Atonement, For Your Cruelty — Chapter 25

HO. NEY. MOON.

TODAY WAS REALLY FUN, WASN'T IT?

IT WOULD BE NICE TO LOOK AROUND A BIT MORE~

OH, ARE YOU TIRED, HONEY?

UM....

PLEASE STOP CALLING ME THAT.

HUH? WHAT?

CALLING ME TIRED?

THE WORD BEFORE THAT....

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, HONEY?

STING!!

WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING THROUGH HIS HEAD?

THIS IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE MEANING OF 'HONEY' I LEARNED.

BUT DON'T THOSE TWO NOT LOOK LIKE A COUPLE?

NO WAY. THEY MUST BE IN LOVE.

HE CALLS HER 'HONEY,' AFTER ALL.

!?

EVEN WITH THAT MEANING, HE'S JUST KEPT CALLING ME 'HONEY' ALL DAY LONG.

OH, LEAVING ALREADY?

WOW,

LOOK AT HOW FAST THEY'RE WALKING AWAY.

WHATEVER.

AT LEAST WE GOT SOMETHING OUT OF IT.

WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT THAT WOODEN-BLOCK OF A WOMAN

WOULD LOOK BACK AT ME COMPLETELY WHITE-FACED.

ALRIGHT, I'LL KEEP THIS MOMENTUM GOING AND...

WHAT.

DID YOU STOP?

HEY!

WHY ISN'T THIS MOVING!

I'M SORRY! PLEASE STAY STILL!

THIS LADY'S SKIRT IS CAUGHT!

DAMN IT,

ESPECIALLY WITH PEOPLE SWARMING OUTSIDE TOO...

STAY THERE, DON'T MOVE!

...DID AN ACCIDENT HAPPEN?

HUH...?

AMIDST THE CROWD SURGING LIKE A WAVE

THERE IS SOMETHING OUT OF PLACE.

!!

THEY'RE GONE.

IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN 30 SECONDS MAX!

SEO!

...WHO... ON EARTH IS IT?

COULD IT BE...

EVEN AS SHE IS DRAGGED AWAY SO MERCILESSLY

I DON'T FEEL ANY PAIN.

CRUSHED

AND TRAMPLED UPON,

AMIDST PEOPLE CRYING SORROWFULLY,

I HAD NO RIGHT TO DARE WEEP.

MY FLESH CROSSED THE SEA,

BUT MY SOUL STILL WANDERS THE EXHUMED GRAVEYARD LIKE A GHOST.

THAT'S RIGHT.

I AM NOT AFRAID.

IF ANYTHING, I AM MERELY GLAD.

IF THAT PERSON HAS FINALLY COME TO FIND ME,

I...

I MISSED THEM....

AHH...

I NEED TO MEET THAT PERSON...

I AM HERE, NOT GOING ANYWHERE.

NO, DON'T MOVE.

I HAVE TO ENDURE.

LIFE HAS ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THAT, HASN'T IT?

A LIFE WHERE RESISTING THE FORCE PUSHING ME AWAY

WAS FAR MORE BURDENSOME THAN ENDURING.

GETTING HURT IS FAMILIAR BY NOW...

SO PLEASE FIND ME.

AM STILL HERE.

PLEASE...

IIA AM...

HUH...?