Day: 632 (Food Drop-Off)
Days Left: 4848
Lives Saved: 3
After preparing his cooking utensils in the caravan, Oscar exited and saw that Calixte played on the piano and had attracted quite the crowd of people. It had become almost a tradition for everyone to wait for the drop-off group to return to the village with food. As they waited, the prisoners prepared seats for the lunchtime meal and listened to Calixte play.
One of the imps shouted in glee and pointed at the horizon.
In the distance was the drop-off group. As they drew closer, Calixte changed the lyrics to his song and made it related to food, causing the imps to laugh and giggle. Sumit also joined in, helping Calixte make some food-related puns.
But the amphibian stopped, and the last note of the piano lingered bitterly in the air. Everyone saw the expressions on the drop-off group's faces.
"What's wrong?" Harmony asked Corinna.
Hesitating, Corinna gazed at the rest of the prisoners before answering solemnly, "this was all that dropped."
Clarence retrieved out of his coat pocket a single silver food packet. "Just one," he said, his voice trembling. He handed the packet over to Oscar.
The royal chef inspected it. "We still have some food leftover from last time," Oscar said with hope as he chose his words carefully; he knew it would be unwise to talk about the Abyss Plants out in the open where it could be recorded.
"But will it still be enough for everyone?" asked Clarence. "How long will it even last? They're not going to donate any more food- they've made it clear to us."
"We'll be fine," Oscar reassured him, then addressed the rest of the prisoners. "Miss Ivette and I have made preparations for when this inevitably happened. We will have to ration even more than before. I can promise you we won't starve..." Oscar paused and lowered his head. "But you might start feeling low on energy."
The prisoners glanced at one another, disheartened, yet there was still a lingering sense of determination in their eyes.
"Oscar's right," said Corinna, moving to stand beside him and also addressed the gathered group of prisoners before her. "We have enough food to feed everyone, so there's nothing to worry about. In the Eternal Abyss, we won't starve as easily or quickly.
"We won't starve if we keep on eating regularly," Riley added. "But as Oscar, we'll have a whole lot less energy."
"Which we don't exactly need at the moment," said Sumit, shrugging. "We haven't exactly got anyone to fight-"
"But what if we do?" asked Lili. "We need to be prepared if any new prisoners arrive in this sector. If we're seen as weak or vulnerable, they'll take everything we have!"
"Perhaps..." mumbled Corinna. She then raised her head higher and regained her confidence as she saw the other prisoners' faces. "But since no packets are being dropped anymore, I doubt any prisoners would stay in this sector after finding that out."
"They might even start dropping them again if there is a fight," said Kai. "Honestly, it sounds like a good thing if that happens."
Lili scowled at Kai. "Our safety is our priority, not our food. None of us will be in our top form without food." The royal bodyguard placed her hands behind her back and kept her back straight in a militaristic stance. "I suggest that we distribute the food accordingly to our main fighters, ones that will be able to protect the group from harm-"
"Oh, so you then, is that right?" snapped Dex. "You get all the food-"
"Not just me," Lili growled back. "I also suggest we prioritise those heavily involved in construction as they will need the strength and-"
"To finish my house finally," Princess Alfreda sighed. "Though I certainly am not giving any more of my food. We should keep everything as it has been; keep the ratio, we, unfortunately, have to reduce how much everyone gets, that's- what you call it- equality?"
"The children should have priority," said Dex.
"I agree," said Riley. "I've survived on less food and sometimes on nothing, but the kids shouldn't have to go through that."
"Oh please," Princes Alfreda scoffed, tilting her chin up. "Those imps have been here longer than all of us here, just like the amphibian." She motioned to Calixte. "They're three hundred years old! Just because they are forever trapped in their juvenile bodies and their minds are deranged does not mean they are not capable of surviving by themselves. In fact, they have likely already been at the point of starvation numerous times during their imprisonment.
Dex and Riley glared back at the princess with hostility.
Alfreda merely smirked at this and continued, "I do not believe that the imps need any special treatment."
"No one is going to get special treatment," said Corinna sternly, eyeing the three with a warning stare not to continue arguing. "For now, we will keep on going as we have been and adjust it only if we feel we need to, and we will vote on the change."
Everyone simmered down; the rising conflict once again defeated before it even started.
Corinna turned to Oscar and Ivette. "We'll go through the calculations about how to divide the food."
After Corinna, Oscar, and Ivette left and headed to the trading post, the others dispersed and went about their own business. Though there was a slimmer of doubt and fear about the whole situation, they trusted Corinna's words and remained vigilant.
*
It was the monthly chess tournament that night, and all the prisoners wishing to enter the competition arrived at Calixte's house, where it was held. Normally it would be outside; however, the relentless sandstorm was not ideal weather conditions for chess games.
Once everyone had gathered, Kai stood up on a chair, put his fingers in his mouth and whistled to gain the room's attention.
"So, I have an idea!" Kai grinned, looking around his audience.
"We are not arguing again about chess rules," grumbled Rin.
"Yes, can we please not change them again," said Clarence. "I already keep forgetting the current ones."
"It's not about chess," Kai said. "It's about our food situation- and now, before you start arguing..." He glanced at Dex, Rin, Alfreda, Riley, and Corinna, who all were about to open their mouths to speak. "Please, just listen to me out first," Kai continued. "I thought of the idea way before, but I couldn't tell anyone until we were inside since they could be listening in. They're not going to send us any food packets if we're not entertaining. So, I think we should, now and then, have a fake fight. They get their live sport, and we get to keep this community intact; it's a win-win for us."
"Whilst I commend you for such an idea," Salim began. "I doubt they will send any food packets unless the fight is real."
"Wrestling is known for being fake and choreographed," said Lili. "But people still enjoy watching that."
"Exactly, and action movies too!" Kai added. "We have to make the fights seem realistic. No one would believe it if we just started fighting each other randomly. So, I suggest, if anyone gets into an argument with someone, they fake a fight to settle it."
"Just a more vicious sparring match, you mean?" asked Lili.
"You got it!"
"Sounds like it could be a lot of fun." Riley grinned.
"Finally, something is actually going to happen around here," sighed Princess Alfreda.
The other prisoners all affirmed their agreement.
Corinna raised her hand. "Could we please establish some rules, first?"
Everyone groaned.
"Whilst we need to make the fights seem real, please do not go beyond more than you need to," continued Corinna. "Avoid the brain; we don't want anyone's memories erased. Also, please do not use this as an excuse to bully or target someone; this is just a way to gain more food possibly."
"Anything else?" asked Kai.
Corinna lowered her head, then muttered. "For now... but I might think of some more rules later."
"Okay," Kai addressed the rest of the room. "Is everyone in agreement?"
"Yes," the prisoners replied in unison.
Day: 637
Rin groaned and rubbed her eyes as she regained consciousness. As her vision adjusted to the darkness, she sighed in relief, finding herself in the sealed pit that was to keep her locked up and contained during the blood moon. The young woman patted herself down, making sure that she was in one piece and her mask was by her side; fortunately, everything was just the same as before she had lost consciousness before the blood moon had begun.
She stretched her arms, still stiff and sore from the transformation, then gazed up at the sealed exit; a slither of light shone through the gaps and illuminated her face. Preventing her eyes from being temporarily blinded, Rin covered her face with her hand, then froze as she noticed black writing on her arm. Pulling her sleeve, revealing more of the writing that stretched across her arm, Rin used the light from above and read it:
'Commanding her to take control, to fight.
The enemy was right before her.
Do not hesitate.'
Before she could finish reading it, however, the black writing faded, disappearing altogether. Rin retrieved her mask and stared at the black writing and ink splots that swirled and fizzed around, the language unknown and foreign to her.
Mesmerised by the moving words and symbols, Rin jolted as the metal lid of the pit creaked. Slowly, the lid lifted open with a groan, then slid aside and landed on the sand with a muffled thunk. A goblin with a red woollen hat peered over the edge and gazed down at Rin.
"Kai?" Rin called up, squinting from the sudden burst of light.
"I see you didn't escape again," said Kai. "I guess Corinna's new measures are working." He threw down an end of a rope and held onto it as Rin climbed out of the pit.
"Is there anyone else that needs freeing?" Rin asked as she aided Kai in sealing the pit back with the metal lid.
"Salim hasn't transformed back yet," answered Kai. "There's still this weird purple gas seeping out of his containment cell, but I'm sure he'll be back to normal in no time. Everyone else is fine, though."
Rin hesitated. "And Sumit? Has he returned yet?"
A smirk appeared across Kai's lips.
With a groaning sigh, Rin shot him a glare, then glanced away. "Well?" she pressed. "Is he back?"
"No, he hasn't," Kai finally replied.
"He's probably still somewhere in the ocean." Rin donned her mask and adjusted it on her face.
"Hey, should you really be transforming so early?" Kai fretted. "It might damage your body."
"I'm not going to transform, don't worry," said Rin. The black writing of the unknown language on her mask whizzed around, enlarging and shrinking again, making space for new words to appear. "I just... when I'm wearing the mask, it just sometimes helps me find people. I'll be able to find Sumit with it."
"Oh cool," said Kai. "Have fun!" He waved and turned in the direction of the village.
"Wait, you're not coming with?"
"Nah, you can go get him by yourself," Kai laughed as he began walking away. "And if you don't make any progress, I'll be very disappointed!"
With bitter and profanity-filled grumbling, Rin closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. Silence filled the void around her, and Rin slowly let the air escape from her mouth.
She opened her eyes and allowed the mask to take control. Her foot stepped forward, and then the other. Rin's body moved without her command and let it continue walking to where she hoped Sumit would be.
*
As Rin had expected, the strange power of her mask led her to the sea. Her body stopped on the shore, and Rin regained control of her body. She looked around and saw markings in the grey sand, which she recognised: multiple tentacles dragged along the ground.
"He's here," sighed Rin, a slight smile on her lips, hidden behind her mask. "Sumit!" she shouted. She continued to call out his name until eventually, something emerged from the water.
A red tentacle shot up from the black sea and waved with such enthusiasm it could only have been Sumit. The tentacle then shrivelled and shrunk until it now formed a human arm. Sumit's head popped above the sea-line; he was mid-transformation, and though he looked mostly human, his eyes were still abnormally large and skin red with orange speckles, shiny and waxy. He swam towards Rin, his body transforming back into a human. As he trudged along the shore, the last splotches of red faded into his warm walnut skin.
"Rin!" Sumit sang, his arms open wide, every inch of him drenched and dripping with sea water.
"Nope." Rin retreated, but it was too late; she had already been caught and pulled into a sopping wet hug. "How was your blood moon, then?" she asked once Sumit finally let her free.
"Don't remember a thing at all!" Sumit gave a thumbs-up. "As usual. Fortunately, I transformed into an octopus that was a similar size to me, so I didn't have to wait long."
The two of them began heading back to the village, with Sumit making any excuse to swish his wet hair and spray Rin with sea water. However, Rin was not in a joking mood; her mind was too occupied with what Kai had said to her earlier.
Was this a good time?
They were alone.
Rin grumbled a series of swear words under her breath as the hesitancy in her grew even stronger. Her fear swelling up inside of her, Rin instinctively donned her white mask, regaining some sense of calm and control whilst wearing it. The black letterings of the unknown language jittered and swirled on the mask.
What was she supposed to say? She didn't have anything prepared. Perhaps she should have written a draft or-
She swore again, which Sumit thought was a response to his bad pun about sand.
Corinna said she didn't prepare or write anything down when she asked Harmony out, Rin remembered. And Corinna was the most organised person Rin had ever met, who planned almost every aspect of her life, making detailed diagrams and charts. If Corinna could be spontaneous, then so could Rin.
Sucking in a breath, Rin turned to Sumit. She opened her mouth, her voice cracking as she attempted to force out the words-
"Wait, you hear something?" Sumit spun around, his eyes darting and scanning the surrounding dunes and rocks. "I thought I heard..."
They both stopped and listened out for any sign of noise.
After a few seconds of silence, a muffled whimper called out, preceded by a series of soft clanking and clattering.
"I think someone's hurt," said Sumit as he followed the origin of the noise, Rin trailing behind him.
Trekking over more dunes, Rin and Sumit arrived at a familiar place, one that they had not been to for a year: the sealed sandwyrm tunnel. Corinna and one of the imps had fallen into the tunnel, trapped inside with the giant sandwyrm's lair until Rin and Sumit rescued them.
The two approached the exit to the tunnel, where large rocks and rubble had blocked it up. As they got closer, they heard the noise once again- the groaning sobs and creaking. A few of the rocks shook and rolled down the heap as a hand burst through the gap- a hand made of polished wood with a few of the fingers bent backwards.
"Someone's stuck underneath there!" Sumit crouched down, about to dig through the rocks with his bare hands when Rin stopped him.
"Remember, we have to be quiet," she hushed. "Or the sandwyrm will get them."
Moving the rubble carefully and slowly, Sumit and Rin eventually free the person trapped underneath. "Are you alright?" Sumit asked, then froze as he saw who they had just rescued.
Though it had been dark, he remembered the life-sized marionette doll that had attempted to hurt Corinna whilst in the sandwyrm tunnel. He also remembered how they had abandoned the puppet to save themselves.
What once was a pretty baby-blue dress and white apron was now mere tatters hanging from the wooden puppet's body. Its short and curly hair was covered in sand and dirt, the ribbons lost. Half of its painted face was gone, cracked and smashed in, leaving only one eye and parts of its nose intact; its movable jaw seemed to be permanently stuck open, revealing the hollow insides. Even more of its body was missing, its left arm completely gone with just the metal wire from inside it remaining; but what horrified Sumit the most was the large bite marks at the bottom of her torso, where presumably the sandwyrm had chewed off her legs.
"Shit..." Rin swallowed, averting her eyes.
"We need to take her back to the village," said Sumit as he sniffed away the forming tears in his eyes. "She needs our help."
Rin nodded.
Together they lifted the wooden marionette doll and carried it back to the village.
Happy to announce that Harm and Harmony has been added to Wattpad's Written With Pride reading list.
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