Welcome To The Country

That’s when the voices, or rather voice, started speaking to him. Whispering things in his ear in such a kind, soothing tone that he wanted nothing more than to do everything it asked of him. Except the things it asked him to do weren’t exactly nice. It wanted him to hurt certain people, to do things he would never do. Except that he did. Whatever the velvety voice said he did, it didn’t matter how late or how early it was. It was addicting. Every time he did something the voice would praise him and ask him to do something else. When the voice was gone he hated himself for everything he did, but when the voice spoke, guilt, fear, none of it mattered. All that mattered was making that voice proud, anything to get it to speak to him again.

It wasn’t until he found himself curled into a corner, drenched in blood did it dawn on him how big of a problem this was getting to be. “Look what a beautiful job you’ve done. I’m so proud of you Minnie, oh so proud.” The voiced cooed in his head, but at that moment Minhyun couldn’t hear it. His eyes were wide and his hands were trembling, and couldn’t focus on anything but the bodies of what once was a family. He had done that, it was him. He was a murderer. A monster.

Tears began to stream down his face, he killed someone! “None of that Minnie!” The voiced scolded softly “Why are you crying? You shouldn’t feel sad! You’re a homunculus! A monster like no other!” “M-Monster? I’m not.” He replied his voice trembling “I…you made me!” “Did I Minnie? Was I there to force you? It was all you, love. And you did a marvelous job!” “You told me to do it!”

“But did I make you? No, I didn’t. It was all you. You’re a monster Minhyun look at what you’ve done. And you enjoyed doing it didn’t you?”

“No!” He cried out his hands going up to cover his ears in a feeble attempt at blocking out the voice. “I…no.” “You did.” The voice spoke teasingly before giggling. “You know you did.” Minhyun could only bring his knees up to his chest and clench his eyes shut, because a part of him did like it. The feeling of having power, it was so different, so exhilarating. So different from the feeling of being weak and pushed around.

“And you’re going to keep doing it aren’t you Minnie. Because you love mommy so much! Oh! Which reminds me, mommy doesn’t like you having two mommies, we’ll have to fix that when we get you back.”

At this Minhyun’s eyes widened and he stood up looking around as if expecting the owner of the voice to be around the room. “No! I…I won’t let you! I won’t do it! Please…I… I’ll only love you. Only you. Please don’t hurt them…I’ll do anything…please.” He spoke his voice wavering at the end. “Anything?”

“Yes.”

No he rather spend his time making his way to odd destinations, just enjoying his time there than worrying over such petty things. Tucking his glove and mitten covered hands into the pockets of coat he pressed on through the snow, the wind picking up slightly alerting him of an oncoming blizzard. “Better get back soon.” He muttered in disappointment to himself as he stopped in his tracks fully prepared to turn around and head back to the small home his parents owned there. (It had been purchased after he turned thirteen since he was so bent on visiting the frozen kingdom.)

As he was turning though he caught sight of something or rather a figure laying on the snow not too far away. Minhyun blinked in surprise as he realized it was a person. How someone could possibly stand laying in the snow? What if they were hurt? Or in need of some kind of help? All of these questions started to race in his head and without thinking Minhyun rushed through the snow, feeling a sense of panic growing within himself as he approached the figure.

“E-excuse me.” He asked cautiously once he was close to the figure, he couldn’t see any facial features since they were covered in the hood of a large black cloak that completely drowned the figure. When he got no response he hesitantly reached out and shook the figure, but the person didn’t budge. “Um…are y-you okay?” And yet again he got no response and he began to worry for the person. Could it be they had died? Maybe if he could get a proper look at the other’s face or maybe if the others face felt the cold they would awaken? He knew the later would be highly impossible but it was still work a try. So he knelt down into the snow and reached over to pull the hood away from the figures face, but no sooner had he touched the hood a loud screech rang through his ears and the figures hand shot out covering his mouth and nose with a fabric. As his world began to turn black he saw nothing but a flash of deep green eyes and a pale pleased smile.

It was warm. That’s the one thing Minhyun remembered thinking as he finally awoke. His head pounded and his body felt totally drained of all strength. He clenched his already closed eyes as he tried to remember what had happened to him. All he remembered was walking through the snow, and then what?

“The f-figure…” he spoke out and opened his eyes in a hurry. And when he did he saw that he was in a house now, with a fire place burning not too far from where he was laying. He didn’t recognize where he was and instantly panic filled him. He moved to scramble up but as he moved to push himself off the floor a flash of blue light lit up the room and the earth beneath him shot up in the form of spikes that pierced him and selected parts of his body.

He wasn’t even able to cry out in pain when the spikes extended themselves out the floor and actually picked him up and pinned him face up on the floor a few feet away from where he originally lay. Pain filled him and a soft cry escaped him. What on earth was going on? How the hell did the earth shoot up from the floor and pierce him? And what was that blue light from before?

“There, there, my child. Its okay, mommy’s here for you. Shhh it won’t hurt for long love.” A voice cooed out from somewhere in the room. He moved to lift his head but found that he was still too weak to even do that. “W-wha-“ he began but his words were cut off with another cry as more pain began radiating from where the spikes had pierced him before. His eyes widened as it suddenly occurred to him why, the spikes were actually thickening.

“My poor baby!” The voice cried out again and this time he heard footsteps scurry over to him. Soon a hand was petting his face and his hair in what would be a comforting motion had he not been in so much pain. Soon a face with deep green eyes hovered over his own, its features etched into a concerned frown. It was a young woman, with flowing dark hair and pale, pale skin. Who was she? And why was she treating him like a child?

“Look at what they’ve done to you! Made you so weak! Made you like one of those pathetic humans! Don’t worry my love, mommy will fix you up soon.” She cooed at him this time caressing his cheek. “W-who are y-you?” he asked his voice coming out weakly. At his words her face turned into a bright grin and she clasped her hands together in front of her “Don’t worry love, I knew you wouldn’t remember me. After all it’s been years since you saw mommy, but I’m sure you’ll remember soon. You’re mommy’s most prized creation.”

Minhyun was so confused but thinking was so difficult to do with the pain in his shoulders where the spikes had pierced his nodes. And all the blood he was losing was starting to make him feel faint. He knew he should’ve been asking so many questions but he couldn’t even form a single one. “But for you to remember love, mommy has to take out all the nasty good things inside you.” She grinned brightly and clapped her hands, and instantly the spikes turned him over onto his side and another scream escaped him. “Relax love, mommy is going to take care of everything.”

The room once again began to glow with a blue light and Minhyun felt his body growing weaker and weaker. Then he felt a churning in his stomach, before he knew it his stomach was clenching and his body began to expel large chunks of what appeared to be red stone. “What is that?” he managed to ask before he heaved more stones out. It hurt, heaving up the stones and watching them melt into a puddle of red goo caused him immense pain. Why?

“Those are your life stones love, but they’re so rotten look! Look how clear they shine! Disgusting really! You’re too pure darling, and I have to fix that. My most precious creation you’re being wasted! How that useless alchemist gave you away like that! It just infuriates me!! Ugh!” She seem to calm down a bit before reaching over to pet his hair again “But love, you need these stones to live! The dead can’t live by themselves you know. But don’t worry mommy will get rid of these nasty cleansed stone and give you some good ones.”

Just what on earth was this woman talking about Minhyun found himself thinking as he once again threw up more stones. Finally it seemed as if though his body was done, and every bone and muscle in his body was weaker than ever. His breath was coming out labored and he couldn’t even feel the constant pain in his shoulders and elbows anymore.

“There we go all clean!” She clapped happily almost as if she was a child but Minhyun was totally oblivious to everything she did. He didn’t even notice she was so close to him until she was sitting in front of him wedging a piece of a bright red stone into his mouth. “What a good boy! Now listen to mommy and eat! Eat and remember everything you need to. Remember how you died sweetie. And how that mean nasty woman brought you back a monster! And then tried to kill you by leaving you, a poor baby out in the coldest storm to die! She didn’t love you! But I did, I loved you so much. Remember? I know a human baby wouldn’t be able to remember, but you can right love? Because you my most precious one, aren’t human aren’t you? You’re a homunculus.”  

As she spoke she continued to feed him stones, alternating between slick black and crimson red ones. But Minhyun was in another world, he was outside in the frozen forest of Baekseol, and he was crying. And it was cold, so cold that it was actually painful, and a woman was walking away from him in a hurry. All he could do was cry. And cry he did until there he couldn’t and a familiar pain filled him, the pain of death. But it never came to him twice. Soon he was being picked up into a young girls arms and she cooed at him and wrapped him in a warm cloak. Then she fed him a red liquid from a bottle, and little by little the pain went away and he wasn’t so cold anymore. “There my most perfect creation, you’re done.”

She had saved him. He owed her his life…and he’d have to pay her back for that.

He was brought back to the present as soft hands threaded through his hair and a voice whispered into his ears “There my most perfect creation, you’re done.” And just like that darkness took him over once more.