The Last Breath Chapter 10

Grandma carried me up the desolate hill. I remained in a half-dream state. The throat she gripped felt no discomfort—instead, I experienced a sensation like losing consciousness after being choked, an instant loss of will.

I don't know how long passed. Grandma stopped. She released her grip and I fell to the ground.

Lifting my head, I realized we'd reached the mountain top.

My muscles and joints wouldn't obey. I was like a corpse with consciousness still intact as Grandma flipped me over to face the sky.

Grandma tore open my shirt and used her nails to slice open my belly, smoother than a scalpel. I could see my internal organs still trembling weakly.

Grandma bent her head, carefully removing things from inside my body. Though I felt no pain, watching myself disemboweled was nauseating.

I looked away, gazing at the upside-down world before me. Right by my head were two grave mounds with two crude headstones in front—the common rural burial style from last century.

Because the image was inverted, I struggled to make out the text on the left headstone—it bore my grandfather's name.

After Grandma passed, she was to be buried here with Grandpa.

Looking back at the horrifying-faced Grandma, she was stacking my intestines beside her feet.

She turned back to continue with the other organs, searching through my body for what belonged to her.

Grandma was earnestly conducting her death ceremony. She would finally be satisfied, entering the earth with her organs intact. And I was merely a burial offering.

Watching all this, I felt somewhat bored.

I lifted my head again to look at the right headstone. I could easily make out my own name carved on it.