Chapter 11
Sophie
(August 1983)
Sophie: "Hehe…Mama… Hehe… Mama…"
Sophie's mother: "Oh Sophie… calm down… soon you can play with your brother Elliot."
Sophie: "Hmmm… (pouts)…"
(...until this happened) . . .
Sophie: "Hahhh…"
(Splop!)
(Dead!)
Sophie's parents — dead. Hung. Beheaded. Their heads were mounted on flag poles.
Ordinary villager: "So what do we do with her…?"
Ordinary villager: "She's guilty too… Her grandparents were Nazis… once a Nazi… always a Nazi…"
Ordinary female villager: "No… no wait… that's enough… she's just a scared child… we've gone too far… we could… take her in and raise her."
Sophie: "...hahhh…"
She saw the corpses… and ran.
Ordinary villager: "She's running… get her!"
She ran and ran… and hid behind a tree… then into an old small house… like that of a woodcutter.
Sophie: "Hahhh… hahhhh…"
She looked into the mirror… and then saw it…
Her hair… turned white.
Sophie: "My… my… hair…"
(2 days later)
Sophie was hungry… it was cold — it was winter…
Sophie: "Hahhh… gahhh…"
The door opened.
(Sir Eisenberg!)
Sir Eisenberg: "What a sight… a girl… with white hair… not even nine years old… what a tragedy… Your grandparents… were dear friends of mine… come with me… I'll save you… give you food and drink."
(3 years later)
Sir Eisenberg: "Alright… listen carefully… I'm sending you into this forest… you'll fight to survive there… there are also 'Sirus' — they'll hunt you… whoever survives… will come back with me. Go!"
(3 days later)
Sir Eisenberg: "Hmm… let's see… who survived… seems like most are dead… ugh…"
Sophie: "La la… lalala…"
She was sitting on a pile of corpses… the corpses of the others.
Sophie: (humming)
Sir Eisenberg: "Ugh… the madness… the madness… she's the one… the perfect fit for… the Human Sirus! …Project!"
(A few days later)
Doctor: "Ready?"
Sir Eisenberg: "Ready, my little one."
Sophie: "I'm… scared."
Sir Eisenberg: "It'll be fine… don't worry…"
He injected the syringe… she started to scream… her veins turned green…
Sophie: "AAAAAAAAARGHHHHHH!"
Her eyes turned green.
(Gulp)
Sophie: "Ghhhhh…"
Her skin turned grey like stone… suddenly, she broke her restraints and attacked Sir Eisenberg.
Sir Eisenberg: "Ugh…"
Doctor: "Sir Eisenberg!"
Sir Eisenberg: "No… it's fine… are you insane… don't kill our project… hey… Sophie… come on, you can do it…"
She then calmed down, her skin returned to its normal pale color… and she collapsed unconscious.
Doctor: "…ugh."
Sir Eisenberg: "Take her to her room… from now on, she shall be called Miss Nightmare… because she truly is… like an evil dream… a monster that haunts you until you die…"
(A few years later)
(Patch) (Patch!)
Miss Nightmare: "Hmm… so those are the ones… huh…"
Heinrich: "Yes… they're the ones who killed your parents and family."
Miss Nightmare: "I see… hand me the axe."
He handed it to her.
Miss Nightmare: "You know… I think… killing you quickly would be too boring… so, what would be the best spot to start… maybe here."
She swung the axe into the man's groin and dragged it upwards — tearing his organs out.
(AAAAAAAAAARGHHH!)
He didn't die immediately… but suffered and suffered… until finally, his eyes closed and he died.
Miss Nightmare: "And you! …wait…"
It was a woman… the woman who once stood up for Sophie.
Heinrich: "Her name's Jessi… she was there that day… didn't kill anyone, but she was there…"
Miss Nightmare: "…hmm."
Jessi: "Please… please… don't hurt me…"
Miss Nightmare: "Hahhh… I have a question… answer it honestly."
Jessi: "Yes…"
Miss Nightmare: "Do you have children?"
Jessi: "N… no."
Miss Nightmare: "Thank you for being honest."
She gently stroked her head.
Jessi: "So… you'll let me live?!"
(Splach!)
She chopped off her hand.
Jessi: "AAAAAAAAARGHHH…"
Miss Nightmare: "Good… I think that's enough… now take her to a cell… remove a kidney… an eye… take her away."
Heinrich: "Yes, ma'am."
(Patch) (Patch)
Miss Nightmare: "Hahhh…"
(Sophie!)
Someone called.
Miss Nightmare: "What is it… Hänsel…"
Hänsel: "…nothing… just wanted to say… I did it…"
Miss Nightmare: "What?"
Hänsel: "I survived the Sirus virus… I'm a Sirus Human."
Miss Nightmare: "Then you're number 4… after The Poison, me, and Gretel… about time… Sir Eisenberg was kind to wait until you were 16… he did mine when I was 14…"
Hänsel: "Do you know what The Poison looks like?"
Miss Nightmare: "No one knows… only Sir Eisenberg and Franklin saw him… they say he has long black hair, brown eyes, white skin… wears a mask… and never speaks…"
Hänsel: "I see…"
Miss Nightmare: "Hmm."
Hänsel: "Do you want to see him?"
Miss Nightmare: "No… not interested… I know he was the first successful project… just after the catastrophe… then me, six months later… then Gretel… now you. If you'll excuse me… I need to go."
She walked away… into a room…
(A few days later)
(Patch) (Patch)
Miss Nightmare: "Hmm… hey… you…"
He was startled and hid his face…
Miss Nightmare: "Hmm…"
She held his head and looked at him…
Miss Nightmare: "Who are you… ugh…!"
He had a slashed mouth and pushed Sophie away…
Miss Nightmare: "Ah… I get it… you're him… you're The Poison."
The Poison: "…And you must be Miss Nightmare…"
Miss Nightmare: "That's me… but my real name's Sophie. Yours?"
The Poison: "Hmm… William…"
Miss Nightmare: "Interesting… not as scary-looking as expected."
The Poison: "Excuse me?"
Miss Nightmare: "Hmm?… your mouth is slashed… but that's no reason to hide it."
The Poison: "It bothers others."
Miss Nightmare: "Not me."
The Poison: "But it bothers me!"
Miss Nightmare: "It shouldn't… on the contrary… hiding it shows weakness…"
The Poison: "Having weakness… is a strength…"
Miss Nightmare: "Aha…"
The Poison: "They call me 'Poison' too… Sir Eisenberg calls me The Poison… some call me The Toxin… you're the only one not from Germany or Argentina."
Miss Nightmare: "You could say that… but William is also an English name."
The Poison: "I know…"
Miss Nightmare: "Sir Eisenberg preferred 'Nightmare'… 'Alptraum' didn't sound scary enough to him…"
The Poison: "Why are you even talking to me… I thought you were supposed to be scary…"
Miss Nightmare: "I just wanted to know who this 'Poison' is — turns out, it's someone ashamed of his appearance."
The Poison: "Do you have a problem?!"
Miss Nightmare: "Yes, I do. You're supposed to be the first project… explain to me why you don't kill older people or women."
She looked at him.
The Poison: "Then explain to me… why you don't kill children or parents."
Miss Nightmare: "Ugh… that's different… we don't want to traumatize the kids so they can still work for us…"
The Poison: "Hhmm."
He looked at her. His long black hair fell over his eyes.
The Poison: "…I lived with my grandparents… and with the daughter of my neighbor… she lived with us… they took care of me… that's why."
Miss Nightmare: "Just because one woman was kind… doesn't mean all are."
The Poison: "I don't kill women… because… no true warrior would! What kind of soldier kills only the weak?! You feel the same… that's why you don't kill children…"
Miss Nightmare: "You don't understand anything!"
The Poison: "You don't either… maybe we work for that damn old bastard… but I won't throw away my honor for him…"
(…)