Calm and Calamity

Chapter 13

Day: 296 (Food Drop-Off)

Days Left: 5184

Lives Saved: 1

Harmony sat in front of the boarded-up fireplace, her green cloak wrapped around her shoulders. Ever since they had arrived back to the house, the trio had remained quiet. As usual, Calixte occupied himself with his reading, almost falling asleep and dropping the book.

Corinna finished recounting the food packets from today and stored them in the cupboard, making a note in her brand new red notebook as she had lost her last one at the other food drop-off. Fortunately, nothing truly important was in her rucksack. About to retrieve her white notebook from its safe spot, Corinna hesitated, glancing back at Harmony who was still sat in front of the boarded-up fireplace, her eyes dreamily staring off into space. After putting her white notebook back, Corinna sat down next to Harmony.

"Hey," said Corinna softly.

"Hey," replied Harmony, still continuing to look off into the distance vacantly. After a moment of silence, she mumbled, "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing you need to be sorry about, Harm." Corinna placed a reassuring hand upon the young woman's shoulder but she remained unresponsive to the gesture.

Harmony shook her head. "We might have had a chance at that peace treaty you wanted if it wasn't for me. If it wasn't for the things I've done."

"You mean about you..."

"Wiping people's memories."

Corinna swallowed. "Did you really do that?"

Turning, Harmony looked into Corinna's eyes. "Yes."

The two stared back at each other before they both glanced back down at the floor.

"Was it during a blood moon?" asked Corinna.

"No..." Harmony sighed.

"Was it because you were wearing your mask for too long? You lost control?"

"No..." Harmony sighed once again. "The first food drop-off I went to when I first arrived here, I got nothing. The ones after I only got scraps even when I finally got my mask. I was starving and so weak in my human form and my chimaera one. If I ever wanted to escape this place, I knew that I needed more strength, more energy. I had to get more food." She paused, glancing over to Corinna.

"So, you took all the food?"

Harmony nodded. "The next drop-off, I didn't hold back. I defeated every single last prisoner there. I figured that if I damaged their brains enough, wiped their memories, they wouldn't be much of a threat at the drop-offs afterwards." She swallowed. "My plan was successful, perhaps a bit too successful. Almost all of the prisoners left for a different sector. They were too afraid to fight me again. Only Calixte, the imps, and that goblin remained. The ones that had lost all of their memories... I don't know what happened to them. I never saw them again."

"And that's why you got first pickings?"

Once again, Harmony nodded. "But now that I haven't got my mask, we lost all of that." She forced a laugh. "Not much of a threat now, am I?" Her face soured.

"But you've changed, Harmony." Corinna edged closer to the young woman, placing her hand on top of hers. "You no longer do that-"

"No." Harmony broke away from Corinna's touch and stood up, her back facing towards the young woman. "I tried to do the same to you when we first met. When you first arrived here and prevented me from escaping I wanted revenge. I... tried to erase your memory."