The Darkness Inside You

'Forgive me, my child.'

~Third Person's Point of View~

On a small orphanage, there was a young girl who suddenly woke up in the middle of the night. In the silent atmosphere, she heard a loud dump sound. She got up and left the room, wondering where that sounds came from. As she came upon the hallway, there was a light coming from the right turn. It was the kitchen. She could hear a very weird sounds from that side as if like someone was cooking. By having that thought, her stomach let out a slight growl.

Her steps got faster as she walked towards there where the light came from. She totally forgot what was she wondering for, but as she was going further and further... she heard another sound.

Like... someone is crying. But why is she crying? Was what in her mind.

While walking as she was still a bit sleepy, she was touching the wall to guide her the way. But then, she felt something liquid on it and she stopped walking coz of it. She was trying to figure out what kind of liquid was on her hand but nothing could be seen in the dark hallway.

*Tugh! Tugh! Tugh! Tugh! Tugh!!*

A series of noise as if something had been hammered on the floor, because of that the young girl continued her walk towards the kitchen.

She was getting closer. She was almost there... to that place where she shouldn't be going.

The little girl stopped walking once again. Something caught her attention. At the edge of the wall, there was something laying. A teddy bear.

'This teddy bear is familiar...' She said through her mind. Then, she picked it up. 'It's from Aya.'

She then noticed something on the teddy bear's cheeks. 'What is this red color? Maybe, it's blushing because I'm holding her.'

She widely smiled as she hugged the teddy bear. 'I'll ask Aya to play with her.'

She then again heard another weird chopping sound. 'Is Maiden Anna cooking?'

She walked again to finally see what was happening in the kitchen. And as the last steps, she heard the voice of her older sister Aya...

"P-Please... S-S-Spare my l-life..."

That was when the little girl saw everything that she should not be seeing. She was witnessing a lot of bodies in the kitchen getting chopped out by the maiden holding a butcher.

On the table, a pile of chopped arms and legs were in there. While on the other side, at the faucet area, was where the heads of her friends compiling in one place. She almost couldn't recognize their faces because their eyeballs were pulled out, but she knew that they were her friends, her elder sisters and brothers. On the other hand, their main bodies, on the floor, were cut in half horizontally that the organs could clearly be seen and was being soaked in the sea of blood. These bodies were just in front of Aya, sitting on the floor and crying.

As the little girl witnessed everything, her grip loosened that the teddy bear she's holding fell off on the floor. The maiden noticed her, and their eyes met.

The maiden did not even panic seeing her. She didn't say anything. She just smiled at her lovingly as what she used to as the maiden of the orphanage. But the little girl got even more scared with that smile. She couldn't utter a word. She couldn't move a single muscle.

The little girl was just shaking in terrible fear.

"Please Maiden Anna... I don't want to die... P-Please..." Aya begged for her life as the maiden was in front of her.

The maiden got closer to her and looking at her emotionless. But then, she suddenly appeared very kindly.

"Aya, my dear, just be a good girl and do what I say. OK?" the maiden sighed then she reached out her hands towards her, but then Aya moved back away from it.

"Don't be like that, Aya. If you still keep refusing, the younger ones won't be having a delicious menu later."

Aya was extremely scared right now by the Maiden in front of her. She couldn't understand what this Maiden was up to.

The Maiden is crazy... Was what on her mind.

"For sure they'll jump in joy if they get to eat my specialty for the breakfast, don't you also want that hmm, Aya?"

She walked again towards Aya.

"Say Aya, don't you want them to be happy and healthy?"

But Aya just kept on going backward as the Maiden was getting closer towards her. The maiden was getting annoyed. She once again tried to reach her... on her head.

"Come on, Aya... Do this for the sake of the young ones."

But then suddenly something flew on the maiden's face that caused her from stopping. She stood still and looked at the teddy bear near her left foot.

"Get away from her, monster!!!" the little girl courageously shouted then, she ran and stood up in front of Aya to defend her.

"Aby..?"

"Oh, Aby! Our little angel. It's so early in the morning dear, are you hungry?"

The little girl Aby was confused by what the Maiden was saying. She just couldn't understand her.

"Why are you doing this, Maiden Anna..? Please don't kill Aya..." she pleaded as she teared up.

"It's for your own sake Aby---"

"Please Maiden Anna, I'm begging you!"

Aya screamed as she stopped the Maiden from talking. Then, she kneeled in front of her begging for her life.

"I'll do everything you want. I'll keep silent... just please spare my life. I don't want to die, Maiden Anna!"

She then looked at Aby and immediately held her shoulder.

"This kid... Take her life instead of me, please? There are still a lot of little kids so killing her wouldn't count as one, right Maiden Anna? I'll do whatever you want just kill this kid instead of-----"

*Tugh---!*

The maiden stopped her from talking by throwing the knife that she had been holding, strike in the middle of Aya's head.

"You'll do everything I say? And yet you did not want to be the ingredient."

Aby got frozen as she slowly turned her back to look at the dead body of Aya. The only one who she considered as her real oldest sister. She got a sudden goosebump when the maiden got closer at her to get the knife.

Aby silently watched the maiden removing the blood on the knife using the apron she was wearing.

"Aby say... Will you keep this a secret from everyone?" the maiden said.

But Aby didn't know what to say. There was no voice coming out from its mouth. The Maiden opened her arms and happily looked at Aby.

"Look around you Aby, aren't we have a plenty of foods? This is amazing right?!" she exclaimed as she was dancing happily circling herself around as if she won a lottery.

Then, she stopped and looked at Aby again. But this time she was not smiling. She bent over towards Aby's face and staring at her very close and intense, while her eyes were wide opened as the knife was just right next to the maiden's murderous face.

"I change my mind, we won't be sharing any foods on you.!"

Aby's heart was beating so fast while looking at the maiden's gritted face, she felt like the more she looked at the maiden's wide red eyes the more she was getting swallowed by the dark. But then, in a split of seconds, the maiden got pulled away from her by force.

She saw an angel.

It was Ela who came and knocked out the maiden by the knife's handle that was now in her hand. Aby felt a relief on her c.h.e.s.t. She felt like she just forgot to breathe for a moment.

Ela glanced at her as she immediately approached her, "Are you alright? Something hurt you? It's alright now."

But then, a sudden loud sound made them stun in a moment.

The door in the kitchen opened forcefully. The town's people came.

"What on earth is happening here..."

"Oh god... This is terrible."

"The maiden di---" Ela was about to tell them what happened but...

"You monster! You did this!!!" an old Maiden immediately shouted that made Ela stops from telling them who really did this.

She felt a sudden anxious, but she calmed down herself.

"Wait, listen to me first. It's the maide---"

"Cuff her hands right now immediately! This is terrible! We can't let someone like her escape!!"

This was unexpected. It was very unlikely to what will they react. It was like as if it was already planned, as if one of them already knew this would happen to this children. And the one who was acting strange is the old Maiden.

Ela could not think of anything now that she could clearly say that they have been made her as the murderer. Not even as a prime suspect but a murderer already, just by seeing her in the scene.

She averted her eyes at the little girl behind her. Aby was still not in herself.

"Wait! A kid is behind her! She's going to kill her!"

Once again the old maiden shouted and the town's people got alerted by that.

'This old lady is getting on my nerves. Why does she have to shout like that?' is what Ela was thinking. She was getting frustrated.

But then, the old maiden suddenly let out a gun that really made them surprise. She pointed the gun at Ela.

"I won't let you kill her! Monster!"

And because of what the old Maiden said Aby came to her senses. Ela noticed that and got a feeling that this kid might say something that would lead her life in danger again. For sure, the old Maiden might pull the trigger first.

She already figured out that this old Maiden that just kept dragging her down on this case might be the mastermind behind this.

And so, before anything else, she knocked down Aby.

That was when the town's people alerted and started calling her 'monster'. And because of what she did, they were now chasing her.

But she saw it.

When she started running away, she turned her head at them and saw it. Ela clearly saw how that old maiden grinned after what she just did to Aby. And that's the mistake she shouldn't have done.

'This is bad. I have to do something before it gets too late.'  was what on her mind.

On the other hand, before the incident happened. Maiden Anna and the kids were having a picnic in the town's garden that can be found behind the church. The youngest ones were playing in the ground while the oldest ones were helping the maiden to prepare the foods for the picnic.

"Maiden Anna, is this picnic is a celebration for Ashton because someone adopted him?" Aya asked as she brought out the plates.

The maiden happily smiled at her and to other kids that were also waiting for her answer.

"Yes, my dear, we're celebrating because Ashton finally found his new family."

They all smiled and felt happy for Ashton, but some of them felt envy, jealous, and sad.

"I wonder when will someone adopts me?" Aya wondered.

"Don't worry Aya, the right time will come for you and all of you will get their own family. Rest assured, as long as Maiden Anna is here there'll be always happiness."

"That's right! Maiden Anna is right!" the tall boy named Carl screamed in full energy.

"That's because she's always on the right side, duh." the girl wearing a round-eyeglasses called Sam said.

"I feel excited, once I find my own family I'll be really going to buy lots of pretty clothes." said by the girl with two-sided ponytails with a flower on her right ear, named Chloe. The maiden smiled by what Chloe said.

"Then you should pray that a very rich family get to like you and well, as for me I'll make my room filled of books." the short haired girl said, called as Cynthia.

"Me! I'll buy lots of foods and play lots of video games!" the chubby boy excitedly said, named Chugs.

"Ahahaha! As expected from Chugs." Aya laughed.

"So, what about Aya? What will you do once you get your own family?" the maiden asked.

"Hmmm... Well.."

"Aya! I'm going to jump!" Aby screamed as she was running towards Aya getting chased by the other little kids, and then she jumped on her l.a.p and looked at her with her very cute smile as the other kids attacked them.

Aya smiled sweetly while looking at her, "I'll ask them to take this cute little Aby with me."

The maiden smiled very happy seeing all the kids playing and laughing all together in one place.

"Such a nice view isn't Maiden Anna?"

Maiden Anna got surprised because of the sudden presence of the old maiden.

The kids stopped from playing as they saw the old maiden behind Maiden Anna. They formed a line and bowed their heads on her to show respect. The old maiden showed them it's lovingly grandma smile.

"I didn't expect that the Grand Maiden is here." Maiden Anna uttered as the kids went back at playing.

"I've heard from the priest that you'll be having a picnic in here, so I came to see. By the way, is Ashton already left together with his new family?"

"Ah yes, that's why we are celebrating."

"Hmmm... He's a lucky kid that someone adopted him before everything turn red."

Maiden Anna got confused as what the old maiden just said.

"What do you mean by that Grand Maiden?"

The old Maiden then gave her a glare.

"The winter is coming, Maiden Anna. We'll be having a big trouble to get food supplies from the big city, and besides you know well how poor and unknown this orphanage, and so only a few rich families are coming here to take a visit. We are out of funds."

Maiden Anna didn't know what to say, "Grand Maiden... Does that mean..."

The old maiden watched the children playing together.

"Yes. As long as we have the youngest ones, the orphanage will be saved from getting closed."

"But Grand Maiden this idea is so absurd. I can't do something like that. I know there is still a way for the kids not to get sick once the winter comes, and I'll make sure that they'll eat every day and live healthy."

"You are the seventh maiden that told me that exact phrase as like that, Maiden Anna."

"But they are just kids... Just how can you think somethi----"

"Maidens are much higher position than the Sisters, all what the Maiden has decided are always been in the right path. Maiden Anna, it has just been three months since you became a Maiden from a Sister. Do you wish to get back to where you started?"

She got nervous, "No... Grand Maiden..." she murmured as she lowered her head.

"Then, do as I say. Once the food truck stops delivering foods in here, you know what to do to prevent hunger."

"Yes... Grand Maiden..."

"Only remember this... Do this for the sake of the young ones. These young lively kids are the ones that will surely love by the rich family, so make sure you take a good care of them."

"Yes... Grand Maiden..."

Inside of her, she wanted to back out. But what could she do if this orphanage and being a maiden is her life... Besides, she has something special in this orphanage. A secret.

"We don't have a choice, Maiden Anna. Sometimes, in order to survive the only thing we could think of is to sacrifice... And the oldest kids is our way to survive."

The old maiden turned back to walk away.

"Besides, not a single family is interested at them hahahahaha!~"

The maiden went blank.

She couldn't hear anything but only the laughs of the old maiden. Every word that she said was repeating and repeating on her mind.

"Only remember this...

Remember...

Do this...

Dot this...

Do this...

Do this...

Do this...

Do this...

Do this...

DO IT!!!

Yes... That's right...

For the sake of the young ones...

For the sake of the young ones...

For the sake of the young ones...

For the sake of the young ones...

Young ones...

Young ones...

Young ones...

Young ones...

Young ones...

Young ones...

Young ones...

Young ones...

Young ones...

Young ones...

JUST FOR THE F.U.C.K.I.N.G SAKE!!!!"

Then, deep down in her mind something had awoken. A devilish smile appeared. And the smiles and laughs of the oldest kids were slowly getting blurred in the eyes of the maiden.

"Maiden Anna... why are you doing this..." Aya said while crying and shivering in fears.

All the six oldest kids including Aya were gathered up by the maiden in the kitchen. But they didn't know that this horrible thing would happen to them.

Chugs and Sam were the first ones who got chopped by the maiden. Their arms and legs were removed on its body, while their heads were getting washed by the running faucet at the basin.

Maiden Anna ignored what Aya just said as she was concentrating on removing Carl's eyeballs.

| For the sake of the young ones... For the sake of the young ones... |

These phrases was again repeating on her mind and nothing else. It's like someone was whispering in her mind.

Meanwhile, Chloe and Cynthia were just crying nonstop while they're hugging each other. But later on, Chloe started to feel weak because she tried to escape by getting closer in the door secretly which is ten steps away from them but since it's on the right side of the maiden, even though she was concentrating on something, she caught Chloe trying to escape through her peripheral view.

And because of that, Cynthia was hugging Chloe while her legs were chopped off and was bleeding nonstop which was making her weak.

"Done. We have now a total of six meatballs. Do Aby and Rafael not love meat balls?" the maiden said as she turned back and faced the three kids behind her.

She was just looking at them, and as she saw Chloe's situation she started getting emotional...

| Don't! This is for the sake of the young ones... For the sake of the young ones... For the sake of the young ones... Only for the young ones! |

Her expression went blank again.

| That's right. Finish what you have started. Kill them all and make a delicious dish! |

She started walking towards Chloe and Cynthia, and as the maiden was in front of them, Cynthia tightly hugged Chloe and not wanting of letting go of her.

"Please... Maiden Anna... Stop this..."

She ignored Cynthia and got more closer to Chloe.

She then grabbed her hair, "It's for the sake of the young ones..."

Chloe was trying hard to get out of her hands even though she was already weak. The Maiden lifted up the kid and letting all the blood dropped from the two half-cut limbs.

Chloe then gave up on resisting, "You're not a Maiden... Monster." Chloe mocked her as she accepted her death.

Maiden Anna got furious by what Chloe said, "For the sake of the young ones!!!!!"

Then, she cut off Chloe's head from its body as it fell down on the floor.

The maiden teared up while looking at Chloe's head getting held up by her hand. And then, she hugged the head.

"Forgive me, Chloe... Forgive me, my child."  she whispered.

She has something special in this orphanage... the proof of her for not being a v.i.r.g.i.n anymore.

And now it's gone.

To be continued...