| Pink Bell Maria 1 | |
|---|---|
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| Found in | Underground Utility Tunnels |
| Description | ? |
| Related memory items | Seven Colored Bells |
Transcript[]
| I’ve gained so much.
Gentle hands and many, many new names. Monday’s Anri. Tuesday’s Fleur. Wednesday’s Silvia. Thursday’s Lotte. Friday’s Bisque. Saturday’s Chris. And for just one day, I’m no one else but myself. It was supposed to be revenge. Revenge for the deceased girls who’d led a better life than I. With vengeance and blasphemy laid to rest, all that’s left is me. A lie. Before I knew, I began wondering about the future. When? Tell me, when? When will I fall in love? Once I find someone who loves me, I’ll finally be given a name. Not just someone else’s substitute, but a name all my own. That’s what I decided. So then, why? Why did I have to meet him? He lived on a cliff face that looked down on the town. His features were considered striking, his posture regal. But those weren’t the only things that made me stop in my tracks. I didn’t really need a reason. Because to him, it didn’t matter what bell I put on. Nothing would change the fact that I was nothing. A bell with two stripes of light pink lay at his feet. It didn’t belong to him. The bell, like his love, was waste on the street. His features knew despair. You could see the hallowness of death in his eyes. No matter how much I stared or spoke, he never once looked back at me. I gingerly pick up the rosy pink bell. Its soft sound should be enough to reach his ears, stir his heart and open his eyes. Then, in a husky voice, he will speak in a tone drowning in emotion. He will call out the same of his past love. "…Maria?" And I’ll choke up wil emotion, and smile as I say, "That’s right. I’m your Maria." And then, there won’t be any real “me” left in this world. "Please. Tell me your real name." I giggle softly and answer again. "I’m Maria." His brow will surely furrow as he snuggles close. "That’s not your name. It can’t be." But that’s the name of your beloved, right? I loved you. But the one that you loved was never me at all. You loved the real owner of this pink bell. Imagine it, a rival whom even death couldn’t kill. The one woman he really loved. I hated her, cursed her and stole her name and identity. And I’d do it no matter how miserable it makes me. "Oh Maria! If we’d never met then I’m sure I’d have rotted away right on the spot!” Those are the only words that can bring me salvation now. As long as you’re happy, then I’ll never need a silly name. A storm was brewing. The high winds that had been beating on the windows since morning gathered dark clouds and pelted the forest trees. I leapt from the safety of the old woman’s blanket, raced through the town, and headed for the mountain cottage. My old hideout. I’d take a bell and think about the past each time I came here. I go by many names now. So whose ghost remains in this dreary mountain hut? A brilliant flash of light, coupled with thunder, filled the sky. Every hair on my body stood on end. There was a tearing sound of wood splitting. Chills ran down my spine. I quickened my pace without thinking. A tremor crept down my back. The scene that greeted me as I reached that hut was indescribable. A massive cloud of smoked clogged my nose and burned my skin. The mountain was on fire, and the gusty winds helped spread the flames quickly. In my panic, I dove into the hut. The heat was as hot as stoked coals. But through the burning and stench, I knew I had to salvage my bells. They’d been proof that the girls had lived and now they were the one place I felt at home. I gathered the seven bells and made for my escape, but the hut entrance was already engulfed in flames. I leapt through a broke window, feeling as through I was being burned alive. I could hear the destruction all about me. Just outside the window was the cliff face. I jumped down from my perch, prepared to take the dive. Through it all, I kept the seven bells tightly held in my mouth. |