My Mute Bride

By the time Rachel jolted awake from her nightmare, it was already morning. Like a shadow, the nightmares clung to her every night since Justin told her about the grudge between him and Jefferey that day in the hospital stairwell. The fire, the forest…

She had a strange and inexplicable feeling that they were familiar to her in some way. In the dream, there was a loud banging noise that kept on rattling loudly against her temples. Presently, she violently opened her eyes, and it was only after being jolted awake for a moment that she realized someone was knocking at her door.

“Rachel? Rachel!”

Victor? Pulling the covers off her, she got out of bed and opened the door to see Victor standing there holding bags of all sizes. The wound on his face had yet to heal and one of his arms was still in a sling, but his uninjured one was carrying a large number of items. “I thought you weren’t home, Rachel. You took so long to open the door.”

Quickly, she ushered him in and picked up the kettle to pour him a glass of water. Why are you here?

“Oh-there’s no need to busy yourself, Rachel. I’ll be leaving now; I’m simply here to deliver the goods that Madam Tiller said you could use.”

What goods? Subconsciously, she lifted her eyes to look into the bags. However, her hand trembled and she nearly scalded herself. Many of the packages inside the bags were marked with the logos of baby and maternity brands. Instantly, the light in her eyes dimmed.

It was likely that Nancy was looking forward to the birth of this child. Rachel had no idea how she was going to tell her grandmother there would no longer be a child, just like she hadn’t known how to tell her that she was pregnant. Suddenly, she burst into a fit of coughing.

“Are you feeling okay, Rachel?” Victor asked.

I’m fine. I just have a bit of a cold.

Taking in the cold medicine on the table, Victor felt a bit vexed. If he had known Rachel had a cold, he would have come to visit her sooner.

After a moment of silence, he remembered something important and searched through the bags at his feet to pull out a white canvas bag. “By the way, Madam Tiller said I had to deliver this to you. The rest aren’t as important.”

Coming back to her senses, Rachel took the canvas bag from his hands.

Before she even looked inside, she already knew what it was.

It was the ‘wooden box’-the item that her mother left behind.

Having no opposition to Victor’s presence, she pulled out the box in front of him and studied it closely.

“What’s that?”

I have no idea

carved

pretty bad, Rachel. Maybe you should take some medicine right now. I’ll go get you a spoon!” He

taking it, Rachel sat at the table and stared absent-mindedly at the packaging that the medicine came in, happening to face the side with the medicine’s ingredients

writing on the packaging and the wooden box started to drift together. Almost of their own accord, the numbers on the wooden box scrambled atop the

them together. The herbs, the dosages…

she knew

at the six-sided wooden box in front of her, she realized that each side had a different combination of numbers. All of a sudden, she felt like she was enlightened. Six traditional Hudson medicine formulas, all corresponding with the numbers on the

brought her

to her senses, she stared at

okay, Rachel? Your phone has been ringing for

down, only to discover an incoming

you

mode, Rachel gave him a

meaning, he immediately said, “I have, Madam

be strange if I did, considering you broke your arm in the few

he lied flawlessly before continuing with a jovial smile,”-and I have delivered the

did you inform her what

“Uh…”

knew you’d forget!” Nancy crowed before emphasizing, “Pizza. You must eat

asked,

meant, Rachel felt her nose itch all of a sudden. Today was her birthday and Nancy had remembered when Rachel

pizza in a ziplock bag. If you have a servant, have the servant

you. It’s very convenient. You always liked eating pizza

reddened and tears nearly

your birthday today, Rachel.” And then, to the phone, he added, “Don’t worry, Madam Tiller. I’ll heat the pizza