Shudders: Reclamation Day

Chapter 29 - The Creature

*SPLAT*

    (Y/N) jumped awake at the sound of something slapping the floor of her cell.

     The lackey demon who routinely brought her food everyday giggled like a maniac with a metal bucket in their hand. "Eat human hehehhe."

    It walked away thankfully but its giggles could still be heard from down the hall.

     The woman looked to her 'food' and cringed. Roasted deer meat that wasn't all the way cooked. It was still red in certain places and (Y/N) could even see blood oozing from it onto the floor. She could vomit from just the sight of it.

     Her mind was telling her to leave the foul piece of meat alone but her stomach was begging for her to eat. Even the smallest bite.

'I hate this place...' She scooted off her bed and stretched her arm to grab the meat. The meat was just out of reach. She tried pulling on the chain keeping her bound to even move a little closer but gave up to catch her breath. That demon could've tossed the meat closer to her bedside...

     She was too weak to attempt reaching for it again. Her body fell back against the bed. How was she supposed to survive in these conditions...?

*SPLAT*

      (Y/N) looked down to see the meat now just by her thigh. Her eyes widened. 'DID IT MOVE?!'

"I wouldn't suggest eating that if you're still thinking about it..."

'That voice...' Her eyes looked up to meet the doctor's who unlocked the cell and entered inside. Floating the key back into the lock to lock the door behind him.

"Yama?! Where have you been?" She asked, quickly getting up but causing her to feel faint from the fast motion.

     The doctor pushed her back into the bed before she went tumbling to the ground. "I've been working. I see you haven't been eating well."

     Considering what these demons were trying to feed her he doesn't blame her...

      (Y/N) felt her stomach turn at the sight of the sloppy meat. "I'm not putting that stuff into my stomach. I don't know where it's been..."

       She could see Yama roll his eyes and reach into his bag that he placed on the bedside table. What sounded like his claws tapping glass was pulled out and tossed to the woman who barely caught it.

"Try not to get me into trouble for sneaking you food."

"Food?" She looked down at the object and wiped some grime off a makeshift label that read 'Strawberries'.

      Without a second wasted (Y/N) grabbed onto the lid and twisted it with unknown strength. Yama watched her open the jar and pull out the strawberries one by one before shoving them into her mouth. She must have been avoiding eating the foul meat for the last few days, she was practically starved.

"Wh-ere did you *gulp* get these?!" She asked in between swallowing the sweet fruit.

"Believe it or not this place isn't all the way a hell hole." Yama crossed his arms and looked away. "Zankoku has some lackeys manage a garden during the spring and summer. That came from the winter preserves he has."

     That monster? Growing fruit? She couldn't even imagine it. "He has a preserve supply?"

"He keeps it locked away. Only he and the scouts are able to access it. Since I'm the doctor around here, I have access too."

      So Ki and Akai could've been bringing her actual food and not letting her suffer from that soggy excuse of deer meat? Just another reason why she wishes they would go crawl in a hole somewhere and die.