𝙰 𝙲𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝙴𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎 (wlw)

Chapter Three

Emese was the first to wake the next morning, despite the night's events. Heavy lids lifted to a haze of sunlight. She winced and tried to shield her face, but couldn't.

Everything was excessively loud: the crowing rooster, followed by the soft clucking of his female companions; the pigs toiling in their sty, fishing for crumbs of food; and the birds outside the window singing their morning tunes. It was torturous.

Fearing that moving too quickly would cause her to fall back into bed, Emese hesitated until she built up the courage to rise slowly. An ache filled her body, leaving her to wonder what she had done to warrant it.

Successfully sitting up without being swallowed by the bed or falling from it, she brought a trembling hand to cradle her head. The headache and dizziness were unbearable, and she groaned as she held tightly onto the bed.

As she collected herself, Emese caught sight of a dark-coloured fabric around her wrist when she moved her hand from her face.

She studied it, blinking rapidly to clear the fog from her vision. The fabric was covered in blood, and the realization frightened her immediately.

Trying to pry it off, she ended up hurting herself instead. “Oww,” she croaked, watching as fresh blood sprang from the wound.

Carefully, she peeled the fabric away, grimacing at the blood and the two holes in her skin. What was that?

Before she could resolve how and when it happened, Tamas' little hand held onto her, revealing that he was awake. The suddenness made Emese jump, and she hurriedly gathered the blanket and flung it over her hand, wincing as the sheet grazed the wound.

“Morning,” she greeted her brother, feigning her usual bubbly attitude.

Tamas grinned as he rubbed his eyes, his way of reciprocating a good morning.

Emese tried to remain composed, but her thoughts kept racing. Did she have an incident while cooking last evening's supper? No, that seemed unlikely since the wound resembled a bite rather than a burn. Did one of the animals do it? She couldn't remember, and it was the most unsettling thing.

Forcing her attention to Tamas, she smiled at him. “Would you like to go check for eggs this morning?” she asked, and the boy jumped up at once.

“Yes, please.”

“But you must try not to break any like last time, okay?”

“I won't,” the four-year-old said, and he was gone before his sister could caution him about anything else. She listened as his tiny feet shuffled across the house. The door eventually opened, indicating that he had left.

Emese chuckled at his excitement, but the amusement dissipated when she attempted to stand. Her body felt twice as heavy, and she couldn't find her footing.

Nevertheless, she dragged herself clumsily, staggering and bumping into things. After much effort, she made it to the cooking area. Neither she nor Tamas noticed the sleeping figure in the corner of the house.

In the kitchen, Emese listened as Tamas raided the chicken coop, disregarding her advice and troubling the hens.

With a weak, trembling hand, she opened the window in her view. The sun's sharpness momentarily blinded her, causing her to wince and look away. The opened window also brought with it a chill, making Emese realize her brother was out in the cold.

“Please, Tamas, don't provoke them. Just get the eggs,” Emese called out, her voice shaky and weak.

“Okay,”

“Hurry up as well, it's chilly,"

Before she stepped away, the image of a strange woman's face flashed through her mind, leaving her bewildered. Who was this woman? She wondered about the identity of this mind-travelling stranger but was otherwise distracted.