The Winter God

Mother

The whole village has been busy for a while now since next month is the big ritual. Mother's illness has worsen as winter season came, her illness just keeps getting worse each day, and I don't have much money to buy her medicine. There is so much going on right now but I'm too worry about mother to even go practice the dance for the ritual. The chosen one has not been announced yet but I really hope it's not me. Mother is too sick for me to do anything right now, I need to stay by her side.

"Iruna, why are you not going to practicing?"
Mother said to me while I am boiling her medicine for her.

"I already learned it so don't worry mother."
I don't like lying to mother but I don't want her to worry. I will go practice when she is sleeping and hopefully the dance moves are not that hard, so I'll be able to manage it.

The village council has finally announced who the candidates are for the dance of the winter sacrifice, there's lord Ma's daughter Wendy, mister Fong's daughter Joy, council Su's daughter Amber, mister Hong's daughter Krystal, mister Yin's daughter Victoria, and I. I told mother that I cannot do the dance but she was against me not doing it.

"The council said that it is an honor to be the one performing it."
How is it an honor if I might go missing, I don't get it.

Mother's word to me are like shackles, even if I don't want to do something, whatever she says I'll do it because I hate disappointing her. Mother has been very sick but she would always tell me to dance for her and would always compliment me on how graceful I look. With mother's encouragement and compliments I learned all the dances moves. Just two weeks before December 1st, the village council summon me to go meet them to discuss about who the chosen one would be. I got there but Wendy, Joy, Amber, Krystal, and Victoria weren't there.

"Let's get started" Lord Ma the council leader stated.

"Lord Ma, are we not going to wait for the other girls?" I asked.

"You are the chosen one that will be sacrifice."
Lord Ma looks at me with such coldness in his eyes. All the other six council members just stares at me with no emotions in their eyes. Scared, I can feel my body trembling.

"Why me?" I ask with a tiny voice as my throat is getting chocked up from the nervousness.

"You and your mother are poor and does not contribute much to the village. Don't you think the best way to pay the village back is to sacrifice yourself for the village?"
He said it in a matter of fact way, it wasn't even a question that my opinion matter because the answer was predetermined.

"What about the other girls?"
My voice is shaking so much and I feel like tears will fall any minute.

"The other girls were never a choice, it was you from the start, they were just a disguise."

It's true that I'm not rich like the other girls, but I have never done anybody wrong. I never insulted anyone, I always help whenever someone needed a helping hand, but this is what I'm getting just because I am poor.

"We already told your mother that you were chosen, she seem happy just because we said you are a pure and kind hearted child, how very stupid of her." Lord Ma said with a smirk.

Insulting me is not enough but to insult my mother, my mother who loves this village so much. Never in my life have I wanted to punch someone so badly, I am so furious that I couldn't hold onto my tears any longer .

"You have two weeks left to care of your useless mother, if you try anything funny just know she'll pay the price."

My heart is pounding so hard that I think it might jump out of my chest, how dare he use my mother to threaten me; I'm trap. I run out of the council room and head home. Once I got to the door, mother greets me with such a big smile. It's been a long time since she has smiled that way.

"Congratulations"Mother seems overzealous.

I'm pretty sure she knows the stories about girls going missing. I got in the house and sit next to mother, I really don't wanna ask her this but I just couldn't help it.

"Mother have you heard stories about the girls who perform the winter sacrifice? About how they go missing."
Not trying to sound nervous but mother can sense the nervousness in my voice.

"It's all just rumors, don't worry my dear."

I really don't want to do the dance because of Lord Ma but how can I disappoint mother. My heart is torn, I hate the village council; if I really go missing they will not take care of mother. The way mother talks about the ritual she will most likely not run away with me. I can't leave mother and run away, if I don't dance mother will be in danger. I'm stuck, I'll do the ritual not for the village but for my mother.
Tomorrow is the 1st of December, the day the ritual will be held. I am so torn, mother is so sick and bedridden. Mother will not be well enough tomorrow to go to the ritual and all the villagers will be at the ritual. No one will watch mother, how can I possibly leave mother alone when she is so sick.
The next morning Lord Ma, a couple council members, and the stylist knocks at my door.

"You need to get ready, remember what role you're holding today."
Lord Ma leans in closer and whispers, "That's If you don't want your mother to suffer."

He leans back and gestured for the stylist to come in.

"I can't, my mother is very sick right now."
Lord Ma gives me the death stare and said,"We'll take care of your mother, you have an important job to do."

Lord Ma and the council members leaves and the stylist begins to dress me and do my makeup. It took such a long time to get ready, I walked to my mother's bedroom and she is still sleeping.

"Mother"
I knelt down and hug her as she opens her eyes slowly.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Of course" she said with a weak smile but I can see that she is not.

"I'm not going, I'm gonna stay and watch you."

"No I want you to go perform."

"You're too sick I can't leave you."

"Iruna please go."

How can I say I won't go after mother say that to me. Mother's voice is so weak, mother's body is so fragile what am I supposed to do. There's a knock on the door, it is Lord Ma and the council again.

"It's time" lord Ma said.

"Who will watch mother?" I said a little annoyed.

"Someone will come, lets go!"
Lord Ma said agitated and grabs my shoulder pulling me outside; I slaps his hand away.

"Wait! Let me just see mother before I go."
I run to mother's room and there she is laying down so sickly, my poor mother.

"I won't go, I'm going to stay with you."

"Iruna, this is a great honor, please go I'm begging you."Mother's weak voice, it pains me so much as my throat is chocked up by tears that I won't let fall. I don't want mother to see me crying ever.

"If that's what you want I'll go but don't go anywhere and I will come back soon."
I hug mother then give her a kiss and got up, I look at mother one last time before I go and she manage to flash me a smile.