To His Hell and Back-Chapter 158: Poor Man’s Tale-II

Arabella’s breaths was caught. Matilda. Matilda. It’s the name of her mother so how could she not recognize the name? But what was Morpheus going to do? Punish Callis by hurting her mother? ƒгeewёbnovel.com

She saw how they had walked toward her house and she followed them. Then she saw how they had barged into the house where she once lived in without so much as a knock. Her mother, Matilda who was on the bed slowly rose up, squeaking the bed she had slept on.

Matilda’s tired joints creaked in protest as she sat up, blinking against the dim light filtering through the window. She questioned if it was Bella or Ariel but the two had just came through the door earlier and they hadn’t left so why did the door creak open again?

It couldn’t be her husband either. Not that gambler who was trying his best to turn their money dry for good. But what felt off wasn’t only the fact that there shouldn’t be any guest visiting them tonight. It was how the air shifted. From peaceful to something cold and wrong. She could feel someone presence’s entering her house from the surface of her skin like an instinct.

Her hand quickly shot up to the edge of the nightstand, where she kept a rusted candlestick, lighting it up as the sky had suddenly turn dark which caused for the entrance to be blindingly dark as well.

She hadn’t heard a knock nor a greeting. There was also no familiar voice calling out from the neighbor and so she couldn’t tell who had came into the house, only knowing that it was wrong.

She lit the match with a soft flick, bringing it to the candle. The flame flared for a second but she didn’t notice the man standing silently behind her, looming in the darkness, only briefly appearing when the flame from her match appeared for a second.

Then suddenly a cold breeze brushed her neck, causing for her head to snap backward as she clearly felt someone else’s presence somewhere near her. But the match had already gone out, snuffed by the sudden chill in the air which blinded her sight.

Her hands trembled slightly as she struck another match. This time, the flame held, and she lit the candle.

"Who’s there?" she called, trying to steady the tremble in her tone. "Bella, I told you that I really hate it when you turn quiet like a mouse. Ariel? Bella? I’m warning you that if if it is one of you-"

As she turned the candle around, figures stepped into view, casting long shadows into the room like claws and Matilda’s heart came to a brief stop.

"BELLA!" she yelled, feeling that it was her youngest daughter which must have caused this- it couldn’t be anyone else.

"Mam... mama what’s wrong?" Little Bella who was inside her room earlier stepped out, drowsy and confused. Tears still on her eyes as she questioned if she had done something naughty which made her mother upset again.

Only then did Matilda realized that someone else was inside the house. But it was far too late. By the time she had turned back, she saw a tall figure standing right in front of her candlewax, smiling eerily. Morpheus.

Even without knowing his name, she could feel what he was. What he wanted and it was their lives.

Behind him was Callis, bruised and bleeding, dragged along like a broken puppet. And Arabella could see how Callis had yelled to Matilda, muttering to her and telling her to run away but Matilda didn’t know him. No. She once knew him but no more now as those memories of her had been erased.

"Matilda," Morpheus said which made her to jump. "You used to love children but why do you hate your own daughter now? I thought you would have been a loving mother."

"W- Who are you?! This is a private property- I don’t know who you are but don’t you dare-"

"Dare what?" Morpheus’s words snapped coldly and in a second Matilda felt her body that was flung across the room, hitting the wall.

"MAMA!" Little Bella yelled and Morpheus’s eyes then fall on her, calculating coldly which made Little Bella to verge of tears.

"No... do.. n’t..." Callis begged, tears on his eyes as he looked at Morpheus, begging for any kind of kindness that he believe was hidden somewhere inside Callis, forgotten but not gone. "Not.. the ch... ild."

"Mist- Mister," sobbed Little Bella while Morpheus’s green eyes trailed at Callis for a few seconds.

"Then make a choice, Callis," Morpheus whispered before his smile appearing so sweetly like honey, "Matilda or the child."

"If you kill the child, your curse will forever-"

"I don’t care," Morpheus smiled at him, bending down to his level on the floor as he brushed his hair, "I don’t think I can care about it anymore now Callis. So choose. Matilda or the child."

Callis’s breath hitched. His bloodied lips parted, but no sound came out at first just a choking sob that seemed to scrape against the hollow space inside his chest where resolve used to live. Love, hatred. Callis can’t tell what he feels anymore.

"Please..." Callis rasped again, his voice hollow, barely above a whisper. "Don’t... ask me to..."

But Morpheus’s smile only widened, like a crescent moon slicing through the dark.

"I’m not asking," he said gently, like a saint. "I’m offering."

Callis’s gaze flickered to Little Bella, who was shivering by the doorway, clinging to the edge of the curtain with wide, tear glossed eyes. Then to Matilda, her limp body stirring faintly on the floor, moaning softly from where she had hit her head. His body twisted weakly, trying to move forward, but the invisible bonds around his limbs tugged him back like vines tightening with every desperate pull.

Matilda had long lost her power and her memories had long been erased but she wasn’t the person she had became now in the past. She wasn’t. But she couldn’t remember who he is or why Morpheus had came here. She didn’t even know how dangerous Morpheus could be and how if she had her memories, she would have done everything to drive Morpheus far away from her home and children.

But she can’t remember anything anymore. No more.

"You once said you’d give anything to protect them," Morpheus continued, almost curious. "Is that still true, or were you lying to yourself too? Yes. Like how you said you were going to take my curse but back away when you realize how painful it was, you traitor."

Arabella couldn’t hold back anymore. She tried to yell, tried to safe Callis who is clearly in danger and was in need of help. She didn’t know if she wanted to save her mother but she didn’t want to see her to die either. Deep in her heart... she just wanted all of them not to be hurt by Morpheus anymore, wanting to stop Morpheus from further causing more pain to Callis who was trying his best to protect everyone.

"Don’t make him choose!"

"DON’T!"

But Arabella knew her voice couldn’t reach. Eventually Morpheus who saw that Callis couldn’t make up his mind helped him by hovering over Matilda. He pulled her hair, placing a golden dagger across her neck and readily showed the scene with such proud to Callis.

"Watch," Morpheus dictated, "And learn. Every time you betray me an innocent life will be spilled because of you Callis."