The After I Die

Village Cleaning Ritual

The noise of vying entered Kina's sense of hearing, the girl groaned, curled up pulling the blanket over her entire body, the sound of rumbling and yelling against each other, Kina closed her eyes, then

sitting up, his head dizzy, his eyes twitching.

“Where am I?” Kina flinched, turned to her right and left, felt her sweat-soaked hair, she sat on her own bed, the curtains on the window swaying in the wind, the sunlight still timid

enter, the cold air because the dew is still visible.

“Aren't I at Grandma Niba's?” Kina asked herself, she stood staggered, the shouts from outside still pondering each other, adding to her morning ripple.

Kina did not understand what was happening, holding her throbbing head, the incident she had just experienced was definitely not a dream, too real to be considered a dream, she felt her clothes, still exactly the same as

the one he wore last night, he wondered confusedly, was he wrong again? Was that a dream last night?

A boisterous voice rang out again, he bent his head out the window, appearing some residents out of the house in droves.

“Kina?!” His mother opened the door, a worried face clearly visible on her face, the woman heaved a sigh of relief when she saw her daughter sitting in front of the window that was wide open.

“Mother, what happened?”

The mother, rubbing her arms, with a forced smile she uttered,”Ritual cleansing village.”

Kina looked out again, looking as though some grown men were carrying torches in her hands, walking around screaming. He did not want to guess, but everything was too clear, the citizens would burn something.

“I want to see.”

Kina's mother said nothing, tried to forbid it seemed useless, her son had changed, he was not a weak figure that he could manage anymore, he was just silent without a sound when the child passed by.

Kina saw her father who had just come down from the porch carrying a burning torch, her father's look was not as usual, Kina glanced at her mother who was standing while holding the door, the woman shook her face

the weird.

“Where is the village cleansing ritual, Father?” Kina asked, trying to keep pace with the father's wide strides, he increasingly did not recognize his father and mother, their attitudes changed, his face cold, some residents

passing by them, they also showed the same facial features, with their hands holding torches.

They walked to the end of the village, many villagers gathered there, in front of Grandma Niba's house, Kina looked up at her father, again her father ignored her.

In front of the terrace, the white-haired old man was sitting on his wobble chair, Ni Lewun was standing not far from him, some sajen was lined up under his feet, the woman was chanting some unfamiliar words, the aroma of incense was out, it appeared that some residents slaughtered some black chickens, scapegoats, black cows and poured their blood around Grandma Niba, some flowers were thrown there accompanied by a splash of water.

Niba's grandmother whom he saw last night and now has the same look in her eyes, her lips moving slowly, her eyes stare at the citizens with a flash of hatred, her body tied with a rope of such a kneel

look, Ni Lewun occasionally raised her voice.

and her father Eda was her, she was the undead queen, the one who controlled the undead, the black magician.

Ni Lewun shouted again, this time the woman scratched her arm with a dagger, pouring her blood around Grandma Niba, the frail old woman was motionless, as if helpless as to what was happening, she said, not only that, the citizens also scratched their arms, dropping them to the ground, Kina flinched, as her arms were pulled and scratched with a folding knife by her father.

Kina grimaced, hurriedly pulled her hand, a few drops of blood fell to the ground, she stared at her father fiercely, almost intending to absorb him, but her mouth was immediately closed by someone.

Behind Kina Dayuti held her as she shook her head, her lips tightly clenched, her bloody arms embracing Kina splattered over Kina's front shirt, the girl was stunned, behind Kina there was also Eda

with the condition of the same arm, looking at her while gluing her index finger on the lips, Kina turned her head again, her father moved to scratch the arm of her newly arrived mother, the woman said nothing, just biting her lips.

‘Actually what has happened?’

Then Ni Lewun shouted again, the woman retreated from Grandma Niba's porch, the residents began to surround the old house, brandishing torches aloft and throwing them at every corner of the house, the fire quickly

dancing to the cold morning.

Niba's grandmother was pelted with fire, falling into her lap, the oil-filled fire was burning with flames, devouring the old body mercilessly, strangely Niba's grandmother did not react, closing her eyes and remaining silent, as if she did not

feeling how much pain his skin was licked by the fire, the sound of the rustling of the broken wood began to sound, the rocking chair that was the only buffer was broken one after another to make the half-snarled old woman's body fall to the floor, the red light increasingly shimmered over the old house, feeling hot from time to time, the fire grew bigger, occasionally splashing wood debris, the scent of burning dangng started to waft in the air, making anyone gulp, enduring the horror of this cold morning.

Kina retreated and nearly fell, watching a human burn alive in front of her, unable to bear her half-running and vomiting, Dayuti caught up with her, trying to hold her body, patting her on the back.

“Nothing, everything will end.” Dayuti said softly, her body sweating profusely from the heat and horror, Eda came following with the same condition, the three of them looked at each other, then turned to look at each other

behind, where the black smoke soaring high adorned the sky, the citizens no one spoke, they all remained silent staring coldly.

Kina felt nothing in her heart, she was just horrified and disgusted at the same time, she looked up at Eda who was standing in front of her, her eyebrows were clutched, her teeth were cluttering with anger.

“I don't understand, why should I live eternally?” Eda muttered, he recalled his father where the man was still alive and smiled at him, every man came home always carrying a plastic bag containing

food for the two of them, not grandiose, sometimes only a few boiled sweet potatoes, boiled corn or fruit that he bought from the neighbors around, his father was a good man, his heart soft, and his heart was soft, he did not even let his neighbor be troubled, why should this staggering fate be? Being the victim of an old grandmother who wants to live eternally, why must her father? Eternal life forever what good it is if you have to sacrifice the lives of others.

“He deserves it.” Dayuti muttered, Kina stood up and hugged Eda, she felt the same bitterness, if only, since the beginning of this ritual was carried out before many casualties, would Nukas not still be alive? The boy would come every afternoon to buy his mother's rice, right?

Kina snarled, her eyes staring at the rising flames, her teeth grinding, the old grandmother was completely ignorant of the lucky, Nukas took care of her and fed her every day, but that was what the innocent boy had gotten

it was only a tragic death, the old woman deserved it, this revenge was worth it.

Kina has already decided, tomorrow, she has to move to the city.