A burst was heard, similar to a water balloon popping, followed by a rain of liquid that was probably blood.
"Am I still alive?"
My small heart beat forcefully in my chest.
The idea of turning around terrified me, though the lack of pain was a good sign.
Something lifted me before I could reconsider, dangling me about 10 centimeters above the garbage bag.
"What the hell is this doing here? Wait... Is that a fucking baby corpse!?" exclaimed whoever was holding me with a nasal voice.
Confused, I tried to raise my gaze, finding myself then face to face with death.
My body tensed for a few seconds, barely having time to react to what I was seeing.
"Wuaaaa, it's moving!" the "death" shrieked upon seeing me move, tossing me onto something soft and sticky.
"I'm starting to get tired of being thrown around like this."
I complained internally as I collected myself.
"Shit, I dropped it by accident. I hope the boss doesn't get mad at me," the voice continued.
With difficulty I observed the creature that had intervened, if that could even be called a creature.
It was a doll about 30 cm tall. It was much less intimidating from afar. Its body was black, except for the painted skull that covered the upper half of its face, and the tuxedo that was embroidered on it.
"Well, doesn't matter. I just have to complete the mission," the doll continued while taking a small sarcophagus that hung from its back.
"How is it supposed to grab it if it doesn't have fingers?"
The sarcophagus was stabbed onto the garbage bag I had been on before.
A thick black substance began to ooze from the edges of the object, which suddenly opened to expel a dark, amorphous mass.
I covered my face with my arms, more by instinct than anything else since, logically speaking, it was impossible for my small body to allow me to defend myself from whatever that was.
I felt the air denser, almost as if it had become a fluid. Though the sensation didn't last long. Soon that liquid was swallowed again, taking with it the sticky blood on my back and the rat's remains I was leaning against.
My body swayed backward, falling against the ground. A sharp pain spread from my neck from the fall.
"Damn, I'm going to end up dumber than I already am at this rate."
"Good, another white rat caught. At this pace we'll complete the job in no time," the doll said.
"Wait... So that WAS a rat!? How big are rats in this world!? Are you telling me I landed on that animal's corpse!?"
I couldn't help but feel a mix of fear and disgust. Now the ground felt much more comfortable.
That's when I noticed something.
A talking doll, a giant rat, a magic sarcophagus. I had just witnessed real magic. I had just lived through inexplicable events that science couldn't explain.
I felt excited, but also very vulnerable. That doll, while innocent-looking, had killed with one blow a creature that could swallow me in one bite.
I was dazed, frozen with cold, and overstimulated. Even without being an expert in pediatrics, I could say that those experiences weren't healthy for me, a newborn.
I didn't know the doll's intentions, but it didn't even need to intervene for my life to end. I was on the border between life and death.
Then, a fruity incense smell invaded my nose, overwhelming the smell of the garbage surrounding me.
Puzzled, I began to notice how the environment was changing. Small purple reflections began to appear on the surfaces around me, becoming increasingly intense.
"What's happening now?"
I couldn't help but worry. However, a sensation of calm began to invade me. At the same time, I felt myself starting to recover my body heat.
Small particles of red light twinkled in the air, to the rhythm of footsteps that had begun to echo.
"So here you are, Samedi. When I heard the commotion the spirits made, I couldn't help but worry, but from what I can see, you're completely fine," a female voice then said.
It was a young voice, soft and with a maternal touch, but accompanied by the calm with which a teacher would treat a student.
I couldn't help but feel more relaxed now. It was easy to deduce that woman had no bad intentions. She also seemed to be the "boss" the doll spoke of, so she was undoubtedly someone powerful.
"So you heard it too? It's rare to hear the lesser spirits screech like that. I also felt uneasy when I heard them. Though in the end, I just found a white snow rat. There's no danger," the doll's voice affirmed.
I couldn't help but feel intrigued by the conversation, but at the same time, I couldn't see who was talking while lying on my back.
"Perhaps it wasn't grave danger, but someone in danger. Lesser spirits can have their behavior altered around people with great spiritual affinity," another voice explained. This one was more childish, with a tone reminiscent of the class know-it-all.
"So the screams I heard before were spirits? I see. Maybe those particles of light I observed before were them."
"I have spiritual affinity? So certain things I feel aren't common. That's good. I was worried about what that old man said about me not having Ka, but it turns out I was born with something special after all."
"Oh, that reminds me that the rat wasn't the only thing here. I also found a dead baby. Well, I actually think it was alive, because it could move, though it's weird because it didn't give off a bit of Ka."
Hearing the puppet's words reminded me of my situation. I had to get that woman's attention. Maybe she was my only salvation.
"Waaaa! Uwaaa! Aaaa!"
I started to writhe and babble what I could with the strength I had left.
"See? It's freaking creepy. You think it's an extremely realistic doll or something? Maybe it's a fucking homunculus!" the doll exclaimed.
I couldn't help but feel uneasy hearing those words. It was the second time I'd been accused of being an abomination today. If the woman reacted the same as that old man, I would have no escape.
"Don't say nonsense, Samedi. Homunculi do possess Ka. Even Golems do," the childish voice refuted.
"So those things exist too? Interesting."
"Shut up, Legba! That doesn't make it any less creepy!"
"Is Ka really that important? What's it supposed to be? Maybe it's a life force or something."
"Pfft, the Lwa of death and corpses is afraid of a baby that looks dead? How pathetic," the childish voice mocked.
"So that puppet is a 'Lwa.' I don't know what that is, but from its appearance it looks like a voodoo doll that came to life."
"You damn spoiled brat! Come here and I'll give you a beating!"
"Silence," the female voice finally interrupted with an authoritative but not harsh voice.
Small golden and red spirits emitted pulses of light around her, surely responsible for the temperature having increased.
"Could you clear the garbage from the path if it's not too much trouble?" the woman asked.
At first I thought she was addressing the puppet. However, when the air began to emit small greenish glows, I understood she was talking to the spirits.
The air began to move, obeying that woman's words. Soon air currents began to form, moving the snow and removing the garbage around me.
I tilted my neck forward with difficulty, and finally I saw her. Her violet eyes fixed on me, showing a hint of doubt in her expressionless face.
The girl decided to walk toward me calmly. Her purple hair swayed with each step, along with her curious tunic. It was the same purple color as her hair, except for the interior of the folds at the bottom, which was lilac, with a black web-pattern embroidery.
"It's true, I don't perceive any Ka in him," she said, while crouching down, stretching her arms toward me. "But that's not a bad thing... he's not the first person without Ka I've met," she said, a hint of melancholy in her voice.
The feeling of relief I felt when she took me in her arms was indescribable. Her scent enveloped me, along with a sensation of warmth that revitalized my numb extremities.
"Maybe the warmth she gives off is due to the spirits or something? Doesn't matter. This heat feels so good, especially considering I almost died of cold."
"Is that true? You never told me about something like that. I thought Ka was indispensable for life," the childish voice said again.
I looked in the direction of the voice. On the girl's shoulder was another living doll. This one had a smaller body, half of its body was black and the other red. Its eyes and mouth were made with shells and it had a straw hat on its head.
"But why was it in the trash? You think that rat wanted to take it to its lair or something?" Samedi asked.
Legba turned his head toward the other puppet, looking at him as if he had just asked something fairly obvious.
"It's surprisingly expressive for having features made with shells."
"It's clear they reacted like you and decided to discard it when they saw it had no Ka."
"Aaaa right... Makes sense."
"I see, so their reaction was common. However, that woman said I wasn't the first person without Ka she'd found. Maybe it's just a rare condition."
I thought, somewhat relieved. Until now I had been subjected to all kinds of strong emotions because of this condition, but it was comforting to know I wasn't the only one in the world with it.
Though at the same time, it was a bittersweet feeling. That others shared my ailment didn't make it any less serious. I couldn't help but feel somewhat overwhelmed by what not having Ka might mean.
I had spent years imprisoned in my own body. I wanted to run, jump, dance. It wouldn't be pleasant if my lack of Ka hindered that.
"Poor thing, you've had to suffer so much, and being so small," the woman said while hugging me gently, pulling me from my negative reflections.
"Yes... it was very hard."
My eyes trembled, threatening to let tears escape. After having been murdered, revived, rejected, attacked, and everything else in such a short time, it was understandable that I felt sensitive now.
I really needed to be comforted like this.
However, I couldn't unburden my sorrows at that moment. Fate wasn't finished tormenting me yet.
"Don't worry, I'll find a good home for you," the woman then said.
My body tensed again, as if it had been petrified.
"It can't be... really... Are they going to abandon me again?"