Finding the Sacred Tree

Torture

As John said before. I was taken to the square, by him. He still dragged me around like a useless item and a lot of people liked him. There was blood coming out of my nose, but my gaze was still empty, I didn't know what was going on right now and I didn't know what was going to happen next. It seems like I don't care about my life anymore, even if I die now, it's okay.

We have arrived at the square. there are already 2 poles made of wooden sticks and also a whip that is still fastened on one of the poles. When we came, there was a fat man with bald hair on top of his doang, approaching us with a smile.

"Oh.. Mr. John. Did you bring any more criminals to torture."

"You're right Geri and this time I brought my most hated criminal that he killed my friend and my student."

"Your friend? Who is that sir?"

"Si Tapoc and her family. They were killed in a very cruel way."

"Tapoc? That famous Tapoc sir?"

"Yes, and this kid killed him."

"Geez, why did he do all that?.does he have a grudge against Mr Tapoc?"

John was silent and did not answer.

"Master?"

"This is what I hate about this boy. I still don't know the motive of this kid."

"What! How could Mr. John, the great detective, not know the motive for the murder of this child."

"But that's the truth. I honestly brought this kid here to interrogate him through torture."

"That's it, but does Mr. John believe that this child killed Mr. Tapoc. Later if it gets wrong, we can get affected you know."

"If that's what I'm sure of, maybe. I've gathered some evidence and it all points to this kid, but I'm still wondering, why is he doing all that?"

"Hmm. Then how about we start, sir. Maybe with some lashings, this kid will confess."

"Hum...Then let's do it."

Then my clothes were removed and my pants were also removed and replaced with shorter pants. It was done to make the torture more thorough. If I eat trousers, then the whip will not be felt when whipping the legs. Then I was hung with both hands and my feet tied at both poles.

After that, they began their torture. The first to whip was Geri. He looks very enthusiastic about this. First of all before he whips me. He whipped the land first and the land below him slightly scratched a little.

That can be so because the rope made for drunk is made from the bark of the burhti tree. And the bark of the tree had very small thorns, which until the human eye did not see it. In addition to small thorn spines, the bark of the Burhti tree has elasticity and resistance that is quite strong. Which makes the whip not easily damaged.

After feeling good to hold, Geri immediately whipped me and it made my body there was a scratch wound. Even if the scratch is small, it hurts a lot, if I still care about my life. Unfortunately the lash didn't make me react at all. My face remained at the beginning, which was a lethargic face with a blank look.

Geri who saw me had no expression when she was whipped, was annoyed and whipped me harder than before. Geri continued to whip me, until in the end she was tired. There were already so many wounds on my body and my face, but I was still expressionless.

"Hah.hah..this is the child why the hell? I've whipped a couple of times, but he's not expression at all." Geri looks ragged.

"Hmm.it's not exciting at all." John approached me while taking out his sword and then he stabbed me in the thigh slowly.

Because John did that, I ended up in pain and yelled quite strongly.

"YESY...!"

"Haha.. eventually the fun comes." John entered and pulled out his sword on my thigh slowly. Then he stabbed me so hard that the sword pierced through my thigh. I shouted even louder and made the people who heard him come closer to see.

"Well..now answer my question! why do you do all that, instead of you loving them."

In a quiet and vague voice, I said.

"Mom.not me."

John who was not satisfied with my answer immediately pulled out the sword that was stuck on my shoulder violently. I screamed again because of that. The people who saw, cheered happily when I was tormented.

Then John put the tip of my sword on my other thigh.

"OK.now answer my question correctly. Why did you kill them?"

I still answer with the same words.

"Mom.not me."

John directly pierced my other thigh firmly until it penetrated him. I shouted again and the audience cheered loudly.

John kept doing that until noon and I still answered the same "not me."

"Take my question right or you'll lose your eyes."

My body is full of puncture holes, from the body, hands and feet. My butterflies are gone one, my nails are gone all. My fingers are nine. My body is no longer broken.

"It's Mr. John, you've tortured him excessively. We'd better have lunch first, and then we'll continue to interrogate her." Geri looks no longer strong to see a cruel scene like this, so he told John to stop.

John was silent for a moment and then he put his sword into the sheath.

I'm hungry anyway."

"Well, then we will eat where sir." Geri and John walked away.

"Just as you go."

"Okay, then I have a good restaurant recommendation, sir..." Their voices the longer the slower, their shadows the longer the smaller. After a few minutes they are no longer seen or heard. They really left this place.

I thought I could finally rest for a while, but as it turned out, after they left, replace the citizens who tortured me. They took turns whipping me, but they did not know what I had done, but they still whipped me because I was a criminal.

When I was in the cambuki for the first time, I did not feel anything, but because there were open wounds all over my body. So when the whip hits my wound it will hurt a lot. Even though I didn't scream out loud. But it still hurts and makes me grimace in pain.

The treatment of the citizens didn't just whip me. They also threw rotten fruits and vegetables at me. They also sometimes throw a big enough stone that is a fist to my head and it makes my head bump, even bleed.

When tortured like this. I thought, how could my life change so drastically. Just a few hours ago, I had a good life. I can eat well, take a refreshing bath, sleep comfortably, entertainment that will never run out, and also live with a harmonious family. I thought it would be a long time, but it turns out that the beautiful life is only temporary.

There were so many memories with my parents that came to my head and at the last moment, I saw my mother and my father hanging out together on the porch. They turned to look at me and then smiled at me. They kept their distance and gave me space to sit with them.Then simultaneously they said "Here is my little angel."

It was a beautiful memory I had long forgotten. It was a memory when I was 5 years old. Because remembering those memories, I began to sob. The citizen who tortured me earlier suddenly stopped swinging his whip because he saw me who suddenly cried.

"Hey....What's going on?" Ask the man who holds the whip.

Shortly after, Geri and John return from lunch.

"What's this?" Ask John

"No sir John, just.he suddenly cried and it made me so heartless to torture him again."

"Crying?"

John then walked up to me and held my chin to see my crying face.

"Heh.It turns out you can cry too." He threw away my face violently and then approached the person holding the whip. Which then he forcibly seized the whip.

"Listen to all of you! He's a criminal. So you don't have to pity him."

"But sir... She was a child, was this kind of torture not too much for her." One of the people in the crowd asked. It's weird when they were so happy to see me tormented, but now he's defending me. Was this change of attitude because I cried earlier, or was it because of something else.

"Hey.Let me tell you something, and maybe this can make you change your mind. This boy yes, do you know what he has done."

Everyone shakes not knowing. And it's common for them, because if anyone gets hanged here they're definitely criminals who have to be punished and they don't care what they've done before.

Maybe if there is a prank hanging people here, maybe that person has been battered the next day, because in the torture of the citizens.

"Heh.so I guess. All right, all of you, listen to me carefully. This child has killed a genius in this kingdom. Can you guess who?"

Everyone thought hard because many geniuses in this kingdom and in the end they shook their heads not knowing.

"All right, I'll give you another clue. That guy has changed this world and he's been in the papers every year."

They all did not need to think much, they already knew who that person was, because there was only 1 person who managed to change this world and that was Tapoc.

Everyone answered Tapoc, but they were still hesitant, as there was no way Tapoc would be killed.

"That's right... Everything you have in mind is true... This kid killed Tapoc, one of my best friends. But not only did he kill Tapoc, he killed his wife, even his son Syo, who was also my student."

Everyone was so surprised. They know Syo very well, because he is a genius boy and also cute in this kingdom. It was said that this genius was not in the academy, but in the fight. As a child he was very good at fighting, even he was like a mid-level monster hunter at an age that could be said to be still early.

They were both shocked and angry at me. They just berate me like, you monster, how could you be a jerk, you better go to hell with the devil. They said so while throwing pebbles and rotten fruit that was still scattered on the ground.

I was also surprised (but my facial expression remained the same) by their drastic change in attitude. Well, maybe that's natural anyway. Who wouldn't be mad when their idol killed someone. Even I would get angry and try to find the killer.

I was there just speechless, when pelted with pebbles and rotten fruit. Besides, I also can't do anything, because my hands and feet are tied strong enough, to make myself unable to move freely.

"Well, how is everything, whether this child should be pitied for having killed Tapoc and his family."

Everyone answered "No" at once

"Good..! Then you know what you have to do."

Everyone immediately flocked to torture me and this time they did it more cruelly than before. Of course this time I kept screaming because they punched me hard, whipping myself even harder until it made my wounds open wider. Crumpled my fingers. Anyway, this time they are not like beating humans anymore, but it is like beating a monster that has been cornered and can not be anything else.

Geri looks agitated to see myself being mobbed.

"Umm.sir.is she gonna be okay."

"What's Geri? Do you feel sorry for that kid too?"

"Bu-no sir, but I'm just afraid that he'll die and can't even tell me why he killed the Tapoc family."

"Heh.just relax. He's not gonna die. Besides, I don't care about his murder motive anymore. I've decided that he's a multiple personality and he doesn't remember killing the Tapocs."

"Oh.double personality. That happened to your case before, didn't it, sir."

"It's been 5 years since then."

"True sir, if not wrong the case is almost the same as this right. 1 the noble family was killed in a terrible way and the suspect is his own assistant. It used to be that the master had already gathered some evidence and all that evidence led to the maid, but strangely she was unwilling to admit it and instead committed suicide, shortly after."

"really. That's one of the cases I hate."

"Yes, and this is also one of them, sir."

After Geri said that, John looked exasperated and walked away from the crowd.

"Eh...sir John, what's wrong?"

Geri was confused, why was she suddenly angry. Did I say the wrong thing? Geri goes after John and apologizes.

"Wait for John. Did I say the wrong thing, sir, then forgive me, sir." Geri held onto her coat while bowing slightly to apologize.

"Be quiet! And take your hands off my coat."

John looks angry and he pulls the coat that Geri is holding roughly.

"But sir...." Geri continued to whine like a child who was not bought a toy.

"Well...! Nevermind! Buy me a drink, I'll forgive you."

Geri looked pleased and then she hugged John as she said.

"Thank you sir, then let's go to the bar."

John who looked disgusted immediately kicked Geri until he rolled around like a ball. Despite being kicked hard enough, Geri could still smile widely and stand next to John again.