Beguile

Chapter 12

I slept on the floor blocking the door. On the 2 nights that I've witnessed, I realized that Karl was sleeping the same.

"Boiled eggs" he repeated. He have been snoring every night, and he speaks in his dreams like cooking shows describing their dishes. "Sausage........... dip....on...cheese sauce" my stomach churned from hunger.

Since Im locked in here, and since I cant plan an escape when the window is barricaded by thick steel and Karl by the door, I spent my time watching the sun go by while listening to Karl's nonsense.

He tells stories, unexciting ones. He bubbles on his food adventures like its the only memory he has, he mentioned some of our classmate's names but when I ask if they're his friends- he flatly answered no.

Despite that he continued to blabber.

I elbowed the door, and his snores broke like static. I braced myself for what's about to come, but it seems his dreams today had been about good things.

"Huh.....What?" He awoke confused. Sometimes he would yell when he gets disturbed in the morning or from his afternoon naps, but sometimes he beams in joy. Its only in food that he becomes predictable.

After a few seconds I felt something poke in my back, and I blow a sigh when I saw the tube wriggle through the door gap.

"Water" he said in between yawns.

I rolled my eyes knowing I have no choice.

"Mint or orange?"

"Mint" I answered. Then after a while, mint candy the size not bigger than my thumb slid through. "Yum" I hear my guts screamed in sarcasm.

I never knew where he found this, but I do know that he has stashes other than human meat.

"Fix your wounds up" I hear him chew. He neither share nor speaks, and I never bothered to ask. I know that it's his act of mercy.

I search over my skin which was stamped with bruises. There are minor cuts which bleeds like it was graze from red pen, and there's body aches that I never knew where from. Besides that, it was just drama when I complained about broken ribs. "Hmmmm" I lowkey emphasized on non-existent pain.

A thin roll of bandaged slid through the door gap. "Here" he said in between chews, and just in time, I couldnt stop my stomach from rumbling. Its only a few days since the game started, but my sunken cheeks suggest I've lost weight. Clearly, he doesnt have the same problem.

"I- I cant share" he stammered

Thats not what I meant! I blame all fault to my stomach which only hear the chewing sounds but not the idea that it could be one of our limb! I could've ranted. I could've complained. But when a sharp ring pierces through my ear drums, I realized that one of the voices is not just in my thoughts.

I knelt on the floor, one hand trying to shield my ears while trying to get away from the other. I tried to scratch away the skin in my wrist, and even thought of chopping my hand off. But I cant do that! I cant! Its only seeing the curtain rod when I thought of what to do.

It's a long metal, but it doesnt stop me from trying to shatter the band that tighly attached to my left wrist.

Again. And again. And again. But it didnt shatter. I only got to rest when the ringing stop with a beep.

A robotic sound started speaking, and I could hear Karl's echoes through the door. Together, they sound like they came from speakers attached in a school's every corner.

"Good morning students." It started. "We are excited to announce to you that Rule no. 1 is being waived. From here on out, students can freely share informations -including personal ones- to everyone inside campus.... We hope that this announcement serves you well."

It ended. Just like that. Just like how its always been, with questions left unanswered.

Like, how much are we even allowed to share? ...........Or is that a dumb question they're glad to ignore?

I heaved a sigh as I pick my ears from left tinnitus.

I crawled back to the door. "Wow, isn't the first rule just forbidding to share personal information? Why would they word it like that. Right?" I called out but no one answered. I'm almost worried if he really chop off his hand per his unpredictable violence. "Karl!" This time louder.

"Shhh" he whispers in unision with the wind.

And immediately, I knew that something is wrong. Karl may sometimes stutter, he's loud with his non-ending description of dishes, he snores, he eats a lot, and his mood swings are annoyingly funny. He's loud and he's never quiet. And he never whispers.

Nothing sounds odd after that. It was just utter silence.

For a moment, I thought that maybe I should shout and call for help, but looking at the rotting body on the bed suggests that this is all too real and my next captor could be those that kill in sight.

I could hear shuffling sounds, and when I eaves through the door gap, 2 pair of feet stands far.

This is my chance.

Just in time, a loud brawl broke out. I took this opportunity to smash the door knob with my now dented curtain rod. It's the only weapon I have, and Im just glad that it didnt split before I could open the door.

When the door paved open for the hollow hallway, I noticed that the brawl had blocked my exit. Still I braced myself to dashed in. I cant promise my own survival, still I refuse to die in a cramped bedroom.

Ill try to give myself a pretty and peaceful death.