Pick Me! Bear Me a Child! Part 3
2532 Words
From the day I was born, I knew I would be cursed.
My mom was a devout, and my father was always absent.
Whether it's due to her own loneliness, or that she felt betrayed by the Most High she always worshiped – all the same, she would unleash her anger on me with her leather belt.
The culmination of her anger came when I was 12.
I was waiting at the local carriage station when a man touched me in all the wrong places.
I escaped the station, wanting to tell that sordid event to my mom.
But when she heard of that, she really unloaded everything on me.
All her love, all her anger, and all of her sorrow – they were packed into every whip of her favorite leather belt!
That was when I said I've had enough.
I've told her, a supposedly religious woman, that I would fornicate with every man in this kingdom.
She was so shocked... that she thought I sold my soul to whoever leads the netherworld.
I never dared to return to the thing called home again once I swore that.
And little by little... that curse I brought upon myself would manifest on me more, making my body succumb to the pleasures of the flesh.
Another curse I've been burdened with... is my chest.
While many people consider large chests as status symbols, I consider them to be a burden. Beyond literally.
Not only do I had to deal with back pain and all, I also had to spend quite a fortune on a customized bra just to hold my chest in.
Over the years, I've tried to maintain the facade of the “nice girl”, even though I was anything but nice.
I would use that facade to lure men into one-night stands, and then leave them once we've had our fill.
This accursed cycle continued even as I signed up to be a “receptionist” at Emulsions Bar.
Be the “nice girl”, tempt men to inseminate me, and leave them after the fact.
It didn't matter if I would have babies out of those affairs. They've entered a deal with me, and now they're paying for it.
Slowly, the facade of the “nice girl” began to slowly crumble as the bar's patrons have heard of the term “pick me” girl – basically, a woman who considers herself better than other women.
With those rumors that my actions were slowly fitting the basic definition of the “pick me” girl, I unknowingly made those rumors come true, by becoming the “pick me” girl.
And then, I've met Heherson.
I thought he was like the other guys who were so easy to deceive, because he still held on to the ideals of true love like them.
But he didn't let his idealism get to him.
I miscalculated.
And thus, he left me just as fast as he married me.
I was his only wife.
Those “number two” allegations are balderdash.
And now, I'm making the only right choice.
I, Clarissa Riefenstahl, just wanted to be loved in the way only I can feel. But it all fell down. So many times.
Therefore... I'll fall down... for real.
Goodbye, cruel Amitabhilia, the world of so-called “infinite light”!
***
While we're on our way to the cliff...
We come across a wooden nightstand whose finish has seen better days, but is still otherwise usable.
It just lays on the dirt road's wayside.
Maybe someone forgot to place the “Take it. It's free.” tag on it before dumping it in the curbside?
To ensure this nightstand isn't booby-trapped, I instruct Laika, Yulissa, and Heherson to stand back while I carefully open the nightstand's only drawer.
“All clear. No booby traps detected.”
Inside the drawer are two pieces of paper.
The first piece of paper contains the following, hastily handwritten...
“Don't ever trust that faith, I mean, fake healer named Imajin Yuenmi XII. He was supposed to remove my cancerous tumors, but all he did was to stage everything as if it were a magic trick, and the freaking tumor of mine is still there! Better go to an actual doctor instead! Also, that fake healer still persists even though there were many complaints filed against him. He must've been backed by someone powerful. Alright, I'll name that backer of his. He's...”
Unfortunately, that note is unfinished, as there are hints of blood splatters on this note.
Looks like the one who wrote this was brutally killed off before he could name that backer.
OK, I'll have it presented to the superintendent once we accomplish this mission.
The other piece of paper is more harrowing, as we can all see exquisite female penmanship that hides something much more grim. The note ends with the following...
“I, Clarissa Riefenstahl, just wanted to be loved in the way only I can feel. But it all fell down. So many times.
Therefore... I'll fall down... for real.
Goodbye, cruel Amitabhilia, the world of so-called 'infinite light'!”
Heherson comments, “Looks like I'm right, after all! We need to huff it!”
We accelerate our way to the cliff with several Heisbilis scrolls, keeping both pieces of paper safe and secure.
In just under a minute, we reach the cliff.
The woman – the target named Clarissa Riefenstahl – is struggling to even move forward towards the edge of the cliff.
Other than us four, there are a few constabulary officers who are hiding behind some bushes and trees in order not to startle her.
We instruct Heherson to also hide behind a bush, since we surmise that the mere sight of him will make her jump off that cliff, which is what we all don't want.
One of those officers then carefully approaches us, as loud noises will also startle the woman.
“Great timing, cadets! As you can see, the target is still having some doubts about jumping off the cliff. What she doesn't know is that we're limiting entry of the cliff's area to onlookers, and we've dispatched every officer within the surrounding perimeters as well as the forest below to ensure that she would be caught unharmed in the event she jumps.”
I've read somewhere that the main reason onlookers are prohibited to witness someone taking their own life in public is the traumatic effects the event can bring to them if ever the attempt is dreadfully successful.
The way the local constabulary precinct is able to secure the entire area to ensure no one falls off that cliff, whether accidentally or intentionally, makes me think they're doing this for a long, long time.
The officer then communicates with his fellow officers via commugrass...
“Entire cliff and surrounding areas secured! Cadets, initiate negotiations with the target right now!”
“Sir, yes, sir!”
Alright, it's all up to us, then.
Hope what we've learned in the art of negotiation for the past three years is enough to redeem her.
First off, we all mustn't be too anxious. It's pretty obvious, but lack of confidence on our part will also lead to lack of confidence on the other party's part. As much as possible, we must be calm and composed, since that will easily win the other party's confidence and trust.
We confidently, but at the same time humbly, approach the cliff as we sense Clarissa's fear, uncertainty, and doubt verily affecting her entire body.
The first thing we do?
Extend our hands, stand naturally, and radiate encouraging smiles.
“We're here to save you.”
She's still emanating the aura of FUD as she answers us...
“What makes you think you'll save someone like me, who's now lower than lower than dirt, and is willing to join it soon?”
Alright, calmness works... a little. Now to temper it with a little bit of anger.
Regarding the usage of anger in negotiations, it must be used judiciously, as it's a double-edged sword.
In some cases, it will intimidate the other party into accepting our terms.
But in other cases, it will backfire on us, especially if the other party is emotionally sensitive and cannot trust overbearing people.
The best kind of anger to apply in this situation is the “tough love” one.
Simply put, acknowledge that the other party has a problem, and we have the viable solution for it.
In the case of Clarissa, she has no one to blame for her unhappiness, and she has gotten herself into her own mess.
I non-verbally tell Laika to do the honors, and she does.
“Have you ever lost your mind?! Look, if ever taking your own life due to your apparent worthlessness enters your brain, I'd rather listen to your story than attend your funeral.”
Nice choice of words, Laika. Blunt but hortative.
In response, Clarissa mutters, as she slowly inches away from the cliff's edge...
“Alright, you are all willing to listen to me.
“I could be happy if... no. I'm always depressed because everything I try to do is just useless. I'm useless to men, useless to my family, useless to society. I did everything I could to win, and I was doing my best, but this cursed life of mine just sucks! If given any chance or luck... if I would just win without losing much... then I could be happy and be free of this depression of mine.”
Good.
Now for the next emotion to be used in negotiation: Disappointment.
To use that emotion, we must know what the other party really wants, and one great way to do that is to ask every question we might have. And we mustn't be overconfident, or else that will lead to... yes, disappointment. Just keep talking.
Yulissa then takes the mantle.
“Useless this, useless that. You're not some kind of water goddess who doesn't have much of a brain, you know. If you really consider yourself worthless, why are you born into this world? To just die? If you believe you are cursed... why do you still live? Or better yet, why does the Most High still allow you to live? And... why do you treat life like a perfectionist, taking only on battles you can only win?”
Clarissa just stands, thinking of all the answers she can muster to us.
We can also feel Heherson cheering on both us and his supposed-to-be wife silently.
After a few minutes, she opens her mouth, with her voice emanating acceptance of who she really is.
“I guess... it's just the Most High allowing me to be born and to exist. But to live... yeah, that's a different matter altogether.
“I guess... all that crud I took as a kid compelled me to root for an ideal life I sadly will never take hold of.
“All that negative publicity, all that humiliation I took, makes me want to take my own life, but the voice deep in my head compels me not to do it. I still have to get out of poverty, and maybe flee this kingdom, forget everything, and recover myself – but it will take years to do so, and I can't wait that long.
“But now, I realize... patience is indeed a virtue. Why settle for a short-term solution, like jumping off this cliff; when I can have a long-term one, like starting over again, instead?”
Yes!
But we can't get all too excited.
The last principle regarding excitement in negotiation is simply “Don't celebrate prematurely”. Manage this emotion and all the other emotions temperately, and we're on the right track to winning the other side over!
For this final stage of negotiation, we'll be handing the reins over to none other than Heherson.
He'll be the one actually saving her, and we're just the accessories to his honorable deed.
But before that, I whisper close to her ear.
“You think no one still cares about you after what you've done to them? He still does.”
“Who's he?”
We all then give way to...
“Heherson?!”
“Clarissa!”
Finally, she gets out of the actual cliff and into the bush-filled plains that precede it.
She then hugs him; and in return, he hugs her back.
“I'm sorry, my dear.”
“I should also say sorry to you, too, for making you think I already have a husband when in reality... I didn't have any before I met you.”
“That's OK. We're both at fault, aren't we?”
“Yeah. Thanks to you... and to those three youths who helped you... I can now recover from this inferno I inflicted upon myself. It was all in my head.”
“That's nothing. As long as we live, we can indeed reform ourselves from the sorry state we're on. And regarding our marriage...”
She abruptly cuts him off.
"I can never stomach myself giving birth to children who will bear my greatest sin. And thus... I'll become celibate and serve only the Most High instead. After all, I'm a child of the Most High just like you all. Heherson... I'm sorry. Our union... ends right now.”
“I... I understand. I only married you... because of your looks. And because I was so desperate for a wife.”
“Now then... I'll indeed live again. Please, take me to where you call home.”
And thus, from that point on...
Clarissa Riefenstahl is no longer the “pick me” girl nor the “bear me a child” girl.
She is now... a reformed woman, who acknowledges her sordid past and uses it to make herself new again.
She relinquishes her marriage and immediately applies as the town's first ever female minister, as the precepts of all the Temples of the Most High don't forbid females to be one.
Heherson Mimigs decides not to press any charges against her, for he believes in her sincerity.
The other townspeople of Isiazeal also forgive her for her transgressions as well as their own, though how quickly they forgive her varies from person to person. They also don't press charges against her, too.
As we consider this mission a success, the local constabulary precinct quickly gives our superintendent a call to inform him of our accomplishment.
5 post meridiem. Back at the military school campus.
“With the success of your mission and even the redemption of the target, I am more than happy to inform you that you have all passed the final examination with flying colors! You have fulfilled all the requirements for graduation at last, and thus you are one step closer to joining the Royal Armed Forces! Now then, you can all just rehearse for the graduation ceremony, which will happen this 8th of Bloommonth, 1019 CE at the auditorium. Congratulations, everyone. You've all earned it. Dismissed!”
Next up, graduation.
But what about her?
- Writer
