It was quieter that way, or so she thought.
In the middle of the path, the crunch of dry branches.
“Who’s there?” she asked, without enough strength to sound firm.
Before she could react, two strong arms grabbed her from behind. A cloth covered her mouth. Another pair of hands tied a tight blindfold over her eyes.
“Let me go! What do you want from me?”
The only answer was the sound of fast footsteps over damp earth.
Sod was carried. She did not know for how long. Her heart beat so hard it felt like it wanted to escape her chest. Her tears mixed with the sweat of fear.
“Please don’t hurt me, please…”
When they finally stopped, they sat her down. She heard a creek, a wooden door. The smell of the place was wet clay, burnt wood, soap, and sweat.
The blindfold was gently removed. Her eyes took time to adjust to the dim light from a lamp hanging from the ceiling.
And then she saw them—the two women from before, the ones who looked just like her.
“Sod,” said the older one, eyes full of tears. “Why? Why did you bring me here? Who are you?”
The other knelt in front of her.
“My name is Adola. That is Kimmy. And we were your sisters.”
Sod’s breath stopped.
“Sisters?”
“Yes,” said Kimmy with a broken voice. “We were born before you, in different times, but we were thrown away like garbage.”
“By who?”
“By her,” Adola corrected bitterly. “Bimbo. The woman who gave birth to us and tossed us into the river.”
“That’s a lie!” shouted Sod, trying to stand.
“It’s not,” said Kimmy, holding her. “Listen. We didn’t know either. But we were saved, separated, and after many years we found each other again, and we discovered the truth.”
“But how do you know?”
“She paid men to take us from the village when we were babies. She bought the silence of midwives, but she did not count on kind fishermen or elders who knew how to spot hidden evil.”
Adola stood up, trembling.
“She rejected us, hated us, and now—now she pretends you are all she has. You’re not an only child. You’re the third attempt.”
The world collapsed in silence around Sod. Her tears fell without her even noticing.
“Why? Why would she do that?”
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