Chapter 7

“Anya...”

A girl was seated in front of a large table constructed from improperly welded scraps of metal. The surface was littered with holes and cracks, however, it still served its purpose. Behind her stood an old grandfather clock in barely functioning condition. The pendulum swung erratically, creating a nonrhythmic ticking sound with each oscillation. The girl recognized the clock, but she could not remember where.

Tick…Tick-Tick……Tick…

“Aaaaanyaaaaa….”

The dying fire radiated a melancholy aura. Pulps of pulsating flesh covered the destitute tile floor and the crumbling walls.

“Anya!”

“Huh?” Anya was broken from her daze, her eyes drifted towards the origin of the sound. A woman with silky smooth black hair sat on the opposite end of the table facing Anya. Behind her was a window, which expressed nothing but the black void that laid beyond the walls.

“Eat up or your food’s going to get cold.” The woman's voice was very familiar to Anya, creating an unjustified sense of trust within the girl.

“Sorry, Mommy.” Anya grabbed a pair of short rugged sticks and poked at strange beating meat that rested on her plate. She paused before clenching it in between the sticks.

“Mom,” Anya muttered quietly under her breath. She did not know the woman sitting before her, but calling her Mom seemed proper. What little Anya knew about her mother matched the figure in front perfectly. However, to Anya, the situation at hand still felt abnormal.

“What is it, Anya?” The woman responded, motionlessly facing the little girl.

“N-nothing.” Anya glanced around. Her surroundings felt familiar and yet at the same time foreign. The longer she looked around, the more discomfort she felt.

“Well, eat up, Anya. You must be hungry. After all, you haven’t eaten a real meal in ages.”

“Yeah…” Anya felt what the woman said was correct. The enormous hunger residing within her begged to be fulfilled. Without hesitation, she placed a lump of the strange meat in her mouth and munched.

Anya was surprised as she slowly chewed, the rich flavor expunged onto her tongue. Juices gushed out of the meat with every bite. The mixture of saltiness coupled with slight hints of sweetness combined into a pleasantry she could not describe. After swallowing, Anya picked up one after another. Her hunger grew with each gulp.

Anya abruptly came to a stop.

Uneasiness flooded Anya as she suddenly became aware of the bizarreness that encircled her. The woman who sat in front of Anya did not show the slightest movement. Even when she spoke, she remained like a statue, completely motionless. Anya glared at the woman’s face, it was visible but incomprehensible, for she could not make out any features. Glancing around, Anya noticed the dilapidated walls and the unkempt floor. Piles of flesh were scattered all over the room, throbbing violently and expelling maggots with each contraction.

The putrid scent of the room entered her nostrils. Anya covered her mouth as a wave of sickness hit her.

“W-Where am I?” With all her might, Anya fought her desire to puke.

The woman simply giggled gleefully.

Slowly, Anya’s eyes met the plate of meat she had just devoured. Shock swept over her and she could not hold herself any longer. The girl hurled the contents of her stomach all over the tiled floor. Maggots wriggled themselves free from the freshly evicted vomit. The sour smell coupled with the disgusting sight forced Anya to barf further until only white bile could be expelled.

She wanted to confront the woman, but her constant coughs and heaves made it impossible. Great misery arose from the drooling snot of her nose and the thick mucus that had coagulated in her throat.

The woman simply watched before tilting her head and raising her left arm.

BAM

The woman slammed her fist onto the table.

“YOU UNGRATEFUL BITCH.”

Anya stared at the woman. Her left arm pushed against the table’s surface while her right hand held onto her throat to alleviate the acid burn.

“HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU WASTE MY PRECIOUS LOVE! ALL I DO IS GIVE AND GIVE AND GIVE! AND ALL YOU DO IS TAKE AND TAKE AND TAKE! YOU SELFISH LITTLE BRAT! IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!”

The girl’s body shook, she was petrified not knowing what was going on nor what to do.

“IF ONLY-”

BONG…BONG-BONG… … BONG…

The vomit on the floor vanished, the meat on the plate replenished, and the woman returned to being motionless in her seat. Everything reverted to its previous state, everything but Anya. Her stomach fluids still covered her chin, her eyes were still watery from gagging, and her fear and confusion still gripped her heart.

“Do you know what starvation feels like, Anya?” The woman spoke, this time in a calm and tender manner.

“…” Anya froze, not knowing how to answer.

“At first, it could be a little painful as your body uses up the last of its food supply. But then, something magical happens.”

The woman joyously clapped her hands together.

“The pain disappears, you may even feel great! Euphoric maybe, now that nothing hurts anymore. And then you lay there, slowly losing your consciousness until you fall into a gentle sleep.”

“I-I don’t understand what you’re talking about…”

The woman ignored Anya’s statement and began backing away from the table.

“Now…Do you know what starvation feels like to us, Anya?” The woman stood up and seconds later, the table pulverized into dust. Anya, whose arm rested against the table, lost her balance and fell straight to the ground.

“At first, it could be a little painful as your body uses up the last of its food supply. But then…”

STOMP

The woman jabbed her foot into Anya’s stomach, causing the little girl squirm and cry in pain.

“Your stomach fills with intense agony as it begins to eat itself.”

STOMP-CRACK

This time, the woman’s foot landed on Anya’s hand, shattering every bone that was struck directly.

“Your hands become sensitive and brittle as the slightest movement makes them feel as if they’ve been crushed.”

STOMP-CRACK

“Your shoulders become rigid with pain as if they’ve been dislocated.”

“P-Please… S-Stop…” Anya begged as she whimpered, a puddle of tears formed on the floor around her head.

STOMP

The woman continued mercilessly, ignoring the girl’s desperate pleads.

“Your legs feel as if they’ve been crushed, constantly throbbing and aching.”

The woman wound her leg back and kicked straight into Anya’s midriff with full force. This flung Anya into a nearby wall and her face landed flat onto the solid ground. The girl laid incapacitated on the floor, futilely attempting to escape. She held her stomach with her trembling hand, moaning in between coughing blood and gasping for air.

The woman approached Anya and lifted her head by the hair.

“And that’s not even the worst part.” The woman let out a malicious laughter.

BASH

The woman slammed Anya’s face into the ground, breaking her nose as it twisted sideways.

“Your head begins to burn as if it’s being roasted over a fire.”

“Ugluggug.” This short and incomprehensible sound was all Anya could muster to express her anguish and plead for mercy.

“And every waking…”

BASH

“Moment…”

The sheer force of the crash dislocated Anya’s jaw while the floor fractured Anya’s eye socket, nearly ejecting her eye.

BASH

“Your head…”

The impact busted her lower lip, separating it in half. Large gashes opened across her cheeks, ceaselessly oozing blood. Anya had lost all feeling in her face.

BASH

“Is filled with…”

BASH

“Unfathomable…”

BASH

“PAIN!!!”

BASH-CRACK

The woman released Anya’s hair, allowing her to fall. Anya produced no response besides the occasional twitching. The woman then promptly placed the girl in fetal position across her lap. The little girl’s face was disfigured beyond recognition. Only one eye remained barely open while the other was swallowed by her swelling skin. A thick layer of blood flowed endlessly from the large lacerations on her face.

“And when every piece of you yearns for release...”

The woman pressed Anya’s ear against her chest. Anya could not move or comprehend the world around her anymore as she was only able to sense whatever laid before her lifeless eye.

“Only then…”

Ta-thump…Ta-thump…Ta-thump…

With her free hand, the woman gently stroked the little girl’s hair before shifting both of Anya’s hands around her own neck.

Ta-thump…Ta-thump…

“Only then will you feel death’s sweet embrace.” She tightened her grip, forcing the powerless Anya into strangling her.

Ta-thump…

“So, do me a favor… Anya… don’t let us starve…”

…

***

Anya awoke to the sound of boiling water. The fragrant aroma of Boone’s cooking filled the air, causing her mouth to unconsciously water.

“W-Where am I?” Anya was confused, with no recollection of her surroundings.

“You gonna ask that ev’rtime you wake up?” Boone stirred the contents of the pot, producing a recurring clink.

The haze that clouded Anya’s mind slowly cleared as memories surged back into her. It had been three rotations since their altercation with the crawlers. Since then, they followed a tight schedule: travel when the sky remained gray and rest when the heavens turned black.

“More-ni- Ow Ow Ow.” Anya felt sharp pain across her entire body as she sat up. Her body was slightly drenched with sweat, indicating that she must have had another nightmare. The nightmares bullied her during every slumber. The anxiety that followed became progressively worse with each iteration despite her inability to recall the contents.

“Sore? We ain’t done that much walking.”

“N-No, that’s not it.” Anya checked her arms and legs, unable to find any visible wounds. She held onto the side of her pounding head. “M-My head…”

“You been drinkin’ the devil’s water, missy?” Boone turned his head to stare at Anya, “Don’t hold out on me now.”

“I thought… you said you were out…” A headache, teamed with uncomfortable heat, made her hesitant to speak.

“That’s why I’m tellin’ you not to hold out on me.” A sliver of excitement could be seen in his eyes.

“S-sorry…”

Boone noticed the discomfort displayed by the girl. His anticipation quickly morphed into concern. After turning off the cooking device, Boone approached Anya and placed his forehead against hers. This flustered Anya, but other things preoccupied her mind.

“You’re burnin’ up! Get some food and rest. We’ll wait until you feel better before movin’.”

“I-I’m fine…” The girl knew that Boone only prepared enough supplies for one adult, resulting in their current need to rush back to the city.

Rumble~ Rumble~

Anya covered her stomach as her face reddened with embarrassment.

“It’s gonna be ready soon.” Boone positioned his rucksack behind the sickly girl, then carefully laid her back against it. He proceeded to fill one of the cups with soup.

“Can you feed yourself?”

“Y-Yea…” Anya muttered, her voice soft and weak.

Bonne sighed, he kneeled near Anya and fed her with a rugged spoon. Boone made sure he blew every scoop so that it would not be too hot.

Anya coughed after her first sip. Despite the aroma, the stew tasted dull and lacked the rich flavor from before.

“It ain’t to your likin’?” Boone questioned as he blew on another scoop.

She shook her head, “No…It’s good…”

“You ain’t gotta lie to me. A cook’s only as good as his ingredients.” The man responded with a chuckle.

Anya attempted a soft smile. The food was not to her taste, but she didn’t wish to waste the man’s goodwill.

“I was thinkin’,” Boone fed Anya another spoonful, “I reckon I may give this explorer thang a rest.”

“W-What do you mean...?” The girl’s eyes widened. For the past few rotations, she had indulged herself on Boone’s tales of adventure.

“You see, that bottle ain’t cheap, can’t be doin’ this ev’rday. Might be better just to count my losses.”

Guilt struck Anya. She felt that if it weren’t for her, Boone would not be in his current predicament. She knew that she had caused trouble again for others with her selfish desires.

“S-Sorry…” She gripped the blanket tightly. She faced her head down, allowing strands of hair to cover her face. “It’s all my fault…”

“No, no, no, I ain’t blamin’ you or nothin’. Been thinkin’ bout this for a while now. Figured I’ll open up a stand or maybe even a restaurant or somethin’. Maybe call it ‘Boone’d Stew’ or somethang. What you think, missy?”

“I-I t-think it’s great.” Anya still did not lift her head as her words stuttered slightly. Her faltering facade hid her fear of being left alone again.

“Well, I’m gonna be busy, don’t know if I could do this all alone. I reckon I find myself an assistant, an apprentice even.”

The girl lifted her head and gazed at Boone.

“So, what do ya say, missy? Wanna give it a shot?” The man gave a beaming smile.

Anya smiled back and gave a simple nod.