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Wasteful · @OddmentsShop

20th Oct 2019 from TwitLonger

Mineshaft, past reminiscing


As they climbed through the tunnels, there was a shuddering noise and a distant crash. They ran back to investigate.

The passage had collapsed. They were trapped inside.

The air inside already felt hot and oppressive. Or maybe that was just Blue's imagination running away with her...

They explored the further tunnels and then everyone sat down to rest. It really was hot. It was like the ground itself was pumping out damp heat. Blucini's coat was slick and she hated that. She hated feeling dirty, it reminded me of the worst times in her life. When she either let herself go or had no option but to remain dirty until she found a stream.

"What if we're stuck in here for the rest of our lives?" Nina asked the air. A heavy silence.

"Then our lives won't be very long after that," Frell said flatly. "Once we finish eating all the bugs and bats and other things we can find."

Blucini opened her pack. "I have enough water to last us another couple of days, if we ration it. Someone might come looking for us. I'm too young to die..."

"How old are you?" Frell asked.

"I'm 17 spans old."

"Oh, you're just a kid."

"I'm not a kid!" Blucini bristled. "I'm a grown-up in Terrenmeda! It's Pendalosa that's strange. Why is childhood so long here?"

Nina just watched them bicker with her cheek on her hand. "Probably someone had a good reason for it, made it into a law, and because it's tradition, people just go along with it."

"When I was-" Blucini stopped, as their voices overlapped and Nina tried to go on. She shook her head. "No, it's okay, you go."

Nina continued: "I had to start working on a farm as soon as I was out of classes. I never really got the benefit of a period of innocence or childhood with lots of free time."

"That sounds dreadful," Frell said.

"It's just how things are."

"Yeah, well, my childhood wasn't great either. In the first clutch, my parents lost all their children except for me. So that was a lot of pressure. And on my second time out to sea, the boat sank and no one survived except for me."

"Losus rots," Nina swore.

No one pressed for details. Frell didn't look sad, like she had come to terms with it, but her friends looked sad for her, thinking about it. Frell didn't share anything else, like just that much had cost her all she wanted to say for a while.

Blucini searched around and through the rocks, tossing some aside.

Nina: "What are you doing?"

Blucini: "I'm trying to find a flat rock so I can chisel a last message to my brother."

Frell rolled her eyes. "We're not even done exploring the whole place yet, don't be so melodramatic. Sit down, calm down and drink some water."

Nina pushed the flask into Blue's hands.

"I don't want to drink more than my fair share."

"If we don't get out, it's going to be a painful death whether we starve or dehydrate. Just drink the accursed water."

Blue looked alarmed. "The water is cursed?"

"NO, it's a turn of phr-" Frell looked at Nina helplessly.

"You packed it, of course it's not cursed," Nina explained.

"Well, I know that, but I wasn't sure if she did something to it! The right curse now could be really useful."

Frell shrugged. "All my sword does is glow when people are going to get violent. It's pretty low-grade. Sorry."

Nina tried diplomacy.

"It's not anyone's fault we're in this mess."


This comes after chronologically: https://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sr0te7

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