Subjects of Desire

Buddy licked my hand while I stroked his soft fur. Meanwhile, Mr. Ren spoke with Lady Scarlet.

“How’d it go?” Lady Scarlet asked as she walked over and settled herself upon her throne.

“Fine, no issues. The kid got to hear the full tale from Miss Zaloneas, so now she can think it over and decide what she wants to do.”

“How much did you and Zaloneas tell her?”

“As I said, we fully went through everything.”

Lady Scarlet let out a sigh and slumped into her throne. “She’s just a kid. There was no need to include the more graphic details. I knew I should’ve gone with you. I’m honestly surprised Zaloneas agreed to tell a child those parts.”

“Forgive me, my Lady. But once she enters the Rift, she’ll witness things far worse. Miss Zaloneas and I agreed it would be better for her to know now rather than be blindsided later.”

“I suppose that is true.” She leaned forward. “So, have you decided where to scout for goods next?”

“Yes, I reviewed the maps last night and decided the Palatrov estate would be the best spot to try,” Ren replied.

I had heard that name before. I believe he was Father’s business partner, although I had never met him.

“That’s a considerable distance, and it will take some time to travel. Are you certain you want to go that far?”

“Everything around here has already been looted. I’ll try it out, and then, whether I find anything or not, we can head into the Rift. It’ll give the kid some time to think things through.”

“Alright, I approve of your travels. Take care!”

He saluted Lady Scarlet and then slowly approached me. I understood that he was leaving for a certain amount of time. Although I wasn’t looking forward to it, he implied that he would return, which at least made me feel slightly better.

“Well kid, I’m off. Will you be alright without me?”

I wanted to run up and tell him not to leave, but I knew I shouldn’t. Instead, for the first time, I told Mr. Ren a lie.

“I will be fine,” I responded.

He smiled, although I observed that same sadness that he displayed occasionally.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back before you know it. Make sure you behave for Lady Scarlet.”

“I will be a good girl,” I replied.

“Good.” He raised his hand, and for the first time in my life, I didn’t flinch as he did. He rustled my hair. “Take care, kid; I’ll be back soon.”

After Mr. Ren left the tent, I felt a wave of loneliness. Sensing my unease, Buddy gave me a comforting lick, and I cuddled him back.

Lady Scarlet spent the remainder of the day sorting out issues while I just watched, playing with Buddy. When night came around, we ate, and I once again joined Lady Scarlett on her bed. Buddy joined us as well, and the three of us fell asleep.

──✩₊⁺⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧──

Music will play, obscured by a thick mist. Faintly, I will be able to make out the shine of a crescent moon, the moonglow shining ever so slightly through the mist. A faint orchestral tune will play, although it will be hard to tell where it is coming from due to the mist.

I will stumble with my hands extended, trying to find something, anything. But I will not be able to. I will head towards the moonglow, seeking the only bit of light. But I will not be able to find anything. I will turn to see a large round table with a red tablecloth draped over it. A table that was not there before.

Also, there will be her—me—the other me. She will be sitting there with a cup of tea. Fruit will be lined up along the table.

I will sit at the table opposite me.

The table will spin, and a knife will fall from the sky above. It will slice the apple in two, and the apple will rot into nothingness. The table will spin again. This time, a banana will be cut and will rot to nothing. This will continue for each fruit. One by one, they will rot.

Finally, the table will stop in front of the other me. An orange will remain, but she will pick it up rather than a knife falling. As she does so, a knife will fall onto the table where the orange was moments before.

“Rehtona evah tonnac uoy

Egnaro evah nac uoy

Egnaro tnaw uoy

Doog si egnaro”

She will then bring down the knife, slicing the orange in half.

~

I awoke abruptly, a lingering sense of unease clinging to me. But, despite this anxiety, for now, it was simply morning.

──✩₊⁺⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧──

The day unfolded similarly to the previous one. Lady Scarlet managed the minor issues that arose among the camp folk while I spent my time playing with Buddy.

I never realised how much care animals required until I had Buddy. I had never owned a pet before; Anne had Choco, her cat, but I wasn’t allowed to play with or take care of him. Perhaps it was because they thought I was useless. Certainly, while caring for Buddy, I felt worthless at times.

But I wanted to protect Buddy. He was my pet and my friend. Buddy would lick me whenever I felt sad about Mr. Ren leaving or Lady Scarlet being too busy to spend time with me. The warmth of his tongue made me feel somewhat less lonely.

Around midday, a crowd gathered around Lady Scarlet’s tent. I watched from a distance, listening intently, but I made sure not to get in the way of Lady Scarlet.

“We are sick of waiting. It is time for us to get the chalice. The longer we wait, the more likely we will run out of time and perish anyway.” A man yelled.

“I understand, but you should wait just a little longer.” Lady Scarlet tried to reassure him.

“But going now is better than waiting around and doing nothing!” Another angry man yelled.

“If you can just wait a little longer, Ren has gone to scout out the Palatrov estate. If you wait a little longer, we can all go in together. We will have a much better chance of survival if we go as a group.”

“You said that about Chesternaut estate, and all you brought back was a stupid little girl.” The first man yelled.

Lady Scarlet swung her sword, narrowly missing the man’s head.

“Say that again about her, and I won’t pull my blade next time.”

I mean, I didn’t see what he said that was wrong. Mr. Ren only brought me and a handful of other small items back when he came to my place. And I was a stupid girl. So, nothing he said was worthy of chopping his head off.

The man swallowed before continuing. “I’m just saying there is no guarantee that you will find anything that can help. Rather than sitting around waiting, I’m going to go in.”

Several group members nodded in agreement before leaving, presumably to enter the rift.

Lady Scarlet appeared defeated and deeply sad, almost as if she had just witnessed someone die before her eyes. The weight of her responsibility as the camp leader must have been exhausting for her.

I was supposed to take care of Buddy, but Buddy taught me more than I could ever teach him. I reached out and held Lady Scarlet’s hand, knowing from Buddy that this gesture would make her feel a little better.

──✩₊⁺⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧──

End Chapter 8