Morons and Monarchs

Chapter Forty-Seven: Thanatos 🍎

I wonder why I ever chose to do this.

Why would anyone choose to be cramped up in a box with nothing but your own foul breath to keep you company? Why would anyone want to be here in this place of which is our own personal Hell. Why would anyone want anything to do?

But then again, I have always regretted the decisions I had not made, and if I wouldn't of made this one I may have regretted it.

Truly, it is beautiful and glorifying how gruesome things become tender. I mean, one would think kissing is an act of true love and passion, but when one is overcome with said passion, they do not kiss, they face battle each other yet we don't find that as appealing and tender.

Same with being stuffed in a box.

One would find the act of rebellion one to stand up for. Being carted away in a box and feeling as if you want to throw up is beautiful because it is for a good cause, but when one is carted away in a box with no cause and just for the excitement of being carted away in said box, then they are insane and we need to hide our children.

But what makes something unappealing in our eyes? What scales it? Our compassion?

No. Who would find compassion in one being in a box?

Our empathy?

No. I would want to be face battled.

I feel the weight of the other boxes crushing on top of me. Apples, I would guess. But they may also be my friends. Who knows anymore? We all got mixed up on this cargo ship.

Bayou found a direct passage to Tech Duinn after we went through the Encantados village and heard one speak of it. It changed a few key points of our plan, but ultimately made it easier. Less things to do. And less time it will have to take. It should only take two days for the ship to land in Tech duinn. One and a half, if we are lucky.

According to yesterday's sleeping arrangements, Ahmya and I are.

My box jars and I bite my lip to keep from cursing and drawing attention to myself. Which I was told not to do. Not anybody else. Just me. Bayou had the audacity to refuse my helpful magic when I suggested we all just came onto deck using the darkness as coverage.

But he denied my help. And ordered me not to use my own magic on myself. I seeth at the cardboard staring back at me. I think it grins.

So here I am. In a box. Obeying Bayou's every command, what is wrong with me? I am nobodies toy? Especially not a half's.

The box jars again and I slam my head into the box above full of apples...

"Fudge!" The box on top of me exclaims and that can only mean one thing: Brishen.

"Hello, Fudge." I violently whisper.

"Sorry," He apologizes and I roll my eyes. "I was trying to go to sleep."

I punch the top of my box hard and collide with something hard. Brishen groans.

I gape. "Are you hard because you are confined in cardboard?" I ask him once he is done groaning. My jaw still open.

"Hmm..." I can only see him cross his legs in his tiny space. He can't lie.

Idiot.

Brishen's box tumbles off mine and he groans... Very loudly.

My own is tipped on its side, and I slam my head into it. Hard. I curse. Failing to stifle it this time.

Then my box opens, and Bayou appears. His face twisted. He thrusts a handful of rags at me and I silently grab the clothing and stand up. Exiting the box, I return Bayou's glare. I drag the rags over my skin-,matching T-shirt and pull the raggedy, stiff pants over my lower attire. "Why were you two speaking?" Bayou finally demanded. I don't have an answer.

So all I do is walk towards where Brishen stands ahead, rubbing his thigh where he must have fallen.

"I was talking to you!" Bayou shouts at me.

"And I wasn't talking to you," I grumble back.

He glares at me, and Brishen looks at me with such a shocked expression that if I couldn't see my reflection on the water, I would have thought I grew two heads.

"What in Abilene's name and grace is wrong with you?"

"Well, I don't know," I shrug dramatically. Touching my jawline with my shoulder. "maybe it was because I am getting yelled at for talking while IN A BOX with another person IN A BOX, after getting thrown around. Or maybe," I throw my hands up.l Stalking towards him. "It was because I WAS IN A BOX?"

He crosses his arms. "Are you done, because I am. DO you want to defeat the Queens? Do you want to be free? Do you want to be happy with your soulmate? Ever?" He jabs at my chest. I am taller than Bayou, and I tower over him as best as I can. Making sure he notes it, too. He squares his shoulders.

"Or maybe," I poke him in the forehead. "I just want to not be carted around when we can just get there by HORSE and HOUND!" I shriek and storm away. Every one of my footfalls echoping on the deck. A few fishermen and crew-members stare after me but I shrug off their lingering stares. A girl swivels to make her way towards me, a green-sleeve, according to her silk-red parting dress that barely covers anything important, I glare at her and she smiles sardonically- and invitingly- before backing off.

Ahmya appears beside me, her hand on my arm, and her breath coming in gasps. She looks like a fish out of water as she tries to reign in the breath to speak. "I..." She heaves, and I pull her to me. Patting her back.

"What?" My voice softens.

"I don't know, but Bayou told me to come..." She gasps. "Get you."

I glare at her, and step away. "Well, then I don't know, either. Because I am not going." SHe narrowed her eyes and pointed at me. Like I did Bayou, only this time, she jabs me in the chest.

"I will drag you by your ear, if I have to." I laugh a little.

"You can't even reach my ear." She frowns, re-evaluating her plan.

"I can get a stool, or make you give me a piggy-back ride."

Now, I narrow my eyes. "I will not give you a piggy-back ride, Ahmya."

-*-

Am giving Ahmya a piggy-back ride.

Running through the cargo boxes, her yelling out directions to go, and if I go the opposite way, then she hits me in the back of the head. Hard.

I bat her hand away as I turn left.

"I said right, you darn idiot!" She orders again. I roll my eyes, catching sight of Bayou, I point at him. "Oh," Her directions were wrong.

"And where have you been?" Bayou is now beside us, and I startle. Not expecting him to just appear out of nowhere.

Ahmya jumps down and lands on her feet, a picture of pure agility and swiftness. I almost envy her assassin-like movements, but then again, I am pretty quick too. Not to boast or anything.

"I was just trying to find one good apple on this ship, and so far I have found none." I exclaim. It wasn't a lie, I was actually trying to see if I could find a non-molded, stale apple on this darn ship. And although it is filled with such fruits, there is none.

And that is, well, just sad.

I did manage to find a few caterpillars, though, and I think a worm... it is hard to tell since there is dirt and muck everywhere. I look back at Ahmya, she is staring at me as if I had grown two heads, which wouldn't be entirely outrageous since I did just fall off a building a few days ago, but at this time, the only thing dangerous that could happen to me is falling off the ship or being lured by sirens under the water.

My boot's laces catch under my foot, and my head hits a bunch of apples. My face feels stiff, and I hear Ahmya chuckle from behind me. Something hits my head with a thud, and I bat Bayou's foot away and roll over with a grunt.

"Gods," AHmya laughs. "I never knew somebody could be that clumsy, and still be alive." She snorts when she laughs again, and doubles over with a newfound sniggering.