The Monster's Room - Chapter 30
When Marie was young, she lived in an orphanage. At that time, she was only five years old. The reason she was placed in the orphanage was because a thief had broken into her home. The thief killed her family, leaving only the young Marie alive.
The incident made national news because of the thief’s chilling response to a reporter’s question about his motives.
“I did it out of love.”
“What?”
“It was for love, sob, for love, love…”
The thief was clearly not in his right mind. People speculated that he was pretending to be insane to get a lighter sentence. As a result, the surviving child had to endure these remarks.
“Such a poor thing. What terrible luck.”
Marie was eventually adopted by an American couple who happened to come across the news.
She lived as Marie Garcia in a typical middle-class family. She had an older brother, Eric, who was also adopted, and soon a younger sister, Susan, joined the family. The siblings grew up normally.
Occasionally, strange individuals would linger around Marie, but each time, her family or neighbors actively reported these incidents, keeping her safe.
“Those wretched people!”
Good people cursed them, but Marie wondered if it wasn’t she who was truly unlucky.
As time passed, Marie began to prefer spending time with friends over staying at home. Her family chuckled, saying that it was typical for friends to become more important in mid-teens.
It was during one of those times, after Marie had returned from a friend’s birthday party, that police cars lined up in front of her house.
Her family had been killed by a thief, and Marie was informed of the tragedy. The police wrapped a blanket around the dazed Marie, but her trembling body was a sign that she couldn’t comprehend the finality of the situation.
Marie was terrified. What if her bad luck had caused her family’s deaths? Wasn’t the killer responsible for the crime, in a way, herself?
“Marie.”
“U-uncle.”
“It’s alright. It was just bad luck.”
Her story was newsworthy again, and she ended up living with her uncle, Andrew. Throughout her time with him, Marie limited her interactions with others.
The school frequently recommended counseling, but Marie refused. She was afraid of receiving confirmation that she was indeed as unlucky and strange as she feared.
It might seem foolish, but that’s how she felt at the time. Marie slowly withdrew into isolation.
But time is said to heal all wounds.
Marie gradually started to feel better. Just as she had eventually forgotten about her time in the orphanage, she began to believe it was time to bury the grief and tragedy of losing her family.
‘I can’t waste any more time.’
On the day she turned twenty, Marie decided to become independent. She told her guardian, her uncle, about her decision and even bought a small cake to celebrate on her own.
“Marry me.”
If only he hadn’t suddenly proposed to her.
Ah.
It was then that Marie finally remembered the time her uncle had died.
“Didn’t you tell me to love you? To love you! You told me! To love you, you, you!”
“I never did that!”
“I love you. Marie.”
“Don’t say you love me!”
“You always longed for love. Always! Constantly! Begging for love!”
“I never did that!”
Marie shouted, and Andrew cried. He cried and laughed, trying to shoot Marie with a gun but continuously failing. His wrinkled face was filled with despair, as if he desperately wanted to kill her but couldn’t.
“I can still hear the voice. To love you, did I not love you.”
“You’re truly insane.”
“Marie. Oh, Marie. Marie, Marie. I really…”
Even while struggling and fighting, Andrew pleaded.
“I don’t want to love you.”
“Then why…?”
“How can I stop loving you? It’s too, too horrible. I want this to end.”
He acted as though he were cursed.
So Marie told him.
“Then die.”
If he died, he wouldn’t have to love her anymore. It will be over. As Marie spoke, Andrew’s tears finally stopped for the first time. A look of elation spread across his previously insane face as he placed the gun to Marie’s hand. After placing the gun in his mouth…
“Are you alright?”
Marie had only wanted to talk. Just once. She had boasted to a strange-looking man she met outside a supermarket about buying some snacks, and then he appeared in the news one day.
That’s how Marie ended up alone.
“Marie.”
Her adoptive parents were wary of Andrew. His naturally sensitive and fierce nature, along with his often excessively sensitive reactions, led to speculation that he might be haunted.
Despite this, Marie didn’t pay it much attention. She preferred spending time with her uncle, who would play with her while her adoptive parents were busy with their charity work and social activities.
A few years later, Marie found herself alone again.
“Pull yourself together.”
As she came to her senses, Marie noticed she was crying endlessly, just like her uncle, just like Andrew.
She wiped away her tears and looked around. All the containment doors were open. She had expected to hear music from the room with the Marionette troupe, but perhaps because it wasn’t a performance day, the hallway was eerily silent.
“If you’re okay now, follow me.”
The team was on standby. They were seemingly ready to carry out their mission as soon as her safety was ensured.
Marie, instead of taking Kevin’s hand, held him back.
