[R1999] Short Stories' Collection

A chaotic incident in Sicily (5)

"Don't cry."

"Bisnonna said she liked watching you smile."

"Big sis, we love seeing your smile too."

"What should we do now? Big sis is still sad about bisnonna."

"I want to cry too, but I'm a man, I should be strong to help others."

"I wish I could bring my candy with me. So that I can make her happy again."

The kids gathered around Balloon Party, who had been crying since the death of the oldest lady, and tried to comfort her. Despite their efforts, tears kept pouring from her light-grayed eyes.

Luna, the little girl who had a butterfly-shaped brooch on her dress, took the brooch off and approached a crying Balloon Party. She craned her short legs for her small hand to reach Balloon Party's back and gave a few pats on it.

"Big sis, do you know that today is also bisnonna's birthday?"

Her ingenious words successfully caught Balloon Party's attention.

Seeing the big sister now paying attention to her words, Luna secretly made a thumb up behind her back to signal to other kids. As the kids all stopped talking, the little girl continued her speech.

"Bisnonna once said, the greatest gifts we could receive on our birthday were something that could make us smile when we looked at it."

"She smiled while looking at you and other big sis."

The little girl's voice became more confident.

"You two have given her the greatest gifts on her birthday!"

"And fulfilled her birthday's wishes!" A boy added.

"You saved us and our Mario, too!" Another girl said.

Luna held Balloon Party's hand and put the butterfly-shaped brooch in her palm.

"Bisnonna taught us that we should give a gift to the one who made us happy."

"The gift can be anything, as long as we think it will make that person happy."

The little girl smiled sincerely.

"This brooch makes Luna happy. If you wear it, Luna will be happier."

Before the children's nervous eyes, Balloon Party sniffled and slowly wiped her face on her sleeve.

"I have received the best gift of this party."

The joyful smile finally returned on her face.

After the death of the oldest lady, people of Marino clan began building campfires due to the drop of the temperature. They were still as busy as usual, but their work became lighter after most of the situations of the injured were under control.

While the total number of people attending the wedding was 200, the numbers of those who perished in the bloodshed and those who did not survive after receiving the treatment were around 50, including both of the people of Marino clan and Greco clan, from the old to the young.

Around the corner of another campfire, a group of young arcanists sat in a circle on the ground. Each person with different backgrounds, personalities and purposes in life, met, became teammates and tied together because of the gruesome fate, or we could call it, "The Storm".

Right now, if they had anything in common, that would be their messy clothes and the tired looks on their faces.

"What a harsh day, isn't it?"

Tennant watched the burning fire while resting the chin on her palm.

"How about a small chat among us? The night is just beginning."