Calm and Calamity

Chapter 32

"Right, right." Kai swallowed, nodding in agreement. "I just... I think I've been here too long that I've sort of become desensitized to everything if you know what I mean?" The man scratched the back of his head and chuckled slightly. "All the horrible stuff that happens to people here, my mind just tries to normalise it, try to make jokes of it, make light of it, like when I was buried alive... I think that's why I stayed in my goblin form for so long. Since I was small as a goblin, I didn't feel as claustrophobic because every room seemed larger compared to when I was human."

"We all have our own coping mechanisms."

"And I'm sorry that mine hurt you." Kai put on a smile. "So, are we-"

"Calixte!" called out a voice.

Kai and the amphibian turned to see Klei heading over to them, his clothes heavy and drenched with water, leaving a trail of damp splatters on the ground behind him.

"Wow, what happened?" asked Kai.

"I thought I could do it all by myself, which was rather foolish of me," replied Klei; he then turned to Calixte. "I want to help the other water nymphs." He took a step closer to Calixte. "You can breathe underwater, right? You can-"

The amphibian broke into a wailing scream and cowered behind the piano, his body shaking and small. "Get away from me!" he screeched. "Get away!"

"Calixte?" Klei retreated back a step, his voice soft. "Calixte, what's wrong-"

"He doesn't want to go back there, Klei!" snapped Kai. "Why would he want to go back into the ocean after what he's been through?"

"I just thought that he might want to help rescue the other water nymphs..."

Having heard her friend in distress, Harmony rushed to Calixte's side. He clutched onto her, still shaking and sobbing. Harmony looked over to Kai and Klei and glared at them. "What happened?" she growled.

"I just..." Klei began, his voice trailing away as he looked around and saw the large group of onlookers.

The seven children peered around the corner, attempting to hide and watch in excitement for a potential fight. They weren't the only ones anticipating violence, or at the very least, a verbal argument. Relishing in the drama, Princess Alfreda and Riley whispered in amusement on the odds of who would win the fight.

"I'm sorry," continued Klei, bowing his head. "I was just asking for his help."

Harmony glanced up and down at Klei's drenched clothes, then sighed and nodded. "Calixte is hydrophobic."

Klei looked down at his soaked clothes and hair. "I see... that's understandable."

"I'm sorry for the misunderstanding," said Harmony.

"No, I'm sorry for scaring Calixte."

With the tension and conflict immediately disappearing, the onlookers left, Princess Alfreda and Riley especially disappointed with how easily and quickly everything had been resolved.

Late to the scene, Corinna rushed over to Calixte, the amphibian having calmed down a little but still shaken and blubbering. Harmony filled her in, then helped Calixte to go somewhere private with fewer people staring and away from anything water-based.

Corinna walked up to Kai and Klei.

"Is he going to be alright?" asked Klei.

"He should do in time," answered Corinna. "Just needs some peace and quiet."

Klei nodded. "I really am sorry."

"What was it that you need help with?"

Klei hesitated. "I wanted to free the water nymphs. Bring them back to shore so that they recover. I can't do it alone, and my monster form won't exactly be useful. I doubt being made of clay will give any advantage when trying to swim in the ocean."

Corinna glanced down at the ground in thought, then looked back up. "I want to help."

"You will?" Klei smiled. "I mean, are you not busy with building houses?"

"I can do both." Corinna shrugged. "Besides, most of the foundations have already been set. I want to help."

"Thank you," said Klei.

*

Hearing a knock on her door, Wendy bolted up from lying on the fluffy white rug in her room. "Who is it?" she called out.

"It's Dex," answered a voice. "Is it alright to come in?"

"Yes, it is!" Wendy beamed, sitting crossed legged and slightly swaying in giddiness.

"Hey, girl," sang Dex as he entered the room. "Got you some grub to eat!"

Wendy clapped her hands together. "I'm so hungry!"

Dex produced a bowl of steaming food and placed it on the floor before Wendy. "Careful, it's hot," he warned.

The wendigo's smile faded as she gazed down at the bowl of food. She leaned forward, inspecting the contents, her nose wriggling in disgust. "This isn't food."

"Yeah, it is." Dex laughed. He sat down in front of Wendy. "Now this..." The man closed in his eyes and breathed in and out with a sigh of delight. "This is proper food."

Wendy frowned and retreated back slightly away from the bowl. "No, what we had before was food."

"This is the same thing, only it's not cold but hot, and we're not eating out of the packet but instead out of a bowl like civilised people. Also, it's gonna taste a whole lot tastier than normal. You see, Oscar has found a way to make this stuff taste actually decent, and he can make it go further. We won't be going through our food supply as fast with his help."

"Who is... Oscar?"

"Oh, he's one of our new neighbours, one of our friends. He's been put in charge of meals. Heard he used to be a chef for the royal family before he got thrown down here. Wonder what he's imprisoned for?" Dex chuckled. "Overcooking the steak?"

"We seem to have a lot of new neighbours..." mumbled Wendy. She reached out and clutched onto her soft toy giraffe.

"Yeah, great, isn't it?"

"Can I go outside and meet them?"

"Uh..." Dex hesitated. "In time, sure."

"How much time?"

"Well- we shall have to play it by ear. Anyway, what's its name?" Dex motioned to the toy giraffe.

"They still haven't told me." Wendy sighed. "Where is Klei? He hasn't visited me today. He always does, at least three times each day."

"He hasn't?" Dex swallowed. "He's probably just busy at the moment. I'm sure he'll come by later-"

"What is he busy with?"

"Construction work, likely." Dex shrugged.

Wendy glanced down at the toy giraffe.

They both flinched as they heard loud voices from outside, one of them being Klei's.

"That must be him."

"Will you make sure that Klei visits?"

"It's a deal." Dex stood up and made his way to the door. "Make sure you eat your food, you hear me?"

Wendy nodded and watched as Dex left the room and closed the door behind him. She looked down at the bowl of steaming food and the fork that she had been given.

It wasn't the same.

Everything was changing.

Everything was different.

Why did it have to be different?

She sniffed the food. Her stomach rumbled and ached, begging to be fed.

Ignoring the cutlery provided, Wendy scooped the food out of the bowl and into her mouth until she scraped every single morsel possible.

But the hunger still lingered.

The wendigo then ate the bowl, her teeth tearing through the carved wood like it was air. Then she ate the metal fork.

The hunger was still there.

She was still empty.