Things change around the 11-year-old orphans from Grace Field as they approach their twelfth year of life.
✦ Will these four eldest children, who have placed so much faith in their sole guardian, Isabella, be able to betray that trust after learnin...
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Epilogue | Hello, Grandma
[Ninelie]
'This is Grandma?'
A sense of foreboding hung heavy in the air. A chilling shiver ran down my spine as I became aware of a creeping presence, an unsettling awareness that two hideous and monstrous demons were lurking behind her, their grotesque forms barely contained within the shadows. The mere thought of their potential for violence sent a wave of terror coursing through me, a realization that my life hung by the thinnest thread.
A voice, dripping with an eerie mixture of honeyed sweetness and malice, cut through the silence, "I've been waiting for you, Clementine. Or would you rather be called as Ninelie?" The words seemed to slither from her lips, each syllable a calculated utterance designed to unnerve.
"Just kill me already," I uttered firmly, though the tremor in my voice betrayed the underlying terror. The knowledge of the two demons lurking behind the seemingly feeble old woman intensified my apprehension.
A sinister smile played upon her lips, a stark contrast to the vulnerability of her form. "I'm afraid I cannot do that. I have to ask you a few questions first, do you want to become a breeder (Mama)?"
My response was swift and resolute. "No,"
"Perhaps you should reconsider,"
My gaze instinctively rose, only to flinch at the unnerving proximity of her face, every line and crease magnified in unsettling detail. Her presence loomed over me, her intent impossible to decipher, as I met her gaze while reaffirming, "I already said no."
A flash of surprise flickered across Grandma's features, swiftly replaced by an unsettling smirk that painted her expression with a disturbing mix of satisfaction and anticipation. Her voice, a blend of amusement and calculated purpose, finally continued, "Is that so? Well, regardless of your choice,"
