Silje took the shiny scissors to Kail’s wrist.
“…”
She cut his pale skin, making the shockingly red blood drip from it.
Next, it was her turn. Silje did the same on her delicate wrist.
She dripped her own blood into Kail’s wound, as if this act could make them one.
“I can’t let you go yet, so this is what I am going to do. You are not allowed to leave me. I’m sure there will be plenty of people in the world who would be pleased to have you die, but I am not ready for you to leave yet.”
Kail still wouldn’t move, and Silje looked down at him coldly.
“You are not allowed to die without my permission, Kail. You made me the way I am now, so don’t even think about leaving me without my permission. I will never forgive you if you die on me like this. You always do whatever you want, causing me so much pain, but this time, I will not let you get what you want. You can’t leave me. You can’t die. Don’t die…”
She loved him.
She showed it in a twisted way, but there was no way around it. Silje’s voice sounded cold, but her heart was burning and aching at the same time. Looking down at his weak body, Silje’s heart throbbed in pain.
She couldn’t let him go like this, so she glared at him and tried to make him stay. Silje couldn’t imagine a world without Kail, and she was determined to get him back.
She would fight for him. Some might call her crazy, but Silje didn’t care. She couldn’t let him go.
And that was why she was giving him her blood.
Beep, beep.
The machine that monitored his heart suddenly made erratic beeps. A nurse immediately burst into the room and when she saw what Silje was doing, she turned pale.
“What do you think you are doing to the patient?”
The nurse screamed at Silje who was still dripping her own blood into Kail’s wrist, but Silje ignored her.
Silje, instead, looked down at Kail and ordered, “Get up.”
The monitor kept beeping dangerously while Kail still refused to wake up. Silje glared at him.
As usual, he was being stubborn.
Silje murmured quietly, “That’s right. This is a battle between us.”
And she wasn’t going to lose this fight. She raised her voice, “Get up now! Wake up!”
The monitor beeped warningly, and it didn’t seem like Kail was going to wake up.
Was this the end?
This couldn’t be!
“I can’t let you go like this! If you can hear my voice, get up now! Wake up!”
Silje shook Kail’s body as she screamed. The nurse finally had enough, and she grabbed Silje.
“What do you think you’re doing? Doctor! Please help me! Someone help me!”
A doctor burst into the room, followed by other nurses.
“What are you doing! Get out! You are hurting the patient!”
As she was being dragged out by the nurses, Silje continued to yell at Kail.
“Open your eyes, Kail! You can’t die! I won’t let you.”
Hot tears rolled down her eyes, but when she was out of the room, Silje quickly put on a serious face. She recovered immediately and walked out of the hospital in her high heels.
In the sterile hallway, Silje murmured to herself, “I feel better now. Tears always end up drying.”
She looked normal now, but Silje knew she wouldn’t be able to go back to her life.
Kail…
***
Kail had a dream.
In his dream, he heard reindeer and elk crying loudly. Their screams sounded bloody.
When Kail turned around, he saw the snowy land and his grandfather, Larson, was glaring at him with his reddened eyes.
Larson was holding a harpoon.
Kail, an innocent child again, opened his mouth.
“Oh, Grandpa.”
Kail’s maternal grandfather Larson was dead, and he was raised by his birthfather Rolf, but Kail never grieved over Larson. It was because Kail always believed that his grandfather was still secretly alive and someday he would reappear in front of him.
Kail remembered his grandfather fondly. He spent a lot of his childhood with Larson and they were very close. Because Kail always remembered him to be still alive, Kail wasn’t surprised to see his grandfather standing in front of him.
Larson sounded just like he used to. He handed Kail a piece of cloth.
“Cover your eyes, Kail. It’s too bright here with all the snow. You are going to go blind unless you protect your eyes.”
Limping around the snowy land, Larson looked like a madman. Kail’s grandfather often swore and sobbed, grieving over his lost daughter. Larson often talked about his revenge for his daughter.
Even now, Kail could smell the alcohol on him as Larson offered him the harpoon.
“Take this, Kail. Do you see that elk with the biggest antlers? Kill it. We need it for food.”
Kail turned, and despite having his eyes covered, he could see the giant elk crying out loud. It was the biggest elk he had ever seen.
When Kail hesitated, Larson became angry.
“What are you doing? Kill that elk now! Kill and bring it to me.”
Larson screamed and Kail stared at the herd of elk coming toward him.
The largest elk looked up at Kail, as if daring him to kill him.
But Kail hesitated, which was very unlike him. As if the harpoon was glued to his hand, Kail couldn’t throw it at the animal.
The reindeer were crying desperately and the snow on the ground started to turn red with their blood.
Suddenly, Kail realized what was happening.
They were all the animals he had killed in his life.
Panting heavily, Kail turned to his angry grandfather.
“I can’t do this, Grandpa. I am going to free the reindeer.”
Larson walked towards Kail and patted his head with his rough hands.
“I guess I won’t take you with me yet. I will watch over you, my little boy. Hannah too.”
And after that, Larson left, leaving Kail alone.
Oddly, Kail wasn’t lonely, because he knew his grandfather and mother would always be with him and protect him.
And then…
Kail woke up.
“Silje…”
When he opened his eyes, Rolf was there, crying. He told his son that Ingrid was arrested and asked for his forgiveness, but Kail was indifferent.
He wanted to see Silje.
Nothing else mattered anymore. Kail knew what was most important to him.
He needed to see Silje.