Disappear

Chapter 1

In which a Story Is Told

Yes. There is a ghost in the woods. There has always been a ghost. For centuries,

lingering among the trees...... Can’t you hear the leaves rustling?

Will you stop fidgeting for once? My stars! I have never seen such a fidgety child!

It’s serious business. No, sweetheart, I have not seen him. No one has. Not for ages. We’ve taken

steps so that he will never be seen. No worries...... No need...... Oh no, he’s not DEAD, what a silly question to ask. He is only immortal. Oh, darling, you know how he turned this way. Don’t make me say it, you

already know, anyway. Why was the sacred Golden Crow furious? I don’t know. No one knows, really. We followed all his instructions, but it didn’t stop his wrath. What instructions? You really need me to explain it?

I’d rather not. His wrath? Yes, dearest. Ever so long ago. Before you were born, it was the

most terrible thing, fires everywhere, as my grandmother used to tell. Hush now, enough questions, fool child. Tomorrow is the the day of nirvana, and we must stay away from the woods. Don’t you dare venture into the woods!Chapter 2

In which it was just a dream

The fire, a monstrous beast with an insatiable appetite, roared with a

deafening intensity, its orange and red tendrils licking the walls and ceiling, devouring everything in its path. The oppressive heat was suffocating, searing his

lungs with every desperate breath he took. Smoke, thick and acrid, filled the air, stinging his eyes and choking him, making it nearly impossible to see or breathe. The flickering light cast by the flames danced on the walls, creating an eerie, chaotic scene that mirrored the turmoil within his heart. His mind raced with

thoughts of escape, yet he had to save that poor old lady. The relentless

crackling and popping of the flames, the groaning of the building's structure

under the intense heat, and the distant, muffled cries for help all combined into

a symphony of dread that echoed the desperation of his plight. Aaron woke, breathing hard, his body drenched in sweat, his hands shaking

uncontrollably. This happened a century ago, he reminded himself, touching his

disfigured face lightly. He had saved that lady, burning himself in the sacred fire. The moment he stumbled out, the number of people he had saved did not

matter anymore to the villagers; he was too ugly, too scary, he could live forever. The Ghost, they called him, and stayed away from him. Each night before he

went to sleep, he would ponder whether these cold-hearted demons wereworthy of being saved at the risk of losing everything. He would then roll over

with a mingle of contempt, regret and horror, running his hands over his face, one last time. Damn you, Gold Crow, Aaron cursed softly in the dark while getting ready for

the great nirvana, though he knew quite well that it had a good reason to be

angry. Why couldn’t a new body, a new face come out of the fire instead of the

ugly one? Why......

Chapter 3

In which a child gets blind accidentally

Aaron hummed to himself as he found a place to have the nirvana in. It had

to be deep in the woods, away from people, though he knew they would be

hiding in their houses in advance on this day. It’s been like this every decade, but

he dared not take risks. Who knows if a foreign traveller is in the village?

He passed the place where it happened last time. It was easy to spot------it

was a huge clearing in the dense forest where the lush green stopped abruptly

and turned into a dead greyish brown color. The ground was hard and covered

with cracks that not even the most humid weather can heal. One more of these

clearings will be generated today, once, every ten years. Aaron sighed wistfully.His mind started to wander to the past where he was a surgeon, the best in

town. He was respected then. It was a much better time when the minds of

people were free. Now, the ignorant people who had learned their lessons

followed the ritual of the Golden Crow faithfully, thinking that it would grant

them a happy future. Even his business of illegal surgeries, the only thing he could

do to earn money through, went down. People would rather die than go against

the rules. Ignorance keeps the society in peace, at it seems. Sometimes Aaron

thinks it’s unbelievably bubble-headed that nobody ever doubted Gold Crow’s

anything. It’s like a god. He was so deep in thought that he had forgotten the time. He was still searching

when it came. A surge of fiery pain took over him, knocking him over. Aaron

shrieked in pain. Although it has come lots of times...... The pain is still as new...... No, he thought, too close to the village. He tried to summon the strength to

crawl a little farther in the forest, but his eyes were suddenly blinded by a

blazing light coming from his own body. His limbs burned and melted, turning

into ashes. It’s happening, he thought, the phoenix gets reborn, and so shall I. A

new decade. At the edge of the village, a 3-year-old boy heard a scream and turned his

head towards the forest. A burst of light came from nowhere. His world went black.Chapter 4

In which a child is sacrificed and found

The boy screamed, crawling around aimlessly until the villagers found him. They called a meeting immediately. “The boy was blinded by the light of the nirvana of The Ghost, which, according to legend, will cause a blindness that will last 15 years.” Announced

the Grand Elder with an air of importance, stating the obvious. He was dressed

in a rare silky robe, glinting in the sunlight. Both his wig and fake beard were

carefully trimmed, his cheeks glowing in an unnatural hue. The grand nirvana

only comes once a decade, after all. “ Since it is unprecedented, the threat the boy poses to our society is unclear,”

the Grand Elder continued, slow and firm. “Thus, we, the Elders, have come to

the agreement that the boy is to be sacrificed to the Golden Crow this decade. Even though he does not meet the age requirements, he is The Chosen One.” The boy’s family, though devastated, did not argue. Defying the Elders was

simply not done. Besides, to have a family member to be sacrificed, saving the

entire village from the wrath of the Golden Crow for another decade, was such

an honor. The Elders then followed the usual ritual of sacrifice, putting up a grand show

for the villagers, singing prayers to the Gold Crow, bathing the boy with wineand wrapping him with fancy garments. They placed the boy deep inside the woods near a bush and left knowing, as

usual, that the boy would be found by beasts and not the Gold Crow. But no one

objected. NO ONE.

It is only after each reborn can I finally realize what I’ve been missing these

years, thought Aaron hours later and gazing around him. The world is always

brighter, clearer, merrier. The sunlight poured through the leaves, as though

golden particles are floating in the air. He could hear the wind singing through

the leaves in harmony with the tinkling creeks. Then he heard a wail from a boy. Chapter 5

In which the Ghost adopts a child

Aaron slowly crept toward the sound, not wanting to be seen. He peered at

the bush from behind a tree, and saw a red-faced 3-year-old screaming

fretfully at the top up his lungs groping at whatever near him. The boy’s small

delicate face was now dreadfully red and swollen, with heavy locks of hair

making his face seem even thinner. His eyes were too big for his face and could

have been bright blue if they still had color. Every time he tried to get up and

run, he would fall down, gasping and choking.The child is blind and abandoned, thought Aaron, watching curiously. He had

heard that the villagers would sacrifice a baby every decade to the Gold Crow

but he had never seen one in the woods. Poor thing he thought, gazing at the boy, but that’s none of my business. A few

decades ago, he would have carried the boy back home and nursed him with care, but now he was way past doing good deeds------it simply doesn’t pay to do

so. Kindness makes nothing, protects nothing, results in nothing. Hoc solum ad

te backfires. He was about to leave when he heard the boy cry again. Damn it, he thought, and took a shuddering breath. He hated so much to admit that his heart ached

for company. He turned and swooped the child up and cooed him. The boy was

calmed almost immediately and smiled at him sweetly. He does not know he is

carried by a monster, Aaron was somehow relieved that he was blind. “ Your name will be Hosea.” Aaron whispered. Chapter 6

In which the boy grows up

For the man who loved Hosea, time passed in a blur. Hosea, however, worried

that he might never turn 13. Each day felt like a heavy stone to be hoisted to

the top of a very top mountain. He thought he was loved, he thought he was

ordinary. He was only half right.In the meantime, each day increased his knowledge. Aaron quickly developed

a fond regard towards the boy and taught him medical knowledge and surgical

skills. Though blind, Hosea was quick to learn and became a great helper and

warm companion for Aaron. Aaron told him stories of the amazing world, filled

with birdsong and love. The people, Hosea had learned, were kind and trusting. Form the stories Hosea concluded that the renowned surgeon Aaron was like a

prince in shining armor who saved lives, asking for nothing in return and that

he himself was an orphan Aaron adopted. Hosea had already forgotten his life

when he could see colors, so he trusted and worshiped Aaron with all his heart. However, the more Hosea knew, the more he became frustrated by what he

did not yet know. Every time Aaron went into town to perform an operation, he was not allowed to go. He could not understand why. While he had always

believed that Aaron had read him every single book in the workshop, he began

to realize that there were a lot more he had never read at all. There was another

thing. While he had long been told of his incurable deficiency of slight, now and

then he would be able to see blurred images or sudden blasts of light. He had always intended to ask Aaron about it, but something in his mind told

him not to. Chapter 7

In which a decision is made“Hey, Hosea, I’m gonna go to the village to do a surgery, you stay here and

clean up, ok? Oh and don’t forget to deliver those eyeballs, thanks!” Shouted

Aaron at the door. Hosea grunted something like a yes. They had had a fight the

other night when Hosea discovered that Aaron, in a bid to help a man who had

lost his sight, had replaced the man's eyes with prosthetic ones that could record

the world around them. “ You lied to me!” Hosea had shouted, feeling his empty eyes burn,“Why didn’t

you help me before?”. But Aaron had responded that hadn’t he told him so

many times? He said that there were many kinds of blindnesses and his was the

kind that could not be helped even with electric eyeballs. Hosea wanted so much to believe him. Hosea sat on his bed, thinking. The images that he was seeing were much

clearer and constant than before. The fractions of images of Aaron scared him

greatly. He just had to see the world around him, and he had to see them now. There is nothing to lose anyway, he thought, and made up his mind. Hosea followed the faint light ahead and went out the cottage, walking

towards the way to the edge of the forest where there was a mail box. Before

he put the whole box of eyeballs inside, he took one out and slid it in his pocket. Chapter 8In which the truth is uncovered

Hosea didn’t even had a moment to gaze upon the world when Aaron came

in. Aaron saw immediately what Hosea had done. “ What have you done!” Aaron bellowed, his red in fury and a little in fear. Hosea had never seen Aaron angry, nor had he even seen his monstrous face. He was so startled and taken back that it took him a good 30 seconds to yell

back in equal fury,“ You lied to me! This isn’t the cosy bright home that you

described! This place is a dark, dense hole!” He glanced at the window,“ And the

forest too! You said it was supposed to be beautiful! And you! You’re...You’re

hideous! I’m gonna leave this place and see the world and don’t you even dare

stop me!” Aaron’s heart was pounding. He had not expected to find Hosea wearing a

prosthetic eyeball when he stepped into his sorry little cottage. He is going to

leave me for sure, Aaron could not bear the thought of that. He clutched his

hands in front of his chest, keeping his heart from breaking. Over the years, he

has became fond of the boy, and yet, he found out...... He found out. He realized

I’m a monster. He will never trust me. He is going to leave. “ You think I want to do this? I was protecting you from a world that is filled

with way more lies that this! How do you think I found you, huh? In the woods, abandoned, by your own kin! That’s the real world! Do you know how I turned

into this? After years of fighting with the Elders, the villagers were finally ableto defy their power and gain control over their own lives. The Elders, of course, could not stand to see their authority being challenged. They burned the village

and killed without mercy. That angered the Gold Crow so much that he released

his wrath and used his sacred fire to clear out mankind. Of course, that was not

an easy thing to do,” Aaron let out a sharp laugh. “ I was saving people, burning

myself in the fire, being able to nirvana and fucking live forever. And the villagers?

Not even a single thank. They spat on me, called me the Ghost, avoided me at

all costs. The Elders lectured the villagers, telling how bad they had been, teaching them rituals to gain the Gold Crow’s trust. And what was this ritual?” Aaron laughed again, this time even crueler.“ That’s how you got here in the

woods! You see, Hosea, this world is a shitty place and I was protecting you from

it. The lies I told you were nothing compared the ones out there. I created an

imaginary place for you to thrive, to live happily without worries. And now you

are no different form those villagers, not even a tad of gratitude.” Hosea was silent. Tears were streaming down his face. He both pitied and loved

Aaron, but staying was just not the option. The morning are tasted crisp and sweet. Hosea put on his backpack and ran. EpilogueDecades after Hosea’s escape, Aaron prepared for another nirvana. He

searched for the right spot where he could see a figure of a child standing at the

edge of the woods. This would be a great place. Hours later, Aaron carried a blind boy inside his cottage. “ Your name will be Anthony.” He whispered

This time he will be very careful. This time the boy will not leave. So really, really, who’s deceiving? Or, who are deceiving?

So really, really, what’s evil? Or, what’s just?

So really, really, who’s saving? Or, who’s destructing?

Perhaps we humans will never know.