This Conspiracy

Chapter 15

Author stuff: How are we 15 chapters in and a month isn't over yet? My brain can't comprehend.

TRIGGER WARNING for this chapter. Menstruation, blood, and everything that menstruation encompasses is in this chapter. Also, this chapter is kind of gendered. Mostly due to menstruation. I was able to reword a big chunk of it, but I know I missed something.

Chapter 15

In Which The Inevitable Happens

Flossy woke the next morning with pangs in her abdomen again. It was rather uncomfortable, but she didn't want to move from her hammock. She listened to the sound of the Glade waking up – the bleatings of the animals being let out to graze, the cries of the boys as they greeted one another, the clucking of the turkeys, the chirping songs of the birds.

It was the sounds that she woke to every morning, but for some reason that day they felt more like home.

Regretfully, she turned on her side and felt something slick between her thighs. She rolled back into her first position and sat up. Looking down she saw the crotch of her pajama bottoms stained red.

"No," she said, lying back and covering her face with her hands. "Why? Why now? Why not never? Ugh, stupid."

She had to get up, she was aware of that, and take care of her situation. The Creators had been generous enough to provide her with tampons and pads, as well as medication for the pain, after her first week. She'd thought that she'd be prepared for this day, but she most certainly did not feel ready.

She was a little miffed that the Creators hadn't sent her anything to stop this from happening. Perhaps they didn't have any access to it? As impossible as it seemed, it was entirely probable.

She needed to wash up and get into fresh clothes. Unfortunately, she didn't think that was possible. She waddled over to her box of things and dug around. She pulled out a clean pair of undergarments and a pad, as well as a shirt and some dark cargo pants.

She wiped off her thighs with her pajama bottoms – they'd have to be washed, though she didn't want it broadcast across the Glade via Sloppers than she got her period. That would be uncomfortable to explain to all of them what she was going through. She would have to wash them herself tonight when she showered, like she did with her undergarments. (That had taken some figuring out. Really, the details weren't too important or necessary.)

Flossy quickly changed into her clean clothes, hoping the blood dried on her legs, making sure the pad was secure on her underwear. She gathered what she needed for the day – stuffing more pads into her pockets – and headed to the toilets.

The boys greeted her as usual. The toilets were relatively empty, thankfully. She wadded up a bit of toilet paper and wet it with water from the sink. She wiped down her thighs and flushed the wad down  – thankful that the Creators gave them plumbing, a blessing at a time like this. When she was finished, she washed her hands and headed back out, acting as if nothing was wrong.

She joined the Track-hoes for breakfast, picking up a bowl of oatmeal with some dried fruits and honey to mix in. The honey was almost too sweet for her to handle, so she decided to give the rest to Chris – Gally didn't like oatmeal. She ate what she could, though it wasn't as much as she would have liked or normal had. At least it was something in her stomach.

Zart seemed to sense that something was off almost immediately.

"You feeling okay?" he said.

"Yeah," she said. "I'm just not really hungry this morning."

"This doesn't have anything to do with the other day, does it? You're not sick, are you?"

"No. Just... just not hungry."