Chapter 136: Chapter 136

*Reader discretion is advised*

Clara’s options seemed ridiculously limited from an outsider’s perspective, but that was the only way out for her, at least from her point of view.

"I don’t want to die, though...." She said to herself as she walked deeper and deeper into the woods behind her house and further away from the few scattered houses. Her mind was still on the two options that she had arrived at.

She pulled out a small broken mirror from her pocket and peered at herself. Her pale, lifeless hair and dull blue eyes stared back. She looked haggard, almost sick and unkempt. Her face had no emotions whatsoever, even though silent tears still streamed down.

Her emotional state was in disarray, and profound grief settled on her soul from the happenings of the few months prior and also from seeing herself in that state.

She brought up one hand and lightly brushed that tear away. Clara was a beauty and there was no doubt about that. In her young maidenhood, she had had a fun time being chased around by all the men on the island, but there was no eligible bachelor around anymore, and even if there were, no other would consent to her child marrying a widow with a child who had nothing to her name.

"What can I do now, then?" She whispered to herself. She turned the mirror at all angles, trying to get a glimpse of her past glory, but it just was no more. Life, childbirth and lack of care had all contributed to her current state.

She put the mirror away and then held both hands up to examine them in the daylight. In the state Clara was in, her main worries were that of her very self and appearance. She had almost forgotten her child then and the demands young Shelby had made.

Clara knew very well that the thought of dying was the last thing on her mind. It’s not like she had never fully considered it before. She had gone to the oceanfront several times and even gathered to climb up the trails that led onto some of the cliffs they had on their small island, but Clara was never able to see it through. Some things thought of never make it to fruition!

In all those times that she considered this, her daughter never became a part of the decision. Even though she eventually decided that life was better, it had nothing to do with Shelby.

Clara continued walking aimlessly while asking herself, "How did young Shelby even survive that ordeal?"

This was a question that even some people on the island had deliberated on.

"It’s a miracle!" That was what all the people said. That was the discussion on their lips for weeks after the unfortunate passing of the man.

The narrative was that Shelby had ventured to the beach when the tide was low. She loved the feel of the wet sand and had played there for a long time. On their island, the tide took very little time to come in, and it did so with full force.

This was how Mr Monroe had found his precious girl, surrounded by water and crying her heart out. Within a few minutes, waves started rolling in, so he rushed in without a thought.

For those who saw the scene that day, they describe it : The man went in for his daughter but never came back out again. However, miraculously, the little girl was pushed out by a big rolling wave, coughing and crying but very much alive. It took a while for the sea to give up his body, they said.

This was something Clara had trouble understanding. How had the little girl survived when the experienced adult did not?

She shook her head and cleared out all those ’unhealthy’ thoughts. A few men on the island had made passes at her in the weeks following the demise of her husband, but she had turned them away. However, Clara, on this day and in the woods, was back at the starting point.

Considering all that had gone on in her mind’s space, her two options were then limited to only one: find another man! However, she did not have many options unless...

Young Shelby woke up with a start, folding her small arms around herself.

"Mummy?" She shivered in her light clothing as her stomach growled. She whimpered and then slowly got up, staggering and walking around their small house, looking for her mother. It did not take her long to realize that her mother was already gone, as she usually did.

She rubbed her small tummy and then walked out of the house into the bright day that was almost ending. The little girl walked around to the back of the house and then squatted there for a while. A few weeds were scattered there. Their backyard was unlike that of other homes with miniature gardens. A few of them had bright yellow flowers on them that attracted her.

Shelby smiled at the flowers, tearing them and dropping them all around her. She was hungry, scared and bored! She reached for the leaves, tearing some and then started shoving them into her mouth!

"The two women were not wrong, but how did they find out what I wanted to do?"

Clara said once again to herself as she looked at the small hut in front of her, very deep in the woods. She had made sure that no one had seen her this time. She had tried to come to this destination several times over the past few months but faltered each time. This time, people had associated her going into the woods as normal, so no one had paid much attention to her.

She looked around warily, wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to ward off the cold. The place had a spooky feel to it, but if the rumours she had heard were true, then that place held all the answers to her questions.

She had stumbled upon it once sometime back when her husband was still alive but never had the courage to go in there. She knew the rumours and all that went with paying a visit there. Clara had made it her business to find out what that place was for. She never thought that she would have the courage to pay that place a visit for her own reasons, even though she had entertained those thoughts briefly.

It was only before late evening but the dense trees there had spread their branches and leaves so broad that it seemed like night-time on the forest floors. No light seeped through the dense foliage. She hesitated only for a bit before she raised her hand to knock on the door of the small lone hut.

"Come in!" A sweet, crisp female voice said just before her hand connected to the door, startling her. Clara froze. Steeling herself, she looked back just one last time before she got into the hut.

Clara gasped in surprise! The inside of the hut was nothing like the outside. It had a warm and cozy atmosphere. A small fireplace, with a fire still burning in there, warmed her cold bones almost immediately.

A girl of about eighteen sat knitting on a single cushion not far from the fireplace. She looked up at Clara with a welcoming smile just as she entered. She was very ordinary-looking but Clara could not help but look at her twice.

"Welcome. Would you like some tea?"

"Wha-" Clara was confused, but her stomach chose to growl at that very moment. Clara lowered her head in embarrassment as the girl laid down her knit and then picked up a small kettle. Very soon, she had a mug of steaming tea with biscuits ready.

"Please help yourself."

Clara lowered her head and quickly munched on the biscuits. She drank half of the tea at once, scalding her tongue.

She refused to spit it out and swallowed the scalding liquid down her throat. Her eyes watered immediately.

"Heheheheeheeeee!" The girl covered her lips with a delicate handkerchief as she watched Clara in amusement.

"So, have you decided?"

"Decided what?" Clara asked, forgetting about why she had come there initially.

There were some rumours that the occupant of that cottage could give you anything one asked for at the right price.

"I-" Clara hesitated a bit and then mustered the courage, ’If its really true that I can ask for anything then....’

The girl’s beautiful face contorted for a second before it returned to it serene state with a simple smile.

"What is it that you desire for Clara?"

"Y-ou know m-y na-me?"

The girl did not answer that question but only asked the same question, "What is in your heart?"

"Is it true that you can grant any wish?"

"That’s too much of a stretch, Clara. For instance, the dead have to stay dead. You only have one chance to ask your question. What is in your heart? What do you truly desire?"

Clara thought long and hard. She held the mug in her hand, warming it and then said, "I- want to be able to marry a nice young man who will take care of my needs, and I want to be more beautiful.... No, I want to be the most beautiful."

She said it so fast and then heaved up and down and then looked at the girl with hope.

"Clara, that’s many requests in one. I don’t think you have the ability to pay for all of it so you only have to tell me which ones out of these you want the most."

Clara was quiet for a while and then replied, "The last one..." she whispered.

The girl’s smile did not waver even once. She only asked,

"Seeing as you have no worldly possessions, you’ll have to pay with your life!"

Thank you so much to all for your votes and comments! I hope we can keep it up ^_^

Support the author by reading only on NovelHub :) ~Uploaded only on NovelHub by Loctovia ~