From beyond the tiny window, fitted into the side of the tiny house, a raspy cough could be heard. There was tiny bed in the room, where a tiny human child's body lay resting.
"Honey, you know you have to get some sleep."
The scolding came from a tall woman who entered the room. She'd come to put out the lantern as she rubbed the boy's back.
"No." he replied, shaking his head. "I'm not sleeping. Anri might come back home."
"Oh, sweetie..." The mother's face was troubled. It was easy to see she knew something. She knew that the 'Anri' the young boy was waiting for was not coming back.
"Anri's coming back, I know she is! She always comes home. I gave her a red bell. She's my little sister."
Ah! So evidently, Anri was the little boy's sister.
I continued to watch them in silence. Thinking about the boy, I was reminded of Anri, who was even tinier than her poor, sickly brother. Once, she came to visit her big brother. He was so pleased and overcome with love her, that he gave her a red bell. Although I was not there, I could picture the scene already.
"Well, if Anri does come, I'll be sure to wake you."
"I know the sound of Anri's bell better than anyone!"
Anri's bell was small and red, but she was no longer with us. Her red bell was only here because if had been stripped from her dead body.
As I looked up at the moon, I recalled the words 'desecrating the dead.'
What I was about to do was the epitome of spitting in the eyes of the dead. That was exactly what I was doing. I had already abandoned her corpse. And now I was adding another sin to my list.
But this was my revenge. It was the perfect thing to do. This was my revenge on her for calling me mangy. I called to the boy in a delicate voice. I rang the bell, the sign of his little sister that the boy claimed to know so well. The window opened.
"Anri?" The boy called to me.
Yes, it's me. It's me, Anri.
He stretched out his arms to embrace me.
"What happened to you? You're all scruffy," he asked. I looked nothing like the beautiful little girl he knew and sounded nothing like her either. Only the red bell remained the same. My revenge was secure.
I'm Anri. Anri, with her red bell. The youngest little sister embraced by her brother's small arms.
Red Bell Anri
From beyond the tiny window, fitted into the side of the tiny house, a raspy cough could be heard. There was tiny bed in the room, where a tiny human child's body lay resting.
"Honey, you know you have to get some sleep."
The scolding came from a tall woman who entered the room. She'd come to put out the lantern as she rubbed the boy's back.
"No." he replied, shaking his head. "I'm not sleeping. Anri might come back home."
"Oh, sweetie..." The mother's face was troubled. It was easy to see she knew something. She knew that the 'Anri' the young boy was waiting for was not coming back.
"Anri's coming back, I know she is! She always comes home. I gave her a red bell. She's my little sister."
Ah! So evidently, Anri was the little boy's sister.
I continued to watch them in silence. Thinking about the boy, I was reminded of Anri, who was even tinier than her poor, sickly brother. Once, she came to visit her big brother. He was so pleased and overcome with love her, that he gave her a red bell. Although I was not there, I could picture the scene already.
"Well, if Anri does come, I'll be sure to wake you."
"I know the sound of Anri's bell better than anyone!"
Anri's bell was small and red, but she was no longer with us. Her red bell was only here because if had been stripped from her dead body.
As I looked up at the moon, I recalled the words 'desecrating the dead.'
What I was about to do was the epitome of spitting in the eyes of the dead. That was exactly what I was doing. I had already abandoned her corpse. And now I was adding another sin to my list.
But this was my revenge. It was the perfect thing to do. This was my revenge on her for calling me mangy. I called to the boy in a delicate voice. I rang the bell, the sign of his little sister that the boy claimed to know so well. The window opened.
"Anri?" The boy called to me.
Yes, it's me. It's me, Anri.
He stretched out his arms to embrace me.
"What happened to you? You're all scruffy," he asked. I looked nothing like the beautiful little girl he knew and sounded nothing like her either. Only the red bell remained the same. My revenge was secure.
I'm Anri. Anri, with her red bell. The youngest little sister embraced by her brother's small arms.