Third Letter
Oh, Katharine, what have I done?
I do not know why I write to thee now. Thou wilt never see this letter. Not unless the 天使 themselves were to light it to thee on their wings. Alas, no 天使 would dare to come near a demon as horrible as I.
Why did I not stay away?
When I heard Miguel had returned to our village, that he was living like a fatted pig on the 爬坡道, 小山 overlooking the cottage I once shared with Marie, I should never have gone after him there. I should have fled as far from 首页 as possible, stayed away from even the thought of seeing thee.
I should have known I wasn’t strong enough. I let the 狼 force me 首页 to our village. It told me I must finally take my vengeance against Miguel. Alas, I realize now it was not Miguel that the 狼 wanted me to find.
It was thee, little sister.
When I came to our village, I wanted to go straightaway to dispatch Miguel and leave before anyone recognized me. Only, the 狼 in my head prodded me to go see thee first. It knew my 心 and how badly I longed to be 首页 with thee.
I thought I could watch thee from a distance so I could know that thou were happy in thy life with Simon Saint Moon. The 狼 assured me it was what I must do if I were ever to rest.
I stood at the edge of the forest and watched thee pick sweet herbs from thy garden. Thou hadst grown so much in the last few years—from a girl into a woman. Thy hands were strong, and thy face was fuller and softer; I realize now from becoming a mother. Alas, seeing thee was not enough. I wanted to embrace thee, and 摇摆, 秋千 thee around in the air like I used to when we were young. I wanted to feel human and loved again.
Yet it was the 爱情 I felt for thee that frightened me. The 狼 recognized that feeling and wanted me to kill thee. I could feel it writhing in my heart, under my skin. I fought with its howling cry for thy blood in my head. For every step I took farther back away from you, the 狼 prodded me two steps forward. I prayed that thou hadst received my letters, and the silver dagger, and that thou would know what I was, and what to do, if thou didst see me.
At one moment I thought thou didst see me at the edge of the forest, 或者 maybe thou didst only sense the danger near thee. I watched thee straighten up and look into the forest, thy gathering basket clutched in thy hands. Then thou didst call out, “Doni, Doni, go into the house, my boy,” and I saw the toddling child for the first time. I watched his tiny feet as he followed your order and went into thy cottage with a small ragdoll, like the kind Marie happily made in anticipation for our own babe.
My 心 felt like it had been ripped out 由 anger and grief as I remembered the child that should have been mine before Marie was taken from me. The child I would never have now.
A flaming pain overtook my body and I fell to the ground. I fought the beast, tried to keep it at bay. Alas, I knew I had 迷失 the battle when a great howl surged through my body and everything went murky inside my mind.
I imagine thou didst not have enough time to run from thy garden to thy 首页 when thou didst see the giant 狼 lunge out of the forest. I seem to remember thy screams for Simon to keep Doni safe.
I awoke in the forest some time later. Blood painted my arms. Blood that smelled like sweet herbs from thy garden, and knew what I had done.
I am so sorry, Katharine. Thy 爱情 for me was the only possible cure to rid me of the curse of the demon-wolf, and now that thou art gone like Marie—as was the wolf’s greatest desire—I will be trapped in its claws forever. I wish only to die now, so I can receive my eternal damnation for what I have done to thee.
If thou findest my Marie in heaven, tell her I am not coming for her—if she does not know already what I have become.
I have forsaken my promise.
Oh, Katharine, what have I done?
I do not know why I write to thee now. Thou wilt never see this letter. Not unless the 天使 themselves were to light it to thee on their wings. Alas, no 天使 would dare to come near a demon as horrible as I.
Why did I not stay away?
When I heard Miguel had returned to our village, that he was living like a fatted pig on the 爬坡道, 小山 overlooking the cottage I once shared with Marie, I should never have gone after him there. I should have fled as far from 首页 as possible, stayed away from even the thought of seeing thee.
I should have known I wasn’t strong enough. I let the 狼 force me 首页 to our village. It told me I must finally take my vengeance against Miguel. Alas, I realize now it was not Miguel that the 狼 wanted me to find.
It was thee, little sister.
When I came to our village, I wanted to go straightaway to dispatch Miguel and leave before anyone recognized me. Only, the 狼 in my head prodded me to go see thee first. It knew my 心 and how badly I longed to be 首页 with thee.
I thought I could watch thee from a distance so I could know that thou were happy in thy life with Simon Saint Moon. The 狼 assured me it was what I must do if I were ever to rest.
I stood at the edge of the forest and watched thee pick sweet herbs from thy garden. Thou hadst grown so much in the last few years—from a girl into a woman. Thy hands were strong, and thy face was fuller and softer; I realize now from becoming a mother. Alas, seeing thee was not enough. I wanted to embrace thee, and 摇摆, 秋千 thee around in the air like I used to when we were young. I wanted to feel human and loved again.
Yet it was the 爱情 I felt for thee that frightened me. The 狼 recognized that feeling and wanted me to kill thee. I could feel it writhing in my heart, under my skin. I fought with its howling cry for thy blood in my head. For every step I took farther back away from you, the 狼 prodded me two steps forward. I prayed that thou hadst received my letters, and the silver dagger, and that thou would know what I was, and what to do, if thou didst see me.
At one moment I thought thou didst see me at the edge of the forest, 或者 maybe thou didst only sense the danger near thee. I watched thee straighten up and look into the forest, thy gathering basket clutched in thy hands. Then thou didst call out, “Doni, Doni, go into the house, my boy,” and I saw the toddling child for the first time. I watched his tiny feet as he followed your order and went into thy cottage with a small ragdoll, like the kind Marie happily made in anticipation for our own babe.
My 心 felt like it had been ripped out 由 anger and grief as I remembered the child that should have been mine before Marie was taken from me. The child I would never have now.
A flaming pain overtook my body and I fell to the ground. I fought the beast, tried to keep it at bay. Alas, I knew I had 迷失 the battle when a great howl surged through my body and everything went murky inside my mind.
I imagine thou didst not have enough time to run from thy garden to thy 首页 when thou didst see the giant 狼 lunge out of the forest. I seem to remember thy screams for Simon to keep Doni safe.
I awoke in the forest some time later. Blood painted my arms. Blood that smelled like sweet herbs from thy garden, and knew what I had done.
I am so sorry, Katharine. Thy 爱情 for me was the only possible cure to rid me of the curse of the demon-wolf, and now that thou art gone like Marie—as was the wolf’s greatest desire—I will be trapped in its claws forever. I wish only to die now, so I can receive my eternal damnation for what I have done to thee.
If thou findest my Marie in heaven, tell her I am not coming for her—if she does not know already what I have become.
I have forsaken my promise.