Chapter 9

“You broke the deal, Simone. You came back.” The old, shaky voice of her Grandmother hissed.

            “Why does it matter to you, anyway?” Simone growled. Miriam abruptly grabbed her arm.

            “Please don’t address Grandma in that tone.”

            “Shut up!” Simone yelled, wagging her arm away. “Right now, you’re just as bad as she is!”

            Miriam stepped back. Their grandmother slowly raised her right arm.

            “Tell me, Simone. What business do you have with that Burtson boy?” 

Simone looked at her Grandmother in the eye. A slow, disturbing grin grew on her face. “I love him, you old hag. I love him, and there is nothing that can stop me from doing so.”        

“How could you have any feelings for anyone from that rotten family?!” the grossly loud voice of her grandmother boomed higher.

            “Just because his parents were supporters of the dam, doesn’t mean that Michael was! It’s your fault his parents are dead, and that he suffers everyday from his wretched new “family”!”

            Then, everything was silent. Simone could only hear her breath.

            “Bring out the device, Miriam.” Her grandmother murmured. Miriam walked over to a cabinet on the side of the wall, and took out a complicated, steel object. She placed it on the table before Simone. She immediately recognized it.

            “No…” she squeaked.

            “Simone, for your sins and the forgiveness of the Shrine God, you must remove four of your fingernails. One for breaking the deal of your presence in Golden Bull, another for Len’s life, the third for your sweet lovers life, and the fourth for your own.”

            “Why are you bringing Len into this!” she cried. “He didn’t do anything but serve our family for all these years, you ungrateful b***h!” Simone looked at Miriam. “Help me,” she mouthed.

Miriam stared straight ahead, her expression blank, emotionless.

“How could you?” Tears filled Simone’s eyes, her mouth quivering. “You… you are no longer my sister.” She got up, moving towards the torture device. “Where are the men?” she snapped at her Grandmother. “Aren’t those hired men of the Sonozaki family going to force me to do it right about now?”

“No,” Miriam said in monotone. “You will remove your nails yourself.”

Simone’s eyes widened. “Why are you being so cruel, Miriam? Why?” Miriam didn’t say anything.

Simone shook her head. “I’ll do it,” Simone said between sobs. “To prove to all of you, the entire Sonozaki family, that nothing, no one, can stop my love for him.” She slipped her hand under the device, lifting her index finger into the provided slot.

“This is for Michael…” Simone shut her eyes, hesitantly lifting her left hand. Then, screaming wildly, she forced her hand down the lever, the crack of her nail scraping off echoing the room. Simone continued to scream, pressing her middle finger into the slot.

“For Len…” she slammed her hand down the lever, making the same cracking noise. The sound of her used-to-be nails falling to the floor became a blast to her ears. Her fingers pulsated. She screamed louder, her eyes and nose running. She fell to the floor, unable to move, unable to stop the stinging pain and the continuous sobs.

“I can’t do this anymore! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, stop this, please…”

Miriam grabbed her right arm from behind.

“No!” Simone yelled.

“This has to be finished.” Miriam shoved Simone’s ring finger into the slot, slamming the lever with no hesitation. She shut out Simone’s ear shattering screams and pleads, doing the same to her final finger. Miriam shoved Simone to the ground. There, she looked as if she was worth nothing more than a dead fish. She was beginning to faint, and as she went off into her own world, she heard Miriam and her Grandmother speak.

“Clean up the blood… Put the nails in there… Call Len and tell him to get her out of Golden Bull by tomorrow…”