The Past Winter
Other Dimension
“Actually who are you?” I was trying to figure out this strange event. “Why can my face turn into ash like this?” I found a lot of dirt and wounds that had dried up in this area of the face and all over this small body.
A woman from the cell next to mine was much older than me (who currently possessed a child's body), inviting me to speak.
“You came here two days ago. By the time you get here you're unconscious and you're not moving like a corpse.” Said. “But all of a sudden you woke up and asked them to talk like there was nothing like this, obviously the kids and of course I got scared of you.” Evidently.
“You said I was unconscious for two days!?” I said I couldn't believe it.
“Yes, it's been two days you didn't wake up.” Answer the boy across.
“And now where are we?” Askaqua.
“Slave auction.”
I was so surprised to hear the answer I got. “What a tacky name it is. The slave auction said, Haha.” My little head got dizzy, this tiny brain can't hold much information at once. Too many incidents happen suddenly at any one time.
“My name is Rossie.” The girl who gave me the mirror introduced herself.
“I...” I'm stunned. I can't even remember my own name at all. My head is getting sick.
“My name is Rainar.” Answer the boy who used the neck restraint across the cell.
“A-I can't remember my name..” I said I started having panic attacks.
“What's possible..” Rossie held her chin as she looked to think.
“... Can't you say don't be half-and-half like that?” My aching head made me an emotional little girl.
“I just wanted to say that, why are you angry?” Rossie who only intended to tease me was out of anger.
“Are you really afraid of me? If so, why are you even approaching me?” My words were already sewot because it was too upset, I could not remember anything even just a name.
I knew for a moment that I was a mature woman who had entered the body of a young girl. But when asked about the name just now, my mind went blank. Like clean paper with no scribbles, there's also no one who can help me remember who I really am. I don't understand why I think I'm an adult woman from another world trapped inside someone else's body.
Rainar chuckled from inside his cell. He sat there as if watching a comedy show.
“Do you need popcorn to watch us from there?!” This time I vented it out in a loud voice, yelling a little more at Rainar who was just sitting watching us from earlier.
“What is pop... What did you say?” Now Rossie put his face on the sidelines of the bars, as if his big face was able to pass through a narrow cold iron gap.
“What is delicious?” This time it was Rainar's turn to do the same as Rossie.
“You carried it on your body? Quickly eject!” Rossie's orders also got approval from Rainar across there.
Not only the two of them, even the other children who were scared of me earlier were now paying their attention.
“Hei... Oi... What the fuck is your face. Can we go back to the previous conversation? I don't remember my name! Even worse I don't remember who I am!”
After my answer about the popcorn that disappointed them earlier, no one asked me to respond, neither Rossie nor Rainar. Even the other girl who had been excited looked indifferent. “Basic of small children.” My grumbling with a slow voice, slower than the sound of a heart.
“Have a small child do not be forced, later your head will be more painful so.” Rainar said in the end.
I was a bit choked for a moment, because Rainar precisely mentioned the word ‘little’ in his sentence, as if knowing my ridicule earlier. Also Rainar's expression that says that ‘no matter how small your voice I can hear it’, sort of.
“Create your own name.” Rossie said in response. “I also made my own name”.
“I also.” Rainar. “Many children sold here do not have a name even from birth.” Said again.
Rainar and Rossie were chatting to themselves, they were having a discussion about making a name that I would use as my name.
“You said this is a slave auction?” I confirmed Rainar's expression just a moment ago.
“Not here, but up there.” Rainar pointed towards the ceiling of his cell. “Below here is where the prisoners will be at auction.” Said.
“But I'm not a prisoner! I'm not a criminal!” I'm upset to hear the word prisoner coming out of Rossie's mouth. I who have never done anything evil can be treated arbitrarily by others whom I do not even know their form and form.
“Maybe you were kidnapped and in the end you were sold here.” Rossie.
“It looks like they used magic to restore your lifespan. Because it's impossible for a five-year-old to speak like you.” Rainar.
I don't fully understand what they're talking about to each other from now on. About magic, slave auctions, age-returns, memory-removing, abductions, everything was very confusing and absurd. “Does that magic really exist in this world?” Mumbles.
KLANG!
KLANG!
The deafening sound made the inhabitants of the cells flocked to close their bodies on the wall. As if in such a way they could penetrate it so that it could enter the ground.
“Hey you! Quickly get here!” Rossie's orders to me. “Close and don't move until I command!”
I followed Rossie's direction without asking. Rossie wrapped my tiny body using a dirty straw fiber that was a bit wet and smelled pungent.
“Hold a minute until they leave!” Rossie's whisper was warning me who was trying to remove that straw fiber from my body.
Finally inevitably I just stayed in place and endured the torment of that stinging straw. Weathered straw fibers create many cavities on each side. I peeked out from behind the hay while tightly closing my nose, and tried to hold my breath as best I could.
I saw some adults with creepy looks go inside. They wear a uniform blend of black and dark green. And the two of them carried a long stick with an iron tip at the top like a blunt blade. The man who did not carry the staff in his hand opened the cell door with a set of keys made into one using a round iron.
After the door opened, the creepy-looking people picked out a few of us and dragged them out. It was like dragging a farm animal out of its cage. Shouts happen everywhere.