The other Kingdoms

Chapter 9

          I couldn't believe they ganged up on me like that, Connor held me still while James dumped the curtains on my head and here I was thirty minutes later still washing dirty curtains without soap I might have never done chores up until now but even I know you need soap to wash 'How is it meant to get clean without soap' with that my thoughts were interrupted when suddenly out of nowhere I heard a scream. It was high-pitched and sounded like it came from a little girl.

          I was still sitting on the small stone edge by the sea where I was washing the curtains so I got up a bit to survey the area in case there were any unknown guests. There was no one in sight so I went back to the task at hand but before I could sit I heard the scream again and realized it was coming from our cabin. Without a second thought, I ran as fast as I could to the cabin and tried to open the door but it was stuck, I could hear screeching inside so I pushed my shoulder against the door until it finally gave in and burst open releasing all the small black creatures within to fly out.

          James came running out looking like a madman, his hair all disheveled and his body shaking uncontrollably. "What happened," I asked as my brain started to process the string of actions that just occurred "There were bats, hundreds of them and they were all trying to suck my blood I barely managed to escape with my life," James said hysterically "Don't be a drama queen there was just ten and they could barely get to us because of the lantern, you would have known this if you weren't so busy sitting on the floor and screaming like a wimp," Connor said intentionally mocking James as he came looking the same as he had gone in, calm and without a single strand of hair out of place.

          I just felt relieved that no one was hurt at least not physically, James straightened himself and ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to look neat "You can't blame me for being scared of those blind, creepy freaks" "They are called bats" Connor said with a hint of annoyance in his voice "It's all over now there's nothing to be angry about" I said to keep the peace while there was still some "Nothing?! He called me a drama queen" "He's afraid of bats" "And I'm sick of you two still dragging this on".

          "Fine maybe I did overreact a bit but that still doesn't give you the right to insult me" "Yeah? Says who" "The crown prince of this kingdom" Connor gave a sarcastic laugh "And why should I care?" "Because it means you're in my territory so you have to behave" "I might be in your kingdom but you can't order me around" By now they were ready to break into a full-on fight I had to say something that would make them both stop "Who's hungry" "What?" James and Connor said simultaneously "It's past noon and watching you guys fight has made me hungry so why don't we find something to eat before it gets dark" "I'm down for fish," Connor said, reluctantly James also answered "Fish sounds good not that we have a choice" This made us all laugh "It's funny cause it's true" I said in laughter, in actuality though we didn't have any food except some leftover bread.

         Later we were all in the water with our trousers rolled up to our knees and sleeves rolled up to the elbows, we had been there for more than two hours and not a single fish to show for it "I think we should give up, I'm not built for this" James said resting his hands on his knees after another failed attempt "Let's just give it another try, we don't exactly have any food waiting for us back here and I don't know about you two but I'm starving" I said trying to motivate James even though I was feeling really tired myself "James is right we've been at this for two hours now and I'm hungry" I was a bit surprised by the fact that Connor just said James name without adding his title knowing how important it meant, I looked at James and it seemed he didn't miss it because he looked angry and it was justified since Connor had been getting ahead of himself ever since we got here and it had only been a day, just as I wanted to remind him of his place something strange happened, a fish swam towards us and started jumping in and out of the water, I caught it and quickly threw it into one of the baskets James found at the corner of the cabin after that more fishes started swimming towards us repeating the same action, we started catching them and eventually made it into a competition which surprisingly James won with only one fish ahead of mine while Connor could only fill his basket halfway.

          We took the fish inside the cabin and set up a fire in the front of it to cook, just when the fish were smoked enough to eat I suddenly remembered the curtains I left in the water a while back and got up to go get it, it was already washed up on shore so I ran ahead to pick it up but what I saw next to it was enough to leave me rooted to the ground with my mouth left hanging wide open, I was too stunned and confused to move but slowly I managed to regain my composure and walk towards her.