Places We Keep Our Sins

Prologue

The forest had swallowed her whole.

That was the only explanation Y/N had for why she couldn't find her way out, even though she had been walking around the forest for days.

Well, the sun hadn't set yet, but it had to have been days, right? Perhaps the storm clouds had swallowed the sun, just as the forest had swallowed her.

Thunder rolled across the sky, followed by a flash of lightning. There was no rain, but the thick, humid air threatened to suffocate her, so much so that she knew she wouldn't see her mother and father again. She even missed her little sister, even though her little sister was ugly and took Y/N's toys all the time.

But Y/N's feet hurt too much to go any further, and the thunder was too dangerous. She decided to curl up at the foot of a large tree. There could have been tigers or boars hiding in the trees, but she would have to take the risk since the thunder and lightning were more dangerous.

She held her knees together tight, chewing her bottom lip over and over, nipping the skin and thinking about the whole six years of her life. Maybe it was long enough to live. Yes, she had a good life. She won hide and seek more than anyone, and ate nearly four whole rice cakes by herself the day before yesterday. She had no regrets about life.

Thunder ripped the sky apart. Y/N screamed, shaking as she put her head between her knees. When she saw the lightning through the slits in her eyes, she couldn't help but cry.

She was crying too loud to hear footsteps.

"Are you Y/N?"

The voice was calm but somehow stronger than the thunder. Y/N raised her head, sniffing as she blinked the tears out of her eyes to see who was speaking.

It was a boy in a white robe, the sash across his waist blood red. She could only see the whites in the corners of his eyes, the rest swallowed by darkness.

"Are you a guardian angel?" Y/N asked. "Or are you the angel of death?"

The boy's shoulders shrugged lightly, but it was too difficult to tell if he was shrugging because he didn't have an answer or because he was laughing.

"I could be both," he said. "Or neither."

He talked funny. It was like talking to an old man.

"How do you know my name?" Y/N asked.

"I was told to find you. Are you hurt?"

Y/N came to her feet, not worried anymore about whether or not the boy was an angel of mercy or death. He seemed too boring to be either one.

"I'm never hurt."

The boy pinched her shoulder.

"Ow!" Y/N cried out. "What was that for?"

"You're a liar, I think."

She rubbed her arm, the pain growing.

"You must be a demon then," she replied.

The boy's lips pulled to the side slightly as lightning flashed across the sky.

"A demon and liar can be good friends," he said. "Let's go."

"Go where?"

"Out of the forest."

She squinted her eyes warily at him. "That easily? Don't demons usually demand a trade?"

The boy stopped and dropped his head to the side.

"What kind of trade?" he asked.

"I dunno. The demon decides, right?"

The boy thought more.

"Okay then," he finally said. "When we get out of the forest, you have to marry me."

Y/N opened her mouth to object, but the thunder split across the sky, the lightning flashing soon after. A speck of rain splashed her nose.

"Okay, okay!" she agreed. "I'll marry you. Let's go then."

He held out his hand for her. She took it, gripping his hand hard to let him know that even though she had agreed to marry him, she was powerful and not to be messed with. 

He shrugged his shoulders again - clearly in laughter this time - then stared her deep in the eyes as he brought her hand to his lips. He kissed the back of it.

Y/N shivered and frowned.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"You wanted to show your power," he said. "So I showed you mine."

He tugged on her arm and pulled her deeper into the forest.

"How long will it take?" Y/N asked, looking up at the rain clouds.

"As long as it needs to," he replied.

"Do you know the way?"

"I'm supposed to."

She huffed. "You speak in riddles."

"I'm supposed to."

There was silence for some time. Y/N followed close behind the boy, her hand still in his, her grip eventually loosening and snuggling with his. His hand felt warm despite his emotionless words. He was boring, but he didn't seem terrible.

He didn't ask any questions, and she didn't know what to ask, so they walked hand in hand for some time until the world opened up again, and Y/N saw the lanterns of the temple.

"We made it out!" Y/N said, jumping up and down. "You really do know the way!"

The boy spoke, but he didn't seem happy as he replied.

"I'm supposed to," he said, this time in a whisper.

"Maybe you're not a demon after all," Y/N said, patting him on the shoulder. "Let's go to the temple."

The boy held fast to her hand, pulling her back.

"You said you will marry me," he said, "so you have to keep your promise, you know."

Now that she was out of the forest, Y/N felt her logic coming back to her.

"I can't marry you!" she said. "Only old people get married. We have to be really, really old – like sixteen – before we get married."

He nodded firmly. "Then I will find you and marry you when we are old."

"You can marry someone else by then."

"I don't want to marry someone else."

"Why?"

The boy smiled with twisted pride - a strange smile for a child - as he leaned forward to speak in her ear.

"I want to marry you... so I can torture you."