Freesia/Memories

## Chapter 1

I've been a witch for as long as I could remember, living with Granny on a mountain.

There was a small village located down on the foothill, but everyone was so frightened of me that they chased us out.

I try to help Granny out, but...I'm just no use...I go down to the village to sell her flowers, but the villagers just stay away from me.

"Get lost!" they yell. "A witch's flowers? How disgusting!"

Granny's always telling me that I'll get through to them eventually, but I'm only ever able to sell flowers to the occasional traveler...

Today, just like most days, I couldn't sell a single one.

They're all so pretty, too...

Is everything really my fault?

## Chapter 2

Once again, because of me, no flowers were sold...

When I'd come home crying, Granny always gave me a warm hug. "There's no need to cry. Nothing is your fault..."

I've been told all my life that witches are to blame for all the calamities and evils in this world...

Plagues, poverty, disasters—everything bad happens because I'm cursed...

The only person who'd never call me evil...was Granny.

"Your magic power is just what makes you special. God gave you this gift so that you can be you. That's why, there's nothing to be ashamed of...Be proud of who you are!"

"I was too late to see just how special you are. So, at the very least, you need to get your head on straight, and live!"

Granny looked kind of downhearted, but did her best to smile for me.

## Chapter 3

I still don't understand why Granny looked so sad...but I felt the sheer amount of love in her words. So, I'll stop agonizing over my fate as a witch...

At least, that's what I thought I'd do...

One day, a disease spread throughout the village. Come to think of it...a traveler who bought flowers from me some time ago mentioned something similar.

They said a neighboring village was hit by some disease. "Did that make its way here...?" That was the most thought I gave it at the time.

But, the villagers seemed to be acting differently. They were in an uproar, calling the disease a curse, and blaming its spread on a witch—on me.

"Those wretched flowers you sell are cursed...You used them to spread this disease!"

## Chapter 4

How could they say such things...?! Granny only grew these flowers to heal the pain in everyone's hearts...

Feeling mortified and powerless to defend myself, I ran back home to the mountain.

"All they say to me is 'Witch! Witch! Witch...!' I hate them all..."

When Granny heard how upset I was, she said to me,

"Don't resent them. The villagers are just tired. Their hearts have grown weary, gripped with fear...They can't help but feel distressed.

They're close to their breaking point. So, they just chose poorly in how to escape from it all..."

"It'll be okay. The day you get through to them will come. So, let's send everyone flowers...and pray their hearts can be saved."

## Chapter 5

Granny prayed these flowers would heal everyone's hearts...and that one day they could share their anxieties and fears with someone else, so that together, we can [—], and grow.

I couldn't catch the most important part of what Granny said. When I was about to ask her to repeat herself...I smelled something burning outside.

"It can't be."

I opened the front door...only to see the flower garden in flames.

Before I knew it, the villagers had surrounded our home, torches in hand.

"With that witch here, we'll all be doomed!" they shouted, before hurling their torches at us.

Why...? All we did was live in peace...

## Chapter 6

"Burn in hell, you damn witch!" shouted a villager, his rifle aimed at me.

He fired, but in that instant...something gentle and warm wrapped itself around me.

And then I watched helplessly...as Granny collapsed slowly towards the ground.

"Granny! Stay with me!" As I held her in my arms, Granny smiled at me with a look of relief in her eyes.

"It's okay...Take that sad look off your face. Smile...like the beautiful flower you are..."

Then, she was gone...

"Don't resent them..."

I'm sure that's what you'd say, right Granny? But, I'm sorry...I can't stop. I can't stop...hating them for everything they've done!

I mean, they think that just because I'm a witch, it's perfectly fine to fear me...hate me...and steal everything I love!

How can I even begin to forgive them?!

These monsters...all deserve to die!

## Chapter 7

When I came to, I was drifting through the darkness...unable to put an end to these evil thoughts that made my heart overflow...with hatred.

Then...a gentle light shone through the darkness. I felt something emanating from it—a love that put my heart at ease...like Granny's smile once did. I reached towards that light, and a man holding a staff took my hand.

His hand was gentle...One that heals people, just like Granny...

The moment I touched him, my memories started coming back to me. I remembered what Granny said that day, when she gently scolded me for being upset.

"Use the flowers to connect the hearts of people...like a tree connecting the sky with the soil...so that together we can [cultivate these bonds], and grow..."

Those were her words.

Granny...

Right now, I'm traveling the world to heal everyone whose hearts are suffering with grief and despair.

He's here, too, of course... So, don't worry about me.

The world's full of tears, but I'll turn it into one full of flowers...

There's so much love in the flowers you gave me...and I won't rest until I've covered the entire world with them.