

“Sorry for being rough. I mistook you for a monster.”

His black eyes looked gently almost regretfully into Snair’s. Taking the boy’s hands, he helped him stand on the grass, then brushed the dirt and dry grass from his clothes. The tears smeared across his face were carefully wiped away with the sleeve of the man’s own shirt. Then he took Snair by the hand and led him to a nearby brook, where he washed the scraped and bloodied knee with care. The stream water was cold, but the man’s hands were very warm.

“I’m truly sorry. No child has ever come to that house before. Still… how on earth did you manage to get inside?”

“I came through the Oliva Forest.”

The man looked startled.

“You made it through that forest? And didn’t get caught by any monsters? You’re lucky.”

As they returned to the path together, Snair suddenly noticed the small leather pouch was no longer at his waist. He looked around in a panic, and the man tilted his head.

“What’s wrong?”

“My pouch is gone. The one with the Isli berries in it…”

The man walked back toward the gate and crouched down for a moment. When he returned, he held the little pouch in his hand.

“Is this what you were looking for?”

Snair nodded.

“Is this pouch yours too?”

“…Kyle gave it to me.”

The man blinked several times.

“Kyle gave it to you…? You spoke with Kyle?”

When Snair nodded again, the man folded his arms and muttered, “I see.” He opened his mouth as if to speak further but suddenly dropped to one knee. Now face-to-face with Snair, his black eyes no longer carried the terrifying intensity they had when they first met.

“What did Kyle talk to you about?”

His voice held a familiarity when he said the angel’s name.

“Are you Kyle’s friend?”

There was a short pause before the man answered Snair’s question.

“I live with Kyle.”

He said it with a wry smile.

“Then you’re an angel too!”

Snair’s voice burst with excitement, but the man’s low voice denied it calmly.

“No, I’m not.”

“Oh… right. That makes sense. There can’t be that many angels.”

A cold breeze grazed the back of Snair’s neck. The sound of dry grass rustling suddenly felt lonely. He realized the sun had already dipped halfway behind the mountains. The growing darkness unsettled him. The monsters will be out here soon, won’t they…?

“What did Kyle tell you?”

The man asked again, unaware of Snair’s nervous shifting.

“He said he’s here because a demon caught him. He cried.”

The man’s face clouded with sadness and fell silent. Snair hesitantly spoke up.

“Um… I should get going…”

The man lifted his eyebrows slightly and muttered, “Ah.”

“You’re right. If you don’t, your family’ll start to worry. I’ll walk you back. Where’s your house?”

The darkening path made his offer feel like a blessing to Snair.

“Torney Village.”

“This is Torney too, technically, but it’s the outskirts. It’d probably be faster to pass through Neneka Village. Either way come on, let’s go.”

The man held out his hand to Snair. Feeling a little shy, Snair took it. It was warm and big. The wind sweeping across the meadow was cold, and Snair hunched his shoulders. The man stopped walking, took off his coat, and draped it over Snair’s back.

“Thank you.”

Snair expressed his gratitude, and the man smiled, eyes narrowing kindly. The coat smelled faintly of varnish or paint. If I had a father, maybe he’d be like this. Snair thought vaguely. He had no memories of his parents. Both had died of an epidemic before he was old enough to remember them.

Holding that warm hand, Snair felt like no monster could ever hurt him. The comfort made the quiet journey home feel dull, and he tugged on his hand with curiosity.

“Hey, why do you live with an angel?”

“Because if I left him alone, Kyle would be eaten by a monster.”

“Then you’re stronger than the monsters!”

As they walked, the man ruffled his slightly long black hair with his fingers.

“Yeah. I’m stronger than the monsters.”

“That’s amazing. You’re like a knight protecting an angel! How can a human become an angel’s knight?”

“I’m not human. I’m a demon.”

Just a moment ago, he had seemed like a demon. His back teeth had been sharp, and his face was terrifying. But the same man who had gently cleaned Snair’s scraped knee and offered to walk him home when it got late, he didn’t seem like a demon at all. The illustrations Snair had seen in books showed demons as completely different creatures: heads with horns, spiked hair, bat wings sprouting from their backs, and lizard tails trailing from their waists.

“That’s a lie.”

Hair and eyes as black as the darkening sky. But plenty of people in the village had black hair and eyes nothing strange about that.

“It’s not a lie.” The man firmly denied it.

“Demons aren’t kind. They catch humans and eat them. And you don’t have wings or a tail like a demon would.”

“I keep them hidden. If people could see them, no one would come near me.”

Snair shook his head with growing frustration.

“That’s a lie! It’s definitely a lie. Because a demon could never live with an angel!”

“Why not?”

The question caught him off guard. Why couldn’t they live together? Angels did good, and demons did bad they were complete opposites, so of course…

“Because… because you’re a demon.”

A small sigh escaped the man.

“You won’t believe unless you see it with your own eyes?”

The warmth of his hand left Snair’s. Then, suddenly, the air around the man wavered with a deep, guttural shimmer. In a flash, his entire form transformed. His eyes stretched upward like a cat’s, sharp fangs jutted past his lips, his fingers lengthened into claws, and from his back unfurled black, ominous bat wings exactly like the ones Snair had seen in books. The sound of his grinding teeth clicked in the air. Snair’s whole body trembled.

“Uwaaaah!”

Screaming, Snair turned and bolted north as fast as he could. That’s a demon. A real one. He’s going to eat me. He was pretending to be kind, he tricked me!

“Hey, wait!”

He shut out the demon’s voice, covered his ears. If he stopped now, he knew he wouldn’t survive. He felt something grab his shoulder. The glint of long claws flashed at the edge of his vision.

“N-no! Get away!”

Snair flailed wildly, trapped in the demon’s arms. But in the chaos, he realized his feet were no longer touching the ground. His body was lifting, floating. And below, the earth was falling away…

“You finally calmed down. I told you to wait, didn’t I? The northern path is enchanted. No human can pass through it. If you went on your own, you’d only get lost.”

Arms coiled around his waist. The clawed fingers were sharp. With those claws, he’ll rip me open. That thought filled him with dread. It’s over. I’m going to be eaten, I’ll die. More than anything, he just wanted to see his grandmother one last time.

The earth was so far below now so very far. The grassland bathed in twilight stretched out beneath them. And then, overwhelmed, Snair lost consciousness.

◇:-:◆:-:◇

When he woke up, he was in a bed in a pitch-dark room.

The first thing Snair did was place a hand over his mouth to make sure he was still breathing. Then he touched his arms and legs to confirm they were all still there. The demon hadn’t taken anything important from him yet.

Carefully, he slipped out of bed. Moonlight spilling through the window helped illuminate the room. Only then did he realize it was his own room. Somehow, he’d made it back home.

When did that happen?

He put on his shoes and clattered down the stairs, his footsteps echoing through the house.

“You’re being noisy, Snair. Don’t run in the house,” came his grandmother’s scolding voice.

Peeking into the kitchen, he saw her large back hunched over a pot, stirring. He was so overwhelmed with relief that tears welled up in his eyes, and he ran to throw his arms around her.

“Grandma!”

“What’s with you, getting all clingy out of nowhere?”

“What happened to me?”

“What happened to you? You tell me!”

She turned around and planted her hands on her wide hips, her eyes narrowing sharply.

“I told you again and again not to go near the Oliva Forest, didn’t I? And what do I hear? You went and got yourself lost in there! You’re lucky you’re even alive.”

“I was caught by a demon.”

She snorted through her nose.

“Oh, I’m sure you got caught by one or two demons, all right.”

Snair tugged hard on the white apron she wore as she peeked into the pot.

“It’s true! I really was caught! A scary demon with bat wings! I was caught, and yet… why am I back home now?”

His grandmother sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

“Maybe one of those forest monsters planted a strange dream in your head. You’re such a peculiar child. But there’s nothing strange about your being back home. Warren found you collapsed near the edge of the forest and brought you back. He’s a kind man, that one. Be sure to thank him properly when you see him.”

“Warren…? Who’s that?”

She gave him a casual shrug.

“You mean you don’t know Warren? He’s the ornament craftsman who lives near the village border. You always see him at Sunday service, don’t you?”

Snair tilted his head repeatedly in confusion. I was captured by a demon and taken into the sky... But after that, he had lost consciousness and couldn’t remember anything. Today, he had even met an angel more beautiful than anyone he had ever seen. Maybe… maybe it had all been a dream. The demon, the angel, all of it just some strange vision the forest monsters had shown him.

Snair shoved a hand into the pocket of his trousers.

What he pulled out was a small leather pouch.

Its contents…

“Grandma?”

“What is it now?”

“If I suddenly turn into a demon, don’t be too surprised, okay?”

“What’s with all this blasphemous nonsense you’re going on about? Go wash your hands at the backyard well. Supper’s almost ready!”

Finally, she raised her voice and shouted. Startled, Snair darted out the front door. It was already night, and the moon hung pale, casting a faint glow over the ground. Until now, the thought had never even crossed his mind, but tonight, he felt like something might come for him from the shadows behind the bushes like the demon might return.

He knew he was supposed to wash his hands, but he couldn’t bring himself to walk all the way to the well. He stood for a moment just outside the back door… and then quietly slipped back inside the house.

“You did wash your hands, didn’t you?” his grandmother’s sharp voice rang out.

Rubbing his dust-smeared palms against his trousers, Snair gave a meek reply: “Yeees.”

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