Calm and Calamity

Chapter 32

Klei shook his head. "Not him." He motioned to the ocean. "The others."

"The other water nymphs?"

"I don't know how long they've all been down there, but perhaps if I bring them to shore, then they can start healing. They'll be able to live the rest of their prison sentence without suffering so much."

Salim sighed. "Tying rocks to prisoners so that they drown and become 'water nymphs' is an archaic form of punishment that is no longer around. I believe that the majority of them have already completed their prison sentence. "

"They have? Then why are they still here? They can't possibly want to stay!"

"When your sentence ends, they ask you to walk to the nearest portal opening."

"And the water nymphs can't do that..."

"They will also die immediately if they leave this realm. The Eternal Abyss is what is keeping them alive."

"Once they're out of the ocean and have healed, then they'll be able to leave, won't they?"

"Yes, I believe so."

Klei gazed back at the ocean. "Then that's what I'm going to do."

*

"Wendy?" called out a familiar voice as there was a knock on the door. "It's Corinna. Am I allowed to come in?"

"Yes!" The wendigo rushed up from lying on the floor, the chains around her ankles clunking and rattling, and sat on her bed, then gussied up her balding hair. "You may come in!"

Corinna opened the door and closed it behind her. She beamed at Wendy. "Hey, how are you settling in?"

Wendy swallowed. "The room is very pretty. I like the colour."

"Glad you like it. I believe Klei picked out the colour. But if you want it repainted or changed in any way, like more shelves, or a different layout, don't be afraid to ask. Whatever makes you feel like home."

"Home..." The wendigo gazed around at the pastel pink walls, the shelf of soft toys, and the painted white clouds on the ceiling.

"Well, as close as we can get to it imprisoned in the Abyss." Corinna laughed. "It's nice to have some sense of normalcy, so we don't all lose our minds and go crazy." She stepped closer into the room, hesitant, unsure if she should sit down on the bed next to Wendy or keep her distance as Klei had advised.

Wendy looked at her, then patted the bed with a soft smile.

Bowing her head low, Corinna sat down on the edge of the bed.

The wendigo scooched closer to the young woman, her thin and pale hand reaching out and stroking Corinna's long golden hair. "Such a pretty colour..." the wendigo sang.

Corinna flinched upon being touched and slightly recoiled back, putting on a smile in an attempt to not upset Wendy. "How has your day been?"

Wendy grinned, revealing her rotting and yellowed teeth, and skipped over to the shelf on the wall, picking up a soft toy giraffe. "I got this."

"Oh, cool!" said Corinna. "Have you given it a name yet?"

"No." Wendy shook her head. "You can't give them names; you have to ask them what theirs is." She put her ear close to the toy giraffe's head for a while, then sighed. "Nothing... they are not ready to tell me their name." Hugging the giraffe tightly to her chest, Wendy returned to sitting on her bed.

"I'm sure they will in time."

Wendy nodded. "When I'm free, I want to go see a real giraffe."

"Yeah, that sounds like fun. I went to the zoo a lot with my family-"