Chapter 7 The Dead's Cry

Meanwhile, Radley was still out in the street, trying to figure out the mystery of the town. He was casually walking and was near the entrance where they left their horse. 

He planned to get the horse and bring it near the tent where they stay so Manara will not get too tired walking when they need to get out of the place. He smiled at the thought. Is he starting to really care about the well-being of that weak princess? He smirk at the thought.

When he was about to enter the house where they left the horse, he was approached by the same man who took their horse.

"Hi, would you like to leave your horse here?" The man asked.

"No, no." Radley answered. "I was about to get the horse that we left here earlier.

"That is great!" The man exclaimed. "Do not worry, I will take good care of the horse" The man added.

Radley was confused but he chose not to answer and monitor the man's movement.

The man walk near Radley as if getting something, and then the man started to walk away, as if holding something.

The scene was very familliar to Radley. It was the same gesture and movement of the man yesterday, the ony difference is that there is no horse this time. But the man act like there was.

Radley's heart beat fast at the thought. He started to leave the place and walk to the street again.   Alert than usual.

He look from left to right, walking fast while checking on the people. He realize that the movement of the people were repetitive. 

This is the odd thing that he was looking for. He have to go back to Manara! We need to get ot of the city by all means!

When he was about to run, he saw a very bright light coming from the direction of the tent.

"Manara!" Radley shouted as he runs faster towards the tent.

Manara found herself lying with the dead bodies. There are blood on her hands. She was wearing her wedding dress that night. It was full of blood too. She was terrified.

"What is happening!" She screams.

Then a loud voice out of nowhere laugh. An evil laugh.

Manara look at her surroun ding but there was noone except the corpses on the floor. Butshe can hear their voices. The curses they are making to her. The blames and pain they are goig through.

"Why did you leave us princess?"

"Why did you betray us?"

"You are a monter princess!"

"You deserve to die with us!"

"Weak!"

Manara covered her hears. She cannot listen to the voices anymore. They are stabbing her heart.

She kneeled.

"I am sorry!" She said while crying. "I did not mean to. I did not leave you." She added even thogh she was unsure if they will really listen to her.

Again, the voice laugh as if mocking Manara.

"They will not liten to you, weak princess!" it said as if she really know the princess.

"Who are you!!!" Manara shouted with anger.

"Me? well I am your nightmare Manara!" The voice answered.

Manara was astound and did not know what to do.

"Where are you Radley?" She silently ask.

"Oh poor princess. Are you looking for your man? Well...he run away as soon as he knows the reality of this place. You are alone now Manara." The voice said while still laughing as if it can read what is in Manara's voice.

"No!!!" Manara said fiercefully. "Radley will not betray me!"

The voice laugh mocking what Manara said.

"A princess who betrays her people expect a loyalty to a man she just met! What a nice character you have there little witch!" The voice said.

Manara was too shock to speak. The voice has a point. She just met Radley and barely know him. 

The princess was silence by the thought. Again, she felt hurt by the thought of Radley's betrayal. One part of her feels Radley will not leave her, but the voice has a point too.

"Look at what surrounds you princess! You belong here!" 

"What do you mean?" Manara ask.

"This is your peaople. Until the end they did not betray you.They risk their life for you!" The voice answered.

Manara looked at the corpse again.

"They may be angry and curse you today, but deep inside them you are still their princess." The voice suddenly change its evil tone into a sweet one. It was trying to convince Manara. 

"But..." Manara was going to say something but the voice cut her out.

"How can you earn their forgiveness if you will going to leave them again Manara." The voice said still using the sweet tone.

"I was going to take revenge for them." Manara said. Looking at the corpses with worried and sad eyes.

"They do not want that!" The voice replied. "They want their princess to stay."

"I need to take revenge!" Manara insist.

"No you don't! And you will stay here forever! And you have no choice!" The voice answered then again laugh until it fades.

Manara did not know what to do. She look at her surroundings again. Then her hands. It was still full of blood. She feel scared but there is also a feeling inside her that she cannot explain. The scene was very familliar to her but there is something different which she cannot figure out.

How did the dark empty room  transform into a room full of corpses?. There was none earlier. And she can see the sky now. No stars but the moon was eerie. The exact moon that she saw back on her town on the massacre day.

All those things are inside Manara's thought.

She is now realizing that fact! yes! How can two events on her life be repeated!

The princess started to walk. She was slowly realizing that this were all faked! It is as if she was in a portal of illusion!

Then a voice in her mind suddenly appears.

"Princess!" The voice said. It was a lady's voice. and MAnara knew who it was.

"Nanny?!" Manara answered. "Nanny is that you?" she added while tearing up.

"My dear Princess." The voice answered.

It was indeed her nanny!

"Wake up my princess. Do not beleive all of this!" The voice said, warning her. Full or worriedness.

She misses her anny's voice. The person who raise her from the day she was born. the reason why she was alive today.

"Nanny..." Manara whispered as she felt a sharp pain on her chest. She promise not to cry anymore but upon hearing on the voice, she cannot help but to shed a tear.

"My dear..Wake up angel...This is not reality...Open your eyes..." Her nanny warning as its voice fade away.

Not real?...Wait! What do you mean?.. Manara ask..

But the voice was not there anymore. Its as if it only warns her to save her.

Manara closes her eyes. She was weighning things up.

Nanny said it was not real...What does she mean by that?...Does she means all this are fake? But how?...

Manara open her eyes after thinking. She started to walk again, avoiding the corpses. She notices that whenever she pass a corpse, it disappear in the darkness. She alerted herself. It feels like she was in another dimension where she see a lot of things yet she feels alone. Like she was the only one there.

"MANARA!"

Manara looked around trying to find the voice who screamed her name.

There is a sense of urgency and fear on the voice. Then she realize who owns this voice.

"Radley!" she screamed back. "Radley! I am here. Help me!" she added.

But there was no answer.

Wait! How can I hear his voice but cannot see him? Is this what my nanny is warning me about? If this is all faked then how can I go back to reality?

She continued walking until she bumped into something. It seems like she reach the end of the weird place. It is like a wall not visible to the naked eye.

Then it hit her! This is just an illusion.

"Manara! Wake up!" Radley screamed.